Site Cleanup Before and After a Concrete Project: Clearing Non-Concrete Debris
Last Updated:Breaking out old concrete is only part of the debris on a concrete job. Before a new patio, driveway, or walkway can be formed, the area usually has to be cleared of sod, topsoil, roots, old pavers, fencing, and anything stored there. After the pour, there are form boards, stakes, packaging, and concrete washout to deal with. This guide covers that non-concrete cleanup: what to clear, where each material goes in Seattle, and who usually handles it. Removing and recycling the slab itself is covered in our concrete removal and haul-off service page and in the guide to concrete removal and recycling rules.
Before the pour: clearing the work area
Clearing is cheaper when the homeowner and contractor agree in advance on who does what. Walk the area together and settle these items during the estimate.
- Move belongings. Furniture, planters, grills, hoses, and stored materials should be off the work area and the access path for trucks and wheelbarrows.
- Mark what stays. Flag sprinkler heads and lines, low-voltage lighting, plants to keep, and septic or drainage features you know about.
- Request utility locates. Washington law requires excavators to notify the 811 locate service at least two full business days before digging. Under the same law, the property owner is responsible for locating privately owned lines, such as sprinkler or yard lighting circuits. RCW 19.122.030
- Strip sod and topsoil. Organic soil can't stay under a slab because it compresses and holds water. It is cut out to firm subgrade.
- Remove roots and stumps in the footprint. Ask whether larger roots near trees you are keeping need an arborist's input.
- Pull old pavers, edging, gravel, and fencing that fall inside the new layout.
For layout decisions that affect how much has to be cleared, see our concrete patio design and planning guide.
What goes where: sorting non-concrete debris
Seattle has two sets of rules that matter here. Seattle Municipal Code 21.36.082 and 21.36.083 keep yard waste, food waste, and recyclables out of garbage. SPU Seattle's construction and demolition (C&D) disposal bans keep certain building materials out of C&D garbage. SPU
| Material | Typical source | Where it usually goes |
|---|---|---|
| Sod, leaves, branches, small roots | Clearing the footprint | Yard waste or compost, not garbage. Seattle bans yard waste from garbage. |
| Excess soil and gravel | Excavation | Reused on site for grading, or hauled off. Soil is heavy, so ask how it is priced. |
| Unpainted, untreated wood | Form boards, stakes, old fence boards | Reuse or wood recycling. It is on Seattle's C&D disposal ban list. |
| Metal | Fence posts, wire, leftover rebar | Scrap metal recycling. It is also on the C&D ban list. |
| Cardboard | Packaging for drains, sealers, and materials | Recycling. It is also on the C&D ban list. |
| Painted or treated wood, mixed junk | Old structures, sheds, stored items | Excluded from the bans as painted or hard to separate. It goes with garbage or to a qualified facility. |
| Pavers, brick, stone | Old patios and edging | Reuse or recycling. Bricks share the concrete ban. |
After the pour: cleanup and concrete washout
Once the slab has set, forms and stakes are pulled, the edges are backfilled, and disturbed lawn or beds are raked out. Ask whether topsoil and seed or sod repair along the edges is included or left to you.
Washout is the cleanup step with the strictest rule. Seattle's Stormwater Code lists cement wash water among substances that may not enter a public or private drainage system or a receiving water, directly or indirectly. Stormwater Code The City's Stormwater Manual says washout from fresh concrete should never be discharged into streets, sidewalks, drainage systems, or receiving waters. Stormwater Manual In practice, tools and chutes are rinsed into a designated washout container or area, and truck washout happens off site or in that designated spot. Never rinse into the gutter or a yard drain. For how stormwater rules apply to the finished slab, see Seattle stormwater rules for driveways and patios.
Who handles what, and Seattle weather
Most concrete contractors include clearing in the footprint and final cleanup in their scope, but the edges of that scope vary. Get these answers in writing:
- Contractor: clearing inside the layout, form removal, washout, and haul-off of excavated soil, sometimes as separate line items.
- Homeowner: moving belongings, marking private lines, and sometimes removing old fencing, sheds, or plants outside the footprint.
- Junk removal company: household items, old furniture, or a shed you want gone. SPU's third-party hauling rules for construction materials don't apply to residents self-hauling from their own property, or to junk removal companies clearing debris that wasn't set out for container collection. SPU
In Seattle, wet ground affects cleanup too. Stripped soil turns to mud quickly, and loaded wheelbarrows and trucks rut lawns. Plywood paths, covered soil piles, and quick backfill help. In fall, leaves blown onto fresh concrete can leave tannin stains, so tarps are worth having on hand. Pricing for slab tear-out is in our concrete demolition cost guide. To scope a project, call Seattle Concrete at (206) 552-9998.
Frequently asked questions
Who removes sod and topsoil before a concrete pour?
Usually the concrete contractor, as part of excavation, because organic soil has to come out to firm subgrade before base gravel goes in. Confirm whether soil haul-off is included, since soil is heavy and is often priced separately.
Can leftover form boards go in the garbage in Seattle?
Unpainted, untreated wood is one of the materials Seattle bans from construction and demolition garbage disposal, along with metal, cardboard, new construction gypsum scrap, concrete, bricks, and asphalt paving. Clean form lumber is usually reused or taken to wood recycling. Painted or treated wood is excluded from the ban.
What happens to concrete washout water?
It must not go into storm drains, gutters, or yard drains. Seattle's Stormwater Code lists cement wash water as a prohibited discharge to drainage systems. Crews rinse tools and chutes into a designated washout container or area, and truck washout happens off site or in that designated spot.
Do I need a junk removal company, or will the concrete contractor clean up?
Most concrete contractors clean up what their work creates: the cleared footprint, forms, washout, and excavated soil. Household items, old furniture, sheds, or debris outside the work area are often left to the homeowner or a junk removal company. Settle the split in writing during the estimate.
How should I prepare my yard the week before a concrete project?
Clear belongings from the work area and the access path, flag sprinkler lines and lighting circuits, make sure 811 locates have been requested at least two full business days ahead, move vehicles off the driveway, and agree with the contractor on who removes fencing, plants, and other items in the way.
Sources
- Seattle Public Utilities, Ban of Recyclables in Garbage (SMC 21.36.082 and 21.36.083)
- Seattle Public Utilities, Construction and Demolition Waste Management (C&D disposal bans) and Third-Party Hauling Requirements
- City of Seattle, Stormwater Code (prohibited discharges) and Stormwater Manual Volume 4: Source Control
- Washington State Legislature, RCW 19.122.030 (excavation notice)
