A narrow tracked stump grinder fits through standard yard gates, so most fenced backyards can be reached without touching the fence. Measure the clear opening between the gate posts with the gate swung fully open, plus anything tighter along the way, and send that with photos; where a gate is unusually narrow a panel sometimes comes out and goes back, and you are asked first.
Measuring the gate opening
The number that matters is the clear opening, not the gate's width. Swing the gate fully open and measure from the face of the hinge post to the face of the latch post. Then check what the open gate itself takes up: a gate that only swings to ninety degrees against a shrub or a step can steal several inches. Measure at ground level and again at knee height, because old posts lean. Look for anything that sticks into the opening, like a latch, a drop rod or a hinge strap. Note the height too if there is an arbor or a low branch over the gate.
The rest of the route
The gate is often not the tightest point. Walk from the street to the stump and look at everything the machine must pass: a side yard between the house and the fence, a heat pump unit, a gas meter, downspouts and their drain pipes, window wells, a set of steps, a retaining wall or a sharp turn right after the gate. Measure the narrowest point you find, and photograph each pinch point. A slope across the side yard matters as well. For the other end of the route, see sizing up the stump itself.
When the gate really is too tight
If the opening is narrower than the machine, there are a few answers. A double gate with a fixed leaf can often have the drop rod lifted and both leaves opened. A gate can be lifted off its hinges for the morning. Failing that, a panel next to the gate comes out and goes back: board panels are screwed or nailed to the rails, chain link is unhooked at the ties and rolled back, and many vinyl panels slide out. Nothing is taken down without asking you first, and the photos tell you in advance whether it will be needed.
Dogs, latches and invisible fence
A fenced backyard usually means a dog. Keep it inside for the whole visit, because the gate stands open and the machine is loud. Self-closing gates and spring latches need propping open. If the yard has an invisible dog fence as well, its wire often crosses the gate opening, buried just under the turf. SC811 makes clear that property owners are responsible for private lines like this, and 811 does not mark them. Switch the system off, take collars off the dogs, and flag where the wire crosses the route and where it runs near the stump.
Inside the fence
Back yards hold the things people care about most: play sets, trampolines, raised beds, a shed, a patio with furniture, sprinkler heads, a hot tub. A grinding wheel throws chips, and the job photos on this site show black mesh screens set around stumps to catch them, but move what you can anyway. Clear a path for the machine from the gate to the stump. Point out any soft area, like a low corner that stays wet, a filled-in pool or an old septic field, so the route can avoid it. See stumps against a fence if the stump sits on the fence line.
Getting the grindings out, or not
In a fenced yard, the simplest finish is to leave the chips where they are, back in the hole with a cap over them, and that is the default unless you ask otherwise. A pile for your beds is easy too. Hauling them away means every load leaves through the same gate, often by loader, so it is quoted separately. If the yard is being turned into lawn, say so: the stump is ground deeper and most chips come out, which changes how much leaves through the gate. That choice is easiest to make before the day.
The ground behind the fence
Back yards are often shadier and wetter than front yards, and they dry out more slowly after rain. The machine is tracked, and on firm ground it leaves very little, but soft ground is worth waiting out. If the route crosses a low spot near the gate, mention it. Mats help on the borderline days. For the full picture of reaching stumps behind houses, in side yards and past fences, see tight access stump grinding.
Common Questions
Will a stump grinder fit through my backyard gate?
Most likely. The grinder is narrow and tracked, built to pass ordinary yard gates. Swing your gate fully open, measure post face to post face, look for anything tighter along the side yard, and send that figure with photos. An unusually tight opening gets sorted out before the day.
Will you take part of my fence down to reach the stump?
Usually not. Most fenced yards are reached through the gate. If a gate is unusually narrow, lifting the gate off its hinges or opening a double gate often solves it. If a panel has to come out, you are asked first, and it goes back afterward.
Should I turn off my invisible dog fence before stump grinding?
Yes. Switch it off, take the collars off the dogs and keep them inside. The buried wire often crosses the gate opening and can run near stumps. 811 does not mark it, so flag where it runs. If the wire sits under the stump, plan on splicing it afterward.
What to Do Next
Write down the gate figure and the tightest gap, then email them to Jordan with pictures of the stump and the side yard and your town. Or call (828) 574-4474 and read them out.