Stump grinding or digging out?

The tree is gone, but the stump is still there. It can come out of the ground in two ways: grinding or digging out. Both leave you with an empty spot, but the work and the result differ.

Digging out: thorough but disruptive

Digging out means pulling the stump, roots and all, out of the ground. It is thorough, but also disruptive: the surrounding garden is opened up, you end up with a sizeable hole and it takes a lot of time. With a large tree and thick roots that quickly means half a day of digging and a garden you then have to lay out again.

Grinding: faster and tidier

With grinding, a stump grinder mills away the stump and the thick roots down below ground level. The rest of the garden stays intact. It is faster, tidier and leaves you with a spot that is ready right away for grass, plants or paving. In most gardens this is the logical choice.

When to choose which

If you want a deep foundation or a swimming pool on exactly that spot, digging out is sometimes necessary because the roots have to go entirely. If you just want rid of the stump and to use the spot again, grinding is almost always the better option: less mess, less time, lower cost.

Handiest: in one job

Is the tree still standing? Then I prefer to do the felling and the grinding in the same job. That way everything is sorted in one go and your garden isn’t left half open. Message a photo of the stump or the tree, and I’ll give you a quick ballpark price.