Cracked or sunken concrete? We'll tell you straight.

Depends on the crack. Hairline cracks that stay tight are cosmetic and can usually be sealed or resurfaced. Cracks you can lay a pencil in, cracks with vertical displacement (one side higher than the other), or cracks that keep opening year after year usually mean the base failed — and resurfacing over that just hides the problem for a season. We'll tell you straight which one you've got, not just sell you whichever job pays more.

Resurfacing bonds a new wear layer over existing structurally-sound concrete to fix surface scaling, spalling, or cosmetic cracking without a full tear-out. It holds up fine in Alberta freeze-thaw when the underlying slab is sound and the overlay is bonded and jointed correctly — but it's not a fix for a slab that's actively heaving or settling. That needs a different conversation, which is why we look at the site before quoting either option.

For sunken sidewalk sections, patio slabs, or garage aprons that have settled but are otherwise structurally fine, we assess whether leveling makes sense versus a straight slab replacement. On a lot of residential jobs, saw-cutting and re-pouring the sunken section is more cost-effective and permanent than lifting — we'll walk you through both options with real numbers, not just push whichever service we happen to offer.

It depends entirely on the cause, the size of the area, and whether it's cosmetic sealing, a resurfacing overlay, partial saw-cut replacement, or a full tear-out. We don't quote repair work over the phone or by photo alone for anything beyond a rough ballpark — we come look at the crack, the base underneath if we can get at it, and the drainage around it, then give you a real written number.

Almost always one of three things: inadequate base compaction before the original pour, no control joints (or joints spaced too far apart) to guide where the concrete relieves stress, or Alberta's freeze-thaw cycle working on a slab that already had a weak point. We wrote a full breakdown of this on our blog — worth a read whether you're diagnosing an existing crack or planning a new pour.

If it's purely cosmetic and not a trip hazard or drainage problem, waiting for pour season (roughly April through October) is fine and often cheaper since we're not working around frost. If it's a safety issue — a raised sidewalk edge, a crack channeling water toward a foundation — get it looked at sooner. We can usually tell over the phone which category yours falls into before you decide whether to wait.