A void under one side of the joint
Water washed the base out, clay shrank away from it, or fill compressed, and the section above dropped into the gap. An offset between two slabs is a void reporting itself at the surface.
Concrete Leveling · Problem Signs · Since 2011
A quarter of an inch is enough to catch a shoe.
Offsets between concrete sections are the most reliable tripping hazards on a property, and they grow, because the section that dropped is still moving.
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What this symptom means
Tripping Hazards: diagnosed and explained.
A tripping hazard in concrete is almost never a pothole and almost always an edge. Two sections that were poured flush are no longer flush, and the vertical step between them catches a toe that was not being lifted very high, because people walking a familiar path stop looking at it after the first few trips. The numbers involved are smaller than most people expect. A vertical change of roughly a quarter of an inch is enough to catch a shoe. Half an inch is enough to be seen and stepped around by somebody who is paying attention, which is not everybody, and not at night. The places they appear are predictable: where a driveway meets a garage floor, where walkway panels meet each other, at the top riser of a set of entry steps, along a pool coping, and at any joint between a slab and the structure it was poured against. What they share is a cause. One side is sitting on soil that gave way and the other is not, so the offset is the visible half of a void, and the void is still there. That matters for the repair, because the section that dropped has not finished dropping, and an offset that is a nuisance in one season is a liability in the next. On a public frontage or a commercial approach, the property owner generally carries that risk, which is why offsets belong on a written report as measurements rather than as impressions.
For the repair side of this, the concrete leveling solutions page lists every method Dalinghaus installs, including the ones that fix problems other than tripping hazards.
Catch It Early
What to check alongside the offset
- A hollow sound beside the low side Tapping across the concrete changes tone where the slab has separated from the soil. A drum note next to an offset means the void is bigger than the step suggests, and the void has to be filled for the correction to hold.
- Water pooling on the low side A puddle marks the low point and feeds the erosion that created it, which is a loop that only speeds up. Standing water next to an offset is a reliable sign the section is still moving.
- The offset growing between seasons An edge that was noticeable last winter and is worse this one is live movement. A walkway panel still settling gives the offset back within a year of any repair that only shaves the top.
- Cracks running back from the joint Cracking that radiates away from the offset means the slab is flexing over the void rather than simply sitting low, which moves the repair up the priority list.
Most Common Causes
What causes tripping hazards in regional homes.
Tree roots lifting the other side
Roots grow toward the damp soil under concrete and raise whatever sits above them, so one panel goes up while its neighbor stays put. The same tree can produce raised panels and sunken ones a few feet apart.
Slabs on two different bases
A driveway and a garage floor, or a walkway and a porch, sit on different ground and settle at different rates. The joint between them is a hinge, and the step is where the difference shows.
A previous repair left a ridge
Patching material laid proud of the surface, or a section replaced slightly high, leaves a permanent edge. This one is not settlement at all, and grinding the ridge flush is usually the whole answer.
Frost, heave and seasonal movement
In the higher elevation parts of our footprint, a section can rise seasonally and settle back, which produces an offset that comes and goes. A survey taken twice tells you which kind you have.
Repair Solutions
How concrete leveling specialists actually fix tripping hazards.
Solving tripping hazards means addressing the underlying soil, pressure, or settlement cause. Not just patching the visible damage. Below are the engineered solutions we install most often for this symptom in California, Arizona, and Nevada homes.
Why Choose Dalinghaus
Care and expertise from a team that's been doing this since 2011.
If your home is showing tripping hazards, the team you call matters. Dalinghaus crews handle concrete leveling and related structural work across California, Arizona, and Nevada, and nothing else.
01
Specialized expertise.
Foundation repair, concrete leveling, and crawl space repair are our entire focus. Not a sideline.
02
Locally owned since 2011.
More than 2,000 projects on the clay and desert soils of California, Arizona, and Nevada since 2011.
03
Licensed in California, Arizona and Nevada.
CSLB License #983851 in California, ROC #330307 in Arizona, and License #0089738 in Nevada. Look us up with the state before we ever set foot on your property.
04
Warrantied solutions.
Warranty terms come in writing with every proposal, and the terms that apply to your job are stated in that job's paperwork. Ask your project specialist during the free evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about Tripping Hazards.
Don't see your question here? Our team is happy to help. Reach out anytime.
Smaller than people think. About a quarter of an inch is enough to catch the toe of a shoe on a familiar path, because a stride learns a surface and then stops checking it. Half an inch is visible enough that attentive people step around it, which leaves everyone who is carrying something, walking at night, or not from here. Where the concrete is a public frontage or a commercial approach, the property owner generally carries that liability, so the measurement belongs on paper.
Our Process
From tripping hazards to a fixed home.
How a repair moves from free evaluation to completed work once tripping hazards is diagnosed.
Step 01
Schedule your free evaluation.
A local specialist walks the areas showing tripping hazards, measures what is moving, and answers your questions on site. No cost, no obligation.
Step 02
Get your written estimate.
The method is matched to the cause behind the tripping hazards, with scope and pricing in writing. No pressure in either direction.
Step 03
Repairs, done right.
A Dalinghaus crew corrects the movement behind the tripping hazards, and leaves the site cleaner than we found it.
Customer Reviews
More than 1,000 Google reviews across our offices, averaging 4.9 stars.
Before you call anyone about tripping hazards, read how homeowners across California and Arizona rate our work.
Free Evaluation
Start with a free evaluation.
Share a few details and a local specialist will follow up as soon as possible to set your evaluation.
What to expect
- A local foundation specialist on site
- A complete walk-through of the findings
- A clear written estimate at no cost
- No obligation, no pressure
Prefer to call
877-360-9227Seeing tripping hazards? Get the cause diagnosed.
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