Quick Answer
- Exterior driveway work in the northwest Chicago suburbs depends on base prep, drainage, slab thickness, and cure timing.
- Passenger-vehicle slabs usually use 4 inches of air-entrained concrete; heavy-use areas may need 6 inches.
- Village apron rules, tear-out, haul-off, and control-joint layout should be stated in writing.
- Related driveway questions are answered in the driveway FAQ hub.
- Open the driveways FAQ hub.
Replacement Scope From Tear-Out to Cure
- BG Concrete tears out failed driveways and repours them - base rebuild included, one crew start to finish.
- Replacement resets the 30-40 year lifespan; repair only buys time on a failing base.
- Typical NW-suburb replacement: $4,500-$11,000 for a two-car driveway including tear-out.
Replace or Repair - the Honest Test
Replacement fits driveways with cracking across multiple sections, panels heaved over an inch, spalling past resurfacing depth, or visible base failure (panels rocking, gaps under edges). Repair or leveling fits isolated settling on otherwise sound concrete. The one-third rule holds: when more than a third of the slab is failing, patching costs more per remaining year than replacing. And a repour over the old failed base is a repour that fails the same way - base rebuild is not optional.
What the Replacement Scope Includes
Breaking and hauling the old slab (recycled as aggregate where the village allows). Regrading and 4 inches of compacted CA-6 stone - the drainage layer Chicago clay demands. Forms to the new layout, including any widening. A 4-inch (6-inch for heavy vehicles) air-entrained 4,000 PSI pour, finished and cut with control joints on a written plan. Apron replacement to village spec. Every line appears on the quote so bids compare on substance.
Replacement Should Fix the Cause, Not Just the Surface
A driveway replacement only lasts when the failed base condition is corrected. Settlement near the apron often comes from utility trench backfill. Long cracks usually trace to missing control joints, weak base, heavy loads, or water under the slab. The old concrete has already diagnosed the job; the replacement scope should respond to what failed.
What Happens Between Tear-Out and Pour
The important work happens after demolition and before the truck arrives: subgrade correction, stone placement, compaction, form alignment, reinforcement where needed, and joint planning. Homeowners should expect the crew to adjust soft spots before pouring instead of burying them under fresh concrete.
Can I widen or reshape during replacement? Yes - replacement is the cheapest moment to add a parking pad, widen for a third car, or fix the approach angle, since forming new shape costs little once the old slab is gone.
How long is my driveway out of service? Tear-out to drivable is typically 9-10 days: 1-2 days demo and base, pour day, then 7 days cure before vehicles.
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Common Questions Before You Call
When is full replacement the honest answer?
Full replacement is the honest answer when cracks run through multiple panels, the driveway is heaved or settled in several places, the surface is badly scaled, or the old base was never built correctly. Patching those symptoms buys time, but it does not reset the structure.
What happens before the new pour?
The old slab is broken out, hauled away, the subgrade is inspected, soft pockets are corrected, stone is placed and compacted, forms are set to shed water, and reinforcement or thicker concrete is added where the use case demands it.
How should curing be handled?
Foot traffic can usually return first, light vehicles later, and full design strength takes about 28 days. First-winter salt restraint matters because early de-icer damage can permanently scale an otherwise good slab.
How should bids be compared?
Compare the total price against the written method, base or drainage correction, thickness where relevant, disposal, access limits, cure timing, and what is included. The better bid is the one that names the work that prevents failure, not the one with the lowest unexplained budget number.
Related Driveways Guides
More guides on driveways: Replacement, installation, pricing, slab thickness, base prep, aprons, and cure timing.