The two methods side by side
| Stump grinding | Full stump removal | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Cutting wheel reduces the stump to chip | Excavator lifts the stump and root plate out |
| Depth | 200-300mm below grade | The whole structural root plate |
| Cost | Lower - one machine, one or two hours | Considerably higher - machine hours plus disposal |
| Site disruption | Minimal; lawn largely intact | Large hole, spoil pile, churned ground |
| What is left | Chip and soil in the void; deep roots rot in place | An excavated hole to backfill with clean fill |
| Suits | Turf, garden beds, most paving, replanting nearby | Slabs, pools, driveways, footings, retaining walls |
Choosing between them
There is one question that settles it in most cases: is something structural going over the top?
If the answer is no - you want to turf it, plant a bed, put down pavers, or simply stop tripping on it - grinding does the job for a fraction of the price and a fraction of the disruption.
If the answer is yes - a slab, a pool shell, a driveway, shed footings, a retaining wall - grinding is not adequate. Leaving several hundred kilograms of timber under a structural load means voids as it decays, and differential settlement two or three years after the concrete has cured. That is a far more expensive problem than the excavation would have been.
The other cases for excavation
A root plate that is damaging something. If the plate is lifting a wall or wrapped around a stormwater line, shaving the top off at ground level does not help.
Root-borne pathogens. Where a fungal problem persists in the residual root system and will infect a replacement planting, the wood needs to leave the property.
Persistent suckering species. Camphor laurel in particular. It will keep pushing shoots from a shallow-ground stump for years. Grinding deep can work; excavation certainly does.
The case for grinding
Speed and cost, mainly. A grinder arrives, cuts for an hour or two and leaves. Nothing has to be trucked in or out. The lawn either side is untouched.
It also causes far less collateral damage. An excavator working in a small backyard has to get in, and getting in usually means across the lawn, past the garden bed and through the gate.
How grinding works covers the machine and the process, and the stump grinding service page covers what drives the price.
Replanting afterwards
If a new tree is going in the same spot, plan for it. A hole full of fresh woodchip ties up nitrogen as it breaks down and a tree planted straight into it will sit still for a season.
Grind deeper, take the chip out, backfill with soil, and wait a few weeks before planting.
Getting a quote
Ring (07) 5408 6029 with the species, the width across the base and - the important part - what you intend to do with the ground afterwards. Cost drivers are here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between stump grinding and stump removal?
Grinding uses a cutting wheel to turn the stump and the top of the root flare into chip, typically 200 to 300mm below the surrounding ground level, leaving the deeper roots in place to decay. Removal means excavating the stump and its structural root plate out of the ground entirely and carting it away.
Which is cheaper?
Grinding, substantially. It is one machine and one operator, usually for an hour or two, with no spoil to remove and no fill to bring in. Excavation needs a machine capable of lifting the root plate, a truck for the spoil and clean fill for the hole, so it is priced on machine hours plus disposal.
When must I choose full removal?
When something structural is going over the footprint - a house slab, a pool shell, a driveway, footings for a shed or a retaining wall. Timber left under a load creates voids as it decays and the ground settles unevenly years later. Also when a root plate is damaging a structure, or when a root-borne pathogen needs to leave the site.
Which leaves more mess?
Grinding leaves a hole full of chip and soil, and the surrounding lawn intact apart from the machine's track. Excavation leaves a substantially larger hole, a pile of spoil, and churned ground around it. On a maintained garden the difference in disruption is significant.