Concrete driveway repair
Cracked, flaking, sunken or crumbling at the edges. Most driveways we're called out to look at don't need replacing — and we'll tell you which side of that line yours falls on before you spend anything.
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Almost every homeowner who calls us about a bad driveway has been told by someone that it needs tearing out. Sometimes that's true. Often it isn't.
Surface problems are repairable. Flaking, spalling, dusting, hairline cracks, stained or worn concrete — the slab underneath is intact and only the top has gone. That's a concrete resurfacing or concrete repair job at a fraction of the cost of a rebuild.
Structural problems aren't. If sections have dropped, if slabs are separated at the joints, or if the concrete is broken clean through, the base underneath has failed. Resurfacing over that hides it for a season, then the same crack comes back through your new surface.
We do repair, resurfacing and full driveway replacement in-house. So when we tell you which one you need, it isn't because it's the only thing we're set up to do.
Worth checking before it becomes the expensive version of the same problem.
The six issues we're called out for most, and what each one usually means.
Hairline cracks are normal and repairable. Wide cracks with the sides at different heights mean movement underneath — that's a different conversation.
The top layer lifting off in sheets or chips. Almost always freeze-thaw and road salt. Surface-only, and one of the most repairable problems there is.
One section sitting lower than the next. The granular base has washed out or was never compacted properly. Needs addressing from below, not above.
Broken corners and edges where the driveway meets the garage, the curb or the lawn. Rebuilt to shape and made sound.
A rough, pockmarked surface that sheds fine grey dust. Usually a bad original finish or a mix that wasn't right. Resurfacing solves it permanently.
Cosmetic, but it's often why people call. Grinding and a new surface deals with it — and a sealed finish stops it happening again.
Side by side, so you can see which one your driveway is.
| Repair | Resurface | Replace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Localised damage on a sound slab | Surface failure across a wide area | Base failure, settlement, broken through |
| Typical cost | $3,000 – $6,000 | $8,000 – $16,000 | $15,000 – $26,000 |
| Time on site | 1–2 days | 2–3 days | 3–5 days |
| Result | Sound and safe, repairs visible | Looks like a new driveway | Is a new driveway |
| Warranty | Written, job-specific | 10 yrs Graniflex / 3 yrs overlay | Written, job-specific |
| Lifespan added | 5–10 years | 10–20 years | 25–40 years |
Costs are before HST and depend on size, access and condition. For a closer figure, try our quick price check — four questions, under a minute.
When: damage is localised. One cracked section, a broken edge, a few problem spots — and the rest is sound.
Cracks opened out and filled with rapid-hardening repair mortar, damaged sections rebuilt to shape, joints resealed.
When: the surface has gone across a wide area but the slab underneath hasn't moved.
Repairs first, then a new bonded surface over the whole driveway — Graniflex with a 10-year warranty, or a concrete overlay with 3 years.
When: the base has failed. Sections dropped, slabs broken through, water pooling where it shouldn't.
Full removal, excavation, recompacted granular base, reinforced and repoured with proper slope. See new concrete driveways.
Concrete fails from the bottom up. Almost every driveway we tear out failed because of what was — or wasn't — underneath it.
Toronto is a hard place for concrete. Worth knowing what you're up against.
Water gets into the surface, freezes, expands and lifts the top layer away. It's the single biggest reason GTA driveways spall. Air-entrained mix and proper curing resist it — a cheap pour doesn't.
Salt drips off vehicles all winter and accelerates surface breakdown badly. A sealed or coated driveway survives it far better than bare concrete.
If the granular underneath wasn't compacted in proper lifts, it settles. The slab has nothing to sit on, and it cracks or drops — however good the concrete was.
A driveway sloped toward the house sends water where you least want it. Grade is set before the pour, and it isn't something a repair can fix afterwards.
A properly built concrete driveway in the GTA should give you 25 to 40 years. Most of the ones we're called to have failed well before that, and it's almost never the concrete's fault — it's what went underneath, or what didn't go on top.
The two things that shorten a driveway's life more than anything else are an uncompacted base and an unsealed surface. The first is decided on the day it's poured and can't be corrected later. The second is fixable at any point, which is why resurfacing a tired but structurally sound driveway is often the best money you'll spend on it.
"Invoiced at the quoted price"
They spent time assessing and quoting the job and did the work as quoted, including explaining what they were doing and asking for direction when needed. The work was done in the time they estimated. The on-site crew were professional, courteous and friendly, they did a good job cleaning up, the finished work was inspected and the job was invoiced at the quoted price.
"A string of trades — most fell below professional standards"
From beginning to end, these guys were consummate professionals and an absolute pleasure to deal with. This rebuild has seen a string of trades, most of whom fell way below professional standards. That is why we were so grateful for the breath of fresh air from the work crew — these guys clearly took true pride in their work. They were meticulous, courteous, clean, and efficient.
