Repair concrete when the slab is sound and the problem is local. Replace it when the slab is broken through, badly scaled or sitting on ground that keeps moving. The examples below use the numbers people bring to us. They are their figures, not our prices.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace?
It is cheaper to repair today, and often cheaper to replace over fifteen years. A repair is worth it when it buys many more years from a slab that is basically healthy. If the surface is scaling everywhere and the slab has no air entrainment, each winter will take more of it, and repair money is spent twice.
My driveway is 20 years old and one section has sunk by the garage. I was quoted $9,000 to replace it all. Do I need to?
Probably not. One sunk section beside a garage usually means the backfill along the foundation settled or roof water washed it out. If the other sections are flat and not scaling, that single section can be lifted, or cut out and repoured on a compacted base. That is a small part of a $9,000 job. Replace everything only if the whole driveway is worn out.
Repair for $7,000 or replace for $14,000 if I am selling in two or three years?
With a sale two or three years off, the $7,000 repair makes sense only if it will still look good on the day of the showing. That means at least two more winters of salt and frost. Ask what exactly the $7,000 covers. If it is lifting and sealing a sound slab, it should hold. If it is a thin overlay on a scaling slab, it may peel before you list, and the $14,000 replacement is the safer money.
I have a few long cracks and I am selling the house. Repair, replace or leave it?
If you are selling the house and the cracks are tight and level, clean and seal them and leave the slab alone. Buyers and inspectors expect cracks in old concrete. They object to trip edges, sunken panels and water running toward the house. Fix those. A new driveway rarely returns its full cost at sale.
One contractor says remove it, another says pour a new layer over it. Who is right?
Ask each of them what happens at the garage door, the steps and the sidewalk. A new layer adds height, and here it also has to survive frost over a slab that may already be moving. Removal lets the base be fixed, which is where most failures start. An overlay is the right answer only for a flat, solid slab with room for the extra thickness.
My driveway is 30 years old with root cracks and I am on a tight budget. Can I grind and patch?
Yes, on a tight budget you can grind the raised edges and seal the cracks to make it safe. Treat it as a holding repair. The root is still growing and will lift the slab again. When money allows, replace the affected panels and deal with the root at the same time, with advice from an arborist if the tree is worth keeping.
There are many small cracks but no sinking. Is sealing or resurfacing enough?
Sealing or resurfacing is enough when the cracks are hairline, the slab is flat and it rings solid when tapped. Seal it before winter so salt water cannot soak in. If the fine cracks form a map pattern with the surface starting to flake, the top layer is weak and resurfacing over it will not bond for long.
How do I tell if the base has failed?
Look for rocking, hollow sounds and puddles that were not there before. Tap the slab with a hammer handle. A dull, drum-like sound means there is a void underneath. Slabs that tilt toward a downspout or along a trench line have lost support. Base failure cannot be fixed from the top.
Can you pour new concrete over old concrete?
It can be done, but it is the right choice only now and then. Pouring over old concrete raises the surface by several inches, which causes trouble at doors, garage floors and steps. The new layer also copies every crack and movement of the slab under it. If the old slab is sound and the added height works, a bonded or separated topping is possible. Usually removal is the better value.
Can a raised edge just be ground down?
Yes, a small raised edge can be ground down to a smooth ramp, and it is the cheapest way to remove a lip of an inch or so. Grinding takes off the hard finished surface, so that spot will wear and scale faster under salt. It also does nothing about the root or frost that raised the panel.
Pool deck: resurface, pavers or poured concrete?
Resurface a pool deck if the slab is sound and only looks tired. By the national figures HomeGuide published for 2026, which are not our quotes, pool deck resurfacing is $3 to $6 per square foot. Pavers suit decks where pipes may need to be reached later. New poured concrete with a textured finish is the usual choice when panels have heaved or settled. Whichever you pick, it must have grip when wet and slope away from the pool.
Text a few photos to (917) 909-5931 and we can usually tell you which way it is likely to go before we visit.