Stump removal in Denver: local operators and what it costs
After a tree is cut down in a Denver yard, the stump is usually ground out below grade with a stump grinder. Denver has a specific rule for stumps in the street strip, and a licensing rule for anyone doing tree work for hire. This page covers those rules, grinding versus pulling, filling the hole in expansive clay, the Colorado 811 requirement, and a typical local cost to grind one stump.
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What stump removal costs in Denver
$110 to $420 to grind one stump
Based on Pro Operator Network's national stump removal cost guide, checked against published cost guides, and adjusted to the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area using its 2024 price level from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (105.8, where the U.S. average is 100).
A typical range, not a quote. Your own price depends on your property and is set by whoever takes on your project.
Street stumps have a depth rule
The City Forester's rules say stumps are not allowed in the right-of-way and must be ground out to six inches below the existing grade. If the stump sits in the strip between the sidewalk and the street, that is the minimum depth. Removing a street tree in the first place requires a City Forester permit.
Licensed tree work
Denver requires anyone who does tree care for hire to be licensed as a tree service company, which applies to stump work done as part of removing a tree. It is reasonable to ask for that license when posting a tree and stump project in the city.
Grind or pull
Grinding turns the stump and its root flare into chips below grade and leaves the deeper roots to rot away underground. Pulling the root ball with an excavator leaves a large hole that has to be backfilled and compacted, which is mainly worth it where a slab or patio will go.
Filling the hole in swelling clay
The Colorado Geological Survey notes that the bentonite clays common around Denver expand when they get wet. A hole filled with loose chips and soil soaks up water and settles unevenly. Raking out most of the chips, filling with compacted topsoil, and keeping the surface slightly mounded so water runs off avoids a soft dip.
Colorado 811
Colorado 811 says the notice is required even for small projects, at least two business days before digging, not counting the day of notice. It does not mark private lines, such as sprinkler lines, which often run right past old trees.
For your project post
Say how many stumps and how wide, whether any are in the street strip, how close they sit to the house, walls or a driveway, whether surface roots go too, where the chips go, and the gate width.
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