Driveway and garage apron repair
Get rid of the bump at the garage door, the low spot that freezes over every March, and slabs that tip toward the house.
The apron, the strip of concrete just outside the garage door, sits on some of the loosest ground on the lot. It's usually poured over soil that was dug out and pushed back in when the foundation went in. On the Red River Valley's wet clays, that fill can keep settling for years, and the apron drops a little more each spring. The result is a lip at the door, melt running toward the garage, and an open joint that lets even more water in.
Signs your driveway needs work
- A step down from the garage floor to the apron
- Puddles that turn to ice in the same spot every thaw
- Slabs sloping toward the garage or the house
- Joints wide enough to slip a coin into
- Cracks that open a little wider every spring
Lift it, patch it or replace it?
A settled slab that's still solid is a good candidate for mudjacking or foam. Flaking on the surface, which is common where deicing salt and freeze-thaw cycles work on concrete, is a different problem that lifting won't fix. A driveway broken into many pieces, or failing all over, is usually better replaced.
Mind the city's part of the driveway
The stretch of driveway between the street and the sidewalk usually sits in the public right-of-way. Before work on that section, ask the City of Grand Forks or the City of East Grand Forks what permit is needed. Your contractor should know the local process.
What affects the price?
- How many slabs and how big
- How far the apron has dropped
- Whether the slab is cracked through
- Joint sealing and any downspout or grading changes
We don't quote prices. The contractor sets the price after measuring the slab, finding the void and working out why it dropped, so treat any figure you hear before a site visit as a rough guess.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Why did my garage apron sink?
Usually the soil underneath was backfilled during construction and has kept compacting, or meltwater has washed some of it out. Leveling fills the void and brings the slab back up.
How soon can I park on it?
After foam leveling, often within an hour. After mudjacking, contractors usually ask you to wait longer. Your contractor will tell you.
Related services
- Mudjacking and foam leveling
- Sidewalk repair and city repair lists
- Steps, stoops and patios
- Joint sealing and crack repair
More background: Grand Forks concrete repair guide.
Slab dropped after the thaw, or a sidewalk on the city's repair list?
Call and a local mudjacking contractor will come look at it and quote the repair.