Repair when the slab is whole and the fault is in one place. Replace when it is in pieces, thin, or failing all over. In Miami, add one question: is the cause still active? A root that keeps growing or steel that keeps rusting will undo a cheap repair.
The dollar figures on this page are national ranges that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from Miami Concrete Solutions. In Miami the real number depends on local labor and material prices, how a truck reaches the pour, and what is under the old slab. Figures last read in October 2026.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace concrete?
It is cheaper to repair today in almost every case. National ranges are $3 to $12 per square foot for leveling and $3 to $7 for resurfacing, against $3 to $8 for removal plus $6 to $15 for a new driveway. Over ten years the sum can turn around. A repair you pay for twice, then replace anyway, costs more than replacing once. So ask how long the repair should hold on your ground, not only what it costs.
My driveway is 20 years old and one section sunk by the garage. I was quoted $9,000 to replace it all. Do I need to?
Probably not, if the other panels are sound. One low section beside the garage usually points to a local cause, such as a roof downspout or a leaking hose bib washing out the fill. Ask for a second price to lift or replace only that section and to fix the water. The $9,000 is your figure for the whole drive. A one-panel job is a fraction of the area, so it should be a fraction of that. Replace everything only if the remaining panels are cracked through or thin.
One company says repair for $7,000, another says replace for $14,000. We may sell in two or three years. Which makes sense?
With a two to three year horizon, the $7,000 repair makes sense if it will hold that long and look acceptable to a buyer. Using your numbers, replacing costs $7,000 more. You would need to believe a new driveway adds at least that much to the sale, and that is rarely certain. Two cautions. Ask the repair company what happens if the slab moves again within those years. And if the repair leaves a patchwork of colors at the front of the house, the saving may be lost in how the property shows.
I am selling the house and the driveway has a few long cracks. Repair, replace or leave it?
If the cracks are tight and level, clean and seal them and leave the slab. Buyers and inspectors in Miami worry about trip edges, standing water near the house and rust stains. They worry much less about hairline cracks. Grind any lip, seal the cracks, pressure wash and stop there. Replace before selling the house only if the driveway is broken up enough to be noted in an inspection report.
One contractor says remove it. Another says pour a new layer on top. Who is right?
For a cracked or uneven slab, the one who says remove it is right. A new layer on top hides the trouble for a short time and copies the same cracks soon after. It also lifts the finished height, and on a flat Miami lot an inch or two can decide whether rain runs to the street or to the front door. A new layer is a fair answer only when the old slab is solid and the extra height causes no harm.
My driveway is 30 years old with root cracks and I am on a tight budget. Can I grind and patch?
Yes. On a tight budget, grinding the raised edges and patching the worst spots is a reasonable way to buy time. It makes the driveway safer to walk on. It will not stop the roots, so expect to do it again. Spend the money where people walk first. When funds allow, the lasting answer is to replace the lifted panels with a plan for the roots, which may need an arborist and, in some cities here, a tree permit.
There are many small cracks but no sinking. Is sealing or resurfacing enough?
Often, yes. When a slab is flat and firm and the cracks are fine, sealing or resurfacing is enough to keep water out and renew the look. Sealing is the cheaper step, at $1 to $3 per square foot nationally for cleaning and sealing. Choose resurfacing if the surface is also worn or stained. Look closely first for brown rust lines along the cracks. Rust means steel is corroding, and a coating will not stop that.
When is replacement the only sensible choice?
- The slab is broken into many pieces that rock when you step on them.
- Steel is rusting through in several places and pieces are coming away.
- It was poured thin, with no base, and has failed across most of its area.
- Water runs toward the house and the slope cannot be corrected any other way.
- You are changing the layout anyway, for example to add a parking space.
For a price on your own property, ask for a free on-site estimate with a written quote. Call (786) 705-4727, or text a photo of the concrete to the same number.