How To Demolish a Concrete Driveway

If you own a concrete driveway or sidewalk that has been improperly installed, it may need to get demolished and ripped up in order to be replaced. Concrete that was improperly installed will crack, sink, and rise to create an unsightly mess! Does the thought of doing concrete demolition yourself scare you?

Have no fear, this article will show you exactly how to demolish concrete yourself. Contrary to popular belief, the only tools you need for concrete demolition is a mini excavator, jackhammer, and a dump truck/dump trailer.

Preparation

Concrete Removal Wilkes-Barre
Demolishing concrete in Wilkes-Barre

The first stage in demolishing a concrete driveway is to understand what you are dealing with. Some variables include the thickness of the concrete, size of slabs, and if there is rebar. If rebar is present, the only way to demolish the concrete is to use an excavator and jackhammer the concrete into small pieces.

Once you know what you are working with, it is time to start the demolition process! Use a jackhammer to break a piece of concrete up, and grab that piece with the excavator.

Make sure everyone is standing clear of the area, and use caution tape if necessary. Pick the piece up with the excavator as high as you can, and drop it onto the concrete slab. The slab should crack into pieces, although it may take a couple tries.

Loading up concrete

Driveway demolition Wilkes-Barre
Demolishing a driveway in Wilkes-Barre

Once you have a pile of concrete chunks, it is time to get rid of them! We started this project using one of our heavy duty dump trailers that we use for our Junk Removal Service, but quickly found that hiring a dump truck service was more efficient.

If you use a dump trailer, you can only get 2 heavily loaded dumps out of a charge, before you need to recharge the battery overnight. Once you have loaded up your dump truck/trailer, haul it to a concrete recycling plant, and keep rolling.

Cleanup

Wilkes-Barre Concrete Removal
Removing concrete from a driveway in Wilkes-Barre

Concrete is an extremely heavy material! When loading up your dump truck or dump trailer, it is important to not overload them because it is very easy to do. In addition, overloading your equipment not only makes them unsafe, but can wear them out much quicker.

Concrete Demolition Cost

Concrete Steps Demolition Wilkes-Barre
Demolishing Concrete Stairs in Wilkes-Barre

The cost of a concrete demolition & removal project can vary greatly depending on your location and the type of concrete that needs to be removed. Unfortunately, most homeowners do not own the equipment needed to demolish concrete.

Therefore, many DIYers resort to using a rental company to rent equipment for their concrete removal project. We have found that after the cost of renting equipment, transporting it to your home, working, and hauling away the concrete – it is cheaper to hire a concrete removal service.

DIY Concrete Demolition Cost Breakdown

  • $500/day mini excavator rental
  • $400/load concrete hauling & disposal
  • $100/day jackhammer rental

For an average DIY concrete driveway removal project that takes 2 days, the cost will be around $2,000.

Call The Concrete Demolition Professionals

Concrete removal company Wilkes-Barre
Concrete Removal Near Me

While it is relatively straightforward how to demolish concrete, the job is often-times left to a professional demolition contractor. Legitimate demolition companies have their own equipment, dump trucks & trailers, and the knowledge to get your concrete demolition job done safely and efficiently.

A+ Enterprises Demolition Service is the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area’s premier demolition contractor. We specialize in small to medium-sized demolition projects such as driveways, sheds, garages, mobile homes, pools, and more! We are fully licensed and insured, and have hundred of satisfied customers to back it up.


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      Jennifer Kobeski Avatar Jennifer Kobeski
      April 6, 2019

      Amazing customer service!! Very nice people and easy to work with. Will definitely use again!

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      December 14, 2020

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      Barbara Siana Avatar Barbara Siana
      October 16, 2020
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      March 15, 2020

      I got a 100% accurate estimate from the owner and he dispatched a crew to clean out my house the next day (!). The guys were professional and very nice and personable, making a tough situation much easier to handle. Moreover, they worked until the job was done way over my expectations. This company has the best prices in our area and they are complete pros. I would recommend them to anyone...don't hesitate and call A+ first! They will be my first call in the future!

      Daryl Williams Avatar Daryl Williams
      September 26, 2018

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      May 6, 2021
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      July 25, 2020

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      Mark Van Dyke Avatar Mark Van Dyke
      October 25, 2019

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      Jennifer Bitters Avatar Jennifer Bitters
      May 17, 2020
    • Sal was great to work with. I was so stressed about a large deck in the back of my house that was collapsing. Sal came right over and gave me a very fair price and two days later the job was done. And a really good job. He even hauled away a piece of junk for me at the last minute. I highly recommend this company and plan to use them again as the need arises

      Pam cortese Avatar Pam cortese
      April 10, 2019

      Great service , They came the same day I called. Very friendly and efficient. Great price for removal. Highly recommend this company. Very professional and A plus rating. Arrived on time and ready to work.

      Tina Stella Avatar Tina Stella
      August 5, 2019

      This company is not just professionals at their work but also very kid and hardworking. During the scheduling the staff was very helpful and were able to work with my last minute call with no issues. I received a reminder of my appointment witch was very helpful. The team that arrived to the job took care of business before I knew it it was all done. Very respectful and hard working team. Will definitely recommend anyone and will definitely use this company on my next project.

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      February 16, 2020
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      Daniel Lycholaj Avatar Daniel Lycholaj
      April 8, 2021

      I would highly recommend them they did a great job and the men were very hardworking and very nice I intend to get them back for more at another time

      Regina Pokrifka Avatar Regina Pokrifka
      August 11, 2020

      Hard working guys got the job done in one day. I recently bought a foreclose property and have A+ Enterprises help do the clean up. Its a 3 bedroom house full of junk, and everything was gone at the end of the day. Image a house hoarders live in, 3 bedrooms, each with bed, dressers, night stand, TV and many other trash, you do not want to be in the room more than 1 minute. Kitchen full of dirty dishes, appliances and dining table with chairs. At the end of the day, whatever not bolted down was gone, including most of the nasty carpet. I will definitely use their service again. Great service and the hard working people.

      Calvin L Avatar Calvin L
      April 7, 2021