Sunken flatwork is the most common foundation-adjacent problem in Edmond and the cheapest to fix, which is a rare combination. It is also the one people most often over-spend on, because the instinct is to tear out and repour when lifting what is already there is usually both cheaper and more durable.
Prices
| Work | 2026 range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single slab section lifted | $500 – $1,500 | Per section |
| Typical whole project | $1,500 – $4,000 | ~$2,800 average |
| Two-car driveway, foam | $1,200 – $3,500 | By area and drop |
| Garage apron / approach slab | $600 – $1,800 | Usually fails first |
| Patio or pool deck | $800 – $3,000 | Area and access |
| Sidewalk trip hazard, per slab | $300 – $700 | Often several together |
| Mudjacking (slurry), per section | $500 – $1,200 | Larger holes, longer set |
| Interior slab void filling | $8 – $25 per sq ft | Under-slab voids |
| Replacement instead, per section | $1,200 – $3,000 | Demolition and repour |
Why it sinks here
Flatwork has no deep footing and very little weight to hold it down, so it follows the ground precisely. When clay shrinks through an Oklahoma summer a void opens beneath the slab, the concrete loses support, and it cracks and drops. The pieces next to the house go first, almost without exception, because the ground there is backfill — excavated during construction and put back, never compacting to the density of undisturbed soil. That is why the garage apron, the front walk and the drive at the house line are the usual suspects, and it is also why that particular settlement is normally a flatwork problem rather than a sign that the house is moving.
Foam or slurry
Polyurethane foam goes in through ports of around five-eighths of an inch. The two-part polymer expands on mixing, fills the void and lifts the slab under controlled pressure. It is light, so it adds almost nothing to soil that is already failing; closed-cell, so it does not take up water; and it cures within minutes, so a driveway is usable the same day.
Cementitious slurry — traditional mudjacking — uses larger holes, typically an inch or two, and pumps a sand-cement mixture beneath the slab to raise it. It costs less per job and works well across large areas. The trade-offs are weight, more visible holes and a longer wait before vehicle traffic.
For a residential drive or patio in Edmond, where unstable soil is the underlying problem, foam is usually the better answer. For a large area of commercial flatwork on a budget, slurry still earns its place.
When replacement is genuinely better
Lifting puts concrete back at the right height. It does not make poor concrete good. Replace rather than lift when the slab has broken into many pieces, when it is badly spalled or crumbling, when it has been lifted before and keeps dropping because the underlying cause was never addressed, or when you were going to replace it for appearance anyway. We would rather tell you that at the survey than take the easier job and leave you with tidy-looking broken concrete.
The thing to fix at the same time
If your apron sank because a downspout has been discharging into the backfill beside it for ten years, lifting the apron without moving the downspout buys you a few years at most. Extensions cost $150 to $500 each. Fixing the water at the same time as the concrete is the difference between a repair and a recurring expense, and on most jobs it adds very little to the total.
Common questions
How long does a foam lift last?
The foam itself is permanent — polyurethane does not decompose, wash out or break down, so the fill stays where it is put. What is not permanent is the ground. If the clay beneath continues to cycle, or water keeps washing fines out from under the slab, a new void can form over time. Combined with sensible drainage, a foam lift generally holds for many years. Done while a downspout keeps pouring into the same backfill, it will not, which is why we look at the water first.
Is it cheaper than replacing the concrete?
Substantially, in most cases — usually somewhere between a third and a half of replacement cost. Beyond the price, lifting fills the void that caused the problem, where a new pour onto the same unsupported ground gives you newer concrete over the same cavity. Replacement also means demolition, disposal and a cure period before you can use it. The exception is concrete that is genuinely at the end of its life, where replacement is the right spend.
Will the injection holes be visible?
Somewhat. Foam ports are about five-eighths of an inch and we patch them with a color-matched compound; on a weathered or broom-textured drive they are genuinely hard to find afterwards, while on a smooth, uniform slab you will be able to see them if you look for them. Mudjacking holes are much larger and more obvious. No method is invisible, and a company promising otherwise is overselling.
How soon can I drive on it?
With polyurethane foam, essentially straight away — the material reaches working strength within about fifteen minutes, so a driveway is normally usable within the hour and certainly the same day. With cementitious slurry, allow a day or two before vehicle traffic. Foot traffic is fine almost immediately with either. We give you a specific time before leaving site.
The concrete by my house is dropping. Is my foundation going?
Usually not, and it is worth establishing rather than assuming either way. Settlement right at the house line is most often backfill consolidation, which affects the flatwork poured over it while the house, sitting on a properly prepared pad, stays put. That is a leveling job. But the same symptom appears when the house itself is moving, so if there is also cracking in the brick, doors binding or floors sloping, we will survey the house before quoting to lift the concrete.
Can you lift a slab that's already cracked?
Often, yes — cracked and broken are different things. A slab with one or two cracks can usually be lifted in sections, with the cracks filled and sealed afterwards. What cannot usefully be lifted is concrete fractured into many pieces or badly deteriorated, because lifting it just relocates broken concrete. We will tell you honestly which category yours falls into, including when that means recommending replacement instead.
Related: Concrete leveling · Drainage and french drains · Total repair cost · Book an inspection