Removal usually leaves the stump behind. Grinding is the separate job that makes the ground usable again.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.

Central Coast Tree Services connects the Central Coast and the Central Coast property owners with qualified, insured local arborists for stump grinding and related tree work. Tell us what the tree is doing and we'll match it to an operator who covers your suburb — free call, no obligation.
It depends entirely on what's going over the top. For turf, 150–200mm below grade is generally fine. For paving, a slab or footings, it needs to go deeper and the major surface roots need chasing out too — otherwise you get settlement as the timber breaks down underneath.
Say what you're planning before the quote. Re-grinding a stump because the first pass was set for lawn is an avoidable second visit.
Cocos and bangalow palm stumps are fibrous rather than woody. They grind easily but produce a wet, stringy spoil that doesn't compost down like hardwood chip, and the hole tends to want backfilling with clean soil rather than the grindings.
Irrigation, gas, comms and pool plumbing all live shallower than people expect, and sandy coastal soil hides them well. A Dial Before You Dig enquiry is cheap. So is pointing out where your pool pipework runs before the machine starts.
the Central Coast.
Where this job typically sits. Access is usually a bigger cost driver than size.
| Job | Indicative price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Small tree removal (under 10m) | $500 – $1,200 | Ornamentals, young palms and small natives with room to work around them. |
| Medium tree removal (10 – 20m) | $1,200 – $2,800 | The standard suburban job. Access moves this number more than height does. |
| Large tree removal (20m+) | $2,800 – $8,000+ | Mature blackbutt, spotted gum or Norfolk pine, usually dismantled in sections. |
| Palm removal | $250 – $1,200 | Cocos and bangalow palms — no real wood, so cheap unless the crown must come out in pieces. |
| Tree trimming / pruning | $300 – $900 | Clearance off a roof, deadwooding or a crown reduction. Averages around $425 on this coast. |
| Stump grinding | $150 – $500 | Priced on diameter and access. Expect a minimum callout of roughly $180 – $220. |
| Emergency / after-hours callout | $500 – $3,000+ | Storm make-safe. What it costs depends on what the limb is resting on. |
| Arborist report (AQF5) | $400 – $700 | Typically around $450. Required for a Private Tree Works Application and most consents. |
Prices are indicative only. Every tree is different — access, species, what's underneath it and how far the chipper has to walk all move the number. You get a fixed written quote after an on-site assessment.
Usually $150 to $500 per stump, set by diameter and how close it sits to services, structures or a retaining wall. Several stumps in one visit drop the per-stump price because the machine is already there.
Typically 200–300mm below grade — enough to turf or plant over. If you plan to pour, pave or build on the spot, say so up front, because that needs the stump and structural roots removed rather than ground down.
Not always. A stump tight against a wall, a fence footing or shallow services may need hand excavation instead, and a stump on a steep slope can be unreachable for a wheeled grinder. Worth flagging when you ask for the quote.

Full removal of trees that are dead, dangerous, lifting paving or outgrowing a coastal block.
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Cutting back overgrown canopies for clearance and light — done to standard, not just topped.
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Structural pruning and tree trimming — clearance, deadwooding and shaping, done to AS4373.
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Post-storm clean-up — fallen limbs, split trunks, and trees made unstable by wind.
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Call 0485 835 759