Stumps in North Birmingham are usually small to medium and awkward to reach. A sycamore or conifer cut down years ago at the end of a long Kingstanding or Perry Common garden. A row of old Leylandii stumps between semis in Great Barr. A fruit tree stump behind a Handsworth or Erdington terrace where the only way in is a shared entry or the house.
The grinding itself is often quick. Getting a machine to the stump, and deciding what happens to the grindings, take more thought than the stump does.
Branch and Bramble doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local tree surgeon who covers B6, B20, B23, B24, B42, B43 and B44, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.
What stump grinding costs in North Birmingham
Prices are by the width of the stump measured across the cut surface.
| Stump width | Indicative price |
|---|---|
| Under 30cm | £120–£180 |
| 30–60cm | £180–£280 |
| Over 60cm | £280–£400 |
Most stumps here fall in the first two bands. A single small stump usually comes to £150–£180 in practice, because of the minimum charge. Several stumps on one visit cost much less each: three 40cm Leylandii stumps along an Erdington boundary come to about £320–£500. The stump grinding cost guide has more examples.
What pushes the price up here
- No side gate. Compact grinders fit a standard garden gate. If the only way in is through the house, or the stump is more than 20 metres from where the van parks, expect around 15% more. Measure the narrowest point of any shared entry and send a photo of it.
- Steps on the route. Steps without a ramp need mentioning, because boards or a ramp have to go down first.
- Fence posts and rubble. Stumps hard against a fence post, path or wall take careful work, and buried stones or old metal fencing wear the teeth and slow the job.
- Taking the chip away. Grindings bulk up more than you'd expect. Leaving them to backfill the hole or mulch the borders takes about £75 off.
- Several stumps. Two or three cost about 1.8 times the single-stump price; four or more about 2.5 times.
Stumps on the verge and council felling
If the stump is on the pavement or a grass verge, it belongs to the council, not you. Report it rather than paying to have it ground.
Walsall (Pheasey). Walsall must consult residents for 28 days before felling a street tree, under section 115 of the Environment Act, unless an exemption applies, such as a dead or dangerous tree. One recent Pheasey case shows how it works. In late 2025 the council assessed a horse chestnut whose roots had cracked the footway, nudged the kerbs and grown into the neighbouring property. It recommended removal, and the highway authority offered to fund a replacement tree at a local site chosen by its arboriculture officer.
Birmingham. The council plants new trees between October and March, mostly to replace ones it had to remove, and you can request a tree on council land through its website.
Pipes, replanting and the grindings
Before grinding, the specialist will ask about drains, water pipes and cables near the stump, because a grinder works at the depth these often run. Birmingham and Sandwell councils both say that tree roots rarely break pipes; they take advantage of pipes that are already damaged. So if a tree came out over a blocked drain, get the drain repaired too. Grinding the stump won't fix it. Our guide on whether stump grinding damages pipes and cables covers what to tell the specialist.
If the stump is from a protected tree, you may have to plant a replacement. Government guidance puts a duty on owners to replant after a dead or dangerous protected tree is removed, and Sandwell warns that you'll normally have to plant a new tree if a protected one is cut down. Show the specialist where it has to go, so they can grind deeper and clear more chip there.
If you keep the grindings and later want rid of the surplus, check your council's tip rules first:
- Sandwell, Shidas Lane in Oldbury. Booked visits only. Soil is limited to eight bags or 200kg a month. Wood and garden waste have their own skips. Vans, pick-ups and cars with trailers can book only once every four weeks.
- Walsall, Middlemore Lane in Aldridge. Takes soil, rubble and garden waste. Vans and trailers must book ahead, never on the day, and can make one visit a month.
- Birmingham, Perry Barr on Holford Drive. Book first and bring proof of a Birmingham address. No commercial vehicles.
None of them takes trade waste, so whatever the specialist removes goes to a licensed site.
What the job involves
- Photos of the stump and route. Send a photo of each stump with a tape measure across the top, plus the route from the road, including the entry, gate and any steps.
- Checking for services. The specialist asks about drains, pipes and cables, and looks for manholes and meter boxes near the stump.
- Grinding. The stump is cut low, screens protect windows and the neighbour's fence, and the wheel works below ground and out along the surface roots.
- Backfill or clear. The hole is filled with chip and soil and raked level, or the chip is bagged and carried out the way it came in.
If the tree is still standing, grinding at the same visit as the tree removal costs only £70, £100 or £150 by size. Building on the spot may need full stump removal instead.
What to photograph for a quote
Good photos usually mean a fixed price without a visit. More photo tips.
- The whole thing, with your house or fence in shot for scale
- The base or ground level and what’s around it: walls, sheds, beds
- The route in from the road: side gate, steps, the path through
Questions about stump grinding in North Birmingham
Can I comment before Walsall fells a street tree in Pheasey?
Yes, unless the tree is exempt, for example because it is dead or dangerous. Walsall lists street trees it plans to fell on its removal of highway trees page and consults for 28 days. You comment by email, giving the tree's location, and the notice sets out the reasons and any replacement planting.
How much soil can I take to Shidas Lane tip in Oldbury?
Up to eight bags or 200kg of soil a month, if you're a Sandwell resident with a booking. Garden waste and wood go in separate skips. Bring identification for the property the waste came from, or you can be turned away.
My Erdington drain is blocked by roots. Will grinding the stump fix it?
Not on its own. Birmingham City Council's view is that roots exploit pipes that are already damaged rather than breaking sound ones, so repairing the pipe is the real fix. Grinding removes the stump and surface roots, but deeper roots are left to rot in the ground. Tell the specialist where the drain runs.
Will Sandwell make me plant a new tree after a protected tree in Hamstead comes down?
Often, yes. Sandwell says you'll normally have to plant a new tree if a protected tree is cut down or destroyed, and owners have a legal duty to replace a protected tree removed because it was dead or dangerous. Agree the new position before the stump is ground.
Will Birmingham replace a street tree felled outside my house in Erdington?
Usually, in time. The council plants between October and March, and says most new trees replace ones it had to remove. If nothing has been planted, you can request a tree for that spot through the council's tree planting map.