At U.S. Demo and Hauling, driveway removal is one of our many areas of expertise. While this is a common demolition project, many homeowners or business owners have questions about the process. Let’s dive in and take a look at driveway removal and what to expect from this service.
Why Remove A Driveway?
There are many reasons why a homeowner or property manager might want to remove a driveway. For instance, if the driveway is cracked or has potholes and is damaged beyond repair, removing the driveway and starting from scratch is typically the best option.
In some cases, the driveway was graded incorrectly from the start, and slopes toward the house or building structure, a homeowner will want to regrade the driveway. This ensures that water can more easily flow away from the property and down toward gutters. Improper grading is a common issue and the potential for water damage is high, therefore, removing and regrading a driveway can prevent serious water damage.
In other cases, people want to remove their driveway to create a more aesthetically pleasing new driveway, such as replacing asphalt with stamped concrete or perhaps a mix of concrete and tiles or bricks. In some instances, we are called in to provide driveway removal if the property layout has changed and the driveway needs to be relocated or removed.
Driveway Removal Costs
The national average cost of driveway removal services varies based upon a number of factors, including the size of the driveway, the ease of access to the driveway and the material used to build the driveway initially. Asphalt, for instance, can be easier to remove than concrete, so the average costs for asphalt removal tend to be lower.
Concrete demolition is more labor intensive and requires heavier equipment to break up and remove, and this can be even more challenging if the concrete has been reinforced with steel rebar, which is common. Still, the team at U.S. Demo has a great deal of experience with concrete removal and concrete hauling, so we will do our best to provide you with an affordable quote for our services. With concrete, the total cost will be affected by factors such as how many inches thick the concrete is as well as whether it is reinforced or unreinforced concrete.
As a side note, while we can remove a concrete driveway, our team of demolition contractors also can remove a concrete patio, retaining wall, and concrete walkways or even provide you with concrete slab removal.
The Driveway Removal Process: An Overview
The process of driveway removal, particularly for concrete or asphalt driveways, involves several key steps. It’s a challenging and labor-intensive task that often requires heavy equipment and proper safety precautions.
For most residential driveways, the equipment we use includes items such as jackhammers to break up the concrete or asphalt. We also might use larger equipment such as an excavator or a backhoe to collect the large pieces of the driveway. This debris then will be placed either in one of our trucks or perhaps in a dumpster as part of the debris removal process.
Breaking up the driveway and ensuring that all of the debris is removed constitute the bulk of most driveway removal projects. As we haul away the debris, we will make sure it is disposed of properly, following any local and state regulations. We also will recycle as much of these materials as possible. Asphalt, concrete and steel rebar typically are all recyclable and we strive to provide environmentally-friendly disposal services for every demolition project.
Once all of the debris has been removed and the site has been cleaned, we also can provide you with grading and excavation services. Whether you are planning on replacing the driveway with new materials or will be re-routing the driveway and using the former driveway as part of your yard, proper grading is important to allow water to flow away from your home and down to the street.
In most cases, permits will be necessary, as driveway removal often necessitates removing a portion of the sidewalk or perhaps the removal of some curbing. We can help with the permitting process should your project require permits from your local municipality. Additionally, we usually will need to contact local utility companies to mark any underground lines that could be affected during the removal process.
How Long Does Driveway Removal Take?
For most residential projects, we can wrap up driveway removal in just a day or two. For larger commercial projects, this might require more time. Of course, it’s worth noting that if we need to pull permits, this process must be completed before we can proceed with the driveway removal.
U.S. Demo – A Look At Our Services
In addition to driveway removal, concrete demolition and concrete hauling services, we also provide a myriad of demolition services. This includes all types of building demolition, including house demolition, pool demolition, garage demolition, selective demolition and more.
We also handle commercial demolition, for any size project, as debris removal and we also offer services as an excavation contractor. U.S. Demo and Hauling provides expert demo, grading and excavation services for clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Whether you need driveway removal or another of our services, the team at U.S. Demo is committed to providing safe, environmentally friendly services, and we have more than 20 years of experience behind us. To receive a free cost estimate for any of our services, you can call us at (925) 376-3050 or click on the Contact tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form.
