Service · Bountiful & South Davis County
Root grinding in Bountiful, UT
We grind surface roots out of lawns, beds and fence lines across Bountiful and South Davis County, usually at the same visit as the stump. Roots are ground below grade for $12 per linear foot of significant surface root, added to the stump price ($7.50 per inch, $200 minimum per job).
When to call
Signs you need root grinding
Some trees push their roots along the surface instead of down. Cottonwood, Siberian elm, silver maple and box elder are the usual suspects along the Wasatch Front, and they keep spreading long after the tree is cut. If you've had a tree taken down and the roots are still showing, grinding the stump alone won't fix the lawn.
- Roots break the surface and lift the lawn into ridges
- The mower scalps or bounces over the same lines every week
- Roots crowd a fence post, retaining wall or garden bed
- Sod won't lie flat where a tree used to be
- Roots run toward sprinkler heads or secondary-water lines
- Pavers or a walkway are heaving next to an old stump
- Shoots keep sprouting from roots after the tree came down
Process
How we grind out surface roots
Root grinding follows the same careful steps as stump grinding, with extra attention to what's buried nearby.
1. Map the roots
From your photo, or a quick look on site, we trace which roots are lifting the lawn and how far they run from the stump.
2. Mark the lines
We request Utah 811 locates for buried utilities and flag sprinkler heads and secondary-water lines with you before the grinder starts.
3. Grind below grade
The grinder follows each root out from the stump, taking it below the surface so new soil and sod can sit on top.
4. Clean up
We rake the trench, fill it with chips or leave it ready for topsoil, and haul the chips away if you asked us to.
Pricing
What root grinding costs
Root grinding is $12 per linear foot of significant surface root. The normal root flare right around the stump is already included in the stump price. A root-only job, where the stump is already gone, has the same $200 job minimum.
Example: a 30-inch stump ($225) plus 10 feet of lawn-lifting roots ($120) comes to $345. We quote roots as their own line so you can decide which ones are worth chasing.
See the full stump grinding cost guideWhat changes the price
- Length of root. $12 per linear foot. A few feet next to the stump is included with the root flare; roots running 15–20 feet across a lawn are $180–$240.
- Access. Tight gates or limited access add $25–$100; steep terrain $50–$150.
- Rocks. Rocks in the roots add $50–$100; heavy rocky soil $100–$250+.
- Chips. Leaving them is free; raking and containing them is $25–$50; haul-away starts at $50.
- Backfill. Topsoil fill is $35–$50 per stump, and seed $25–$50, if you want the spot ready to grow.
After grinding
Getting your lawn back
Once the roots are ground, the trench settles over a few weeks as leftover wood breaks down. For sod, rake out most of the chips, fill with topsoil a little above grade, water it in so it settles, and top it up before laying sod. For seed, do the same and keep the patch damp until it's established.
Cottonwood and some elms can send up new shoots from roots left deep in the ground. Mow or clip them as they appear; they stop once the root runs out of stored energy.
FAQ
Root grinding questions
If the tree is still standing, grinding a large root can damage it or make it less stable. We'll tell you which roots are safe to take and which aren't. For a living tree with problem roots, ask a certified arborist first.
As far as the root runs at the surface. We measure the length on your quote, at $12 per linear foot.
Yes, carefully. We flag heads and lines with you first and grind around them by hand where roots and pipes cross. Tell us about secondary-water lines when you book.
If the roots aren't lifting the lawn, stump grinding alone is usually enough. If you can see roots ridging the grass, add root grinding so the yard can be leveled.