Altona Stump Removal & Tight Access
Stump grinding 300–400 mm below ground in Altona, including tight-access side paths and courtyards. No regrowth, clean finish.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Stump removal and tight access in Altona, done properly
Stump grinding in Altona (3018) is an easy job for us to slot in. Api quotes it free, and for most stumps the crew is in and out in an hour or two with the yard swept behind them.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Seaholme (3 km), Laverton (4 km), Seabrook (5 km), so a job in Altona is often paired with one next door. 2 of the reviews on this site are from Altona customers.
Old, rotten stumps and stumps with a wide root plate — the cypress and pine bases common along Altona fences — take longer than fresh stumps but grind the same way. Palm stumps are fibrous and slow. All of that is in the quote, so the price on the day is the price Api gave you.
Access decides the machine, not the result. Through a 750 mm gate we bring the compact grinder; into a courtyard, a mini machine; where nothing fits, hand tools. Every route ends with the stump below ground and nothing left to sucker.
Stump Removal & Tight Access in Altona — what we do
Stump grinding
Down to 300–400 mm below ground, surface roots chased out.
Tight-access grinding
Compact and mini machines for side paths and courtyards.
Large & multi-stem stumps
Mature hardwoods, palms and cypress rows.
Backfill & tidy finish
Grindings back in or removed and replaced with soil.
A tip from Api
If you are going to turf over the spot, ask for the grindings to be taken away and the hole filled with soil. Grindings settle and rob nitrogen; turf laid straight on them sinks and yellows.
The full service pages: Stump Removal and Tree & Palm Removal — every one available in Altona.
Guides from Api: Tree removal contractors: the checks to make before you sign in Melbourne · Professional tree removal vs tree lopping: why the method matters in Melbourne
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Altona?
Homeowners in Altona ask this more than anything else, so here is Hobsons Bay’s rule as the council publishes it.
Hobsons Bay protects trees on private land two ways. Under the Community Local Law 2025 a permit is required to remove, damage or interfere with a “significant tree” — a tree or palm with a trunk circumference of 110 cm or more measured 1.5 m above the ground, a multi-stemmed tree whose exterior stems add up to 110 cm, or a stump of that size — including one that overhangs from next door.
The application goes through the council’s permit portal; the fee is $137 (half for concession-card holders), the owner has to be the applicant, and the council asks for 15 business days. A permit is also needed to touch any tree on council land, including the nature strip.
The state canopy-tree clause applies on top, so a smaller tree near the front or rear boundary can need a planning permit even when it is under the local-law size.
Source: Hobsons Bay City Council — trees on private property, 1300 179 944. Read 13 September 2026; councils change their local laws, so Api checks the current rule when he quotes.
Across Victoria since 15 September 2025
Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees
A canopy tree is a tree more than 5 m tall, with a trunk circumference over 0.5 m at 1.4 m above the ground and a canopy at least 4 m across. In a residential zone a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary.
Dead trees, emergency and safety works, maintenance pruning and listed weed species are exempt; councils usually condition a permit on planting a replacement canopy tree, and most decide these through VicSmart in about ten business days.
What this means for you: tell Api where the tree sits on the block and he will tell you whether a permit is needed before anything is cut — and where one is, we can prepare the arborist assessment the application needs.
Stump removal jobs by Api and the crew
Real jobs, real photos — Api, the crew and the truck, across Melbourne’s bayside west. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What Altona customers say
Samantha
Altona · June 2020
Api and crew were reliable, hardworking and very easy to deal with, so polite. They did a fantastic job removing three trees and general tidy up of the yard. Completed beyond what I expected, thank you so much. Highly recommend.
Zalia P
Altona · Apr 2022
Professional , punctual and overall great service
Stump removal around Altona
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Altona
Tree services made easy
At Aps Tree Removal, we simplify the tree and hedge removal experience with a clear, step-by-step approach.
Contact us
Want to learn more? Call 0422 856 090 or send the form and speak with Api.
Get a quote
Getting a quote is quick, easy, and free.
On-site inspection
A quick, thorough site assessment — species, access and risks.
Professional removal
Clean and safe work, chipped and cleaned up — no mess, no hassle.
What clients across Melbourne’s bayside west say
Joseph Faltas
26 June 2023
APi is a great guy , honest and knowledgeable
Cathy Palio
26 June 2023
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I can’t speak highly enough of Api and his team from APS tree removal. It was a huge job and they tackled it with ease and a smile…
Ann Davies
26 June 2023
Prompt and efficient service - courteous and helpful - a pleasure to have them on the job - would definitely recommend them to friends
Ann D
21 June 2023 · Malvern East
Most efficient and prompt - very friendly and will use them again
Jason M
18 May 2023 · Taylors Hill
Api and the team were very professional and did a thorough job including immaculate clean up. Highly recommend due to exceptional service. Their price…
Travis
28 Mar 2023 · Werribee
Professional courteous on time and service to the next level completed everything cleaned up and have no hesitation in recommending there service than…
Jennifer D
14 Mar 2023 · Sunbury
Api was a force of nature, the team felled 15 very large pine trees in 2 days and removed stumps. They cleaned up the site, left the wood in neat pile…
Heath
1 Mar 2023 · Point Cook
They did an awesome job, the trees look great, they did pruning and removed 2 others. Cleaned you after themselves. super happy. Thanks guys
Loryn
13 Feb 2023 · Wyndham Vale
Awesome service! Super efficient, neat and tidy. All the team were respectful and pleasant to deal with. Job done to a high standard, will definately…
Belinda
11 Jan 2023 · Niddrie
Very prompt and efficient
David A
31 Dec 2022 · Werribee
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Mark
30 Dec 2022 · Altona Meadows
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Altona Stump Removal & Tight Access — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Altona?
Yes, if the trunk measures 110 cm around or more at 1.5 m above the ground (single trunk, or the stems of a multi-trunk tree added together): Hobsons Bay calls that a significant tree and requires a local-law permit ($137, about 15 business days). Smaller trees still fall under the state canopy-tree clause if they sit near a boundary. Across Victoria, Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees also applies since 15 September 2025: a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary. Api checks both at the quote.
How much does stump removal cost in Altona?
Priced per stump by its width at ground level and how the grinder reaches it. Ask for stump grinding on the tree quote if a tree is coming out — it is much cheaper on the same visit.
How long does it take?
An hour for a small stump, half a day for a large hardwood. We give you a time window and keep to it.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes. We have never met a stump we could not reach; the narrower the access, the longer it takes, and the quote says so.
What happens to the waste?
The chips fill the hole; what is left over goes on the truck. You are welcome to keep them for mulch.
How deep do you grind, and can I plant or pave over the spot?
300 to 400 mm below the surface as standard, deeper if you ask. That is enough for lawn, garden beds and paving. For a new tree in the same spot, ask for the main roots to be chased further out as well.