Concrete Leveling in Des Moines: Raising Sunken Steps and Slabs
Concrete leveling lifts a slab that has dropped back into line instead of breaking it out and pouring new. Around Des Moines it is often the front stoop, a sidewalk panel or the driveway apron, and the slab tilting toward the house is the one to deal with first.
Fixr's 2026 guide prices slabjacking, using cement grout or polyurethane foam, at $500–$1,900 for a typical job, and This Old House lists mudjacking at $550–$1,300. A slab broken into several pieces, or one that keeps sinking over soft fill, may cost less to replace than to lift twice.
Which sunken slabs are worth lifting?
- A stoop or steps tipping toward the house. Rain runs straight to the foundation, and the gap catches toes.
- A sidewalk panel sitting an inch or more below its neighbor.
- The driveway apron where it meets the garage, or a garage floor that has dropped along one side.
- A patio that now drains back toward the basement wall.
Slabs that are whole, merely low, are the best candidates. Shattered concrete is usually replaced.
Mudjacking or foam?
Mudjacking pumps a cement-based slurry through holes drilled in the slab. The material is heavy and inexpensive, and the holes are larger.
Polyurethane foam goes in through smaller holes, weighs far less, and sets quickly. It usually costs more per job.
Both fill the void and raise the slab. Neither fixes whatever made the void, so the specialist should also look at downspouts, grading and any water running under the concrete.
Why slabs sink here
Most sunken slabs sit on backfill that was loosely placed when the house was built, or on soil that water has washed out from underneath. Winter adds its own push: the low at Des Moines International Airport reaches freezing on about 128 nights a year, and on about 45 days the high stays at or below 32°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water trapped under a slab freezes, lifts it, then lets it settle unevenly as it thaws. Shrink-swell, the second most common soil limitation for building in Polk County (USDA NRCS), adds movement in wet and dry spells.
Lifting a slab or fixing the house?
If the stoop dropped because the house itself is settling, lifting the stoop treats the symptom. Look for the inside signs (sticking doors, sloping floors) and read about settling foundations and piers first. Typical lifting prices sit beside the structural repairs in the 2026 foundation repair cost guide.
Questions homeowners ask
Can a sunken basement floor be lifted?
Sometimes, but cracks and dips in a basement slab often trace to water or soil movement below it. Have the cause checked first, especially if water comes up through the cracks, because lifting alone will not keep it out.
Tell us what you're seeing at home
A line or two is enough: the crack, the damp spot or the sunken slab, and roughly where it is. One independent foundation specialist who works in Des Moines will call you to talk it through and arrange a visit.