Small Tree Removal and Stump — Cut, Stump Out, Hole Filled and Seeded
The crabapple died, the spruce is eating the walk, and the volunteers along the fence are trees now. Small trees we cut, stump and clean up in a visit.
Small tree removal and stump is for the trees a carpenter's crew handles with a saw and a mini excavator: a dead crabapple, an overgrown ornamental, volunteer trees along a fence, a small spruce in the wrong spot. JMB Builders cuts it down in sections, digs the stump with the mini excavator or grinds it, fills the hole with topsoil, seeds it, and hauls the brush, across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per unit, per tree.
- Priced per tree, stump and cleanup included
- Small trees only; large trees are a tree service job
- Stump dug or ground, hole filled and seeded
- Quote from photos, reply within one business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
There is a size of tree that does not need a tree service and does need more than a homeowner with a hand saw. A dead crabapple, a lilac gone to a trunk, an overgrown arborvitae or spruce planted too close to the house, a maple that seeded itself along the fence ten years ago: trees you can look at and see where they will fall. We take those down in sections from the ground, with the top dropped away from the house and the fence, and the trunk cut into lengths.
The stump is the part most people cannot do. On a small tree the mini excavator digs it out with the roots in a few minutes, which is cleaner than grinding because nothing is left to rot and sink. Where a machine cannot reach, or the roots run under a walk or a bed, the stump is ground below grade and the grindings hauled. Either way the hole is filled with topsoil, packed and seeded, or made part of the bed if it was in one, and the brush and wood are chipped or hauled.
Large trees, anything that needs climbing, a bucket truck or rigging, and any tree near power lines are a job for a tree service with a bucket truck. We tell you from the photo which yours is. Gopher State One Call locates before the stump is dug, since the roots and the utility line are often in the same place along a fence.
What you supply
- A photo of each tree from a distance showing what is around it, and one of the base
- Whether you want the wood kept for firewood or hauled
- What the spot becomes: lawn, part of a bed, or a new tree
- Sprinkler lines and low-voltage wires marked near the stump
What JMB supplies
- Gopher State One Call locate before digging a stump
- Tree cut down in sections from the ground, dropped away from the house, fence and plantings
- Stump dug out with the mini excavator, roots and all, or ground below grade where a machine cannot reach
- Hole filled with topsoil, packed, seeded and strawed, or finished as part of the bed
- Brush chipped or hauled, trunk cut to firewood lengths or hauled
- Lawn repaired where the machine crossed, and photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number of trees in the visit, with the second always cheaper than the first
- Trunk size and height, and how close it is to the house, fence or wires
- Stump dug by machine vs. ground by hand where the machine cannot reach
- Roots under a walk, driveway or bed that have to be cut around
- Wood kept for you vs. hauled, and brush chipped on site vs. hauled
- Access for the mini excavator to the stump
- A new tree or shrub planted in the spot
Send a photo of each tree from far enough back to see the whole thing and what is around it. That tells us whether it is a small tree we do or a tree service job, and sets the quote.
How long it takes
One or two small trees with stumps dug and holes seeded: half a day. A row of volunteers along a fence line: one day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Dead or dying ornamental tree
A crabapple, flowering pear or small maple that died or is dying, cut down in sections, stump dug, hole filled and seeded. Often with a new tree planted in a better spot.
Evergreen planted too close to the house
The spruce or arborvitae that was small thirty years ago and now touches the roof. Taken down in sections away from the house, stump out, and the bed it was in rebuilt.
Volunteer trees along a fence
Box elder, mulberry and maple seedlings that became trees along the fence line, cut, the stumps dug or ground along the fence, and the strip cleaned up for rock or lawn.
Stump only
A tree someone else cut leaving the stump. Dug with the mini excavator or ground below grade, the hole filled and seeded so the lawn runs across it.
Small Tree Removal and Stump — Cut, Stump Out, Hole Filled and Seeded: questions, answered
What size tree can you remove?
Trees that come down safely from the ground with a saw: ornamentals, small evergreens, volunteers and most trees shorter than the house, with room to drop the top. Anything that needs climbing, a bucket truck or rigging, and any tree near power lines, is a job for a tree service with a bucket truck. Send a photo from far enough back to see the whole tree and we tell you which it is.
Do you dig the stump or grind it?
Dig it when the mini excavator can reach it, which on a small tree takes a few minutes and leaves nothing in the ground to rot and sink later. Grind it below grade when the stump is in a tight spot, next to a foundation or a walk, or the roots run under something. Either way the hole is filled with topsoil and seeded, or finished as part of the bed.
Can you remove a tree close to the house?
A small tree, yes. It comes down in sections, the top first and dropped away from the house, with ropes where there is any doubt. The stump next to a foundation is ground rather than dug so the foundation is not disturbed. A large tree over the roof is a tree service job with a bucket truck, and we say so.
What happens to the hole where the stump was?
It is filled with topsoil, packed in layers so it does not sink, seeded and covered with straw, or sodded if you want it green faster. If the stump was in a bed, the bed is rebuilt over it. A stump that was ground leaves grindings that we haul rather than mix into the fill, since they settle as they rot.
Will you take the wood and brush away?
Yes. Brush is chipped on site or hauled, and the trunk is cut into firewood lengths and stacked for you if you want it, or hauled with the rest. Keeping the wood takes a little off the quote. The lawn is raked and the walks blown off before we leave.
Can you plant a new tree where the old one was?
Yes, usually a few feet over so the new roots are in fresh soil rather than the old root mass, and in a spot that fits the tree at full size. We bring the tree from the nursery and plant it on the same visit, with a basin for watering and a stake if it needs one.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners, builders and dealers. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed October 1, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All landscaping pages
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