Repair when the damage is local and the slab around it is solid. Replace when the slab is in loose pieces or the ground under it has given way. How old the concrete is matters far less than how it is supported.
The dollar ranges here are national figures that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from us. Inland Empire labor rates, ready-mix prices and what we find on your lot push a real price higher or lower. Last checked October 2026.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace concrete?
Repair costs less today; replacement can be cheaper over the long run. National ranges: leveling $3 to $12 per square foot, resurfacing $3 to $7, a new plain driveway $6 to $10 plus $3 to $8 to remove the old one. The repair is good value when it removes the cause. When the slab keeps moving, you pay for the repair and then for the replacement.
Can you pour new concrete over old concrete?
You can, on a slab that is sound, flat and still. Whatever cracks and joints are in the old slab will come up through the new one. The added height can cause trouble where the surface meets a garage floor, a threshold or a step. Over a broken or settled slab, a topping only delays the tear-out.
My 20-year-old driveway has one section sunk at the garage and I was quoted $9,000 to replace all of it. Is that necessary?
Likely not. Concrete at twenty years is middle-aged. If the remaining sections are flat and firm, ask for a price to lift or repour just the sunken one and set that beside the $9,000. Ask too why that corner went down. Roof water discharging at the garage is a frequent reason, and it has to be piped away whichever option you choose. Expect the new section to be a lighter gray than its neighbors for some years.
Should I repair for $7,000 or replace for $14,000 if I plan to sell in two or three years?
On price alone, repair saves you $7,000, since $14,000 less $7,000 is $7,000. For a stay of two or three years that is the sensible route, provided the repair removes the cause and leaves a flat, safe surface. Go for replacement when the slab is so broken that a home inspector would write it up regardless. What either choice does to the selling price is a question for a local agent, not for us.
There are a few long cracks and I am selling the house. Repair, replace, or leave them?
Tight, flat cracks only need sealing and a good wash. A crack with a height difference should be corrected, since it is a tripping point and it ends up in the inspection report. Tearing out a serviceable driveway right before selling the house seldom pays. Your agent will know what buyers on your street expect.
One contractor wants to remove the slab and another wants to pour a new layer on top. Who is right?
The slab decides. Cracked through, dropped or rocking: removal is right, because a new layer over movement cracks along the same lines. Firm and merely worn: a bonded overlay is a fair option. Before accepting the overlay, ask how it bonds, how thick it will be, how it meets the garage and the sidewalk, and whether the written warranty covers cracks that reflect through.
The driveway is 30 years old with root cracks and I have a tight budget. Can I just grind and patch?
Yes, as a stopgap. Grinding takes off the raised lips and sealing the cracks slows water getting under the slab. On a tight budget that can buy a few more years for a small part of the cost of a new driveway. Roots do not stop, so the lips return. Use the time to decide about the tree and to save for the worst panels.
Lots of small cracks but no sinking. Is sealing or resurfacing enough?
Usually it is. Sealing or resurfacing is enough when the cracks are hairline, flat and stable and the slab does not sound hollow. Fine map-like cracking, called crazing, is common on slabs finished in hot, dry, windy weather and is a surface matter. Sealer blocks stains and water. A resurfacer renews the look. Cracks that get wider year over year point to the base, and then neither will hold.
Send photos and rough dimensions by text to (909) 306-5897, or call. We tell you which option we would choose and put the price in writing.