Concrete Repair and Replacement in San Diego

Patch, Lift or Replace

Thin surface cracks can often be cleaned and sealed. A sunken section can sometimes be lifted. A slab that is broken in many places, heaved by roots or badly out of level is usually better torn out and poured new.

Ask for both prices when the call is close. A patch that fails in a year costs more than a replacement done once.

Two Different $1,000 Rules

The first is a permit rule. The city homeowner flyer says maintenance repairs under $1,000 that replace like for like are exempt from a permit at single family homes, townhomes and duplexes.

The second is a license rule. Since January 1, 2025, AB 2622 lets an unlicensed person take a job only up to $1,000 in labor and materials. That minor work exemptionThe minor work exemption lets an unlicensed person take a job under $1,000 only when it needs no permit and they hire no help. applies only if the job needs no permit and the person hires no help. Over $1,000, hire a licensed contractor.

Why San Diego Concrete Cracks

Freeze and thaw is not the cause here. The weather service says downtown precipitation falls as rain. The usual causes are soil movement, tree roots, a thin or poorly packed base and missing control jointsA control joint is a cut or groove that gives a slab a planned place to crack, so the crack runs straight and out of sight..

The County says expansive clayExpansive clay soaks up water and swells, then shrinks as it dries. That movement can lift and crack slabs. is common in the coastal plains, per its soils report. Clay that swells in a wet winter and shrinks in summer can crack a slab that was never built for it.

Repairs at the Curb

A cracked approach or a broken sidewalk out front sits in the public right of wayThe public right of way is city land along the street. It often includes the parkway, the sidewalk, the curb and the driveway approach.. Remove and replace work up to 150 linear feet can use Rapid Review under IB-165. See the approach permit page for the full steps.

Where This Job Comes Up in San Diego

These communities often call for this kind of work, based on their ground and the age of their homes.

• Barrio Logan Older walks and driveways that have heaved or cracked over the decades.
• Carmel Mountain Ranch Cracked or sunken driveway panels and walks on older tracts.
• Carmel Valley Driveways from the 1980s and 1990s that are due for repair.
• Clairemont Lifted walk panels and cracked patios on older lots.
• College Area Patching or replacing older walks and driveways.
• Eastern Area Cracked walks and steps on older lots.
• Golden Hill Repairing old walks and steps in a way that suits the house.
• Kensington-Talmadge Repair of older driveways, walks and steps.
• Mira Mesa Cracked patios and walk panels.
• Mission Beach Replacing walks and slabs on older cottages.
• Normal Heights Repairing or replacing old walks and steps.
• North Park Old driveways and walks on early 1900s lots.
• Ocean Beach Slab and walk repair on older cottages.
• Otay Mesa-Nestor Cracked walks and slabs.
• Rancho Bernardo Cracked walks and patios.
• San Ysidro Repairing older walks and driveways.
• Scripps Ranch Lifted and cracked walks near tree roots.
• Serra Mesa Cracked walks and patios.
• Southeastern San Diego Old walks, steps and slabs.
• University Cracked walks and slabs.
• Uptown Repair of older walks, steps and driveways.
• Via de la Valle Repair of slabs moved by slope creep and water.

Related Services

• Driveways
• Sidewalks and Walkways
• Retaining Walls