Concrete Removal & Replacement Cost in Oregon

Quick Verdict

Concrete removal cost in Oregon is really two jobs priced as one: tearing out and hauling off the old slab, then pouring and finishing new concrete in its place. The demolition side is driven by slab thickness, rebar, and how easily a machine and dump truck can reach the work. The replacement side is driven by square footage, thickness, reinforcement, and finish. On most residential driveways and patios you should plan for a per-square-foot range, not a flat price, because access and disposal swing the total more than anything else. If the slab is only surface-worn and the base is sound, a resurface may beat a full tear-out.

What "Removal and Replacement" Actually Includes

When people ask about concrete removal cost, they usually mean the whole cycle. A real replacement quote covers several distinct steps, and each one carries cost:

• Demolition. Breaking the existing slab with a jackhammer, breaker attachment, or saw cuts at the edges so the new pour has a clean line.
• Haul-off and disposal. Loading broken concrete and trucking it to a recycler or transfer station. Disposal fees are a real line item in Oregon and rise with distance.
• Sub-grade rework. Re-compacting or re-grading the base once the old slab is gone. Skipping this is why a cheap replacement cracks fast.
• Forming and pouring. Setting forms, placing rebar or wire mesh, pouring, and finishing.
• Joints and cure. Cutting control joints and protecting the slab while it cures, which matters more in our wet, cool climate.

For a full overview of how these pieces fit together, start with our Oregon concrete services guide.

What Drives the Tear-Out Cost

The demolition half of the job is where surprises live. A 4-inch unreinforced patio comes out fast. A 6-inch driveway with rebar, or an old slab poured thick over the years, takes far more breaking and lifting.

• Thickness. Every extra inch is more material to break and more weight to haul.
• Reinforcement. Rebar and heavy wire mesh slow demolition and add cuts. Mesh-tangled concrete loads slower.
• Access. A driveway a machine can reach is cheap to demo. A backyard patio behind a fence, where everything moves by wheelbarrow, costs far more in labor.
• Disposal distance. The farther the nearest concrete recycler, the higher the trucking cost.

Industry Baseline Ranges

Pricing varies by region, access, and what you pour back, so treat these as planning figures only.

Current Market Reality

Concrete material and ready-mix prices move with cement and fuel costs, and disposal fees have climbed across Oregon. Our usable pour window runs roughly May through October, so good crews book out, and small jobs sometimes wait to be bundled with nearby work. A bid that looks low often skips sub-grade rework or proper rebar — and a slab poured on a soft base over Willamette Valley clay will crack within a season or two. For help deciding whether you even need a full tear-out, read our repair vs. replace decision guide.

Removal vs. Resurfacing: When to Tear Out

Not every tired slab needs to go. Tearing out is the right call when the damage is structural, not cosmetic.

• Tear out and replace when you see wide settlement cracks, heaving, a slab that has dropped at one end, or a base that has failed underneath.
• Resurface or overlay when the slab is sound but the surface is worn, spalled, or stained. You keep the base and save the demolition cost.

The deciding factor is almost always the sub-grade. A slab cracking because the base moved will keep cracking no matter what you pour, which is why sub-grade prep that lasts is the part you do not cut. If your existing slab is cracking and you are not sure why, our guide on concrete driveway cracking walks through the causes.

How Oregon Conditions Affect the Number

Concrete work here is shaped by weather and soil:

• Wet-weather pours. Cool, damp conditions slow curing. Crews schedule around rain and sometimes add days for protection, which affects timeline and cost.
• Freeze-thaw east of the Cascades. In Bend, the Gorge, and the high desert, water in cracks freezes and pries slabs apart. Replacement specs there lean toward air-entrained mixes and good drainage.
• Clay sub-grade. Much of the Willamette Valley sits on clay that holds water and moves seasonally. A replacement that does not re-compact and drain that base is buying its own next crack.
• Control joints. Proper joint spacing controls where the new slab cracks. It is cheap insurance and part of any honest replacement.

The Bottom Line

Concrete removal cost in Oregon is dominated by access and disposal on the demolition side and by thickness, reinforcement, and finish on the replacement side. Get a per-square-foot range, confirm what is included, and make sure the bid covers sub-grade rework and control joints — not just breaking and pouring. Cojo handles full concrete services across the Willamette Valley, the Gorge, and statewide Oregon. If you are weighing a tear-out against a resurface, get a site-specific quote and we will tell you which one your slab actually needs.