How much does concrete removal cost in Arkansas?
Concrete removal costs most homeowners $542 to $1,744, says Angi’s national cost guide. Its 2026 national average is $1,139. Angi prices the work at $2 to $6 per square foot, and Fixr’s average is about $4. Around Hot Springs, Garland County’s landfill charges $32 per ton for Class 4 waste, which includes broken concrete.
What does concrete removal cost per square foot?
Angi updated its concrete removal cost guide on September 16, 2026. Its 2026 national average is $1,139, based on 1,330 verified projects. Most homeowners pay between $542 and $1,744.
Angi prices concrete removal at $2 to $6 per square foot. That rate covers both labor and dumping fees. Fixr, last updated January 31, 2025, says the cost averages around $4 a square foot.
Fixr’s overall range runs $500 to $5,000, with a national average of $1,856. Fixr says that average is what most homeowners pay to remove 600 square feet of sidewalk.
Scott Bankhead Demolition does concrete removal around Hot Springs, and its dump trucks haul the broken concrete away.
Size drives the math. Angi’s slab-size table covers slabs 3 to 6 inches thick. On large slabs, Angi adds, some contractors may prefer to charge per ton instead of per square foot.
| Slab size | About the size of | Angi 2026 range |
|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | a 10 by 10 foot slab | $200 to $600 |
| 400 sq ft | a 20 by 20 foot patio | $800 to $2,400 |
| 1,000 sq ft | a 20 by 50 foot driveway | $2,000 to $6,000 |
What does it cost to remove a driveway, patio or slab?
The national cost guides also price common projects. Their figures differ because each guide sizes the job its own way. HomeGuide prices set sizes for some rows, such as a 10 by 10 foot slab. Angi and Fixr list average costs by project type.
| Project | HomeGuide | Angi, Sep 2026 | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway | $1,200 to $4,500 | $1,000 to $2,500 | $1,500 to $2,500 |
| Patio | $1,200 to $3,000 (20 by 20 feet) | $1,000 to $2,000 | $1,000 to $2,000 |
| Slab | $300 to $800 (10 by 10 feet) | $800 to $2,500 | $600 to $1,000 |
| Sidewalk | $750 to $1,250 (50 feet long) | $900 to $2,500 | $1,200 to $2,200 |
| Steps | $250 to $500 | $300 to $800 | $250 to $400 |
| Garage floor | $1,000 to $3,500 (2-car garage) | Not listed | Not listed |
| Block or concrete wall | $250 to $800 (50-foot concrete wall) | $1,500 to $2,500 (block wall) | $1,500 to $2,500 (block wall) |
| Foundation | Not listed | Not listed | $4,000 to $10,000 |
HomeGuide says breaking up a driveway costs more than slab demolition, due to the excavator needed for the job. It also says a concrete retaining wall costs the most to remove. The backfill dirt behind the wall has to be hauled away too.
A foundation is the biggest line in the table. When the slab sits under a house or garage that is coming down, the job starts as residential demolition. Our house teardown cost guide covers that bigger job.
What makes concrete removal cost more?
Thickness comes first. Angi says removal contractors treat 4 to 6 inches as the standard thickness. A slab even 1 or 2 inches thicker can prompt contractors to double their price. Thicker concrete often has to be cut into smaller chunks before it can be hauled away.
Steel inside the slab adds cost. Angi says concrete with steel bars or wire mesh costs about $6 per square foot or more to remove. HomeGuide says reinforced concrete costs $1 to $3 per square foot more, due to cutting and disposing of rebar.
Fixr prices unreinforced concrete at $2 to $4 a square foot and reinforced concrete at $4 to $6. Reinforced concrete is also less likely to be recycled, Fixr says, so it has higher disposal costs.
Access counts too. Angi says concrete in hard-to-reach, hazardous or steep areas often runs $6 per square foot or more. A rural site that is wooded or surrounded by mountains may cost more than one in a city, Angi adds.
Cutting can be its own line. HomeGuide prices concrete cutting at $5 to $15 per linear foot. Most cutting contractors have minimum service fees of $125 to $400, it adds.
The machine matters as well. HomeGuide says contractors break concrete up with a jackhammer or an excavator, depending on the size and thickness. Scott Bankhead Demolition works with tracked excavators. The free on-site estimate is where the slab and the path for the dump trucks get priced.
What does concrete disposal cost around Hot Springs?
Broken concrete is heavy, and disposal is priced by the ton. Normal-weight concrete weighs about 145 to 150 pounds per cubic foot. At 150 pounds, a 4-inch slab weighs about 50 pounds per square foot. That is before the base under it is counted.
Arkansas’s solid waste rules list concrete with and without rebar as construction and demolition waste. Class 4 waste includes construction and demolition waste.
Garland County’s current solid waste fee schedule took effect January 1, 2025. County Ordinance O-24-32 sets Class 4 disposal at $32 per ton, with a $15 minimum. Class 4 waste from outside Garland County costs $50 per ton.
| 4-inch slab | Weight | At $32 per ton | From outside the county at $50 per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 by 10 foot slab | about 2.5 tons | $80 | $125 |
| 20 by 20 foot patio | about 10 tons | $320 | $500 |
| 20 by 50 foot driveway | about 25 tons | $800 | $1,250 |
Those county rates sit well below HomeGuide’s national dump fees of $90 to $160 per ton. Angi says disposing of 2 tons of concrete on your own runs around $550, with truck rental and dumping fees. Angi’s $2 to $6 per square foot rate already covers dumping fees.
Our dump trucks haul the broken concrete off. When a footing hole or low spot needs fill, fill dirt delivered and spread brings the ground back up.
Do you need a permit to remove concrete around Hot Springs?
It depends on where the concrete sits. HomeGuide says you need a permit to remove concrete if it is in the public right of way. Angi says concrete demolition permits cost $25 to $200 in the many states and regions that require them.
Garland County generally does not have building codes and does not issue building permits. The City of Hot Springs may require permits when the property lies within its city limits. That also covers the one-mile extraterritorial area around the city, the county notes. For a full teardown, our demolition permit guide covers the city application.
A driveway entrance at the road is its own case. Work on a driveway entrance in a county or state right of way starts with a call. Garland County sends county-road questions to its Road Department at (501) 767-9174, and state roads to the state highway department.
Arkansas law requires a call to Arkansas 811 before any digging or demolishing work. Member utilities locate their lines within two full working days.
Should you overlay old concrete or tear it out and replace it?
Not every cracked slab has to come out. HomeGuide says an overlay is best for concrete with minor cracks less than 1/4 inch wide. Large cracks, crumbling edges or structural problems call for removal.
Replacing costs more than removal alone. HomeGuide puts the average price to tear out and replace a concrete slab at $8 to $18 per square foot. Angi’s $2 to $6 removal rate does not include laying new concrete. Most slabs take 1 to 2 days to remove, HomeGuide says.
New concrete is one choice for the cleared ground. After the break-out, the ground can be graded for a gravel driveway or a pad instead. If concrete is the plan, removal and grading come first, and the pour is a separate job.
Slab thickness and truck access set the real number. Scott Bankhead Demolition gives free on-site estimates on concrete removal around Hot Springs. Call (501) 617-1511 or ask for a free concrete removal estimate.