7 Warning Signs Your Concrete Needs Leveling Before It Gets Worse

Concrete doesn’t sink overnight.

You know how you walk past that one uneven spot in the driveway every day and promise yourself you’ll fix it later?

That delay is exactly what turns a minor cosmetic annoyance into a major structural bill. From our years in the field, we’ve seen that concrete settling is rarely a sudden event. It is a slow, creeping process that quietly undermines the stability of your home until it demands urgent attention.

In this guide, we will break down the seven specific warning signs that indicate your slab needs concrete leveling and explain exactly how to spot them before the repair costs skyrocket.

Sign 1: Visible Unevenness Between Slabs

The most frequent issue homeowners spot is “lippage,” where one slab sits higher or lower than its neighbor.

We advise running your hand across the joint between sections. If you feel a distinct catch or edge, your soil is already moving.

What to look for:

• Vertical displacement of 1/4 inch or more (the ADA threshold for a trip hazard)
• Gaps widening between slabs at the expansion joints
• One slab tilting while the adjacent one remains flat
• A “stair-step” look across a walkway

Why it matters: Uneven slabs are rarely isolated incidents. Once one section drops, it changes the water drainage patterns for the entire area. This misalignment channels rainwater directly into the soil beneath the “good” slabs, causing them to sink as well.

Sign 2: Water Pooling on Concrete

Does water form puddles on your driveway, patio, or sidewalk hours after the rain stops?

Our team calls this “birdbathing,” and it is a clear indication that your concrete has lost the necessary slope for drainage. Proper residential concrete standards generally require a slope of 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot to keep water moving away from structures.

Problem areas to check:

• Driveway sections immediately adjacent to the garage door
• Patio corners closest to the house foundation
• Sidewalk areas near downspout discharge points

The danger: Standing water is not just an annoyance; it is a slab killer. The moisture seeps through the pores of the concrete and saturates the sub-grade soil. In climates with freeze-thaw cycles, this trapped water expands by about 9% when it freezes, acting like a hydraulic jack that heaves the concrete up and down until it cracks.

Sign 3: Trip Hazards at Joints

A vertical height difference of just half an inch creates a serious liability.

We have seen minor unevenness result in significant injuries, particularly for elderly visitors or young children. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, falls on the same level (trips) are a leading cause of hospital visits.

High-risk zones:

• Front walkways (delivery drivers and guests)
• Pool decks (slippery surfaces amplify the risk)
• Transitions from the driveway to the garage
• Porch steps

Liability note: Homeowners are often legally responsible for injuries caused by poorly maintained property. Fixing these hazards is frequently cheaper than the deductible on a liability insurance claim.

Sign 4: Doors or Windows Sticking

Sometimes the sign of concrete settling isn’t in the concrete itself; it’s in your house.

Our inspectors often check the operation of doors and windows when diagnosing a porch or garage issue. When a slab settles, it can pull on the framing of the attached structure.

Symptoms inside the home:

• Garage doors that leave a gap at the bottom when closed
• Screen doors that scrape against the threshold
• Windows near the patio that require force to lock
• Visible daylight around exterior door frames

What’s happening: The sinking concrete acts as a deadweight on your home’s framing. This tension distorts the door jambs and window sills, pulling them out of square. Addressing the slab often resolves these “structural” issues instantly.

Sign 5: Cracks Forming Patterns

Not all cracks are created equal.

We know that concrete will eventually crack due to shrinkage during the curing process, but specific patterns scream “settlement issue.”

Normal aging cracks:

• Hairline cracks that do not penetrate deep
• Small, spiderweb-like surface imperfections
• Non-structural shrinkage lines

Settling-related cracks:

• Offset Cracks: Where one side of the crack is physically higher than the other.
• Corner Breaks: Cracks that slice off the corner of a slab (often due to soil washout).
• Widening Gaps: Cracks that started small but are now wide enough to fit a quarter.

