Mudjacking vs foam lifting
Both methods raise a sunken slab the same way: fill the empty space underneath, then keep pumping until the slab lifts. The argument is about what goes in the hose. Most of the comparisons you'll find online come from companies that sell one method or the equipment for it, and they disagree with each other on cure times, washout and weight. We don't install either method or sell equipment for it, so this page lays out what each source says and who is saying it.
Call (316) 688-2584The short version
On firm ground outdoors, where cost matters and you can wait a day to drive on it, mudjacking usually does the job for half the price per square foot or less. On soft or wet soil, under a garage floor or pool deck, or when you need the slab back the same day, foam is usually worth the difference.
One thing to keep in mind: calls from this site go to one independent contractor, who may prefer one method. Asking for a price on both is always reasonable.
Where the sources disagree
Two of the most widely read comparisons come from companies on different sides of the business. HMI sells foam lifting rigs and mudjacking rigs to contractors, and its comparison page favors foam. A-1 Concrete Leveling installs foam at some of its locations and its own stone slurry system at all of them, and says it does not do mudjacking.
| Question | HMI | A-1 Concrete Leveling |
|---|---|---|
| When can you use a mudjacked slab? | "24- to 48-hour cure time", with the area "out of commission" | "ready for foot traffic immediately but not for normal use until after 24 hours" |
| When can you use a foam-lifted slab? | "traffic-ready in about 15 minutes" | "as little as 15 minutes to an hour" |
| Does the slurry wash out? | "Soil-based slurry can wash out, causing the slab to resettle again" | Doesn't say the slurry washes out. Puts resettling down to soil erosion and soil that hadn't finished compacting, with either method |
| Does the slurry's weight make the slab sink again? | "This method adds hundreds of pounds to a subgrade that is already failing" | "soil settlement is a natural process that occurs regardless of the concrete leveling method used" |
| Heavy, weight-bearing slabs? | No caveat for foam | "better to avoid using polyjacking to level weight-bearing areas, like porches with columns that support a roof" |
| Mudjacking hole size | "large, 1- to 2-inch holes" | 2 inches in diameter |
On cure times, HMI's figures make mudjacking look slower and foam faster than A-1's do: 24 to 48 hours against 24 for mudjacking, and about 15 minutes against 15 minutes to an hour for foam.
The weight argument runs the other way. HMI, which sells mudjacking rigs, makes the case that slurry weight causes resettling. A-1, which doesn't offer mudjacking at all, pushes back on that claim and says soil settles whichever method is used. A-1 also cautions against foam under weight-bearing areas like porch columns, even though it installs foam itself. Neither source is a neutral party, so it's worth reading both.
Quotes from HMI, "Mudjacking vs. Polyurethane" (page updated August 2026), and A-1 Concrete Leveling, "Polyjacking vs. Mudjacking" (June 2023).
The numbers, and who published them
| Mudjacking | Foam lifting | |
|---|---|---|
| What goes under the slab | Cement, soil or sand, and water | Two-part expanding polyurethane |
| Weight per cubic foot | "over 100 pounds" (HMI) | "2 to 4 pounds" (HMI) |
| Hole size | About 1 to 2 inches | About 5/8 inch |
| Walking on it | Usually right away | Usually right away |
| Driving on it | After about a day | The same day, often within the hour |
| Cost per square foot | $4 to $9 | $8 to $25 |
Both weight figures come from HMI, which sells equipment for both methods, and the slurry figure is an open-ended "over 100" rather than a measured range. We haven't found an independent source for either. Slurry is clearly far heavier than foam, so treat the comparison as right in direction and softer on precision than it looks.
Cost per square foot: HomeGuide, Concrete Leveling Cost. Weights: HMI.
What nobody publishes
Several questions that matter to a homeowner don't get answered on the major comparison pages we found, from either side.
- Compressive strength. No psi figure for either material, which makes the weight-bearing argument hard to settle.
- Maximum lift. Nothing on how many inches of settlement either method can recover, or when a slab is too far down to lift.
- How far the material travels. No figures on lateral spread from a hole or on hole spacing.
