How to Remove Solid Concrete Front Steps

Use a jackhammer to create cracks in the concrete.

Removing concrete front steps involves plenty of labor-intensive work. It also requires heavy-duty tools and proper disposal of the concrete. You can save large amounts of money by doing the job yourself instead of hiring a contractor if you only want to demolish the concrete steps. However, if you want to hire a contractor to pour new concrete afterward, removing the concrete steps yourself can actually cost more. Because solid concrete steps are thick, you'll need a pneumatic jackhammer.

Things You'll Need

• Safety goggles
• Hearing protection
• Dust mask
• Pneumatic jackhammer
• Pry bar, 5 to 6 feet long
• Wheelbarrow
• Trash can

Instructions

1. Rent a trash container and a pneumatic jackhammer. A pneumatic jackhammer is powered by a big, trailer-mounted compressor and works best on thick slabs of concrete. For the trash container, choose one with a walk-in gate so you can easily transfer the rubble into it.

2. Wear safety goggles to prevent chips of concrete from damaging your eyes. Also wear a dust mask and hearing protection.

3. Attach the chisel-point bit to the jackhammer. A rental jackhammer usually comes with various bits, but a chisel-point bit works best as its narrow point concentrates the force of the jackhammer.

4. Attach the jackhammer to the hose that is connected to the trailer-mounted compressor and turn it on.

5. Hold the jackhammer by the handles with both hands at a slight angle so that the chisel-point bit is against the first concrete step, about two to three inches away from the edge. Hit the trigger and let the jackhammer pound away until you see cracks in the concrete. If you drill a hole without creating cracks, stop and pull your jackhammer up because the bit will get stuck in the hole if you continue.

6. Move the jackhammer about two to three inches away from a crack and hit the trigger to create more cracks. Continue until you cover the entire surface.

7. Swing the pointed end of a mattock into a crack in the concrete steps and pry the rubble up to separate the rubble chunks. Continue until you have separated all the rubble pieces from the ground.

8. Place the rubble pieces in a heavy-duty wheelbarrow. When it is half full, haul the rubble to the rented trash container. Moving 10 full loads of rubble is more tiring than 20 half loads.

Tips & Warnings

• Get a few friends to help you with the project because it involves a lot of heavy lifting. Ideally, you need two people to break up the concrete and two to four people to haul the rubble away.

References

• The Family Handyman: Concrete Demolition Tools and Tips
• Hammer Zone; Removing Concrete Stairs Next to the House; Bruce W. Maki