Stump grinding in Milwaukie, Oregon
Emerald ash borer is confirmed in Milwaukie and the city is inside the quarantine, so an ash stump and its grindings can only leave as chips 1 in or smaller.
$150 minimum; not a quote.
Oregon locate notice before grinding near lines.
Rules for burning the debris.
Before the grinder arrives in Milwaukie
Start with the wood. Oregon’s emerald ash borer rules (ODF and ODA) keep raw ash inside the quarantine; it can move only as chips 1 in or smaller, as kiln-dried debarked lumber, or after heating to a 160F core for 60 minutes with ODA permission. Loads moved between April 1 and September 30 must be covered. Don’t haul ash rounds or a pulled root ball to a property outside the zone.
Then call 811 at least two business days before grinding so buried power, gas and water lines are marked. The stump usually follows a removal, and Milwaukie Municipal Code 16.32 requires a permit for private trees 6 in DBH or larger in residential zones. Confirm the Urban Forester (503-786-7655) signed off on the removal, and note that a replacement tree is required.
Permit required for trees 6 in DBH and up
Threshold: Private trees in residential zones 6 in DBH or larger (or smaller if on the Rare or Threatened Tree List or planted as required trees)
Allowances and tiers: Type A (Urban Forester, no notice): dead/dying, hazardous, infrastructure conflict, invasive, or one healthy tree under 12 in DBH per tax lot per 12 months
Fee: Public-tree application fee $50; private-tree application and mitigation fee amounts set by the master fee schedule
Replacement: yes
Street trees: Public/street trees 2 in DBH+ need a permit for removal, planting or major pruning (over 20% of canopy); $50 application fee; removal fee by DBH
Issued by: Public Works, Urban Forest (Urban Forester; 503-786-7655, urbanforest@milwaukieoregon.gov)
Milwaukie Municipal Code Chapter 16.32, Article III Private Trees in Residential Zones; Article II Street and Public Trees; 16.32.026, 16.32.042 · Official page · Checked 2026-10-02
What stump grinding costs in Milwaukie
Diameter, root flare and access set the modeled range below. Ash stumps add handling, since grindings have to stay fine enough to meet the 1-in chip rule, and haul-away costs more than leaving chips on site.
BLS puts the mean tree-worker wage in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro area at $35.04 an hour, with about 1,160 employed. That is pay, not a price.
| Stump diameter | Modeled range |
|---|---|
| Under 12 in | $150 minimum |
| 12 to 24 in | $150 |
| 24 to 36 in | $150–$200 |
| 36 to 48 in | $150–$300 |
Modeled at $4 to $6 per inch of diameter with a $150 minimum, rounded to $50. Modeled estimate, not quotes (method).
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013. Checked 2026-10-02.
Grindings, wood and quarantines
Grindings from an ash stump can stay in your yard as mulch, which is the simplest way to stay inside the quarantine rules. If you see D-shaped exit holes or bark splits on other ash, report them through the Oregon Invasive Species Online Hotline; our EAB page explains what to look for.
Mediterranean oak borer is confirmed here too. The guidance is to cut, then burn or chip to 1 in or less any infested oak, stump included, on site, and never move oak firewood more than 10 miles. Burning is regulated by Oregon DEQ; check the yard debris burning rules first. No utility is mapped for this part of Clackamas County yet, so look yours up on our utilities page.
Burning the debris
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Oregon.
Source: Oregon DEQ. Checked 2026-10-02.
Replanting the spot
Clackamas County’s storm count has eased. NOAA logged 48 reports in the latest three years against 86 in the three before, though the county still ranks 8th of 36 with 198 total and heavy snow at 64. Snow-snapped trees leave stumps that can be ground any dry stretch of the year.
If the stump is a replacement-tree site, grind it early enough to plant in the cool season; Milwaukie sits in hardiness zone 9a. Ash grinding moved off site between April and September needs a covered load.
Hardiness zone 9a. Grinding vs full removal: which one you need.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
What to do next
Confirm the species, call 811, and decide whether the chips stay or go before the grinder arrives. The Milwaukie page covers the full permit tiers, and the Oregon license lookup guide shows how to check a contractor.
Back to tree service in Milwaukie · Stump grinding across WA and OR · Stump grinding in Oregon · cost guide.
Sources
- Milwaukie tree code (Milwaukie Municipal Code Chapter 16.32, Article III Private Trees in Residential Zones; Article II Street and Public Trees; 16.32.026, 16.32.042), checked 2026-10-02.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013, checked 2026-10-02.
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026, checked 2026-10-02.
- NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions), checked 2026-10-02.
- Portland General Electric vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
- Oregon 811 locate rules, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data), checked 2026-10-02.
Comparing quotes? Check these eight things first.
Two quotes for the same tree can differ by thousands. The gap is usually in what's included, not the cutting.
We don't vet or license anyone. These are the official lookups; each takes about a minute.
| What | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon CCB license | CCB license search | Active status, bond, insurance on file, complaints |
| Oregon LCB license | LCB verify a license | Landscape contracting license, which covers tree work |
| Washington contractor registration | L&I Verify | Registration, bond, workers' comp, lawsuits, violations |
| ISA Certified Arborist | ISA directory | Current certification and credential number |
How to read them: Oregon guide · Washington guide
Westcoast-Tree.org is an independent information site. If you call a number on this site, the call goes to a tree service that covers your area and we may be paid a referral fee by that company. We don't perform tree work and we don't vet, license or insure anyone. Cost figures are modeled estimates, not quotes (method). Not affiliated with the former Westcoast Tree Care Inc of Tumwater, WA.