When a driveway is past fixing
You can usually tell a driveway is done before anyone breaks it out. Cracks run through most panels. The corners have crumbled. One slab sits an inch higher than its neighbor, and another thumps when you drive over it. The surface is salt-pitted down to bare sand and gravel, and every spring the patches you put in last year have popped loose again.
When we do break one out around Aurora, the story underneath is almost always the same. Two inches of sandy fill sitting right on clay. No rebar, or wire mesh lying in the dirt where it does nothing. Control joints cut too far apart, so the slab picked its own crack lines. Concrete is rarely the weak link. The base and the details are.
That's why replacement is more than a re-pour. We saw cut and remove the old slab, haul it off, dig out the bad base, compact new road base, and pour a 4,000 PSI air-entrained slab with rebar. Typical pricing runs $11 to $16 per sq ft. A Replace a 2-car driveway (about 600 sq ft) usually lands between $6,600 to $9,600. If your driveway is still in decent shape, our repair vs replace guide will help you decide.
Replace now, or can it wait?
Replacement is the biggest fix, so we try not to sell it when something cheaper works. Here's how we sort it on a walkthrough.
Call soon if you see
- Cracks across most panels, wider than a pencil, and getting wider each winter
- Panels that have sunk or heaved far enough to pool water or catch a bumper
- Edges and corners crumbling where tires roll
- A slab that rocks or thumps because the base washed out
- Water draining toward the garage or foundation
Usually safe to watch
- One or two cracked panels in an otherwise solid driveway
- Light scaling that has not gone below the top layer
- A single settled panel that could be lifted with concrete leveling
- Faded color or stains that a sealer or overlay could cover
Signs your driveway needs to be replaced
Cracks everywhere, not just a few
A single crack is a repair. Cracks across most panels mean the base is moving or the slab was never reinforced. Patching just moves the problem around. Break it out and rebuild. It's one of several jobs in our residential concrete work.
Sunken or heaved panels
Aurora clay swells in wet springs and shrinks in dry summers. That's how you end up with one panel low by the garage and another lifting near the street. If it's one or two panels and the concrete itself is solid, concrete leveling is cheaper. If the slab is also cracked through, replace it.
Spalling and crumbling surface
The city's concrete repair policy lists three common causes of spalling: overworking the surface, adding water at placement, and poor cold-weather protection during curing. Salt makes all three worse. If the damage is only on the surface, resurfacing can work. If it goes deep, replace the slab.
Failed patches and repeat repairs
When you've repaired the same corner three times, the repair isn't the problem. The base under it is. We'd rather tell you that than take your money for another patch.
Concrete removal and replacement: driveways, patios, walks, and slabs
Most people call about the driveway first, but the same tear-out and replace process works for any old concrete on your property. Cracked back patios, walkways that have heaved, steps that settled, and shed or garage slabs all come out the same way. If you've got more than one failed piece, doing them together saves a mobilization fee and gives you matching new concrete.
Saw cutting
We saw cut along the edges that stay. That gives a clean straight line against garage floors, sidewalks, and neighbors' concrete instead of a ragged break. It also protects the slab you're keeping from cracking back into itself when we break out the old part.
Breakout and haul-off
We break the old slab with a skid steer or jackhammer, pick it up, and haul it away. Removal alone runs about $3 to $7 per sq ft. A Remove an old 12x16 patio (192 sq ft) usually costs $600 to $1,350. If you only want the concrete gone for landscaping or a different project, we can do removal without a pour.
Base rebuild
This is where replacement earns its price. We dig out wet clay and sandy fill, grade for drainage, and compact fresh road base. A solid new base is the reason a replacement lasts longer than the original.
The driveway apron
The apron is the flared section at the street where your driveway meets the curb and gutter. Under the city's concrete repair policy, property owners maintain driveways and aprons. The city maintains the public sidewalk, curb, and gutter. Private work in the right-of-way must meet city specs and needs a city permit. Work done without one can be removed and restored at the owner's or contractor's expense. Confirm current rules with Aurora Public Works before we schedule.
How we replace a concrete driveway
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Walk the site and price the job
We check the slope, drainage, soil, and where the apron meets the street. You get a written price before anything is scheduled.
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Permit and HOA check
If the apron or curb cut is involved, we sort out the right-of-way permit. If you're in an HOA, we give you the specs they ask for.
