Stump grinding since 2013
Stump removal from Westminster to Boulder, priced by the inch.
Tree stumps, bush stumps and surface roots, ground out across northwest Denver and Boulder County. Text a photo with a tape measure across the stump and get a flat-rate price back. $169 covers one stump up to 18 inches, utility locate included.
5.0 on Google from 160 reviews
- Ground cloth goes down under the machine
- Steel-framed mesh screens catch the chips
- A compact Vermeer grinder, light on lawns
Rates
One price list, written down before the grinder starts.
Stumps are priced by the inch, measured across the base where the roots flare into the ground. Every job comes with a written service agreement, so the number you're quoted is the number you pay.
- Minimum charge
- $169
- Covers one stump up to 18 inches across. The minimum is $20 lower than its old $189.
- Larger stumps
- $9/in
- For most stumps. Over 36 inches may add $1 an inch; stumps over 5 feet are quoted on sight.
- Haul the mulch away
- $4/in
- Or less, for most stumps. Skip it and the mulch is piled for your beds and garden.
- Replant hole
- $65
- With any removal: a 45 by 15 inch hole of soft, tilled dirt wherever you mark it.
- Colorado 811 locate
- Included
- Underground lines get flagged before every job, as state law requires.
Steep slopes, stairs, rocky soil or tall stumps that need a chainsaw cut can add to the price. You'll know before work starts. Cards, Venmo and checks accepted.
Ballpark your stump
Measure across the base, root flare to root flare.
An estimate for most stumps in the main service area. Jerry confirms the exact price from your photo, in writing.
Get the exact priceHow it works
How a stump comes out of your yard.
Most jobs come down to a photo, 3 to 4 days for the utility locate, and the grind itself. Flatirons does stumps and nothing else, so every step is built around that one job.
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01
Text a photo
One shot looking down with a tape measure across the stump, and one standing back so we can see what's around it. Add whether it's front, back or side yard, what you want there next, and your city.
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02
We call in the 811 locate
Colorado law requires a utility locate before any digging, and it keeps you clear of liability for a cut line. Plan on 3 to 4 days of lead time. The paperwork is included in the price.
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03
Two passes behind screens
Rocks and debris get cleared, the ground cloth goes down and the screens go up. The first pass cuts wood from the heart of the stump and keeps the chips apart from the dirt. The second pass cuts the remaining roots along with the soil around them.
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04
Filled, packed and mounded
The stump comes out 8 to 12 inches below grade. The hole is refilled with the dirt-rich second pass, packed and mounded a couple of inches high to allow for settling. The mulch is piled for you or hauled away.
Before and after
Same front yard, same angle.
More wood comes out and more dirt stays in than with the usual grind, so the spot is ready for grass sooner. Drag the handle to compare.
The fill settles a little as it gets watered. Topsoil levels it back out before you seed or lay sod.
Reviews
5.0 on Google from 160 reviews
On Google from 160 reviews, and 5.0 on Yelp from 15.
Read them on GoogleRita F., Google reviewJerry was professional, courteous, and knowledgeable. His pricing was fair and he got us on his schedule quickly. You can't even tell we had a giant dying tree there before.
Joe R., Google review8ft x 8ft stump from a 70 year old rotten willow gone. Very fast, quote over email was easy. Super professional.
Michael W., Google reviewRequested the utility company to come out and flag lawn before doing work. Showed up on requested day and communicated well. Great pricing.
Gwendolyn L., Google reviewHe does what he says he will do and leaves the work area nice and tidy. He removed three bushes and tree roots in my backyard.
Service area
Based off Highway 36, between Denver and Boulder.
Flatirons serves the northwest metro and Boulder County. Being based near Highway 36 puts Flatirons close to most of the northwest metro, and less time driving keeps the price down.
Standard pricing
- Applewood
- Arvada
- Berkeley
- Boulder
- Erie
- Golden
- Gunbarrel
- Henderson
- Highlands
- Lafayette
- Louisville
- Niwot
- Northglenn
- NW Denver
- Regis
- Superior
- Thornton
- Westminster
- Wheat Ridge
Slightly higher pricing
- Brighton
- Commerce City
- Firestone
- Frederick
- Fort Lupton
- Longmont
- Lyons
- Mead
On the job
A small rig, on purpose.
A Tundra and a lightweight trailer instead of a truck the size of a garbage hauler. The compact grinder is light enough to cross a lawn with less risk of damage, and a hand-held grinder handles the rare stump nothing else can reach.
Who shows up
Owner-operated since 2013.
Jerry Burr is a Colorado native who started Flatirons Stump Removal in 2013. Friends and family call him "Safety First" for how careful he is. Occasionally a contract hand comes along; otherwise it's just Jerry.
He doesn't trim or take down trees. Stumps are the whole business, and when a customer needs tree work, Jerry sends them to arborists he has worked with for years.
- MachineVermeer SC362 stump grinder, plus a hand-held Alpine Magnum for hard-to-reach stumps
- TruckSmall-block Toyota Tundra and a lightweight trailer
- CoverageFully insured, with proof of insurance on request
- GuaranteeIf the stump wasn't removed to the specs on your service agreement, Jerry comes back and takes out the rest at no charge
Ten percent goes to Ntandi
Flatirons gives away ten percent of its profits. One favorite is a school and orphanage in Ntandi, Uganda, home to 57 children.
Questions
What people ask before and after.
Straight answers to the questions that come up on almost every job.
Planting grass, sod or a new tree where the stump was? The after-care guide covers settling, fertilizer and sprouts.
Read the after-care guide-
How much does stump grinding cost?
The minimum charge is $169, which covers one stump up to 18 inches across, with the utility locate included. Most stumps run $9 per inch of diameter, measured at the base. Hauling the mulch away adds up to $4 per inch. You get a written estimate before any work starts.
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Do you remove or trim trees?
No. Flatirons removes tree stumps, bush and hedge stumps, and surface roots only. For trimming or removals, Jerry refers customers to arborists he trusts, including Senn's Tree Service in Westminster, Elaborate Tree Tender in Arvada and Hollar Tree Company in Lafayette.
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Why do I have to wait for a utility locate?
Colorado law requires an 811 locate before digging, and grinding a stump counts. It protects you from the cost of a cut gas, power or water line. Allow 3 to 4 days for the locate crews to flag your yard.
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Will the spot settle after the stump is gone?
Yes, a little. The site is left slightly raised, but small air pockets fill in with time and water and usually leave a mild dip. Level it with dirt or topsoil.
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Can I plant grass or lay sod there?
Yes. Soak the spot well for several days, once or twice to the point of a soupy bog, and give it a week or two to settle if you can. Top it with soil, mix in a nitrogen fertilizer made for new grass, then seed or lay sod. Regular lawn fertilizer is too strong and will burn new roots.
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Can I plant a new tree in the same spot?
Yes. Tell Jerry when you send your photo and the stump is removed with replanting in mind. The soil ends up close to freshly tilled. For $65 with any removal, he'll grind a 45 by 15 inch planting hole wherever you mark it.
Free estimates
Text Jerry a photo of your stump.
Texting is the fastest way to a price. Call if you'd rather talk it through.
303-578-0822- A photo looking down, tape measure across the base
- A second photo standing back, showing what's around it
- Front yard, backyard or side yard
- What you want in that spot next
- Your city