Concrete removal cost
Removing an old driveway, patio, sidewalk, or slab is a common homeowner project, and it's priced differently than the precision cutting work in our cutting-cost guide. Here's the pricing basis and what actually moves the number for a tear-out job.
How it's priced
Concrete removal is typically priced by the square foot of slab area, then adjusted up or down for:
- Slab thickness. A 4-inch sidewalk breaks out faster than a 6–8-inch reinforced driveway.
- Reinforcement. Rebar or wire mesh inside the slab slows breakout and adds labor to cut or pull it free.
- Haul-off and disposal. Loading and trucking debris to a landfill or recycling facility, plus any dump/tipping fees, is often a real share of the total — see below.
- Access. Whether heavy equipment (a skid steer or excavator) can drive right up to the slab, or has to be walked in through a gate or backyard, changes how much is done by machine versus hand labor.
- Total square footage — the main driver of price.
- Thickness and reinforcement — driveways (thicker, often rebar) generally cost more per square foot than a plain patio or walkway.
- Presawing the slab — a cutting specialist scoring the concrete into manageable sections before breakout can make removal faster and haul-off cleaner, especially in tight or attached areas near a house.
- Disposal distance — how far the debris has to travel to a landfill or recycling facility affects hauling cost.
- Site access — hand-carried debris from a fenced backyard costs more in labor than a driveway a truck can back up to.
As a very rough national ballpark, small-to-mid residential removal jobs (a walkway or patio) often land in the low-to-mid single-digit dollars per square foot, with larger reinforced driveways running higher once haul-off is added. This is a ballpark to set expectations, not a quote — get an itemized bid for your project.
Who does this work
Removal is the homeowner "tear-out" lane that many concrete cutting shops and demolition contractors both serve. A cutting specialist can score the slab into sections first, which makes breakout and haul-off noticeably cleaner — particularly useful when the slab is attached to a foundation, sits near a fence or utility line, or needs to come out without disturbing what's next to it.
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Concrete removal cost FAQ
Is haul-off and disposal included in a removal quote?
Can the old concrete be recycled instead of landfilled?
Do you need a permit to remove a driveway or slab?
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