The city took the tree down, the crew hauled the logs, and now there is a stump sitting in the strip of grass between your sidewalk and the curb. It has been there a while. You are wondering whether to call someone to grind it or whether that is even allowed — because that strip of grass is not exactly your yard, and the tree was never exactly your tree.
This comes up on our phones constantly, especially in fall when people are cleaning up before the ground freezes. The answer depends on which city you live in, and the rules are different in Minneapolis than they are in Eden Prairie, Edina or Minnetonka. Here is how boulevard stumps actually work across the west metro, who is responsible for them, and when it makes sense to hire a private grinder.
Key Takeaways
- A boulevard is public right-of-way, the strip between the curb and the sidewalk (or the street edge and your property line where there is no sidewalk). Who owns the trees in it varies by city.
- In Minneapolis, boulevard trees belong to the Park Board. They remove the trees and grind the stumps, and you should not hire a private grinder for a city stump without checking first.
- In most west-metro suburbs the picture flips. Eden Prairie, for example, makes right-of-way tree care the property owner’s job unless the tree is blocking safe passage.
- Some suburbs want a conversation before any boulevard work. Edina treats boulevard trees as city trees; a quick call to the city forester saves you a headache.
- Every boulevard stump sits close to utilities. Gas, water, fiber and electric all run in the right-of-way, so a locate is mandatory before grinding.
- Once you know it is yours to handle, a boulevard stump is a routine job, usually priced by diameter like any other.
Table of Contents
- What Counts as a Boulevard Stump
- Minneapolis: The Park Board Owns It
- West-Metro Suburbs: Usually Your Responsibility
- Utilities in the Right-of-Way
- Sidewalks, Curbs and the Roots That Lift Them
- Hiring a Private Grinder for a Boulevard Stump
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Counts as a Boulevard Stump
The boulevard is the strip of land between the street and your private property. On a typical Minneapolis or first-ring-suburb lot it is the grass between the curb and the sidewalk. In newer suburbs without sidewalks it is still there — the public right-of-way usually extends ten to fifteen feet or more from the curb into what looks like your front lawn. You mow it, you shovel it, but the city holds an easement over it.
That matters because the tree in that strip may or may not be yours. In some cities the municipality plants, prunes and removes boulevard trees as public property. In others the city holds the easement but leaves the trees to the homeowner. A stump is treated the same way as the tree it came from, so the first question is always: which city, and whose tree was it?
A good rule of thumb: if the city has ever pruned or removed that tree without asking you, it is probably a city tree.
Minneapolis: The Park Board Owns It
Minneapolis is the clear case. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is responsible for all city-owned trees, and that includes the boulevard trees between the curb and sidewalk in front of your house. The Park Board plants them, prunes them, removes them when they die or become hazardous, and grinds the stumps afterward.
The catch is timing. Removal and stump grinding are separate operations on a city forestry schedule, and the stump often does not get ground the same week as the removal. After a big storm or a heavy emerald ash borer removal season, stumps can sit for months. That is usually when people call us.
Should you hire a private grinder in Minneapolis?
For a stump that is actually the Park Board’s, the honest answer is: contact them first. You can report a boulevard stump through 311, or reach Park Board forestry directly at 612-313-7710 or forestry@minneapolisparks.org. Grinding a city tree stump on your own is doing work on public property that the city already plans to do at no direct charge to you.
A stump on the private side of the line — front yard, side yard or backyard — is yours, no permission needed, and it is exactly what we do.
West-Metro Suburbs: Usually Your Responsibility
Outside Minneapolis, the default tends to flip: most western suburbs hold the easement but treat the trees in it as the property owner’s responsibility. Here is the picture as of this writing. Policies change, so confirm with your city before you count on any of it.
| City | Who handles boulevard trees | What to do about the stump |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | Park Board (city-owned) | Report via 311; city grinds it |
| Eden Prairie | Property owner, unless blocking safe passage | Yours to grind; call 811 first |
| Edina | City treats boulevard trees as city trees | Coordinate with the City Forester before work |
| Minnetonka | No permit for private trees; confirm boulevard | Quick call to the city, then grind |
| Other west-metro cities | Varies | Ask public works or forestry |
Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie is explicit: the property owner is responsible for maintaining trees in the right-of-way. The city will trim or remove a right-of-way tree only when it threatens safe passage on the road or sidewalk, and it does not take removal requests for trees that pose little or no risk to passage. In practice that means if a boulevard tree in Eden Prairie dies and you have it taken down, the stump is yours too.
Edina
Edina takes the opposite posture and treats boulevard trees as city property. The city has a full-time forester and expects residents to coordinate before doing work on a boulevard tree, including pruning. A stump falls under the same umbrella. Before we bring a grinder onto an Edina boulevard, we want to know the city has signed off.
