Grind it, dig it out, or leave it
Once a tree is down, the stump has three possible futures.
- Grinding. A machine with a toothed wheel chews the stump into chips down to a set depth below the soil. The roots beyond the stump stay in the ground. It's the usual choice in a lawn or bed, and the price depends mainly on the stump's width.
- Digging it out. An excavator or backhoe pulls the stump and the main roots. It leaves a big hole, makes a mess of the lawn, and suits a spot where a foundation, driveway, patio or pool is going in.
- Leaving it. At the edge of the woods or far back on a lot, a stump cut low can simply be left to rot.
Tell the contractor what will happen on that spot next: grass, a garden bed, a shed, a driveway. That decides how deep the grind needs to go and whether digging makes more sense.
The Miss Utility window
Delaware's rules for digging run through Miss Utility of Delmarva. Its homeowner page says that in Delaware the notice has to go in at least 2 working days and no more than 10 working days before the planned excavation, and that it applies whatever the depth (checked Nov 9, 2026). Stump grinding cuts into the ground, so file before the grinder arrives.
- How to file. Dial 811, or 1-800-257-7777, or enter a ticket online through Miss Utility's ITIC Lite system (checked Nov 9, 2026).
- Who files. Either you or the contractor can. Agree on it in writing so it isn't skipped.
- Washed-out marks. If rain or mowing wipes out the paint or flags before the work, the page says to call back for a re-mark.
The window matters both ways. File too late and the grinder sits idle; file more than ten working days ahead and you're outside the rule.
The lines nobody marks
Miss Utility's member utilities mark their own lines. They don't mark privately owned lines, and the homeowner page lists the usual ones: invisible dog fencing, sprinkler systems, wells and septic systems, and the water and sewer pipes from the meter to the house. Its advice is to hire a private locating company for those (checked Nov 9, 2026).
That list describes much of rural and coastal Sussex. A home outside town water and sewer may have a well, a septic tank and a drainfield in the yard, and plenty of lawns have irrigation lines. Walk the yard with the contractor before grinding and point out:
- the well head and the line from it to the house;
- the septic tank, distribution box and drainfield lines;
- sprinkler heads and valve boxes;
- any buried wire to a shed, gate opener, pool or landscape lights;
- an invisible fence line.
Sand, wet ground and the hole left behind
USDA's soil descriptions give a sense of the range in Sussex County yards. Evesboro sand is excessively drained, with no water table within six feet of the surface. Fallsington soils are poorly drained, with a seasonal high water table within a foot of the surface from December through May.
In dry sand, grinding is quick and the chips mix loosely into the soil. In a wet yard in late winter, the grinder may be throwing mud as much as wood, and the machine's tires can rut the lawn on the way in. If the stump sits in a low spot, ask whether the job is better done when the ground dries out.
After grinding, a mound of chips and soil sits where the stump was. If the chips are left in the hole and covered, the ground over them tends to settle as the wood breaks down. For a lawn, many owners have most chips raked out and the hole filled with topsoil before seeding.
Pine stumps and surface roots
Much of the county's tree work involves loblolly pine. The Forest Service's species profile says a loblolly in deep, sandy soil develops a taproot 4 to 5 feet long, and that in large trees the lateral roots often spread wider than the crown. Grinding takes the stump, not that root system, so long lateral roots stay under the lawn.
Red maple is the other common source of surface roots. NC State Extension describes its shallow roots as a dense mat at the surface that can buckle sidewalks or driveways planted too close. If those roots are the reason the tree came out, ask the contractor to grind the larger surface roots along with the stump, and price that part separately.
What to do with the chips
- Use them. Chips make a path or mulch layer under shrubs, kept away from the house foundation.
- Have them hauled. Delaware landfills don't take yard waste. Delaware Solid Waste Authority yard waste areas take brush and limbs up to 4 inches thick; for whole stumps, DNREC's list shows the Jones Crossroads landfill near Georgetown, the Route 5 transfer station in Harbeson and the Milford transfer station accepting stumps and logs, for a fee (checked Nov 9, 2026).
- Burn them? No. Delaware lets homeowners burn only cut or fallen branches, limbs and shrubbery from their own property in the cool months, and stump grindings aren't on that list (DNREC, checked Nov 9, 2026).
What stump grinding costs
Thumbtack's national tree removal guide, last updated March 24, 2026, prices grinding a stump that's already been cut by diameter (checked Nov 9, 2026):
| Width of the stump | National range |
|---|---|
| Less than a foot | $267–$354 |
| One to two feet | $324–$443 |
| Two to three feet | $355–$486 |
| Three to four feet | $372–$494 |
The same guide gives a general range of roughly $307 to $426 depending on trunk size (Thumbtack, checked Nov 9, 2026). Several stumps in one visit, grinding surface roots, raking out chips and hauling them all change the number. These are national figures; the written price from the contractor is the one that applies. More on what tree work costs.
Grinding mistakes to avoid
- No Miss Utility ticket. Delaware requires it whatever the depth, and a cut cable or gas line is far worse than a delay.
- Filing too early. More than ten working days ahead is outside Delaware's window.
- Forgetting the septic system. Nobody marks a drainfield but you.
- Grinding a soaked yard. Ruts in a wet lawn last longer than the stump would have.
- Leaving a chip-filled hole under new sod. It sinks.
- Unclear depth. Write down how far below grade the stump will be ground.
When grinding isn't the answer
If a slab, footing, pool or driveway will go over the spot, ask about digging the stump and roots out instead. If the tree is still standing, start with tree removal, since a stump ground at the same visit usually costs less than a separate trip. And if the stump is part of a whole row of Leyland cypress coming out along a fence, see Leyland cypress removal.
Stump questions
How deep will the stump be ground?
That's set in the agreement. Say what's going on the spot next, and get the depth in writing.
Do I really need Miss Utility for a stump?
Delaware's notice rule applies to excavation regardless of depth, according to Miss Utility's homeowner page (checked Nov 9, 2026). File at least two working days ahead.
Is it cheaper to do several stumps at once?
Usually, because the machine only has to come out once. List every stump when you send a request.
Can I rent a grinder and do it myself?
Many rental yards carry them. The same Miss Utility rule applies to a homeowner, and the private-line list above matters even more when you're the one running the machine.
This site sends each stump request to one independent contractor in Sussex County. It runs no grinders.
- Miss Utility of Delmarva, homeowner page. Checked Nov 9, 2026.
- USDA soil series descriptions, Evesboro and Fallsington. USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System, Pinus taeda (Carey, 1992). NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Acer rubrum.
- DNREC yard waste drop-off sites and residential open burning; Delaware Solid Waste Authority yard waste page. Checked Nov 9, 2026.
- Thumbtack, Tree Removal Cost Guide 2026, updated March 24, 2026 (checked Nov 9, 2026).