Grinding and removal aren't the same job, and the difference matters if you're building over the top.
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 removal and related tree work. Tell us what the tree is doing and we'll match it to an operator who covers your suburb — free quote, no obligation.
Grinding turns the stump into chip and leaves the root system to break down in the ground. It's faster, cheaper and fine for turf, garden beds and most paving.
Full excavation pulls the stump and the major root plate out. It's disruptive and costs more, and you need it when footings, a slab, a pool shell or a retaining wall is going in over the top — anywhere ongoing decay underneath would cause settlement.
Sandy soil doesn't bridge voids the way clay does. As a large root system rots out under sand, the surface follows it down. On a Peninsula or lakefront block that can show up as a soft spot in the lawn a year later, or a dip in new paving.
Some species will keep throwing suckers from residual roots long after the stump is gone — camphor laurel and privet are the usual offenders, and both are common through the older coastal suburbs. Grinding alone won't always stop it.
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.
Full removal of trees that are dead, dangerous, lifting paving or outgrowing a coastal block.
Cutting back overgrown canopies for clearance and light — done to standard, not just topped.
Qualified AQF3 and AQF5 arborists for assessments, reports and tree work across the coast.
Grinding stumps out below ground so you can turf, pave or replant over the top.
Structural pruning and tree trimming — clearance, deadwooding and shaping, done to AS4373.
Urgent make-safe when a tree is down, hung up or threatening a building.
Tell us the suburb, the tree and how urgent it is — we will match it to the right operator.
Call 0485 835 759