Concrete Leveling and Mudjacking Cost in Ontario
Updated June 2026
There is no flat rate for concrete leveling in Ontario, because the price depends on the slab, how far it has sunk, and which lifting method fits. The key thing to know is that lifting a sound slab back to grade costs a fraction of tearing it out and pouring a new one. The two methods, mudjacking and polyjacking, price differently and suit different jobs. The honest way to get a real number is a free site visit and a written quote. This guide walks through what moves it.
A slab that has dropped at one corner, a walkway that traps a puddle, a garage floor that slopes the wrong way: the first instinct is to tear it out and start over. Most of the time you don’t have to. If the concrete itself is still sound and the ground under it settled, the slab can be lifted back to where it belongs for a fraction of the cost of replacement. The job goes by several names, mudjacking, slabjacking, polyjacking, concrete leveling, concrete lifting, and they all describe the same idea. Here’s what actually moves the price.
Why lifting beats replacement
This is the factor that makes the whole conversation worth having. When a slab sinks, the concrete usually isn’t the problem. The base under it is. Soil washed out, settled, or was never compacted properly, and the slab dropped into the void. The concrete above is often still perfectly good.
Replacement throws that good concrete away. You pay to break the slab out, haul it off, rebuild the base, and pour and cure a new slab, and you lose the use of the area for days while it sets. Leveling keeps the slab you already have and just puts the support back under it. That’s why lifting a sound slab back to grade comes in at a fraction of the cost of tear-out and repour. The first question on any quote isn’t how much, it’s whether your slab is a lift candidate at all, because if it is, you’ve likely just saved most of the job.
Mudjacking, the affordable workhorse
Mudjacking, also called slabjacking, is the original method and still the value option. The crew drills holes through the slab, pumps a sand and cement slurry underneath, and the pressure of the fill raises the slab back to grade. Then the holes are patched.
What you trade for the lower price is worth knowing. The slurry is heavy, which is fine over a solid base but adds weight where the base is already weak. The access holes are larger, so the patches are more visible. And because the slurry is wet, the slab usually needs a day or two to take full traffic. For a driveway slab, a shed pad, or a walkway on decent ground, mudjacking is often the sensible, affordable call.
Polyjacking, the precise upgrade
Polyjacking uses expanding polyurethane foam instead of slurry. The crew drills much smaller holes, injects the foam, and it expands to fill the void and lift the slab. It’s the premium method and it earns the price in a few ways.
The lift is more precise, because the foam can be controlled to raise a slab gradually and evenly, which matters on a floor or a slab where level really counts. The holes are small, so the patches barely show. The foam is light, so it won’t pile more weight onto a base that’s already struggling. It doesn’t absorb water, so it won’t wash out where moisture caused the problem. And it cures fast, so the slab usually takes traffic the same day. Polyjacking costs more than mudjacking, and on the right slab it’s worth it.
Mudjacking versus polyjacking, side by side
| Factor | Mudjacking (slabjacking) | Polyjacking (foam) |
|---|---|---|
| Fill material | Sand and cement slurry | Expanding polyurethane foam |
| Cost | More affordable | Higher |
| Hole size | Larger | Smaller |
| Lift precision | Good for general leveling | Precise, controlled lift |
| Weight added to base | Heavier | Light |
| Water resistance | Can wash out over time | Does not absorb water |
| Back in service | A day or two | Same day |
Neither one is the right answer for every slab. The slurry suits a solid base where cost is the priority. The foam suits a weak or wet base, a slab where precision matters, or a job that has to be back in use right away. A good contractor reads the slab and the ground and tells you which fits, rather than selling one method for everything.
What makes a slab a lift candidate
Not every sunken slab can be saved, and this is where an honest contractor earns the visit. The test is whether the slab is still structurally sound as a single piece.
A slab that’s intact, or has only a hairline crack or two, sitting on a base that washed out or settled, is a textbook lift candidate. The concrete is fine. Put the support back and it’s good for years. This is the common case for driveways, garage floors, walkways, patios, and porch slabs across Southern Ontario, where freeze-thaw cycles and soil that holds water are forever opening voids under slabs.
The flip side is the slab that has failed as a unit. Concrete cracked into several pieces, badly spalled on the surface, or crumbling at the edges can’t be lifted as one piece, because raising it would just shift the broken sections against each other. That slab is a replacement, and a contractor who tries to lift it anyway is wasting your money. In short: a sound slab on a failed base is a lift, a broken slab is a replacement.
What else moves the price
A few factors decide where a lift lands once you know the slab can be saved:
- How far it sank. A slab that dropped a fraction of an inch is a quick lift. One that settled several inches needs more fill and more careful raising.
- The size and number of slabs. A single corner of one slab is small work. A whole driveway, or several adjoining slabs, is more.
- The method. Mudjacking or polyjacking, as above, is a real swing in the number.
- The void underneath. A small settled gap is one thing. A large washed-out cavity takes more material to fill before the slab even starts to rise.
- The cause. If water is still feeding the void, the fix has to address the drainage too, or the slab will sink again. Solving the cause is part of an honest lift.
How to get a real number for your slab
Concrete leveling can’t be priced down the phone, because the whole question is whether your slab is sound and which method fits, and only someone looking at it can tell you. A fair quote names whether the slab is a lift candidate or a replacement, which method and why, and whether the drainage that caused the settling needs attention.
The honest way to price a lift is a free site visit and a written quote that holds. If your slab is sound, leveling almost always beats replacement on cost, and you keep the concrete you already paid for. That’s the math worth checking before anyone reaches for a jackhammer.
How much does mudjacking cost?
It depends on the slab and how far it has settled, so no honest contractor gives a flat rate over the phone. What's worth knowing is that mudjacking a sound slab back to level costs a fraction of removing it and pouring a new one, because you keep the concrete you already have. The size of the slab, how far it dropped, how many holes the lift needs, and whether you choose mudjacking or polyjacking all move the number. A free site visit and a written quote is the real answer.
Mudjacking or polyjacking, what's the difference?
Both lift a sunken slab by pumping material underneath it through small holes, but the material is different. Mudjacking uses a sand and cement slurry, often called slabjacking. It's the more affordable option, the fill is heavy, the holes are bigger, and the slab usually needs a day or two before it takes traffic. Polyjacking uses an expanding polyurethane foam. The holes are smaller, the lift is more precise, the foam is light so it won't load a weak base further, and the slab takes traffic the same day. Polyjacking costs more. Which one fits depends on the slab and the base under it.
Is concrete leveling worth it, or should I just replace the slab?
If the slab is sound and only the base under it failed, leveling is almost always worth it, because lifting it back to grade costs a fraction of tear-out and repour and you keep the original concrete. Leveling stops being worth it when the slab itself is the problem. A slab cracked into several pieces, badly spalled, or crumbling can't be lifted as one unit, so replacement is the honest call. A sound slab on a failed base is a lift. A broken slab is a replacement.
How long does concrete leveling last?
It lasts as long as the new support under it holds, which is usually a long time when the void is properly filled and the cause of the settling is addressed. Both mudjacking slurry and polyurethane foam fill the empty space under the slab and carry the load. Foam doesn't absorb water and won't wash out, which is why it's often chosen where moisture caused the sinking in the first place. Leveling isn't a patch. It's a real fix when the slab itself is still good.