Hardwood stumps ground 4 to 8 inches below grade, on flat sandy lots and on ledgy slopes.
We grind stumps for Tewksbury homeowners, landlords, builders and commercial property owners. Our grinders take the stump 4 to 8 inches below grade, and we put debris safety screens up wherever a house, car or window is 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 stump count and how wide the access is. If the stump is near a brook, pond or wet area, tell us. Tewksbury's wetland bylaw has a 25-foot zone where cutting is prohibited unless the Commission allows it.
Tewksbury's ground changes from sandy flats to till hills to wet lowland, and the stump you have decides which version of the job you get.
Tewksbury's forests are mostly hardwood: oak, beech, maple, birch and aspen. Mature hardwood stumps take longer to grind than pine or softwood, and national cost guides price them higher, so a photo with a tape measure across the stump helps us plan the time.
Most of town is low ground at 85 to 200 feet, but the master plan notes hilly ledge outcrops at two sites and a tall drumlin at Ames Hill. A stump on a slope or beside ledge changes how we position the grinder and where the chips are contained.
About half the town sits on sandy Windsor, Hinckley and Deerfield soils that drain quickly. Sandy ground is usually easy on the machine, but we still screen the area so debris does not fly toward neighbors, and we plan the chip pile away from low spots.
Heath Brook, Strong Water Brook, Content Brook and the Shawsheen River run through town, along with kettle-hole ponds and a large number of potential vernal pools. A stump within about 100 feet of any of them is a Conservation Commission question before it is a grinding question.
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 around the marks before we grind.
Tewksbury Wetland Protection Bylaw. The bylaw covers wetlands, ponds, streams and banks plus the land within 100 feet of them, and 200 feet around vernal pools. In the bylaw text the town has posted, the first 25 feet of the buffer is a No Disturb Zone where vegetation clearing, cutting and excavating are listed as prohibited unless the Commission permits them. A written Request for Determination of Applicability is how you ask whether your stump is covered (Bylaw (opens in a new tab)). The Conservation Agent can be reached at (978) 640-4370, ext. 255 (Conservation Commission (opens in a new tab)).
Public shade trees. A tree in the public way cannot be cut or removed without the tree warden's permission (MGL c.87 (opens in a new tab)).
This is general guidance, not legal advice. The town was updating the bylaw at last check, so confirm the current text with the Conservation Commission.
Sources: MGL c.82 §40A, Excavations; notice (Dig Safe); Town of Tewksbury: Wetland Protection Bylaw (Chapter 18.04), 2024 update text; Town of Tewksbury: Conservation Commission; Mass.gov (DCR): Laws Protecting Community Trees, MGL c.87
HomeGuide (opens in a new tab) (updated December 2025) lists national stump grinding prices of $2 to $6 per inch of diameter or $100 to $200 per hour, and notes that hardwood stumps carry higher rates than young softwood. Extra-large stumps run about $300 to $800 each. 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 Tewksbury stumps.
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 largest wetland complex in Tewksbury, in the northwest part of town between Interstate 495 and Route 38, and the source of Trull Brook. Lots that touch wet ground like this can fall inside the town's wetland buffer rules, which changes where equipment can work.
Get directions to Great Swamp (opens Google Maps in a new tab)The tallest drumlin in the Shawsheen River watershed, and a scenic hill from which the Boston skyline is visible. Drumlin slopes and the till uplands around nearby Ames Pond are where grinder and loader positioning on a grade matters.
Get directions to Ames Hill (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A 9.55-acre conservation parcel at 760 South Street with a marked Riverwalk trail, a kayak launch and a view over the Shawsheen River. Land along the river is subject to wetland and riverfront rules, and the Conservation Commission manages this parcel.
Get directions to Shawsheen Overlook (opens Google Maps in a new tab)A 2004 state law dedicated nine parcels totaling 410 acres of Tewksbury Hospital land to conservation, agriculture and passive recreation, and the Bay Circuit Trail is planned across it. Private lots that border protected land like this need clear boundary lines before any clearing or mulching.
Get directions to Tewksbury Hospital conservation land (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Photos from our crew's jobs across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
It can, if the stump is within 25 feet of a wetland, stream, pond or bank. The bylaw text lists cutting and excavating there as prohibited unless the Commission permits it. Send the Conservation Agent a written request for determination with your address before we schedule the work.
Large hardwood stumps take more time than softwood, and cost guides price them higher. A photo showing the diameter and any rocks or roots at the surface lets us plan the visit.
Often yes. Part of Tewksbury has hilly ledge outcrops. We bring a tracked or self-propelled machine as needed, and we note rock around the stump before we start. Include a photo of the approach.
If the tree stood in the public way, the tree warden controls it and your permission is not enough. If it is inside your property line, we can grind it. Check your plot plan or ask the town if you are unsure.
We can rake them out, leave them piled for mulch, or haul them away. Loam and seed are an optional add-on, not part of the base job.
See every town we cover on our service areas page.
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