The 811 ticket comes first
Mississippi's Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act (Miss. Code § 77-13-1 and following) defines excavation broadly. It includes "grading, land leveling, trenching, digging, ditching, drilling" and "moving or removing any structure or other material or mass of material on or below the ground." Stump grinding isn't named, but the hand-digging exception is narrow: it covers a property owner digging less than 12 inches on their own land without mechanical equipment. A stump grinder is a machine, and it generally cuts deeper than that, so the grinder's operator should open a ticket (checked Nov 11, 2026).
- Notice: not less than three and not more than ten working days before digging. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays don't count as working days.
- Ticket life: 20 calendar days, up from 14 for tickets since July 1, 2025.
- Who calls: the excavator, meaning the person doing the digging. For a hired job, that's the contractor.
- How: dial 811 or (800) 227-6477, or use ms811.org. Requests are taken around the clock; office hours are weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weekends and holidays stretch that wait, so plan the grinding date around them. Ask the contractor for the ticket number before the grinder is unloaded.
Lines nobody comes to mark
Mississippi 811's own answer surprises a lot of homeowners: "Most utility lines located on private property are owned by the property owner," and "utility companies will only mark lines from the street to the meter" (checked Nov 11, 2026). Everything past the meter is yours, and it won't get a flag or a paint line. Around a backyard stump, that can mean:
- A buried electric line to a detached garage, a shop or a pool pump
- Sprinkler pipes and valve boxes
- Low-voltage wire for landscape lights
- A gas line to an outdoor grill or a fire pit
- A dog fence wire, a drain pipe from the gutters, or a cable someone buried years ago
Walk the yard with the contractor and point out anything you know runs near the stump. A sprinkler map or the papers from a pool installation help.
Deep roots, and what grinding leaves
Grinding removes the stump and the top of the root flare. It doesn't dig out the root system. HomeGuide says plainly that "Stump grinding does not include root removal," and prices root removal separately at $75 to $150 an hour (checked Nov 11, 2026).
Pecans make the point well. MSU Extension notes that a pecan's roots can reach 6 to 10 feet down and that nursery trees keep 2 to 3 feet of taproot at planting (checked Nov 11, 2026). Nobody grinds that out. The roots left in the ground decay over time, and the soil above them can settle.
Decide before the visit what the spot will become, because that sets how deep the contractor should go:
- Lawn again. Grind low enough for topsoil and grass seed to cover it.
- A flower bed or a new tree. Say so, and ask how far from the old stump the new planting should go.
- A fence post, a slab or a shed. Mention it; surface roots in the way may need extra work.
The ground under DeSoto County yards
A Mississippi State University (MAFES) guide to the state's soil areas describes the Upper Thick Loess of northwestern Mississippi as wind-blown material "usually greater than four feet thick," with soils such as Memphis, Loring and Grenada, and notes that "Many soils commonly contain a fragipan or restrictive layer in the subsoil" (checked Nov 11, 2026). USDA soil descriptions explain what that layer does. The Loring series reaches its fragipan 14 to 35 inches down, and the Grenada series has "a fragipan that perches water during wet seasons in late winter and early in spring."
Which of those soils lies under a given yard wasn't confirmed for this site. What matters for a stump is timing: in late winter and spring the ground above a fragipan can stay wet, and a soft lawn takes ruts when a grinder and a truck roll across it.
Stumps from diseased trees
For oaks killed by hypoxylon canker, MSU Extension's advice goes past the trunk: "Severely infected trees should be cut and burned. Ideally, the stumps should be destroyed, as well" (checked Nov 11, 2026). Burning isn't allowed inside any DeSoto County city, so inside town that means grinding the stump out and having the wood hauled away. The disease shows up in stressed trees, often a year or two after a significant drought.
The chips and the hole
A big stump turns into a surprising pile of chips mixed with soil. You can spread them on beds, let them settle and top the spot with soil, or have them hauled. Ask which one the price includes. City brush crews are set up for limbs: Hernando's brush truck "cannot handle vines, loose leaves or root balls," and Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake and Hernando all leave tree-service debris to the contractor (checked Nov 11, 2026). In the unincorporated county, the county's rubbish pits accept limbs and leaves.
Published grinding prices
National figures, all checked Nov 11, 2026. No DeSoto County prices were found.
| Stump diameter | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Up to 12 inches | $30–$70 |
| 24 inches | $50–$150 |
| 36 inches | $70–$220 |
| 48 inches | $100–$290 |
| 60 inches | $120–$360 |
| 72 inches | $150–$430 |
HomeGuide also lists minimum service charges of $80 to $160, $30 to $60 for each additional stump, and $300 to $800 apiece for extra-large stumps. Angi puts the first stump at $100 to $150 and about $50 for each one after. Forbes Home says grinding averages about $300 to $400, and Fixr gives $100 to $500 per stump. Measure across the widest part of the stump at ground level before you call; the figure helps the contractor price it.
Stump questions
Do I have to call 811 myself?
The law puts that on the excavator, the person doing the digging. When a contractor grinds the stump, the contractor makes the request. Ask for the ticket number.
How long is an 811 ticket good for?
Twenty calendar days for tickets since July 1, 2025 (checked Nov 11, 2026). If the job slips past that, the ticket has to be renewed.
Can I leave the stump?
Yes. Some people leave a low stump to rot or build a bed around it. The exception is a stump from an oak with hypoxylon canker, which MSU suggests destroying.
Can the grinding be done the same day as the removal?
Only if the ticket was placed far enough ahead. Otherwise the stump waits for a second visit once the lines are marked.
The site owns no grinder and has no crew. Stump requests made here are passed to one independent contractor in DeSoto County.
Sources
- Mississippi 811, Mississippi Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act (Miss. Code § 77-13-1 et seq.), FAQ and 2025 Excavation Law Amendments Summary. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- MSU Extension, Fruit and Nut Review: Pecans in the Home Landscape (IS1432) and The Plant Doctor: Biscogniauxia (Hypoxylon) Dieback of Oaks (IS1798). Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- MAFES, Soil Resource Areas of Mississippi (IS1278); USDA NRCS official series descriptions, Memphis, Loring and Grenada. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- Hernando Brush Services; DeSoto County, Burn Permits and Rubbish Pits. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
- HomeGuide stump grinding cost; Angi; Forbes Home; Fixr. Checked Nov 11, 2026.