The short answer
Small sidewalk sections start from about $800. Driveways, patios, and slabs are quoted by the square foot and the thickness, with haul as its own line. Commercial work uses the same logic on a larger pile.
Breaking the concrete is one task. Loading it, separating rebar, and leaving a subgrade the next crew can use are the rest. A demo price that stops at broken pieces in the yard is not a finished scope.
What changes the price
Thickness and steel. A four-inch walk and an eight-inch apron with rebar are different hours and different loads. We look at the edges and, where we can, a broken corner. Guessing thickness from the surface is how bids miss.
Haul distance and what the dump will accept. Mud-caked concrete and mixed debris cost more to get rid of than clean broken slab. Access matters: a side yard the bobcat cannot enter means more hand work.
- Square footage and thickness.
- Rebar or mesh, and whether we cut it out.
- Haul tickets.
- Subgrade left rough, or cut and compacted for the new pour.
The dirt under the slab
Old drives often sit on soft fill, roots, or trash. Once the concrete is gone, the grade underneath may need dirt work before anyone pours. That is a separate line. Covering it back up with new concrete repeats the failure.
Approaches at the street can fall under parish or city rules. We flag that on the walk. Private patio demo and a driveway approach are not the same permit conversation.
How to compare demo bids
Match thickness, haul, and whether subgrade prep is included. The low bid is often break and leave, with you owning the pile and the soft ground.
If the new drive or slab is already scheduled, the handoff date matters as much as the price. Demo that misses the pour crew is a jobsite problem, not a savings.