Driveway removal quotes vary widely, and one line that often differs is how each contractor handles the 5 to 10 tons of broken concrete or asphalt that has to leave the property.
Here is the short answer for the Bay Area. National cost guides put concrete driveway removal at $2 to $7 a square foot (LawnStarter, October 2026) and asphalt at $3 to $7 for a 4 to 6 inch driveway, or from $1.50 at 3 to 4 inches (HomeGuide, June 2026). A San Jose hand-labor estimate runs much higher. The disposal part is the one number you can lock today: a 10-yard inert dumpster is $640 in San Jose with no weight charge.
What a Bay Area Driveway Tear-Out Costs
These are the cost figures we checked this month, with what each one covers:
| Source (date) | What it covers | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| LawnStarter (Oct 2026) | Concrete driveway removal, national, demolition plus disposal | $1,140 to $3,000, or $2 to $7 per sq ft |
| HomeGuide (Jun 2026) | Asphalt removal, national, usually with hauling | $1.50 to $3.50 per sq ft (3 to 4 in), $3 to $7 (4 to 6 in) |
| Homewyse (May 2026, ZIP 95110) | Concrete slab removal, 400 sq ft, San Jose, hand jackhammer, labor and equipment only | $5,152 to $6,266 ($12.88 to $15.66 per sq ft) |
| Zebra Dumpsters (Oct 2026) | Disposal only: 10-yard inert bin, San Jose, 7 days | $640, no weight charge |
What surprises most people is the Homewyse number. It assumes a crew breaking the slab with a hand jackhammer, about 40 labor hours for 400 square feet, and its own national average for that method is $11.47 to $13.99 a square foot. So the gap to the LawnStarter range is mostly the method, not the location. Use the two as reference points when you compare quotes, and ask each contractor what equipment they will bring.
Concrete or Asphalt: The Thickness Sets the Weight
Concrete weighs about 2 tons per cubic yard, and compacted asphalt is close to the same, around 145 pounds per cubic foot. So the material matters less than the thickness. A 4-inch concrete slab is about 50 pounds per square foot. Asphalt is about 12 pounds per square foot for every inch, so 24 pounds at 2 inches and 36 at 3.
That puts a 400 square foot two-car driveway at about 10 tons in 4-inch concrete and about 7 tons in 3-inch asphalt. Broken pieces take about one and a half times their in-ground space, and that volume, not the weight, decides the bin:
| Driveway | Rough weight | Bin |
|---|---|---|
| Pad or walkway, up to about 250 sq ft of 4 in concrete | up to about 6 tons | 5-yard inert |
| Two-car driveway, up to about 500 sq ft of 4 in concrete | up to about 12 tons | 10-yard inert |
| 400 sq ft of 3 in asphalt | about 7 tons | 10-yard inert |
| 600 sq ft or more of 4 in concrete, or the base rock comes out too | 12 tons and up | Two 10-yard inert loads |
Here's the catch with asphalt: it has to be clean. Some old driveways were paved over a fabric layer (petromat), and Zanker in San Jose prices asphalt with fabric as a mixed load. In our inert bin, anything that is not asphalt, concrete, brick, dirt or tile brings a cleaning fee, so pull the fabric out as you go.
Concrete and asphalt
The disposal line, at a flat rate
A 10-yard inert bin is $640 in San Jose for clean concrete or asphalt, 7 days on site, with no charge by the ton. Open the listing with your delivery ZIP to see the rate where you are.
The Disposal Line: Inert Bin Prices by City
Asphalt, concrete, brick and dirt go in an inert (heavy-material) bin only. General debris bins do not take them. Under standard service the inert bin has no weight limit, because the load goes to a recycler that crushes it into base rock. Both sizes are 15 feet long and 5.7 feet wide, low enough to load over the side by hand. Rates depend on the delivery city. These are the current starting rates for clean concrete or asphalt:
| City | 5-yard inert | 10-yard inert |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose | $585 | $640 |
| Sunnyvale | from $608 | from $665 |
| Hayward | from $630 | from $690 |
| Oakland | from $653 | from $715 |
| Redwood City | from $653 | from $775 |
| Livermore | from $720 | from $790 |
In San Jose, a mixed load (concrete with dirt, for example) is $805 and $940. Every city we serve is on our concrete dumpster rental page, and the bigger size has its own 10 yard inert dumpster page.
