Every demolition project, renovation, or site prep job generates concrete waste. Broken slabs, old foundations, sidewalk sections, block walls, it all has to go somewhere. For most contractors, the default approach is familiar: load the rubble into dumpsters or dump trucks, haul it across town, and pay disposal fees at a crushing facility or landfill.
But there’s another way. On-site concrete crushing lets you process that material right where you’re working and turn it into reusable aggregate. Instead of paying someone else to take your concrete, you keep it, crush it, and put it back to work on the same project or stockpile it for future use.
Below, we’ll break down how on-site crushing works, when it makes sense, and what to look for in crushing equipment.
What Happens to Concrete Waste on a Typical Job Site?
On most construction projects, concrete waste follows a predictable path. Your crew breaks up the old material, loads it into roll-off dumpsters or haul trucks, and sends it off to an offsite facility. Sometimes it goes to a dedicated crushing operation. Sometimes it ends up in a landfill.
Either way, the costs stack up fast. Dumpster rental fees. Per-ton tipping charges. Trucking expenses. Fuel. The labor hours spent loading material instead of doing productive work. And if you’re waiting on a dumpster swap or stuck in line at a disposal site, those delays eat into your schedule too.
There’s also the environmental side. Moving heavy material across town burns diesel and adds wear to your trucks. Landfills continue filling up with material that could have been recycled.
Most contractors accept these costs as part of doing business. They’ve always done it this way, so they keep doing it. But the math changes when you can process that concrete yourself.
How On-Site Concrete Crushing Works
The basic concept is straightforward. You break down concrete slabs or demolition debris into manageable chunks, feed those chunks into a crusher, and the crusher produces aggregate you can use.
Different types of crushers handle this process in different ways:
- Jaw crushers use compression between two plates
- Impact crushers use high-speed impact to break material apart
- Compact crushers designed for smaller operations often mount directly to equipment like skid steers, making them accessible for contractors who already own this machinery
The crusher breaks old concrete into sized material based on the jaw settings or screen configuration. Output can range from fine aggregate suitable for certain fill applications to larger pieces that work well as road base or drainage stone.
For many contractors, a skid steer-mounted crusher makes the most sense. You’re not buying a separate piece of heavy equipment. You’re adding capability to something you already use every day. Drive up to a pile of concrete rubble, crush it down, and move on.
The process works with more than just concrete too. Most crushers also handle asphalt, block, brick, and other masonry materials, giving you flexibility across different project types.
Benefits of Crushing Concrete on Your Job Site
Cut Disposal Costs and Trucking Expenses
The most immediate benefit hits your bottom line directly. When you crush concrete on site, you eliminate or drastically reduce what you’re paying for disposal.
No more dumpster rental fees, per-ton charges at the crushing facility, less fuel burned hauling heavy loads back and forth, and your trucks and drivers stay on the job site doing productive work instead of making dump runs across town.
For contractors who deal with concrete regularly, these savings compound quickly. A few projects’ worth of avoided disposal costs can offset the equipment investment entirely.
Create Reusable Material for Your Project
Crushed concrete isn’t waste. It’s a resource. The aggregate you produce can go right back into your current project or get stockpiled for future use.
Recycled concrete aggregate works well as base material for driveways, parking lots, and building pads, and compacts nicely for road base applications. Larger pieces function well in drainage systems and French drains. You can use it for backfill, temporary construction roads, or erosion control.
Instead of paying to remove material and then paying again to bring in new aggregate, you’re generating valuable material from what would otherwise be a liability.
Simplify Logistics and Keep Projects Moving
Coordinating concrete removal adds complexity to every project. You’re scheduling dumpster deliveries and pickups and timing haul runs around traffic and facility hours.
On-site crushing allows you to process material as you generate it throughout the demolition or removal phase. No waiting on outside services. No coordinating with third-party schedules. You control the pace.
Support Sustainable Construction Practices
Concrete recycling keeps usable material out of landfills and reduces the demand for virgin aggregate from quarries. That matters to a growing number of project owners, general contractors, and municipalities.
