If you manage properties in Northern Illinois, settled concrete is a line item that never fully goes away — the soil and the winters here make sure of that. What you can control is how it gets fixed, by whom, and at what cost. We’ve been raising and leveling concrete across this region for more than two decades, and we’ve seen what happens when the wrong repair method (or the wrong vendor) gets hired. This guide covers what we’d want to know if we were sitting in your chair.
Your three options for settled concrete
1. Polyurethane foam injection
Small holes are drilled in the slab and structural foam is injected beneath it. The foam expands, fills the voids, and raises the slab back to level. Holes are about the size of a coin, the material sets in minutes, and the slab can take traffic again the same day. This is our primary method for most settled flatwork.
2. Mudjacking
The traditional approach: a sand-cement slurry is pumped under the slab to raise it. It uses larger holes and heavier material, but it remains a sound, economical option for certain slabs, and we still offer it where it’s the right fit.
3. Full replacement
Tear out and re-pour. Necessary when a slab is severely cracked, crumbling, or has failed structurally — but it’s the most expensive option, takes days between demolition and cure time, and closes the area for the duration. Replacing a slab that could have been lifted is one of the most common ways properties overspend on concrete.
What to ask every concrete vendor before you bid the work
- Are you licensed and insured, and will you provide a COI naming us before work starts?
- Which method are you quoting — foam, mudjacking, or replacement — and why is it right for this slab?
- How soon can the area take foot and vehicle traffic again?
- Is your work covered by a written warranty, and what does it cover?
- Will you fill the voids under the slab, or just raise it? (A lift without addressing washout won’t hold.)
- Have you worked occupied properties — and how do you handle tenant notice, access, and site safety?
- Will you tell us when a slab should be replaced instead of lifted?
Red flags worth taking seriously
A vendor who quotes replacement for every slab without explaining why. A lifting quote with no mention of void filling or the cause of settlement. No written warranty. No COI until you chase it. Pressure to approve on the spot. None of these mean the work will fail — but each one shifts risk onto you and your owner.
Our answers to that checklist
We’re licensed and insured, and COIs go out before our crew does. We quote the method that fits the slab — polyurethane lifting for most settled flatwork, mudjacking where it’s the better tool, and an honest “this one needs replacement” when lifting won’t hold. Void filling and soil stabilization are part of how we lift, not an upsell. Our work is backed by a written warranty
[VERIFY: warranty terms], and we document every job with before-and-after photos you can drop straight into your owner report. We’ve done this work across Northern Illinois for more than twenty years, for property managers, HOAs, municipalities, and commercial owners.
One vendor across your whole portfolio
Most managers we work with started with one problem property and ended up sending us the rest of their portfolio, because concrete settlement is a portfolio-wide reality. We can walk multiple properties, prioritize by risk exposure, and give you per-property proposals your owners can approve independently.
Frequently asked questions
Is polyurethane lifting strong enough for driveways and drive lanes?
Yes. The structural foam we use is engineered for load-bearing applications and is used under highways and commercial pavements. For managed properties, the practical benefit is speed: lifted slabs take traffic again the same day.
How do I know if a slab can be lifted instead of replaced?
General rule: if the slab is intact but sitting low or tilted, it can usually be raised. If it’s broken into small pieces or the surface is disintegrating, replacement is the honest answer. We assess slab by slab and quote accordingly — for free.
What does concrete lifting cost compared to replacement?
Every property is different, so we quote from an on-site assessment rather than publishing rates — but lifting a sound slab generally runs a fraction of the cost of tearing out and re-pouring the same slab, and avoids the closure time entirely.
Can you handle work orders across several properties?
Yes. We regularly schedule multi-property work for management companies and can batch nearby sites to keep mobilization efficient.
Request a free on-site assessment
Before you send settled concrete out to bid, have us walk it. You’ll get a straight answer on what can be lifted, what should be replaced, and an itemized proposal you can put in front of your owner.
Call us at (815) 264-2200 or request a free estimate online. Acme Concrete Raising & Repair · 824 S Main Street, Ste 105, Crystal Lake, IL 60014.