Stump Grinding in Mount Pleasant and Charleston, SC

Stump grinding when a tree comes down

Removal is the last option for us. When a tree does have to come down, removing it completely and grinding the stump may be the right choice, for safety and for looks. Our tree removal page covers taking the tree down. We leave job sites in better condition than we found them.

Before anyone digs: SC811

As its ordinary rule, South Carolina law requires notice to SC811 before excavation, and the law lists its own exceptions. Section 58-36-60(A)(1) says "the excavator must provide timely notice to the notification center of his intent to excavate or demolish. Notice for any excavation or demolition that does not involve a subaqueous facility must be given within three to twelve full working days, not including the day upon which notice is given, before the proposed commencement date of the excavation or demolition." Section 58-36-20(10)(A) defines the term: "'Excavate' or 'excavation' means an operation for the purpose of the displacement, movement, or removal of soil, earth, rock, or other materials in or on the ground by use of hand digging, mechanized equipment or by discharge of explosives." The law does not name stump grinding.

Before a stump is ground, confirm with the company doing the work that it has notified SC811. Notice is one step; SC811's pages describe the rest. SC811's homeowner FAQs say: "The company or person who is doing the actual excavation work should be the one calling in or doing the locate notice. Verify they’ve contacted SC811 before allowing any digging on your property." Contact SC811 yourself before you dig or plant where a stump was; it asks for contact "before ANY digging". SC811, South Carolina's 811 notification center, says "SC811 is a FREE service for everyone." Locators mark public lines only: "Public utility lines typically run from the street to your meter, while private utilities extend from the meter to other locations on your property."