Driveways · Columbus Concrete Repair
Concrete Driveway Replacement in Columbus, OH
Sunken panels, heaved joints, a flaking surface: replace what failed, not just the top. Get an estimate.
Serving Columbus and 31 nearby towns, from Dublin and Westerville to Grove City
Free Driveway Replacement Estimate
Tell us the type of slab, its rough size and what it is doing (cracking, sinking, heaving or flaking). Expect a phone call back to go through it and pick a day to come see the slab.
- Free estimates
- Tear-out and replacement
- Base rebuilt, not patched
- Homes and businesses
Free estimate. A local contractor calls you back. 👇
Driveway Replacement
Concrete Driveway Replacement for Columbus, OH
Driveways fail in a few recognizable ways. The panel next to the garage drops an inch or two because it was poured over backfill that kept settling after the house went up. The section by the street breaks into pieces under trash trucks and delivery vans. The whole surface pits and flakes where salty slush melted off cars all winter. Or the slab splits into large irregular plates because the base under it was thin, or was wet clay that never got compacted. Each cause calls for a different amount of tear-out, and naming the right one comes first.
When only a couple of panels have failed and the rest drain and sit level, those panels are saw-cut out at the joints and replaced, tied to the old concrete with drilled-in dowels. When failure is spread across the drive, or the surface is scaling everywhere, the whole thing comes out. Either way the rebuild is the same: dig out soft soil, lay and compact gravel, set reinforcement on chairs, pour an air-entrained mix, cut joints on time and slope the surface so water heads for the street instead of the garage door.
What's included
What goes into driveway replacements
- 01
Diagnosis before demolition
A walk-through that pins down why the driveway failed, so the replacement fixes the cause and not only the look.
- 02
Partial or full tear-out
Saw cuts at clean lines so sound sections can stay, or complete removal and haul-off when the slab is finished.
- 03
Subgrade correction
Wet or soft clay and settled fill dug out, with a compacted gravel base built in its place.
- 04
Steel and a winter-ready mix
Rebar or welded wire held mid-slab on chairs, and air-entrained concrete that resists freeze-thaw scaling.
- 05
Extra depth where weight sits
Thicker concrete near the street or wherever trucks, trailers or an RV park, instead of one uniform minimum.
- 06
Apron and permit coordination
The street-side apron replaced under whatever permit the city or village requires for the right-of-way.
Examples
Driveway Replacement: examples
Example photos of the type of work.
How it works
Driveway Replacement, step by step
- 1
Find the failure
Check elevations, drainage and the edges of the broken panels to see whether the base, the mix or the load is to blame.
- 2
Cut and remove
Saw along joints or clean lines, break out the failed concrete and haul it away.
- 3
Rebuild the ground
Remove soft soil, compact gravel in layers and set forms that pitch toward the street.
- 4
Pour and protect
Place reinforced air-entrained concrete, broom it for traction, cut control joints and keep cars off for about a week.
Questions
Driveway Replacement questions
Why does the driveway by my garage keep sinking?
Usually it rests on backfill, the loose soil pushed against the foundation after the walls were poured. That fill can settle for years, and Central Ohio clay that stays wet makes it worse. The lasting fix is removing those panels, digging out and compacting the fill, and pouring on a real gravel base.
How is a driveway replacement priced?
By what it takes to remove the old drive and build the new one correctly. Square footage, the thickness and steel in the old slab, how much soil needs correcting, an apron permit, and any section that needs extra depth for heavy vehicles all move the number. The estimate is free and lays those pieces out.
What should I do before the driveway is torn out?
Move vehicles out of the garage if you will need them that week, and clear anything stored along the edges. Buried gas, power and cable lines are marked through 811 first, and if the apron is included, the city or village permit is pulled before demolition. Expect a few days without the driveway plus about a week of curing before you drive on it.
How do you decide between partial and full replacement?
By how much of the drive is failing and why. A few sunken or broken panels on an otherwise solid, well-draining drive can be cut out and replaced. If cracks run through most panels, the surface is scaling across the board, or water no longer drains off, a full replacement is the better use of your money.
Will replaced panels match the rest of my driveway?
Not exactly at first. Fresh concrete is lighter and more uniform than a slab that has weathered for years, so replaced sections stand out. Over a few seasons the contrast softens, and if appearance matters a lot, replacing the whole visible run gives an even finish.
Tear-out and replacement
Related work
Sidewalk Replacement
Lifted, cracked or sunken sidewalk panels and front walks replaced level, including walks in the public right-of-way.
More on sidewalk replacement
Garage Floor Replacement
Garage slabs that sank, split or scaled from winter salt, broken out and poured new on a compacted base.
More on garage floor replacement
Concrete Tear-Out & Removal
Breaking out and hauling away old patios, walks, pads, steps and driveways, alone or ahead of a new pour.
More on concrete tear-out & removal
Service area
Driveway Replacement around Columbus
We handle driveway replacements for homes and businesses in Columbus and these nearby towns:
Franklin County
Pickaway County
Fairfield County
Delaware County
Licking County
Talk to us about driveway replacements
Describe the crack, the sinking or the heave, and get a free replacement estimate from someone who will tell you if it can wait.