Yard Restoration
Stump Removal & Extraction
Princeton Excavation pulls stumps out of the ground whole, roots and all, instead of grinding them down. The excavator lifts the entire root plate out, we backfill the hole with clean fill and topsoil, and you're left with solid ground you can seed, replant, or build on.
Pulled out, not ground down
A ground stump is still a stump. The root plate stays in the ground, rots slowly, and sinks for years. We take the whole thing out.
The Whole Stump, Out
The excavator gets under the root plate and lifts stump and roots out in one piece. No buried wood left to rot and settle under your lawn.
Fits Through the Gate
Our tracked mini skid steer and mini excavator work through a standard 36-inch gate, so a stump in a fenced backyard doesn't mean taking the fence apart.
Backfilled and Seed-Ready
The hole gets backfilled with clean fill in compacted lifts and topped with topsoil, raked flush with the lawn and ready for seed.
One stump is a real job
Grinding chews the stump down and calls it done, but the root plate stays put. Try to pour a footing, set a fence post, or plant a new tree in that spot and you hit wood. Pulling the stump removes the obstruction completely, so the ground is genuinely buildable and plantable the day we leave.
Where we work
This page is for a stump, or a handful of them, in a yard that's otherwise finished. If you're reclaiming a whole overgrown area, that's our land clearing service. Either way, we have NJ One Call mark the utilities before we dig, because roots and gas lines run through the same ground.
How a job goes
From the first call to a clean handover
1. Site Walk
We come look at the property by appointment, check the access and any constraints, and go over your plans or what you have in mind.
2. Marking & Layout
We set the layout on the ground with laser accuracy. Depths, lines, and elevations are marked before anything gets dug.
3. The Work
We bring the right machine for the access, lay ground protection where it's needed, and keep the mess around lawns, trees, and hardscape to a minimum.
4. Clean Handover
You're left with a site that's ready to go and a yard that's still in one piece, set up for whatever's next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grinding is fine if you only want the lawn to look flat. It leaves the root plate in the ground, where it rots and settles, and you can't build or plant there. Pulling removes everything, and the hole gets backfilled with clean, compactable soil.
Usually, yes. Our smallest machine needs about 36 inches of clearance, which is a standard gate. We lay ground protection where the machine tracks so the lawn comes through in good shape.
A filled, compacted hole topped with topsoil and raked flush with the surrounding lawn. It's ready for seed the same day, or for a new tree, which we also plant.
Service Areas
- Princeton· Mercer County
- Hopewell Township· Mercer County
- Montgomery & Skillman· Somerset County
- West Windsor· Mercer County
- Lawrence Township· Mercer County
- Pennington· Mercer County
- Robbinsville· Mercer County
- Hamilton Township· Mercer County
- Plainsboro· Middlesex County
- Cranbury· Middlesex County
- South Brunswick· Middlesex County
- Hillsborough· Somerset County
- Ewing· Mercer County
Princeton, Hopewell Township, Montgomery & Skillman, and surrounding Mercer and Somerset County, NJ.
One stump or ten, send us a photo and we'll give you a straight answer.
Owner-operated and by appointment. Tell us about your project and we'll walk the site with you.