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Floor Removal Calculator
Calculate waste volume and weight from floor area and buildup depth, with density conversion for screed, concrete, timber, and tile floor types.
Floor area to be removed per room
Depth of the material you selected as Floor Type — e.g. the screed/concrete bed depth, or a thin covering's own thickness
Rooms with similar floor to remove
Your quoted disposal rate
Your hourly labour rate
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How We Calculate This
This calculator determines the volume and weight of material produced by floor removal, using the floor area and buildup depth. Material density factors convert volume to weight for accurate disposal planning.
Calculation method
Volume: Floor area (m²) × buildup depth (mm converted to metres) = volume in m³.
Weight: Volume × material density. Concrete is 2.4 t/m³, screed is 2.0 t/m³, ceramic tile + bed ~2.1 t/m³, softwood timber ~0.45 t/m³. Weight usually determines disposal costs and the number of vehicle loads. Enter the depth of the material you pick as the floor type — for a tiled or vinyl floor laid on screed, the screed bed is what carries the weight, so choose Screed and use the bed depth.
Vehicle loads:Weight divided by practical payload — an 8-yard builder’s skip, an 8-wheel grab lorry (~16t / 12–15 m³), or an 8×4 tipper truck (~20t / ~15 m³). An 8-yard skip’s legal maximum is 8 tonnes, but with dense inert rubble (concrete, screed, hardcore) the weight limit is reached when the skip is only about half full — 8 t of concrete is roughly 3.3 m³ in a ~6 m³ skip — so we use a realistic working fill of ~4 tonnes. For the densest rubble a 6-yard skip is the largest size you can fully fill; above that, use a grab lorry rather than a skip.
Labour: Indicative strip-out rates — concrete is slowest at ~0.4 hrs/m², screed ~0.25, tiles ~0.3, timber ~0.15, and vinyl/laminate fastest at ~0.1 hrs/m². No British Standard governs demolition productivity; these are typical trade estimates and vary widely with slab thickness, reinforcement and site access. Treat them as a guide and adjust for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 75mm sand and cement screed weighs approximately 150 kg/m² (0.075m × 2,000 kg/m³). This means a 20m² room with 75mm screed produces about 3 tonnes of waste. Screed is one of the heaviest floor materials to remove and dispose of, so accurate weight calculation is essential for skip and transport planning.
Concrete floors are typically broken up using a heavy-duty breaker (Kango or similar for thin slabs, pneumatic breaker for thicker ones). For large areas, a mini excavator with a breaker attachment is more efficient. The broken concrete is then loaded into skips or a grab lorry. Concrete can be recycled as aggregate — look for local crushing facilities.
A standard domestic floor buildup varies: timber floorboards on joists are 18-22mm thick (but joists add 150-200mm depth), screed is typically 50-75mm, concrete slabs are 100-150mm. Tiled floors add 10-15mm on top of screed. When planning removal, measure the actual buildup depth as it can vary significantly between properties.
In some cases, yes — a self-levelling compound can be applied over sound existing floors. However, if the existing floor is damaged, uneven, or you need to lower the finished floor level, full removal is necessary. When installing underfloor heating, the old floor is usually removed to accommodate the heating system and new screed buildup.
Concrete and screed waste can go to inert waste recycling facilities where it is crushed for reuse as aggregate. This is typically cheaper than mixed waste disposal. Timber flooring can be recycled or sent to biomass. Vinyl flooring goes to general waste. Always use a licensed waste carrier and obtain waste transfer notes for your records.
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Last updated: March 2026
Verified against UK standards · estimates only, confirm with your supplier.