Short answer: Stump grinding chews a stump down below the soil line so you can mow or plant over it, and it's usually quoted separately from tree removal. We connect Florence-area homeowners with a local contractor for a free quote.
Grinding vs. full removal
Grinding chews the stump down below the soil with a carbide-toothed wheel, leaving a pile of chips. It's the common choice for yards. Full removal (digging out the root ball) is more disruptive and mostly used for construction or replanting in the same spot.
Cost (national reference)
Angi's 2026 data puts stump grinding at about $150–$500 per stump, with an average stump removal job around $369. Many grinders price by stump diameter and have a minimum charge, so several stumps at once usually cost less each. National figures; get a local quote.
Questions to ask
- How deep will you grind (inches below grade)?
- Do you haul the chips or leave them? Backfill with topsoil?
- Do you call 811 to mark utility lines first? (In South Carolina, SC811 marks underground utilities.)
- Are surface roots included?
After grinding
The chips settle as they break down. Many homeowners rake most of them out, add topsoil, and seed or sod.
Lots of stumps, or a whole lot to clear?
If you're dealing with dozens of stumps from an old timber cut, or getting a wooded lot ready to build on, that's usually a land clearing job (mulching, root raking, grading) rather than one-at-a-time grinding. Florence SC Land Clearing covers lot and land clearing in the Pee Dee.