Option 1: Backfill the hole
The simplest move is to rake the chip mixture back into the grind pit and top with two to three inches of clean topsoil. It's free, it's fast, and if you plan to seed or sod the spot it's what we recommend by default. The chip layer decomposes over three to five years and the surface settles slowly enough that a light topdressing of soil each spring keeps the yard flat.
Option 2: Spread as mulch on established beds
Fresh grind chip works as mulch around mature shrubs, tree rings, and along the back of foundation beds where you don't need a manicured look. Spread two to three inches deep and keep the pile off the trunk of the plant it surrounds. Don't use it on vegetable beds or on seedlings for the first year; decomposing wood ties up nitrogen and starves young roots.
Option 3: Compost pile
Grind chips are a strong carbon source for a home compost pile. Mix one part chip with two parts kitchen scraps or grass clippings and turn it every few weeks. In eight to twelve months you have finished compost that goes anywhere in the garden without the nitrogen worry.
Option 4: Haul them off
Some homeowners just want the pile gone. We charge a flat per-cubic-yard rate to load the chip into the trailer and take it with us. Most people opt out of this once they hear the volume; a big oak grind is worth roughly $80 to $120 in retail bagged mulch, and it's already on your property.
What not to do
Don't burn the pile. Fresh grind is wet and heavy and it will smolder for a week without ever really burning. Don't dump it in a storm drain or a creek buffer. Both are ordinance violations in Cabarrus, Rowan, and Stanly counties.