Old concrete doesn't fail overnight. It cracks a little, sinks an inch, and sits there for a few years while you figure out whether to patch it or replace it. Then a hard winter opens up the cracks, water gets underneath, and now you've got a trip hazard in the driveway or a patio that drains toward the house. At that point, patching isn't the answer anymore. Full removal and replacement is.
The problem most homeowners run into isn't the decision to replace — it's the logistics. You call a concrete contractor and find out you need a separate company to break out and haul away the old slab first. Now you're coordinating two schedules, two crews, and two invoices for one job. That's where a lot of projects stall.
We don't work that way. Custom Concrete & Truck Service handles the full process in-house, from the first crack to the finished pour.
Our Concrete Removal and Replacement Approach
The name "Truck Service" in our company name exists for a reason. We run our own dump trucks. That means when an old driveway, patio, sidewalk, or slab needs to come out, we're not calling a third party to haul the debris — we do it ourselves.
Here's why that matters practically: demolition and hauling get scheduled with the rest of the job. There's no waiting for another contractor to free up. There's no markup on a subcontractor you never meet. The same crew that breaks up the old concrete is the one that preps the base and pours the new surface.
We've been doing this work for 20 years across St. Clair, Madison, and Monroe County. In that time, the most common cause of concrete failure we see isn't bad concrete — it's a bad base. Poor grading, inadequate compaction, and drainage that runs the wrong direction are what cause slabs to sink and crack before their time. When we do a replacement, we fix those root problems. We re-grade, compact the sub-base, and set proper thickness and reinforcement before the new concrete goes in. Otherwise, you're pouring new concrete over the same conditions that failed the first time.
When You Need Full Removal and Replacement
Patching has its place, but there are situations where replacement is the better call:
Widespread cracking or heaving. When cracks run across most of a slab, or sections have shifted up or down significantly, the base underneath has already failed. A patch doesn't fix the base.
Drainage running toward the house. A slab that has settled toward the foundation is directing water where you don't want it. That's a drainage correction job, not a surface repair.
Trip hazards from uneven sections. If slabs have separated and one edge is raised, that's a liability. It doesn't get better on its own, and it doesn't get fixed with caulk.
Concrete that's just worn out. Driveways built in the 1970s and 1980s are reaching the end of their service life throughout the Metro East. At some point, the right move is a clean replacement with modern prep and thickness standards, not another round of patching.
Our Process: Start to Finish
1. Free on-site estimate. We come out, look at what's there, and talk through the project. We measure the area, assess the base conditions, and give you a clear written price before anything starts. No pressure, no obligation.
2. Demolition and haul-away. We break out the old concrete using our own equipment and load it onto our trucks. Debris is hauled off the same day or within the project timeline — it doesn't sit in your yard.
3. Base prep and grading. This is the step most failures trace back to. We re-grade the sub-base for proper drainage, compact it, and check depth before forming. If there are drainage corrections to make, we handle them here.
4. Forming, reinforcement, and pour. We set forms to the correct dimensions, place reinforcement where the design calls for it, and pour. Finish options include standard broom, exposed aggregate, and stamped decorative patterns.
5. Curing and cleanup. Concrete needs time to cure properly. We'll tell you exactly when you can walk on it, drive on it, and put normal use back on it based on the conditions of your pour. Job site gets cleaned up before we leave.
What Affects the Cost
Concrete removal and replacement pricing varies based on a few straightforward factors:
- Square footage. Bigger surface, more material and labor.
- Thickness. A standard residential driveway is typically 4 inches. Areas with heavier vehicle traffic may need 5 or 6 inches.
- Finish type. A standard broom finish costs less than stamped decorative concrete. Stamped and decorative concrete adds labor and materials for the pattern and color work.
- Base conditions. If the existing sub-base needs significant rework or additional fill material, that affects the price.
- Disposal volume. More old concrete means more hauling. Because we own our trucks, this is part of the job estimate, not a surprise add-on.
The best way to get a number is a free on-site estimate. Ballpark figures over the phone don't account for what's actually under the old slab. We'd rather come out, measure, and give you an accurate price you can budget against.
Call us at 618-514-2663 or reach out at richie@customconcretesite.com to schedule.
Where We Work
We serve residential and commercial customers throughout St. Clair County, Madison County, and Monroe County. Concrete removal and replacement projects have taken us from O'Fallon and Belleville to Edwardsville, Collinsville, Waterloo, Columbia, and the smaller towns across the three-county area.
If you're in the Metro East and not sure whether you're in our range, just call. We'll tell you straight.
Service area pages:
- St. Clair County, IL
- Madison County, IL
- Monroe County, IL
- O'Fallon, IL
- Belleville, IL
- Edwardsville, IL
- Waterloo, IL
- Columbia, IL
Related Services
If you're replacing concrete, you may also be looking at one of these:
- Stamped & Decorative Concrete — Replace old plain concrete with something that has more visual appeal. Stamped patterns and color are applied during the pour.
- Garage & Shop Floor Concrete — Garage floors take a beating. If yours is cracking or scaling, we pour replacement floors at the right thickness for vehicles and equipment.
- Concrete Slabs & Pads — Smaller pads for sheds, HVAC units, or utility areas. If the old pad is failing, replacement is usually straightforward.
- Commercial Concrete Flatwork — Commercial properties sometimes need large sections of flatwork replaced. We schedule around your operation to minimize disruption.