Minnetonka and the lake communities
Minnetonka does not require a permit to remove a tree on private residential property, but boulevard trees on city right-of-way are a separate question, so call the city before scheduling. The same goes for Wayzata, Excelsior, Hopkins and the other smaller cities around the lake. Most will tell you in two minutes whether the stump is theirs or yours.
Utilities in the Right-of-Way
This part does not change with the city. The boulevard exists partly so utilities have somewhere to run: gas, water, electric, fiber and cable all live in that strip, often shallow. A grinder cutting 4 to 6 inches below grade is excavation as far as Minnesota law is concerned.
That means a Gopher State One Call locate is not optional. Dial 811 or file online at least two full business days before the job, and the utilities will come out and paint their lines. It is free. We will not grind a boulevard stump without current marks on the ground, and you should be suspicious of any outfit that will. We covered how locates work and what 811 does not mark in our post on grinding near foundations and utility lines.
Sidewalks, Curbs and the Roots That Lift Them
Boulevard trees are famous for heaving sidewalks. Silver maples, cottonwoods and old elms send big surface roots under the concrete, and homeowners sometimes assume grinding the stump will fix the walk. It will not. Grinding removes the stump and upper root flare; the lateral root that lifted the slab stays until it decomposes or someone replaces the panel. In Minneapolis and many suburbs, sidewalk repair runs on a city program and may be assessed to the property, so check before paying a contractor to fix a walk the city was going to redo anyway.
What grinding does do is clear the way for the concrete crew. If a sidewalk replacement is coming, get the stump ground first, the same sequencing we describe in stump grinding before a patio, fence or driveway.
Most boulevards are four to eight feet wide, which is tight but workable. We grind from whichever side fits, keep chips off the pavement and out of the storm drain, and where a stump sits against the curb we grind to the curb face and stop.
Hiring a Private Grinder for a Boulevard Stump
Once you have confirmed the stump is yours to deal with and the locate is done, a boulevard stump is a standard job. We grind 4 to 6 inches below grade, rake the chips back into the hole or haul them if you prefer, and leave a level strip you can seed or sod. Pricing follows the same diameter-based approach as anywhere else on the property — roughly $3 to $7 per inch of stump diameter as a ballpark, with the exact number depending on the species, access and what is around it. Every job gets a free quote first.
A few things that make a boulevard job go smoothly:
- Have the locate ticket number ready. We will ask for it.
- Move your car. We often stage from the street, and a clear curb makes the job faster.
And if you want to reseed the strip afterward, the mid-August through mid-September window is the best in Minnesota, with spring next. Our guide to planting grass after stump grinding walks through the chips, the nitrogen problem and the backfill.
Not Sure Whose Stump It Is? Ask Us
We have ground stumps across the west metro for over 20 years and know which cities want a phone call first. Tell us the address and we can usually say whether it is a city stump, a homeowner stump or a “call the forester” situation before anyone drives out. Family owned, licensed and insured.
We serve Minneapolis and the western Twin Cities, including Minnetonka, Edina, Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, and every community in between. See what we do on our services page, or read our guide to what stump grinding costs in Minnesota.
Call or text (612) 501-0602, or request a free quote online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for a boulevard tree stump in Minneapolis?
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Boulevard trees between the curb and sidewalk are city-owned, and the Park Board removes the trees and grinds the stumps. Report a stump through 311 or contact Park Board forestry directly rather than hiring a private grinder for it.
Can I hire a private company to grind a city boulevard stump?
In Minneapolis and cities like Edina that treat boulevard trees as city property, you should get the city’s okay first. In suburbs like Eden Prairie where right-of-way trees are the homeowner’s responsibility, yes, it is a normal private job once the utility locate is done.
How long does the city take to grind a boulevard stump?
It varies with the season and the workload. Removal and stump grinding are separate operations, and after storms or heavy ash removals a city stump can sit for months. If you have been waiting a long time, a follow-up call to the forestry department is reasonable.
Do I need to call 811 for a boulevard stump?
Yes, every time. The boulevard is where gas, water, electric and fiber lines run, often shallow. Grinding below grade counts as excavation, so file a Gopher State One Call locate at least two full business days before the job. It is free.
Will grinding the stump fix my heaved sidewalk?
No. Grinding removes the stump and upper root flare, but the lateral root that lifted the slab stays in place until it decomposes or is cut during a concrete replacement. Grinding first does make the sidewalk repair easier and cleaner.
Does a boulevard stump cost more to grind?
Usually not. Pricing is driven by diameter, species and access, and most boulevards are accessible from the street. A stump wedged tight against a curb or sidewalk may take a little longer, but a free quote will tell you exactly.
Can I reseed the boulevard after grinding?
Yes. Clear the chips, backfill with topsoil mounded slightly above grade, and seed in the mid-August to mid-September window or in spring. Boulevards get road salt and foot traffic, so a salt-tolerant fescue blend often holds up better than bluegrass alone.