Concrete Repair & Leveling in Sheboygan, WI

Concrete repair and leveling is often the smart first call when a driveway, walk, patio or step has sunk or started to flake. Not every damaged slab has to come out. In a freeze-thaw town like Sheboygan, a lot of the trouble is panels that have dropped as the soil underneath washed out or settled, or surfaces that have scaled while the concrete below is still solid. HomeGuide's leveling guide puts lifting at $3 to $12 a square foot on average, against $6 to $15 for replacement, so it pays to know which one your slab needs.

Lifting sunken concrete

When a section has dropped but is still in one piece, it can usually be raised back into place. Small holes are drilled through the slab and material is pumped underneath until it lifts.

• Mudjacking uses a cement-based slurry. HomeGuide lists it at $4 to $9 a square foot, lasting about 5 to 7 years with good drainage.
• Foam lifting (polyjacking) uses expanding polyurethane. It costs more, $8 to $25 a square foot per HomeGuide, but the material is light and the holes are smaller, and HomeGuide notes it often lasts the longest.

Lifting works well for a walk panel with a trip edge, a patio that has tipped toward the house, a garage-side driveway panel holding a puddle, or a stoop that has settled. Most contractors set a minimum charge, which HomeGuide puts at $300 to $700.

Resurfacing a flaked surface

If the slab is level and sound but the top has scaled, a resurfacer can give it a new wearing surface. HomeGuide lists basic driveway resurfacing at $3 to $5 a square foot and patio or walkway resurfacing at $3 to $7, lasting 8 to 15 years. Resurfacing is not a cure for a slab that is breaking up. HomeGuide advises replacement when there are large cracks, crumbling or spalling, or when the new layer would have to be more than 2 inches thick.

Cracks

Hairline cracks are normal. Sealing them early keeps water and ice from opening them wider, and HomeGuide lists crack filling at $0.50 to $3 per linear foot. Cracks wider than about a quarter inch, or cracks where one side has shifted up or down, usually point to a problem in the base, and filling them will not stop the movement.

Get a Free Estimate

When replacement is the answer

Some slabs are past saving. We recommend tearing out and repouring when we see:

• Sections broken into many pieces
• Scaling deep into the slab over most of the surface
• A slab that has been lifted before and dropped again
• A grade that sends water toward the house and cannot be corrected by lifting

Often only part of the job needs replacing. We can cut out and repour the worst panels and lift or resurface the rest, and the quote shows both options side by side.

Repairs and city rules

In the City of Sheboygan, the Building Inspection FAQ says all concrete work requires a permit regardless of cost, with an exception only for minor alterations under the city's dollar thresholds. We confirm whether your repair falls under that exception or needs a permit. If the damaged concrete is the public sidewalk, check first whether it is on the city's Sidewalk Program list, since the city's contractor may be doing that work.

Making a repair last

Most sinking starts with water. Extend downspouts away from slabs, fill gaps along the house and between panels so runoff does not wash out the base, and keep ammonium-based de-icers off the concrete. Sealing every few years slows the scaling that leads to resurfacing in the first place.