Skip Hire & Waste · Updated August 2026
Concrete Removal Cost UK 2026
Concrete is two costs, not one: breaking it out at £45–£90 per m², and getting it off site at £180–£350 a load. Because rubble is heavy, a grab lorry is usually cheaper than a skip, which charges £50–£150 extra when overweight.
Concrete removal cost — 2026
Thickness and reinforcement decide the breaking cost; weight decides the removal cost.
| Job | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Break out slab, up to 100mm | £45–£60 per m² | Breaker and labour |
| Break out slab, 100–200mm | £60–£80 per m² | Slower going |
| Reinforced concrete | £75–£90 per m² | Rebar has to be cut out |
| Concrete driveway removal (typical) | £900–£2,400 | Around 20–30 m² |
| Grab lorry, per load away | £180–£350 | The cheapest route for hardcore |
| Skip with heavy rubble | £245–£600 +£50–£150 | Overweight surcharge usually applies |
| Machine hire (mini digger + breaker) | £180–£350 per day | Cheaper than labour beyond about 30 m² |
Source: BestBuilders’ 2026 regional cost model (national cost guides × regional labour index), averaged across 519 UK towns.
What changes the cost
| Cost driver | Add-on cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| On-road skip permit | +£30–£80 / week | When the skip stands on a public road; varies by council |
| Overweight / heavy rubble | +£50–£150 | Soil, concrete and rubble filling a large skip |
| Plasterboard separation | +£15–£60 | Plasterboard must be kept separate from general waste |
| Fridges & freezers | +£10–£30 each | Treated as restricted electrical waste |
| Mattresses | +£10–£30 each | Surcharge per mattress for specialist disposal |
| Tyres & paint tins | +£5–£25 each | Restricted items that cannot go in a standard skip |
| Access for the lorry | +£0–£150 | Narrow lanes, low bridges or no kerbside space |
Skip and waste cost by UK region — 2026
Landfill and tipping charges vary by area as much as labour does. Figures are for skip hire; the same spread applies across the other waste jobs.
| Region | Mini / midi | Builders 6–8yd | Maxi / RoRo |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £160–275 | £350–600 | £500–810 |
| South East | £150–255 | £320–550 | £460–745 |
| Midlands & South West | £125–210 | £265–455 | £380–620 |
| North & Yorkshire | £120–200 | £250–430 | £360–585 |
| Scotland, Wales & NI | £115–190 | £245–420 | £350–565 |
Getting it priced properly
1. Say what the waste IS
Volume alone does not price a job. Soil, concrete and plasterboard are all charged differently, and a quote given without that detail will change on the day.
2. Check the carrier licence
Ask for the waste carrier licence number and check it on the Environment Agency register. You stay liable under duty of care if your waste is fly-tipped.
3. Settle where it stands
On your own land you need no permit. On the road the council charges £30–£80 a week — confirm who is arranging and paying for it.
Because broken concrete is dense, the cheapest way off site is almost always a grab lorry rather than a skip — a builders skip hits its weight limit while still half-empty and lands the overweight surcharge, so run the numbers both ways with the skip hire cost calculator before you assume a skip is simpler. If you are lifting an old driveway to lay a new one, factor the replacement in now: a non-permeable surface over 5 m² usually needs planning permission or a soakaway, and our garden drainage cost guide shows what that drainage typically adds.
Concrete removal — frequently asked questions
Skips are priced by volume but limited by weight. Fill a builders skip with concrete and you hit the weight limit long before the top, and pay a £50–£150 overweight charge. A grab lorry is designed for dense waste and takes it in one lift.
Beyond roughly 30 m², machine hire at £180–£350 a day usually costs less than the extra labour days. Below that, a hand breaker is normally quicker to set up than getting a machine on site.
Often yes — crushed as hardcore for a new base, which saves both the removal cost and the aggregate cost. Worth asking, especially if you are laying a new driveway on the same spot.
Removing it, no. Replacing it with something non-permeable over 5 m² usually needs planning permission or a drainage solution — check before you commit to the replacement, not after.
Related waste guides
Every size priced, with the surcharges.
When the council needs to be asked.
Priced by property size and volume.
Concrete removal — guides and detail
The detail behind the number: what changes the price, the planning position, and how to check a quote before you accept it.
Registered members: Skip Hire & Waste
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Reviewed by the BestBuilders editorial team · Last updated: 28 August 2026 · Next scheduled review: November 2026 · See our editorial standards.