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Saw cut, break out, and haul off
Clean cuts go in first, then the old slab comes out and leaves the property. Sprinkler lines and utility locations are marked before digging.
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Rebuild the base
We dig out soft material, compact new road base, and set forms for the correct slope, usually about a quarter inch per foot away from the garage.
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Rebar, pour, and finish
Rebar goes in on chairs. We place a 4,000 PSI air-entrained mix, finish it with a broom for traction, and cut control joints every 8 to 10 feet.
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Cure and seal
Walk on it the next day. Cars after about 7 days. Heavy trucks closer to 28. Seal after about 30 days, then reseal every 2 to 3 years.
What affects the price of driveway replacement
Most Aurora replacements run $11 to $16 per sq ft. Here's what pushes a job up or down.
- Size and shape
Bigger driveways cost less per square foot. Curves, flares, and extra width take more forming time.
- Site prep and base depth
A flat lot with decent soil is simple. Heavy clay, slopes, or soft fill mean more digging and more road base.
- Removal of old concrete
Tear-out and haul-off run about $3 to $7 per sq ft, and it's built into the replacement range. Thicker old slabs, steel inside them, or tight access push the price higher.
- Finish type
Broom finish is the base price. Stamped concrete runs $14 to $22 per sq ft. For a new driveway with no tear-out, see concrete driveways.
- Access
If the truck backs right to the forms, the pour goes fast. Tight side yards or steep drives mean a pump or wheelbarrows.
- Thickness and reinforcement
Four inches is fine for cars. If you park a work truck, camper, or trailer, we go to 5 or 6 inches with heavier steel.
Replacing a driveway through Aurora’s seasons
Winter
Tear-out can happen in winter, but pouring needs blankets and cold-weather protection. Most replacements are better done in the warm months.
Spring
Spring fills up fast. Wet clay after storms can delay digging, so we check the subgrade before we pour.
Summer
Hot, dry, windy afternoons pull water from fresh concrete too fast. We pour early and get curing compound on right away.
Fall
Fall is a great window for a replacement, as long as it's done early. Get the new slab sealed before the first snow and keep deicers off it that first winter.
Aurora soil, salt, HOAs, and permits
Expansive clay soil
A new slab on a thin base fails the same way the old one did. We dig out soft material, compact real road base, and tie rebar so the slab moves as one piece. Downspouts and sprinklers shouldn't dump water at the edge.
Deicing salt
Salt riding home on tires is hardest on concrete in its first year. Air-entrained mix and a penetrating sealer are the best protection. Shovel instead of salting that first winter.
HOA approval
Same-size gray replacement usually gets approved. Widening, changing color, or switching to stamped often needs sign-off first. Get it in writing before the pour date.
City of Aurora permits
Anything in the public right-of-way, like the apron or a curb cut, needs a city permit and has to meet city specs. See the apron section above. Confirm current rules with Aurora Public Works.
Driveway Replacement FAQs
How much does driveway replacement cost in Aurora?
Most replacements run $11 to $16 per sq ft. A Replace a 2-car driveway (about 600 sq ft) is typically $6,600 to $9,600. That includes demo, haul-off, base rebuild, and the new slab.
Can I replace just part of my driveway?
Yes. We saw cut at a joint and replace only the failed panels. It saves money, but the new section will not match the old color exactly. If the rest is failing too, replacing it all costs less per foot.
Who is responsible for the driveway apron?
The property owner is. Under the city's concrete repair policy, owners maintain driveways and aprons, while the city maintains the public sidewalk, curb, and gutter. Apron work needs a right-of-way permit. Confirm with Aurora Public Works.
How long does a driveway replacement take?
Most take one to three days of active work, plus cure time. Demo and base work happen first, then the pour. You can walk on it the next day and drive a car on it after about 7 days.
Do you remove old patios and walkways too?
Yes. We tear out and replace old patios, walks, steps, and slabs the same way. Removal alone runs about $3 to $7 per sq ft. Doing several pieces together saves a mobilization fee.
Should I repair or replace my driveway?
Repair if the base is sound and the damage is limited to a few panels or the surface. Replace if cracks run through most panels, panels have heaved, or repairs keep failing. See our repair vs replace guide.