Cracked and heaved concrete sidewalk section along a residential street

Hardscape Removal · Rochester, NY

Sidewalk Removal in Rochester, NY

Sidewalks and walkways are small slabs with a big annoyance factor: they heave at the joints, collect water against the house, and are usually the first thing a visitor trips over. Removal is quick when access is good.

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From $1,000
Haul-away
Residential only

Why homeowners remove a sidewalk

Frost lifts one slab and drops the next, so the walk becomes a trip hazard. Grinding the lip is a patch, not a fix.

Or the walk is being replaced, widened, or removed because a patio or garden bed is going in its place.

What we remove

Concrete sidewalks and walkways
Front steps and stoops
Aprons and pads at doors and garages
Broom-finished and exposed-aggregate walks
Stepping-stone paths and their base

Signs it is time

A slab lifted more than an inch at a joint
Water running toward the house instead of away
Cracks that have been patched more than once
A walk that no longer lines up with the door it serves

Level ground where a concrete walk was removed — Grade left walkable, edges made good.

Our sidewalk removal process

Quote from photosLength, width and thickness, plus how close a trailer can get. Sidewalk jobs are usually quick to price.
Cut and liftSections are cut at the joints and lifted rather than smashed in place, which keeps the lawn and the siding intact.
Load outConcrete is loaded and separated; reinforcement cut clear.
Make good the edgesWhere the walk met grass or a bed, the edge is tidied and the grade raked level.
SweepThe area is swept, including the street where material was handled.

Special considerations

Sidewalks in the public right-of-way may be the municipality's responsibility — check before paying to remove one.
A walk poured tight against the foundation is cut at the joint rather than levered, or it takes a piece of the wall.
If a new walk is going in, the base matters more than the slab; a thin pour over disturbed ground will heave again.

What happens to the space afterward?

The walk is gone and the grade is walkable, with the edges tidied. If a new path or a bed is going in, the area is left ready rather than as a trench.

If a replacement surface is going in, we sequence the removal around it — and say so before the work starts.

What sidewalk removal costs in Rochester

We do not publish prices we cannot stand behind, because the number depends on what is actually on site. Residential removal projects generally have a $1,000 minimum project value. What moves the quote:

Length, width and thickness
Number of sections and how much cutting is needed
Access — a wheelbarrow carry down the side of a house costs more than a driveway pull-up
Whether steps or a stoop come out at the same time

How to get an accurate number

Send photos of the structure, the ground around it and the path a trailer would take to reach it. Add rough dimensions if you have them. Most jobs are quoted from that alone; anything structural or unusual gets looked at first.

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Sidewalk Removal FAQs

Is a sidewalk in front of my house my responsibility?

Often the municipality owns and maintains the public sidewalk. Check before paying to remove one; we will tell you what we can and cannot touch.

Can you remove just one or two lifted sections?

We can, but small jobs usually fall under the project minimum. It often makes more sense to replace the run.

Do you remove the old gravel base?

Where the walk is being replaced, yes — that is usually where the heave started.

Will it damage the lawn?

Sections are lifted and carried, and mats go down where the ground is soft. Some edge damage is unavoidable and gets raked out.

Related removals

Other services

See all removal services, our service area, or read common questions before you call.

Sidewalk Removal across our service area

Same work, different lots and access in each town. Pick yours for the local detail.

Ready to remove your sidewalk?

Send a photo and the access width. Residential projects start at $1,000.

Get a Quote 585-820-1960

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