Stump grinding

What it is

A stump grinder is a petrol or tracked machine with a rotating toothed wheel that chips the stump down to mulch. We grind to roughly 150 to 200 mm below surface level, which is deep enough for a lawn to take, a patio base to go over, or a fence post to sit beside. The stump isn’t fully removed, just reduced below anything you’re likely to dig.

The mulch that comes out of the grind fills the hole back up. You can leave it in place to rot down, or we can rake it out and take it on the truck if you want clean topsoil to return.

When a grind is the right call

• You’ve had a tree felled and the stump is in the way of a lawn, a shed or a new fence line.
• You’re selling the house and the stump is on the garden list.
• A previous owner left a row of conifer stumps along a boundary and you want to replant or rebuild.
• A stump is sprouting suckers every spring and you’re tired of strimming them.
• You need clear ground for new footings or a drive.

How we do it

• Measure the access first. Our narrow-access grinder goes through an 760mm side gate. Standard machines need around 900mm plus. If we can’t get through, we can sometimes strip a gate and put it back, or bring in a tracked machine on a trailer. We check before we quote.
• Locate buried services. We ask about cables, drains and sprinkler lines before the wheel touches anything. Customer-known services flagged in writing on the quote.
• Grind down to 150 to 200 mm. Deep enough for turf, a path base or a fence post. If you’re going to build footings on it, we can grind deeper on the quote.
• Mulch left or removed. Default is mulch left in the hole to settle. We can rake it clear and take it on the truck if you’d rather top the hole up with topsoil.

What it costs

Priced per stump after a site visit or a photo on WhatsApp with a tape measure in the frame. Diameter, species, ground hardness, access width and whether there are rocks or old concrete in the root plate all move the number. Conifer stumps grind faster than oak or elm. We’ll put a written quote in front of you within two working days.

What we won’t do

We won’t grind a stump we can’t safely reach. If the gate is too narrow and a tracked machine can’t get in either, we’ll say so and suggest the alternatives, usually hand-digging for a small stump or removing a fence panel for access. No surprise additions to the bill on the day.

TPOs and conservation areas

Grinding the stump of a tree that was lawfully felled doesn’t normally need its own consent. If the tree was protected and still alive, the felling work itself needs Section 211 or a TPO application before any grinding happens. We handle the paperwork with Hastings Borough Council or Rother District Council on your behalf.