After a tree comes down you're left with the stump - and two ways to deal with it. Stump grinding shreds the stump below ground level and is right for most situations. Full removal digs the entire stump and root plate out, and is only necessary in specific cases. Here's how to choose.
What stump grinding actually does
A stump grinder is a machine with a toothed cutting wheel that chips the stump away, typically to 200-300mm below ground level - deeper where needed. The stump becomes a pile of wood chip mixed with soil, the hole is backfilled, and within a season you can have lawn growing over the spot.
The lateral roots stay in the ground and rot down naturally over several years. For lawns, gardens and general landscaping, that's not a problem - the roots are below the surface and break down into the soil.
When grinding is the right call (most of the time)
Grinding is faster, cheaper and far less disruptive than excavation. It suits: stumps in lawns and gardens, stumps near structures where digging would disturb foundations or services, and anywhere you simply want the stump gone so you can mow over it.
If you plan to replant in the same spot, tell us - we'll grind deeper and remove more of the chip so the new tree isn't sitting in a pocket of decomposing wood, which ties up nitrogen as it breaks down.
When you need full removal
Full stump removal - digging out the stump and major roots with an excavator - is really only needed when something is being built over the spot: foundations, concrete driveways, retaining walls, pools or new drainage runs. Engineers and builders generally won't build over ground with a rotting root system in it, because the ground settles as the wood decays.
It's more expensive, needs machine access, and leaves a significant hole to fill and compact. If you're clearing a site for construction, it's usually done as part of the earthworks.
The regrowth question
Some species don't accept defeat. Willows, poplars, robinia, privet and several others will re-shoot vigorously from a cut stump and even from roots left in the ground. For these, grinding needs to be thorough - and sometimes a cut-stump herbicide treatment at removal time is the smarter first step.
If you've got a stump that keeps sprouting, don't keep mowing the shoots and hoping - the root system is refuelling itself every time. Deal with it once, properly.
What it costs and what affects the price
Grinding is priced mainly on stump diameter, species (hardwoods grind slower), access for the machine, and how many stumps you have - doing several in one visit is much cheaper per stump. Full removal is priced like small earthworks: machine time, access and disposal.
For current pricing see our stump removal cost guide, or call 022 167 1268 and we'll give you a firm price - usually from a couple of photos with something for scale.
