Redmond, WA Stump Grinding

A Redmond stump is usually the leftover from a permitted take-down, a hazard declaration, or last night’s storm — not a project by itself. Education Hill lawns want the fir stump gone so the yard can be mowed. Idylwood lots want depth for a new bed. Campus planting islands want the hole backfilled so a replacement tree can go in on the permit. Sammamish River lots sometimes have to leave wood in a critical-area buffer; grinding those stumps is not automatic.

MTS Tree and Landscape grinds stumps across Redmond with the same insured crew that takes the tree down. We are based in Sammamish. Redmond is a regular service city.

If the tree is still up, start on Redmond tree removal or emergency service. If you only need limbs off a live tree, that is trimming.

Key Takeaways

• Grinding the stump of a tree that was already permitted (or emergency-removed with retroactive paperwork) is usually not a second Significant Tree permit. We still stop if the stump is in a designated critical area, NGPA, or you need regrading that trips a Clear and Grade permit.
• Typical residential grind: 6 to 12 inches below grade for lawn. Deeper for a patio, walk, or replacement planting. Campus specs often name a depth; we grind to the spec.
• Chips can stay as mulch or leave with us. Surface roots that will still trip a mower are part of the conversation, not a surprise at the end.
• Access matters more than diameter. A 36-inch cedar stump behind a fence on Education Hill is a different machine day than a parking-lot stump we can drive to.
• Same-visit grinding happens when the grinder can get in after the wood is gone. Emergency make-safe comes first; the stump can wait until the site is no longer a drop zone.
• We do not invent a city stump-grinding permit. Redmond’s published tree path is about trees. Grading, ROW, and critical areas are the extras we check.

Ready to grind a Redmond stump? Call MTS Tree and Landscape at (425) 369-8733 or email info@nwmts.com.

What We Grind in Redmond

Education Hill. Large fir and cedar stumps in established lawns, often behind gates that will not take a truck-mounted grinder. Walk-behind or compact machines, extra time, extra chips.

Idylwood. Stumps near property lines, irrigation, and lake-side retaining edges. We grind; we do not rebuild the wall.

Sammamish River / downtown. Tight side yards, alley access, and the critical-area question. If the tree came down in a buffer, Redmond’s tip sheet says the felled wood stays in the critical area or buffer. Do not assume we can grind that stump to dirt and haul the chips. We confirm with Planner on Call before we turn a buffer snag into a hole.

Tech campuses. Parking-island stumps, replacement-tree holes, after-hours access, and a restoration spec (topsoil, mulch, or leave chips). Property managers usually need the grind tied to the same work order as the removal so the replacement tree can go in.

If your street is not on that list, we still grind Redmond stumps. Call.

How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost in Redmond?

Most single residential stumps fall between $200 and $650. Large conifer stumps, tight backyard access, extra depth, and haul-off of chips push higher. A row of campus parking-lot stumps is a bid, not a per-stump guess from a photo.

Redmond stump grinding — typical ranges

Stump	Typical grind	What we see
Small (under ~12 in diameter)	$150 to $300	Ornamental, fruit, small maple
Medium (12 to 24 in)	$250 to $500	Alder, medium maple, campus island tree
Large (24 to 36 in)	$400 to $800	Education Hill cedar/fir
Very large / tight access	$700 to $1,500+	Old fir, backyard-only machine, extra depth for hardscape
Surface roots / extra pass	Added line	Trip hazards the mower still hits
Chip haul + topsoil	Added line	Lawn or patio prep vs leave chips

Costs go up when: the grinder has to be walked in; the stump is against a foundation or fence; we are grinding below 12 inches for a patio; there are buried irrigation or lighting lines (campus and newer plats); or we are restoring grade for a required replacement tree.

Get a written Redmond stump estimate. Call (425) 369-8733.

Do I Need a Permit to Grind a Stump in Redmond?

