Concrete and Slab Repair: What Breaks, Why, and What It Costs

What this library covers

Three kinds of work, and only these three for now:

• Concrete leveling and lifting: raising sunken driveways, sidewalks, patios, steps, garage floors and pool decks. Start at concrete leveling.
• Concrete repair: cracks, spalling, pitting and freeze-thaw damage in flatwork. Start at concrete repair.
• Slab-on-grade foundation repair: a house slab that has settled, heaved or cracked. Start at slab foundation repair.

Basements and crawl spaces are not covered yet. We are an information site, not a contractor. See how we match for how referrals work.

Cosmetic or structural: a first look

Concrete cracks as it dries and shrinks. NAHB guidance says shrinkage cracks in slabs are expected and do not compromise structural integrity^[1]. Cracks matter more when they come with other signs.

What you see	Usually	Look closer when
Thin crack in a garage floor or patio	Shrinkage, cosmetic[1]	One side sits higher than the other
Crack in drywall or brick	Often cosmetic	Doors stick, floors slope, or it keeps growing[1]
Sunken walk or driveway panel	Soil settled or washed out	It creates a trip edge or tips water toward the house
Sloping floor inside	Could be as-built	Tilt reaches about 1% over the slab[2]

Width alone does not decide it. Read the crack width guide and use the crack assessment checklist to document what you see.

The three most common jobs

1. Sunken concrete. Often lifted with mud or foam instead of replaced. HomeGuide put mudjacking at $4 to $9 and foam at $8 to $25 per square foot as of 2025^[3]. See concrete leveling cost.
2. Cracked concrete. Most cracks get sealed or left alone. Active, offset or widening cracks point to a soil or drainage cause that needs fixing first. See crack types and fixes.
3. Slab foundation movement. Usually treated with piers under the grade beams. This Old House listed $1,000 to $3,000 per pier as of 2026^[4], and jobs often need several piers. See slab foundation repair cost.

Where we focus

Our launch states are Ohio, Illinois and Texas. Texas metros sit on some of the most expansive clay we measured. Ohio and Illinois deal more with frost and water. Our county soil data shows the split.

When to call a pro

• A crack has a vertical offset, or it widens over weeks or months.
• Doors or windows start sticking, or floors start to slope, along with new cracks.
• A sunken slab creates a trip hazard or sends water toward the house.
• You see signs of a plumbing leak under a slab: call a licensed plumber, then a structural engineer.