Cairns Concrete Demolition Contractors
Call (07) 4043 7499Concrete Demolition in Cairns
Safe, efficient concrete demolition in Cairns clears the way for new driveways, slabs, patios and building projects. Whether you need to break up an old driveway, remove a failing slab or take out a structure, we handle the job with the right equipment and a careful approach. We assess each site, plan the work and keep neighbouring areas protected while the old concrete comes out cleanly, safely and on schedule.
Our team uses machinery and hand tools suited to your site, from small access areas to large open blocks. We manage dust and noise as much as reasonably possible and clear away all debris so your site is ready for the next step. Demolition and replacement are often done together, which saves you time and coordination. Contact us today to discuss your project and arrange a quote for concrete demolition.
Concrete Demolition Services in Cairns
Driveway and Patio Break-Outs
Old driveways, carports, patios and paths broken up and lifted out ahead of a new pour, landscaping or an extension. We usually work from the back of the block toward the street so trucks can load as we go, and keep a path to your front door open where practical.
Breaking Out Beneath Highset Homes
Concrete under Queenslanders and highset homes broken out with small breakers and hand tools when you are building in underneath or restumping. We work carefully around stumps, bracing and plumbing in the limited headroom, and barrow the rubble out to a waiting skip or truck.
Backyard Pool Removal
Unwanted in-ground pools emptied, the floor broken to let water drain through, and the shell partly or fully removed depending on what the space will become. The hole is backfilled in compacted layers so the yard can take lawn, garden beds or a shed slab.
Commercial Slab Strip-Outs
Floor slabs, plinths, footings and old hardstands removed from shops, warehouses and sites being redeveloped. We break and load in an order that suits the builder's program, keep exclusion zones in place, and can saw slabs into blocks for lifting where noise and vibration must stay low.
Walls, Steps and Old Footings
Concrete retaining walls, front steps, old clothesline footings and garden edging broken out and removed, including heavily reinforced sections. Where a wall is still holding back soil, we remove it in stages and talk through temporary support so the bank stays stable on sloping foothill blocks.
Storm Damage Clear-Ups
Slabs and paths undermined or broken by wet-season flooding, fallen trees or cyclone damage cleared away so repairs can begin. We coordinate with your builder or insurance assessor, removing only what has failed and leaving sound concrete in place for reuse.
Hire Concrete Demolition Contractors in Cairns: Three Easy First Steps
Old slabs, cracked driveways and unwanted footings all have to go somewhere before work on the new project can start. Here is how to start planning your concrete removal with our Cairns demolition crew, step by step.
- Film a quick walkthrough: Record a short video showing the concrete, the access route and any tight spots, then message it to us.
- Flag what must stay: Tell us about pipes, trees, fences or neighbouring structures that need protecting so we can plan machine size and approach.
- Ask about removal: Let us know whether you want rubble taken away and the ground levelled, ready for the next trade to start.
Breaking concrete during the wet season brings mud and drainage challenges, so we schedule carefully and keep run-off under control on site. Where we can, broken concrete goes to recycling rather than landfill. Give us a call or send an email, and we will quote your demolition free of charge.
What Sets Our Concrete Demolition Team Apart in Cairns
Work Hours Neighbours Can Live With
Breaking concrete is loud, so we keep the noisiest work within reasonable daytime hours and suggest letting neighbours know the dates in advance. In closely built streets, that small courtesy prevents a lot of friction and keeps the job running smoothly.
Services Located Before Breaking
Water lines, power, phone cables, sewer and irrigation can all sit under an old slab. We obtain utility plans through the national Before You Dig service and check the site ourselves, because hitting a buried service turns a simple break-out into an expensive repair.
Vibration Watched Near Structures
Heavy breaking close to house stumps, pools, retaining walls or a neighbour's slab can cause damage that is costly to fix. Near anything sensitive, we drop to a smaller breaker or saw the concrete into blocks and lift it out instead.
Disposal Shown As Its Own Line
Rubble is heavy, bulky and costs money to move. We estimate tonnage at quoting, book trucks and tipping, and show disposal on a line of its own, so the cost of carting is clear before anything is broken.
Straight Saw Cuts At The Boundary
If new concrete has to join what stays, we saw the edge before breaking. That gives the new pour a solid, straight face to meet, instead of a crumbling, jagged break that can lead to cracking later.
Steel Separated For Recycling
Reinforcing bar and mesh are pulled from the rubble and sent for scrap metal recycling, while clean concrete heads to a crushing plant. Keeping materials apart reduces what ends up in landfill and can help keep disposal costs down.
Concrete Works in Cairns
Concrete Demolition FAQs
Answers for Cairns owners planning a break-out: pricing, partial removal, keeping gardens and fences intact, recycling rubble and how long the work runs.
We price each job after seeing it, because the variables differ so much from site to site. The big ones are slab thickness, how much steel is in it, whether an excavator can reach it, and how many truckloads of rubble it will produce. Lifting a thin, unreinforced garden path takes little time. Removing a thick, heavily reinforced slab behind the house on a steep Cairns hillside, where only small machines or hand breakers fit, is a much bigger undertaking. Truck travel and recycler or tip fees also add to the total, so our quote prices breaking, loading and disposal individually.
Yes, and replacing a section is often the most economical fix. We saw a straight line around the damaged area, break out just that panel and leave the sound concrete alone. You pay for less breaking, less cartage and a smaller pour. Do expect the new section to look different at first, because fresh concrete is lighter than an older, weathered slab and takes time to tone down, and the seam stays visible. If soft ground, tree roots or a washout beneath caused the failure, we deal with that as well, otherwise the new panel may crack or settle the same way.
By planning the job around them. The main risks are machines tracking across soft or wet ground, chips of concrete flying toward fences and glass, and vibration near walls, pools and retaining structures. Before work starts we agree an access route with you, cover or fence off garden beds, and lay mats where tracks will cross lawn. Where the slope, soil or tight spacing calls for it, we use smaller machines, and on cramped sites the perimeter is often broken with handheld gear while the excavator works the centre. If some disturbance can't be avoided, we explain that when quoting, not after the fact.
Once broken into pieces a truck can handle, it leaves your property. Whenever practical, uncontaminated rubble is taken to a recycling yard, crushed and turned into aggregate for roads, driveways and backfill. Recycling is usually cheaper than landfill and puts good material back to use. Loads contaminated with dirt, timber or household waste are often refused or charged at a higher rate, so we sort as we go to keep the concrete clean. Older sheds, garages, fences and eaves linings can contain asbestos, so anything like that should be checked by an appropriately licensed professional before breaking starts.
A typical home break-out takes one or two days of machine work, plus time for loading and carting. Jobs run longer when there is heavy reinforcement, an extra-thick slab, access so tight that breaking has to be done by hand, rock to dig through where levels are being lowered, or pipes and cables that call for slow, careful digging. The wet season can slow things too, because machines churn up saturated ground and loaded trucks struggle on a slippery, sloping driveway. You will get an honest estimate of duration with the quote, and when a new pour follows, we book it in tightly behind the break-out so your yard spends as little time dug up as possible.
Other services you might need
Need old concrete gone?
Let us know what is being removed, and we will visit to check how machines can get in.