Repair makes sense when the trouble is limited to one area and the slab is whole. Replacement makes sense when the slab is thin, broken up or failing in several places. On Gonzales clay, also ask whether the cause has been dealt with.
The prices on this page are national figures that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from The Gonzales Concrete Company. What you pay in Ascension Parish depends on local labor and material costs, how easy the site is to reach, and how much base work the clay needs. Last checked October 2026.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace concrete?
In the short term it is cheaper to repair. National figures put leveling at $3 to $12 per square foot and resurfacing at $3 to $7. Replacement means removal at $3 to $8 plus a new driveway at $6 to $15. The sums change if the repair fails. Paying for a lift twice in five years can cost more than one new panel on a proper base.
My driveway is 20 years old and one section by the garage has sunk. The quote is $9,000 to replace everything. Is that necessary?
Probably not. A single low section at the garage is one of the most common faults here, because the soil along the house was backfilled loosely and settles for years. If the remaining panels are flat and uncracked, that one section can be raised or cut out and poured again. Get a price for the one section and set it beside the $9,000. The full job is only justified when most panels are broken or tilted.
Repair for $7,000 or replace for $14,000 if I am selling in two or three years?
For a short stay, the $7,000 repair usually wins, as long as it deals with the cause. You save $7,000 now and would hand most of a new slab's life to the next owner. Ask the repair company to state in writing how long they expect the repair to hold. If the same panel drops again before you list the house, an inspector will write it up.
I am selling the house and the driveway has a few long cracks. Should I repair, replace or leave it?
Seal them and leave the slab, provided the cracks are level and narrow. What worries buyers is a raised edge, a panel that has dropped, or water draining toward the garage. Put the money into those. Tearing out a serviceable driveway before a sale rarely comes back in the price.
One contractor wants to remove the slab and another wants to pour a new layer on top. Who is right?
Ask each one why the old slab cracked. If the answer is clay movement or a poor base, the contractor who wants to remove it is right, because a new layer rides on the same problem and cracks in the same places. Capping is defensible only on a slab that is thick, level and stable, and where a higher surface will not send water toward the house.
My driveway is 30 years old with root cracks and I have a tight budget. Can I just grind and patch?
You can, and on a tight budget it is a sensible plan. Grind the lips so the surface is safe, fill the cracks with a flexible sealant, and replace only the single worst panel if money allows. Expect it to hold for some years, not for good, since the roots are still growing. Leave big roots alone. Cutting them can kill or destabilize the tree.
I have many small cracks and no sinking. Is sealing or resurfacing enough?
In most cases, yes, sealing or resurfacing is enough. Hairline cracks in a flat, firm slab are cosmetic. Seal them to keep water out of the clay below, or resurface if you want a clean face. Look again after the next dry summer. Cracks that have grown or stepped mean the ground is moving and the plan should change.
My old patio is cracked and flaking. If it is resurfaced, how long will that last?
We will not put a number of years on it, because the answer depends on the slab below, the surface preparation and how much water stands on the patio. Resurfacing an old patio is worth doing when the slab is level and the concrete beneath the flaking is hard. It will not last on a patio that tilts toward the house or has cracks that open and close.
What do you check before you recommend one or the other?
- Height difference across each crack.
- Hollow sounds when the slab is tapped.
- Where gutters, downspouts and air conditioner drains empty.
- Slab thickness at an exposed edge, and any sign of steel.
- Trees within reach of the slab.
- Whether old repairs have opened again, which shows the ground is still moving.
Want a real number for your property? We measure on site and write the quote down, free. Call (225) 529-0954 or text a photo of the concrete.