Concrete Removal & Haul-Off Calculator
Figure the weight and loose volume of concrete you are removing, how many truckloads it makes, and the cost to break it out, haul it and recycle it.
Concrete Removal & Haul-Off Calculator — ConcreteNear.com
| Solid volume | 6.17 yd³ |
| Loose (broken) volume | 9.3 yd³ |
| Truckloads | 1 · limited by weight |
| Truck hours | 1.5 hr |
Cost estimate U.S. average prices
| Break out & load 500 ft² × $3.00 | $1,500 |
| Haul-off 1.5 hr × $106.69 × 1.25 | $200.04 |
| Recycling / disposal 12.08 ton × $25.00 | $302.08 |
| Estimated total | $2,002 |
- Concrete is heavy: dump trucks usually hit their weight limit before the box is full.
- Clean concrete (no dirt, wood or trash) is cheaper to recycle and becomes crushed base.
| Inputs | |
| Area to remove | 500 ft² |
| Thickness | 4 in |
| Swell factor (broken vs. solid) | 1.5 |
| Truck legal payload | 14 tons |
| Truck body size | 12 yd³ |
| Round trip to recycler (incl. load & dump) | 1.5 hr |
Planning estimate only — confirm with your supplier or contractor.
Prices used — edit any price to match your local quote
| Item | Unit price | Basis & source |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete breakout & loading per ft² | starting estimate Starting estimate for a 4–6 in slab, no heavy rebar. | |
| Truck operating cost per hr | public source ATRI, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2026 Update, Table 9 — average marginal cost per hour, 2025 (fuel, truck payments, repairs, insurance, tires, tolls, driver wages and benefits) (2025 data, published Jul 2026) — For-hire fleet cost before overhead and profit. Local dump and lowboy rates are usually higher; use the overhead % to adjust. | |
| Concrete recycling / disposal per ton | starting estimate Starting estimate. Clean concrete is often cheaper at a recycler than mixed debris at a landfill. | |
| Hauler overhead & profit per % | starting estimate Starting estimate added on top of the ATRI operating cost. |
How to use this calculator
- Enter area and thickness of the concrete to remove.
- Keep the swell factor near 1.5 unless your hauler says otherwise.
- Enter the truck's legal payload and body size.
- Enter the round trip to the recycler.
Formulas
Tons = area × thickness (in) ÷ 12 × 145 lb/ft³ ÷ 2000Loose yd³ = solid yd³ × swell factor (broken concrete bulks up)Loads = larger of tons ÷ payload and loose yd³ ÷ body size
Questions
How much does a yard of concrete weigh?
About 3,900–4,050 lb (roughly 2 tons) for normal-weight concrete at 145–150 lb/ft³.
How many tons is a 4-inch slab?
About 48 lb per ft² — so 1,000 ft² of 4 in slab is about 24 tons.
Can I recycle concrete?
Yes. Many recyclers take clean concrete, often for less than landfill tipping fees, and crush it into base.
Sources & assumptions
Prices checked 2026-11-10. State pricing multiplies national figures by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (goods for materials, services for labor and services). RPPs compare general consumer price levels (U.S. = 100). They are not construction-specific; we use RPP Goods for materials and RPP Services: Other (excludes rents) for labor and services.
- Truck operating cost — ATRI, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2026 Update, Table 9 — average marginal cost per hour, 2025 (fuel, truck payments, repairs, insurance, tires, tolls, driver wages and benefits) (2025 data, published Jul 2026). For-hire fleet cost before overhead and profit. Local dump and lowboy rates are usually higher; use the overhead % to adjust.
Starting estimates No public price series was found for: Concrete breakout & loading; Concrete recycling / disposal; Hauler overhead & profit. These defaults are editable placeholders — replace them with a local quote.
Results are planning estimates, not quotes or engineering advice. Codes, specifications and your supplier's numbers govern.
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