Concrete removal & demolition cost calculator
Estimate the cost to break out and haul away a slab from its area, a thickness factor, your demo rate per square foot and a haul-away line — the first step before any repour.
Calculator
Breaking out and hauling 400 sq ft is about $1,500.00. A thicker or reinforced slab raises the thickness factor and the demo price.
Before you can pour a new driveway, patio or slab, the old one usually has to come out. Demolition and removal is priced by the area broken out, adjusted for how thick and how reinforced the slab is, plus a separate line for hauling away and disposing of the rubble. This calculator combines the two so you can budget the removal on its own — then pair it with a repour estimate for the full replacement picture.
Unlike the other tools here, this one carries no contingency: removal is usually quoted as a firm line, so the estimate is exactly what you enter. The driveway removal & replacement calculator chains removal to a new pour if you want the combined total.
Formula
Break-out cost scaled by thickness, plus haul-away:
total = area × thickness factor × demo $/sq ft + haul
The thickness factor scales the demo rate for how much concrete there is to break: a standard 4-inch slab is about 1.0; a thick or heavily reinforced 6-inch driveway breaks harder and hauls heavier, so it takes a factor above 1.0. Rebar and wire mesh also slow removal — nudge the factor up when the slab is reinforced.
Worked example
A 400 sq ft standard 4-inch slab (factor 1.0) at $3/sq ft to demo, with $300 haul-away:
400 × 1.0 × $3 + $300= $1,200 + $300 = $1,500
Make the same slab a reinforced 6-inch pad (factor ~1.5) and the demo line alone climbs to $1,800 before haul-away — which is exactly why the thickness factor matters.
What drives removal cost
Three things push a removal quote up: thickness (more concrete to break and lift), reinforcement (rebar and mesh have to be cut and separated), and disposal (dumpster rental, dump fees and, in some areas, recycling charges scale with tonnage). Access matters too — a backyard slab a machine cannot reach means hand-breaking and wheelbarrowing, which costs more than an open driveway a skid-steer can attack directly.
| Slab | Rough thickness factor |
|---|---|
| Standard 4" residential slab | ~1.0 |
| 4" slab with wire mesh | ~1.1–1.2 |
| 5–6" driveway / heavy pad | ~1.3–1.5 |
| 6"+ reinforced with rebar | ~1.5–2.0 |
Factors are labeled planning ballparks to help you set the input — not prices. Use the demo rate and haul figure from your written quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to remove a concrete slab?
Removal is priced by the area broken out, scaled for thickness and reinforcement, plus haul-away. This tool computes area × thickness factor × demo $/sq ft + haul, so it stays accurate at whatever demo rate and disposal fee you enter.
What is the thickness factor?
A multiplier for how much concrete there is to break relative to a standard 4-inch slab (factor 1.0). A thicker or reinforced slab breaks harder and hauls heavier, so it takes a factor above 1.0 — roughly 1.3–1.5 for a 5–6-inch driveway, higher with heavy rebar.
Why is there no contingency on this tool?
Demolition and haul-away are usually quoted as firm lines rather than open-ended work, so the estimate is exactly the demo plus haul figures you enter. If you want the removal combined with a new pour, use the removal & replacement calculator.
Does this include the new pour?
No — this is removal and disposal only. Add a slab, driveway or patio cost for the repour, or use the removal & replacement tool for both in one.
Is this a bid?
No. It is a planning estimate from the numbers you enter, not a bid or a contract. Thickness, reinforcement, access and disposal fees move the real price. Get itemized written quotes from licensed, insured contractors before you commit.