Stump Grinding and Stump Treatment: What to Do When a Tree Stump Is Too Close to Concrete
Removing unwanted trees and brush is often only part of an overgrown-property cleanup. Once the vegetation is gone, the remaining stumps must be addressed—and not every stump can safely be ground down with a stump grinder.
We recently completed the second phase of a property cleanup involving volunteer Bradford pears, mulberries, honeysuckle, and other unwanted vegetation that had grown throughout the ornamental planting areas around a single-family home.
After the above-ground growth was removed, we returned to grind the accessible stumps and address the remaining stumps that were too close to concrete or other structures.
The project illustrates an important point for homeowners: the best stump-removal method depends on the stump’s location, the surrounding surfaces, and the equipment clearance available.
Why Stump Grinding Isn’t Always the Right Choice
Stump grinding is an effective option for many unwanted tree stumps. A stump grinder uses a rotating cutting wheel to reduce the stump below the surrounding grade, allowing the area to be reclaimed for landscaping or other uses.
However, stump grinding requires adequate clearance and careful control of the equipment.
A stump growing in an open planting bed may be relatively straightforward to grind. A stump immediately beside a concrete driveway, sidewalk, set of steps, or building foundation presents a different challenge.
In those situations, the priority is not simply to grind as deeply as possible. It’s to address the stump without unnecessarily risking damage to the surrounding property.
Our Approach to This Property’s Stumps
The first phase of this project involved removing the unwanted trees and brush that had overtaken the decorative planting beds around the house.
The vegetation included Bradford pears, mulberries, honeysuckle, and other volunteer trees and brush.
During the second phase, we evaluated the remaining stumps and used different approaches depending on their locations.
1. Grinding Stumps Where Access Allowed
We began with the stumps that could be safely accessed with the stump grinder.
Where there was sufficient clearance from nearby structures and hard surfaces, grinding was the practical option.
Grinding reduces the visible stump below grade, helping make the planting area easier to maintain and prepare for future landscaping.
The appropriate grinding depth depends on the site and the intended use of the area. There is no need to pursue additional depth if doing so would create an avoidable risk.
2. Cutting Stumps Near Concrete and Structures
Some stumps were immediately adjacent to concrete or other structures that needed to be protected.
Using a stump grinder in those locations could have risked damaging the surrounding surfaces. Physical removal was not necessarily practical either.
For those stumps, we cut them as low as possible without contacting the ground or risking damage to the chainsaw.
This left the stumps low to the ground while avoiding the risks associated with trying to grind or excavate them in a restricted space.
3. Treating Stumps Where Removal Wasn’t Practical
For selected stumps that could not appropriately be ground or physically removed, we applied a glyphosate solution after cutting them low.
The treatment was appropriate for the ornamental planting areas involved in this project and was subject to the applicable product-label requirements.
You may notice green dye on some of the remaining stumps in the finished photos. The dye helps identify the treated areas.
It’s important to distinguish this approach from stump grinding. Grinding physically reduces the stump, while treatment is intended to address the remaining living plant tissue and help control regrowth.
Treatment does not mean the physical stump has disappeared, and results depend on the plant, product, application, and conditions.
Big Boy Services is a licensed Category 3A Indiana Commercial Pesticide Business (ornamental pest management); Aaron Rader, owner of Big Boy Services, is a licensed Category 3A Indiana Pesticide Applicator.
Pesticides must be used in accordance with their labels and applicable regulations.
Why the Location of Every Stump Matters
Before deciding how to handle a stump, it’s important to consider what surrounds it.
Relevant factors include:
Concrete and hardscape: Driveways, sidewalks, steps, and patios can limit how close grinding equipment can safely operate.
Building foundations: Stumps close to a house require careful consideration of equipment clearance and the potential for damage.
Access: Tight planting beds and restricted working areas can make some removal methods impractical.
Underground infrastructure: Sewer lines, cleanouts, irrigation systems, and private utility lines may affect how deeply a stump can safely be ground or excavated.
Future use of the area: The desired finish and plans for the planting bed can influence the appropriate removal depth.
The best approach is the one that addresses the stump while taking these conditions into account.
What Homeowners Should Know About Underground Lines
Underground infrastructure deserves particular attention during stump grinding and removal.
Public utility locating services help identify covered public utilities, but property-specific or privately installed lines may require additional investigation.
A sewer cleanout, private sewer connection, irrigation line, or landscape-lighting cable may not be identified through a standard public utility locate.
Before stump work begins, tell your contractor about any known underground features and provide available plans or records. If the location of a line is uncertain, investigate it before proceeding with work that could damage it.
For more information, read our related article: Private Utility Lines vs. Public Utility Lines — What Property Owners Need to Know.
Before and After: Completing the Property Cleanup
The completed project involved two distinct phases.
The first phase removed the volunteer trees, honeysuckle, and other unwanted vegetation that had taken over the ornamental planting beds and obscured portions of the house. Read the blog article on the first phase.
The second phase addressed the stumps left behind.
We ground the stumps where conditions allowed and cut and treated selected stumps in locations where grinding or physical removal was not practical.
Our before-and-after photos show the finished areas, along with a short video clip of the stump grinder in operation.
The result is a property where the unwanted above-ground growth and accessible stumps have been addressed, with difficult stump locations handled according to their surroundings.
Need Stump Grinding or Stump Removal?
Big Boy Services provides stump grinding, stump removal, shrub removal, brush cutting, and related property cleanup services throughout North Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, Geist, and surrounding areas.
If you have unwanted stumps in a planting bed, near a driveway, or beside a house, the right solution depends on the conditions at your property. Some stumps can be ground; others may need a different approach.
Contact Big Boy Services at (317) 529-6650 to discuss your project.
Project Summary
Project type: Two-phase overgrown-property cleanup
First phase: Volunteer tree, honeysuckle, and brush removal
Second phase: Stump grinding and treatment of selected stumps
Tree and brush types: Bradford pear, mulberry, honeysuckle, and other volunteer vegetation
Work areas: Ornamental planting beds
Key consideration: Protecting nearby concrete and structures when choosing a stump-removal method
Service area: North Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, Geist, and surrounding areas
Check out Day 1 of this project: How to Clear Overgrown Trees & Brush From Around a House
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