What is involved when tree removal includes the stump?
Tree removal includes the stump when two services are booked: felling (£500–£3,000+) and stump grinding (£85–£300). Felling cuts the trunk to 100–300mm above ground; grinding then chases the stump and root flare to 150–300mm below ground. Combined, the work takes 1 day for most domestic trees.
The order is fixed. The tree surgeon climbs or accesses the tree with a MEWP, dismantles the crown in sections, lowers limbs to a ground crew, and either fells the trunk in one drop or sections it down to a stump 100–300mm tall. The site is cleared of brash and logs. Only then does the grinder roll in, position the cutting wheel over the stump, and grind downward and outward until the wood is below ground level and the cavity can be backfilled with the chip.
The two jobs use completely different equipment. A tree surgeon brings 2–3 chainsaws, climbing ropes, lowering devices, and a chipper. A stump grinder brings one self-propelled machine — typically 1.0–1.5 tonnes — with a 600mm carbide-toothed cutting wheel that grinds 50mm of wood per pass at 1,000+ rpm. Neither piece of kit does the other's job efficiently, which is why the work is split.
Why don't all tree surgeons remove the stump?
Around 70% of UK tree surgeons leave the stump because grinding needs a different machine — a £15,000+ self-propelled grinder with a 600mm carbide-toothed wheel — and a different specialism. Climbing, rigging, and felling are arboriculture; grinding is ground-machinery work. Most surgeons sub-contract grinding to a specialist rather than carry the kit.
The economics drive the split. A working tree surgeon needs a chip truck, a chipper, climbing PPE, and three chainsaws — call it £40,000–£60,000 of kit. Adding a stump grinder is another £15,000–£25,000 for the machine, £500–£1,000 a year in carbide teeth, and a trailer to move it. Unless the firm runs enough volume to keep the grinder busy 3+ days a week, sub-contracting to a specialist is cheaper and faster.
The specialism is real too. Grinding looks straightforward from the kerb but it punishes mistakes — striking buried metal, hitting service cables, throwing stones at windows or cars, or stalling the machine on hardwood and burning out a clutch. A full-time stump operator runs 200–400 stumps a year and develops a feel for wood, soil, and access that an occasional user does not. The result for the homeowner: a fixed quote from a specialist usually beats a tree surgeon's tacked-on price for the same job.
What happens to the stump after a tree is felled?
After felling, the stump is left at 100–300mm above ground and the root plate remains intact 1–2m underground. It will not regrow on most species, but it will slowly rot over 5 to 10 years, attract honey fungus, sucker on willow and sycamore, and block any future planting, paving, or turf in that spot.
The biological process is gradual. Without leaves, the stump can no longer photosynthesise, so it stops actively growing. Saprophytic fungi colonise the cut surface within weeks, and the wood begins to break down from the outside in. Softwoods like pine and willow are gone in 5–7 years; hardwoods like oak, beech, and yew can take 10–15 years to fully decay. The root system below ground rots on a similar timeline.
Three species buck the rule and actively regrow. Willow, poplar, and sycamore will throw suckers from the stump or surface roots for 2–5 years after felling — sometimes 20+ shoots a season. Cherry and plum can sucker too, though less aggressively. For these species, grinding to 250–300mm below ground is the only reliable way to kill the root system and stop the regrowth.
| Species | Decay time | Sucker risk | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine / fir | 5–7 years | None | Grind or leave |
| Birch / sycamore | 6–8 years | Medium | Grind to 250mm |
| Oak / beech / yew | 10–15 years | None | Grind to 200mm |
| Willow / poplar | 5–8 years | High | Grind to 300mm |
| Cherry / apple / plum | 5–7 years | Low–medium | Grind to 200mm |
How much does stump removal cost separately from tree removal?
Stump grinding costs £85 to £300 as a standalone job. A small stump under 12 inches starts at £85, a medium 12–24 inch stump runs £120–£200, and a large hardwood 24–36 inch stump reaches £200–£300. Adding it as a same-day extension to a tree removal saves £80–£150 in mobilisation fees.
| Stump diameter | Typical standalone price | Time on site | Combined-day price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 12" | £85–£120 | 15–30 min | £60–£90 |
| 12"–24" | £120–£200 | 30–60 min | £95–£160 |
| 24"–36" | £200–£300 | 60–90 min | £165–£250 |
| 36"+ | £300+ | 90–120 min | £250+ |
The cost gap between grinding and full excavation is wide and worth knowing before you book. Full stump removal versus grinding costs £200–£500+ because it needs an excavator, root tracing, and disposal of the soil. Grinding leaves the deep roots in the ground to rot naturally and backfills the cavity with the chip — invisible in 4–6 weeks once turf or planting recovers.
Hardness, access, and surface roots fine-tune the figure. Oak, beech, and yew add roughly 20% for grind time. Narrow gates, steep ground, or any distance over 20m from the van add 15–35%. Surface root removal adds £25–£75. Each is fixed and quoted before work starts, so the price you agree on email is the price you pay on the day. The full breakdown lives on the stump grinding cost page.
How do you coordinate tree removal and stump grinding?
Three options: (1) ask the tree surgeon for a combined quote with their grinding sub-contractor, (2) book the grinder directly for the same day so both teams arrive in sequence, or (3) book the grinder 1–2 weeks after felling once the access is clear. Same-day combined work finishes in 6–10 hours.
Same-day is the most efficient route but needs careful timing. The tree surgeon usually starts at 8am, takes 3–6 hours to fell, dismantle, and clear, then leaves the site by 1–3pm. The grinder arrives at the agreed handover time, takes 30–120 minutes to grind, backfills the cavity with the chip the tree crew left behind, and finishes by late afternoon. The homeowner deals with two teams in one day instead of two separate visits and two separate cleanups.
Booking the grinder 1–2 weeks later is the safer fallback. It gives the tree crew time to chip and remove logs without rushing, lets the ground settle so the grinder operator can see the root flare clearly, and avoids any risk of the two crews getting in each other's way. The only downside is the second mobilisation fee — roughly £80–£150 — and the lawn taking 2–3 weeks longer to look finished.
Option three — sub-contracting via the tree surgeon — sounds easy but usually costs more. The tree surgeon adds a margin on top of the grinder's price, so the homeowner pays £20–£60 extra for the convenience of one invoice. Booking a specialist grinder directly with a photo and postcode takes 5 minutes and avoids that markup.
Tree removal and stump grinding in Canterbury and East Kent
The Stump Doctor is a specialist stump grinding service, not a tree surgeon. We work alongside qualified tree surgeons across Canterbury and the 27 towns within 15 miles of the city, attending the same day as the fell to grind the stump to 150–300mm below ground and leave a level surface ready for turf, planting, or paving.
For a fixed price, send a photo of the stump (or where the tree currently stands), a rough diameter at ground level, and your postcode. You will have a written quote in your inbox within the hour, no callout fee and no obligation. We can usually attend within 3–7 working days for a standalone grinding job, or coordinate the same-day handover with your tree surgeon when both jobs are booked together.
