Foundation services
Polyurethane concrete lifting: how the foam works
Polyurethane concrete lifting, also called polyjacking or foam jacking, injects a two-part foam under a sunken slab through small holes; the foam expands, fills the void and lifts the concrete.
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Written by HyreFoundation Research Desk Primary-source research and fact checking
The short answer
Polyurethane concrete lifting, also called polyjacking or foam jacking, injects a two-part foam under a sunken slab through small holes; the foam expands, fills the void and lifts the concrete. It suits outdoor flatwork and some interior slabs. It is not a foundation repair for a settling house.
Key takeaways
compared with a cement slurry, so it adds little load to weak soil.
, which keeps patches less visible.
Ask for the product name and its data sheet.
: washout, poor drainage or loose fill.
What to ask about the foam
Different densities carry different loads.
Is it rated for wet soil or contact with groundwater?
Will they fill the void first or only lift?
How do they keep the slab from lifting too far or cracking?
What happens on a polyjacking job?
Water washing soil out from under the slab is common. Fix the downspout or joint first.
Small holes through the slab at planned points.
Foam goes in a little at a time while the crew watches the lift with a level or laser.
Holes are filled and joints sealed so water stops reaching the void.
What moves the price
Volume of foam and access drive the job. We publish no price figures until we hold enough sourced, dated quotes; see what drives foundation costs.
| Factor | Why it changes the number |
|---|---|
| Void size | Bigger voids take more material. |
| Slab area | Number of slabs and injection points. |
| Cause fixes | Drainage or joint work alongside. |
HyreFoundation publishes no national average price for this work. Depth to bearing, soil, access and method vary enough between two houses on the same street that a single figure would mislead.
Foam or slurry?
Our concrete leveling page compares the two methods side by side. Foam tends to suit slabs where weight on soft soil matters and small holes are preferred; mudjacking suits large voids where weight is not a concern.
What to ask before you sign
The full checklist is on choosing a foundation contractor.
Where this goes wrong
A garage or interior slab may be part of the structure. Get an engineer if the house is moving.
Foam fills a void the water made; the water will make another.
Badly broken slabs may need replacement instead.
Get connected
Tell us about the work
Three short steps: the job, your home, and how to reach you. Nothing goes to a foundation company unless you agree.
A straight answer first. A person reads it and replies by email, free and with no obligation. Matching is not live yet, so this is not a quote. If a wall is moving or a door frame has racked out of square this week, call a structural engineer first.
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A person at HyreFoundation reads the request and replies. Matching is not live yet, so this is not a quote.
Questions
How long does polyurethane concrete lifting last?
Can you drive on it right away?
Is polyjacking better than mudjacking?
Can polyurethane lift a house foundation?
Written and audited by
HyreFoundation Research Desk
Primary-source research and fact checking
We read the model building code, the federal soil and moisture guidance and the insurer position ourselves, and we publish each figure with the document it came from and the date we retrieved it.
Where a number cannot be traced to a primary source, we say so instead of printing it. HyreFoundation does not inspect, engineer or repair foundations. Authorship is organizational: this desk, not a named persona.
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- Primary sources only. Code statements come from the International Residential Code, Chapter 4, as the model code. Soil statements come from USDA and USGS. Insurance statements come from the policy language and the Insurance Information Institute. We open the source rather than cite a blog that cites it.
- The code is a model, and adoption is local. Your jurisdiction adopts an edition and amends it, and foundation chapters are amended more than most because frost depth and soil are local facts. Every code figure says so.
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Authorship on this site is organizational: the analysis belongs to the desk rather than to a named individual, and we do not publish credentials we do not hold. Our editorial policy sets out how we source, date and correct what we publish.
Sources & retrieval dates
Information on this page is general and varies with soil, climate, foundation type, building code, insurance policy and circumstance.
It is not engineering, insurance or legal advice, and no page can tell you whether your house has a structural problem: that needs a licensed professional on site.
HyreFoundation is an independent foundation resource, not a repair contractor or an engineering firm, and does not perform, supervise or warrant foundation work.