Mudjacking
Also called slabjacking. A cement-based slurry is pumped through holes about the size of a coin or larger. It is heavier fill and is often the lower-cost lift.
Concrete Leveling and Mudjacking in Tyler, TX
A driveway panel that dropped at the garage, a patio tipping toward the house, a sidewalk edge that trips people. Concrete leveling can lift many of these slabs without tearing them out. Describe it once, and independent companies serving Tyler and East Texas can reply with free quotes.
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Warning signs
Concrete that may need leveling
- A driveway panel that sits lower than the garage floor or the next panel
- A patio or porch slab tilting toward the house, so rain runs to the wall
- Sidewalk edges that stick up and catch a toe
- Gaps opening between a slab and the house, steps or garage
- Hollow spots, rocking panels or voids you can see under an edge
- Pool deck sections that have dropped or cracked
A slab that tilts toward the house also sends water to the foundation, so leveling and drainage and grading often go together. If floors inside the house are sloping, see slab foundation repair instead.
Methods
Mudjacking vs. polyjacking vs. replacement
Polyjacking
Expanding polyurethane foam goes in through smaller holes. The fill is light and cures quickly, so the slab can often be used sooner. It usually costs more than mudjacking.
Tear out and replace
For slabs that are badly broken, crumbling or sunk too far, replacement may make more sense than a lift. Ask the company to explain why it recommends one over the other.
Leveling lifts concrete back toward where it was. It does not repair deep cracks or make old concrete new, and a slab can settle again if the water or soil problem under it continues.
The process
How a concrete leveling job usually goes
Look at the cause
The company checks how far the slab dropped, whether there are voids and where the water comes from.
Drill holes
Small holes are drilled through the slab in a pattern that suits its size and how it sank.
Pump and lift
Slurry or foam is pumped in under pressure, filling voids and raising the slab a little at a time.
Patch and seal
Holes are patched, and joints and cracks may be sealed so water stays out.
Fix the water
Extending downspouts or regrading next to the slab helps the lift last.
Tyler conditions
Why driveways and patios sink around Tyler
Much of Tyler and Smith County is mapped in sandy and loamy soils, many over red clay subsoils with moderate shrink-swell potential (USDA NRCS). That mix means poor drainage, erosion and long dry spells can all move a foundation. On sandy lots, water from a downspout or a heavy storm can wash fill from under a driveway edge and leave a void. Where clay sits below, the soil can shrink in long dry spells and the slab drops with it.
Tyler averages about 42 inches of rain a year, but July is the driest month (2.1 inches) and the city sees about 98 days of 90°F-plus heat (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport). Tyler got just 25 inches of rain in 2011 and more than 68 inches in 2015 (NOAA). Big swings between dry and wet years are hard on flatwork that was poured over loose fill. Roots from large trees can also lift sidewalks.
Many newer homes around Tyler, Lindale, Whitehouse and Bullard sit on lots built up with fill, which can settle over the first years. Ask the company whether the slab sank because of fill, water or both.
Typical costs
What concrete leveling costs
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mudjacking / slabjacking | $500–$1,900 | Fixr, Jan 2026 |
| Crack sealing / epoxy injection | $200–$1,000 | Fixr, Jan 2026 |
| Slab foundation repair | $1,000–$10,000 | Fixr, Jan 2026 |
Polyjacking usually costs more than mudjacking for the same slab. Ask for a written price per area or per slab, and whether patching and joint sealing are included. See the Tyler foundation repair cost guide for house foundation figures.
Is it urgent?
When sunken concrete needs attention soon
Most sunken flatwork is a slow problem. Move sooner when a raised edge is a trip hazard on a walk people use every day, when steps pull away from the door, when a patio or drive now sends rain straight to the foundation, or when a void under a slab keeps growing after storms. Mark the trip edge and point the downspouts away while you wait for quotes.
Before you sign
Questions to ask a concrete leveling company
- Mudjacking or foam? How many holes, and how large?
- Why did this slab sink, and what will keep it from sinking again?
- Can I have a written, itemized estimate, including patching and joint sealing?
- How soon can I walk or drive on it?
- If the house foundation also needs work, who decides that, and is an engineer involved?
- What does the warranty cover, and is it transferable if I sell?
- Can I see proof of insurance, and does the work need a permit?
No state license. Texas does not issue a state license for foundation repair companies, so check experience, insurance, written warranties and reviews yourself, and ask whether a licensed professional engineer (PE) designs or signs off on the repair.
Engineers. An independent Texas-licensed professional engineer works for you, not the repair company. You can look up a PE's license with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (pels.texas.gov).
Permits. Whether your repair needs a City of Tyler building permit or an engineer's plan depends on the work. Your contractor should check with Tyler Building Services (423 W. Ferguson St., 903-531-1151). Outside city limits, Texas counties generally don't issue building permits for home repairs. In other towns, check with the city's building department.
Your rights. Texas law gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel many contracts signed at your home after a sales visit (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §601.051). Ask whether it applies to your contract and look for the cancellation form. The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act protects consumers against false or misleading claims and broken warranties. Ask whether the warranty is transferable if you sell the home, whether there's a transfer fee, and what it covers.
FAQ
Concrete leveling FAQs
What is the difference between mudjacking and polyjacking?
Both lift a sunken slab by pumping material underneath it through drilled holes. Mudjacking uses a cement-based slurry and larger holes. Polyjacking uses expanding polyurethane foam, smaller holes and a lighter fill that cures quickly. Polyjacking often costs more. Ask each company which it uses, how many holes it will drill and how soon you can drive on the slab.
How much does mudjacking cost?
Fixr lists mudjacking or slabjacking at $500–$1,900 as a national range (Jan 2026). That is not a Tyler quote. The price depends on slab size, how far it sank, how much fill is needed, access and whether foam or slurry is used. Ask for a written price and what is included, such as sealing holes and joints.
Can mudjacking level my house foundation?
Usually not. Mudjacking and polyjacking are mainly for driveways, patios, sidewalks, pool decks and garage floors. A house slab that has settled is normally evaluated for piers or other foundation repair. See slab foundation repair if the problem is inside the house.
Why did my driveway sink?
Common causes are soil that was not well compacted when the slab was poured, water running under the edge and washing fill away, and soil drying and shrinking in a long dry spell. On sandy East Texas lots, downspouts that empty onto or beside a drive can wash out fill. Fixing the water source helps the lift last.
Get free concrete leveling quotes
Say which slab sank (driveway, patio, sidewalk, pool deck or garage floor), roughly how far it dropped and whether water runs toward the house. Your request goes to independent companies serving Tyler, Lindale, Bullard, Whitehouse and nearby towns.
Tyler TX Foundation Experts is a free quote-matching service, not a contractor, an engineering firm or a city office. The companies that reply are independent, and some pay to receive requests. There is no cost to you and no obligation to hire anyone. You can also call to be connected with a local foundation repair company.
Get free quotes
Independent East Texas foundation companies reply to you directly.
Cracks, sticking doors or a sloping floor? Get free foundation quotes.
Describe it once and independent foundation companies serving Tyler, Smith County and East Texas can reply with no-obligation quotes.