Concrete Repair vs. Resurfacing

When your concrete is damaged, worn, or just looks bad, the question is: repair it, resurface it, or replace it entirely? The answer depends on what is actually wrong with the slab.

When Repair Makes Sense — Repair is the right choice when the damage is localized. Individual cracks, small spalled areas, a settled section, or joint failures can often be fixed without touching the rest of the slab. Repair is less expensive and less disruptive than resurfacing or replacement.

Common repair methods include crack routing and sealing, polyurethane slab leveling (mudjacking), partial slab replacement, and spall patching. These work when the underlying concrete and subgrade are still structurally sound in most areas.

When Resurfacing Makes Sense — Resurfacing applies a new overlay over the entire surface. It works when the slab is structurally solid but the surface is worn, stained, scaled, or outdated. Resurfacing can also add a decorative finish — stamped, stained, or textured — to an otherwise plain slab.

Resurfacing does not fix structural problems. If the slab has deep cracks, significant settlement, or subgrade failure, an overlay will crack and fail in the same places. A contractor who recommends resurfacing over a structurally compromised slab is either cutting corners or does not understand the problem.

When Replacement Is the Only Option — If more than 30-40% of the slab area has structural damage, if the subgrade has failed, or if the concrete is so far gone that repairs would cost nearly as much as new concrete, replacement is the practical choice.

How We Handle It — At CSC Paving, we assess the damage and tell you which approach makes sense for your situation. If repair will hold, we recommend repair. If the slab needs replacement, we say so. We do not push resurfacing on a slab that needs replacement, and we do not push replacement when a repair will solve the problem.