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Concrete Removal & Demolition in Burlington
We break out, haul away and recycle old concrete driveways, patios, walks and slabs across Burlington, and leave the ground graded for whatever goes back. Burlington's older lakeshore streets have decades-old flatwork on clay that heaves with frost. Union-certified crews do the job, and the written quote is free.
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Free · no pressure · 1 business day
Reviewed June 2026
Every job is priced individually, not off a price list. Tell us about yours and you get an accurate, no-pressure quote in writing.
Roseland, Shoreacres and Elizabeth Gardens are postwar neighbourhoods on big lots, and many of the homes have been renovated or rebuilt beside driveways, walks and steps that are decades old. When a house is rebuilt or a driveway has heaved past saving, the old slab has to go before anything new is poured.
The ground under those slabs is the other half of the job. The lower city sits on clay left by Glacial Lake Iroquois, and clay swells when wet and lifts a thin slab when frost gets under it. Tearing out the slab is only the start: the base that failed has to be dug out and rebuilt, or the new concrete repeats the old problem.
The full method, the saw cuts, utility locates, machine access and recycling, is on our concrete removal and demolition page. This page covers what a Burlington tear-out involves. Send the form for a free written quote, with breakout, hauling, disposal and grading itemized.
Why Burlington slabs fail, and what that means for the tear-out
Below the escarpment, Burlington sits on lake clay over red Queenston shale. Clay holds water and drains slowly, so frost finds it under a slab and lifts it. A driveway or walk that has cracked and heaved is usually telling you the base did not suit the ground.
That changes how we scope removal. When we break the slab out, we look at what is under it. If the base is soft, wet or full of old fill, it comes out too, and we leave compacted granular ready for forms. If nothing is going back, we grade the area so water runs away from the house.
Older lakeshore lots: access and old flatwork
Access decides the method. The smallest machines clear a 36 in. gate; where no machine fits, the breakout is done by hand and the concrete is carried out. Both are priced at the site visit, not discovered mid-job.
Slab thickness and reinforcement affect the work, and steps and thickened edges can hide more concrete below grade. We cut mesh and rebar free and recycle it separately from the concrete.
Aldershot: look at the ground under the slab
The streets back from the bay toward the Royal Botanical Gardens were orchard and nursery ground for generations, so there is often deep worked topsoil or old fill under a driveway or patio. Soft, organic ground will not carry a new slab. On these lots the tear-out and the base repair are planned together, so the excavation goes down to firm material before anyone pours.
Tear-out and new pour with one crew
Most tear-outs are day one of a replacement, such as an old driveway coming out, a heaved patio making way for a larger one, or a worn front walk and steps. One crew doing the removal and the new pour rebuilds the base while the ground is open, and you pay for one mobilization instead of two. The new concrete carries our lifetime warranty on labour.
Small jobs are welcome. A single walkway or an old pad is booked into a regular route alongside the larger jobs.
Straight answers
Do you remove old driveways and walks in older Burlington neighbourhoods?
Yes. Tear-out of old driveways, patios, walks, steps and garage pads is part of our work in Burlington. We break out the concrete, haul it to a recycler and grade the site, and we quote the tear-out on its own or together with the new pour.
Why did my Burlington driveway crack and heave, and will the new one do the same?
Usually because the base did not suit the clay. Lake clay holds water, and frost under a thin base lifts the slab. When we remove a slab we check the base under it, and we rebuild it with compacted granular and proper drainage so the new concrete does not repeat the old problem.
Do I need a permit to remove a driveway or patio in Burlington?
Removing flatwork normally needs no building permit. Utility locates are required by Ontario law before any digging, and we order them as part of the job. If the replacement changes your driveway's width or curb cut, check with the municipality before the pour.
What happens to the old concrete?
It is hauled to a recycler and crushed into road base, and nothing is buried on site. Mesh and rebar are cut free and recycled separately. Disposal is part of the written quote.
How much does concrete removal cost in Burlington?
Slab thickness, how heavily it is reinforced and how a machine can reach it set the number, so a flat figure would mislead you. We give you a free written quote after a site visit, with breakout, hauling, disposal and grading itemized, and the number on it is the number you pay unless you change the job.
Keep reading
- Concrete Removal & Demolition across Southern OntarioThe full method: utility locates, saw cuts, machine access, recycling and grading.
- Concrete Contractors in BurlingtonEverything else we pour and repair across the city, from Aldershot to Alton Village.
- Concrete Driveways in BurlingtonThe new driveway that follows the tear-out, built for lake clay and old nursery ground.
- Concrete Walkways & StepsWorn front walks and steps come out and go back in as one job.
Tell us about the job.
Send the details and we'll get back to you within one business day with next steps. If water is coming in right now, check the box and we flag it urgent.
Get a straight quote
Free · no pressure · 1 business day