Space Coast Clearing Co connects Melbourne property owners with a local land clearing contractor for stump grinding & removal in Melbourne and the surrounding Brevard County communities.
A cleared lot isn't finished while the stumps are still in it. Every one left behind is a mower hazard, a termite invitation, and — for plenty of Florida species — a living root system waiting to send up shoots. Stump grinding is the standard closing move after tree and land clearing on the Space Coast: a carbide cutting wheel chews the stump down below grade, turning it into a pile of chips where a trunk used to be.
How deep depends on what the ground is for. A stump in the back corner of the yard just needs to disappear below the grass line so it can be topped with soil and seeded. A stump sitting where a house pad, driveway, or septic line is headed needs the whole root ball out — full extraction rather than grinding — so nothing decays and settles under the structure later. Brevard's sandy Myakka ground is actually a favor here; digging and grinding both go easier in sand than in clay or rock.
The chips left behind are honest mulch. They can be raked into planting beds, spread as ground cover, or hauled off with the hole backfilled and dressed flat — a call you make before the work starts, itemized on the quote either way.
For a national yardstick, cost guides put stump removal around $326 for the first stump and $40 to $83 for each additional one, or $94 to $163 per hour for bigger counts — national averages, not Brevard prices, and cleared-lot work with many stumps is usually priced as a package with the clearing itself. Access, stump diameter, and count drive the real number.
Send Space Coast Clearing Co the rough count and sizes and a local land clearing contractor will price the grinding — free quote, line-itemed, no obligation.
What a stump left in sandy ground actually does
A stump is not inert. As the wood decays it shrinks, and the ground above it settles into a dish that collects water and swallows mower wheels. Several common Florida species keep sending up shoots from the stump and roots for years after the cut, so an ignored stump can quietly rebuild the tree you paid to remove. In a lawn, that is an annoyance; beside a planned addition, it is a problem with a schedule.
Then there are the termites. Florida carries some of the heaviest subterranean termite pressure in the country, and a moist, decaying stump thirty feet from the house is a colony's staging ground. UF/IFAS Extension materials on termite biology make the point plainly: removing dead wood near structures removes the food source. Grinding the stump out is the cheapest termite decision most homeowners ever get to make.
Depth, holes, and storm leaners
Depth is a decision, not a default. A lawn stump gets ground several inches below grade, topped with soil, and seeded. Anywhere a slab, driveway, or septic line is headed, the full root ball comes out and the hole gets backfilled in compacted layers, because chips left in a deep hole settle for years as they decay. Brevard's sand cooperates with both approaches; digging here is easier than almost anywhere in the country.
Storm season adds its own inventory. Hurricane-tipped trees leave root plates standing on edge with craters behind them, and those get ground down and the craters filled as one job. For a damaged tree still standing, the question of whether it can be saved comes before any grinding, and the consumer guidance at Trees Are Good from the ISA is the right starting point; an ISA arborist is the person to make that call. Brevard owners can use Brevard County property and permit resources as a local checkpoint before approving removal work.
More from Make It Build-Ready: Lot Clearing for New Builds · Grading & Site Prep · Access Road & Driveway Clearing · Fill Dirt & Rough Grade Work
Sources & further reading
Before the machine rolls
How far below ground does stump grinding go?
A standard grind runs several inches below grade, enough to cover with soil and grow grass. Deeper grinds or full root ball extraction come into play wherever something will be built over the spot.
Can you build over a stump that's been ground?
Not safely. A ground stump leaves chips and roots that decay and settle over time, which is bad news under a slab or driveway. Building areas need the whole root ball out and the hole backfilled in compacted layers.
Do old stumps attract termites in Florida?
Yes. Subterranean termites feed on moist decaying wood, and a rotting stump near the house is a ready food source and staging point. Removing it takes that invitation off the table.
What does stump removal cost?
National guides show roughly $326 for a first stump, $40 to $83 for each one after, and $94 to $163 hourly on larger counts. Diameter, count, and access set the real Brevard number, and cleared-lot stumps usually price as a package with the clearing.
What happens to the hole after a stump comes out?
It gets backfilled and dressed flat. If chips fill the hole, expect some settling as they break down; soil backfill compacted in layers is the choice where the spot needs to stay level for lawn or paving.