Old concrete doesn't just look bad. A cracked driveway heaves up through winter, settles unevenly in spring, and becomes a trip hazard by summer. A sunken patio holds water against your foundation. A deteriorated slab that's been patched twice isn't worth patching a third time.
At some point, the old concrete has to come out. The question most homeowners run into is logistics: who breaks it up, who hauls it away, and how do you get a new surface poured without juggling two or three different contractors?
We handle all of it. Custom Concrete & Truck Service has been doing demolition and haul-away for 20 years across St. Clair, Madison, and Monroe County. Because we run our own trucks, removal is part of what we do, not something you arrange separately.
What Concrete Demolition Actually Involves
Breaking up concrete isn't the same as digging a hole. Residential slabs are typically 4 to 6 inches thick and reinforced with wire mesh or rebar. Demolition requires the right equipment to break the material cleanly without damaging surrounding structures, utility lines, or landscaping.
Here's what separates a clean tear-out from a messy one:
Controlled breaking. We use equipment sized to the job. Driveways and patios require different approaches than a thick industrial pad. Breaking the slab into manageable sections keeps the work efficient and reduces the risk of damage to adjacent areas.
Full debris removal. Broken concrete is heavy and irregular. A standard driveway tear-out can produce several tons of material. We load it onto our own dump trucks and haul it off the property. Nothing gets left in a pile for you to deal with later.
Base assessment. Once the old slab is out, we can see what's underneath. That's when we find out if the subgrade was the problem, whether the base needs to be re-graded or compacted, and what prep work the new pour will require. This step gets skipped when demolition and installation are done by separate crews who don't communicate.
Site left ready for the next step. Whether we're pouring new concrete the same week or you're coordinating other work first, we leave the area clean and graded.
Because we do both the demolition and the new pour with one crew, nothing falls through the gap between "old concrete out" and "new concrete in."
When Tear-Out Is the Right Call
Not every cracked slab needs full replacement. But these situations usually do:
Significant heaving or sinking. When sections of a driveway or patio have shifted more than an inch, the base underneath has failed. Grinding or leveling the surface doesn't fix the cause. The old slab needs to come out so the base can be properly prepped before anything new goes down.
Multiple cracks with widening gaps. A single hairline crack can often be monitored. But when you have a pattern of cracks, especially ones that are spreading or separating vertically, the slab is past the point of repair.
Water pooling where it shouldn't. Concrete that's settled toward the house or that drains onto a neighboring property is a drainage problem, not just a cosmetic one. Pooling water against a foundation causes long-term damage that costs far more than a driveway replacement.
Old concrete that's been patched repeatedly. Patch material doesn't bond to old concrete indefinitely. If a surface has had multiple repairs and continues to deteriorate, replacement is more cost-effective than another round of patching.
Our Process from Start to Finish
1. Free on-site estimate. We come out, look at the existing concrete, measure the area, and talk through what you're working with. We'll tell you what we see under and around the slab and give you a clear price before any work starts.
2. Job setup. We mark out the work area, check for any utility conflicts, and set up to protect surrounding landscaping or structures. Residential jobs in tighter yards get extra attention here.
3. Demolition. We break the existing slab using the appropriate equipment for the thickness and reinforcement involved. Work is done in sections to keep the job controlled.
4. Haul-away. Broken concrete is loaded onto our dump trucks and hauled off your property. We run our own trucks, so we're not waiting on a third-party hauler to show up.
5. Base evaluation and prep. With the old slab removed, we assess the subgrade. If we're pouring new concrete on the same job, we grade and compact the base before the pour. If you're using a different contractor for the new work, we leave the area ready for them.
6. Site cleanup. We remove any remaining debris and leave the area ready for the next step.
If you're replacing an old driveway from start to finish, see our Concrete Driveway Replacement page for the full process including base prep, forming, and the new pour.
What Affects the Cost
Concrete demolition pricing varies based on a few factors:
- Size of the slab. Square footage is the primary driver. A small patio costs less to remove than a three-car driveway.
- Thickness and reinforcement. Thicker slabs with heavy rebar take more time and equipment than a standard 4-inch residential pour.
- Access. Tight side yards or work near structures require more careful approach and may affect time on the job.
- Distance for haul-away. We serve a wide area across the Metro East, and disposal is factored into the estimate.
We don't charge separately for haul-away as a surprise line item. It's part of the quote we give you before work starts.
The best way to get an accurate number is a free on-site estimate. We'll look at the concrete, measure, and give you a clear price. Call us at 618-514-2663 or reach out at richie@customconcretesite.com.
Where We Work
We serve St. Clair, Madison, and Monroe County across the Metro East. That includes O'Fallon, Belleville, Fairview Heights, Swansea, Shiloh, Mascoutah, Edwardsville, Collinsville, Glen Carbon, Troy, Waterloo, Columbia, and the surrounding towns.
If you're not sure whether we cover your area, give us a call. We'd rather answer that question over the phone than have you wonder.
Service area pages:
Related Services
If you need more than just tear-out, these services connect directly to demolition work:
Concrete Removal & Replacement Full tear-out and new pour handled by the same crew. We demolish the old concrete, haul it off, prep the base, and pour the new surface with no second contractor in the middle.
Dump Truck Hauling Service We run dump trucks for gravel, dirt, rock, and debris hauling across the Metro East. The same trucks that haul away your concrete are available for other hauling needs on your property.
Site Prep & Grading After the old concrete is out, the base is what determines how long the new surface lasts. We grade and compact the subgrade in-house so the new pour has a solid foundation.
Concrete Driveway Replacement If your driveway is past repair, we tear it out and replace it with one crew from start to finish. No separate demolition company, no waiting between phases.