Do you offer stump grinding in Spring Branch, TX?
Yes. Sticks Tree Service grinds stumps in Spring Branch, the older west Houston, TX area around Long Point Road, for homeowners clearing yards, preparing for a new driveway or replanting after a removal. Trey Lamar’s crew brings the grinder from the Sticks office in Cypress and grinds each stump 4 to 6 inches below the ground, along with the surface roots you can see. Call 281-373-1472.
What kinds of stumps turn up in Spring Branch yards?
Older neighborhoods collect stumps. Over the decades, trees die, storms take them, and owners clear space for additions and new slabs. Common ones in an established area like this:
- Giant hardwood stumps from water oaks or pecans that grew for half a century, with wide flares at the base
- Stumps in the way of a project: a new drive, a patio, a fence line or a garage slab
- Forgotten stumps under ivy or monkey grass from a tree cut long ago
- Sprouting stumps that keep sending shoots up into the lawn
How is a big old stump handled?
Slowly and in stages. The wheel takes the stump down in sweeps, a few inches at a time, and the wide root flare is ground back toward the center. The biggest hardwood stumps can take a while, and it pays to clear ivy and debris away first so the operator can see the edges.
If a stump is in the way of new concrete, say so at the estimate. The goal then is not just a smooth lawn but enough depth and root removal under the footprint for the contractor to work. Deeper roots beyond the grind will break down over time.
What can be buried near the stump?
On lots that have seen decades of updates, a lot can be hiding under the grass: old irrigation, newer sprinkler lines, landscape lighting, a gas line to a grill or a sewer cleanout. Before the grinder starts, point out what you know about. Texas’s call-before-you-dig law in Utilities Code Chapter 251 applies to mechanized digging 16 inches or deeper; grinding stays above that, but older private lines can be shallow.
What happens after grinding?
You get a shallow pit of chips and soil. Rake out most of the chips and add topsoil for grass, or leave them for a bed. If a new tree is going in, choose a spot a few feet from the old one so the young roots have clean soil.
What goes into the quote?
- Diameter of the stump and its root flare
- Number of stumps on the property
- Ivy, ground cover or debris that must be cleared first
- Stumps near slabs, foundations or fences
- Whether the spot is being cleared for new concrete
- Hauling the chips or leaving them
Around Spring Branch
- Agnes Moffit Park.
- Spring Lake, a neighborhood pond.
- Freed Park.
Other Spring Branch pages
See tree removal in Spring Branch and tree trimming in Spring Branch, or the Spring Branch tree service page. The home-base version of this page is stump grinding in Cypress.
Sources
- Spring Branch, Houston (Wikipedia)
- Texas Utilities Code, Chapter 251
- Sticks Tree Service: grinding depth
Frequently asked questions
Can a stump be ground deep enough for a new driveway?
Tell the crew it is for concrete. The stump and the big roots under the footprint are ground out, and your contractor can check the base before pouring.
There is ivy all over the stump. Do I need to clear it?
It helps. If you cannot, mention it, and clearing can be added to the job.
Why is a pecan stump slower than a pine stump?
Pecan and oak are dense hardwoods. Pine is softer and grinds faster.
Will grinding stop the sprouts in my lawn?
Grinding the stump below the soil and the surface roots stops most of them. A stray shoot farther out can be mowed off.
Can the grinder fit down my driveway to the backyard?
Usually. Measure the narrowest gate and share it when you call.
Can stumps from a tree another crew cut be ground?
Yes. Who cut the tree makes no difference to grinding.