How Much Does Polyurethane Concrete Lifting Cost?

Replacing a sunken slab is the expensive mistake most homeowners make before they learn there is a cheaper option. So how much does polyurethane concrete lifting cost? In 2026, expect roughly $5 to $25 per square foot, or about $500 to $1,500 for a typical single-slab job like a settled driveway section, walkway, or patio corner — a fraction of the $8 to $15-plus per square foot to tear out and pour new concrete. Polyurethane foam lifting, often called polyjacking or foam jacking, raises the existing slab back to level by injecting expanding foam underneath, and it does the job in hours instead of the days a replacement takes. Here is the full cost picture and what moves the number.

How Polyurethane Lifting Works and Why It’s Priced This Way

Contractors drill a series of dime-sized holes (about 5/8 inch) through the sunken slab, then inject a two-part polyurethane resin that reacts and expands underground. As the foam grows, it fills the voids beneath the concrete, compacts loose soil, and lifts the slab precisely back to level. The holes are then patched. The whole process for a small job takes 1 to 2 hours, and the slab is usually walkable or drivable within 15 minutes to a few hours because the foam cures almost immediately.

Because it is fast, requires a small crew, uses no heavy demolition, and the material is expensive engineered foam, pricing is driven by the amount of foam needed (how big the void is and how far the slab must lift) and the labor to access and inject.

Typical Cost by Project

Here are real 2026 ranges for common residential polyjacking jobs:

• Single sunken driveway slab: $500 to $1,300
• Sidewalk or walkway (per section): $300 to $700
• Patio (200-300 sq ft): $1,000 to $2,500
• Garage floor: $1,200 to $3,000
• Front porch or steps: $600 to $1,800
• Full driveway (multiple slabs): $2,000 to $5,000+
• Pool deck: $1,500 to $4,000

Many contractors set a minimum service charge of $500 to $900 regardless of how small the job is, because mobilizing the truck and crew costs the same for a tiny lift as a large one. If you have one small trip hazard, expect to pay that minimum.

Cost Per Square Foot and Per Hole

Priced by area, polyurethane lifting runs about $5 to $25 per square foot, with most residential work in the $8 to $15 range. The wide spread reflects how much foam a given slab needs — a slab with a large void beneath it and a big lift required consumes far more material than one that has settled only slightly.

Some contractors price by the injection hole or by the pound of foam used instead of by area. The depth and severity of the settlement matter more than the surface size: a 100-square-foot slab that dropped 3 inches over a deep void can cost more than a 200-square-foot slab that settled a uniform half inch, simply because it swallows more foam.

Polyurethane vs. Mudjacking vs. Replacement

Understanding the alternatives clarifies the value. Traditional mudjacking pumps a cement-and-soil slurry under the slab and costs less up front — about $3 to $8 per square foot, or $300 to $1,200 per slab. But polyurethane, at $5 to $25 per square foot, has real advantages that often justify the premium:

• Weight: foam weighs about 2 pounds per cubic foot versus 100+ for slurry, so it does not add load that causes re-settling in weak soil.
• Hole size: foam uses 5/8-inch holes versus 1 to 2-inch holes for mudjacking, so patches are nearly invisible.
• Cure time: foam is drivable in minutes; slurry needs 24 to 72 hours.
• Longevity: polyurethane is waterproof and does not wash out, typically lasting longer.

Full replacement runs $8 to $15+ per square foot plus days of downtime and curing, so unless the concrete is cracked into rubble, lifting is almost always the cheaper and faster fix. Polyjacking makes sense when the slab itself is structurally sound and has simply settled.

Factors That Change Your Price

Several variables push the quote up or down. The size and depth of the void under the slab is the biggest, since it determines foam volume. The amount of lift required matters — raising a slab 2 inches costs more than nudging it a quarter inch. Accessibility affects labor: a slab the truck can pull right up to is cheaper than one deep in a backyard requiring long hose runs.

Soil conditions play a role too; very loose or wet soil may need more foam to stabilize. The type of slab matters — a load-bearing garage floor or a structural foundation lift costs more than a decorative walkway. And, as always, regional labor rates and the contractor’s minimum charge set the floor. Foundation and structural lifting with polyurethane can run well beyond flatwork pricing, often $2,000 to $10,000+, because it requires engineering and deeper injection.

What the Process Looks Like Start to Finish

Knowing the steps helps you judge a fair quote and spot a rushed job. The crew arrives, assesses the slab, and marks a grid of injection points, typically spaced 3 to 6 feet apart depending on the slab and the void. They drill the small 5/8-inch holes, then thread injection ports into them. The two-part polyurethane resin is pumped through the ports, and as it reacts it expands to fill voids and gently raise the slab, with the operator watching the surface with a level or a laser to lift it precisely — often in fractions of an inch at a time to avoid cracking the concrete.

Once the slab reaches level, the ports are removed and the holes are patched with a color-matched cement grout, leaving discreet dime-sized spots rather than the big patches mudjacking leaves. The whole job for a typical driveway section runs one to two hours, and because the foam cures in about 15 minutes, you can usually walk on it almost immediately and drive on it within a few hours. That speed and minimal disruption is a big part of why homeowners choose foam over tear-out and replacement, which sidelines a driveway for days.

What Causes Slabs to Sink in the First Place

Understanding why concrete settles helps you judge whether lifting will actually last. The usual culprit is soil movement under the slab — the ground that was compacted when the slab was poured has since eroded, consolidated, or washed away, leaving voids the slab drops into. Water is almost always involved. Poor drainage, a downspout dumping right beside the slab, a plumbing leak, or an irrigation line can all wash soil out from underneath over time.

Other causes include soil that was never properly compacted during original construction, expansive clay soils that swell and shrink with moisture cycles, tree roots displacing soil, and freeze-thaw heaving in cold climates. This matters for your wallet: polyurethane foam fills and stabilizes the existing void and resists future washout because it is waterproof, but if an active water source keeps eroding the soil around the treated area, even a good lift can eventually settle again. That is why a competent contractor looks for and helps you address the cause — fixing a downspout or a leak — rather than just injecting foam and driving away.

Is It Worth It, and What to Ask

For a sound slab that has settled, polyurethane lifting is one of the best-value concrete repairs available — a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars to save a slab that would cost far more to replace, done in an afternoon with a slab you can use the same day. It fixes trip hazards, redirects drainage away from your foundation, and stops the settling cycle when the foam fills and stabilizes the void.

When you get quotes, ask whether the price includes the void-filling and soil stabilization or just the lift, what warranty comes with it (reputable installers offer 5-year or lifetime warranties on the foam), and whether they price by area, by hole, or by pound. Get two or three estimates, confirm the crew will drill discreet 5/8-inch holes and patch them, and make sure they diagnose why the slab settled — because if a plumbing leak or downspout is washing out the soil, you will want that fixed too, or even the best foam job will settle again.