Concrete Leveling and Mudjacking in Shreveport, LA
A driveway panel that dropped at the garage, a patio that tips toward the house, a porch slab pulling away from the steps. Sunken concrete can often be lifted instead of torn out. Describe the slab once, and independent concrete leveling companies serving Shreveport, Louisiana and Bossier City, LA can reply with free quotes.
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Signs a slab may be a lifting candidate
- A driveway or sidewalk panel has dropped and left a trip edge
- The garage floor slopes toward a crack or has settled near the door
- A porch, stoop or step has sunk or tips toward the house
- A patio holds puddles or sends rainwater back toward the foundation
- Part of a slab sounds hollow when you tap it
These are flatwork problems: the soil under the slab settled, shrank or washed out. If doors stick inside, floors slope or the brick is cracking, the house foundation may be part of the story. Look at slab foundation repair and foundation crack repair too.
Mudjacking vs polyurethane foam
Both lift a sunken slab from below by filling the void under it. They differ in material, hole size and weight.
| Mudjacking | Polyurethane foam | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Cement-based slurry, often mixed with sand or soil | Expanding polyurethane foam |
| Holes drilled | Larger | Typically smaller |
| Added weight on the soil | Heavier | Typically much lighter |
| Cure time | Longer; ask when you can drive on it | Typically shorter; ask each company |
| Published cost | $550–$1,300 (This Old House) | Not reliably published; get quotes |
Compare the lift, the patching, the joint sealing and the written warranty, not only the price.
What a concrete leveling company typically does
Find the cause
The company checks how far the slab dropped and whether a downspout or poor grading washed soil out.
Mark and drill
Lift points are laid out across the slab and holes are drilled through it.
Lift in stages
Slurry or foam goes in under pressure a little at a time while the crew watches a level or string line.
Patch and seal
Holes are patched, and cracks and joints are sealed so water has a harder time getting under the slab.
Fix the water
Ask whether the quote includes downspout extensions or regrading. Without them, the same spot can wash out again.
Why slabs settle around Shreveport
Much of Caddo and Bossier parishes is mapped in clay soils with high to very high shrink-swell potential (USDA NRCS soil data): roughly 43% of Caddo and 55% of Bossier by area, including Red River clays like Moreland and Buxin and upland soils like Eastwood and Keithville. Check your own lot on Web Soil Survey. Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks as it dries, and a slab resting on it can drop where the soil pulled away. Bossier Parish soil maps include an urban land-Moreland complex, and the USDA describes Moreland as a very slowly permeable red clay of the Red River flood plain.
The weather works on flatwork too. Shreveport gets about 51.4 inches of rain a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals), with April the wettest month and August the driest and hottest, averaging highs near 94.9 °F. Caddo and Bossier parishes each reached D3 "extreme" drought in 2022–2023 (U.S. Drought Monitor); Caddo peaked with 88.9% of the parish in D3 on September 19, 2023. A long dry spell can shrink the soil under a slab, and a downspout that empties beside a driveway during an April storm can carry loose soil out from under the edge.
Age plays a part. Shreveport's median home was built in 1973 and about 65% were built before 1980 (ACS 2020–2024), so many driveways and porches have been through decades of these cycles.
What mudjacking costs
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mudjacking / slabjacking | $550–$1,300 | This Old House |
| Polyurethane foam lifting | Not reliably published | Compare written quotes |
| Slab foundation repair (the house itself) | $1,000–$10,000 | Fixr |
| Structural engineer inspection | $300–$1,000 (avg ≈ $600) | This Old House, Oct 2026 |
| Permit | $75–$150 | This Old House |
Size, how far the slab dropped, access for the equipment and joint sealing move the price. The Shreveport foundation repair cost guide lists the other repair types and has a calculator.
When to get an engineer instead
Most driveway and patio lifting does not need an engineer. Get an independent LAPELS-licensed professional engineer's assessment first when the sunken slab comes with signs inside the house: sloping floors, sticking doors, or cracks in the brick. This Old House puts an inspection at about $300–$1,000, and the engineer should be independent of the company selling the repair. See foundation inspections.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Why mudjacking or foam for my slab, and what happens if it settles again?
- What is the written scope: which slabs, how much lift, and how are holes and joints finished?
- Do you hold an LSLBC license or registration, and can I see proof of liability insurance?
- Does this job need a permit at my address, and will you pull it if so?
- What does the warranty cover, does it transfer to a buyer, and can I have it in writing?
- If the house itself seems to be moving, will you recommend an independent engineer?
License. Louisiana's contractor board (LSLBC) changed its thresholds on August 1, 2024. Home improvement registration now covers most projects of $7,500 to under $50,000, but structural work such as foundations, footings and floor slabs is excluded from 'home improvement', so foundation repair over $7,500 generally calls for an LSLBC-licensed contractor. Look the company up at lslbc.louisiana.gov and ask for the license number, proof of liability insurance and the permit. Confirm with the LSLBC if unsure.
Driveway or patio lifting is flatwork, not foundation work, and published mudjacking ranges sit well below $7,500, so the credential that applies can differ; ask the LSLBC.
Permit. Structural repairs generally need a permit from your city or parish; your contractor should pull it. Shreveport's Permits & Inspections office covers the city and Caddo Parish except Greenwood, LA, and Bossier City, LA has its own office.
Right to cancel. Louisiana's home solicitation law (R.S. 9:3538) gives a 3-business-day right to cancel many in-home sales of $25 or more, but it may not apply when you contacted the company yourself or to emergency repairs already under way. Ask whether a cancel right applies and get it in writing.
Concrete leveling and mudjacking FAQs
Is mudjacking or polyurethane foam better for a Shreveport driveway?
Neither is right for every slab. Mudjacking pumps a heavier cement-based slurry through larger holes. Polyurethane foam typically goes in through smaller holes, weighs much less and cures faster. Ask each company which method it recommends for your slab, why, and what happens if it settles again.
How much does mudjacking cost?
This Old House lists mudjacking, also called slabjacking, at about $550–$1,300. That is a typical national range, not a quote for Shreveport, LA. Slab size, how far it dropped, access and joint sealing all move the price. Polyurethane foam prices are not reliably published in the guides used here, so compare written quotes for both.
Can a cracked slab be mudjacked?
Often, if the pieces are still mostly intact and the slab dropped more or less as a unit. Badly broken, crumbling or heaved slabs may need to be replaced instead. Lifting closes the trip edge but does not erase the crack, so ask how the company will seal cracks and joints after the lift.
Can mudjacking level a house slab foundation?
Driveways, patios, walks, porches and garage floors are the usual mudjacking jobs. A house slab that has settled under walls is a foundation repair, often involving piers, and it is a structural job with different licensing and permit questions. See slab foundation repair, and consider an independent engineer if the house itself shows signs of movement.
Get free mudjacking and concrete leveling quotes
Describe which slab dropped (driveway, garage floor, porch, patio or sidewalk), roughly how big it is and how far it sank. Your request goes to independent companies serving Shreveport, Bossier City and nearby towns.
Shreveport Foundation Services is a free quote-matching service, not a contractor. The companies are independent, and some pay to receive requests. There is no cost and no obligation to hire anyone.
Cracks, sticking doors or a soft floor? Get free foundation and crawl space quotes.
Describe it once and independent companies serving Shreveport, Bossier City and northwest Louisiana can reply with no-obligation quotes.