Concrete Leveling for Patios: Fixing Sunken Slabs Without Replacement

Concrete Leveling for Patios: Fixing Sunken Slabs Without Replacement

Sunken patio slabs can usually be lifted back into place — no demolition, no new pour. Here is how concrete leveling works, what it costs in Louisiana, and when replacement is actually the better call.

Your patio has sunk — maybe a corner dropped a couple of inches, maybe the whole slab tilts toward the house and every rain sends water at your back door. The good news: you probably do not need to tear it out. Concrete leveling (mudjacking or polyjacking) lifts sunken slabs back into position through small drilled holes, at a fraction of replacement cost, usually in a single day.

This guide explains how leveling works, what it costs in Northwest Louisiana, when it is the right call — and the situations where replacement genuinely beats a lift. Because the wrong choice here costs you twice.

Why Patio Slabs Sink in Louisiana

Patios sink for the same reason Louisiana foundations move: the soil. Our expansive clay shrinks in dry spells and swells in wet ones, and the ground beneath a patio is rarely compacted as carefully as the ground beneath a house. Add our Gulf rainfall, and the pattern is predictable:

• Soil settlement: backfill or topsoil under the slab compresses over time, leaving voids. The slab follows gravity into them.
• Washout: heavy rains and poor drainage erode soil from beneath slab edges — especially where downspouts dump at the patio or the yard slopes toward it.
• Clay shrink-swell: dry spells shrink the clay and open gaps; the slab settles into them; the next wet spell cannot push it back up evenly.
• Tree roots: roots grow under slabs, then shrink or get removed, leaving voids — or they lift one section while another settles.

The result: trip hazards, ponding water, slabs tilting toward the house (sending rainwater at the foundation — a problem worth fixing promptly), and the slow crumbling of the patio’s edges. Most of this is correctable by lifting, because the concrete itself is usually fine — it is the ground underneath that failed.

How Concrete Leveling Works: Mudjacking vs Polyjacking

Both methods lift the slab by filling the voids beneath it and applying upward pressure. The difference is the material:

• Mudjacking (slabjacking): a slurry of cement, soil, and water is pumped through 1–2 inch holes drilled in the slab. It fills voids and lifts the concrete hydraulically. The classic method — proven, economical, and the right choice for most patios. Our concrete leveling and mudjacking page covers the full service.
• Polyjacking: expanding polyurethane foam is injected through smaller (penny-sized) holes. The foam expands, fills voids, and lifts the slab. Lighter than mud, cures in minutes, and better where weight matters or access is tight — but it costs more.

The process for a typical patio: drill holes in a grid pattern, pump material starting from the lowest point, monitor the lift with levels as the slab rises, stop at the target elevation, patch the holes, and clean up. Most patios take a few hours. Mudjacking holes get patched with concrete; polyjacking holes are barely noticeable.

Which method for your patio? For most Louisiana residential patios, mudjacking is the value choice — the slab is not going anywhere sensitive, and the cost difference matters. Polyjacking earns its premium for thin slabs, slabs over utilities, or situations where added weight is a concern.

Leveling vs Replacement: An Honest Comparison

When Leveling Is the Right Call

Leveling wins when the concrete itself is sound:

• The slab is intact — settled but not shattered. Hairline cracks are fine; the slab lifting as one piece is what matters.
• Settlement is moderate — up to a few inches of drop. Extreme settlement can still be leveled, but the economics shift.
• You like the patio — the finish, the pattern, the way it matches the house. Leveling preserves it; replacement starts over.
• Trip hazards and drainage: the classic leveling jobs — a raised edge at the back door, a low spot that ponds, a tilt sending water toward the foundation.
• Budget and timeline: you want it fixed this week, not next month, for a fraction of replacement cost.

When Replacement Is Honestly Better

An honest contractor tells you when leveling is the wrong call:

• The slab is badly deteriorated — extensive spalling, crumbling, or shattered into multiple unconnected pieces. Lifting rubble does not make a patio.
• Structural cracking through the slab that indicates ongoing movement leveling cannot stabilize.
• You want to change the patio — bigger footprint, new layout, different finish. Leveling preserves; it does not redesign.
• The base failure is unfixable from above — severe ongoing erosion or a spring under the slab that drainage work cannot control. Rare, but real.
• Multiple previous lifts have failed — if the ground keeps moving, the problem is the ground, and it needs addressing before any slab solution.

Note what replacement does not fix: the soil and drainage that sank the first slab. A new patio on the same uncorrected ground is a future leveling job. Whichever route you choose, fix the water — our yard drainage guide covers the layered approach that keeps slabs (and foundations) stable.

What Leveling Costs in Northwest Louisiana

Honest ranges, not quotes — every patio differs:

• Small patio or section (mudjacking): high hundreds to around a thousand for a straightforward lift.
• Average residential patio: low thousands for mudjacking; more for polyjacking.
• Large patios or multiple settled areas: mid thousands, scaling with square footage and severity.
• Polyjacking premium: expect meaningfully more than mudjacking for the same area — the material costs more, though the holes are smaller and cure time is minutes.

What affects the price: slab thickness, access for equipment, how far the slab has dropped, whether voids are extensive, and whether drainage corrections are bundled. Be wary of quotes far below these ranges — proper leveling requires the right material volume, and skimping on material is how slabs re-settle. And any quote written without the contractor seeing the patio in person deserves a second opinion.

Keeping Your Patio Level After the Lift

Leveling fixes the slab; preventing recurrence fixes the cause:

• Manage roof water: downspouts should discharge well away from the patio, not onto it or beside it. Each downspout delivers hundreds of gallons per storm.
• Grade the surrounding yard so surface water flows away from both patio and foundation.
• Seal the slab-to-house joint with flexible sealant so water cannot pour into the gap and erode the base.
• Water consistently in dry spells: even, moderate watering around the patio keeps Louisiana clay from shrinking away beneath it.
• Address tree roots before they undermine the slab — root barriers beat root removal after the fact.

If your patio has sunk — or if it is tilting toward the house and sending water at your foundation — a free inspection will tell you honestly whether leveling will fix it or whether replacement (or drainage work first) is the smarter money. Qualifying structural repairs carry our 20-year structural warranty, and the evaluation costs nothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to level a concrete patio in Louisiana?

Mudjacking a typical residential patio runs from the high hundreds to the low thousands, depending on size and severity. Polyjacking costs more. Replacement usually runs several thousand and up.

How long does mudjacking last?

When the underlying cause — usually drainage or soil voids — is addressed, a leveled slab stays level for many years. Leveling without fixing the water is a temporary fix.

Can a patio that slopes toward the house be leveled?

Yes — correcting slope direction is one of the best uses of leveling. The lift can re-establish fall away from the foundation, stopping water from running at the house.

How big are the holes drilled for mudjacking?

About 1 to 2 inches for mudjacking, patched with concrete afterward. Polyjacking uses smaller, roughly penny-sized holes that are barely noticeable.

Will leveling fix cracked concrete?

Leveling lifts the slab; it does not weld cracks shut. Hairline cracks are cosmetic and fine. Slabs shattered into separate pieces may need replacement instead.

How soon can I use my patio after leveling?

Mudjacked slabs are typically usable the same day. Polyjacking cures in minutes. Compare that with a week or more of curing for a new pour.

Does concrete leveling work on Louisiana clay soil?

Yes — the method was made for this. The lift fills the voids that clay shrink-swell and washout create. Pair it with drainage corrections so the voids do not reform.

Pelican Foundation Repair
6118 Fairfield Ave, Shreveport, LA 71106, USA
318-585-2003
https://foundationrepairshreveport.com/