Mudjacking Your Sidewalk • Sidewalk Sloping Towards a Rental Home
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A question consumers face when they have a problem with concrete slabs lifting or sinking is whether to repair or replace them. Each situation is unique and there are many variables to consider. Mudjacking is typically a savings of one-half to as much as one-third over the cost of replacement. Mudjacking also saves a considerable amount of time and there is little to no disruption of surrounding landscape. The condition of the concrete will primarily dictate whether a total replacement is needed. You need to consider just how badly it is cracked or broken. We had a customer with a sidewalk next to her rental home’s foundation. It sloped toward the house and the water drained and pooled right next to the foundation. Since this was an investment property she wasn’t sure on which service she wanted.

She called us for a second opinion on mudjacking a sidewalk in Olathe. She had called another mudjacking company previously and they suggested she replace the concrete. The consensus of friends and neighbors was that her sidewalk was in pretty good condition and that she shouldn’t replace it. When we came out to inspect we were quite shocked. Her concrete was in very good condition and we couldn’t figure out what possible reason the previous company would have for suggesting replacement.

Some unscrupulous companies have been known to charge a price according to what they think they can get from a particular customer. The larger the home, the more the mudjacking costs. Maybe the customer misunderstood something or the other company did concrete replacement on the side, which would garner a better profit. Regardless, we assured her that her concrete was just fine. We also were able to show her where she was starting to have potential problems with her foundation from water draining toward it. These problems would only get worse and more costly with time. We explained how the sloping probably happened and exactly what we would do to correct the problem. Since this was a long-term investment property we suggested she should definitely consider correcting the slope with the more affordable mudjacking solution. We answered all her sidewalk mudjacking questions. She had done her homework to educate herself by reading mudjacking forums.

She was content at that point to hire us and have us mudjack the sidewalk to slope it in the other direction, away from the home. It sloped the way it did because the part of the sidewalk affected was above the area where the contractor most likely backfilled around the foundation and no compacting of the soil was done. The total cost for our services ended up being one-fourth of what the previous company had given. Needless to say, this customer was thrilled at her decision and the savings.

When you are getting estimates from companies for their services and you feel you are not getting the best deal or information, you probably aren’t. Second estimates are always a great idea. Look at what this customer saved by doing so. Why risk it if you have the time. Remember what mom always said, “A penny saved, is a penny earned.”