Fairfax sits right up against the open space, and that shapes the stump work here. A lot of homes are built into wooded hillsides, from Cascade Canyon over to Oak Manor and the streets around Deer Park, with oaks, bays and madrones close to the house. Two things leave stumps in these yards more than anything else. Sudden Oak Death has killed a lot of the oaks and tanoaks around town. And fire safety has pushed many owners to clear trees and brush near their homes, since California's defensible space rules call for thinned vegetation within 100 feet of a house in high fire hazard areas. Either way, the stump is usually on a slope, close to the house, and reached by steps or a narrow path.
We grind Fairfax stumps below grade, clean up the grindings and finish the spot for gravel or low, fire-smart plants. For a build on the spot, stump removal gets the root ball out, and for roots lifting steps or a walkway, root grinding handles them. Describe the stump and the walk to it, and we'll come back with a free estimate.
Stumps From Defensible-Space Clearing
Clearing for fire safety often leaves a yard full of stumps: oaks and bays thinned from around the house, juniper and other flammable shrubs pulled out, small trees cut to open up the space between plants. Stumps themselves aren't much of a fire hazard once they're low to the ground, but they're in the way of the next step, whether that's gravel, stone, a fire-resistant ground cover or simply a clear path. Grinding gets them below grade so the space can be finished. The grindings deserve some thought here. Thick wood mulch piled against a house adds fuel, so close to the walls we usually haul the chips off instead of leaving them, and farther out they can be spread thin. Bays come back from the stump if they're left, so we take those down deeper than usual. Owners across the valley in San Anselmo call us for the same kind of cleanup.
Steep Wooded Lots and Narrow Roads
Fairfax roads are narrow and winding, and many lots climb steeply from the street, with the stump up a set of steps or down a path behind the house. Those jobs start with the route. We look at the steps, the turns, the slope and anything along the way that needs protecting, then bring a compact grinder sized for the path. On a steep bank, we think about what each root is doing before it goes. Roots from a big oak may be part of what's holding the slope, so the stump comes out below grade while the deep anchoring roots stay, unless you need them gone. Parking a trailer on Fairfax streets also takes planning, and we keep visits short and tidy for the neighbors. For larger, flatter lots with mature trees, the yards in Kentfield are a closer match.