It's the First Question a Lot of Homeowners Ask

You've got a stump in the backyard. The fence gate is standard size — maybe 36 inches, maybe a little wider. You're not sure if the equipment can get back there, and you don't want to pay to have a fence panel removed just to grind a stump.

Here's the answer: our equipment fits through gates as small as 36 inches. For the vast majority of residential fenced backyards in Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads, we can get in without touching your fence.

What 36 Inches Actually Means

A standard residential gate opening is typically 36 to 48 inches wide. Most wooden privacy fence gates, vinyl fence gates, and chain link gates fall in this range. Our machine is sized specifically to fit through a 36-inch opening — the smallest standard gate size — which means if your gate meets that minimum, we're in.

If you're not sure how wide your gate is, a quick measurement with a tape measure is all it takes. Measure the narrowest opening between the posts, not the gate panel itself, this could be at the hinges or the latch. If it's 36 inches or more, we can work with it.

What If My Gate Is Smaller Than 36 Inches?

It happens. Some older fences have narrower openings, some custom gates are built tighter, and some properties just have unusual layouts. If your gate is under 36 inches, here are the options:

• Temporarily remove one fence panel — most wooden fence panels can be pulled and reset in 10 to 15 minutes. We can discuss this when we assess the job.
• Access from a different side — sometimes there's a side yard, alley, or alternate route that works.
• Assess whether the stump can be reached from outside the fence — for stumps close to the fence line, it's sometimes possible to grind from the outside.
• Tell us about the access situation when you reach out — ideally with a photo of the gate and the stump location — and we'll give you a straight answer on what the approach would be before anyone shows up.

What About Side Yards and Other Tight Spaces?

Gate width is the most common access concern, but it's not the only one. Narrow side yards, low-hanging branches, underground irrigation lines, and slopes all affect how we approach a job. None of these are usually deal-breakers — they just require a plan.

The more information we have upfront, the better that plan works. When you text us a photo, include the access route if you can — a quick shot of the gate and the path to the stump tells us a lot before we ever show up.

Do You Need to Be Home for the Access Assessment?

Not necessarily. For most jobs, a few photos from you — the stump, the gate, the path from the gate to the stump — is enough for us to assess access and give you an accurate estimate. If it's more complex, we'll do a quick on-site look before quoting.

Either way, we'll confirm the access plan with you before we show up with the machine.

The Short Version

36-inch gate or wider — we can almost certainly get in. Smaller than that — there are options and we'll work through them with you. Either way, a stump in your backyard is a solvable problem and access is rarely the reason it can't get done.