MID & EAST DEVON
Stump Grinding & Stump Removal
The tree's gone but the trip hazard hasn't — ground down below the surrounding ground level so the patch can be levelled, turfed or planted over.
Ground clear, ready again
We grind the stump and the flare of roots immediately around it down below the surrounding ground, using a machine small enough to get through a side gate and work on a lawn without wrecking it. What's left is wood chip and soil in a shallow depression, which we level off so you can turf, seed or fence over it.
The bulk of the root system stays in the ground and breaks down slowly over the following years — that's normal, and it's why we don't recommend digging a stump out unless the ground is genuinely being rebuilt. If you'd like the stump gone before we leave, we can grind it on the same visit as the felling.
Not sure what your trees need? Send a few details and a photo and we'll tell you honestly.
Stump work we do
- Stumps ground below surrounding ground level, typically 150–300mm deep
- Root flare immediately around the stump ground out
- Small machine for gardens, tight access and lawns
- Deeper grinding where a drive, wall or new planting is going in
- Area levelled and left ready for turf, seed or fencing
- Brush and small trees mulched on site
- Stumps ground at the same visit as a felling
- Chip and waste cleared away, or left as mulch if you'd like it
Stump grinding questions
How deep is a stump ground?
Usually 150 to 300mm below the surrounding ground — enough to lay turf over, put a fence post through, or plant something new. If you're laying a patio or a drive across the spot, tell us beforehand and we'll grind deeper.
Can I plant where the stump was?
Yes, once the depression is filled with soil rather than chip. The old roots stay in the ground and rot down over several years, so a hedge or shrub planting is fine straight away; for a new tree we'd dig a fresh hole with clean soil.
Is stump grinding messy?
It throws up a pile of wood chip while it's working, which we either load out or spread as mulch, and it leaves a shallow depression that we level with the surrounding soil. The lawn around the edge is left tidy rather than torn up.
Do you dig the roots out instead?
Rarely. Excavating roots means a big hole, a machine on the lawn and a lot of soil to bring in, and most stumps grind out perfectly well. Where a full excavation is genuinely the better option, we'll say so when we quote.
How much does stump grinding cost?
It's normally priced per stump by diameter, with a call-out added if it's a single stump. Send a photo with an approximate width and we can usually give you a figure straight away.
Where we grind stumps
We cover Mid & East Devon, including these towns and the villages around them.
Free stump grinding quote
Send a photo of the stump with an approximate width, or call Tom — quotes are free and without obligation.