When to act: The “Quarter Test” is a handy rule of thumb. If you can slide a U.S. quarter into the crack, water is definitely getting through to the soil base, and you need to seal it and stabilize the slab immediately.

Sign 6: Separation from Foundation or Structures

Look closely at where your driveway or patio meets your home.

We frequently see driveways that have dropped several inches below the garage floor lip. This gap is a major entry point for water, pests, and debris.

Gaps to watch:

• Driveway aprons pulling away from the garage
• Patios sinking below the sliding door threshold
• Sidewalks separating from the front porch steps
• Pool decks pulling away from the coping

Why caulk isn’t enough: Homeowners often try to fill these voids with hardware store caulk. However, if the slab is actively sinking, the caulk will tear within weeks. You must stabilize the slab first, then seal the joint.

Sign 7: Rocking or Movement When Walking

Step firmly on the corner of your slab. Does it move?

Our technicians refer to this as “slab curl” or simply instability. It means the soil underneath has eroded or settled, leaving a void—an empty pocket of air—beneath the heavy concrete.

The test: Walk to the edge or corner of a slab and shift your weight back and forth. Solid concrete should feel like bedrock. If you hear a “clunk” sound or feel movement, the slab is acting like a teeter-totter over a void.

Why Acting Early Matters

Concrete settling operates on a compounding timeline.

We always explain to clients that ignoring a small void today leads to a broken slab tomorrow.

The Cost of Waiting

Repairing a slab is significantly more affordable than replacing it. Here is a breakdown of why early intervention wins:

Feature	Concrete Leveling (Repair)	Concrete Replacement
Estimated Cost	$3 - $6 per sq. ft.	$15 - $25 per sq. ft.
Time to Complete	2-4 Hours	2-5 Days (plus cure time)
Landscape Impact	Minimal (dime-sized holes)	High (heavy machinery damage)
Use of Area	Immediate / Same Day	7+ Days for curing

The bottom line: Catching the problem while the slab is still intact allows us to lift and stabilize it. Once the slab crumbles into multiple small pieces, replacement becomes the only (and much more expensive) option.

How Quickly Should You Act?

Prioritizing repairs can be confusing, so we have categorized them by urgency.

Address immediately (Safety & Structural Risk):

• Trip hazards exceeding 1/2 inch
• Water draining toward the house foundation
• Slabs that rock or move under foot
• Large gaps allowing significant water intrusion

Address this season (Preventative):

• Visible settling that hasn’t created a trip hazard yet
• Cracks that are slowly widening
• Cosmetic separation from steps or walls

Monitor and plan:

• Hairline cracks (keep sealed)
• Minor surface flaking (spalling)
• Stable conditions that haven’t changed in years

The Professional Assessment

Diagnosis requires more than just looking at the surface.

We utilize specialized tools to probe the soil density and measure the exact variance in slab height. A professional assessment typically includes:

• Void Detection: Locating empty spaces beneath the concrete.
• Soil Analysis: Identifying if clay shrinkage or soil washout is the culprit.
• Load Calculation: Determining if the slab can withstand the lift.
• Honest Recommendations: We will tell you if the concrete is too damaged to lift.

At Colorado Springs Leveling, we believe in transparency. Our assessments are designed to give you the data you need to make the right financial decision for your home.

What Happens If You Wait Too Long?

We’re often asked if concrete can become “too far gone” for leveling.

The answer is yes. While modern polyurethane leveling is incredibly powerful—capable of lifting thousands of pounds—it relies on the integrity of the slab itself.

Leveling works when:

• The slab is largely intact (not shattered).
• Settlement is generally under 6 inches.
• The concrete surface is still durable.

Replacement is required when:

• The slab has crumbled into gravel or small chunks.
• Tree roots have physically lifted and broken the concrete.
• The structural integrity is completely compromised.

Don’t let a repairable $1,500 problem turn into a $6,000 replacement project. If you’ve noticed any of these warning signs, contact us for a free assessment to understand your options.