How to Remove & Replace Pavement Markers (2026)

Removing a raised pavement marker is a four-step process: soften the adhesive bond with heat, lift the base with a flat chisel, grind the residual adhesive flush with the pavement, and prep the spot for either patching or a new marker installation. The full removal cycle takes 8 to 15 minutes per marker depending on adhesive type and base condition. Federal Highway Administration pavement marking guidance and ASTM D4796 cover the surface preparation requirements for replacement work.

This guide walks through the removal process, the replacement decision tree, and the tools and time you need to plan a marker change-out.

When should I remove versus replace a pavement marker?

Three triggers justify removal without replacement: marker is no longer needed because the lane geometry changed, marker has been damaged beyond repair and the location no longer requires marking, or the property is being repaved and markers will be reinstalled after the new lift. Everything else is a replacement -- pull the old marker, prep the spot, install a new one.

Condition	Action
Lens broken, base intact, location still needed	Replace
Base lifted from pavement, location still needed	Replace
Retroreflectivity below threshold per ASTM E2832	Replace
Lane reconfiguration removed the need for marker	Remove only, patch the spot
Repaving project	Remove all, reinstall after final lift
Damaged but location not needed	Remove only, patch the spot

For replacement triggers and inspection cadence see pavement marker replacement schedule.

What tools do I need?

Tool	Purpose	Notes
Heat gun (1500 - 2000 watt) or propane torch	Soften bituminous adhesive	Heat gun preferred for parking-lot work; lower fire risk
Cold chisel (1.5 in wide flat)	Lift base from pavement	Steel chisel, sharp edge
3 lb sledge hammer	Drive chisel	Long handle for leverage
4 in or 7 in angle grinder	Remove residual adhesive	Diamond cup wheel preferred
Wire brush, broom, blower	Clean spot for replacement	All three; each catches different debris
Replacement adhesive	New install	Bituminous or 2-part epoxy per spec
Replacement marker	New install	Match base type to climate per pavement marker base types comparison
Cones, signage	Traffic control	Per MUTCD Part 6

For adhesive selection on the replacement install see pavement marker adhesive selection.

How much time does a marker swap take?

Per marker, allocate:

• 2 - 4 minutes -- heat softening of adhesive
• 1 - 2 minutes -- chisel lift
• 2 - 5 minutes -- residual adhesive grinding
• 1 - 2 minutes -- spot cleanup
• 3 - 5 minutes -- new adhesive application and marker placement
• Cure time before traffic exposure: 15 minutes for bituminous, 30 - 60 minutes for epoxy

A two-person crew can swap 12 to 18 markers per hour on a routine parking-lot retrofit. For full lot upgrades we typically run two crews so traffic control can stay tight to a single zone at a time.

Step-by-step removal procedure

Step 1 -- Set up traffic control

Block the work zone with cones at MUTCD Part 6-compliant taper. For parking-lot work this is typically a 4-cone box around each marker plus a flagger if the site is open during work hours. Schedule overnight or early-morning work for high-traffic sites to minimize cone-and-flagger labor.

Step 2 -- Heat the adhesive

Apply heat to the marker base using a heat gun set to 800 - 1000 degrees F or a propane torch held 6 inches above the marker. Heat for 90 seconds for bituminous adhesive and 3 - 4 minutes for epoxy. The bituminous adhesive softens visibly (oily sheen, slight smoke); epoxy does not change appearance but loses bond strength enough to chisel.

Heat-gun method is preferred over open flame for parking-lot work. Open flame requires fire watch and can scorch surrounding pavement.

Step 3 -- Chisel the base off

Position the cold chisel at the leading edge of the marker base, angled 15 - 20 degrees below horizontal. Strike with the sledge until the base lifts. For polymer-concrete and ABS bases, the marker usually pops free in 2 - 4 strikes. Cast-iron carriers in cored pockets follow a different process — covered in the cast-iron carrier removal step further down.

If the base fractures and leaves chunks, work each chunk individually rather than trying to lift the whole footprint at once. Patience here saves grinder time later.

Step 4 -- Grind residual adhesive flush

Use a 4 or 7-inch angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel to grind the residual adhesive flush with the pavement surface. Grind only enough to bring the adhesive level with the surrounding pavement -- gouging into the asphalt or concrete creates a depression that the next marker cannot bond to.

For bituminous residue: 30 - 60 seconds of grinding usually clears the spot. For epoxy residue: 90 - 180 seconds.

Step 5 -- Clean the spot

Wire-brush the ground spot to lift loose debris, sweep the loose particles away, and finish with a leaf blower or compressed air. The spot must be free of dust, oil, and moisture before any replacement adhesive goes down. ASTM D4796 specifies surface preparation requirements; a moisture meter check is appropriate for high-spec installs.

Step 6 -- Apply replacement adhesive and place marker

For a replacement install, apply bituminous adhesive (heated to 380 - 420 degrees F) or two-part epoxy per manufacturer instructions, set the new marker, and press firmly to seat. Allow full cure before exposing to traffic.

For removal-only (no replacement), patch the spot with a hot-mix asphalt patch or a polyurea repair compound depending on substrate.

Special case: removing snowplowable cast-iron carriers

Cast-iron carriers in cored pockets are a different removal job. The carrier was set with neat-cement grout in a 4-inch core. Removal options:

• Replace the carrier in place -- chip out only the lens housing, leave the carrier, install a new lens module. This is the standard repair for damaged-lens-only situations.
• Full carrier removal -- chip out the cement grout with a 1-inch chisel point, lift the carrier, fill the core with hot-mix asphalt patch or a polyurea fill compound. Allocate 30 - 45 minutes per carrier for full removal.

Common removal mistakes

• Skipping the heat step. Cold-chiseling a bituminous-adhered marker often pulls a chunk of asphalt out with the marker. Heat first.
• Over-grinding the spot. A spot ground 1/4 inch below pavement grade will not bond a new marker -- the adhesive bridges the depression instead of contacting the pavement.
• Skipping the moisture check. Wet pavement under a fresh adhesive bond will fail within 30 days.
• Re-using the old adhesive footprint. New adhesive on top of old adhesive bonds to the old layer, not to the pavement. Grind to bare pavement.

For full surface-prep detail see the line striping basics primer.

Real Cojo install reference

For a 14,000-square-foot retail center in Salem in March 2026, we removed and replaced 38 polymer-concrete RPMs whose retroreflectivity had dropped below the 100 mcd/m^2/lx wet threshold after four winters. Two-person crew, single overnight shift, 6 hours total including traffic control and cure time. New markers installed at the same MUTCD spacing per Section 3B.11; the replacement spec upgraded from standard wet-rated to a higher-tier wet-rated marker.

Cost: Industry Baseline Range

Industry Baseline Range (per-marker, Oregon parking-lot retrofit)

Scope	Per-marker cost
Removal only (patch the spot)	$18 to $32
Removal + replace (standard wet-rated marker)	$28 to $48
Removal + replace (snowplowable cast-iron)	$65 to $115
Full lot retrofit (50+ markers, single mobilization)	15 - 25 percent below per-marker rate

These figures reflect published industry averages. Current market pricing varies significantly and actual quotes may fall well outside these ranges based on site-specific conditions, material costs, and project complexity.

Current Market Reality

2026 removal labor cost has tracked general parking-lot striping labor up about 7 percent year-over-year. Replacement marker cost is the larger variable -- snowplowable cast-iron carriers have climbed faster than the standard wet-rated polymer-concrete tier. Bundling removal with a broader striping refresh keeps the per-marker cost in the lower half of the range.