Stump grinding in West Linn, Oregon
West Linn sits in Oregon’s emerald ash borer quarantine, so ash grindings and wood stay inside it unless chipped to 1 in or less. Before grinding, call 811, and make sure the removal had its city permit.
$150 minimum; not a quote.
Oregon locate notice before grinding near lines.
Rules for burning the debris.
Before the grinder arrives in West Linn
Emerald ash borer is confirmed in West Linn and the quarantine covers the city. ODF and ODA rules keep raw ash wood inside; it leaves only as chips of 1 in or less, kiln-dried debarked lumber, or wood heated to a 160F core for 60 minutes with ODA permission. Covered loads are required from April 1 to September 30. Our emerald ash borer page has more.
Call 811 next. A grinder goes below grade and spreads along roots, where buried utilities run.
West Linn’s Community Tree Code needs a permit to remove any tree of 12 in DBH or more, and 6 in for Oregon white oak, Pacific madrone and Pacific dogwood, on public or private land. Grinding a stump without that permit on file leaves you exposed, and replacement is required.
Permit required for trees 12 in DBH and up
Threshold: "Tree" = 12 in DBH+ most species; 6 in DBH+ Oregon white oak, Pacific madrone, Pacific dogwood; multi-trunk measured cumulatively at 54 in
Allowances and tiers: Permit for removal of any tree on public or private land; exempt: orchard trees, tree farms, commercial nurseries (WLMC 8.560); decision up to 20 business days
Fee: Council fee schedule (WLMC 8.540); city-posted code PDF states the permit fee "shall be zero"; current amount not confirmed
Replacement: yes
Street trees: Street Tree Removal and Replacement Form plus payment required for any street tree removal/replacement (Parks & Recreation)
Issued by: City Manager designee: Parks & Recreation (treepermits@westlinnoregon.gov)
West Linn Municipal Code 8.500-8.798 Community Tree Code (8.510, 8.530, 8.540, 8.560, 8.710 heritage, 8.720 street trees) · Official page · Checked 2026-10-02
What stump grinding costs in West Linn
BLS puts the mean wage for tree workers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro area at $35.04 an hour. It is the labor input under the modeled range below.
West Linn’s range moves with stump width, slope and access. Stumps on hillside lots, or oak stumps that need fine chipping because of the borer guidance, sit higher; a single small stump on flat ground sits near the bottom.
| 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
Mediterranean oak borer is confirmed in West Linn, which matters in a city that protects Oregon white oak from 6 in DBH. Infested oaks should be burned or chipped to 1 in or less on site, stump included, and oak firewood kept within 10 miles of its source. Report to the Oregon Invasives Hotline with photos.
Oregon DEQ sets burn rules; check Oregon yard debris burning rules first. No utility is mapped for West Linn yet, so see utilities.
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 logged 198 NOAA storm reports since 2016, eighth of 36, and its single largest episode was wildfire: seven reports on September 7, 2020 across the North Oregon Cascades and foothills. Heavy snow still leads by type with 64, and 66% of reports fall November through February.
Grind after soils dry and plan the replacement tree at the same time, since West Linn requires one. The city is in hardiness zone 9a.
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, confirm the permit from Parks & Recreation (treepermits@westlinnoregon.gov), and keep ash or oak grindings on site unless they meet the chip rule. Check the crew at the Oregon license lookup and see the West Linn overview.
Back to tree service in West Linn · Stump grinding across WA and OR · Stump grinding in Oregon · cost guide.
Sources
- West Linn tree code (West Linn Municipal Code 8.500-8.798 Community Tree Code (8.510, 8.530, 8.540, 8.560, 8.710 heritage, 8.720 street trees)), 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.