Repair when the slab is whole and the trouble is in one place. Replace when it is in many pieces, too thin for its load, or failing all over. In Nashville, also fix whatever water or root caused the damage, or the new work will go the same way.
The price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not quotes from The Nashville Concrete Guys. Local wages, ready-mix prices, truck access, slope and what is under your yard all move the real number. Last checked October 2026.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace concrete?
It is cheaper to repair today in almost every case. By national figures, leveling is $3 to $12 per square foot and resurfacing is $3 to $7. Replacement is removal at $3 to $8 plus a new driveway at $6 to $15. Repair stops being cheaper when you pay for it twice. If the slab is broken through, a repair is money spent on something you will tear out in a few years.
My driveway is 20 years old and one section has sunk by the garage. I was quoted $9,000 to replace it all. Do I have to?
Probably not. One sunk section by the garage on a 20-year-old driveway is a very common Nashville problem. The soil beside the foundation was backfilled loose when the house was built and has kept settling, often helped by a downspout. If the other panels are level and sound, that one section can be lifted or cut out and repoured. Leveling a typical job is $700 to $5,000 nationally. Set that beside the $9,000 and ask the contractor to explain why the good sections must go too.
Repair for $7,000 or replace for $14,000 if I am selling in two or three years?
The sums are simple. Repair leaves $7,000 in your pocket now. Replacement costs twice as much, and you would use the new driveway for only two or three years. If the repair will last through those years and look neat, it is the lower-risk choice for a seller. If the $7,000 repair is a patch job on a slab that is breaking up, a buyer's inspector will write it up and you may give the money back in negotiation. Ask how long the repair is expected to hold and get that in writing.
I have a few long cracks and I am selling the house. Repair, replace or leave it?
If the cracks are level and narrow, clean and seal them and leave the slab. When you are selling the house, a tidy sealed crack reads as upkeep and an open weedy one reads as neglect. Replace only where a panel has dropped or creates a trip edge, since that is what inspectors flag. We cannot tell you what a buyer will pay for a new driveway, and nobody else can either.
One contractor says remove it and another says pour a new layer over it. Who is right?
The one who looked at the base is more likely right. A new layer over an old slab works only when the old slab is solid and the extra height causes no trouble at the garage, the door sills or the street. If the old slab is cracked and moving, the new layer will crack in the same lines. Ask the overlay contractor how the new layer bonds and what happens at the cracks. Ask the removal contractor what they found that rules an overlay out.
My driveway is 30 years old with root cracks and I am on a tight budget. Can I grind and patch?
Yes, as a stopgap. On a tight budget, grinding the raised edges and sealing the cracks makes the drive safer and keeps water out for small money. Published crack repair is $0.50 to $3 per linear foot. It will not stop the roots, so expect to do it again. Put the money you save toward replacing the worst panels first, one stage at a time, when you can.
I have many small cracks but no sinking. Is sealing or resurfacing enough?
Sealing or resurfacing is enough when the cracks are fine, the slab is level and nothing rocks. Fine surface cracks are often from drying on the day of the pour and never get worse. Sealing keeps water and winter salt out of them at $1 to $3 per square foot nationally for cleaning and sealing. Resurfacing at $3 to $7 gives a new face. If the cracks are widening year to year, find the cause before spending on the surface.
The only real price is one written after we have measured your site. Call (615) 436-8921 or text us a photo of the area for a free on-site estimate.