Broken concrete goes in a roll-off on a heavy-debris quote, or to a recycler that crushes it into aggregate. Either way, keep it clean: no trash, wood or dirt unless the quote allows it. A 20 by 20 ft slab, 4 inches thick, weighs about 10 tons and fills about 8¼ cubic yards once broken.1
Your options
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Roll-off dumpster, heavy-debris quote | A slab, driveway, patio or footings broken up on site | Quoted with a set number of tons included. Fill only to the provider's line. |
| Concrete recycler or C&D recycling yard | Clean loads you haul yourself, or a contractor hauling by the truckload | Crushed and reused as aggregate. Call ahead about what they accept, including rebar and mesh. |
| Landfill or transfer station | Loads mixed with other debris | Confirm first: not every site takes concrete, and rates vary by site. |
| Reuse on site | Fill or base under new work | Check with your engineer and local building rules first. |
Most concrete is already recycled
US EPA, Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2018 Fact Sheet.2
How much it weighs
Concrete weighs about 3,960 lb per cubic yard as a slab and about 2,370 lb per cubic yard loose. The weight doesn't change when you break it; the air between the pieces does. Broken, it takes up about 67% more space.1
| Slab, 4 in thick | In place | Loose, broken | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | 1.2 cu yd | About 2 cu yd | About 2½ tons |
| 12 x 12 ft | 1.8 cu yd | About 3 cu yd | About 3½ tons |
| 20 x 20 ft | 4.9 cu yd | About 8¼ cu yd | About 10 tons |
Real weight can vary about 5% either way; wet concrete or concrete with rebar weighs more.1 Other sizes: debris weight calculator.
What size dumpster
A full 10 yard holds about 12 tons of broken concrete; a full 20 yard about 24.1 So concrete is quoted with more included weight than general debris.
Provider network data.3 Most common: the 20 yard (514 deliveries), then the 10 yard (242) and 10 yard lowboy (97). A 20 for concrete is only loaded partway, so ask how high to fill.
A patio, walkway or small slab. See the 10 yard dumpster.
Where the local provider uses a 20 for heavy debris. See the 20 yard dumpster.
Split the work across heavy quotes so each load stays under its included tonnage.
Pricing depends on market, container, tons included and disposal site.
Keep the load clean
Send the address, what you're breaking up, its size and its thickness. The provider returns the container, tons included and a price.
Questions
About 3,960 lb per cubic yard as a slab, and about 2,370 lb once it's broken up.1
Yes, on a quote written for concrete. Tell us it's concrete when you order, since it's quoted with more tons included than general debris.
About 8½ loose cubic yards reaches 10 tons, a little short of the rim.1
Yes. About 301 million tons of US concrete debris went to aggregate in 2018, by EPA's estimate.2
Yes, if the quote says so. It's quoted separately from clean concrete.
Yes, in many cities, if it sits on the street or sidewalk. Rules vary, so check with your city or ask us when you order.
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Sources