How much does mudjacking cost per square foot?

National guides put mudjacking at about $3 to $9 per square foot. HomeAdvisor's range is $3 to $6 and HomeGuide's is $4 to $9. Small jobs hit a minimum charge first, usually $300 to $700, so a single sunken step can cost as much as a short run of sidewalk. Bundle several slabs into one visit.

How soon can I drive on a mudjacked driveway?

HomeGuide says the surface is ready for use within 24 hours, and HomeAdvisor says the slurry takes one to three days to dry completely. Walking on it the next day is normal. For a car, follow the contractor's timing and lean toward the longer end in cold or wet weather. Polyurethane foam cures faster.

Is mudjacking cheaper than replacing concrete?

Usually. HomeAdvisor puts mudjacking at 25% to 50% less than replacing the slab, and HomeGuide prices new slab replacement at $6 to $15 per square foot against $4 to $9 for mudjacking. Replacement wins when the slab is badly broken or has sunk so far that lifting it isn't practical.

Why did my driveway sink?

HomeAdvisor names downspouts emptying beside the slab as the most common cause of a sinking driveway. Water washes fill out from under the concrete or softens the clay, and the panel drops into the gap. Lifting it without moving that water just resets the clock, so fix the downspout in the same week.

Can every sunken slab be mudjacked?

No. A slab that's broken into pieces has nothing solid to lift. Extreme settlement can make replacement the better deal, according to HomeGuide. And when soil has eroded deep beside a garage, HomeAdvisor notes the floor may need piers instead. A contractor who says lifting won't work on your slab is worth listening to.

Mudjacking in Topeka, KS

Typical cost: HomeGuide prices mudjacking at $4 to $9 per square foot: about $400 to $900 for a 100-square-foot walk and $1,800 to $4,100 for a 450-square-foot driveway.
Time: the slab is ready for use within 24 hours and fully dry in one to three days.
Lifespan: five to 10 years or longer when the cause of the sinking is fixed.
Against replacement: 25% to 50% less than tearing out and pouring a new slab.

Topeka Expert Foundation Repair passes your sunken-slab details to one independent contractor who quotes mudjacking for driveways, walks, steps, patios and garage floors. Mudjacking lifts the slab you already have with a cement slurry pumped through holes about 1.5 to 2 inches wide, so it only makes sense while the slab is still in one piece.

Mudjacking Jobs by Slab

HomeGuide's per-project ranges below assume a typical size for each surface. Your slab's area and how far it dropped move the number. Driveways and walks in Topeka rest on clay that swells and shrinks with the seasons (the homepage explains the soils), so a lifted slab lasts longer when the water around it is under control.

Concrete driveway leading to a two-car garage with one panel sunk about two inches below the next, small round drilled holes in the low panel and water pooled along the joint

Driveways and Garage Aprons

Look at the panel under the nearest downspout first.

Partial driveway (200 sq ft): $800 to $1,800.
Full driveway (450 sq ft): $1,800 to $4,100.
Main cause: HomeAdvisor names downspouts pouring water beside the slab.

If the panel at the street turns out to need replacing instead of lifting, Topeka requires a city driveway permit to rebuild a driveway approach or cut a curb.

Concrete front steps that have settled and tipped away from a house porch, a gap at the top step, and the sidewalk panel below sunk with a raised edge

Sidewalks and Front Steps

A step that's pulled away from the porch or a walk with a raised lip is a trip hazard.

Sidewalk (100 sq ft): $400 to $900.
Steps (40 sq ft): $300 to $500. Steps are thick, so contractors drill around the sides or bore long holes through them.

For the public sidewalk along the street, check the city first. Topeka's 50/50 program removes and replaces defective public sidewalks at residential properties of up to four units, with the city paying half, and a 1-inch trip hazard counts as a violation. Rebuilding a public sidewalk also needs a city sidewalk permit.

Backyard concrete patio slab that has sunk and tilted toward a brick house, leaving a gap along the wall where the slab used to meet it

Patios and Porch Slabs

A patio or porch slab that tips toward the house sends rainwater to the foundation, which is a better reason to lift it than looks. A 150-square-foot patio or porch runs $600 to $1,400 in HomeGuide's numbers. Backyard jobs can cost more when equipment has to go through a narrow gate. One more thing to check: a heavy stoop that keeps settling can push clay against the basement wall behind it (basement wall repair covers that).

Attached garage with the concrete floor sunk along one side wall, a gap under the wall plate and a diagonal crack across the slab

Garage Floors

A garage floor can drop in one section or across the whole slab.

One section (about 125 sq ft): $500 to $1,100.
Whole floor (360 sq ft): $1,400 to $3,200; HomeAdvisor's two-car range is $1,250 to $2,700.

If the soil beside the garage has washed out deeply, HomeAdvisor says piers may be needed instead of mudjacking. Slab foundation repair covers that route.

Concrete pool deck with one slab section sunk below the coping, a widened joint and a small pool of standing water on the low side

Pool Decks

A 400-square-foot pool deck runs $1,600 to $3,600 to mudjack. The deck gets wet constantly, so the joints and the drainage around it decide how long the lift lasts. Ask how the holes will be patched and whether the joints will be sealed afterward.

Laser level on a tripod in an unfinished basement, a gloved hand holding a measuring rod and a stair-step crack in the block wall behind

Why Topeka homeowners and property owners call Topeka Expert Foundation Repair

The call and the inspection request cost you nothing
Your details go to one Topeka contractor, never a lead list
Ask for piers, anchors and price on paper before any digging
Method explained first: piers, anchors, straps or mudjacking

Mudjacking vs Polyjacking: Choosing the Lift

Both lift a sunken slab from below. The difference is what goes under it.

	Mudjacking	Polyjacking (foam)
Fill	Cement slurry of water, soil, sand and cement	Expanding polyurethane foam
Hole size	about 1.5 to 2 inches	about 1/2 to 5/8 inch
Weight on the soil	Heavy	Very light
Ready to use	within 24 hours	minutes
Long-term	Can wash out over time	Won't erode
Price	lower	often double or triple per square foot

Mudjacking is the better buy for large slabs like driveways and garage floors when the budget matters most. Foam earns its price where soil is weak, where the slab has to be back in use the same day, or where bigger holes would show. Concrete leveling covers foam pricing and how it's injected.

Mudjacking Cost Factors and When to Replace Instead

How far it dropped
HomeGuide says a slab down 1 to 2 inches needs much less fill than one down 4 to 6 inches.
Hidden voids
The empty space under the slab is often larger than the sunken area you see.
Access
Street-side driveways and walks cost less than backyard slabs behind a narrow gate.
Minimum charges
$300 to $700 per visit, so get every slab quoted at once.
Condition
A slab broken into pieces, or one that has sunk too far, is cheaper to replace at $6 to $15 per square foot than to fight with fill.

See concrete leveling when the slab is indoors or the soil under it is soft.