Concrete leveling and mudjacking in Des Moines raise a sunken driveway panel, sidewalk square, patio or garage apron back to where it belongs, often in a single visit and for much less than new concrete.
If the slab is still in one piece, lifting it is almost always worth a look before you tear it out.
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(515) 585-4111Call anytime or send the form. Either way, you get a site visit and a written, itemized quote.
A slab drops when the ground under it shrinks, washes out or was never compacted. In the Des Moines metro the usual causes are backfill next to the foundation that settled over the years, downspouts and sump lines emptying at the edge of a slab, and the frost lifting a panel in winter and letting it fall back unevenly in spring. The open gap at the edge then lets in more water, and the problem feeds itself.
Mudjacking, also called slabjacking, goes like this: we drill a pattern of holes through the slab and pump a cement-based slurry underneath under pressure. The slurry fills the empty space first, then lifts the concrete a little at a time while we watch the level. Then we patch the holes. HomeGuide lists the slurry as water, soil, sand and cement, its injection holes at 1.5 to 2 inches, and says the surface is ready for use within about 24 hours.
Example illustration, not a photo of a completed project.
HomeGuide's national range for mudjacking is $4 to $9 a square foot, and it notes that many contractors set a job minimum of $300 to $700. Some typical HomeGuide figures:
Because of those minimums, it pays to do everything at once. Lifting the front walk, the stoop and the garage apron on one visit costs less than three separate trips.
| Project | Approx. size | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Front steps | 40 sq ft | $300 – $500 |
| Sidewalk | 100 sq ft | $400 – $900 |
| Patio or porch | 150 sq ft | $600 – $1,400 |
| Partial driveway | 200 sq ft | $800 – $1,800 |
| Two-car garage floor | 360 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,200 |
| Full driveway | 450 sq ft | $1,800 – $4,100 |
We'll tell you if lifting won't hold. A slab that has broken into several loose pieces, one that has heaved up rather than sunk, or one that is flaking apart across the top isn't a leveling job. HomeGuide also points out that if poor drainage caused the sinking, the same thing will happen again unless the drainage gets fixed. Sometimes that means extending a downspout, and sometimes it means regrading a strip of yard. Badly broken concrete goes to concrete removal and replacement.
Slurry is the budget choice and works well on larger areas. Foam costs more but weighs less and cures in minutes, which matters on soft ground. Compare the two on our polyjacking and foam leveling page.
Send us a photo with a tape measure or a level on the low spot so we can see how far it has dropped, along with the address. We'll come measure and send a written price. Call (515) 585-4111 anytime or send the quote form.
Back to Des Moines Concrete Contractor for all our concrete repair and replacement services.
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