Dirtwork term
Grub
also called: grubbing, grub out
Removing the root mass of cleared trees and brush, leaving clean dirt instead of stumps and root balls.
Grubbing is the cleanup pass after the initial clearing. Once the standing material is down and either hauled off or mulched, the remaining stumps and surface root mat get pulled out, usually with a dozer rake or an excavator with a thumb. The site is left as clean dirt, ready for grading or pad work.
Grubbing is required when something's going to be built on the cleared area. A slab can't span a root ball without cracking. A road over a buried stump rots out a void over a few years and the surface caves. Pasture for grazing doesn't need to be grubbed; pasture for hay-cutting equipment usually does.
The distinction matters in bidding: cleared and grubbed costs more per acre than cleared and mulched, but the end state is usable for more purposes.
Services where this shows up
We use grub on
Related terms
Other words that come up alongside this one
Mulching Head
Attachment for skid steer or excavator that chips standing trees and brush into mulch in a single pass.
Stump Grinding
Mechanical grinding of a tree stump to below ground level, leaving mulch in place of the stump.
Sub-grade
The natural soil surface that supports everything you build on top of it, pad, road base, slab.
Spoils
Excavated material that's left over after cut-and-fill on a project, hauled off or stockpiled for later use.
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