Stump grinding in Dudley & Stourbridge

Stumps in the DY postcodes tend to be one of two kinds. There are wide, old broadleaf stumps in Stourbridge, Oldswinford and Pedmore gardens, left where a big tree came down years ago. And there are rows of conifer stumps along the back fences in Kingswinford, Wall Heath and Wordsley, where an old Leylandii screen has finally gone. In the terraces of Dudley, Netherton and Lye the stump is rarely the hard part. Getting a machine to it is.

Branch and Bramble doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local stump grinding specialist who covers DY1 to DY9, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.

What stump grinding costs in Dudley & Stourbridge

Prices are by the width of the stump measured across the cut surface.

A conifer row is where multi-stump pricing helps most. Two or three stumps cost about 1.8 times the single price, and four or more about 2.5 times, so a line of six Leylandii stumps along a Wordsley fence costs far less per stump than one on its own. A single stump from an old lime or beech in an Oldswinford garden is usually in the top band. If the tree is still standing, grinding at the same visit as tree removal costs £70, £100 or £150 by size. The stump grinding cost guide has more worked examples.

What pushes the price up here

• Shared entries and steps. Compact grinders fit through a standard side gate. Many Dudley, Netherton and Lye terraces only have a shared entry, though. If the grinder has to go through the house, or the stump is more than 20 metres from the van, expect around 15% more. Measure the narrowest point and mention any steps.
• Hardwood and big roots. Oak and other hardwood stumps take longer than conifer. Buttress roots flaring out at the surface add time.
• Walls, paths and rubble. Stumps hard against a garden wall or path need more careful work. Buried brick, stone and old metal fencing wear the teeth and slow the job.
• Taking the chip away. Leaving the grindings on site to backfill the hole or mulch a border takes about £75 off. In Dudley that is often the sensible choice, for the reasons below.

Before the grinder starts

Grinding usually goes 15 to 30cm down. Tell the specialist about any drains, water pipes, cables or outside lights near the stump, and point out manholes and meter boxes. Our guide on whether stump grinding can damage pipes and cables explains what they check.

Parts of Dudley, Sedgley, Gornal and Netherton sit over old coal and limestone workings. A grinder working the top 30cm is rarely the concern, but footings are. If the stump is coming out to make way for an extension or a heavy patio, the government's free postcode search, run by the Mining Remediation Authority, shows whether the address is in a former coal mining area. A paid report, from £27 plus VAT, lists any recorded mine entries within 20 metres of the boundary.

Grindings, stumps and the Stourbridge tip

Stump grinding leaves a heap of wood chip mixed with soil, often more than people expect. Dudley's rules make it awkward to get rid of yourself.

• The green bin won't take it. Dudley's garden waste bin excludes soil, stone and rubble, and tree trunks and wood waste. Only twigs and branches under 75mm across go in.
• The tip limits soil. The Household Waste Recycling Centre on Birmingham Street, Stourbridge, takes garden waste, but soil, rubble and tiles are capped at two standard sacks a visit, bagged separately. Every visit needs a booked slot.
• Big stumps are refused. Large tree stumps are on the tip's prohibited list, along with trade waste. So a stump that has been dug out whole can't simply go to the tip.
• The pop-up tips are cars only. Dudley runs pop-up tips on Lister Road in Dudley and Northway in Sedgley on Saturdays, with no vans, pick-ups or trailers.

That's why most people either keep the chip to fill the hole, or have the specialist take it away as a registered waste carrier.

Replacement trees and council stumps

If the tree came down because it was dead, dying or dangerous and it stood in one of Dudley's conservation areas, the council says a replacement must be planted. Consent to fell a TPO tree can also come with a replanting condition. Check where the new tree has to go before the old stump is ground, and ask for a deeper grind if it's going in the same spot.

Ash dieback is adding to the stumps. Dudley says it may need to carry out sanitation felling of susceptible trees to stop a disease spreading through the borough's tree stock. If an ash on council land near you is felled, the stump is the council's. Trees in private gardens and on housing association land are the owner's responsibility, so a dead ash in your own garden is yours to deal with. Our ash dieback guide covers the signs.

What the job involves

1. Access and services. The specialist checks the route from the van, measures the narrowest gap, and asks about pipes and cables near the stump.
2. Cutting low and screening. Any tall stump is chainsawed close to the ground. Boards or screens protect windows, cars and fences from flying chips.
3. Grinding. The wheel is swept across the stump in passes, working below the surface and out along the main surface roots.
4. Backfilling and clearing. The hole is filled with the chip and soil mix and raked level, and the rest is left for you or taken away. Add topsoil before turfing once it has settled.

If grinding isn't enough, for example where footings will go, stump removal digs out the root plate instead.