Concrete Removal Without the Guesswork
Broken driveways, slabs, patios and small footings — busted up, loaded and hauled to a facility that can actually recycle it.
What Concrete Removal Includes
Concrete removal means breaking up, or hauling away already-broken, driveways, patios, walkways and small slabs, then getting the debris to a facility that recycles it instead of sending it straight to a landfill. It covers everything from a single cracked walkway section to a full driveway replacement.
- Driveway slab removal and concrete disposal
- Patio and paver slab tear-out
- Walkway and sidewalk section removal
- Concrete steps and small stoop removal
- Small footing or foundation removal
- Breaking up intact slabs (concrete demolition) before hauling
- Already-broken concrete pile hauling
A cracked driveway slab getting replaced before new concrete goes in
A DIY patio tear-out with a pile of broken concrete left in the yard
Old footings left behind after a shed or spa pad comes out
Who Books Concrete Removal
Homeowner replacing a driveway
Needs the old cracked slab gone before new concrete goes in.
DIY patio project
Already broke up a patio and is left with a pile of rubble in the yard.
Landscaper or hardscaper
Clearing an old slab before a new patio, walkway, or planting bed goes in.
Contractor or GC
Removing old footings or a foundation pad before new construction starts.
Pool or spa installer
Clearing a concrete pad to make room for new equipment.
How Long Concrete Removal Takes
A single cracked walkway section can be broken out and loaded in an hour or two. A full driveway or patio usually runs a half day to a full day, depending on how it's broken up already and how far the truck has to be from the slab. Buried footings or rebar-heavy sections add time since they don't break loose as cleanly.
- Small slab or walkway
- A single section or set of steps, usually an hour or two.
- Driveway or patio
- A full slab, typically a half day to a full day.
- Multiple areas or a large footprint
- Several slabs or a big driveway replacement, sometimes more than one visit.
How Pricing Works
Concrete is heavy — a small pile of busted-up driveway can weigh more than a full truckload of household junk. The price mostly comes down to tonnage: how much broken concrete there is, and what a recycler or landfill charges to take it. Rebar sticking out, buried footings, or concrete mixed with dirt and tile (which some facilities won't accept mixed) all add sorting and handling time.
Weight, Not Just Size
Broken concrete is dense — even a small pile can weigh as much as a full room of furniture, so disposal fees carry more of this quote than they would for lighter junk.
How It's Broken Up
Pre-broken rubble in manageable pieces loads faster than an intact slab we still need to break and pry apart.
Distance to the Truck
A backyard patio with a long carry or narrow side-yard access takes more labor than a driveway slab sitting right at the curb.
Where It Can Legally Go
Clean concrete can usually go to a recycler that crushes it into base rock; concrete mixed with dirt or trash often needs a different, pricier facility.
Send a photo of the slab or pile, we work out the weight and give you a fixed price — nothing changes once the crew shows up to load it.
Concrete Removal vs Renting a Dumpster
A dumpster works if you're already set up to break the concrete yourself; weight, not size, is usually where a rented bin runs into trouble.
| Factor | Concrete Removal with a crew | Renting a dumpster |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | We break it out and load it. | You or your contractor break it up and load every piece. |
| Weight limits | We work out the tonnage before we book the truck. | Most bins have a weight cap, and concrete hits it fast. |
| Driveway space | Crew comes, loads, leaves. | A bin sits on the driveway for the length of the rental. |
| Where it ends up | We route clean concrete to a recycler when we can. | Mixed loads often just go straight to a landfill. |
| Suitability | Best for slabs, patios, and driveway sections. | Can work for a small amount if you're already breaking it up yourself. |
For a small DIY patio tear-out where you're already swinging a sledgehammer, a dumpster can be the cheaper route — just watch the weight limit closely. For anything driveway-sized or bigger, the tonnage usually makes a haul-away crew the more practical option.
What We Can and Can't Take
We take
- Driveway concrete
- Patio slabs
- Walkway and sidewalk sections
- Concrete steps
- Small footings and foundations
- Broken concrete rubble piles
- Concrete block and masonry
- Concrete with light rebar
We can't take
- Hazardous waste
- Paint and solvents
- Asbestos-containing material
- Tires
- Medical waste
- Propane tanks
Paint gets dropped at a PaintCare recycling point around the county for free, and anything like old chemicals or propane tanks can go to the Miramar Household Hazardous Waste facility by appointment — we just can't legally load them into our trucks.
Where Your Load Actually Ends Up
What happens to broken concrete depends on how clean it is. A load of plain concrete has somewhere useful to go; concrete tangled up with dirt, tile, or trash usually doesn't.
Recycled
Clean concrete usually goes to a recycler that crushes it into base rock instead of straight to a landfill.
Reused
Broken chunks sometimes get reused for backfill or erosion control when a facility takes them that way.
Landfilled
Concrete mixed with dirt, tile, or trash often can't go to a recycler and heads to a landfill instead.
How to Get Ready for Concrete Removal
- Flag any sprinkler lines, drain pipes, or wiring buried near the slab.
- Clear anything sitting on top of the concrete — planters, furniture, debris.
- Point out where the truck can park closest to the slab.
- Mention any buried footings or old post holes you know about.
- Move vehicles out of the driveway on the day of the job.
None of this is required — it just speeds up how fast the crew can get to work.
Concrete Removal Near Me — How Our Coverage Works
What people are really asking with "near me" is whether a crew can get equipment to their slab this week. Our trucks run by area, not from a fixed yard, so the way to know we reach your street is to include your ZIP when you request a quote.
Include your ZIP with your quote request and we'll tell you right away if we're working your area.
Where We Offer Concrete Removal
We run concrete removal crews across San Diego County and are adding dedicated city pages as coverage grows — San Diego is live now.
Also available
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you break up the concrete, or do I need to do that first?
We bring equipment for smaller slabs and can break those up on site. Larger or heavily reinforced jobs sometimes need a jackhammer contractor to break the concrete before we haul it.
Can concrete be recycled instead of landfilled?
Clean concrete usually goes to a recycler that crushes it into base rock rather than straight to a landfill.
What if there's rebar in the slab?
We can handle concrete with light rebar. Heavily reinforced foundations sometimes need a saw cut first.
How much concrete can you haul in one trip?
It depends on the truck and what else is booked that day. Bigger jobs sometimes need more than one load.
Does concrete removal cover my part of San Diego County?
Our trucks run by area, not from a single yard. Give us your ZIP with a quote request and we'll confirm your street's in range.
Do you remove the base material under the slab too?
Yes, if you want it gone — let us know when you request the quote so it's included in the price.
Tell us what needs to go
Send a photo, get a fixed price, pick a window. No charge for the estimate.
(858) 859-0089