How Much Does Concrete Cutting Cost? [2024]

Concrete cutting prices depend on the type of concrete you need to cut, the equipment used to do it, and whether you hire professionals or do it yourself. If you want an idea of concrete cutting cost estimates, read this guide to learn:

• When is concrete cutting needed?
• How much does concrete cutting cost?
• How much to cut concrete yourself?
• Professional concrete cutting prices
• Getting quotes for concrete cutting prices
• Best practices for concrete cutting

When is concrete cutting needed?

There can be many reasons why you need to have concrete cut.

• If you're renovating, you may need to neatly remove part of a concrete slab while leaving the rest of the slab intact.
• You might need to have expansion joints cut into concrete to help prevent them from cracking.
• You might want to cut concrete into manageable sized pieces to make it easier to remove and dispose of.

Whatever the reason, there's a concrete cutting tool that can do the job.

How much does concrete cutting cost?

Depending on the nature of the job, concrete cutting professionals will choose or recommend different types of equipment. This equipment largely determines the concrete cutting cost you'll pay, whether you're hiring it yourself or leaving it to a professional.

How much to cut concrete yourself?

If you want to cut your own concrete, you'll need the right tools. A hammer and chisel is the cheapest option, but can be very time-consuming for breaking up a larger or thicker surface. Masonry blades for a circular saw only cost a few dollars, but these are also limited in the thickness they can cut, and they wear down quickly.

On the other hand, if you hire a jackhammer and reinforced bins for concrete waste, the concrete cutting cost can approach that of hiring an experienced tradie. DIY concreting and concrete cutting are really jobs best left to the experts, not only for the negligible cost saving, but also for the safety risks involved.

Professional concrete cutting prices

The concrete cutting cost per metre is based on the depth of the cut, increasing from around $20 for 100mm depth to $30-$50 for 300mm. Services may charge separate concrete cutting prices for different types of concrete, such as curbs and gutters.

The type of concrete surface you have will also affect concrete cutting prices. For example, exposed aggregate concrete (pebblecrete) and surfaces containing concrete floor heating can cost more than plain concrete.

Concrete cutters will recommend the most appropriate tool based on your needs. A fully equipped concrete cutting, coring and drilling company will have a variety of floor sawing machines on hand. For some types of work, an electric machine might be appropriate, while a bigger job might require a petrol or diesel powered saw.

As a rule, the pros only use hand-held saws when a job makes using more stable and powerful wheeled cutters impractical or impossible. For any kind of "floor sawing" (sawing concrete on a large, relatively flat surface), the heavier equipment is always preferred because it is faster, safer and more accurate than hand held equipment. This also means higher concrete cutting prices, but you'll save on labour cost.

It's also sometimes necessary to use sophisticated radar scanning equipment to locate metallic objects, cables and other objects under the concrete that may pose a danger or need to be worked around.

Getting quotes for concrete cutting prices

Concrete cutting services rarely give quotes until they've completed a site inspection. Every job is different, and while two jobs may sound exactly alike, upon closer inspection, one might pose greater access problems than another or require heavier equipment and more time to complete.

Most concreting companies also have concrete cutting equipment. If you need both concreting and cutting done, you'll probably get the best price if you get quotes from these services for all your concreting needs rather than separate concreting and cutting quotes. However, for big cutting, drilling, concrete removal and other related work on existing concrete, you may be better off getting quotes from companies that specialise in these types of jobs.

Whichever service you choose, check that they are licensed and insured, as your state requires, and that they have experience with the type of work you need.

Best practices for concrete cutting

You should never force your concrete cutting blade into the concrete – always using a wet blade with water, and you can use a dry blade with or without water. Cuts can be done from 4-12+ hours after the concrete has been finished, but this depends on how hot the weather is. If it is a hot day then you can dry-cut in just a few hours after finishing.

You should always wear protective safety equipment when cutting concrete, including eye/face protection, eye protection, gloves, sturdy footwear and hi-vis clothing.