What is involved in stump and tree removal?
Stump and tree removal is a two-stage job: felling the standing tree in 2–6 hours, then grinding the remaining stump 150–300mm below ground in 15–120 minutes. Combined, most domestic jobs take 4–8 hours on one day. Total UK price ranges from £300 for a small tree to £1,500+ for a large mature one.
Stage one is the fell. A qualified tree surgeon either climbs the tree or uses a mobile elevated work platform, dismantles the crown in sections with a chainsaw, and lowers each limb to a ground crew on ropes. The trunk is then sectioned and lowered or, if there is space, felled in a single controlled drop. Branches go through a chipper; logs are either stacked for the customer or removed in a tipper.
Stage two is the grind. Once the trunk is cleared, a stump grinder — a tracked or wheeled machine with a 600mm carbide-toothed cutting wheel — rolls into place. The operator grinds the stump and the radiating root flare into wood chip, working 150–300mm below soil level so the area can be turfed, planted, or paved over without re-growth. Chip is backfilled into the hole or removed off site depending on what you want.
What is the stage-by-stage process?
The full process runs in 6 defined stages from first call to finished garden. Each stage has a known time window and a known cost component, so a complete quote can be priced before any work starts.
| Stage | What happens | Time | Cost component |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Quote | Photos, postcode, site visit if needed | 1–3 days | Free — no callout fee |
| 2. Permission check | TPO and conservation-area lookup | 1–8 weeks if applicable | Free — council application |
| 3. Felling | Climb, dismantle, lower, section, chip | 2–6 hours | £400–£3,000 |
| 4. Trunk clearance | Logs stacked or removed, site swept | 30–60 min | Included in felling |
| 5. Stump grinding | Grinder set up, stump ground to 150–300mm below ground | 15–120 min | £85–£300 |
| 6. Backfill and clean-up | Chip backfilled, area raked, debris removed | 15–30 min | Included in grinding |
The two cost stages — felling and grinding — are the only line items that move the headline figure. Everything else is included or, in the case of council permission, free. A worked example: a 9-metre ash tree in a Canterbury back garden runs around £900 to fell, £150 to grind, £1,050 total, completed in a single 6-hour visit.
Should you do tree felling and stump grinding together?
Yes, in most cases. Booking both at once saves £80–£150 in mobilisation fees, finishes the garden in one day instead of 2–3 weeks, and means the chip from the grinder can mulch straight into a new bed. The only reason to delay grinding is access — if heavy machinery cannot reach until the trunk is cleared.
Mobilisation fees are the biggest hidden saving. Every separate visit to your address adds £80–£150 to cover travel, fuel, and setup time. Two trips means paying that twice. Booking a combined job means the grinder either arrives the same morning the tree surgeon does, or rolls in mid-afternoon once the trunk is clear — one trip, one fee, one day of disruption.
The exception is access. If your back garden is reached through a 900mm-wide side gate and the only way to clear the trunk is to drag it through, the grinder may not physically fit until the timber is gone. In that case the grinder books for the following morning, which still beats the typical 2–3 week sub-contract gap that most tree surgeons quote.
What does it cost combined?
Combined stump and tree removal costs £300–£1,500+ in the UK. A small tree plus stump runs £485–£1,000, a medium tree plus stump £820–£1,700, and a large tree plus stump £1,700–£3,300. Most domestic jobs land between £600 and £1,200 all in, with no callout fee in East Kent.
| Tree size | Height | Felling cost | Stump grinding | Combined total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Under 6m | £400–£700 | £85–£300 | £485–£1,000 |
| Medium | 6–12m | £700–£1,500 | £120–£200 | £820–£1,700 |
| Large | 12–20m | £1,500–£2,500 | £200–£300 | £1,700–£2,800 |
| Very large | 20m+ | £2,500–£3,000+ | £300+ | £2,800–£3,300+ |
The grinding share of the bill is small — often under 15% of the total — but it is the part that finishes the job. A finished stump grinding quote is calculated from three variables: diameter at ground level, wood hardness (oak and beech grind slower than pine), and access. Each is fixed and quoted before work starts, so there are no surprises on the day.
Three factors push the combined figure up. Hardwoods (oak, beech, yew) add 20% to grinding time. Difficult access (narrow gates, steep ground, lawns the grinder cannot cross without protection boards) adds 15–35%. Crane assistance for very large trees in tight gardens adds £400–£800 to the felling stage. Each is priced in the quote before booking, never after.
Who carries out the work?
Two specialists usually work together: a qualified tree surgeon (NPTC CS30/31/38/39 certified) for the felling, and a stump grinding specialist with a 600mm carbide-toothed grinder for the stump. Around 70% of UK tree surgeons sub-contract the grinding to a specialist rather than buy and maintain a £15,000+ machine themselves.
The tree surgeon must hold current NPTC certificates for chainsaw use (CS30), small tree felling (CS31), aerial cutting from rope and harness (CS38), and aerial rescue (CS39). They should carry £5 million public liability insurance and ideally hold Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor status. Ask for proof of all three before signing a quote.
The stump grinder specialist needs a different skill set: machine operation, ground assessment for buried services (gas, water, electricity, drains), and an understanding of how root flares spread in different species. Most professional grinders use a 600mm Greenteeth-fitted cutting wheel on a tracked machine in the 18–25 horsepower range, which handles 95% of domestic stumps in under 90 minutes.
Do you need permission for stump and tree removal?
You need council permission to fell any tree with a Tree Preservation Order (8-week decision) or any tree over 75mm diameter in a conservation area (6-week notice). The stump itself usually does not need separate permission, but TPO conditions sometimes require the stump be left for re-growth. Always check before booking.
In East Kent, six councils maintain the registers: Canterbury, Ashford, Dover, Thanet, Swale, and Folkestone & Hythe. Each publishes its TPO list and conservation-area map online, and applications are free. The penalty for felling a protected tree without consent is up to £20,000 per tree on summary conviction, or unlimited on indictment, so the 6–8 week wait is the cheap option.
Three exemptions apply to the felling regime: trees that are dead, trees that are dying, and trees that are an immediate danger. Even then, you must give the council 5 working days' written notice before felling unless the danger is imminent. The exemptions do not extend to convenience — wanting more light or fewer leaves does not qualify.
What happens to the stump and chip after the job?
The stump is ground into wood chip on the spot in 15–120 minutes, producing roughly 0.5–2 cubic metres of chip for a typical domestic stump. The chip is either backfilled into the hole as a mulch (free) or removed off site for disposal (£25–£50 extra). Roots radiating from the stump are left in the soil to decay naturally over 5–10 years.
Backfilling is the default. Wood chip breaks down within 12–18 months in moist UK soil, settling the ground gently as it decays. If you want to turf or pave straight away, the grinder over-fills the hole by 100–150mm to allow for settlement, then top-dresses with topsoil. Planting a replacement tree in the same spot is not recommended for 12 months because the decaying chip ties up soil nitrogen.
How do you book combined stump and tree removal?
The fastest path is a combined quote from a single point of contact. Send a photo of the standing tree, a rough trunk diameter at chest height, and your postcode. A specialist returns a fixed combined price for felling plus grinding within the hour — no callout fee, no deposit, no obligation to book.
For East Kent customers, The Stump Doctor partners with NPTC-certified tree surgeons across Canterbury and the 27 surrounding towns. We coordinate the fell and the grind as a single booking, so you deal with one team, get one written quote, and have a finished garden at the end of one working day. Send your photo and postcode to start the quote — you will have a fixed price in your inbox within 60 minutes during business hours.
