Concrete Removal in Ontario: How Tear-Out Works and What to Plan
Updated October 2026
Concrete removal is the breakout, hauling and disposal of an old driveway, patio, walkway, step or slab. A proper tear-out runs in order: utility locates first, saw cuts where the old concrete meets concrete that stays, breakout with a hydraulic breaker or jackhammers, mesh and rebar cut free, loading and hauling to a recycler, then grading so the space is ready for a new pour, gravel or topsoil. Most residential tear-outs take one day on site, but the utility locates take about a week to arrive, so book early. Cost depends on slab thickness, reinforcement and how a machine can reach the work. Whoever quotes a replacement should show the demolition line in writing. We give free written quotes with breakout, hauling, disposal and grading itemized.
Tearing out concrete is easy to describe and easy to underestimate. One crew, one machine, one day, and the old slab is gone. In practice, the day goes well or badly depending on what was arranged before the machine arrived. This guide walks through how a tear-out works in Southern Ontario, in the order it happens, and what you should plan for.
The order of a proper tear-out
A good removal follows the same steps every time.
- Utility locates. Before any machine digs, the underground utilities get marked. In Ontario, locates are required by law. We order them as part of the job. Allow about a week for the marking before machine day.
- Saw cuts. Wherever the old concrete meets concrete that stays, such as a house step, a neighbour’s walk or a section of driveway you are keeping, the slab is saw-cut first. The cut gives a clean edge. Without it, the breaker chews past the line into concrete that was supposed to stay.
- Breakout. A skid steer with a hydraulic breaker handles open areas. Jackhammers do the work against the house and in tight yards.
- Separating mesh and rebar. Reinforcing steel holds broken slabs together, so each piece has to be cut free before it can be loaded. This is the slow part of a heavily reinforced slab.
- Loading and hauling. Clean concrete goes to a recycler, where it is crushed and returned as road base. Mesh and rebar are recycled separately.
- Grading. The space is left graded and tidy. If a new pour is coming, that means compacted granular ready for forms. If the concrete is gone for good, it means gravel or topsoil so the yard reads as yard.
What to plan before the crew arrives
- Access. Measure your gate. The smallest machines clear a 36 in. gate. If no machine fits, the work is done by hand, and that costs more.
- The machine path. Tell the crew where the lawn, fence, trees and soft ground are. The path is planned before the machine arrives, with protection laid where the ground is soft.
- What goes back. Decide, or ask us, what the space becomes: a new pour, gravel, or soil and seed. Say so on the quote request.
- Locates timing. The locate wait is the longest part of the schedule. Book early rather than late.
- A realistic view of the lawn. A tracked machine crossing a lawn in a wet week leaves marks. A good contractor says so at the quote.
What drives the cost of removal
We do not publish a rate, because removal cost depends on three things you can only judge at the property.
- Thickness. Patios and walks are commonly about 4 in., driveways 5 to 6 in., and garage pads 6 in. or more. Thicker concrete means more breaking time and more tonnage to haul.
- Reinforcement. The more steel in the slab, the longer it takes to cut free.
- Access. An open driveway is the easy case. A backyard patio behind a narrow gate means smaller machines or hand breakout.
Disposal is billed by the load. The only honest way to price your job is a visit. We give a free written quote with measurements and options.
The quote trap: check for the demolition line
When you compare replacement quotes, find the demolition line first. Some contractors price the new pour all-in. Others price only the new concrete and leave the tear-out as a surprise after you have signed. Ask each one: does this quote include breakout, hauling, disposal and grading? Ours itemizes those lines on every quote that involves old concrete, even when the answer is that there is nothing to remove.
Removal as day one of a new pour
Most tear-outs are the first day of something else. An old driveway coming out ahead of a new one, a heaved patio making way for a bigger one, an old single-car pad replaced by a proper two-car garage slab.
Doing the demolition and the new pour with one crew has a practical benefit. The base is rebuilt while the ground is open, compacted in lifts and graded for drainage. A pour crew arriving at someone else’s backfill has to quote around whatever is under it. One crew also means one mobilization instead of two.
Remove it or keep it?
Removal is not always the answer. If a slab is sound and only the surface has failed, a bonded overlay may do the job. If the slab is cracked, heaving or sitting on a failed base, a new pour over it copies the same problems upward. Repair or replace walks through how to tell the difference, and we will say so at the quote if repair is the better answer.
Getting a number
Tell us what you want removed, how thick it looks, whether it has mesh or rebar showing and how a machine would reach it. We will visit, measure and give a free written quote. If you want new concrete after the tear-out, we quote both together. The new concrete carries our lifetime warranty on labour. Read how we handle concrete removal and demolition, or request a free written quote.
How long does concrete removal take?
Most residential tear-outs are one day on site: saw cuts and breakout in the morning, loading and hauling through the afternoon, grading before the crew leaves. Large driveways, thick reinforced pads and backyards with hand-carry access can take two days. Plan for the utility locates, which take about a week to be marked before the machine arrives.
Do I need a permit to remove a driveway or patio in Ontario?
Removing flatwork normally needs no building permit. Utility locates are still required before any digging, and we order them as part of the job. If the replacement changes your driveway width or curb cut, check with the municipality before the pour, not after.
What happens to the old concrete?
Clean concrete goes to aggregate recycling, where it is crushed and comes back as road base. Mesh and rebar are cut free and recycled separately. Nothing is buried on your property.
Can I pour new concrete over the old slab instead of removing it?
Sometimes. A bonded overlay over sound, stable concrete is a real option. A new structural slab poured over a cracked or heaving one copies the old movement upward, and the added height can fight doors, sills and drainage. If the base under the old slab failed, the answer is removal, a rebuilt base and a new pour.
Can the crew get a machine into my backyard?
The smallest machines clear a 36 in. gate. Where no machine fits, the concrete is broken by hand and carried out, which takes longer and costs more. Measure your gate and tell us about any narrow access when you ask for a quote.