Some projects specifically require or incentivize the use of recycled materials. Others simply value working with contractors who minimize environmental impact. Either way, having concrete crushing capability positions you well for these opportunities.
On-Site Crushing vs. Offsite Options:
Contractors have several ways to handle concrete waste. Here’s how owning crushing equipment compares to the alternatives.
| Factor | On-Site Crushing (Own Equipment) | Custom Crushing Services | Offsite Crushing Facility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Structure | One-time equipment investment with minimal ongoing costs | Per-job or per-ton service fees | Hauling costs plus disposal fees per load |
| Convenience | Crush material as you work, on your schedule | Must schedule around service provider availability | Subject to facility hours and capacity |
| Material Ownership | You keep 100% of the crushed aggregate | Varies by provider—you may or may not retain material | Material typically stays at the facility |
| Flexibility | Process any quantity at any time | Minimum quantities may apply for service calls | Best suited for larger single loads |
| Best For | Contractors with regular concrete removal needs | Large one-time projects without ongoing needs | Occasional small volumes not worth processing |
What to Look for in a Compact Concrete Crusher
If you’re evaluating crushing equipment, a few factors will determine whether a particular unit fits your operation.
Size and portability matter on real job sites. Residential projects and tight commercial sites don’t have room for massive equipment. A mobile crusher that mounts to your skid steer goes wherever your skid steer goes.
Equipment compatibility affects your total investment. If you already run a skid steer, adding a crusher attachment costs far less than buying a standalone crushing machine. Look for units designed to work with equipment you own.
Crushing capacity should match your typical workload. Consider both the volume of material you process and the size of the concrete pieces you need to feed into the machine. Oversized equipment wastes money. Undersized equipment creates bottlenecks.
Output size determines what you can do with the finished product. Different applications call for different aggregate sizes. Make sure the crusher produces material you can actually use.
Build quality separates equipment that lasts from equipment that breaks down. Construction sites are hard on machinery. Look for heavy-duty construction, quality components, and a design that can handle demanding daily use.
Manufacturer support becomes important when you need parts or service. Work with a company that stands behind their equipment and makes it easy to keep your crusher running.
The EZG Hog Crusher: Built for Contractors Who Work with Concrete
The Hog Crusher from EZG Manufacturing addresses exactly what contractors need from an on-site crushing solution.
It’s a skid steer-mounted concrete crusher designed for processing material right on the job site. Mount it to the equipment you already use, drive up to a pile of concrete rubble, and start producing reusable aggregate. No separate machine to trailer around. No dedicated operator required beyond whoever’s running the skid steer.
The compact design of our portable crusher makes it practical for the job sites contractors actually work on, including residential projects and commercial sites where space is limited. It handles concrete, asphalt, block, and other masonry materials, giving you flexibility across different types of demolition and removal work.
EZG offers the Hog Crusher in two models: the HCR50L (standard flow) for skid steers in the 15-21 GPM range, and the HCR50H (high torque) for machines running 22+ GPM. This lets you match the right unit to your equipment.
Contractors using the Hog Crusher have reported savings of up to 75% on disposal costs by processing material on site instead of hauling to offsite facilities. The unit comes complete with hydraulic hoses, couplers, and an operation manual. A two-year warranty covers equipment that breaks through normal use.
Stop Paying to Remove What You Could Reuse
Every load of concrete you haul to a disposal facility costs money. Every ton you dump at a crushing facility is material you could have kept and used yourself. Those costs repeat on every project, month after month, year after year.
On-site concrete crushing changes that equation. You decide whether to use it on the current project or stockpile it for the next one. And you stop writing checks for disposal fees.
For contractors ready to turn concrete waste into a resource instead of an expense, the Hog Crusher offers a practical path forward. It’s built by a company that understands what contractors need because they come from the same background. And it’s backed by the kind of support that keeps your equipment running when you need it.
Have questions about whether the Hog Crusher is right for your operation? Contact our team to discuss your application and get the answers you need.
