Mudjacking is the original method for lifting sunken concrete, and homeowners across Des Moines still ask for it by name. However, the term gets thrown around loosely, so this guide explains what the process actually involves, what drives the price, and how mudjacking vs polyjacking comparisons shake out for real slabs in central Iowa soil. You will learn how the mud slurry works, why clay-heavy ground causes settling in the first place, and which questions to ask before you request a quote. By the end, you should know whether this method fits your driveway, walkway, patio, or garage floor.

What You'll Find in This Guide

Prefer to have a pro handle it? Mudjacking is one call away.

How Mudjacking Works Under a Des Moines Slab

Mudjacking lifts sunken concrete from below instead of tearing it out and pouring new. A crew drills a pattern of holes through the settled slab, usually one to two inches across. Then they pump a thick slurry through those holes under pressure. As the slurry fills the voids beneath the slab, it builds pressure and pushes the concrete back up toward level. Once the slab reaches the right height, the crew patches the holes with fresh concrete and cleans the surface.

The reason this works comes down to what caused the sinking in the first place. Central Iowa sits on expansive clay soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry. Add freeze-thaw cycles each winter, and the ground under your driveway moves constantly. Over time, that movement opens voids, and the slab settles into them. Mudjacking refills those voids with a dense, stable material so the slab has something solid to rest on again. If you want to understand your own ground better, the USDA's Web Soil Survey maps soil types for most of Polk County and the surrounding area.

The Slurry Itself, and Why It Matters

The "mud" in mudjacking is not random dirt. In practice, it is an engineered mix of clay or native soil, sand, water, and usually Portland cement, blended to flow under pressure and then cure firm. The exact recipe affects both the lift and the long-term support, which is why it is worth reading about what goes into the clay slurry under your slab before you compare quotes.

Because the process looks simple on video, plenty of homeowners wonder about renting equipment and doing it themselves. That said, the hard part is not the pumping. It is knowing where the voids are, how much pressure to apply, and when to stop before you crack the slab or lift it unevenly. Our breakdown of what a DIY mudjacking attempt actually involves walks through that judgment call honestly, including the cases where a handy homeowner genuinely can handle smaller fixes another way.

What Mudjacking Costs and What Moves the Number

No honest contractor can quote mudjacking accurately without seeing the slab. The price depends on how far the concrete has sunk, how large the area is, how many voids sit underneath, and how easily a crew can get equipment to the spot. For example, a backyard patio behind a fence costs more to reach than a front driveway with street access. Similarly, a slab that dropped three inches needs far more material than one that settled half an inch.

Published national figures give you a useful sanity check, even though your quote will reflect your specific slab. According to HomeAdvisor, mudjacking runs $3 to $6 per square foot and costs 25% to 50% less than replacing a concrete slab entirely. That gap is the core appeal: you keep the slab you already own instead of paying for demolition, hauling, forming, and new concrete. Additionally, Angi notes that small jobs may carry a minimum charge of around $500, even when the affected area is under 100 square feet. Mobilizing a crew and a pump has a floor cost no matter how small the lift.

Cost Versus Value, Not Just Cost

With this in mind, it helps to weigh what the repair returns. Angi reports that concrete leveling projects can recoup 70% to 90% of their cost in added home value. Beyond resale math, a level walkway removes a trip hazard, and that matters whether you live in the home or you are documenting a claim for an insurer. If you are filing paperwork, specifics help. Photograph the settled slab, measure the height difference, and keep your written estimates.

For a deeper look at each pricing factor, read our full guide on how much mudjacking costs. It explains why two neighbors with similar driveways can get different quotes, and which line items on an estimate deserve a follow-up question. If any term on a quote confuses you, our plain-English mudjacking glossary decodes the vocabulary contractors use, from "void fill" to "injection ports," so you can compare bids on equal footing.

Mudjacking and Polyjacking: Choosing the Right Lifting Method

Mudjacking and polyjacking represent the two main lifting methods most Des Moines homeowners eventually compare, because both methods lift sunken concrete and both get pitched hard. The difference is the material. Mudjacking pumps a heavy mud slurry through larger drilled holes. Polyjacking, also called polyurethane foam leveling, injects an expanding foam through much smaller holes. The foam weighs a fraction of the slurry, expands to fill voids, and cures fast.

Neither method wins every job. Instead, the right choice depends on the slab condition, the load it carries, the soil underneath, and your budget. Mudjacking tends to fit when you want a dense, soil-like fill under a slab in decent condition, and when the lower material cost matters more than hole size or cure speed. Foam tends to fit when the slab is thinner or more fragile, when the ground is already saturated and cannot bear added weight, or when you need the surface back in service quickly. We offer both, and our page on polyurethane foam concrete leveling in Des Moines explains the foam side in the same plain terms.

Pros, Cons, and the "Is It Permanent?" Question

To put it simply, mudjacking's strengths are lower material cost and a fill that behaves like compacted soil. Its tradeoffs are larger patch holes, heavier material resting on soil that already moved, and longer cure time before the slab takes full load. Foam flips most of those tradeoffs: smaller holes and lighter weight, but typically a higher price per job.

Homeowners also ask whether mudjacking is permanent. The honest answer is that no lifting method can outlast the ground beneath it. Longevity depends on whether the cause of settling gets addressed. For instance, if a downspout keeps dumping water next to the slab, the soil will keep moving no matter what fills the void. As a result, drainage fixes often matter as much as the lift itself. Ask any contractor you interview what caused your settling and what will stop it from recurring. Then compare methods for your specific slab. Our mudjacking service page for Des Moines covers when we recommend the traditional method, and when we steer homeowners toward foam instead, so the mudjacking versus polyjacking decision rests on your slab rather than on whichever method a company happens to sell.

Ready to Get Started?

Des Moines Concrete Leveling Pros lifts and levels sunken driveways, sidewalks, patios, steps, and garage floors across Des Moines and its immediate surrounding communities, using both mudjacking and polyurethane foam injection. We look at your slab, explain which method fits and why, and put the reasoning in plain language. Call us or send a request to tell us what your concrete is doing, and we will take it from there.