TL;DR — Tree Stump & Root Removal Cost At A Glance
- Most UK households pay £85–£350 to have a tree stump ground out in 2026. A small fruit-tree stump costs the minimum call-out rather than a calculated price; a veteran oak stump over 90cm across can reach £710.
- The trade prices by diameter, not by tree — over a minimum call-out of £80–£150, the floor on any single stump. Between 30cm and 60cm the trade's £2–£3 per inch at ground level is a useful sense-check; outside that range it does not hold.
- Grinding and full excavation are different jobs at different prices. Grinding is £85–£500 and leaves the roots in the ground; digging the stump and root plate out is £150–£400 by hand and £1,000–£2,500+ if it runs under a patio or driveway.
- Root removal costs more than stump removal, because roots spread further than most people expect and you cannot see where they go. A typical root job is £200–£750, and over £1,000 once hard landscaping is involved.
- London and the South East run 20–35% above the rest of the UK, and awkward access adds another 15–35% anywhere.
- DIY is viable but rarely cheaper than it looks. A grinder is £95–£280 a day, but delivery, fuel, PPE and damage waiver push a realistic one-day DIY total to £245–£520 — against £100–£300 for a professional.
Add to Preferred Sources How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost In 2026?
Stump removal has a useful pricing rule of thumb, but it should only be treated as a rough guide. Measure the stump across the widest point at ground level, in inches, and multiply by £2–£3. This can give a reasonable estimate for a mid-sized stump of around 30–60cm, but it becomes less reliable for very small or very large stumps. Small jobs are often affected by minimum call-out charges, while large stumps are more likely to be priced according to the time, access and machinery required.
Minimum charges make a big difference at the lower end. Stump grinding involves transporting specialist equipment to the property, so a very small stump is unlikely to be priced purely by diameter. A minimum call-out of around £80–£150 is more realistic, which is why removing several small stumps at the same time can work out much better value than booking them individually.
For smaller stumps, published prices can vary considerably depending on what is included in the service. A stump under 6 inches may be quoted at around £160–£220 in some guides, while other providers list prices closer to £80–£120 for stumps up to 12 inches. Differences may reflect call-out fees, access, disposal, tidy-up work and the overall scope of the job. The table below shows the wider price range you can expect.
| Unit of sale | Rest of UK | London & South East |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum call-out | £80–£150 | £100–£200 |
| Stump grinding, per inch of diameter (30–60cm stumps) | £2–£3 | £2.50–£4 |
| Small stump, up to 30cm (12in) | £85–£200 | £110–£260 |
| Medium stump, 30–60cm (12–24in) | £120–£350 | £155–£450 |
| Large stump, 60–90cm (24–36in) | £200–£500 | £260–£650 |
| Extra-large stump, over 90cm (36in) | £300–£710 | £390–£920 |
| Each additional stump on the same visit | around 35% less | around 35% less |
| Full excavation instead of grinding | £150–£400 | £195–£520 |
| Chemical stump killer treatment | £70–£150 | £90–£195 |
| Tree root removal, typical job | £200–£750 | £260–£950 |
| Root removal under a patio or driveway | £1,000–£2,500+ | £1,300–£3,250+ |
| Removing the grindings off site | £25–£60 | £32–£78 |
| Topsoil and reseeding afterwards | £50–£100 | £65–£130 |
Stump Grinding Cost By Stump Diameter
Measure across the cut face at ground level, not the trunk higher up and not the root flare. Most people over-estimate — a "huge" stump is usually 40–50cm, not 90cm.
| Stump diameter at ground level | Typical tree | Rest of UK | London & South East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 15cm (6in) | Apple, plum, young birch | £80–£220 | £100–£290 |
| 15–30cm (6–12in) | Leylandii, rowan, small conifer | £85–£200 | £110–£260 |
| 30–45cm (12–18in) | Silver birch, ornamental cherry | £120–£280 | £155–£360 |
| 45–60cm (18–24in) | Mature ash, pine, sycamore | £150–£350 | £195–£450 |
| 60–90cm (24–36in) | Mature beech, horse chestnut | £200–£500 | £260–£650 |
| Over 90cm (36in) | Veteran oak, large willow | £300–£710 | £390–£920 |
| Six leylandii stumps from one hedge run | — | £180–£280 | £230–£360 |
| Hardwood surcharge (oak, beech, yew) | — | add 20% | add 20% |
| Difficult access surcharge | — | add 15–35% | add 15–35% |
The savings can be significant when several stumps are removed in one visit. Six leylandii stumps priced separately at £85–£120 each could cost £510–£720, while a grouped hedge-line job may be closer to £180–£280. The difference comes from efficiency: the machine is already on site, the stumps are close together, and the work can be completed in one continuous set-up. If you are removing a hedge or several trees at once, it usually makes sense to have all of the stumps ground during the same visit. Our conifer and leylandii removal cost guide covers the felling side of the same job.
