Stump grinding
Stump grinding in Perth, south of the river
A stump is the bit everyone forgets to budget for. The tree comes down, the timber goes away, and what's left is a hard lump in the middle of the lawn that you can't mow over, can't build on and can't plant in.
We grind stumps out below grade — not cut flush, ground down past the surface so the space is genuinely usable again. Once it's out you can re-turf over it, pave it, put a bed in, or just stop steering the mower around it.
What's included
- Ground below grade
- The stump is ground down past ground level rather than cut off at it, so nothing is left to sit proud of the lawn or telegraph through a new surface later.
- Surface roots taken back
- The buttress roots radiating out from the base are ground back too where they're in the way. A stump ground in isolation with its roots left arching through the lawn is only half the job.
- Grindings dealt with
- Grinding produces a surprising volume of chip and soil. Tell us in the quote whether you want it carted away or backfilled into the hole and levelled off — both are options and they price differently.
- Site raked off
- The area is cleaned down before we leave, and you get finished photos.
If the tree is still standing, get both quoted together — see tree services. Grinding on the same visit as the removal is cheaper than a second trip for the grinder.
When you need a stump ground out
The most common reason is that the stump is in the way of something you want to do. Re-turfing a lawn, laying pavers or a slab, putting in a shed, running a fence line, or landscaping a bed — all of them need the stump gone first, and none of them can just go over the top of it.
The second reason is mowing. A stump in a lawn is a permanent obstacle: it blunts blades, it forces a hand-trim every visit, and the ring of unmown grass around it is visible from the street. It also quietly adds to the cost of every mow.
The third is decay and what comes with it. A stump left in the ground rots slowly, and while it does it can host termites, attract borers, throw fungal fruiting bodies through the surrounding lawn, and — with species that sucker — send up shoots repeatedly from the root plate. Grinding removes the food source.
And sometimes it is simply presentation. Stumps are one of the things that make a yard read as neglected in a home-open photo, which is why we grind a lot of them alongside pre-sale garden clean-ups.
How it works
- 01
Photo, measurement and access
Send a photo of the stump with something in frame for scale, tell us the diameter across the widest point, and describe how a machine would get to it. Width of the tightest gate or gap is the detail that matters most. Use the quote form.
- 02
We quote it upfront
Priced from diameter, how many, access and what happens to the grindings. No callout fee.
- 03
We grind it and clean up
Usually a same-visit job. Multiple stumps on one property are done in the one trip, which is why grinding several at once costs far less per stump than doing them one at a time.
Areas we service
Stump grinding is available everywhere we work — Perth south of the river, from North Fremantle across to Belmont, out to Byford and south to Mandurah. See the full service area.
Most of our stump work follows the tree work, so it clusters in the same established suburbs: the Fremantle flank, Spearwood, and older Bibra Lake streets. In the newer estates around Cockburn Central it is more often a stump left behind by the previous owner or the builder.
What stump grinding costs
Stump grinding is quoted per job, not per stump, and we don't publish a rate because the two biggest cost drivers are invisible in a photo.
The first is access. A stump a grinder can be driven or wheeled straight up to is straightforward. The same stump behind a narrow side gate, up steps, or through a landscaped courtyard needs a smaller machine and more time, and that is where the price difference lives. Measure your tightest gap before you enquire — it genuinely changes the quote.
The second is what's around and under it. Grinding beside a limestone wall, a paved edge, a fence footing, reticulation or a service line is slower and more careful work than grinding in open lawn. Species and hardness matter too, as does diameter and how deep the root plate sits.
Volume works in your favour: several stumps in one visit is much cheaper per stump than one at a time, and grinding on the same visit as a tree removal is cheaper again.
Before we grind
Reticulation lines, cabling and irrigation near a stump are the one thing we can't see. If you know where yours run, mark them or tell us in the enquiry. For anything that might be a utility service, you or we should check Before You Dig Australia — grinding is a below-ground operation and it is worth the five minutes.
Stump grinding FAQs
How deep do you grind a stump?
Below grade — past ground level rather than flush with it — so you can re-turf, pave or plant over the area. How far below depends on what you're doing with the space afterwards, so tell us in the enquiry and we'll grind to suit.
What's the difference between stump grinding and stump removal?
Grinding chews the stump and its surface roots down below ground level with a machine. Full excavation digs the root plate out whole, which needs machinery access and leaves a large hole. For almost every suburban block grinding is the practical option, and it's what people usually mean by stump removal.
Can I plant or lay turf over a ground stump?
Yes, once the hole is backfilled. If you're planting straight away, ask us to cart the grindings off and backfill with soil instead — fresh woody grindings tie up nitrogen as they break down, which makes new turf and seedlings sulk.
What do you do with the grindings?
Your choice, and it's a line in the quote: backfilled into the hole and levelled off, or carted away with the rest of the green waste. Backfilling is cheaper; carting away is better if you're re-turfing or planting.
Can you get a grinder into a backyard?
Usually, yes — but the width of your narrowest gate or gap decides which machine comes and what it costs. Send that measurement with your enquiry.
Do you grind multiple stumps at once?
Yes, and it's much cheaper per stump. The bulk of a stump job is getting the machine to site, so doing four in one visit is nothing like four separate jobs.
Related services
Get your stump quoted
Send a photo, the diameter, and the width of your tightest gate. We'll come back with an upfront price and whether the grindings stay or go.