Grinding: the standard residential answer
Grinding reduces the stump to chips six to ten inches below grade. The roots below and around the stump stay in the ground and decay over five to ten years. For a lawn, a garden bed or a new shrub, that is completely sufficient.
The surface is backfilled with topsoil, leveled and — if you want it — seeded or sodded. The stump disappears, the mower stops hitting it, and the ground is usable within a day.
Removal: when the root mass has to go
Removal means excavating the stump and the majority of the root ball. It leaves a much larger hole, disturbs more soil, and takes longer. It is the correct choice when a structure is going over the spot, when drainage is being affected, or when a known root rot needs to be taken out before replanting.
If the stump is within a few feet of a foundation, a patio or a pool, be explicit about your plans at the estimate. Grinding is not a substitute for excavation in a structural location.
The practical comparison
Grinding takes the stump below grade and leaves the root system in place. Full excavation is a much bigger operation — an excavator, a far larger hole, and hauling the root ball off site — so it only makes sense when the ground is being rebuilt anyway.
The mistake is grinding now and excavating later. If you know a patio or addition is coming in two years, plan the excavation now and skip the grinding entirely.
What to ask before the machine arrives
Confirm the depth, whether chips are hauled or left, whether the root flare is included, and whether the hole is backfilled with topsoil or just with the grindings. Grindings alone settle, and a dip in the lawn a year later is the usual result.
Ask about access too: a grinder needs roughly a three-foot path, and a lot of Westchester backyards need the smaller walk-behind machine, which changes the labor.