Before booking stump removal, check whether the original tree was protected. Section 210 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 can apply to uprooting as well as felling, so removing a stump that is still capable of regrowth may still require permission. If the tree was covered by a Tree Preservation Order or stood in a conservation area, make sure stump removal is included in the relevant consent or section 211 notice, or check with the local council before work begins. Unauthorised work can result in an unlimited fine. Our tree felling and removal cost guide and tree crown reduction cost guide explain the consent process in more detail.
What Affects The Cost Of Stump And Root Removal?
1. Stump Diameter
This is the dominant factor and the only one you can measure yourself. At £2–£3 per inch, a 12in stump is £24–£36 of grinding and a 36in stump £72–£108 — neither a price anyone charges. Small stumps attract the £80–£150 minimum instead, and at 36in the rate under-predicts three- or four-fold against the £300–£710 the trade quotes. Read it as a sanity check in the middle of the range only.
2. Grinding Or Full Excavation
Grinding chews the stump down to 150–300mm below ground and leaves the root system in place to rot. It is fast, cheap and fine if you are laying turf or planting a border. Excavation lifts the whole stump and root plate out with a digger and is the only option if you are laying a path, driveway or foundation, or planting a replacement tree in the same hole. MyBuilder puts grinding at £100–£500 and excavation at £150–£400 for a straightforward dig, but excavation escalates fast — a mini excavator with operator is £300–£600 a day, averaging around £500 for eight hours.
3. What's Underneath — Drains, Cables And Foundations
This is where stump work stops being cheap. A grinder cannot see a service pipe and will not survive hitting one. If the stump sits near a drain run, water main, electricity supply or house wall, the crew hand-digs around it or works back from the far side, and roots under paving have to be excavated with the hard surface lifted first. MyJobQuote puts root removal under patios and driveways at £1,000–£2,500+ against £200–£750 in open ground. Strike a buried utility yourself and the repair runs into thousands.
4. Number Of Stumps, And Access For The Machine
A narrow-access walk-behind grinder fits through a 750mm gate; a tracked machine that can eat a 90cm stump in an hour does not. If the big machine cannot get in, the job takes far longer on a small one — which is why difficult access adds 15–35%. Each additional stump on the same visit costs roughly 35% less, because the travel and set-up are already paid for.
5. Timber Hardness And What Happens To The Grindings
Oak, beech and yew are dense and slow going, and specialists add around 20% for them. The grindings themselves are a decision: a 45cm stump produces a surprising heap of chip and soil. Leaving it in the hole as backfill is free and settles over a season. Having it barrowed out and taken away is £25–£60, and if you want the level made good you will need topsoil at £70–£100 a bulk bag or £35–£40 a tonne loose, plus turf at £3–£5/m² or seed at about £10/kg. Our garden clearance cost guide covers larger disposal volumes.
6. Your Location
London and the South East sit 20–35% above the rest of the UK. The live tree surgeon cost guide puts stump grinding at £50–£250 nationally against £80–£300 in London, and crew day rates show the same gap — £250–£460 across the UK against £600–£900 for a London crew. Rural jobs can carry a travel surcharge instead, since a grinder specialist may be covering a wide area.
What's Included — And What's Not
A standard stump grinding quote covers:
- Measuring the stump and confirming the grinding depth
- A visual check for services, and a CAT scan where the firm offers one
- Grinding to 150–300mm below ground level
- Raking the grindings back into the hole as backfill
- Clearing the surrounding area and sheeting up to protect windows and paving
- Public liability insurance for the work
Charged as extras:
- Removing the grindings off site instead of backfilling — £25–£60
- Surface and buttress root removal beyond the stump itself — £25–£75
- Deeper grinding for a path, driveway or foundation
- Full excavation with a mini digger — £300–£600 a day with operator
- Hand-digging around known services
- Topsoil, turf or seed to reinstate the ground — £50–£100 typically
- Access work: lifting a fence panel, taking down a gate
- A second visit, if the stump is found once the crew has left
Can You Do It Yourself?
Yes, and for one medium stump in open ground it is a real option — but run the numbers honestly, because the machine hire is the cheapest part.
A walk-behind grinder is £95 plus VAT a day from a local hire yard, £150–£200 a day at the national chains, and £200–£280 for a self-propelled or tracked machine. Then add what the hire desk does not put on the poster: delivery £30–£80 each way, fuel £20–£40, PPE £30–£60 if you do not own chainsaw trousers and a visor, a damage waiver at £15–£30 a day, a refundable deposit of £200–£500 on your card, and £30–£60 to get rid of the chip. A realistic one-day total is £245–£520. A professional grinding the same stump is £100–£300, insured, in about an hour.
DIY makes sense when you have several stumps to do, so the hire day is spread across them, and when everything is in open ground away from services. Cheaper still: chemical stump killer at £70–£150 will rot a stump over 12–18 months if you are not in a hurry, and a mattock, spade and bow saw at £20–£50 will genuinely get a small fruit-tree stump out of a lawn in an afternoon.
Do not DIY near drains, cables, walls or paving. A hired grinder throws stone and metal hard, and you carry the liability for anything you hit.