Most cracked driveways can be repaired. Hairline and surface cracks are routine repair work. What can't be repaired is a driveway where sections have settled at different heights, or where the slab is broken clean through — that means the base underneath has failed, and any repair on top will crack again in the same place. A quick test: if you can feel a step between the two sides of a crack, it's likely structural. If it's flat across, it's likely surface.
Localised repairs typically run $3,000 to $6,000. Resurfacing a full driveway usually lands between $8,000 and $16,000 depending on size and system. Full replacement is generally $15,000 to $26,000. All before HST, and all dependent on size, access and condition. Our quick price check gives you a closer figure in under a minute.
Repair is considerably cheaper in the short term — often a third of the cost of replacement. The real question is whether repair will hold. On a driveway with a sound base, repair and resurfacing is far better value and buys you another decade or two. On one where the base has failed, repair is money spent twice, because the same problem resurfaces within a season or two. That's the assessment we do first, and we'll tell you honestly which situation you're in.
Localised repairs are usually one to two days on site. A full resurfacing is typically two to three days. Full replacement runs three to five days depending on size and how much demolition is involved. Curing time comes after that, and we give you specific dates for walking on it and parking on it.
It depends on the work. Crack repairs and patching are usually ready for vehicles within a day or two. A resurfaced driveway needs longer for the new surface to fully cure, and new concrete longer still — concrete keeps gaining strength for weeks after a pour, and driving on it too early is one of the most common ways a good driveway gets damaged in its first month. We give you exact dates rather than general advice.
Honestly, a spot repair rarely matches perfectly. New concrete cures a different shade to concrete that's been weathering for fifteen years. That's why we often recommend repairing and then resurfacing the whole area — it costs more, but you get one uniform surface rather than a driveway with obvious patches. If matching isn't a concern for you, repair alone is the cheaper route and we'll say so.
Yes, provided the slab underneath is structurally sound. Resurfacing bonds a new wearing surface over the existing concrete after repairs are made. Graniflex carries a 10-year warranty and a concrete overlay carries 3 years. It costs roughly half of a full replacement and the finished result looks like a new driveway. It won't work where the base has settled, because the new surface will crack along the same lines as the old one.
Exterior concrete work runs from roughly May through October in the GTA, when temperatures stay reliably above freezing through the curing period. Cold-weather work is possible with blankets and mix adjustments, but it costs more and carries more risk. If waiting until spring is the better call, we'll tell you rather than take the job.
We assess them, yes. Heaving and settlement are base problems rather than surface problems, and the honest answer is often that the affected section needs removing and repouring rather than lifting or patching. Where only one section has failed, we can sometimes replace that and resurface the rest so it reads as one driveway. Photos taken low down along the surface show us the drop clearly.
Repairs and resurfacing generally don't require a permit. Full replacement can, particularly if you're changing the width, the curb cut or the drainage. We've worked within City of Toronto and GTA permit requirements for years and will tell you during the assessment whether yours needs one.
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Concrete driveway repair across Mississauga, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Vaughan, Brampton, Oakville, Richmond Hill and the wider GTA.
Posted on JoshTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Top to bottom Professionalism. Staring with Hubert with the initial meet up/consultation. Then, scheduling with Deborah was a breeze and a pleasure. And finally when it came time for actual work to be done. Sergey and his assistant were nothing but top tier. Nothing but Thanks to the whole team at Toronto Concrete Repair Inc.Posted on Jason OrtonTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great service!!Posted on Patty ColettaTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you TCR for a job well done. Nick and the guys did a fantastic job replacing our concrete driveway in Toronto. Highly recommend this company for any concrete work.Posted on Rick MachtingerTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a problem with our garage floor where it was cracked by the lip. Hubert came out to inspect the floor and gave me two options. The first was to just repair the lip and this would have been the less expensive option. The more expensive option was to replace the entire floor. When asking for his professional opinion, Hubert said it was my choice, but in his experience a cracked lip also meant there would be issues with the rest of the floor. I decided that we would replace the entire floor and I am glad I did. The problem when the garage floor was initially installed was that the concrete was poured over the rebar instead of the rebar being embedded in the concrete. I'm glad I listened to the professional as this would have been a headache in the future. The guys worked hard and clean up was good. Thanks again Hubert!Posted on Rebecca PotterTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Called Toronto Concrete Repair for some urgent work that needed to be done at our business. These guys were super efficiant, friendly and did a great job. Very happy with the service. We will be using them again for future projects.Posted on MariaTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Hubert and his crew at Toronto Concrete Repair did an outstanding job with fixing our bricks and mortar, resurfacing our porch and front steps, and installing new railings. They are highly service oriented, including providing updates with pictures as the work progressed. We are extremely satisfied with the quality of their work and highly recommend them. We will definitely use them again in the future! Thank you Hubert!Posted on Brooke De OliveiraTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We hired Toronto Concrete Repair to fix our driveway that was done by a previous contractor. Toronto Concrete was very efficient and got the job done right away. Thank you so much for your great service!Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more