Repair when the slab is sound and the problem is local. Replace when the slab has lost its support, is broken into pieces, or was too thin from the start. The situations below use the numbers people bring to us, and the arithmetic is theirs, not our pricing.
The dollar figures on this page are national ranges that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from The Scottsdale Concrete Company. Labor rates in the Phoenix area, material prices, truck access and what lies under your slab all shift the real number. Last checked October 2026.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace concrete?
It is cheaper to repair in almost every case on the day you pay. National figures put patching at $3 to $8 per square foot and leveling at $3 to $12, while removal plus a new driveway is $9 to $23 per square foot when you add the two ranges. Repair stops being the cheaper choice when it has to be done again every couple of years.
Can you pour new concrete over old concrete?
Yes, but only over old concrete that is stable, and only if the extra height causes no trouble. A new layer needs to be thick enough to hold together, which raises the surface by a few inches. That can block a garage door, bury the weep screed at the bottom of a stucco wall, or tip water toward the house. Every crack in the old slab will also tend to show up in the new one.
My 20-year-old driveway has one section sunk by the garage. I was quoted $9,000 to replace it all. Do I have to?
Probably not. Twenty years is middle age for a driveway in a climate with no freeze damage. If the other panels are flat and uncracked, the sunk section can be lifted or cut out at the joints and poured again. Set the $9,000 beside a quote for that one section. A full replacement makes sense only if the whole slab is thin, cracked through or draining the wrong way. Ask why that one corner sank. Next to a garage it is often a downspout or loose backfill.
Should I repair for $7,000 or replace for $14,000 if I am selling in two or three years?
With a sale two or three years out, the repair usually wins, as long as it is a real fix and not a cover-up. You save $7,000 today. The question to put to the contractor is whether the $7,000 repair will still look good on the day of the buyer's inspection. If the honest answer is no, you would pay $7,000 now and still face a price reduction later, and the $14,000 replacement becomes the cheaper path.
I have a few long cracks and I am selling the house. Repair, replace or leave it?
Seal them and move on, if they are level. Tight, even cracks are normal in desert flatwork and most inspectors treat them that way. Clean, sealed cracks look cared for. Cracks with a height difference or a trip edge will be written up, so grind or lift those before listing. Full replacement before a sale rarely pays for itself unless the driveway is the first thing a buyer sees and it is in very poor shape.
One contractor says remove it. Another says pour a new layer over it. Who is right?
The one who checked whether the old slab is moving and measured the heights. A new layer works over a solid slab with room to rise. Removal is right when the old slab rocks, has sunk, or sits so high that another few inches would cause drainage or door problems. Ask each of them how thick the new layer would be, how it bonds, and where the existing cracks will go.
My driveway is 30 years old with root cracks and I am on a tight budget. Can I grind and patch?
Yes, as a holding repair. On a tight budget, grinding the raised edges and sealing the cracks makes the driveway safe to walk on for a small share of the cost of a new one. The root will keep growing, so expect to repeat it. A middle step is to replace only the one or two worst panels and leave the rest. Save full replacement for when you can also decide what to do about the tree.
I have many small cracks and no sinking. Is sealing or resurfacing enough?
Yes, when nothing is moving, sealing or resurfacing is enough. A web of fine surface cracks is called crazing. It comes from the top drying too fast, which is common in Arizona, and it is cosmetic. Sealing keeps dirt and water out. An overlay gives a fresh surface if you dislike the look. Neither is worth doing on a slab that has started to drop.
When is replacement clearly the right call?
- The slab is in many pieces and some of them rock when you step on them.
- Water runs toward the house and the slope cannot be corrected by lifting.
- The concrete is under 3 inches thick with no steel and now has to carry vehicles.
- Repairs have been tried more than once and the same damage is back.
Your own price comes from a free visit, a tape measure and a written quote. Call (480) 771-7722 or text a photo of the area.