Crack repairs cost $100 to $400 nationally and bigger repairs cost $600 to $3,000. In Baton Rouge, the repair that lasts is the one that deals with the reason the slab moved, which is nearly always clay, water or roots.
The dollar figures on this page are national ranges published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not quotes from Baton Rouge Concrete Solutions. What you pay in Baton Rouge depends on local labor and material prices, access to the site and how much base work the clay under your slab needs. Last checked October 2026.
How much does concrete repair cost?
The national concrete repair cost for a driveway is $100 to $400 to fix cracks and $600 to $3,000 for major repairs or resurfacing. By unit, patching is $3 to $8 per square foot and crack repair is $0.50 to $3 per linear foot.
| Work | National price |
|---|---|
| Crack repair | $0.50 to $3 per linear foot |
| Patching | $3 to $8 per sq ft |
| Resurfacing | $3 to $7 per sq ft |
| Leveling | $3 to $12 per sq ft |
| Mudjacking | $4 to $9 per sq ft |
| Foam lifting | $8 to $25 per sq ft |
Can cracked concrete be repaired or does it have to be replaced?
It can be repaired when the crack is narrow and both sides are at the same height. That kind of crack gets cleaned and filled with a flexible sealant so rain stays out of the clay below. It should be replaced when one side has dropped, when the pieces rock under your foot, or when a panel has broken into several chunks. Those signs mean the support is gone, and filler does nothing for that.
Why is my concrete driveway cracking?
In Baton Rouge the first suspect is the clay. It swells when wet and shrinks when dry, so the slab is bent a little every season until it gives. Other causes we find are too few joints, a thin slab with no steel, oak roots, a downspout emptying beside the drive, and heavy vehicles on a slab built for cars. A line of cracks that crosses the street and several neighbors' drives can point to one of the parish's known fault lines.
Why is my concrete sinking, and can it be leveled?
Concrete sinks when the soil under it shrinks, washes out or was never packed. Common local causes are fill that was dumped loose when the house was built, a utility trench that settled, a leaking pipe or drain, and clay that pulled away in a drought. Yes, a sunken slab can often be leveled if it is still in one piece. Material is pumped through small holes to fill the void and push the slab back up. A slab that is broken up cannot be lifted evenly.
How much does concrete leveling cost?
The national leveling cost is $3 to $12 per square foot, with a typical job at $700 to $5,000. Most lifting companies have a minimum charge of $300 to $700, so one small panel can cost as much as two or three.
Mudjacking or polyurethane foam: which is better, and is it a permanent fix?
Neither is better everywhere. Mudjacking pumps a cement and soil slurry and costs $4 to $9 per square foot nationally. Foam costs $8 to $25 per square foot, uses smaller holes, weighs very little and cures in minutes. On soft, wet ground the light weight of foam is an advantage, because heavy slurry adds load to soil that already gave way. As for a permanent fix: the lift lasts as long as the ground stays put. If the downspout still floods that corner, or the clay keeps shrinking each summer, the slab can drop again whichever method was used.
Can concrete be resurfaced instead of replaced, and how long will it last?
Yes, concrete can be resurfaced instead of replaced when the slab is solid and level and only the top is worn, stained or lightly flaked. Resurfacing costs $3 to $7 per square foot nationally, a decorative overlay costs $6 to $20, and a two-car driveway costs $1,200 to $2,900. On an old patio with cracks and flaking, the overlay hides the flaking, but the cracks come back through it if the slab is still moving. We will not put a number of years on how long resurfacing will last. It depends on the slab under it, the preparation and how wet the area stays.
Why is my concrete spalling or flaking, and can it be repaired?
Spalling or flaking means the thin top layer is letting go. Up north, freezing water and road salt cause it. Here the usual reasons are different: water added to the surface during finishing, rain on the pour, concrete that dried too fast in the heat, or rusting steel too close to the top. A flaking surface can be repaired without replacing the slab if the damage is shallow. The loose layer is ground off and a bonded resurfacer goes on. Deep flaking, or flaking with rust stains, means the slab itself is failing.
Why is my driveway lifting or heaving?
In Baton Rouge a driveway lifting or heaving is caused by roots or swelling clay, not frost. A root lifts one spot, usually near a tree and often along a crack. Clay lifts a broader area, and you tend to notice it after a long wet spell when a gate or door starts to drag. Slabs can also jam together in summer heat and push up at a joint when there is no room left for expansion.
Can you pour new concrete over old concrete?
You can, but it rarely works out well outdoors here. Every crack and joint in the old slab comes up through the new layer. The added height causes trouble at doors, steps and the garage. And if the old slab was moving on the clay, the new one moves with it. Pouring over old concrete only makes sense when the old slab is sound, uncracked and has room above it.
Can a patch fill a wide crack, or will it pop out?
A rigid patch in a wide crack on moving clay usually pops out or splits within a season or two. The crack opens in dry weather and closes in wet weather, and hard patching material cannot follow. A flexible sealant over a foam backer rod lasts longer because it stretches. If the crack is wide because the slab has dropped on one side, no filler is the answer. That section needs lifting or replacing.
How do I fix a sunken walkway that has become a trip hazard? Can the edge just be ground down?
There are three fixes for a trip hazard. A small lip can be ground down, and yes, to grind an edge is a real repair for a minor height difference. It is quick and cheap, but it thins the slab at that spot and leaves the cause in place. A panel that has sunk as a whole can be lifted. A panel that is cracked or pushed up by a root is better cut out and poured again, with the root bridged or the walk moved. On the public sidewalk in front of your lot, the city-parish code makes the repair your duty as owner.
The only real price is one written after we have seen your property. The estimate is free. Call (225) 434-4721 or text us a few photos.