Usually no extra tree permit if the tree already went through Significant Tree Removal, a Hazard Tree Declaration, a Tree Exception Request, or a retroactive emergency permit. The city’s tree forms already ask where replacement trees will go. Grinding the stump is how you make room for that tree or for lawn.

Stop and check when:

• The stump is in a designated critical area, NGPA/NGPE, wetland or stream buffer, landslide hazard area, or floodplain. Redmond wants hazard wood left in those areas. Grinding and hauling can fight that condition.
• You are grinding a stand of stumps and regrading more than a hole — eleven or more Significant Trees already needed Clear and Grade; large-scale stump-and-grade work can too.
• The stump is in the public right-of-way. That is Parks / a Right-of-Way Use Permit, not a backyard grind.
• The address is unincorporated King County (some Novelty Hill / Redmond Ridge lots). County clearing and grading thresholds apply. We check jurisdiction on the site walk.

We do not invent a “stump permit fee” or a dollar fine. If Development Services wants something filed, we file it.

Planner on Call: (425) 556-2494, planneroncall@redmond.gov.

Grind vs Pull vs Leave It

• Grind (default). Cheapest way to get a mowable, plantable surface without opening a giant hole next to a foundation.
• Pull / extract. Rare. More disturbance, more of a grading conversation, sometimes the wrong move next to a house or in a buffer.
• Leave it. Acceptable as a habitat snag in some critical areas, or when the emergency wood is gone and the owner wants to wait. A stump will keep sprouting on some species (maple, cottonwood) and will keep being a mower hazard.

Replacement trees: Significant Tree = one replacement, Landmark with exception = three, primarily native PNW species (January 2025 tip sheet). We can grind and plant on the same cycle when the permit requires it.

How a Redmond Grind Actually Runs

• 1. Confirm the tree is already down for a legal reason — or bundle the grind with removal.
• 2. Check access, irrigation, lighting, fences, and whether we are in a critical area or ROW.
• 3. Set depth: lawn vs patio vs replacement-tree hole vs campus spec.
• 4. Grind. Rake. Decide chips stay or go. Backfill with grindings or topsoil as bid.
• 5. If this was an emergency tree, the grind is usually a second visit once the site is no longer a drop zone. See emergency service.

We are licensed, bonded, and insured. We do not claim a grind “removes all roots.” Surface roots we can get with the machine are in the bid; deep structural roots under a sidewalk are a different conversation.

After a Storm

Make the tree safe first. Call (425) 369-8733. Do not stand the grinder on a site that still has a hang-up over the roof. The stump is last on purpose.

Insurance often covers removal when a structure is damaged and often does not cover a stump in a yard that hit nothing. We document. We do not promise the carrier will pay to grind.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does stump grinding cost in Redmond?

Most single residential stumps are $200 to $650. Large, tight-access, or extra-depth jobs run higher.

Is grinding included with removal?

Usually a separate line. Same visit when the machine can get in after the wood is gone.

Do I need a permit just to grind?

Usually not if the tree was already permitted or emergency-filed. Critical areas, ROW, and regrading are the exceptions. We check.

Can you grind the day of an emergency?

Sometimes, after make-safe, if access is clear and the site is safe. Often the next scheduled visit. No arrival clock either way.

Will the stump grow back?

Some species sprout. Grinding below grade and watching the first season is the practical answer. Pulling every root is not what a grinder does.

You are in Sammamish. Do you grind in Redmond?

Yes. MTS Tree and Landscape, 4580 Klahanie Dr SE #261, Sammamish, WA 98029. Education Hill, Idylwood, Sammamish River lots, and the tech campuses included. (425) 369-8733.

Sammamish-Based. Redmond Stumps Are a Normal Week.

MTS Tree and Landscape runs King and Pierce County from Sammamish. We are not a Redmond storefront. We grind the stumps that follow the removals and storm calls we already run in this city. Call (425) 369-8733, email info@nwmts.com, or use the quote form.