Tear-Out & Replacement • Raleigh, NC
Concrete Tear-Out & Replacement in Raleigh, NC
Patched the same crack twice and it keeps coming back? Pour fresh concrete over a failed base and you just reset the clock on the same failure. ALB Concrete Solutions tears the old slab out, rebuilds and compacts the base underneath, and re-pours with a higher-grade mix — one coordinated process from demo to finish, so details stay connected.
ALB Team
Demo to New Pour
1-Year
Workmanship Warranty
Why a Real Replacement Starts at the Base
Most failed slabs around here didn't fail because the concrete was bad. They failed because the ground under them moved — Cecil red clay swells when it's wet, shrinks when it's dry, and drains slowly, so a base that wasn't compacted right just keeps shifting until the slab above it cracks. Pour a new surface over that same tired base and the new concrete telegraphs the old problem within a season or two. A replacement that lasts means dealing with what's underneath, not just what you can see.
The crew saw-cuts the old slab into manageable sections, breaks it up, and hauls it off. Then we get into the part that actually matters: rebuilding the subgrade, correcting drainage, and compacting a proper gravel base so the new slab has something stable to sit on. We re-pour at the right thickness with a higher-grade mix and admixtures, tool in control joints, and finish to match. The ALB team manages the whole job so there's no finger-pointing between a demo company and a concrete company.
How We Replace It
- Old slab saw-cut and fully hauled off — not buried or poured over
- Subgrade rebuilt and recompacted so the new slab stays put
- Drainage corrected so water stops undermining the base
- Higher-grade mix and proper joints in the new pour
What We Replace
From a single failed panel to a full driveway tear-out and re-pour — the coordinated ALB team handles every slab, start to finish.
Driveway Replacement
The big one — a cracked, sunken, or spalling driveway pulled and re-poured on a corrected base.
- Full driveway tear-out and re-pour
- Apron and right-of-way sections
- Optional finish or border upgrades
Patio Replacement
A heaved or crumbling patio replaced with a level, properly drained slab.
- Full patio replacement
- Re-grading for drainage away from the house
- Finish upgrades on the new pour
Sidewalk & Walkway Replacement
Cracked or trip-hazard walks pulled and re-poured to a safe, even surface.
- Front and side walkways
- Public sidewalk sections (permit as required)
- Slip-resistant broom finish
Partial vs Full Replacement
Sometimes one bad section is the whole problem.
- Single-panel replacement at a joint
- Full slab when the base is gone
- Honest call on which you actually need
Not Sure What You Need?
This is where a project manager's eyes matter. The ALB team walks the slab, checks the base and drainage, and tells you straight whether you're looking at a repair, a partial, or a full replacement — no pressure to tear out more than the job calls for. You'll get an itemized written proposal, usually within about two business days.
Where Replacement Makes Sense
The slabs that most often earn a full tear-out instead of one more patch.
Driveways
Cracked, sunken, or alligatored driveways are the most common replacement. A new slab on a rebuilt base ends the cycle of crack-fill, crack, repeat — and right now Summer pricing knocks up to 10% off driveway replacements through September 22.
Patios
A patio that's heaved away from the house or crumbled at the edges gets pulled, re-graded for drainage, and re-poured level.
Walkways
Trip-hazard and heaved walks replaced with an even, slip-resistant surface that's safe to use again.
Garage Floors
A spalling or cracked garage floor torn out and re-poured to take vehicle and tool traffic without coming apart.
Pool Decks
A cracked, uneven pool deck replaced with a slip-resistant slope that drains away from the water.
Full Replacement vs Repair vs Resurfacing
Repairs and resurfacing both ride on the slab and base you already have — if those are the problem, you're buying time, not a fix. Full replacement costs the most up front because it's the only one that corrects the base. When a slab keeps cracking after patches, replacement is usually the cheaper path once you stop paying for it twice.
Resurfacing
Cosmetic only — rides on the same slab and base.
Repair
Buys time when the base is sound; not a fix when it isn't.
Full Replacement
The only option that corrects the base — the durable fix.
Keeping Your New Slab Like New
The best thing about a fresh pour on a corrected base is how little it asks of you. Treat it like new concrete — because it is — and it'll outlast the slab you just replaced by decades.
