Short answer: stump grinding in the Huntsville area runs $100–$200 for small stumps (under 12"), $200–$350 for mid-size (12–24"), and $350–$500+ for big ones (24"+). Hardwoods grind slower than pine, so oak and pecan stumps price at the top of each band. Multiple stumps in one visit always beat one-at-a-time pricing.
How stump grinding is priced
Measure across the widest point of the root flare — not the neat circle of the cut. That flare width, the species, and how deep you need it ground set the price. Standard depth is 4–8 inches below grade (fine for grass); planting or pouring concrete there needs 12"+ and costs more.
Grinding vs. pulling vs. rotting
Grinding is the residential answer: an hour of machine time, no crater, no truck ruts. Pulling with an excavator leaves a hole and torn lawn — it's for construction sites. Letting it rot takes a decade in pine country and invites termites and carpenter ants within crawling distance of your slab.
What about the grindings?
Three options, in order of cost: leave them mounded in the hole (free — it settles as it composts), spread as mulch (cheap), or haul off (adds a fee, but with Walker County burn bans coming and going, haul-off is the option that never becomes your problem later).