Two different jobs get called stump removal, at very different prices. Worth separating first, because most people mean the cheaper one.
Grinding versus digging out
| Grinding | Digging out | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Toothed wheel chews it below ground | Excavator lifts stump and root plate |
| What's left | Chip-filled hole, ~6in deep | A very large hole |
| Removes all roots? | No — stump and main roots only | Most of the root plate |
| Machine access | Narrow machines pass a side gate | Needs a machine with reach |
| Cost | Moderate | Considerably more |
| When it suits | Almost all garden situations | Construction, rarely gardens |
What drives the grinding price
- Stump diameter, measured across the cut face. The main driver — not the height of the tree that was there.
- Access. Which machine can be used, and how far material travels.
- Depth required, which depends entirely on what is going on top.
- Ground conditions. Stones and old rubble slow the machine and wear the teeth.
- Number of stumps. Several in one visit is far cheaper than several visits.
- Chip disposal. Leaving it on site costs less than carting it away.
The practical consequence people find counter-intuitive: a wide, low stump in a tight corner can cost more than a taller, narrower one out in the open.
Specify the depth by what is going on top
| Going on top | Depth needed |
|---|---|
| Lawn or turf | About 6in below ground level |
| Borders and planting | Deeper — and dig the chip out |
| Paving or patio | Below the full build-up depth |
| Decking | Below the frame and any footings |
| Shed base or building | Deepest — plus the main root plate |
| Fence line | Below post depth, along the whole run |
Telling the contractor what is going in that spot is the single most useful instruction you can give. A stump ground for lawn and then paved over is a settlement problem waiting eighteen months to appear.
Measure the access before you ring
Grinders come in a range of sizes. The narrow machines pass a standard side gate, but a 700mm gate, a route through the house, or a flight of steps rules out the larger machines and changes what is achievable.
Gate width, passage width and step count is the most useful number you can give at enquiry stage.
When the stump can stay
- Nothing is planned for that spot.
- It is in a border or behind a shed, out of the way.
- It is low and flat and will rot down on its own.
- Access makes grinding disproportionately expensive for a stump nobody sees.
- The tree was healthy when felled, so there is no disease concern.
That last one is the qualifier. A stump from a tree that was in decline can be a food base for honey fungus, which spreads through soil and affects a wide range of garden plants — worth removing even where the spot is not needed.
Decide before the tree comes down
One check on a protected tree
A Tree Preservation Order can extend to the stump as well as the standing tree, and consent to fell is not automatically consent to grind out what is left. Where the tree was protected — by a TPO, or by standing in Stratford's conservation area — confirm with Stratford-on-Avon District Council that the stump work sits inside the consent or notice you hold.
Consent to fell a protected tree also frequently carries a replanting condition, and where the replacement goes is easier to settle while the ground is still open.
Got a stump to deal with?
Tell us roughly how wide it is and what's planned for the spot. We'll arrange a free quotation.
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