Reseal Every Few Years
A new sealer every 2–3 years keeps stains out and helps the slab handle our freeze-thaw swings. The first seal usually goes on after the concrete has fully cured.
Keep the Joints Clean
Those fresh control joints are there to manage cracking. Clear grit and weeds so water doesn't pool and freeze in the lines.
Protect the Drainage
We corrected the grading during replacement — keep gutters and downspouts directing water away so the base stays dry and stable underneath.
Give It Time to Cure
Stay off a new slab for about a week and keep vehicles off a new driveway a bit longer. Letting it cure fully is what locks in the strength you paid for.
Why ALB Concrete Solutions for Your Replacement
Replacement is where shortcuts hide. A contractor that skips the base prep can hand you a beautiful new slab that fails on the same schedule as the old one. ALB uses project-manager oversight to keep base prep, reinforcement, and pour details aligned.
Coordinated Team, No Hand-Off
The ALB team demos, hauls off, rebuilds the base, and pours. The same ALB project team coordinates demolition, base rebuild, and the new pour so responsibility stays clear.
Clear Repair vs Replace Guidance
The ALB project team will tell you when a repair is enough and you don't need a full tear-out. Informative, not pushy — even when it's a smaller job for us.
Base Built for Red Clay
We rebuild and compact the subgrade for Piedmont clay specifically, so the new slab doesn't inherit the movement that killed the old one.
Stronger Mixes
A higher-grade mix with proper admixtures, reinforcement, and cure planning so the slab that's supposed to last 30 years is built to do it.
Tear-Out & Replacement
FAQs
If the damage is a surface crack or a single settled panel and the base is sound, a repair or one-panel replacement may be all you need. If the slab keeps cracking after patches, has heaved, or has a failed base under it, replacement is the real fix. The ALB team will look at the base and drainage and give you the honest call.
Because the problem is almost always the base, not the surface. A new layer poured over a slab sitting on an unstable, poorly drained clay base just telegraphs the old cracks and movement right through the new concrete. Once the base shifts again, the fresh pour cracks in the same places. The only durable fix is to pull the old slab and rebuild what's underneath.
Yes. Tearing out the old slab and hauling it off the property is part of every replacement — you won't be left with a pile of broken concrete to deal with. It's built into the estimate, not an add-on.
Most residential replacements run one to three days of work — demo and haul-off, base rebuild, then the pour — plus cure time before you use it. A driveway needs a bit longer off-limits than a walkway. Your project manager gives you the timeline with the estimate so you can plan around it.
It depends on the size of the slab, how much base correction it needs, and the finish. Driveways run roughly $8–20 per square foot depending on conditions and finish. Right now our Summer promo takes up to 10% off driveway replacements through September 22. You'll get an itemized written estimate after the ALB team measures.
Yes — that's a big part of why a replacement lasts. While the old slab is out, we re-grade the subgrade and correct how water moves off and away from the new pour. Fixing the drainage is what keeps the rebuilt base dry and stable.
Get Your Free Estimate
Tell us about the slab that keeps failing and we'll set up a no-pressure on-site visit. The ALB team reads the slab and the base, then sends an itemized written proposal within about two business days — including whether replacement is really what you need.
(984) 404-3335
Prefer to talk? Call for a free estimate
Replacements Across the Triangle
ALB Concrete Solutions tears out and re-pours residential concrete throughout Greater Raleigh and the Triangle, from established neighborhoods inside the Beltline to new subdivisions across Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham, and Johnston counties.
Related Services
Pairing a tear-out with other concrete work? The ALB team coordinates it all.
Concrete Driveways
New driveways poured on a compacted base with reinforcement and saw-cut control joints, built to stay flat for decades.
Concrete Repair
Cracks, sunken slabs, and trip hazards fixed with an honest repair-versus-replace recommendation first.
Concrete Demolition & Removal
Breaking out and hauling away old slabs, patios, and walls — standalone or as the first step of a replacement.
End the Patch-and-Repeat Cycle for Good
The ALB team will come out, read the slab and the base, and give you a free on-site estimate with an itemized written proposal — including whether replacement is really what you need.