Concrete cutting & core drilling cost
There's no single "price per cut" for concrete sawing — the pricing basis differs by the type of work, and a small job can carry a minimum that makes it feel expensive per cut. Here's how specialists actually price the work, and what pushes a quote up or down.
How it's priced
- Flat (slab) sawing is commonly priced by the inch of depth, per linear foot cut — a longer cut through a thicker slab costs more than a short cut through a thin one.
- Core drilling is priced by the hole, based on diameter and depth — a 4-inch plumbing penetration is a different price than a 12-inch HVAC opening through a foot of concrete.
- Wall sawing and wire sawing (for thick or heavily reinforced sections, like structural openings) are typically priced by the job, since setup and time vary more than they do for flat work.
- Nearly every job carries a day, half-day, or trip minimum — mobilization and setup cost the shop roughly the same whether they're on-site for one cut or many.
- Thickness / depth. More material to cut through means more blade time and, for coring, a longer bit.
- Reinforcement. Rebar slows a cut and wears blades faster; a suspected post-tension cable adds real caution and often extra scanning time.
- Access. Indoor work, overhead cuts, tight crawlspaces, or equipment that has to be carried in rather than driven up all add labor time.
- Dust and slurry control. Wet-cutting slurry and dry-cutting dust both need containment and cleanup, more so indoors or near finished spaces.
- Debris disposal. Hauling off cut slabs or core plugs is sometimes included, sometimes billed separately — ask up front.
As a very rough national ballpark: simple residential core holes often run in the low-to-mid hundreds of dollars including the trip minimum, and flat sawing scales from there with length and depth. This is a ballpark to set expectations, not a quote — get an itemized bid for your specific job.
Getting a quote you can actually compare
Ask what the price includes: GPR scanning before cutting, cleanup, and disposal. Confirm whether the quote assumes standard reinforcement or whether it could change once the crew opens up the slab. A specialist who scans first and prices clearly is easier to compare against another bid than one who gives a number with no scope attached.
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Concrete cutting cost FAQ
Why is there a minimum charge for a small cut or a single core hole?
Why do two quotes for the same job come back so different?
Is renting a saw and cutting concrete myself worth it?
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