Leveling by surface: driveways, walks, patios, steps and more

Costs by surface at a glance

These are national figures. Your price depends on local labor rates, access, how deep the void is and minimum job charges, which HomeGuide puts at $300 to $700 for most mudjacking contractors^[1].

Surface (typical size)	Mudjacking, HomeGuide[1]	Foam, Angi per sq ft[2]
Steps (40 sq ft)	$300 to $500	Not listed
Sidewalk (100 sq ft)	$400 to $900	About $5
Partial garage floor (125 sq ft)	$500 to $1,100	Not listed
Patio or porch (150 sq ft)	$600 to $1,400	About $10
Partial driveway (200 sq ft)	$800 to $1,800	Not listed
Two-car garage floor (360 sq ft)	$1,400 to $3,200	Not listed
Pool deck (400 sq ft)	$1,600 to $3,600	About $10
Driveway (450 sq ft)	$1,800 to $4,100	Not listed

HomeGuide's overall range for foam is $8 to $25 per square foot^[1]. Angi's is $5 to $25^[2]. For a full breakdown, see concrete leveling cost.

Driveways

Typical method: either. Mudjacking is common on driveways because of its lower price per square foot on large areas and its tolerance for heavy loads^[3].

Watch for:

• The garage apron. The slab where the driveway meets the garage often drops first because the soil there was backfilled after the house foundation went in. If it tips toward the garage, water runs inside.
• Joints at fixed points. NRMCA calls for isolation joints where driveways meet sidewalks, garage slabs, stairs and other fixed objects^[5]. Without them, a slab cracks when it cannot move on its own. Ask the contractor to reseal those joints after the lift.
• Downtime. Mudjacked slabs usually take light foot traffic within 24 hours and vehicles within 2 to 3 days^[1]. Foam cures in about 15 minutes^[1].

Sidewalks and walkways

Typical method: either. Sidewalks are the cheapest surface to lift with foam, about $5 per square foot on Angi^[2].

Watch for:

• Trip lips. A small offset matters. For public accessible routes, federal ADA standards allow only 1/4 inch of vertical change before a bevel is required, and anything over 1/2 inch must be ramped^[7]. Your private walk is not covered by the ADA, but the same height trips people.
• Public sidewalks. If the walk belongs to the city, check local rules on who is responsible before hiring anyone.
• Roots. A walk pushed up by a tree root has heaved, not sunk. Leveling cannot lower it.

Patios and porches

Typical method: either. Foam is about $10 per square foot on Angi^[2].

Watch for:

• Slope toward the house. A patio that sinks at the house side sends rain against your foundation. That is the strongest reason to lift a patio even if it is not a trip hazard.
• Covered porches. If a porch slab supports posts that hold up a roof, the job is more than flatwork. Ask whether the posts sit on their own footings.
• Access. Backyard patios behind fences can cost more because equipment and hoses must travel farther^[1].

Steps

Typical method: mud or foam on poured steps. Small jobs often hit the contractor's minimum charge.

Watch for:

• Steps pulling away from the house. A gap that lets water run behind the steps can keep washing out the soil. Seal it after the lift.
• Hollow steps. Some poured steps are hollow or rest on fill. Ask the crew how they will reach the void.
• When to replace. If treads are broken or the steps have dropped far, replacement may cost about the same as lifting plus repair. Get both quotes.

Garage floors

Typical method: either. Foam's small holes and fast cure are an advantage inside a garage.

Watch for:

• What sank and why. Garage floors are usually floating slabs inside the foundation walls. A garage floor that sank along one wall often points to poor fill. A floor that cracks along with the garage walls or the house can point to foundation movement; that is an engineer question, see slab foundation repair.
• Buried lines. Floor drains and utility lines can run under the slab. FPA warns that grout or foam can enter cracked lines and plug them^[4]. Ask how the crew will check.

Pool decks

Typical method: foam is the common choice, at about $10 per square foot on Angi^[2]. Its small holes are less visible on decorative decks.

Watch for:

• Pool plumbing. Return and skimmer lines often run under the deck. Since injected material can enter cracked lines^[4], ask the contractor to locate lines first and confirm pool circulation afterward.
• The coping joint. The joint between deck and pool coping should be flexible. A deck that sinks toward the pool can tear it open and let water reach the soil under the deck.
• Water source. A deck that keeps sinking may sit over a slow pool leak. Fix that before lifting.

Basement floors and house slabs

These are out of the flatwork category. Angi lists foam lifting at about $20 per square foot for basement floors and $25 for slab foundations^[2], but the price is not the main issue. A sinking house slab needs a structural engineer's diagnosis before anyone injects under it. Start with slab foundation repair.

Lift, resurface or replace?

Situation	Usually best	Why
Sound slab, sank, cause fixed	Lift	Least cost, no demolition
Sound, level slab with flaking surface	Resurface	HomeGuide: $3 to $7 per sq ft[6]
Sank and surface is worn	Lift, then resurface	Overlay needs a stable base[6]
Broken into many pieces, crumbling	Replace	HomeGuide: replace when there are large cracks or crumbling[6]

When to call a pro

• A driveway apron, patio or step now slopes toward the house.
• Any walking surface has a lip big enough to catch a toe.
• A pool deck or garage floor keeps sinking after you fixed the downspouts.
• The house slab, not just the flatwork, seems to be moving.