Cracked concrete patio slab with weeds growing through the cracks before removal

Hardscape Removal · Rochester, NY

Concrete Patio Removal in Rochester, NY

A poured concrete patio is a single slab, and it fails as one. Once it has cracked through, heaved at a joint or settled away from the house, patching is cosmetic — the slab comes out, or it keeps moving. This page covers concrete patios: broom-finished, stamped, colored and reinforced.

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From $1,000
Haul-away included
Footings and posts pulled

Why homeowners remove a concrete patio

Concrete in this climate lives through freeze-thaw cycles every winter. Water gets into a hairline crack, freezes, expands, and widens it. Repeat that for a few seasons and a surface that looked fine becomes one that rocks underfoot or holds a puddle against the foundation.

Stamped and colored patios add a second problem: the surface is sealed and patterned, so it cannot be ground and re-poured in place the way a plain slab sometimes can. When a decorative slab goes, replacing the whole thing is usually the only version that looks right.

What we remove

Broom-finished concrete patios
Stamped concrete, including older stamped work with failing release agents
Integrally colored and stained concrete
Reinforced slabs with wire mesh or rebar
Cracked, settled and heaving slabs
Slabs poured over an old patio or a gravel base

Signs it is time

Cracks wide enough to catch a finger, or cracks that keep coming back after patching
Slab sections that have dropped or lifted at a joint
Water that pools against the house after rain
A surface that has spalled, scaled or gone chalky
Stamped pattern that has worn through to plain grey concrete
Patio that is too small, the wrong shape, or in the way of an addition

Cleared and graded area after an outdoor hardscape was removed — Once the slab and its base are out, the area can be graded for whatever replaces it.

Our concrete patio removal process

Project review and quoteWe check thickness in more than one spot and look at what the slab is poured against. A four-inch patio and a seven-inch one with mesh are not the same load, and the quote reflects what is actually there.
Protect and cutMats go on the access path, and the slab is saw-cut at the joint against the house or a step so the structure is not pulled on.
Break out the slabThe slab is broken from the free edge inward, by machine where access allows and by hand where it does not. Reinforcement is cut clear as we go.
Separate and remove the baseConcrete, mesh and rebar are kept apart so clean concrete can go to a facility that takes it. Any failed gravel base under the slab comes out with it.
Haul, grade and cleanMaterial is loaded and hauled, the subgrade is left workable, and the site is swept — including a magnet pass for wire and tie ends.

Special considerations

Thickness decides the load. We check it in more than one place, because driveways poured as patios and patios poured as driveways are both common.
Mesh and rebar are separated before disposal — mixed rubble is charged differently from clean concrete.
A slab poured tight against the foundation is cut at the joint rather than levered away, or it takes a piece of the wall with it.
Asbestos and lead paint turn up in older exterior structures. If either is suspected, the job stops and it becomes an abatement question.

What happens to the space afterward?

The area is left graded and clear, ready for a new patio, a deck, a lawn or a shed base. Because the usual failure is underneath, a replacement should include a proper compacted base rather than a thin pour over what is left. If the new surface is going in right away, sequencing the removal and install together avoids paying twice for access and grading.

If a replacement surface is going in, we sequence the removal around it — and say so before the work starts.

What concrete patio removal costs in Rochester

We do not publish prices we cannot stand behind, because the number depends on what is actually on site. Residential removal projects generally have a $1,000 minimum project value. What moves the quote:

Square footage and slab thickness, which together set the load count
Reinforcement: plain slabs break quickly; rebar and mesh slow the work and need separating
Access — machine or hand carry, and how far the slab is from where a trailer can park
Base removal, if the gravel underneath has failed
Cutting required at the house, steps or adjoining slabs

How to get an accurate number

Send photos of the structure, the ground around it and the path a trailer would take to reach it. Add rough dimensions if you have them. Most jobs are quoted from that alone; anything structural or unusual gets looked at first.

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Concrete Patio Removal FAQs

How is this different from patio removal?

Patio removal covers pavers, brick, flagstone and stone on a sand base. This page is poured concrete — broom, stamped, colored or reinforced. The equipment, the load and the disposal stream are all different.

Can you remove stamped concrete without damaging the surrounding yard?

Yes. It is broken from the free edge into manageable pieces and carried out on mats. The pattern makes no difference to how the slab comes apart — only to how thick and how sealed it is.

Do you take the concrete away or just break it up?

We haul it. Breaking a slab and leaving it at the curb moves the problem; most municipalities will not take construction debris in a residential pickup.

Can I keep some of the concrete for fill?

Sometimes, in small quantities, but it is not clean fill and it does not compact. If you want pieces set aside for a specific use, say so before we start.

How long does a concrete patio take to remove?

Most residential patios are a single day: cut, break, load and haul. Large slabs, thick sections or bad access push it into a second day.

Does the price include disposal?

Yes. Disposal is inside the number you are quoted rather than added as a separate line afterwards.

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See all removal services, our service area, or read common questions before you call.

Ready to remove your concrete patio?

Send a photo and the access width. Residential projects start at $1,000.

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