Most cracked concrete driveways can be repaired, and most homeowners who were told to replace theirs didn't have to. The deciding question is not how bad it looks. It's whether the problem is in the surface or in the ground underneath. Surface problems are cheap. Ground problems are the ones that eat driveways.
You've probably already had the moment where you notice a crack you swear appeared overnight, then spend the next week seeing it every single time you pull in. That crack has almost certainly been there for two years. Concrete is patient like that.
First, read the crack
Grab a tape measure and a flashlight. Three things tell you almost everything.
Width. Under 1/8 inch is a hairline and is cosmetic. Between 1/8 and 1/2 inch is a working crack that needs a flexible filler. Wider than 1/2 inch, or a crack you can see through, is structural.
Displacement. Run your hand across it. If one side sits higher than the other, that's not a crack, that's settlement, and filling it accomplishes nothing.
Movement. Mark both ends with a pencil and write the date. Check it in three months. A crack that's growing has a live cause, and repairing it without finding that cause is a way to spend money twice.
| What you see | What it means | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hairline, under 1/8 in, not moving | Shrinkage. Normal | Polyurethane sealant, $12 tube, DIY |
| 1/8 to 1/2 in, clean edges | Working crack | Rout to a 1/4 x 1/4 in reservoir, flexible fill |
| One side higher than the other | Base settlement | Slab lifting, not filling |
| Spiderweb cracking over one area | Base failure or overload | Section replacement |
| Surface flaking, exposed aggregate | Spalling from freeze-thaw or salt | Resurfacing overlay |
| Broken into many pieces | The slab is done | Replacement |
Fixing cracks that aren't going anywhere
For a stable crack, the repair is straightforward and it is not glamorous. You rout the crack out into a small square channel, roughly 1/4 inch wide by 1/4 inch deep, so the filler has something to grip and enough depth to flex. Then you vacuum it clean and fill it.
Which filler matters more than people think. Flexible polyurethane for anything that will move with temperature, which is most exterior cracks. Epoxy injection only for a structural crack where you actually want to weld the two sides back into one piece, which is a foundation situation, not usually a driveway one. Semi-rigid polyurea for control joints in a garage or shop floor where forklifts and hard wheels roll across the edges.
Do not fill a moving crack with rigid epoxy. It will hold beautifully and then crack again half an inch to the left, which is somehow more annoying.
Lifting a sunken slab instead of replacing it
A driveway panel that's dropped an inch or two at the apron, or a section that's created a lip you catch with a shovel every winter, usually doesn't need new concrete. It needs the dirt under it put back.
Polyurethane foam lifting injects a two-part expanding foam through holes about 5/8 inch in diameter. The foam expands, fills the voids, and raises the slab. It's typically a 2 to 4 pound density product, it doesn't add meaningful weight to already-soft soil, it's waterproof, and you can drive on it in 15 to 30 minutes. Figure $600 to $2,500 for a typical residential lift.
Mudjacking pumps a cementitious slurry through larger holes, usually around 1 and 5/8 inch. It's cheaper, it's been around for decades, and it works fine over stable soil. It's also heavy, which is exactly the wrong property if the reason the slab sank is that the soil under it can't carry weight.
Either way, find out where the soil went first. If a downspout has been washing out the base under the apron for six years, lifting the slab without redirecting that water buys you about three good years.
When replacement is the honest answer
We'd rather say this plainly than sell you a repair that fails.
Replace the driveway when the slab is broken into more than three or four pieces, when spalling has taken the top surface off across most of the area, when the concrete is crumbling at the edges under hand pressure, or when the base has failed broadly rather than in one spot. Also replace it if it's already been resurfaced once and the overlay is delaminating, because a second overlay over a failing first one is a coin flip you're paying for.
At that point you're looking at $4 to $8 per square foot for a new concrete driveway, plus $1 to $3 per square foot for tear-out and haul-off. We laid out the full numbers in what a concrete driveway costs.
Our one strong opinion on driveway repair
If a contractor recommends full replacement without measuring a single crack or checking for voids, get another quote. Replacement is the easiest thing to sell and the biggest ticket on the truck.
The honest version of this conversation takes about fifteen minutes. Someone measures crack widths, taps the slab to listen for hollow spots, looks at where water runs during a storm, and checks whether the panels have moved relative to each other. Then they tell you which of the four repairs applies. A crew that skips straight to "you need a new driveway" hasn't actually looked at your driveway.
When you should absolutely not call us
Genuinely: if your only issue is hairline cracking under 1/8 inch that hasn't moved, buy a $12 tube of self-leveling polyurethane crack sealant and a caulk gun. Blow the crack out with compressed air or a shop vac, cut the nozzle small, run a bead, tool it flush, done in an afternoon. You do not need a contractor, and any contractor who takes that job at a $400 minimum is charging you for a trip fee.
Same goes for a single low spot that's only a trip hazard. A concrete grinder rental and 20 minutes will take a lip down flush for the price of lunch. And if your driveway is structurally fine but stained and tired, a resurfacing overlay at $3 to $7 per square foot beats a $6,000 tear-out every time.
Bottom line
Read the crack before you read the quote. Hairline and stable means sealant. Wide and stable means rout and fill. Uneven means lifting, not filling. Broken everywhere means replacement, and only then.
Pharr Elite Concrete handles concrete repair and resurfacing, slab lifting, and full driveway replacement across Pharr and the Pharr area. We'll measure the cracks, check for voids, and tell you which of those four things your driveway actually needs, including when the answer is "nothing yet." Call (844) 511-2320.
