Concrete Breaking & RemovalLong Beach, CA
Saw-cutting, breaking and recycling of slabs, footings and foundations, with scanning, silica controls and subgrade prep.
This page covers the engineering side of concrete removal: how slabs are identified, cut, broken and hauled, and what happens to the ground underneath. For driveways, patios and garage floors at houses, start with our concrete removal and hauling service page; this guide supports heavier commercial, industrial and structural work.
Reinforcing steel, post-tension tendons, embedded conduit and the soil below all change how a slab should be removed. Long Beach adds its own variables, from thick industrial slabs near the harbor to thin, old slabs under bungalows and alleys, so we identify what we are breaking before we break it.
Scope & Specifications
- Slab ID
- Records review plus ground-penetrating radar or X-ray where thickness, steel or tendons are unknown
- Cutting
- Slab and wall saws to separate the removal area from concrete that stays
- Breaking
- Excavator-mounted breakers on large areas; electric and hand breakers in tight or sensitive spots
- Steel
- Rebar and mesh cut out, separated and sent to scrap
- Slurry and dust
- Wet cutting or vacuum capture; slurry contained rather than washed to the street
- Recycling
- Clean concrete is typically crushed for reuse as base or aggregate
Equipment We Use
Slab saws and wall saws
Control the edge of the cut so retained slab and walls are not damaged
Excavator breakers and pulverizers
Reduce thick industrial slabs and footings efficiently
Compact breakers on track carriers
Reach into garages, side yards and interior bays
Ground-penetrating radar
Show steel, conduit and tendons before cutting begins
Wet-cut systems and HEPA vacuums
Keep silica exposure below limits during cutting and drilling
Plate compactors and graders
Prepare the subgrade for the next pour or paving
How the Work Is Sequenced
Identify the slab
Thickness, age, reinforcement and whether it is post-tensioned. Tendons are never cut without a plan.
Locate what is underneath
811 locates plus a private locate for irrigation, drains, sewer laterals and service lines.
Cut the boundary
Saw cuts isolate the area from walls, footings and neighboring concrete that must stay.
Break, lift and separate
Concrete comes out in manageable pieces; steel is separated and scrapped.
Haul and prepare the base
Material goes to a recycler and the exposed ground is left ready for the next phase.
Safety & Compliance
Rules, thresholds and fees change. Use these as a checklist of what to confirm, and rely on the issuing agency for current requirements.
Cal/OSHA respirable crystalline silica (8 CCR 1532.3)
Sets exposure controls for cutting, drilling and breaking concrete; wet methods or vacuum capture are standard.
Cal/OSHA Construction Safety Orders, concrete and masonry provisions
Cover hazards particular to concrete work, including the handling of post-tensioned elements.
Cal/OSHA demolition provisions
Apply when slabs and footings are removed as part of a larger demolition.
DigAlert (811)
Required before breaking out or excavating below the surface.
SCAQMD Rule 403 and local stormwater rules
Dust and slurry must not leave the site or reach a storm drain; the district and the City set the expectations.
Long Beach Considerations
Local note 1
Industrial slabs in the harbor and west-side belt can be very thick and heavily reinforced, sometimes with sumps, trenches and embedded steel; scanning and an access plan for large equipment come first.
Local note 2
Near the shoreline and canals, groundwater can be shallow and the soil sandy, so removed footings may leave unstable excavations that need backfill and compaction planning.
Local note 3
Older residential alleys and driveways in North Long Beach and Bixby Knolls usually sit directly over utility lines, which makes locates especially important before breaking.
Concrete Removal FAQs
Records and visual clues help, but a scan confirms it. Cutting or breaking tendons without a plan can be dangerous, so we verify before we start.
Yes. Cutting and breaking concrete releases respirable silica whatever the job size, which is why wet cutting or vacuum capture is part of our standard method.
Clean concrete usually can. Material mixed with soil, trash or hazardous residue may need different handling, and recyclers set their own acceptance rules.
The service page is aimed at driveways, patios and garage slabs. This page explains methods, equipment and compliance for commercial, industrial and structural work.
Related Long Beach Demolition Guides
- structural demolition in Long BeachControlled mechanical teardown of houses, commercial buildings and industrial structures, from survey to cleared lot.Read more →
- demolition debris hauling and site clearing in Long BeachSorting, hauling and recycling of demolition debris, then clearing and stabilizing the lot for the next phase.Read more →
- commercial strip-out in Long BeachSelective removal of ceilings, partitions, floors and soft MEP inside leased Long Beach offices, restaurants and retail suites.Read more →
- Concrete removal and hauling in Long BeachThe main service page for this trade, with pricing factors and a quote form.Read more →
- demolition cost, permits and inspections in Long BeachWhat drives demolition cost, and the permit and inspection steps to plan for.Read more →
- Long Beach demolition contractorsResidential, commercial, interior and concrete demolition across the metro.Read more →
Serving Downtown Long Beach demolition, Belmont Shore & Naples demolition, Port & Westside Industrial demolition, Bixby Knolls & Uptown demolition, North Long Beach demolition.
Planning concrete removal?
Tell us about the property and scope and we will walk the site and send a written quote.