You've had the tree removed. Now there's a stump. Three honest options: grind it, dig it, or leave it. Here's the comparison.
Grinding
How it works: a stump grinder chews the stump and surface roots into chip, working down to whatever depth you specify, typically 200–400mm below grade.
Pros: Fast (1–3 hours for most residential stumps). Cheap compared to excavation. Minimal site damage. Can be done in tight access. The chip can backfill the hole.
Cons: Doesn't remove the lateral roots, they decay in place over years. The chip backfill settles over 6–12 months, sometimes leaving a depression. Can't grind under existing concrete or paving.
Typical cost: $180–$600 for a single residential stump.
Excavation (digging it out)
How it works: a digger removes the stump and most of the root ball intact, leaving a hole that gets backfilled with imported soil.
Pros: Removes more material, better if you need genuinely clean soil for building or for planting another tree in the exact same spot. Removes the lateral roots that grinding leaves behind.
Cons: Significantly more expensive, usually $1,500–$5,000+ for a typical residential stump including disposal and backfill. Requires digger access (so a 1.5–2m wide gate minimum). Tears up lawn and surrounds. Disposal of the stump and root ball is on hourly tip rates.
Leaving it
How it works: let nature take its course. The stump rots down over 5–15 years depending on species.
Pros: Free.
Cons: Trip hazard. Mower hazard. Some species (willows, gums, many natives) will sprout from the stump for years, requiring repeated cutting. Hosts fungi, some of which (Armillaria honey fungus) can attack nearby healthy trees. Looks bad. Can host introduced borer that spreads to nearby trees.
Which one when
- Replanting in the same spot: excavation, or deep grinding + soil amendment + chip removal.
- Re-turfing the lawn: standard grinding (200–300mm) is fine.
- Building, paving or concreting over the spot: deep grinding (400mm+) or excavation.
- Garden bed: standard grinding plus topsoil over the chip.
- Just want it gone visually: standard grinding.
- Rural or lifestyle block, out of the way: leaving it is fine.
Stump grinding myths
- "Grinding releases honey fungus into the soil." No. Honey fungus is already in the soil if it's present, grinding doesn't release it.
- "You can't replant where a tree was." You can, but the soil is depleted and full of decaying wood. Amend heavily with compost and topsoil, and don't expect fast establishment.
- "Grinding kills nearby trees." Only if grinding cuts significant living roots from neighbouring trees. Plan accordingly.
Chemical stump treatments
You'll see "stump killer" products at hardware stores. They work, slowly, by introducing decay accelerators into drilled holes. They take 1–3 years to soften the stump enough to remove easily. They don't make the stump disappear; they just speed up rotting. If you're not in a hurry, that's fine; if you want it gone now, grind it.