If you’re looking to start your own business in 2025, concrete crushing is one of the top industries to consider with tremendous opportunity. Rising sustainability concerns and construction demand mean the industry is expected to grow 6.8% from 2021 to 2028. The crushing business is booming, and you can jump in now to start making money. Recycling concrete turns waste materials into revenue for contractors and small business owners. Use this guide to help you start your own crushing business and see rock-solid growth potential.

What Is Concrete Crushing?

Crushing concrete takes old sidewalks, slabs and foundations and turns them into usable aggregate. Traditionally, demolished concrete is sent to the landfill. With concrete crushing, you run it through a crusher, which breaks the concrete into small pieces that are used as foundation pour base, backfill, road base, pipe bedding or new concrete mix. Mobile crushing businesses can operate on-site and reuse material to support the business. The elimination of transportation costs both on the demolition disposal as well as the aggregate purchase side can be substantial. 

Why Start a Concrete Crushing Business?

Construction is constantly in demand. Governments and businesses need aggregate to support their projects, and there’s always something being built. NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN BUILT WITHOUT AGGREGATE BASE AS THE FIRST STEP OF THE FOUNDATION. Getting into concrete crushing means starting a business that will likely never run out of material or customers. The industry regularly produces old concrete, and new construction jobs need your aggregate to finish projects. Concrete crushing offers these benefits:

  • Cost savings: THE COST OF AGGREGATE HAS ALMOST DOUBLED IN JUST THE LAST 2-3 YEARS. Transportation costs alone can be up to half the cost of aggregate. Crushing eliminates disposal fees, and on-site crushing eliminates the transportation costs. Plus, it turns waste into usable or sellable product. Contractors and landscapers can save money on their own jobs as well as selling crushed concrete to nearby crews. The cost advantages in the bid process can be huge, especially when many jobs like or even require “green” recycled material.
  • Material control: Supply chain delays and rising costs make it harder to get stone and fill. As building material costs rise, profits decline. A concrete recycling and crushing business can offer major savings by eliminating the go-between for construction teams that need materials fast, eliminating delays waiting for suppliers or even shortages of material.
  • Sustainable work: Government jobs and green-conscious builders prioritize sustainability. Recycling concrete on-site shows they can operate sustainably, which helps them stand out from the competition. Many jobs now require recycled material to at least some extent. The advantages of using “green” recycled materials cannot be understated, especially in the bid process.

How to Get Your Concrete Crushing Business Off the Ground

Getting your business off the ground means having a solid plan in place. You need to understand costs, financing, equipment and demand. Here’s how to get rolling with the concrete-crushing game:

1. Establish Demand

Before spending any money, do some research in your area. Is there local demand for concrete crushing services? Many larger cities and businesses will already have a concrete recycling system in place. Even so, the ability to process smaller jobs on-site can offer tremendous possibilities versus the traditional concrete recycling channels. Smaller cities and local businesses might be looking for your services as well. Ask your local contacts if there’s a regular demand for concrete crushing. One or two jobs may or may not support your business long term, though the savings on single jobs can often pay for the entire cost of a small crusher. There is no doubt that a consistent need from locals in even the smallest markets will. Don’t overlook the potential small and mobile crushers can for those smaller jobs that larger crush on site machinery don’t make financial sense to process. The crush on site business model now possible with machinery from companies like SenyaCrushers.com open a world of possibilities to those looking to start a crushing business.

2. Set your Business Plan

Next, establish your business plan. Are you crushing for your own jobs, or are you selling recycled aggregate to other companies? For your own use, compact, mobile equipment works best. If selling aggregate, consider investing in a larger setup, screening tools and a yard to hold incoming material. Portable machines are also good if you want to stay flexible and travel to jobsites to seek out or offer on-site services. A combination of both mobile and stockpiling material in your own yard to crush and sell can be a highly profitable combination.

3. Find the Right Concrete Crushing Equipment

The crusher is the star player. Look for a machine that matches your volume and material. Smaller crushers that fit on trailers are great for compact operations. Larger crushers are a bigger investment, but they’re ideal for high-demand areas with larger jobs. If you start small, you can always scale up or add screens and conveyors to deliver a cleaner end product and reduce handling costs. Choose equipment from a trusted company with hands-on experience and industry-standard warranties. They’ll help you get off the ground and provide unmatched quality you can count on, as well as the long term service crucial in the crushing business. Crushing is a rough business on the best of machinery, be sure parts are readily available from your crusher manufacturer.

4. Consider Costs

Like any heavy equipment, the bigger and more high-volume the machine, the more money you’ll have to spend. A complete spread might include a crusher, screen and conveyors. Screens separate aggregate by size grades, while conveyors move material through the process. Sized and graded material that has been screened can easily be worth $10-15 more per ton, and many job specs require it. Conveyors can reduce handling and loading costs in time, wear and tear on your equipment, and labor.

Some companies offer financing for equipment, so you can get your business going without using up all your cash flow at once. Many companies offer 100% financing to qualified applicants. It does not take much volume to cover your monthly payment. As few as 5-6 truckloads of material can cover the cost of an entry level MICRO crusher. A top quality well-made MICRO crusher can produce that much material in a few short hours!

