Kentfield has some of the largest lots in central Marin, and some of the largest trees. The flatter streets near the College of Marin and along Corte Madera Creek are full of mature oaks, redwoods and old ornamentals, and up in Kent Woodlands, homes sit on steep, heavily wooded lots on the lower slopes of Mount Tam. Big trees mean big stumps. When a Kentfield tree comes down, the stump can measure several feet wide, and its root flare runs well out into the lawn or under a driveway. The upside is room to work. Long driveways and wide side yards make many Kentfield jobs easier to reach than in the tight hillside towns, even when the stump itself is a big one.
Small ornamentals or the widest redwoods, we grind them all here, then tidy up for lawn, beds or hardscape. For a pool, a guest house or an addition, stump removal pulls the root ball too, and root grinding takes care of big roots lifting a driveway or path. Tell us roughly how big it is and where on the lot, and we'll send over a free estimate.
Big Stumps on Big Lots
A lot of Kentfield stumps are simply large. Old redwoods near the creek, valley and coast live oaks on the flatter lots, and big trees left from when the neighborhoods were first built can leave stumps three or four feet across or more. Those take longer to grind, and they leave a lot of grindings, sometimes enough to fill a small truck. Many owners here use the chips as mulch on paths and under shrubs, and we can spread them where you want them or haul them off. Redwood stumps try to sprout, so we take them down past the live wood at the base and chase the main roots outward. Oak stumps are dense and slow, and live oaks can sprout too, so they get the same below-grade treatment. If there are several big stumps on the property, it usually makes sense to do them in one visit. For the same kind of large-tree work closer to the water, the yards in Corte Madera and Larkspur are nearby.
Kent Woodlands Hillsides
Kent Woodlands is a different kind of job. Lots are steep and wooded, driveways climb or drop sharply, and many stumps sit on slopes below the house or along terraced gardens. We check the route first, including how steep the driveway is for the truck and trailer, and bring a compact grinder for anything off the drive. On a slope, we pay attention to which roots are holding the hillside, since a big oak or redwood often is, so the stump goes below grade and the deep roots stay put unless your plans call for removing them. These hillsides are also close to the open space, and many owners are thinning trees for fire safety, which leaves stumps to clean up around the house. Up the valley, the wooded lots in Fairfax are much the same.