Foundation Services
Concrete & Slab Repair in Ottawa — Repair First, Replace Only When Needed.
Garage floors, walkways, steps, sunken slabs — fixed cleanly, with the same plain-language assessment we give every job. Stacy Provost has been fixing concrete in Ottawa for 40+ years.
The problem
Why "replace it" is the wrong answer most of the time.
Concrete is the most over-quoted segment in this trade. The default answer from most contractors — your garage floor is cracked, replace it; your walkway has settled, tear it out and pour new — is wrong about 70% of the time.
The reason is simple: replacing concrete is a bigger job and a bigger invoice. Repair, repointing, mudjacking, and resurfacing are smaller jobs that some contractors won't bother with because the margin per hour is lower.
We'll quote replacement when replacement is genuinely the right call. The rest of the time, we'll quote the repair, save you the money, and your concrete will look and perform like new for another 15–20 years.
Repair methods
Concrete crack repair.
Cracks in slabs, garage floors, walkways, and steps. Method depends on the crack:
- Hairline cracks: flexible sealant to keep water out.
- Wider non-active cracks: epoxy injection or fill.
- Active or moving cracks: more involved repair, sometimes including substrate work.
Cost: typically $200–$1,000 per repair, scaled to the work.
Garage floor repair and resurfacing.
Common Ottawa problem: garage floors that have cracked, pitted from road salt, or worn down. Two main approaches:
- Resurfacing with a polymer-modified overlay — bonds to the existing slab, gives you a clean new surface, hides the imperfections. Typically $4–$8 per square foot.
- Spot repair for localized damage without touching the rest. Cheaper if the damage is contained.
Replacement is rarely necessary for a garage floor unless the underlying slab has structurally failed.
Walkway and step repair.
Settled, cracked, or heaved walkways and steps are usually fixable without replacement:
- Mudjacking / slab lifting — pumping a slurry under settled slabs to lift them back to level. Way cheaper than replacement; takes a few hours.
- Step repair — patching, repointing, or rebuilding individual treads.
Cost: $300–$2,500 depending on scope.
Sunken slab leveling.
When a slab has dropped — often from soil settlement underneath — mudjacking (also called slab jacking) or polyurethane foam injection can lift it back to level. Both methods drill small holes in the slab and inject a material below that raises and stabilizes it.
Cost: $5–$25 per square foot of slab being lifted.
When replacement is actually the right call.
Some situations genuinely need new concrete:
- Slabs with structural failure (large network of through-cracks, separation, severe heave damage)
- Slabs poured on inadequate base that keeps settling
- Slabs with dimensions or shape that need to change (renovation context)
- Slabs more than ~50 years old with widespread surface failure
If yours is one of these, we'll tell you, and replacement is straightforward.
What it costs.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Single crack repair | $200–$1,000 |
| Garage floor resurfacing | $4–$8 per sq ft |
| Walkway mudjacking | $300–$2,500 |
| Sunken slab leveling | $5–$25 per sq ft |
| Full slab replacement | $5,000–$20,000+ |
What changes the number: Most concrete repair jobs land in the $500–$5,000 range.
Real savings
Homeowners who kept their concrete.
“Contractor wanted $12,000 to replace my driveway. Stacy came, mudjacked it, and it cost $1,500. That was three years ago. Still looks good.”
“My garage floor had cracks everywhere. I thought it was done. Stacy said most of it was cosmetic or surface stuff, resurfaced it for under $2,000. Looks brand new and drove trucks on it without issue.”
“The walkway in front was settled and cracked. Stacy explained the whole thing — adjusted it, fixed the cracking, and for a lot less than a full replace. You'd never know it had a problem.”
Where to read more.
Worried it might be a bigger foundation issue? See our signs of foundation problems guide. Want to know what concrete and slab work typically costs in Ottawa? The cost guide has real ranges. The full list of services we offer is on the foundation repair hub.