Driveway, garage apron and garage floor leveling
The slab right outside the garage door takes the most abuse in a Rochester winter. Here's what can be done when it drops.
Garage aprons sink more often than almost any other slab on a property. They're poured over ground that was excavated for the foundation and then backfilled, and that fill keeps settling long after the house is finished. Add snow tracked in on tires, meltwater running down the driveway, and a long season of freezing and thawing, and the apron gradually separates from the garage floor and tilts.
Signs your driveway or garage floor is moving
- A lip where the apron meets the garage slab that catches snow blowers and shovels
- Meltwater running back toward the garage door instead of away
- A patch of ice that forms in the same low spot every cold snap
- Driveway joints you can fit a finger into
- Cracks or a dip in the garage floor, especially near the walls
Can a garage floor be lifted?
Often, yes. Interior garage slabs settle for the same reason aprons do, and foam is especially handy indoors because the holes are small and cleanup is quick. The contractor will want to know about any floor drain, radiant heat tubing or buried lines before drilling, so mention those up front.
Lift, resurface or replace?
Lifting addresses height. It won't fix surface scaling from deicing salt, which is a separate problem with its own repair. A driveway that is cracked into dozens of pieces or failing across its whole length is usually better replaced.
What about the approach at the street?
In Rochester, the driveway approach between the street and the sidewalk sits in the public right-of-way. The city requires an excavation permit for driveway approach work there and says the owner must hire a city-licensed contractor. If your job touches the approach, ask the contractor to confirm the permit before starting.
What affects the price?
- The number and size of slabs
- How far the apron or floor has dropped
- Indoor versus outdoor access
- Joint sealing and any drainage work
We don't publish prices. The contractor sets the price after measuring the slab, sounding out the void underneath and finding out why it dropped, so treat any figure you hear before that visit as a ballpark.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
How soon can I park on a lifted driveway?
With foam, often within a few hours. Mudjacked slabs usually need longer. Your contractor will give you a time based on the material used.
Will lifting fix the gap at my garage door?
Lifting brings the apron back up toward the garage floor, which closes most of the step. Sealing the joint afterward keeps water from washing out the base again.
Related services
- Foam lifting and mudjacking
- Sidewalks, walkways and patios
- Steps and stoops
- Joint sealing and crack filling
More background: Rochester concrete leveling guide.
Is a slab tipping, dropping or holding water?
Call and a Rochester-area concrete lifting contractor will come look and tell you whether it can be raised.