Concrete is the heaviest thing most properties ever throw away, and almost every mistake people
make with it traces back to underestimating that. This guide covers the whole picture: what your
slab weighs, which routes are legal in New York City and on Long Island, and how to choose between
them.
Step one: work out the tonnage
Concrete weighs roughly 145 to 150 pounds per cubic foot. Convert thickness to a fraction of a
foot and multiply:
- 4-inch slab — about 50 lb per square foot.
- 5-inch driveway — about 62 lb per square foot.
- 6-inch commercial pad — about 75 lb per square foot.
So a 12 x 16 patio at 4 inches is roughly 4.8 tons; a two-car driveway at 5 inches is commonly 12
to 18 tons. Those figures decide everything that follows.
Step two: know that the curb is not an option
Municipal collection across the five boroughs and the Long Island towns is for household waste,
recycling and bulk items. Renovation and demolition material is a separate stream handled privately.
Our NYC bulk pickup rules guide covers what collection does
take, and the construction debris
removal guide covers the rest of a renovation's waste.
Step three: pick a route
- Recycling yard, self-haul. Cheapest per ton for clean concrete, which is
crushed into aggregate. Limited by your vehicle's payload — a half-ton pickup is legally full
at about 20 square feet of 4-inch slab. - C&D transfer station, self-haul. Accepts mixed loads at a higher rate. Use
it when the pile has soil, wood or masonry through it. - Heavy-debris container. The 10-yard size, not the big ones — a 30-yard can
filled with rubble would exceed legal truck weight. Street placement needs a permit; a driveway
does not. Compare in roll-off dumpster versus
junk removal. - Full-service break and haul. Crew, breaker, labour and truck in one visit, with
the load weighed and documented at a licensed facility. See
concrete removal and the
cost breakdown. - Reuse on site. Clean broken slab has real value as fill or sub-base — but only
where the new work actually calls for it.
Step four: keep the load clean
Rebar and mesh are fine; they are separated magnetically at the crusher. Soil, asphalt, wood
forms, plastic and general trash are what turn a clean concrete load into mixed debris at a higher
rate. On a job of any size, staging the slab away from the spoil pile is the single highest-value
hour of labour you will spend.
Step five: check the paperwork
Commercial C&D removal is a regulated trade. A licensed carter delivers to a permitted
facility and can produce a weight ticket. Illegal dumping liability attaches to the property owner
as well as the hauler, so the ticket is worth asking for. For a tonnage estimate on your slab, call
(718) 587-0156 or tap to call, or start with our
construction debris removal
service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does concrete weigh per square foot?
About 50 pounds per square foot at 4 inches thick, 62 at 5 inches and 75 at 6 inches, based on concrete weighing roughly 145 to 150 pounds per cubic foot.
Where can I take concrete in NYC or on Long Island?
Clean concrete goes to a recycling yard that crushes it into aggregate; mixed loads go to a permitted C&D transfer station. Both charge by weight, and clean concrete is the cheaper stream.
Can I put concrete out with the household trash?
No. Municipal collection in the five boroughs and the Long Island towns handles household waste, recycling and bulk items. Demolition and renovation material is removed privately.
What size dumpster do I need for concrete?
A 10-yard heavy-debris container. The larger sizes are built for light bulky material and would exceed legal truck weight long before they were full of rubble.
Is it cheaper to break up the concrete myself?
Only if you have the equipment and somewhere legal to take it. Breaking is the easy part; the tonnage, the payload limit on your vehicle and the gate fee are what actually drive the cost.