"Stump removal" gets used to describe both, but in our world they are two distinct services that produce two different outcomes — and cost very differently.
Stump grinding
A grinding wheel chews the stump down to 8-12 inches below grade, then we chase surface roots within reach, backfill the void with chip (or topsoil on request), and walk you through the result. The lateral root system stays in the ground — it dies over the next few years and breaks down naturally.
Pros: fast (most stumps in 15-45 minutes), affordable, minimal disruption to surrounding lawn and beds, low-impact equipment fits through 36-inch gates.
Cons: roots remain underground (usually fine — but matters if you plan to dig a foundation or pool exactly where the tree stood).
Full stump removal (extraction)
The entire stump and root ball is excavated out of the ground — typically with a mini-excavator. The hole left behind is roughly equal to the tree's diameter at the root flare, plus 2-3 metres in lateral spread for a mature tree. We backfill with topsoil and reseed if requested.
Pros: complete removal, ready for new construction, planting a replacement tree in the exact spot, or laying patio stone.
Cons: 3-5× the cost of grinding, significant soil disruption, requires equipment access (large machine on a trailer), lawn restoration usually needed.
For 90% of residential customers, grinding is the right call. Extraction is the answer when the ground itself needs to be free of root mass.
When extraction is worth it
- You're building over the stump location (addition, garage pad, foundation).
- You're installing a pool or hot tub directly where the tree stood.
- You're planting a replacement tree in the same exact spot (otherwise the new roots compete with the old).
- The species was a known root-suckering nuisance (poplar, sumac, mulberry) and you want all root mass gone.
What we do
Stump grinding is where Complete Stump & Tree Removal started, ten years ago — it's still the discipline we know best. Extraction we do on request, usually in partnership with a local mini-ex operator for the digging.
Request a quote — most stump jobs we can quote from a photo and a postal code.