You’ve got uneven concrete problems around your home causing tripping hazards and pooling water. Some concrete sections are sloping too much or in ways you don’t want them to, and it’s time for some concrete slab jacking. How much does this kind of repair cost?
Two standard repair methods fix uneven or sunken concrete problems: mud jacking and polyjacking. Both methods bring your slab surface back to the proper elevation and slope needed to perform its function.
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have been repairing concrete driveways, sidewalks, patios, parking lots, and more for decades in the Bryan/College Station Area. We have some experience with polyjacking but only offer mud jacking for concrete repair services right now.
We recognize that there is value in both choices at different times. We’ll tell you about the average costs of each method to level concrete in a fair and equal manner.
This article compares mud jacking and polyjacking by reviewing their similarities. Then we compare the cost of each repair type vs full replacement. Then you can decide which method is right for your concrete leveling needs.
Good Candidates for Concrete Leveling Repairs
If your concrete is in good shape, not crumbling, or cracked all over, then it’s a good candidate for concrete leveling. The surfaces have just sunken, tilted, or sloped the wrong way slowly over time. These scenarios are all fixable ones using some type of concrete repair service.
In this article, we are honing in on the costs of mud jacking and polyjacking to repair uneven concrete and bring it back to level. We want to cover a few highlights of these methods first.
Basics on Both Concrete Leveling Types
Before we compare costs, let’s quickly review some basic similarities between polyjacking and mud jacking. Both methods of concrete leveling:
- Use a similar repair concept with different materials,
- Are less wasteful and aim to reuse/preserve existing concrete, and
- Are cheaper than the cost of fully replace your sunken concrete.
Both concrete leveling methods use the idea of lifting or moving as if with a jack i.e. to jack up a car to change a flat tire. In both cases, the “jack” is not a metal tool that comes in the trunk of your car, but a material that is pumped underneath the concrete slab that lifts the surface back into position. Mud jacking uses a slurry mix of water, topsoil, and Portland cement. Polyjacking uses an injectable polyurethane foam.
Both mud jacking and polyjacking will reuse existing concrete. Keeping the original concrete in place reduces waste vs. “throwing it away” and starting over.
Both of these repair types have major benefits over pouring brand-new concrete for a few reasons. Both are less costly, faster, and less of *a production* than a full replacement. The good news is that full replacement of your concrete is not even necessary with this duo of less costly choices on the market.
We’ve also got an article on comparing mud vs poly for more than just costs if you want the full rundown.
Cost of Mud Jacking
Mud jacking costs are more favorable for larger repair jobs than smaller ones because of material costs and the start-up process. Since slurry is made with cement mix, topsoil, and water, it’s not very expensive stuff. Larger jobs will require lots of material for the “jacking” process so it makes sense that lower supply costs would be beneficial.
Both small and large projects require an equal amount of legwork to get the process going. So time-wise, the cost benefits are better for larger jobs due to slower initial set-up over polyjacking.
You probably want something more “concrete” as far as pricing is concerned. There’s nothing like a good ol’ well-placed pun! The information in this chart approximates costs for basic, average, and extensive mud jacking repair work.
In a nutshell, a basic mud jacking project with one or two concrete panels needing repair would cost around $1,600. An average-sized mud jacking repair falls in the $2,700 range, and an extensive repair that includes the entire driveway could be up to $7,000 or more.
Cost of Polyjacking
Polyjacking requires a proprietary chemical mix of ingredients, This specialized material cost is higher than the basic concrete/soil mix of mud jacking. When projects get very large, the costs can exceed comparable mud jacking jobs because of the big difference in materials cost. Polyjacking might save money in labor costs for its quick job startup, but adds to the expense in the material costs.
To keep things fair and consistent, here is a chart outlining approximate costs for basic, average, and extensive polyjacking repair work. This chart illustrates how the basic/smaller polyjacking job is more cost-effective than mud jacking. The average job is price comparable, while the extensive job price exceeds the mud jacking estimates.
To sum up this chart, a smaller polyjacking project would have a starting cost of around $900, the average-sized repair would be somewhere around $2,500, and $7,500+ would be for a more extensive project.
And to compare the costs of mud jacking vs. polyjacking, smaller jobs tend to be more cost-effective using polyjacking while larger projects are more cost-effective with mud jacking. Medium-sized projects are comparable in cost using either method.
Cost of Full Concrete Replacement vs. Concrete Leveling Methods
So far, we know that concrete leveling costs can vary depending on the method chosen. Mud jacking and polyjacking are the most popular techniques used in raising concrete flat-work surfaces around your home back to their original position.
The charts in this article above show that mud jacking costs range from $1,600 to $7,000 depending on the extent of repairs needed. Polyjacking prices start at around $900 for a basic job and up to $7,500 for extensive needs. We mentioned that both of these repair types are more cost-effective than a full replacement of concrete surfaces.
*How cost-effective are we talking then?* Here’s a chart on estimated pricing for removing and fully replacing concrete surfaces presented similarly to the other two repair methods.
You can see that the pricing for a full replacement of concrete is significantly higher than either of the repair methods we are talking about here. The full replacement of concrete’s base cost is estimated at $4,500, an average-sized project cost of $7,500, and a full driveway replacement cost of $18,000. The cost of a full replacement can be around three times as much as mud jacking.
Is there a particular option that is starting to sound better to you?
Pros and Cons of Concrete Leveling Methods
Now you know about the costs of mud jacking and polyjacking compared to the cost of full replacement of your sunken concrete surfaces. Let’s say that you’ve got a medium to large project and mud jacking is starting to sound like a great cost-effective option for you.
Well, good news! Anchor Foundation Repair does mud jacking to raise and level concrete surfaces in Bryan, College Station, and the surrounding Brazos Valley communities like Caldwell and Brenham. We can help you with a concrete repair project to eliminate tripping hazards and other issues with sunken slab sections around your home.
Want more details on the pros and cons of using mud jacking for your concrete repairs? We’ve got you covered with some more *solid* info that is fair and unbiased.