Job 01 — Driveway replacement
Tear-out and re-pour, start to finish
If your driveway is cracked in every panel, settling toward the garage, or scaling like old paint, patching is a subscription — replacement is a fix. Here's the whole process so nothing in the quote surprises you.
Section 01 — Beyond repair?
Signs a driveway is done
- Cracks in most panels, or cracks wider than about a quarter inch that move seasonally
- Sections settled or heaved out of plane — water pooling, doors scraping, trip lips at joints
- Surface scaling or spalling across large areas (the top layer flaking off, common after years of freeze-thaw and salt)
- Previous patches and crack fills failing within a season or two
- Base failure: hollow sounds underfoot, corners rocking under vehicle weight
One cracked panel can be cut out and replaced alone. When it's a third of the driveway or more, replacement wins on cost per year — see the cost guide for the repair-vs-replace math.
Section 02 — The process
What each step involves
- Saw cut and demolition (day 1). The old slab is cut free of the garage apron, sidewalk, and street gutter, then broken up with a skid steer breaker or jackhammers.
- Excavate and haul off (day 1). Broken concrete gets loaded and trucked out. Soft subgrade is dug out. Disposal fees are real money — they're in your quote whether itemized or not.
- Form and base (day 1–2). Forms set to grade with proper slope away from the garage (about 1/8"–1/4" per foot), gravel base placed and compacted, reinforcement set on chairs — not laid on the dirt to be "pulled up" during the pour.
- Pour, finish, cure (day 2–3). Ready-mix placed, screeded, floated, edged, broom finished, control joints cut, then cure compound or wet cure. Weather window matters: crews avoid pouring into rain or hard freeze.
When can you drive on it?
Walk on it: 24–48 hours. Park passenger cars: about 7 days. Trucks, campers, trailers: wait the full 28 days — concrete reaches design strength on a curve, and the last thing a new driveway needs is a loaded truck at day 5.
What replacement costs
Typical 2026 range for a two-car driveway replacement — demo, haul-off, base, and plain broom-finish pour — is $7,000 to $14,000 depending on region, access, and slab thickness. Full per-square-foot breakdown in the driveway cost guide.
Driveway past saving?
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