Concrete Repair, Removal & Replacement in Statesboro, Swainsboro & Metter, GA

Fix the cause, not just the crack

Concrete rarely fails on its own. When a slab cracks wide, sinks or heaves, something underneath changed: the base washed out, the fill settled, a root grew, or water has been sitting where it should have drained. Smearing patch material over the top hides the problem for a season. We look at why the concrete failed first, then recommend the smallest repair that will really hold.

Problems we handle

• Cracked driveways with wide, offset or spreading cracks.
• Sunken or settled slabs at garage entries, walkways and porch steps.
• Sidewalk trip hazards lifted by tree roots.
• Spalling, scaling and pitted surfaces where the top layer is flaking away.
• Broken corners and edges from heavy vehicles driving off the slab.
• Ponding water on slabs poured without enough slope.
• Washed-out or undermined concrete next to downspouts and culverts.
• Old concrete removal: driveways, patios, pads, steps and small foundations broken up and hauled off.

Repair or replace: how we decide

When a repair is enough

Hairline and narrow cracks that are not moving, small chips and minor surface wear can be cleaned, sealed or patched. If the slab is still sitting flat and solid, there is no reason to tear it out.

When replacing a section makes sense

If one or two panels have dropped or broken while the rest is sound, we saw-cut along the joints, remove only those sections, rebuild the base and pour new concrete doweled into the old so the two stay level with each other.

When full replacement is the right call

If cracking runs throughout, pieces rock underfoot, or the slab was poured too thin on bad ground, repairs become a yearly expense. A full tear-out and re-pour on a compacted base costs more once and solves it.

How replacement works

1. Saw-cut and break out. Clean cuts at the limits of the work, then the old concrete is broken and loaded out.
2. Haul off. Debris leaves the property. You are not left with a rubble pile.
3. Correct the base. Soft soil and roots removed, drainage corrected, new base placed and compacted.
4. Form, reinforce and pour. New concrete at the right thickness, tied to adjacent slabs where needed.
5. Joint, finish and cure. Finished to blend with what is next to it as closely as new concrete can.

New concrete is always lighter in color than old concrete beside it. It weathers closer over time, but it will not be an exact match, and we will tell you that before you decide between a section and a full driveway or walkway replacement.

Service area

We remove and replace concrete in Statesboro, Swainsboro, Metter and nearby towns in Bulloch, Emanuel and Candler counties.

Signs your concrete needs attention

• Cracks wider than a quarter inch, or cracks where one side sits higher than the other.
• Sections that have sunk and now hold water or drain toward the house.
• A trip edge where a sidewalk panel has lifted, often near a tree.
• Surface flaking, pitting or crumbling that keeps getting worse.
• A driveway apron broken up where it meets the road.
• Voids you can see under the edge of a slab where soil has washed out.

Hairline cracks that stay tight and level are normal and mostly cosmetic. The list above is different: those problems usually get worse and more expensive with time.

Why concrete fails in Southeast Georgia

Poor base. The most common cause. Concrete poured over topsoil, loose fill or uncompacted sand settles unevenly and cracks.

Water. Downspouts and runoff wash sandy soil out from under slab edges, leaving the concrete bridging a void until it breaks.

Tree roots. Oak, pine and pecan roots lift sidewalks and driveway panels a little more every year.

Too thin or no joints. A 3 inch driveway with no control joints will crack under a pickup, wherever it wants to.

Heavy loads. Garbage trucks, delivery trucks and loaded trailers on residential slabs that were never built for them.

Hot weather pours. Concrete that dried too fast on a summer afternoon ends up with a weak, dusty surface that flakes.

Tear-out and haul-off

Replacement starts with getting the old concrete out cleanly. We saw cut a straight line where the new section will meet concrete that is staying, break out the damaged area, and haul the debris away. Then the real fix happens: soft material is dug out, roots are cut back, the base is rebuilt and compacted, and drainage is corrected before new concrete is formed and poured. Skipping that step is why patched concrete so often fails again in the same spot.

Jobs we commonly replace

• Driveway aprons and the first panels off the street
• Individual sunken or cracked driveway sections
• Lifted sidewalk panels and trip hazards
• Crumbling steps and stoops
• Settled patios that drain toward the house
• Carport and garage floors broken by heavy vehicles
• Old slabs removed entirely to make way for a new building

Frequently asked questions