How To Save Money On Stump And Root Removal
- Do every stump in one visit. Travel, machine and set-up are paid once. A specialist publishes £180–£280 for the six stumps left by a hedge removal against £85–£120 apiece done singly, and roughly 35% off each additional stump on a mixed job.
- Book the stump with the felling. A stump quoted on the day the tree comes down avoids a second minimum call-out of £80–£150. See our tree felling and removal cost guide for the felling side.
- Grind rather than excavate unless you have to. If the ground is going back to lawn or border, grinding is all you need — excavation is for paths, driveways, foundations and replanting in the same spot.
- Keep the grindings. Raked back into the hole they cost nothing and settle within a season. Paying to have them removed adds £25–£60 for no practical gain in most gardens.
- Clear the access yourself. Move the car, unlock the gate, lift a fence panel. If the bigger machine reaches the stump, the job is quicker and cheaper.
- Join the Fantastic Club if you are booking more than one garden service a year — it takes £30 off your service and adds £270 in credits.
How To Hire A Good Stump Grinding Contractor
Ask about services before you ask about price. A contractor who takes your word that "there's nothing under there" and starts grinding is the wrong contractor. The good ones ask where your drains run, check for meter boxes and inspection covers, and will CAT scan if there is any doubt.
Check public liability insurance and NPTC or Lantra certification for the machine. Arboricultural Association ARB Approved Contractor status is the strongest credential in UK arboriculture, covering site safety, finished work, insurance and licences, and health and safety compliance.
Confirm what happens to the grindings and whether the ground is being made good, because this is the single most common cause of complaint. "Ground out and backfilled" and "ground out, chip removed, topsoil and turf" are different jobs at different prices.
A proper quote states the diameter of each stump, the grinding depth in millimetres, whether chip is backfilled or removed, whether root removal beyond the stump is included, the minimum charge, and the total including VAT. If anyone is carting waste away, they need Environment Agency upper-tier waste carrier registration — £191.02 to register and £130.25 to renew, every three years on GOV.UK's published fees. Ask for the number.
Red flags: a price quoted with no diameter measured; no question about buried services; a promise to "get all the roots out" with no digger on the quote; and a refusal to say how deep they grind.
Book Your Stump Removal Today!
A ground-out stump is the difference between a lawn you can mow and an obstacle you keep walking round. Fantastic Services works with qualified, insured arborists who will measure, grind and reinstate, and can do the stump on the same visit as the tree.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does Stump Grinding Cost Per Stump?
£85–£350 for most domestic stumps, rising to £710 for a stump over 90cm across, and 20–35% more in London and the South East. The £2–£3 per inch rule is a sense-check on a mid-size stump, not a formula — it under-predicts badly above 60cm — and no single stump costs less than the £80–£150 minimum call-out. Each extra stump on the same visit is around 35% cheaper.
Is It Cheaper To Grind A Stump Or Dig It Out?
Grinding is usually cheaper and always quicker: £85–£500 against £150–£400 for a straightforward dig, and £1,000–£2,500+ where roots run under a patio or driveway. Excavation is worth the money only when you need the ground clear — for a path, driveway, foundation, or planting a replacement tree in the same hole. For turf or a border, grind.
Can I Hire A Stump Grinder Myself?
You can. Local yards charge from £95 plus VAT a day and national chains £150–£280. Once you add delivery at £30–£80, fuel £20–£40, PPE £30–£60, damage waiver £15–£30 and chip disposal £30–£60, a realistic one-day DIY total is £245–£520 — against £100–£300 for a professional. DIY pays only if you have several stumps to grind in one day.
How Deep Does Stump Grinding Go?
Standard practice is 150–300mm below ground level, which is enough to lay turf, seed or a planting border over the top. Deeper grinding is needed for a path, driveway, patio or foundation and costs more. Grinding never removes the whole root system — the lateral roots stay in the ground and decay over several years.
Will Tree Roots Keep Growing After The Stump Is Ground?
Almost never. Most species cannot regrow once the stump is ground below ground level, and the remaining roots simply decay. The exceptions are vigorous suckering species — holly, poplar, willow, cherry, lilac and sumach — which can push shoots from live lateral roots. If yours is one of those, expect to pull suckers for a season or two, or ask about a full excavation.
How Much Does It Cost To Remove Tree Roots Near Drains Or Foundations?
Expect £200–£750 for root removal in open ground and £1,000–£2,500+ where roots run under paving, a driveway or up against a wall, because the hard surface has to come up and the digging is done by hand. Anything over £1,000 usually means hard landscaping is involved. Get the drain run located before work starts, not after.
Do I Have To Remove A Tree Stump At All?
No. A stump left in place is harmless in a border or a wild corner, and it will rot down on its own over 5–15 years. Remove it if it is in a lawn you mow, in the way of a build, a trip hazard, or a species that suckers. Honey fungus is the other reason — a decaying stump can host it, and it spreads to living plants nearby.
Stump And Root Removal Prices
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