How much does it cost to remove a speed hump in Oregon?

Single-hump removal on a private parking lot typically runs $1,500 to $3,500 in 2026, including saw-cut, mill, hot-mix patch, and basic traffic control. Residential streets that require lane closures and signage compliance run $2,500 to $5,000. Multi-hump same-site jobs drop to $1,200 to $2,500 per unit because mobilization is amortized.

Can I remove a speed hump myself?

A homeowner can chip out a small bump on a private driveway with a sledgehammer and a cold-patch product, but a true asphalt speed hump 12 to 14 feet long requires a concrete saw, a planer or grinder, hot-mix delivery, and a roller. Most jurisdictions also require traffic control and signage on any public-frontage work. Hire a paving contractor.

How long does removal take?

A single parking-lot hump takes 4 to 6 hours of crew time, plus 24 to 72 hours for the patch to cool before re-striping. A residential street can take 1 to 2 days when traffic control and multiple humps are involved.

Do I need a permit to remove a speed hump?

On a private parking lot, no permit is typically required, but check your local jurisdiction. On a public street, removal is a city public-works decision -- residents generally cannot have a hump removed without a city traffic-engineering review. Portland, Salem, and Eugene each maintain published traffic-calming policies that govern removal.

What if the hump is on a fire-access route?

If the hump blocks emergency-vehicle access, the local fire marshal may compel removal. Replace with a speed cushion (which has wheel-track gaps for fire trucks) or a speed table per [NFPA 1141 fire-access requirements](https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards). Cojo coordinates fire-marshal sign-off as part of the cushion-or-table replacement scope.

How to Remove a Speed Hump: 2026 Process & Cost

Removing a speed hump is more involved than pulling a rubber speed bump because the hump is poured asphalt fused into the surrounding pavement. Most projects need a saw cut, mill or grind, hot-mix patch, and fresh markings — a half-day to one-day operation that costs property owners $1,500 to $3,500+ per hump. Below: the process our crews run on Oregon parking lots and private roads, the equipment list, and the realistic budget.

What does removing a speed hump actually involve?

Asphalt speed humps are not bolted-on devices -- they are continuous with the surrounding pavement. To remove one, the contractor saw-cuts a clean rectangle around the hump, mills or grinds the raised material down to the original road grade, sweeps and tacks the patch area, places hot-mix asphalt in lifts, compacts to match adjacent pavement elevation, and re-stripes any markings that were removed. The Federal Highway Administration's Traffic Calming ePrimer treats hump removal as a standard pavement-restoration job rather than a specialty service.

When should a speed hump be removed?

Common removal triggers from Cojo's call log include:

The hump was installed without the proper traffic study and emergency-services review (a frequent issue cited in Oregon DOT's residential traffic-calming guidance).
The hump's height or profile is wrong -- typically too tall, causing vehicle damage complaints.
A change in property use (medical campus, fire-access road) requires emergency-vehicle compatibility, which a single hump cannot provide.
The hump has degraded past patching and is now a trip and tort hazard. The U.S. Access Board's accessible right-of-way guidance treats degraded vertical changes as accessibility issues.
The street is being repaved and the owner wants the calming device replaced with a different solution (cushion, table, raised crosswalk).

Tools and Materials Required

Item	Spec	Purpose
Concrete saw with diamond blade	14-inch wet-cut	Saw-cut the perimeter
Cold planer or pavement grinder	12-inch to 24-inch drum	Mill the hump down
Skid steer with broom	--	Sweep the patch area
Tack coat (CSS-1h emulsion)	per ODOT 00744	Bond the patch
Hot-mix asphalt	Level 2 or Level 3 dense-graded per ODOT 00744	Patch material
Vibratory roller	1.5-ton minimum	Compact the patch
Plate compactor	200-lb class	Edge compaction
Traffic-control package	MUTCD Part 6 compliant	Lane closure
Striping paint or thermoplastic	Per existing markings	Re-mark after curing

Step-by-Step Removal Process

Step 1 - Pre-removal site review (30 minutes)

Document the existing hump with photos and measurements. Confirm the patch boundary you intend to saw-cut clears the hump's full footprint by 6 to 12 inches on all sides -- tapered ends and shoulder pavement are part of the hump and must come out.

Step 2 - Set up traffic control (45 minutes)

A speed hump sits in the travel lane, so the lane must close. On a private parking lot the MUTCD Part 6 advance-warning template is still the safe baseline -- cones at 50 to 100 feet, an arrow board if traffic is two-way, and a flagger if pedestrians are present.

