Concrete removal in Lake Charles
Slabs, driveways, patios, piers and footings broken out and hauled away across Calcasieu Parish, on their own or after a teardown. Describe the concrete once; independent local contractors quote you directly.
What the work involves
A concrete job is short on paperwork and long on trucks. The order is usually this.
Mark the scope
Walk the job with the contractor and mark what goes and what stays: the whole slab, the driveway, a patio, piers or footings.
Utilities and edges
Gas, water, sewer and electric lines can run under or beside concrete. Tell the contractor what you know. Where concrete meets something that stays, a saw cut keeps the edge clean.
Break out
A hydraulic breaker on an excavator or skid steer cracks the concrete into pieces small enough to lift.
Load and haul
Broken concrete, with any reinforcing steel pulled out, is loaded into trucks or containers and hauled away.
Fill and grade
The empty area is filled and graded so it drains and can be built on, seeded or left.
When owners call for one
- A slab left behind after a house, shed or garage came down, and the owner wants a bare lot.
- A cracked or lifted driveway, patio or walkway to be replaced.
- Piers and footings from a removed building that stand in the way of new construction.
- Builders and landlords who want the old foundation out before a new one goes in.
Machines and methods
What usually turns up on a concrete job. The contractor picks the kit for your site.
- Hydraulic breakerBreaks slabs, piers, footings and driveways. Mounted on an excavator or a skid steer, depending on room.
- ExcavatorBreaks, lifts and loads the pieces. A thumb or grapple pulls the reinforcing steel out.
- Skid steerWorks in tight spots, scrapes the area clean and does the rough grading.
- Concrete sawMakes a clean cut where concrete meets something that stays.
- Dump trucks and roll-offsHaul broken concrete away. Concrete is heavy, so access for loaded trucks matters.
- Hand crewPulls rebar, clears edges and handles what a machine cannot reach.
Keep the slab, or not
The first question after a teardown.
If you plan to rebuild on the slab, leave it: choose "Building gone, slab stays" in the request. Whether an old slab is worth building on is a question for your builder or engineer. If you are not sure, ask contractors to quote it both ways.
If you want a bare lot, or the slab is cracked, buckled or in the way, choose "Concrete only" when the building is already gone, or "Bare lot" when the whole teardown is included. A full house demolition can include the slab, piers and footings in one quote.
Concrete removal is not priced the same everywhere. Ask each contractor to price it as a separate line, so you can see what the slab costs on its own and compare quotes fairly.
What to prepare
None of this is needed to ask for quotes. All of it makes the quotes sharper.
- The address or parcel number, and what the concrete is: slab, driveway, patio, piers or footings.
- The rough area in square feet, and the thickness if you know it. If you do not, photos and a tape measure at the edge are a fair substitute.
- Whether there is rebar. Not knowing is fine; say so.
- Where trucks and an excavator can reach, and whether trees, fences or power lines are in the way.
- What has to stay: neighboring slabs, a driveway, trees, the fence.
- Any utilities that run under or near the concrete, and your target date.
Concrete questions
Can I keep the slab for a rebuild?
You can ask for it. Choose "Building gone, slab stays" in the request. Whether the slab is worth keeping is a question for your builder or engineer; contractors will quote both ways if you are not sure.
Is concrete removal priced separately?
Ask each contractor to price it as a separate line. That shows what the concrete costs on its own and makes quotes easier to compare, whether you are removing a slab alone or after a teardown.
Can I get quotes for just a driveway or a patio?
You can ask. Choose "Concrete only" in the request. Whether a contractor takes a small job is up to them, and the quotes that come back will show you.
What if I do not know if there is rebar?
That is fine. Say so in the request. Contractors confirm on site, and photos of any exposed edge help.
Do I need a permit to remove a slab?
We have not confirmed whether slab-only work needs one. Ask the City of Lake Charles Permit Center, or Calcasieu Parish outside city limits, and ask each contractor whether their quote includes any permit.
Does Lake Charles Demolition break out the concrete?
No. Lake Charles Demolition is a quote-request service. We pass your request to independent local demolition contractors, who quote you directly and do the work under their own license and insurance.
Get concrete quotes
Tell us about the concrete. We pass your request to independent local demolition contractors, who contact you directly with their own quotes. Free, with no obligation to hire anyone.
Related work
Often quoted together with concrete removal. See every town we take requests from on the service areas page.