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Felling with elevating platform or climbing technique, controlled sectioning, stump grinding and full waste management. We cover all Costa Blanca municipalities with the corresponding permits.
Safe felling with all necessary permits
Many Costa Blanca municipalities require prior permits for tree felling. We handle all the paperwork and coordinate with a crane company if needed for complex jobs.
Why choose us?
- ✓Full permit management with every town hall in Costa Blanca.
- ✓Specialised machinery for felling in tight spaces with no surrounding damage.
- ✓Stump grinding and full site restoration included.
Controlled felling: which technique we use and when
Not every tree is felled the same way. Before starting we assess the available felling space, the condition of the trunk, how close it is to buildings, cables or fences, and the access for machinery. That assessment determines the technique, and the technique determines the quote. These are the four we use:
- ✓Directional felling. When there is enough clear space, the tree is brought down whole in a calculated direction. We cut a directional notch and a felling cut and, if needed, use wedges and a pull rope to control where it lands. It is the fastest and cheapest technique, but only viable with a clear drop zone.
- ✓Sectional dismantling by climbing. The technique for tight spaces. The arborist climbs on ropes and cuts the tree from the top down in small pieces, lowering each one under control. Nothing falls freely. This is what allows a tree to be felled a metre from a wall, a pool or a power line.
- ✓Mobile elevating platform. Where there is vehicle access, a platform replaces climbing: it cuts working time and risk, and reaches long horizontal limbs that would be awkward to work from the tree itself. It needs firm ground and room to set the outriggers.
- ✓Crane. For very large specimens, very heavy timber, or situations where no load can be left on the tree's structure. The crane holds the section before the cut and sets it down clear of the risk zone. It is the most expensive option and usually involves occupying the public highway.
In every case we work with certified protective equipment, a signposted exclusion zone and specific public liability insurance for work next to buildings and public roads.
Large trees and small trees: what changes
On small trees up to around 6 metres, directional felling from the ground is the norm: a morning's work with a light chainsaw and immediate clearing of the debris. Here the cost is driven mainly by the volume of biomass to remove, not by technical difficulty.
Above that height, and especially on large trees of 10, 15 metres or more — Aleppo pines, eucalyptus, carob, ficus or mature palms — sectional dismantling comes into play, along with the weight of each piece and the coordination between the climber and the ground crew. A large pine next to a house can take a full day and require closing off pedestrian access. In these cases the quote always follows a site visit, never a phone call.
Stump grinding: removing the stump and roots
Felling a tree leaves the stump — the base of the trunk with its root system — in the ground. Stump grinding is the job of removing it, and it is separate from the felling. It is worth planning from the outset, because an abandoned stump causes more problems than it appears.
Why the stump is worth removing
- ✓It regrows. Many Mediterranean species — tree of heaven, mulberry, poplar, acacia, ficus — throw up suckers from the stump and roots for years, and every regrowth has to be cut again.
- ✓It attracts pests and fungi. Buried dead wood is the ideal substrate for subterranean termites and for decay fungi such as Armillaria, which can spread to healthy nearby trees.
- ✓It blocks replanting on the same spot. Without grinding you cannot plant another specimen there, or lay turf, irrigation or paving.
- ✓It is a trip hazard and an obstacle for the mower and for machinery access.
- ✓The roots keep working. Thick roots lifting slabs, kerbs or a pool shell do not stop being a problem just because the tree has gone.
How it is done
- ✓Grinding with a stump grinder. The usual method. A machine with a carbide-toothed wheel grinds the stump away to between 20 and 40 cm below ground level, turning the wood into chippings. It is fast, opens no trench and spares the surroundings. Depth is matched to what goes on top: 20-30 cm is enough for turf or planting; for building work or paving you have to go deeper.
- ✓Excavator extraction. The stump is pulled out with the main root. It leaves the ground completely clear and is the right call where building work, foundations or earthworks are planned, but it opens a large hole, needs machine access and does more damage to the existing garden.
- ✓Manual removal. Only viable on small stumps with little root, on shrubs and young trees. With no machine involved, the cost is labour.
Before grinding we always check what is buried: irrigation pipes, water mains, electrical or pool cabling. A grinder wheel cannot tell a root from a polythene pipe, so locating buried services is part of the job.
Grinding leaves a pile of chippings mixed with soil. It can be removed entirely, or left in the hole if the area is not going to be replanted straight away. If you are planting another tree in the same spot, the right thing is to remove the chippings and backfill with topsoil, because decomposing wood draws nitrogen out of the soil and sets the new plant back.
Palms are a different job: they do not form a woody stump with thick roots but a much more compact root ball of fine, fibrous roots, which is usually extracted whole rather than ground out.
Waste removal: chipping and clearing
All our felling work includes full removal of the debris. We chip the biomass on site, which drastically cuts the volume to be transported, and take the material to a licensed waste handler. If you like, the woodchip can be left on the property to use as mulch on beds — a free way to reduce watering and suppress weeds.
Frequently asked questions about felling and stump grinding
How much does stump grinding cost?
It depends on the diameter of the stump, the species, how hard the timber is and above all on access: a stump in the middle of an open plot is not the same as one in an inner courtyard where the machine has to be carried in by hand. That is why grinding is quoted separately from the felling and always after seeing the job.
How deep is the stump ground out?
Usually to between 20 and 40 cm below ground level. For laying turf or planting, 20-30 cm is enough; if a slab, paving or foundation is going on top, you have to go deeper and sometimes it is better to extract it outright with a machine.
Can I plant another tree in the same place?
Yes, provided the grindings are removed and the hole is backfilled with topsoil. If the chipped wood is left in the hole, it draws nitrogen as it decomposes and the new tree struggles. It is also wise not to replant the same species if the previous tree died of a soil-borne fungus.
Will the stump regrow if I leave it?
Yes, and it is very common on the Costa Blanca with tree of heaven, mulberry, acacia, poplar and ficus. As long as the root system is alive it can throw suckers for years. Cutting them back by hand each season does not solve it: grinding the stump out is the permanent fix.
Excellent service on our property. Punctual, professional and great value across Costa Blanca.
The result exceeded all our expectations. They really know the plants and climate of the area.