Driveway repair advice needed

[Underachiever]

I'll try to keep this short. Our driveway and sidewalks, 20+ years after building our house, have dropped quite a bit. The step up from the sidewalk to the porch is now 12 inches. It was 8 when we built the house. The driveway hasn't dropped that much, but the bump pulling into the garage is noticeable, plus the gap between the garage slab and the driveway has widened to over 2". I want to fix the sidewalk and the driveway. Options:

1. Concrete raising. Pros: Cheapest option, by far. $1500. Cons: Won't fix the 2" gap between garage slab and driveway and we would need to fill it. There is a crack the width of the sidewalk that the raising guy says will probably get bigger and have to be caulked. Jacking it pokes holes in the slab that they fill. Between the holes, the caulk, and filling the crack with (?) something, this sounds like I will have frankensteined flatwork.

2. Replace the entire sidewalk, and only the driveway slabs that connect to the garage. Pros: Will fix the gap between garage and driveway. No punched and filled holes in the slab. Sidewalk won't have that crack anymore. Cons: Old and new driveway would be different colors, cost $4500.

3. Replace the entire sidewalk and driveway. Pros: Fixes all issues listed above. Would look the best, which is not a small consideration for me. Cons: Cost is $7200.

 

Okay, collective brain. What do you think? Any experience with this type of repair? Thanks.

[MrTPlush]

I think you already answered your own question. If you are staying in the home long term do option 3. Just go with a quality well known company, you will thank yourself in 20+ years.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Personally I would do #1 but these kinds of questions always depend on where the house is IMO. If this is an affluent suburb where a filled driveway is going to stick out like a sore thumb I'd be more inclined to replace it all. City lot or something where the homes aren't Leave it to Beaver-esque, I would do #1. I don't have the 2" gap but I did mudjack my entire driveway for $1400 seven years ago. It has held up well, you just have to redirect downspouts and such which is usually what causes the sinking in the first place. I could live with foam or rocks in a 2" gap to save $5700. Just not worth it to me if you seal it properly.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I did #2 about a month ago. I had my front walk replaced and the top slab going into my garage replaced. I had my concrete guy cut 2 inches of the garage floor off the concrete block below. They then poured the new concrete onto on that block, so that crack and sink won’t happen again. My driveway has an incline and doing it this way I had my front walk raised about an inch for proper runoff.

 

My drive is 45 years old and there is a color difference. I would think to newer part would dirty up a bit through fall and winter seasons.

[Underachiever]

Thanks for the responses. I had to laugh when I saw I essentially had one vote for each option I put out there.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Thanks for the responses. I had to laugh when I saw I essentially had one vote for each option I put out there.

 

I wouldn’t do #1. I would have done #3 but I’m in the process of getting a deck and I didn’t want to spend more money.

[NeedMoreFans]

I did #2 about a month ago. I had my front walk replaced and the top slab going into my garage replaced. I had my concrete guy cut 2 inches of the garage floor off the concrete block below. They then poured the new concrete onto on that block, so that crack and sink won’t happen again. My driveway has an incline and doing it this way I had my front walk raised about an inch for proper runoff.

 

My drive is 45 years old and there is a color difference. I would think to newer part would dirty up a bit through fall and winter seasons.

 

 

How much did this cost you, if you don't mind me asking? The top sections of our driveway are cracked all over the place, primarily because we did #1 about 10 years ago and the mud they used eventually settled, coupled with a heavy vehicle parked on it. It is a pain to shovel. We have a paver brick front walk and want it replaced along with the top part of the driveway.

[MrTPlush]

I did #2 about a month ago. I had my front walk replaced and the top slab going into my garage replaced. I had my concrete guy cut 2 inches of the garage floor off the concrete block below. They then poured the new concrete onto on that block, so that crack and sink won’t happen again. My driveway has an incline and doing it this way I had my front walk raised about an inch for proper runoff.

 

My drive is 45 years old and there is a color difference. I would think to newer part would dirty up a bit through fall and winter seasons.

 

 

How much did this cost you, if you don't mind me asking? The top sections of our driveway are cracked all over the place, primarily because we did #1 about 10 years ago and the mud they used eventually settled, coupled with a heavy vehicle parked on it. It is a pain to shovel. We have a paver brick front walk and want it replaced along with the top part of the driveway.

 

Concrete is about $6 a square foot for nothing but basic…no design etc. Then consider there might be a slight charge for removal of any brick/concrete that you want gone.

 

Of course things can vary depending on location

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I did #2 about a month ago. I had my front walk replaced and the top slab going into my garage replaced. I had my concrete guy cut 2 inches of the garage floor off the concrete block below. They then poured the new concrete onto on that block, so that crack and sink won’t happen again. My driveway has an incline and doing it this way I had my front walk raised about an inch for proper runoff.

 

My drive is 45 years old and there is a color difference. I would think to newer part would dirty up a bit through fall and winter seasons.

 

 

How much did this cost you, if you don't mind me asking? The top sections of our driveway are cracked all over the place, primarily because we did #1 about 10 years ago and the mud they used eventually settled, coupled with a heavy vehicle parked on it. It is a pain to shovel. We have a paver brick front walk and want it replaced along with the top part of the driveway.

 

I paid $4200 to have the front walk, the top of the driveway, removal of my backyard concrete patio and backyard walkway. It took 2 dump truck loads of removable waste.