Concrete lifting foam is the best alternative to traditional mud jacking available today. The traditional mudjacking components are cement, water and fill dirt. The very nature of these elements increases the chance that the concrete slab you are repairing may be in need of repair/lifting again in the future. Why? As the water in the mixture evaporates from the mix, the other elements contract, increasing the chance that the slab will sink again.
Mudjacking cost and the bidding process
Most consumers will usually get 2-3 quotes for a project. They ask for referrals, and they check the online reputation of a company before they call for a quote. There are a few items you want to look at when evaluating one foam lifting quote against another.
Low-bid for Mudjacking
Most experienced foam jacking companies know approximately how much foam a project should take. If you have 2-3 bids in your hand, and one of the bids seems exceedingly low, be sure to look for the line item stating that if the job exceeds X amount of pounds that you will indeed be charged for it. If the bid is low ask the question, “How many pounds is this bid for? and “What happens to the quote amount if the job goes over that set amount of foam?” Some not-so-honest salespeople may bid low in the hopes of securing the job only to charge you much more than the quote and use the line item to gouge you. Concrete Raising Systems has a “not to exceed” line on our bids and our customers know what they will pay.
Mudjacking cost is by the pound
Look at your proposals and make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Foam material we use comes in 2 or 4-pound densities. The denser the foam, the better it is for raising and repairing concrete. Of course, the lighter materials will cost less. The higher the density, the more commercial-grade the foam will be. Denser foam is costlier. A foam mud jacking quote should indicate the poundage of the material. If a side by side quotes shows the same number of pounds but one less costly than the other, check to see what poundage of foam has been quoted. Your foam jacking contractor should be able to explain why he choose the material weight that he did and justify that to you. Be sure you are educated about the entire process and how the weight of the foam affects the stability of your job.
Thorough Foam Jacking Estimate
To drill or not to drill isn’t even a question to us. A thorough foam jacking estimate should entail drilling a small pilot hole in the concrete to evaluate the amount of foam that is needed for that job. The decision for the consumer about whether to repair or replace a concrete slab always comes down to costs. Does it cost more to repair or replace your concrete? For example, the quote you received to repair the concrete with foam lifting is $2,000 and to replace it is $5,000. The foam jacking company underestimates the amount of foam necessary to repair the concrete (was not thorough in the evaluation and has a line item for overages) and the now the repair costs rise to $4,500. The result is an angry customer who would have replaced rather than repaired, the concrete slab.
When you need a quote to repair/lift a sidewalk, driveway, porch, patio or basement or garage floor, contact us. At Concrete Raising Systems, the cost of your quoted job is clear to you. Our evaluation of the project is thorough and as a consumer, you know exactly what you can expect the job to cost with no surprises.
This article was originally published in July 2016 and has been recently updated.