Concrete removal cost in Tulsa depends on how much concrete there is, what is inside it, how a machine gets to it and how far it has to be hauled. Two slabs the same size can price very differently, which is why the number should come from someone standing on the job.
What moves the price of concrete removal
Size is the obvious one, but thickness matters just as much. A thin sidewalk breaks up easily. A thick driveway apron or an old shop floor takes far more hammer time. Steel changes it again. Rebar and wire mesh hold the broken pieces together, so they have to be pulled apart and loaded, and the steel goes with the rest.
Then look at what is under and around the slab. Thickened edges, footings, old foundations and piers are all more concrete, and they sit under grade where you cannot see them until the slab is up. A patio poured against the house, or a slab with lines running under it, needs more care than a drive in the open. All of that shows up in the time and the loads, and both show up in the price.
Access: the part people forget to mention
A driveway at the street is easy to reach. A patio in a fenced back yard is not. If the only way in is a side yard or a narrow gate, the question becomes whether a machine fits at all, whether a section of fence has to come down, and how far broken concrete has to be carried back out to a truck.
Soft ground matters too. A yard that has been soaked for a week will rut under a loaded machine, and that ground has to be put back afterwards. Justin looks at the access before quoting and tells you plainly if a machine will not fit or if fence has to come down to get in. That conversation happens at the estimate, not on the morning of the job.
Haul-off: where the concrete goes
Broken concrete is heavy, and it has to leave the property and go somewhere that takes it. That means loads and trips, and the number of trips depends on how much concrete there is and how far it has to go. Breaking it out is only half the job.
On a concrete removal job with Earthworks by Justin, loading and hauling are quoted together with the breaking, so there is no pile of rubble left on your lawn and no second bill for getting rid of it. If the concrete is coming out because something new is going in, say so at the estimate, because what goes back in its place changes how the ground is left.
The easiest way to remove concrete
For a single stepping pad or a short run of thin walk, a sledgehammer, a pry bar and a strong back will do it, and some people would rather spend a weekend than pay for a machine. Wear eye protection and expect it to take longer than you think.
Anything bigger is a different story. A driveway, a patio, a slab with rebar or an old foundation is where a machine with a hydraulic hammer earns its keep. It breaks the concrete, the bucket loads it, and the truck takes it away in one operation. The do-it-yourself route also leaves you with the hardest part still to do: a heap of heavy rubble that has to be loaded and taken somewhere. That is usually the point where people pick up the phone.
What goes back after concrete removal
Once the concrete is out, voids get filled and the area is graded back so you can pour, build or seed. If a new slab or drive is being poured, the ground underneath gets cut back to grade so the concrete contractor has a sound base to pour on.
If the old drive is being replaced with gravel, that can be done on the same job. See driveway installation and repair. If the concrete came out because water was sitting against the house, it is worth fixing that while the ground is open, and the drainage and French drains page explains how. Planning the next step now saves opening the ground twice.
Before the hammer starts
Oklahoma law requires a call to OKIE811 before digging so buried utility lines get marked. Breaking out footings or anything under grade counts, and the request is free. The guide to OKIE811 before you dig covers how it works.
Utility companies usually only mark their own lines, so tell Justin about anything private you know of: a water line to a shop, a sewer line under the patio, sprinkler lines. Then call (918) 240-3392 with where the property is, what the concrete is, roughly how big it is and what you want there afterwards. He will come out, look at it and give you a fixed number. More on the work is on the concrete removal in Tulsa page.
The Short Version
- Concrete removal cost depends on size, thickness, rebar, what is under the slab, access and haul-off.
- Back yards behind narrow gates cost more to reach than a driveway at the street.
- Small pads can be broken by hand. Drives, patios and slabs with rebar are machine work.
- Loading and hauling should be in the quote, or you are left with a pile of rubble.
- Call OKIE811 before footings come out, then call Justin at (918) 240-3392 for a walk-through.
Quick Answers
Is it hard to get rid of old concrete?
It is heavy and it has to go somewhere that accepts it, which is why most people do not want to deal with it themselves. When the loading and hauling are part of the quote, it leaves the property with the job.
Does rebar in a slab change the cost of removal?
Yes. Rebar and wire mesh hold broken pieces together, so they take longer to pull apart and load. You often cannot see it until the slab is broken, which is one more reason the estimate happens on site.
Will my yard be torn up after a patio is broken out?
A machine has to get to the patio, so the route in is part of the plan. When the concrete is gone, voids get filled and the area is graded back so it can be seeded, built on or poured again.
See the concrete removal service or call (918) 240-3392.