Tree Removal
Whole-tree takedowns and sectional dismantles, including trees with nowhere safe to drop a stem.
Learn more →What grinding actually does
A stump grinder is a wheel of carbide teeth spinning against the stump, taking it away in passes and turning it into a mix of chip and soil. The operator works down below ground level and out along the major surface roots where they matter.
What is left is a hole full of grindings rather than a stump. What is not removed is the deeper root system, which stays in the ground and decomposes over the following years. For almost every domestic purpose — turf, garden, paving on a proper base, replanting a smaller tree nearby — that is exactly what you want.
Where it is not what you want is under anything structural. A slab, footing, pool shell or retaining wall over decomposing chip will settle unevenly. For those jobs the right answer is full stump and root-plate removal.
Why it is quicker in Perth
Soil. Most of the metro area sits on Swan Coastal Plain sand, and sand does not fight a grinder the way heavy clay does. Teeth last longer, passes cut deeper, and the job finishes sooner. That is the practical reason stump work costs less here than the equivalent job in eastern-states clay — the local detail is on the stump grinding Perth page.
The exception is the limestone country closer to the coast. Grinding into limestone or caprock is slow and hard on teeth, and it occasionally sets the depth limit rather than the stump doing so.
Depth, and choosing it deliberately
| What is going over the top | Practical depth below grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lawn or turf | About 150–200mm | Enough soil for roots to establish; cheapest option |
| Garden bed or planting | About 300mm | Needs real soil, not chip, for anything you want to grow |
| Paving on a compacted base | 300mm or more | Base must be compacted properly or it dips later |
| Slab, footing, pool, retaining wall | Grinding is not appropriate | Use full extraction instead |
| Replanting a tree in the same spot | 300mm plus soil replacement | Chip backfill will not support a new tree well |
Depth is a price input, so it is worth deciding before the quote rather than after.
Access and what stops the machine
Narrow-access machines fit through a standard 900mm gate. Wider machines work faster but need a driveway or a double gate. Stumps hard against a wall, inside a paved courtyard, or on the far side of a pool are the ones that need the small machine and more time.
Underground services are the real hazard: reticulation, soakwells, septic systems, gas, power, water and pool plumbing. Mark what you know about before the operator starts.
What it costs
Diameter, depth, access, soil and how many stumps are the inputs. See the cost guide for how those combine, and the removal page if the tree itself is still standing.
Call (08) 9516 2804 for a free quote.
More services
Explore our other services
Tree Lopping
Height and spread reduced where a tree has outgrown its spot, cut to a lateral rather than a stub.
Learn more →Tree Pruning
Deadwooding, crown thinning, crown lifting and roof and powerline clearance on established trees.
Learn more →Stump Removal
Full stump and root-plate extraction where the ground has to be clear for a slab, pool or footing.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
How deep is a stump ground?
It depends on what is going over the top. Around 150 to 200mm below grade is enough for turf. A garden bed wants more like 300mm so there is real soil for roots. Anything structural — a slab, footing, pool shell or retaining wall — should not be built over ground chip at all, and full extraction is the correct job instead.
What happens to the grindings?
By default they go back in the hole, because that is where they came from and it is the cheapest option. They can be carted away instead if you want clean fill or you are landscaping. Either way the backfill settles over the first wet winter, so plan to top it up rather than turfing the same week.
Can you grind a stump in a tight backyard?
Usually. Narrow-access grinders fit through a standard gate of around 900mm. What stops a job is a gate narrower than that with no other way in, a stump hard against a limestone wall or a pool shell, or a stump surrounded by paving that would need lifting first. Say what the access is when you call.
Will the roots keep growing?
No. Once the stump is ground out below grade the tree cannot produce new shoots from it, and the remaining roots decay in place. A handful of species sucker from roots regardless — some figs and some palms in particular — and those may need follow-up. Eucalypts generally do not.
Is there anything underground you need to know about?
Yes, and this is the one that causes trouble. Reticulation lines, soakwells, septic tanks and leach drains, gas, power and water services, and pool plumbing are all invisible from the surface and all get hit by grinders. Tell the operator where anything is before the machine starts.
Free, no-obligation