If you are working out how to remove a tree stump in Brisbane, the fastest way is to grind it. A stump grinder takes an average backyard stump 200 to 300 mm below ground in 20 to 40 minutes, leaves a pile of mulch and nothing else. Digging works for small stumps if you have a weekend and a strong back, chemicals take months and still leave you with a stump, and burning is banned on nearly every Brisbane block. An excavator only makes sense when the whole yard is being dug up anyway.
That is the short version. Here is every method people ask us about, ranked by how well it actually works in a Brisbane backyard, with the time and the mess spelled out. We grind stumps for a living, so you can guess where this lands, but we have put the honest case for each one.
How to remove a tree stump: the five methods ranked
| Rank | Method | Time | Mess | Stump actually gone? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stump grinder | 20 to 60 minutes per stump | Pile of grindings, no hole | Yes, to 200 to 300 mm below ground |
| 2 | Dig it out by hand | Half a day to a full weekend | A hole, a pile of clay, sore everything | Yes, if the stump is small |
| 3 | Excavator | 10 minutes once the machine is there | A crater, root ball, ruined lawn | Yes, roots and all |
| 4 | Chemical stump remover | 6 to 12 months | Low, but the stump is still there | No, it just rots faster |
| 5 | Burning | Days, if it even works | Smoke, scorched lawn, a fine | Banned on most Brisbane blocks |
Can I remove a tree stump by hand?
Yes, if it is small. A stump under about 150 mm across with shallow roots can be dug out with a mattock, a sharp spade and a pruning saw in a few hours. Dig a trench around the stump, cut each root as you find it, then lever the stump out. Anything bigger than that and the roots win. A gum stump the size of a dinner plate can have roots as thick as your wrist running three metres out under the lawn, and Brisbane clay in October is like digging concrete.
Before you put a mattock in the ground, check for pipes and cables. Before You Dig Australia is free and tells you what is buried near the stump. People forget that a stump near the front fence is often sitting right over the water meter line.
Our honest take: hand digging suits one small stump and a person who enjoys the work. If you have three stumps, or one big one, the quote for grinding is usually less than the cost of the chiropractor.
How do I remove a tree stump and its roots?
This is the question behind most calls. Grinding takes the stump and the top of the root plate, which is the bit that stops you mowing, paving or planting. The deeper roots stay in the ground and rot over a few years, which is fine for a lawn or garden bed. If you need every root out, because a slab, a pool or a driveway is going on that spot, it is an excavator job, and it leaves a hole that has to be backfilled and compacted.
Most backyards do not need that. A good grinder going 200 to 300 mm below ground is enough to lay turf, put in a garden bed or run a path over the top. We explain how a stump grinder works if you want to see where the cutting wheel actually goes.
Can I pull a tree stump out with a car jack or a ute?
People ask, so here it is. A high-lift jack and a chain can lift a small, half-rotted stump once the roots are cut. It can also slip and put the jack handle through your shin. Pulling with a ute or 4WD is worse: the chain lets go, or the stump does, and something expensive gets hit. We have ground more than one stump next to a bent tow bar. If you are set on it, cut every root you can find first, use a rated chain, and keep everyone well clear. Or send us a photo and skip the drama.
Does chemical stump remover work?
Slowly. The granules sold at hardware stores are mostly potassium nitrate. You drill holes in the stump, pour it in, keep it wet and wait. In six to twelve months the timber is soft enough to break up with an axe. The stump has not gone anywhere in that time, it is still a trip hazard, and if it is a camphor laurel or an umbrella tree it will probably shoot from the base while you wait. Chemicals suit a stump you can live with for a year in a corner nobody uses. They do not suit the one in the middle of the lawn.
One thing worth knowing: a dead stump left to rot is a termite buffet. We cover that on our stumps and termites page.
Can I burn a tree stump in Brisbane?
On a normal suburban block, no. Brisbane City Council’s Health, Safety and Amenity Local Law 2021 bans burning waste, including green waste, in your backyard. A fire pit is allowed for a few logs off the ground, not for a stump in the ground. Rural blocks can burn green waste with a permit from a fire warden under the Queensland Fire Department rules, and fire bans override the lot.
Even where it is legal, it is a poor method. A green stump does not want to burn. People drill it, soak it in diesel and nurse it for days, and finish with a charred stump that still needs grinding. The roots can smoulder underground for a week. Logan, Ipswich and Moreton Bay councils have similar rules, so check before you strike a match.
When does an excavator beat a stump grinder?
When the yard is being dug up anyway. If you are clearing a block for a build, putting in a pool or regrading the whole site, an excavator rips the stump and root ball out in minutes and the hole does not matter because the machine is reshaping everything. On an established lawn it is the wrong tool: the tracks chew the grass, the hole is a cubic metre or more, and you pay for the float both ways.
For a standing tree, the order is tree first, stump second. The tree removal crew at Dynamic Tree Solutions bring the tree down and we come through with the grinder once the trunk is on the ground. One quote, one site visit, and nobody is driving over a stump for six weeks waiting on a second contractor.
Why does grinding come out on top?
Time and mess. A job in Forest Lake in September was two stumps on a family block. The grinder was on and off the property in under two hours, and the grindings were left in one neat pile the way the owner asked, ready to spread as mulch. No hole, no bent jack, no smoke. That is the normal result, not the best case.
Pricing is simple and it is on the stump grinding cost page: from $110 for a small stump with easy access, about $220 for a typical domestic stump, and a multi-stump discount of up to 50 per cent when there is more than one on the property. We cover the southside, the northside and Ipswich, from Kenmore to Browns Plains to Caboolture.
If you want the deeper comparison, our page on the best method of stump removal in Brisbane goes through it stump by stump. For a quick answer, text two or three photos of the stump to 0449 003 606 with your suburb, or use the quote form, and we will send a fixed price back.
Frequently asked questions
How do you remove a tree stump by hand?
Dig a trench around the stump with a mattock, cut each root with a saw as you expose it, then lever the stump out. It works for stumps under about 150 mm across. Bigger stumps have roots too deep and thick to dig in Brisbane clay, and grinding is faster and cheaper than the weekend it takes.
How do you remove a tree stump and roots?
A stump grinder removes the stump and the top of the root plate to 200 to 300 mm below ground, which is enough for turf, paths and garden beds. To take every root out you need an excavator, which only makes sense when the site is being dug up for a slab, pool or new build.
Can you remove a tree stump with a car jack?
A high-lift jack can lift a small, rotted stump once the roots are cut, but it is one of the easiest ways to hurt yourself in the garden. Pulling with a ute is worse. For anything bigger than a shrub stump, grinding is quicker and nobody gets hit by a chain.
Is it legal to burn a tree stump in Brisbane?
Not on a normal suburban block. Brisbane City Council's Health, Safety and Amenity Local Law 2021 prohibits burning waste, including green waste, in the backyard. Rural properties can burn with a fire warden permit under Queensland Fire Department rules, and fire bans override everything.
How long does chemical stump remover take?
Six to twelve months for the timber to soften enough to break up, and the stump stays in the ground the whole time. Fast-growing species like camphor laurel and umbrella tree often reshoot while you wait. It is a last resort for a stump in a corner nobody uses.
How much does it cost to have a stump ground in Brisbane?
From $110 for a small stump with easy access, about $220 for a typical domestic stump, with a multi-stump discount of up to 50 per cent. Send photos to 0449 003 606 for a fixed price.