A warning, not an option: if 7 tons of asphalt went into a San Jose 20-yard general bin ($630 with 2 tons included), the other 5 tons would add $775 at $155 a ton, and a bin over a safe weight can be refused at pickup. The inert bin is $640 with nothing on top.
Reading a Removal Quote Line by Line
The first question on any quote is whether disposal is in it. HomeGuide notes that asphalt removal prices usually include hauling but that some contractors bill it separately, so ask. If you supply the bin yourself, the contractor's price should drop by their haul-off line, and your disposal cost becomes the bin rate.
Next, check what goes in the bin. Anything other than concrete, dirt, brick, asphalt or tile carries a $300 cleaning fee, and if garbage is more than 5% of the load it is billed as general debris: 1 ton included, then $155 a ton in San Jose. Rebar can stay in the concrete if nothing sticks out more than 3 inches, and pieces must be under 3 feet.
Then the permit. In San Jose, the city's Driveways and Sidewalks page says repairs or resurfacing on the private side of the sidewalk need no permit. Moving or expanding the driveway needs a Public Works clearance or permit, and any change or repair to the curb, sidewalk or driveway apron needs a Transportation Department permit. Other Bay Area cities have their own rules, so call the building department before work starts.
Booking the Bin Around Demolition Day
The driveway is usually where a bin would go, so plan the spot before the crew starts. A bin on the street needs a city permit in most Bay Area cities (our dumpster permit guide covers San Jose). The truck needs a straight, clear approach, and a trip that cannot drop or collect the bin is a $250 dead-run fee ($350 north of Millbrae or Oakland).
The rental is 7 days, $45 for each extra day, with pickup 1 to 3 days after you call it ready. Same-day delivery is available, with a $100 fee outside San Jose and Campbell. Book the bin to land the morning demolition starts, not the week before.
Prices subject to change. Verify current rates at zebradumpsters.com/weight-limits-and-fees.
Ready to demo?
Book the inert bin for demolition day
Tell dispatch it is concrete or asphalt when you book, and give the square footage and thickness. The right size comes out with the recycling route already set.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to remove a concrete driveway?
National cost guides put concrete driveway removal at $1,140 to $3,000, or $2 to $7 a square foot with disposal (LawnStarter, October 2026). A local hand-labor estimate runs higher: for a 400 square foot slab broken out with a hand jackhammer in San Jose, Homewyse estimates $5,152 to $6,266 for labor and equipment, before disposal.
How much does asphalt driveway removal cost per square foot?
About $1.50 to $3.50 a square foot for a 3 to 4 inch driveway and $3 to $7 for 4 to 6 inches, usually with hauling (HomeGuide, June 2026). HomeGuide puts a 20 x 20 foot (400 square foot) driveway at $1,200 to $2,800, which matches the $3 to $7 rate.
What size dumpster do I need to remove a driveway?
A 10-yard inert bin for most two-car driveways up to about 500 square feet of 4-inch concrete. A 5-yard inert bin covers a pad or walkway up to about 250 square feet. Larger driveways, or a job that also lifts the base rock, need a second load.
Can I put asphalt or concrete in a regular dumpster?
No. General debris dumpsters do not take asphalt, concrete, brick or dirt. Both go in an inert (heavy-material) bin, which has no weight limit under standard service. In San Jose that is $585 for a 5-yard and $640 for a 10-yard.
Do I need a permit to remove my driveway in San Jose?
It depends on the work. Repairs or resurfacing on the private side of the sidewalk need no permit. Moving or expanding the driveway needs a clearance or permit from Public Works, and any change or repair to the curb, sidewalk or driveway apron needs a permit from the Transportation Department. Ask the city's permit center before a full tear-out.
Is asphalt cheaper to remove than concrete?
Not on average. HomeGuide puts a typical asphalt driveway removal at about $2,300 and a concrete one at about $1,800, though thin 3 to 4 inch asphalt can cost as little as $1.50 a square foot. The disposal cost is the same: both ride in the same inert bin at the same flat rate.
