Polyurethane foam concrete lifting

Frequently, yes — and it is the option most worth asking about before accepting a replacement quote, because it costs substantially less and takes hours rather than days.

The qualifier is the condition of the concrete. Lifting restores elevation to concrete that is sound and has moved as a unit. It does nothing for concrete that has broken up or whose surface is failing.

What the method is

Small holes are drilled through the slab. Two-component polyurethane is injected, reacts, and expands beneath the concrete, filling voids and then lifting the slab as pressure builds.

The operator controls the lift by watching the slab, typically with a level or laser reference, moving between injection points to bring the surface back towards its intended plane.

The holes are patched afterwards. They remain visible on close inspection, and the patches rarely match weathered concrete exactly.

What it does not do

• It does not repair concrete. Cracks remain cracks, and a deteriorating surface stays deteriorated.
• It does not rebuild a base or subgrade. It fills voids and lifts; it does not reconstruct what was there.
• It does not address the cause. If water is still washing material out, the void can redevelop.
• It cannot always achieve a precise target plane, particularly on a slab already cracked into several pieces that move independently.
• It does not restore a slab that has broken up, and lifting such a slab can open the cracks further.

What you can safely check yourself

• Establish whether the slab is in one piece across the settled area. This is the observation that most affects whether lifting is viable.
• Note the maximum drop with a straightedge photograph, which sets the scale of the lift required.
• Note where water is arriving, because that is what determines whether the lift holds.

When professional evaluation matters more

• The slab has broken into multiple pieces across the settled area
• The surface is deteriorating as well as settled
• Settlement has recurred after previous lifting, which points at an unaddressed cause

Questions to ask whoever comes out

• Is this slab a lifting candidate, and what specifically makes you say so?
• How will you know the void is filled rather than just the slab lifted?
• What reference are you using to control the lift, and what fall are you targeting?
• Where will the holes be and what will the patches look like?
• What is being done about the water that caused this, and is that in your price?
• If it settles again within a year, what does your warranty cover?

Where estimates for this commonly differ in scope

These are the places two prices for apparently the same work stop being comparable.

• Void filling and lifting are related but distinct outcomes, and an estimate may include either or both.
• The target — flat, or a specific fall — is rarely stated, though it determines whether drainage improves.
• Drainage correction is usually excluded and is often the thing that stops recurrence.
• Hole patching quality varies and is rarely described.

Who tends to do this work

• A concrete leveling specialist
• A drainage contractor or landscaper who does grading

ConcreteOwner does not inspect, certify or approve contractors. This describes which trade usually holds this work, not a recommendation of anybody in particular.