Stump grinding in Portland, Oregon
Before a grinder touches a Portland stump, call 811 for a free utility locate; Oregon treats grinding below grade as digging.
$150 minimum; not a quote.
Oregon locate notice before grinding near lines.
Rules for burning the debris.
Before the grinder arrives in Portland
Oregon’s excavation rules cover stump grinding, so call 811 and wait for the locate marks before work starts. Grinder teeth run below the surface, where gas, water and sewer laterals often pass near trunks on older city lots.
The stump of a permitted removal doesn’t need a separate permit, but the replanting does count. Portland requires replacement, tree-for-tree under 20 inches DBH and inch-for-inch above, so leave room for the new tree. For a street tree, the removal permit and replacement rule apply regardless of size.
Permit required for trees 12 in DBH and up
Threshold: Private trees 12 in DBH and larger regulated (PCC 11.40.020); smaller trees may need a permit in environmental overlay zones/plan districts (Table 40-1)
Allowances and tiers: Type A (no notice): dead/dying/dangerous, nuisance species, trunk within 10 ft of structure, up to 4 healthy trees under 20 in/yr; Type B (notice): 20 in+
Fee: Removal and Replanting permit: no charge on/after July 1, 2025; Replanting Waiver $50 (was $100); fee in lieu $472 per DBH inch or $712 per tree; hourly $160
Replacement: yes
Street trees: Permit always required to remove a street tree of any size; pruning permit except sucker shoots under 1/2 in; replacement required (11.40.040); free since 2025
Issued by: Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry, within Portland Permitting & Development (Trees@PortlandOregon.gov, 503-823-8733)
Portland City Code Title 11 (Trees): 11.40.020, 11.40.030, 11.40.050 (Table 40-3), 11.40.060, 11.50.040, 11.20.060, 11.60 · Official page · Checked 2026-10-02
What stump grinding costs in Portland
Diameter, root spread and how the machine reaches the stump drive cost. Big conifer stumps with surface roots take longer, as do backyards behind gates or steps.
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro mean tree-worker wage is $35.04 an hour by BLS figures, a wage, not a quote. The modeled range below combines these; see stump grinding.
| 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
What happens to the grindings depends on the species. Under the emerald ash borer quarantine, ash material may leave only as chips 1 inch or smaller, so grind ash fine or keep it on site. For oaks infested with Mediterranean oak borer, the guidance is to chip to 1 inch or burn the tree on site, stump included.
Any burning falls under Oregon DEQ rules; check the Oregon burning guide first. Non-host grindings work as mulch or can be hauled.
Burning the debris
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Oregon.
Source: Oregon DEQ. Checked 2026-10-02.
Replanting the spot
Grind in the dry season when lawns can take the machine: July and August average about half an inch of rain each at Portland’s airport. Replant as the fall rains return before December, the wettest month at 5.77 inches. Hardiness zone 9a gives you plenty of replacement choices.
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
Call 811, identify the species of the stump, and settle disposal before booking. Verify the contractor with the Oregon license lookup.
Back to tree service in Portland · Stump grinding across WA and OR · Stump grinding in Oregon · cost guide.
Sources
- Portland tree code (Portland City Code Title 11 (Trees): 11.40.020, 11.40.030, 11.40.050 (Table 40-3), 11.40.060, 11.50.040, 11.20.060, 11.60), 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.