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Related services in Pharr
Pharr Elite Concrete money pages — go straight to the service you need.
- Concrete Driveways →
A concrete driveway is the largest single slab most homes will ever have and the one that takes the worst abuse, so it is worth understanding what separates a twenty-five-year driveway from a five-year one. It is not the concrete.
- Concrete Resurfacing & Overlays →
Concrete resurfacing puts a new wear surface over a slab that is structurally sound but cosmetically finished, and when the slab qualifies it costs a fraction of tear-out and replacement. The whole decision turns on one question we answer on the first visit: is the slab sound underneath?
- Crack Repair & Slab Injection →
Not every crack is a problem, and knowing which is which saves people a lot of money and a lot of worry. Concrete cracks because it shrinks as it cures, and a hairline crack that has not moved, is not offset, is not weeping and runs in a sensible direction is a cosmetic condition.
- Concrete Patios →
A concrete patio is the cheapest usable square footage you can add to a Valley home, and it is the foundation for everything else people want back there. Cover, outdoor kitchen, firepit, hot tub, seating for a family that is bigger than the dining room: all of it starts with a flat, well-drained slab that was poured big enough the first time.
- Sidewalks & Walkways →
Sidewalks and walkways look like the simplest concrete on any job and they generate more liability than anything else we pour, which is why they get the same discipline as a structural slab. A raised edge of a quarter inch is a trip hazard by most standards, and on commercial property that is a claim waiting to be filed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you repair a cracked concrete driveway or does it need replacing?
Most cracked driveways can be repaired. Hairline cracks under about an eighth of an inch are cosmetic and get sealed. Cracks up to half an inch get routed and filled with a flexible polyurethane. Replacement becomes the honest answer when the slab is broken into more than a few pieces, when it's spalling across the whole surface, or when the base underneath has washed out.
How much does concrete driveway repair cost?
Crack repair commonly runs $150 to $800 depending on length and method. Lifting a settled slab with polyurethane foam or mudjacking usually runs $600 to $2,500 for a typical driveway section. Resurfacing with a polymer-modified overlay runs about $3 to $7 per square foot. Full replacement is $4 to $8 per square foot plus $1 to $3 for tear-out.
Is mudjacking or polyurethane foam better for a sunken driveway?
Foam for most residential driveways. It weighs a fraction of what a slurry does so it won't re-settle soft soil, the injection holes are about five-eighths of an inch instead of an inch and five-eighths, and you can drive on it in 15 to 30 minutes. Mudjacking is cheaper and still fine over stable soil with good access.
Why is my driveway cracking in a straight line?
A straight crack that follows a saw line is a control joint doing its job. A straight crack where there is no joint usually means the joints were cut too late, too shallow, or spaced too far apart. Joints should be cut a quarter of the slab depth within 6 to 12 hours of the pour, and spaced roughly two to three times the slab thickness in feet.
How long should a concrete driveway last?
A properly poured 4-inch slab on a compacted base commonly lasts 25 to 30 years, and often longer in a mild climate. Driveways that fail at 10 years almost always failed underneath, not on top. Thin pours, no compaction, and no reinforcement are the usual culprits.
Should I seal my driveway after repairing it?
Yes for most repairs, and wait 28 days if any new concrete was poured. A penetrating silane or siloxane sealer is the durable choice, especially where de-icing salt gets used in winter. Skip it on a slab you plan to replace within a couple of years.
Local context
How this applies in Pharr, TX
Every article here is written from concrete work done in Pharr and the Pharr area, so the numbers reflect local labour, permit and material costs rather than a national average. Your own job can land either side of them depending on access, the condition of what is already there, and the materials you pick — 3,000 to 4,500 PSI mix designs, water-cement ratio control, #3 and #4 rebar on chairs.
The way to turn any of this into a real answer is to have someone look at your actual situation. The free estimate is free, itemized and written down, with no deposit and no obligation. Call (844) 511-2320 or start on the Pharr Elite Concrete homepage.
Areas Pharr Elite Concrete covers
Pharr first, then the surrounding communities of the Pharr area. Each has its own page with local detail rather than a copy of this one:
- McAllen, TX — Hidalgo County, incorporated in 1911, population 142,210 at the 2020 census
- Edinburg, TX — Hidalgo County, incorporated in 1919, population 100,243 at the 2020 census
- Mission, TX — Hidalgo County, incorporated in 1910, population 85,778 at the 2020 census
- Weslaco, TX — Hidalgo County, population 40,160 at the 2020 census
- San Juan, TX — Hidalgo County, population 35,294 at the 2020 census
- Alamo, TX — Hidalgo County, incorporated in 1924, population 19,493 at the 2020 census
Or jump to the full list of Pharr services.
More from the Pharr Elite Concrete blog
- Concrete Driveway Cost in Pharr: $4-$8/Sq Ft
A plain concrete driveway runs $4 to $8 per square foot installed; stamped runs $8 to $18. Here's the real cost to pour one in Pharr, TX.
- Retaining Wall Cost in Pharr: The 4-Foot Rule
Retaining wall cost in Pharr, TX runs about $30 to $70 per face square foot. Here's what drainage, height, and engineering add to the number.
- Concrete Slab Cost in Pharr: Thickness & Base
A concrete slab costs about $4 to $8 per square foot installed in Pharr, TX. Here's what thickness, base prep, and rebar actually add to the number.
The Pharr Elite Concrete Team
Licensed concrete pros in Pharr, TX
Written by the Pharr Elite Concrete team — licensed, insured concrete pros with 15+ years serving Pharr, TX and the surrounding area.