Choose a Concrete Cutting Method
Four pathways cover almost every concrete job: a round hole, a straight cut in a floor, an opening in a wall, or a cut where nothing larger can reach. Pick by the result you need, not by the machine.
Describing the finished opening and the surface it sits in is enough to narrow it down.
- Four methods, no overlap
- Final method confirmed on site
Start from the opening you need
The quickest way to describe a concrete job is by the shape of the finished opening and the surface it sits in. Pick the description closest to the work — the final method is confirmed against the actual site conditions, not from this page.
- Circular penetration
Something round has to pass through concrete
A circular penetration is normally a core-drilling job. The diameter and depth drive everything else.
- Straight line or rectangle
A flat surface has to be cut in straight lines
Horizontal cuts in a slab, floor or paved area are normally floor sawing. Lineal metres and depth drive the work.
- Rectangular opening
An opening has to be made in a wall
Vertical and inclined openings are normally wall sawing, and the support and approval questions come first.
- Short cuts and corners
Equipment cannot physically get to the cut
Constrained access, edges and corners are normally handled with handheld or ring-saw methods.
| Method | Opening shape | Surface | What limits it | Measure this first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core drilling | Circular penetration | Floor, wall or soffit | A rig has to be anchored, so one face needs clear working room. | Hole count, diameter, depth and which way the hole runs. |
| Floor sawing | Straight line or rectangle | Horizontal | A walk-behind machine needs a run-up and room to turn at the ends of each cut. | Total lineal metres, cut depth, and the slab thickness if known. |
| Wall sawing | Rectangular opening | Vertical or inclined | A track is bolted to the face, and the removed section still needs a way out. | Opening width and height, wall thickness, and whether both sides can be reached. |
| Hand and ring sawing | Short cuts and corners | Any orientation | The limit is operator space and cut depth rather than the length of the cut. | Access width, required depth, cut length and whether the area is occupied. |
If none of these match, describe the result you need on the call instead of naming a machine. Whether a particular method is offered for a given job is confirmed when the enquiry is reviewed.
What each page covers
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Core drilling
A round hole through concrete, masonry or block for a pipe, duct, cable or fixing.
Used when the opening is round and the finished diameter matters more than the length of cut.
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Floor sawing
Long straight cuts in a slab, floor or paved area, usually to remove or isolate a section.
Chosen when the surface is flat and long, straight cuts of consistent depth are needed.
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Wall sawing
A controlled vertical or inclined opening — a doorway, window, penetration or a section removed from a wall.
Structural walls need design and support decisions settled by others before any cut is planned.
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Hand and ring sawing
Shorter cuts where larger equipment cannot physically reach, or where a cut has to finish into a corner.
Often used alongside another method to finish corners that a tracked or wheeled machine leaves.
What is not covered here
Cutting separates concrete. It does not include breaking it up, lifting it, carting it away or disposing of it. Demolition, concrete removal, grinding, scanning, wire sawing, soft-cut control joints, and asphalt or road cutting are outside the scope of this website, as are structural design, service locating and the trades that follow an opening — plumbing, electrical, fire-stopping and making good.
If a job needs one of those as well, it is worth saying so on the call so the boundary is clear from the start rather than discovered on site.
Describe the finished opening, the surface, rough dimensions and how equipment reaches the area.
Working out the location questions instead? See the enquiry areas.