Removing an old concrete patio in Vanier: how is it priced?

A national cost page puts concrete demolition and disposal at about $1,000 to $5,000 or more for a project, with the actual number depending on the size of the patio, how thick the slab is, whether there is reinforcing steel or wire mesh in it, and how easy it is to get equipment into the backyard. Get removal and disposal quoted as a separate line item so you can see exactly what you are paying for each part.

The things a quote will differ on include the total area being broken out, the thickness of the existing slab, whether rebar or mesh is present, how the broken pieces will be loaded and hauled away, and whether any excavated soil also needs to go. At the City of Ottawa's Trail Waste Facility, clean concrete without rebar is accepted as fill at $144 per tonne above 250 kg, with a $36 minimum for loads under 250 kg, and it must be free of metal. We found no City rate for concrete that contains rebar or mesh, so ask the contractor how reinforced material will be handled and whether disposal is included in the price or billed separately.

If the work involves digging, whoever digs is the excavator under the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, and a locate request must be submitted through Ontario Dig Authority before that work begins. Locates are free. Ask who will submit the request.

The City of Ottawa's Hardscaping Contractor Licence has been required since March 1, 2026 for businesses that install or alter hard landscaping features on private property, including concrete patios. The licence costs $319 for 2026 and requires the contractor to carry commercial general liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000 and automobile liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000, to provide a written contract, and to give you a copy of the City's Landscaping Education Guide. Ottawa Concrete Pros does not check anyone's licence or insurance.

A few things worth confirming in writing before the job starts:

• whether disposal is included or billed by weight after the fact
• how rebar or mesh, if present, will be disposed of and at what cost
• who submits the locate request if any digging is involved
• what the site will look like when the crew leaves (graded, backfilled or left as a bare base)

Before you hire anyone for this job, ask the contractor to show you their City of Ottawa hardscaping licence and then check their name against the City's published list of licensed hardscaping contractors yourself.