Repair makes sense when the slab is whole and the trouble is limited to one spot. Replace when panels are broken, thin, scaled across most of the surface or moving in several places. Age alone does not decide it. What the slab is sitting on does.
The dollar figures on this page are national numbers that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from Pittsburgh Concrete Experts. Slope, access, haul-away, local labor and material costs all push a Pittsburgh job up or down from them. Last checked October 2026.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace concrete?
It is almost always cheaper to repair today. Leveling is published at $3 to $12 per square foot and resurfacing at $3 to $7, while replacement means $3 to $8 for removal plus $6 to $15 for a new driveway. The better question is cost per year of use. A repair on a slab with a failed base may need doing again after a few winters, and then the cheap option was the dear one.
My 20-year-old driveway has one section sunk by the garage. I was quoted $9,000 to replace it all. Do I have to?
Probably not. If the rest of the driveway is level and the surface is in fair shape, one sunk section by the garage is a local problem, usually loose backfill along the foundation or a downspout. That section can be lifted or cut out and repoured for a fraction of $9,000. Ask the contractor to explain why the other panels need to go. If they are scaled and cracked throughout, full replacement is a fair call. If not, get a second opinion.
Repair for $7,000 or replace for $14,000 if I am selling in two or three years?
Using your numbers, the repair saves $7,000 now. If you will own the house for only two or three more years, you will not use most of the extra life a $14,000 replacement buys. The repair is the sensible choice when it truly fixes the fault and will still look sound at sale time. If the $7,000 is patchwork on a slab that keeps moving, a buyer's inspector will see it, and the saving disappears in the negotiation.
I have a few long cracks and I am selling the house. Repair, replace or leave it?
When you are selling the house, tidy and seal the cracks if they are level, and leave the slab alone. Buyers expect some cracks in older concrete. What worries them is a raised edge someone could trip on, a slab tilting toward the foundation or water marks at the garage. Fix those. A full replacement rarely returns its cost at sale.
One contractor says remove it, another says pour a new layer over it. Who is right?
In our climate, removal is usually the safer advice. A new layer over an old cracked slab inherits its cracks and its bad base, and freeze-thaw works on the seam between the two. The overlay answer is only right when the old slab is thick, level, uncracked and has room to rise without blocking a door or changing drainage. Ask each contractor what they expect it to look like after five winters.
My 30-year-old driveway has root cracks and I am on a tight budget. Can I grind and patch?
Yes, on a tight budget grinding the raised edges and sealing the cracks is a reasonable holding repair. It removes the trip points and slows water getting in. It will not stop the root, so expect to revisit it. Put the money you save aside, because a 30-year-old driveway with root damage is near the end of its life either way.
I have many small cracks and no sinking. Is sealing or resurfacing enough?
Often, yes. When the slab is level and the cracks are hairline, sealing or resurfacing is enough to keep water and salt out and freshen the look. Fine surface cracks in a random pattern are mostly cosmetic. Seal first. Choose resurfacing if the surface is also worn or stained and you want it to look new.
When is replacement clearly the right call?
- Panels rock or sound hollow when a car rolls over them.
- The surface has scaled down to the stone across most of the slab.
- Water runs toward the house or garage and the slope cannot be corrected by lifting.
- The slab is thin, has no reinforcement and has broken into many pieces.
- The same repair has already failed once.
For a real number, we need to see the site. Call (412) 725-2024 or text a few photos, and we will set up a free on-site estimate with a written quote.