Concrete removal and driveway replacement

Removing an old concrete driveway is usually priced per square metre, and a published Australian guide puts driveway removal at $100 to $120 per sqm, inside a wider band of $50 to $150 per sqm for residential slabs. Thick or heavily reinforced concrete, poor access and disposal costs push a job toward the top.

This website forwards enquiries to independent concreters and demolition operators; they assess the slab, quote the removal and replacement, and carry out the work.

When is removal the right call?

Patching makes sense for a single cracked panel. Full removal is usually the better choice when:

• several panels have sunk or lifted and the surface now traps water
• the base underneath has washed out or was never compacted
• tree roots have broken the slab and will keep lifting any patch
• the levels are wrong, for example the driveway falls into the garage
• you are changing the layout, widening a single driveway or moving a crossing
• an old slab is in the way of a new shed, extension or pool

If you are not sure, a concreter can usually tell from a site visit whether the problem is the surface, the base or the drainage.

What does removal cost, and what changes the price?

Item	Published price guide	Notes
Concrete driveway removal	$100 to $120 per sqm	Standard residential driveway
Residential slab removal, full range	$50 to $150 per sqm	Thin plain slabs at the low end, thick reinforced slabs at the top
New plain or reinforced concrete	$80 to $135 per sqm	For the replacement slab
New exposed aggregate	$125 to $160 per sqm	If the replacement is decorative

The removal bands are from Yellow Pages’ concrete removal cost guide, last updated April 2026. The new-concrete bands are from hipages’ concreting cost guide, updated in September 2026. Things that move a removal quote:

1. Thickness and steel. Mesh or bar reinforcement takes longer to break and separate.
2. Access. An excavator with a hammer needs room to work; a narrow side path may mean jackhammers and barrows.
3. Saw cutting. Clean cuts are needed where old concrete meets a slab that is staying, or at the kerb.
4. Disposal. Tip and recycling charges for broken concrete are part of the price.
5. What is underneath. Soft ground, old fill or broken pipes found after removal add work.

Our Albury concreting cost guide shows how removal and new concrete add up for a full replacement.

Where does the old concrete go?

Broken concrete is heavy, and much of it can be recycled rather than sent to landfill. AlburyCity’s construction and demolition recovery facility at the Albury Waste Management Centre takes eligible dry waste, including concrete, from businesses and construction work. Acceptance depends on the type and condition of the load, so a provider will usually sort the rubble from soil and timber. Ask the provider where they take it and whether disposal is in the quote.

How is a driveway replacement staged?

1. Approvals. If the crossing at the kerb is being rebuilt, the provider or owner lodges AlburyCity’s crossing application first. The driveway page covers that approval.
2. Services. Water meters, stormwater pits and any cables near the slab are located and protected.
3. Saw cutting. Edges against slabs that are staying are cut straight.
4. Break out. The old concrete is broken, the reinforcement is cut out and the rubble is loaded and carted.
5. Ground check. The exposed ground is inspected. Soft spots are dug out and replaced, and roots are dealt with.
6. Base. New crushed rock is spread and compacted.
7. New slab. Formwork, reinforcement and the new pour follow, as for any new driveway.

Many households need the car out of the garage for this period, so ask how many days the driveway will be unusable from break out to the point a car can drive on it.

Which rules apply?

Removal and replacement together often pass 5,000 dollars, which means the provider needs a NSW concreting licence and you need a written contract. NSW’s general concreting class covers concrete repairing and the excavation needed before concrete is placed, but not major site preparation that shores excavations or affects the stability of a neighbouring site. If the job is large enough to need deeper digging next to a boundary, that work needs a licensed excavator or builder.

Work at the kerb and footpath needs AlburyCity approval under the Roads Act 1993. On the Victorian side, Wodonga’s road reserve works permit applies; see the Wodonga page.

What will a careful provider never skip?

• Checking for pipes and cables before the hammer goes in.
• Saw cutting where old concrete meets anything that is staying.
• Inspecting the ground once the slab is gone, before the new base goes down.
• Telling you in writing if disposal, extra base or root removal are extras.
• Getting the crossing approval before breaking out the council’s kerb or footpath.

Asbestos and older properties

Plain concrete is not an asbestos product, but older properties can have asbestos cement sheeting in fences, sheds and eaves next to the slab. If anything near the work area might contain asbestos, have it checked before demolition starts and tell the provider.

What to do next

Measure the area to be removed, take photos showing the thickness at a broken edge if you can, and note what will replace it. Then send the removal and replacement details for a provider to assess.

Send a job enquiry