Stumps ground 4 to 8 inches below grade on village lots, lakeside yards and wooded Billerica properties.
We grind stumps for Billerica homeowners, landlords, builders and property managers. Our grinders take the stump 4 to 8 inches below grade, and we set debris safety screens where houses, cars and fences are close. Afterward we can rake the chips out, leave them piled, or haul them away.
Call our Massachusetts line at (978) 696-6659 or use Get a Quote with photos, the number of stumps and the gate width. If a stump is near a pond, stream, river or Nutting Lake, mention it. Billerica's wetlands by-law may apply there.
Billerica is nine villages, two river corridors and a lake in one town, and each one sets up a stump job differently.
North Billerica grew around the Faulkner and Talbot mills on the Concord River, and the Billerica Mills Historic District sits between the river and streets like Rogers Street and Kohlrausch Avenue. On older village lots a stump is often a few feet from a house, fence or neighbor, so we match the grinder to the gate and put screens up before the first cut.
Billerica's by-law treats lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and banks as protected resource areas and gives the Conservation Commission say over work within 100 feet of them. Lots around Nutting Lake and along the Concord and Shawsheen rivers can fall inside that zone. Grinding disturbs soil and roots, so we want the Conservation Department's answer before a stump that close to water comes out.
Before we go 4 to 8 inches below grade, utility marks tell us where gas, water, electric and other lines run. Where a line crosses the stump area we work around it or stop short of full depth. Private lines such as irrigation, lighting or a feed to a detached garage are not marked, so tell us where they are.
A stump in the strip between the pavement and your lawn can be what is left of a public shade tree. Those trees are controlled by the town's tree warden, not the abutting owner, so we help you sort out whose stump it is before any grinding starts.
A stump in a dry backyard usually needs no permit. These are the rules that can come into play.
Utility marks. Massachusetts requires an excavator to premark the work area and give notice to the Dig Safe system at least 72 hours ahead, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays (MGL c.82 §40A (opens in a new tab)). We plan every stump around marked lines.
Billerica's wetlands by-law. The Conservation Commission regulates work in wetland resource areas and within 100 feet of them, and there is no extra 100-foot buffer beyond a riverfront area (Article XXII (opens in a new tab)). The town describes the inner buffer as a No Alteration Zone of 25 or 50 feet, and says cutting trees or shrubs in protected areas can require a wetlands permit (Conservation FAQ (opens in a new tab)). Before you hire a contractor, the town asks you to call the Conservation Department at (978) 671-0966.
Public shade trees and scenic roads. Trees in the public way are under the tree warden's care (MGL c.87 (opens in a new tab)), and on a road the town has designated scenic, cutting trees during road work needs planning board consent (MGL c.40 §15C (opens in a new tab)).
This is general guidance, not legal advice. When we see a permit question on your property, we will flag it so you can confirm with the town.
Sources: MGL c.82 §40A, Excavations; notice (Dig Safe); Town of Billerica: Article XXII, Wetlands Protection By-Law; Town of Billerica: Conservation FAQ on buffer zones and tree removal; Mass.gov (DCR): Laws Protecting Community Trees, MGL c.87; MGL c.40 §15C, Scenic road designations
HomeGuide (opens in a new tab) (updated December 2025) lists national averages of $120 to $400 for the first stump and $30 to $60 for each additional stump, with minimum fees of about $80 to $160. Cleanup and disposal of the grindings can add roughly $2 to $4 per inch of stump diameter. These are national reference ranges, not our prices.
For a quick estimate, use our stump grinding cost calculator, then send photos for a quote on your Billerica property.
Try the stump grinding cost calculator
Cost references: HomeGuide: How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost?
A few places locals know, and what they mean for outdoor work nearby.
The Middlesex Canal Museum is housed in the old Faulkner Mills in North Billerica, beside the Concord River. The canal ran through Billerica from 1795 to 1852, and the mill village around it is made up of older lots where gate width and neighbors set how a job is staged.
Get directions to Middlesex Canal Museum and Faulkner Mills (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A National Register district in North Billerica centered on the C.P. Talbot & Company mill with its clock tower, plus worker housing on Wilson Street and Talbot Avenue. Its boundary includes the Concord River, so work near the water's edge here can fall under river and wetland rules.
Get directions to Billerica Mills Historic District (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A lake and neighborhood in Billerica with a public beach, canoeing and sailing. Billerica's wetlands by-law treats lakes and ponds as protected resource areas with a 100-foot buffer, so lakeside lots may need Conservation Commission review before stumps or brush come out.
Get directions to Nutting Lake (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A 370-acre state forest in Billerica. Wooded properties near large forest tracts like this are where brush and small trees fill in along the edges, and where the boundary line should be confirmed before any clearing starts.
Get directions to Billerica State Forest (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Photos from our crew's jobs across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Possibly. Billerica's by-law gives the Conservation Commission authority within 100 feet of lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, and the town says cutting vegetation in protected areas can need a wetlands permit. Call the Conservation Department at (978) 671-0966 with your address before the work is scheduled.
We grind the stump 4 to 8 inches below grade. Roots deeper than that stay in the ground and break down over the years, so tell us if you plan to put a new tree in the same spot.
Massachusetts requires the excavator to premark and notify Dig Safe at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays. We plan the job around those marks. Private lines are not marked, so point out sprinkler pipes, lighting or buried feeds to outbuildings.
First find out whose tree it was. A tree in the public way is controlled by the tree warden, and its stump may not be yours to remove. If the stump is on your side of the property line, we can grind it.
We can rake them out, leave them piled for you to use as mulch, or haul them away. Loam and seed are not included, but we can add them as an optional extra if you want the spot ready for lawn.
See every town we cover on our service areas page.
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