Step 3 - Saw-cut the perimeter (30 to 45 minutes)

Use a wet-cut concrete saw to cut a clean rectangle around the hump. Cut through the asphalt to the base course, typically 3 to 4 inches deep. Square corners reduce the chance of patch failure.

Step 4 - Mill or grind the hump down (45 to 90 minutes)

A cold planer is fastest. For small or single humps, a hand-held grinder plus pickaxe and shovel works for crews without a planer. The goal is to remove all raised material and 1 to 2 inches of base course beyond the original grade so the patch has structural depth.

Step 5 - Clean and tack the patch (15 minutes)

Sweep the patch area until the surface is loose-debris free. Apply CSS-1h emulsion tack coat per Oregon DOT Section 00744 at 0.05 to 0.10 gallons per square yard.

Step 6 - Place hot-mix asphalt (45 to 90 minutes)

Place the hot-mix in lifts no thicker than 2 inches each. Two 2-inch lifts compacted is more durable than one 4-inch lift. Mix temperature at the time of placement should be 280 to 320 degrees F per ODOT spec.

Step 7 - Compact to grade (30 minutes)

Roll until the patch matches adjacent pavement elevation. Use a stringline or 10-foot straightedge to confirm the patch is flush, not crowned and not depressed. A depressed patch will pond water and fail in 2 to 3 winters.

Step 8 - Re-stripe and re-sign (next day)

Wait 24 to 72 hours for the patch to cool and cure. Re-paint any stop bars, lane lines, or warning markings that ran through the removed hump. Remove the MUTCD W17-1 speed-hump warning sign and the advance pavement markings -- leaving them after the hump is gone confuses drivers and is a sign-maintenance violation.

How long does speed hump removal take?

Most single-hump removals on a parking lot run 4 to 6 hours of crew time, plus 24 to 72 hours of cure before re-striping. A multi-hump residential street with traffic control can stretch into 1 to 2 days. Cojo removed a failed hump on a Beaverton commercial driveway in March 2026 -- 14 feet long, 4 inches tall -- in 5 hours of crew time start to finish, with re-striping the following morning.

How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Speed Hump?

Industry Baseline Range

Component	Range
Single hump removal and patch (parking lot)	$1,500 to $3,500+
Single hump removal (residential street, with traffic control)	$2,500 to $5,000+
Multi-hump removal (3 or more, same site)	$1,200 to $2,500+ per hump
Re-striping any markings	$200 to $600+
Sign and post removal	$150 to $400+

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 hot-mix prices, fuel surcharges, and traffic-control labor have pushed Oregon removal costs above the historical baseline. Multi-hump same-site jobs see the steepest discount because mobilization (truck, planer, roller) is amortized across more units. Single-hump emergency removals in a tight schedule pay a 20 to 40 percent premium.

Why bother saw-cutting -- can the hump just be milled flush?

Skipping the saw cut leaves a feathered edge where the patch meets the existing pavement. Feathered patches fail within 2 to 3 freeze-thaw cycles. The OSHA Pavement Guide and the FHWA pavement preservation guidance both treat clean vertical edges as a baseline for durable patches.

Can a speed hump be removed in winter?

Hot-mix asphalt requires ambient temperatures above 40 degrees F at placement and a dry surface. In Oregon's wet winters Cojo recommends scheduling between April and October for the cleanest result. Emergency mid-winter removals use a cold-patch product as a temporary fix, then a hot-mix overlay in spring.

Should you replace the hump with something else?

Removal is rarely the end of the conversation -- if the original calming need still exists (traffic speeds, complaints, fire-access concerns), property owners typically replace the hump with one of the following:

A speed cushion (lets fire trucks through, slows passenger cars)
A speed table (gentler ride, supports buses)
A raised crosswalk (combines pedestrian crossing with calming)
Additional striping, signage, and a bollard layout (passive calming)

Cojo's asphalt maintenance services cover both removal and replacement on the same mobilization, which is the cheapest path forward.

Get a Quote for Speed Hump Removal

Send Cojo a site photo and a measurement (length and approximate height) and a Cojo estimator will return a fixed-price proposal within one business day. Removal jobs anywhere on the Oregon I-5 corridor -- Portland, Salem, Eugene, Springfield, Bend, Beaverton -- are routine work for our crew. See the related speed hump installation in Portland page for local context, or read our speed hump cost guide for budgeting baselines.