Driveways
Driveway Leveling in Central & Western Iowa
A driveway that has dropped at the garage, tilted toward the house, or split at a joint is lifted back to level in a morning — the same slabs, no tear-out, no new pour.
Driveway leveling by mudjacking raises a sunken driveway back to its original height by pumping a water-and-sand mixture beneath the slab through a few small holes. The slab floats up, the voids underneath fill, and the holes are patched. Most Iowa driveways are lifted and back in use the same day.
Driveways sink for ordinary reasons here: the fill under a new driveway settles in its first few years, downspouts wash soil out from under the edge nearest the house, and freeze-thaw heaves a slab in winter and lets it drop in spring. The concrete itself is usually fine. Replacing it throws away a good slab to fix the ground under it; lifting fixes the ground and keeps the slab.
Signs your driveway needs lifting, not replacing
A lip where the driveway meets the garage floor that catches a snow shovel or a tire. Slabs tilted so water runs toward the foundation instead of the street. A gap opening at the expansion joint with soil visible in it. A section that rocks or thumps when a vehicle drives across. If the slabs are whole and the cracks are at the joints or hairline, the driveway is a candidate for lifting. If a slab is broken into many pieces or crumbling at the surface, we will tell you so at the estimate — lifting is not the right answer for every driveway, and the estimate is free either way.
How we lift a driveway
We drill a small number of holes in the low slab, sized to the pump nozzle, and pump a mixture of water and sand or soil underneath. The pressure lifts the slab evenly while the mixture fills every void beneath it, so the driveway is supported end to end and not just at the injection points. We check the height against the garage floor and the neighboring slabs, then patch the holes with a matching mix. Nothing in the mixture is a chemical or a foam — it is the same material the slab sat on in the first place, and it is safe next to lawns, gardens and downspouts.
A typical two-car driveway takes two to four hours. You can walk on it as soon as we leave and drive on it the next day.
A driveway we lifted
Same slabs, same joint, lifted level at the garage.
before
after
Driveway leveling in Iowa: a dropped section raised back to the joint line.
Where we work
We travel. CC Mudjacking is based in Des Moines and has lifted concrete everywhere from the metro to the Iowa Great Lakes — Ames, Boone, Fort Dodge, Carroll, Storm Lake, Spencer and Okoboji, and the towns between. Wherever you are in central or northwest Iowa, the on-site estimate is free; tell us where the job is and the estimate says exactly what is included.
Driveway questions
How long does driveway mudjacking take?
Most residential driveways take two to four hours from setup to patched holes. You can walk on the driveway right away and park on it the following day once the mixture has set.
Will the holes show?
The holes are small and are patched with a mix chosen to match the slab. They are visible up close, especially on new concrete, and weather in over a season. Compared with the seam of a replacement pour they are far less noticeable.
Can you lift a driveway that has cracked?
Yes, when the cracks are at the joints or hairline and the pieces are large. Each piece is lifted to meet its neighbors. A slab broken into small pieces cannot be lifted evenly, and we will say so at the estimate.
What if it settles again?
If a lifted section moves, you don't pay for that lift — that is the guarantee on every job. Settling after a lift is uncommon because the voids that let it drop are filled, but water is the usual cause when it happens, and we will point out any downspout or grading issue we see.
Do you really come out to my town?
Yes. Our jobs have run from Des Moines to Okoboji, and the rig travels with us. There is no minimum distance and no town too small. Tell us where you are when you ask for the estimate and we will schedule the trip.