Overview
Driveway slabs can settle when soil beneath compacts, washes out or was poorly prepared. Common signs include slabs that tilt toward the garage, step-ups between slabs and water pooling in low spots.
Leveling methods such as mudjacking or foam injection can lift settled slabs and restore drainage without full replacement. Replacement may make more sense when slabs are heavily cracked or deteriorated.
Fixing water runoff, sealing joints and extending downspouts can help reduce future settlement.
The usual process
- Identifying causes, such as runoff or poor base.
- Recommending drainage improvements.
- Inspecting slabs for settling, tilting and cracks.
- Patching holes and sealing joints.
- Lifting slabs to restore slope and alignment.
Key considerations
- Slabs sloping toward the garage or house can direct water where it is not wanted.
- Heavily broken slabs may not lift well.
- Joint sealing may help keep water out from under slabs.
- Downspout discharge near the driveway can contribute to washout.
- Some HOAs have rules about driveway appearance.
Local notes for Colorado's Front Range
Parts of Colorado's Front Range are known for expansive clay soils and claystone bedrock that swell when wet and shrink as they dry. That movement can affect foundations, basement slabs, driveways and sidewalks, and it is one reason many local homes are built with deep foundations or floating basement slabs.
Front Range weather brings freeze-thaw cycles, spring snowmelt and summer storms. Keeping water away from the foundation with working gutters, extended downspouts, grading that slopes away from the house and careful irrigation near the foundation is a common first step before or alongside any repair.
We take inquiries from Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo.
How to prepare your inquiry
- Say whether you are buying or selling the home, since timelines may matter.
- Note where gutters and downspouts discharge and whether irrigation runs near the house.
- Describe whether water shows up in the basement, crawl space or against the foundation, and when.
- Have any inspection or engineer reports handy, such as from a home purchase.
- Take photos of cracks, gaps, sloping floors or sunken slabs, with a tape measure or coin in frame for scale.
Signs to slow down
- No mention of permits for structural work where your jurisdiction requires them.
- Large up-front payments demanded before any work begins.
- Unwillingness to explain the cause of the problem before recommending repairs.
- Refusal to let you get a second opinion or an engineer's review.
- No written proposal describing the scope, materials and number of piers or supports.
How to vet a provider
- What method do you recommend?
- Will you seal the joints?
- Can my driveway be leveled, or does it need replacement?
- What warranty applies?
- How soon can I drive on it?
Frequently asked
- Is leveling cheaper than replacing a driveway?
- Leveling is often less involved than replacement, but costs vary. Get written quotes.
- Can a cracked driveway be leveled?
- Slabs with some cracks can often be lifted. Badly broken slabs may need replacement.
- Why does my driveway slope toward the garage?
- Settlement of slabs near the garage is common, often from soil washout or poor compaction.
Related topics
- Sidewalk Trip Hazards: How uneven sidewalks are repaired, from lifting to grinding, and what property owners should know.
- Mudjacking: How mudjacking raises sunken concrete slabs, where it is used, and how it compares with foam leveling.
- Polyurethane Foam Leveling: How polyurethane foam (polyjacking) lifts concrete slabs, its trade-offs, and questions to ask.
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