There are also operational costs to think about. Crushing involves:

  • Fuel: Crushers need fuel. They often use diesel, although there are diesel-electric hybrids and fully electric options. Make sure you have reliable access to fuel or a power source. The cutting edge technology due to it’s efficiency is the diesel over electric power plant configuration. All major crusher manufacturers are making the move to this technology due to it’s extreme advantages in efficiency, durability, and reliability.
  • Labor: Smaller setups might only need one operator, but if you grow your business, you may need to pay additional workers. Many machines offer remote control technology to minimize manpower necessary to run the equipment. Well designed machinery components work well together, and the best allow all components to run off the power plant in a diesel over electric setup, another major advantage.
  • Maintenance and Operation Procedures: Crushers and equipment need regular upkeep to keep them efficient. Plan for regular maintenance to avoid unnecessary downtime. Proper maintenance and operation procedures absolutely has a major impact on operational costs. Take the time to learn your machinery’s operation procedures and maintenance schedules. Develop a good relationship with your machinery’s service department, they can be an invaluable asset in the long run.
  • Marketing: You’ll need to budget for basic marketing costs like a website, decals and flyers to get the word out. Networking, as with most businesses, can be a big boost to your growth as “word of mouth” is always the best advertising. As you grow, don’t overlook the benefits of hiring a strong digital marketing agency to help potential customers find you on the web as well as develop a professional web site. As the word of your company’s capabilities, spread, you’ll be amazed at how well received you are by your customers due to the substantial savings you can offer. Letting people know about your services is crucial.

5. Get Permitted

It’s common to need a business license, zoning or land-use approvals, and air quality permits to run a concrete crushing business. Mobile operations often have fewer restrictions, so look into a mobile operation if you’re concerned about red tape. If you work under a site owner’s permit, you might need to jump through fewer hoops. Talk to your municipality to make sure you have the correct paperwork. Check to see if you will be subject to any mining regulations if operating from a pit or with native stone. MSHA is the regulatory agency, they are like the OSHA for the mining industry..

6. Choose Yard or Mobile

Are you working in a yard or as a mobile business? You’ll need several acres of space if you’re taking in outside concrete or building a material stockpile. You can also start completely mobile, especially if you’re crushing your own material or working on different jobsites. Mobile means less overhead and more flexibility, while a yard gives you more output space but increased expenses. Consider the advantages of starting with a mobile crush on site business to minimize startup costs and then work towards a yard where you can stockpile material.

7. Market Yourself

If you’re not crushing for your own business, you’ll need to find jobs and material sources. Networking with people in the industry is a great start. Talk to contractors or demolition crews looking to get rid of material. Landscapers and those same contractors very likely need base material once you’ve crushed it. Consider hauling at a discount or for free to get your hands on material, then crush and resell it. The more you network, the more you’ll build a customer base.

You should also establish a marketing presence for your business. This includes a basic website with contact information. Use flyers and social media to spread the word about your company and encourage customers to leave reviews. Eventually, word of mouth will spread, and your reputation will help drive business. Investing in a reputable digital marketing agency can really help to jump start your business or quickly take it to the next level.

8. Crunch the numbers

Put a pencil to the actual numbers in your specific market. Find out the cost per ton or truckload of aggregate in your area and don’t forget the crucial transportation and delivery costs. Find out where the local landfill or concrete disposal yard is and determine their “tipping” or disposal fees. Many take material for free these days as they know the money to be made crushing and selling it. Depending on the location of the dump site from the job site, there can be substantial transportation costs even if dumping for free. Location can be a monster factor in the costs. The more remote a location the more valuable a mobile crusher can be.l

Explore the finance options if financing, determine what your monthly payments would be. There are many companies that specialize in equipment financing, many offer payment estimators on the online application landing page even.

Be sure to understand the IRS Section 179 Capital Equipment deduction which allows you to deduct 100% of your equipment, up to $1.25 million in ’25. This can reduce the actual NET cost of the equipment by approximately 30-40%. Let Uncle Sam pay for ⅓ of your equipment!

Put it all together in Senya Crushers Cashflow Calculator to see to the penny the money to be made with a crushing business. The numbers can be staggering. At Senya Crushers, we always suggest being conservative with your numbers to be sure your business plan is very solid. The fun part begins when you realize the money to be made at minimal volumes, and then what can happen if you can grow your business for only 20-30 truckloads a month in production to 30-40, and then more! The numbers very, very quickly add up to hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars!!

AT 20 TRUCKLOADS PER MONTH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION IN AGGEGATE PURCHASE AND DEMOLITION DISPOSAL AT CONSERVTIVE AVERAGE MARKET RATES,

THE SENYA 5 SAVES/MAKES $302K YEAR 1 AND PAYS FOR ITSELF IN 3.5 MONTHS!

Start Crushing It With Senya Crushers

If you’re serious about starting a crusher business, Senya Crushers is your one stop shop to get started. We offer revolutionary MICRO Aggregate Processing equipment designed specifically for small to midsized contractors. Our full MICRO Plant lineup delivers the power of a full-scale aggregate setup in a portable package of the crusher, screen plant, and stacker conveyor. Senya Crushers’ USA made, titled, and VIN’d trailer-ready, American-made products are ready to go as soon as you hook them up to your truck.

We don’t just sell machines — we help build businesses. Every customer gets in-person, on-site training. We also provide lifetime DIRECT support from an expert team, including our owner who personally designed these machines, is active daily in the business, and loves to get on-site to visit our customers.

Our sales manager especially loves helping our customers get started in the crushing business and can be a tremendous help by sharing what we have seen drive impressive results and stellar growth with our other customers.

Spend some time on our NEWS page, there is a wealth of  invaluable information to those getting in the crushing business with many articles directed to new start ups, how to quote jobs, and the possibilities when you have the ability to crush. THEN Reach out to us online to start your crushing business or CALL US today! We’d love to discuss your possibilities and how our equipment can help you realize your plan to make a lot of money “Bustin’ Rocks” with Senya Crushers!!