Concrete Patio and Sidewalk Removal — Broken Out and Hauled Away
An old patio, walk or set of steps is cracked, heaved or in the way, and it has to come out before anything new can go in.
JMB Builders does concrete patio and sidewalk removal across the Twin Cities metro and north to St. Cloud. We break the slab with a breaker or a machine-mounted hammer, cut clean edges where concrete stays, load the pieces and rebar, and haul them to a concrete recycler. The ground is left rough-graded and ready for pavers, new concrete, sod or rock. Priced per project.
- Priced per project
- Broken, loaded and hauled to a recycler
- Clean saw cut where concrete stays
- Gopher State One Call (811) before digging
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Tearing out concrete is heavy, loud and messy, and most of the cost is not the breaking. It is getting the pieces out of the backyard and to a place that takes them. A small patio can be several truckloads of broken concrete, and every piece has to be loaded and hauled.
We break the slab with a breaker or a hammer on a skid steer or mini excavator, depending on thickness and access. Where concrete is staying, like a driveway next to a walk or a foundation beside a patio, the line is saw-cut first so it breaks clean and the part that stays is not cracked. Rebar and wire mesh are cut out with the pieces.
Broken concrete goes to a concrete recycler, where it is crushed into base material, rather than a landfill. When the slab is out we rake the base, fill the low spots and leave the ground ready for what comes next.
What you supply
- Photos of the concrete, a tape measure across it for size, and the path to the street
- What goes in its place: pavers, new concrete, sod, rock, or nothing yet
- Anything under or next to it you know about: buried lines, a sprinkler, a downspout pipe
- Where a truck or trailer can park during loading
What JMB supplies
- Gopher State One Call locate if the base will be dug below the slab
- Saw cut along any edge where concrete stays
- Breaking with a breaker or machine-mounted hammer; rebar and mesh cut out
- Loading and hauling to a concrete recycler
- Lawn and driveway protection on the path in and out
- Base raked, low spots filled and ground rough-graded for the next step
- Photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Area and thickness of the concrete, and whether it has rebar or mesh
- Access: machine through a gate or hand-carried by wheelbarrow
- Distance from the slab to where the truck loads
- Saw cuts needed where concrete stays
- Number of truckloads to the recycler
- What is left: rough grade only, or base prepared for pavers, sod or new concrete
Send photos, rough dimensions and a photo of the path from the concrete to the street. Thickness can surprise us; if it is thicker than usual we will say so before we go on.
How long it takes
A typical backyard patio or front walk: one day to break, load and haul. Steps, thick slabs or hand-carry access can add a day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Backyard patio removal
Old slab broken out and hauled, base cleaned up and graded for pavers, a new patio or sod.
Front walk or side sidewalk
Walk removed with a saw cut where it meets the driveway or stoop, ground graded for new pavers or concrete.
Concrete steps and stoops
Precast or poured steps broken or lifted out, hauled, and the area cleaned up for new steps.
Small slab or pad removal
Old shed pads, hot tub slabs, air conditioner pads and basketball court pieces broken out and hauled.
Concrete Patio and Sidewalk Removal — Broken Out and Hauled Away: questions, answered
How do you remove an old concrete patio?
The edges where concrete stays are saw-cut first. The slab is broken with a breaker or a hammer on a skid steer or mini excavator, the rebar and mesh are cut out, and the pieces are loaded and hauled to a concrete recycler. The base is then raked and graded for whatever goes in next.
Where does broken concrete go?
To a concrete recycler, where it is crushed and reused as base material. It is heavy and bulky, so hauling is a big part of the cost of any removal job. A small patio can take several loads.
Can you remove a sidewalk without damaging the driveway?
Yes. We saw-cut along the joint or the line where the walk meets the driveway or the stoop, so the break stops there. The concrete that stays keeps a clean, straight edge.
Can you remove concrete and install pavers after?
Removal leaves the ground ready for the next step. Pavers, a new walk or a patio can be quoted together with the removal so it is one job and one schedule. Tell us the plan when you send the photos.
How long does concrete removal take?
A typical patio or walk takes about a day to break, load and haul. Thick slabs, heavy rebar, steps, or access where everything has to go out by wheelbarrow take longer.
Do I need a permit to remove a concrete patio?
Removing a patio or private walk usually does not need a permit, but a public sidewalk along the street belongs to the city and has its own rules. Work in the boulevard or on a city walk needs the city's permission first, and we check before we quote.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All excavation pages
Where we work
Excavation near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: