The stump goes below the grass so you can sod, pave or plant
Six to twelve inches below grade, Sunshine 811 called two business days ahead because the Cape's utilities run shallow, chips hauled or left as mulch — and Ganoderma palm stumps hauled instead, so the fungus doesn't spread.
A stump on a Cape Coral lot is in the way of something: new sod, a paver driveway, a pool, a fence, or the next tree. Grinding takes it six to twelve inches below grade with a carbide-tooth wheel, deeper if you're planting or paving over it, and leaves a mound of chips you can keep as mulch or we haul. What it doesn't do is pull the roots — ficus and Australian pine roots will stay in the ground and rot over a few years, which is fine under sod and not fine under a new slab, where we excavate them instead.
Two Cape Coral specifics. First, the utilities here are shallow and everywhere: irrigation lines in every yard, the LCEC drop, cable, and across the North Cape the new Utilities Extension Project water and sewer laterals. We call Sunshine 811 at least two full business days before every grind and we probe the root zone before the wheel goes in. Second, palms: a stump from a Ganoderma-killed palm is full of the fungus, and grinding it sprays infected chips across the yard. Those stumps and the lower trunk get dug and hauled to the landfill instead, and nothing palm gets planted in that spot.
What's included
6–12 inches below grade
Deeper on request for paving, pools or replanting.
Sunshine 811 first
Called two full business days ahead; irrigation and UEP laterals probed before grinding.
Chips hauled or left
Your choice; chips make good mulch for everything except where the next tree goes.
Surface roots
Ficus and Australian pine surface roots chased and ground so the lawn mower stops hitting them.
Ganoderma stumps hauled
Infected palm stumps and trunk bases dug and landfilled, never ground.
Tight access
A walk-behind grinder fits through a 36-inch gate and onto a canal lot without touching the cage.
Stump grinding cost in Cape Coral, FL
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small stump, under 12 in | $150 – $225 | Minimum charge |
| Medium stump, 12–24 in | $225 – $400 | $3–$5 per inch of diameter |
| Large stump, 24–40 in | $400 – $800 | Big ficus, oaks and Australian pines |
| Palm stump (healthy palm) | $100 – $250 | Fibrous, grinds fast |
| Ganoderma palm stump, dug and hauled | $250 – $600 | Landfill disposal included |
| Multiple stumps, one visit | $100 – $250 each | Lot clearing follow-up |
| Root chasing / excavation | $75 – $150 / hour | For slabs, pools and driveways |
These are 2026 Lee County ranges so you can budget. Your written price is itemized — the climb or bucket work, rigging, chipping and haul-off, stump grinding, crane time, the wildlife and mangrove check — and good for 30 days.
Recent work
Questions we get about stump grinding
How deep do you grind?
Six to eight inches below grade for sod, ten to twelve for planting or pavers. If a slab, a pool or a driveway is going on top, grinding isn't enough — the roots need to be excavated, and we price that separately.
Will the ground sink where the stump was?
Some, as the remaining roots rot over a few years. We backfill the hole with the chips or with clean fill if you're sodding right away; for anything structural we excavate and compact.
Can I plant a new tree in the same spot?
After grinding and backfilling with fresh soil, yes for most trees. Never a palm where a Ganoderma palm died — the fungus persists in the soil and will kill the replacement.
Do you need to call 811 for a stump?
Yes, and so would you: it's the law in Florida for any mechanical digging. Cape Coral yards are full of shallow irrigation, the service drop, cable, and in the North Cape the new UEP water and sewer laterals. Two full business days' notice, and we probe before we grind.
Do you grind the stumps the city's lot-mowing program leaves?
The city mows vacant lots but doesn't remove stumps or trees. We clear and grind stumps on vacant lots — with the burrowing owl and gopher tortoise check first.