- Warranty length. Years in business get quoted constantly. Warranty periods rarely do.
- The slab's second life. Whether cured foam or slurry complicates a later re-lift, a saw cut, or eventual demolition.
A contractor who can answer those about their own work is telling you something useful about how they work. They make good questions for an estimate.
Which one for your slab
Mudjacking usually makes sense for outdoor flatwork on firm ground, driveways and sidewalks where cost decides it, and jobs where waiting a day to drive on the slab costs you nothing. A-1's caution about foam under weight-bearing areas points the same way for porches with roof columns.
Foam usually makes sense for soft or wet soil where adding weight is what you're trying to avoid, slabs over deep voids, garage floors and interior slabs where big holes and slurry mess are unwelcome, pool decks, slabs near foundations or utility lines, anything you need back the same day, and slabs that were mudjacked before and settled again.
Neither if the slab is broken into many pieces, the surface is crumbling, or roots pushed it up. At the midpoints of HomeGuide's ranges, replacing a slab costs about 1.6 times what mudjacking it does, which is worth paying when the concrete itself is finished. See what leveling costs for the full ranges.
The part both methods depend on
Neither material fixes the reason the slab dropped. If a downspout is still emptying beside the driveway, a sprinkler line is leaking, or the grade sends water under the slab every spring, the slab can settle again over slurry or foam alike. A-1 makes this point directly, and HMI's own washout argument is about water too.
Ask the contractor what caused the drop. If the answer is only about what goes under the slab, keep asking.
In Wichita
Much of the Wichita area sits on clay that swells when it takes on water and shrinks as it dries, and the share varies a lot by town. Soft or moving soil is the situation where foam's light weight is the usual argument, so it's worth knowing what's under your address before you choose. Soil by town has the figures, and why concrete sinks in Wichita covers the clay and the freeze and thaw cycle.
What to ask when you get two bids
- What do you think caused this, and what should I do about the cause?
- Which method would you use here, and what changes if I ask for the other one?
- What is the price for both?
- How much lift are you expecting, and what happens if it needs more?
- What is covered if it settles again, and for how long?
- Will you mark the existing cracks before you start?
Questions people ask
Is polyjacking the same as foam lifting?
Yes. Polyjacking, poly leveling, foam jacking and polyurethane concrete lifting all describe the same process. Mudjacking, slabjacking and pressure grouting are names for the slurry method.
Is foam always better?
No. It is lighter and faster and makes smaller holes, and it costs two to three times as much per square foot. On firm ground outdoors those advantages may not be worth much to you. Even A-1, which installs foam, advises against it under weight-bearing areas like porch columns.
Can foam lift a slab that was mudjacked before?
Often, yes. The old slurry can be drilled through and the slab lifted with foam. The contractor will want to check the condition of the concrete first.
Does the foam break down underground?
The foams used for concrete lifting are made to sit in the ground and aren't affected by ordinary soil moisture. Water running under the slab can still wash out the soil around the foam, which is the same problem mudjacking has.
Which lasts longer?
Nobody publishes a straight answer, and we aren't going to invent one. Both last as long as the soil under them stays put, and drainage decides that more than the material does.
Where we work
We take calls from across Wichita and the surrounding towns in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties.
What gets leveled
Driveway Leveling
Panels that dropped at the garage, the street or the sidewalk, raised back into line.
Read moreSidewalk Leveling
Trip hazards on front walks and city sidewalks, raised flush instead of torn out.
Read morePatio Leveling
Patios that tipped toward the house or pulled away from it, lifted back to a proper slope.
Read moreGarage Floor Leveling
Sunken garage slabs and the lip at the door, raised with small holes and little mess.
Read morePorch & Step Leveling
Front steps and stoops that settled away from the door, lifted back up to meet it.
Read morePool Deck Leveling
Settled pool decks and the gap at the coping, lifted with light foam and small holes.
Read moreGet a free estimate
Tell us what is sinking and roughly how big the area is. The contractor will call you back to set up an estimate, and may ask you to text a photo first.
Prefer to talk? Call (316) 688-2584.
Not sure which method fits your slab?
Call for a free estimate and ask for a price on both.