Answered 24/7 across Little Rock and the Texarkana area
Stump removal in Little Rock, roots and all
Grinding leaves the roots in the ground. When a driveway, a slab or a new tree has to go exactly where the old one stood, the root ball has to come out, and that is a different job with a different machine.
- Root-ball excavation
- Backfill and grading
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Short answer
Stump removal in Little Rock runs about $515 to $701 per stump when the stump is dug out rather than ground, going by published 2026 local figures. Choose it when something will be built or planted in that exact spot. If you only want the stump gone from sight, grinding costs far less and is usually the better call.
Updated October 2026
When a stump has to come out instead of being ground
A grinder chews the stump to a few inches below the soil and leaves the root plate in place to rot. Fine under grass. Under a slab, pavers or a driveway, the rotting plate settles and the surface sinks with it.
Full removal means we cut around the root flare, dig the main lateral roots free and lift the stump out whole or in pieces. The hole is backfilled with soil and compacted in lifts so it does not slump after the first hard rain. If grinding would do the job, we will say so.
Compare
Grinding or a full dig-out
| Factor | Stump grinding | Full stump removal |
|---|---|---|
| What is left | Roots stay in the ground and rot slowly | Stump and main roots are gone |
| Best for | Lawn, garden beds, mowing clearance | Slabs, driveways, patios, replanting on center |
| Ground disturbance | A shallow patch of chips | A wide hole that is backfilled |
| Local price guidance | About $74 to $131 per stump in Little Rock | About $515 to $701 per stump |
| Settling risk | Low under grass, high under concrete | Low once fill is compacted |
What moves the price
What decides the cost of pulling a stump
Local market guidance: $515 to $701 when a stump is dug out rather than ground (planning range from published 2026 figures, not our quote; every job is priced on site).
Stump diameter
A 30 inch oak stump has a far bigger root plate than a 12 inch one.
Wood and age
Oak and hickory hold together for years; pine softens faster.
Rock in the ground
Rocky soil slows digging and can force hand work.
Access to the stump
A narrow backyard gate means smaller equipment and more hours.
What is nearby
Foundations, fences and buried lines near the roots slow the dig.
Fill and haul-off
How much clean fill the hole takes and what gets hauled away.
Scope
What a stump dig-out includes
- Utility locate requested before any digging
- Stump and root flare exposed and cut free
- Main lateral roots removed near the trunk
- Woody debris loaded and hauled off
- Clean fill brought in where the native soil is too rooty
- Fill compacted in layers and left slightly crowned
- Lawn, driveway and walkways raked and blown clean
Full root-ball excavation
This is the complete version: the stump, the root flare and the thick lateral roots near the trunk come out. We expose the roots with a digger or by hand near foundations and buried lines, cut them with a saw or axe, then lift the stump free. Fine feeder roots further out are left, because they decay quickly and do not cause settling.
Expect a crater wider than the stump itself, and plan on the lawn around it needing seed or sod once the backfill settles.
Stump under a planned driveway or slab
When a concrete contractor is waiting on the spot, we work to their schedule and their grade. The goal is a hole free of woody material, backfilled with compactable soil so the base they put down does not sit on decaying wood. Tell us what is going in and how deep their excavation will be; sometimes their own dig removes part of the root plate and the job gets smaller. If the pour is weeks away, we can pull the stump now and leave the fill to settle through a rain or two first.
Backfill and grading
A pulled stump leaves a hole and a pile of root-laced soil. We screen out the chunks, bring in clean fill where the native soil is too rooty to reuse, and compact it in layers rather than dumping it in all at once. The finished grade is left slightly crowned so it settles flat instead of into a dip. If you are planting a new tree in the same spot, we leave the fill looser and tell you how long to wait.
How this job runs around Little Rock
Little Rock ground is not uniform, and on a stump job that shows up fast. Local pricing guidance for the city flags rocky soil as the thing that pushes stump work up, and on a full dig-out rock is what slows the excavation and dulls the teeth. The same guidance notes an old stump that has started to soften comes apart faster than a fresh one, which is why we ask how long ago the tree came down before we price the removal.
Step by step
How a stump dig-out runs
- 1
Call and describe the stump
Size, species, how long ago the tree came down, and what goes there next.
- 2
Utility locate before digging
Buried lines get marked before any excavation starts.
- 3
Expose and cut the roots
The root flare is cleared and the main laterals cut free.
- 4
Lift the stump out
It comes out whole or in sections and is loaded for haul-off.
- 5
Backfill, compact and grade
Fill goes in layers, gets compacted, and is left ready for seed or your contractor.
Straight answers
Questions we get about this
No. Grinding shreds the stump below grade and leaves the roots; removal digs out the stump and main roots for spots where something will be built.
Published 2026 local figures put full excavation at about $515 to $701 per stump, as a planning range, not our quote.
A little. Compacting in layers and leaving a slight crown keeps it minor, and some topsoil next season finishes it.
Yes. Arkansas requires a locate request before digging, and buried lines often run past old trees. We handle it.
Yes, once the fill settles. Setting the new tree a few feet off the old center avoids leftover roots.
It is hauled off with the debris unless you want it left as firewood or a landscape piece.
Yes, with hand digging and a saw near the wall instead of a machine. It takes longer and is priced that way.
Related work
Other jobs we handle near this one
Stump Grinding
Single Stump Grinding and more.
Need stump grinding?Root Pruning
Roots Lifting a Sidewalk or Driveway and more.
Root Pruning in Little RockFallen Tree Removal
Tree Down in the Yard and more.
More on fallen tree removal
Tell us what is going where the stump is
Call any hour with the stump size and your plans for the spot. We will tell you whether it needs a dig-out or just a grind.