Concrete Demolition

Removal is priced on volume and access rather than on area. Thickness is significant, as a six-inch reinforced slab represents more than twice the work of a four-inch one, and access is the largest factor: a driveway a machine can reach and a back patio requiring material to be barrowed through a side gate differ substantially at the same area.

Disposal is a real cost and belongs in the quote. Where a price appears unusually low, disposal is generally the omitted item. Our estimates include haul-away and legal disposal.

For most residential slabs the method is a hydraulic breaker, either handheld or mounted on an excavator, reducing the slab to sections small enough to lift. Where part of a slab is being removed, the line is saw cut first so that the remaining concrete retains a clean straight edge.

Thicker or larger-scale work requires heavier equipment. Reinforced concrete must be cut free of its rebar as it is broken out, which is slower than unreinforced slab. Method follows the concrete and the site access, and both are assessed before work begins.

Breaking out a small, thin, unreinforced slab with a rented breaker is within the scope of a competent DIY project. The stage most frequently underestimated is disposal: one square yard of four-inch concrete weighs approximately half a ton, and all of it must be lifted, loaded, transported and disposed of at a licensed facility.

Buried services are the other consideration. Irrigation lines, gas, electrical runs to a garage or shed and pool plumbing are commonly routed beneath flatwork. Work that is reinforced, thick, adjacent to a structure or adjacent to a pool should be carried out by a licensed and insured contractor with the appropriate equipment.

Yes. Loading, haulage and legal disposal are included in every removal we carry out and are itemized in the written quote rather than added afterward. Concrete is taken to a recycling facility wherever the load permits, where it is crushed and reused as base material.

The site is left graded and clear. Where a new pour is to follow, the ground is left prepared for it. See digging and grading for the stage that follows.

Yes. Partial removal is a routine request: a single cracked panel from a walkway, the section of driveway a root has lifted, or one half of a patio being reconfigured. The line is saw cut to full depth first, so the remaining slab has a clean edge to pour against and the break does not propagate into it.

Cutting at an existing joint is generally the preferred option where one is suitably positioned. The cut line is confirmed with you before work begins.