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Quikrete Home Additions & ADU: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
A Quikrete home addition or ADU in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $45,000 to $130,000 installed, and most projects take 8 to 16 weeks depending on permitting, foundation work, and finishes. If you’re sitting on a bag of Quikrete mix and wondering whether your planned addition can be built on it, or you’ve already got a Quikrete slab that’s cracking, spalling, or settling under an existing structure, here’s what you need to know. Most Fort Lauderdale homeowners call us after they notice hairline cracks widening into gaps, moisture wicking up through the slab, or doors and windows in the addition that suddenly won’t close square. Quikrete makes solid products, but Florida’s high water table, salt air, and relentless humidity stress concrete differently than anywhere else in the country.
We’re an independent Fort Lauderdale remodeling contractor, not affiliated with Quikrete, but we build on, repair, and replace Quikrete-based foundations and slabs every month. Our trucks carry the common Quikrete mixes and compatible repair products, and Luca Romano, our owner and lead contractor, has spent years pouring and fixing slabs across Fort Lauderdale, from Victoria Park to Sailboat Bend.
Which Quikrete Models This Applies To
Quikrete doesn’t make a specific “home addition” product line, but the concrete you use under an addition or ADU matters more than most people realize. For structural slabs in Fort Lauderdale, the three Quikrete products that show up most often are Quikrete 5000 High Early Strength Concrete Mix, Quikrete Crack-Resistant Concrete Mix, and Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix. Each behaves differently under a Florida structure.
The compatibility gotcha: Quikrete 5000 is rated for 5,000 PSI compressive strength, which handles most residential slab-on-grade additions. But Quikrete Crack-Resistant Mix trades some strength for reduced shrinkage cracking, and it is not the same thing as structural concrete. If your addition’s engineering plans call for 3,000 PSI or better, Crack-Resistant alone may not meet spec. Fast-Setting is for fence posts and small pads, not a slab that will carry walls and a roof.
How to identify what you already have: check the original bag label if you kept it, or look at the slab itself. A 5000 PSI slab will have a denser, tighter surface than a standard mix. If you’re unsure, take photos of the slab surface and any cracks and bring them to us. Aftermarket equivalents exist, Korodur and Sika make excellent structural mixes, but for compatibility with an existing Quikrete pour, we usually match the original product to avoid differential curing and cold joints.
In Fort Lauderdale specifically, you also need to account for the water table. Many areas from Rio Vista to Middle River Terrace sit close enough to the water table that any structural slab needs a vapor barrier underneath and possibly a thicker pour than the same project in dry soil. Quikrete performs fine here, but only if the subgrade and moisture control are done correctly first.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Quikrete Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
- Spalling or flaking surface concrete. Salt air and moisture penetrate the slab surface, causing the top layer to peel away. In Fort Lauderdale, this shows up fastest on slabs within a mile of the Intracoastal or the ocean.
- Hairline cracks that widen to 1/8 inch or more. Florida’s sandy soil shifts with rain and drought cycles. A slab that settles unevenly transfers stress through the addition’s walls, which is when doors start sticking and drywall cracks appear.
- Moisture staining or efflorescence on the slab edge. White chalky residue or dark staining means water is moving through the concrete. If the vapor barrier was skipped or the slab sits low against grade, this will only get worse.
- Doors and windows binding or separating at the top corners. This is usually not a door problem, it’s a slab problem. Once the concrete has shifted, every opening in the structure starts fighting the frame.
- Termite tunnels at the slab-to-wall joint. Subterranean termites love gaps where a slab has pulled away from stem walls. Fort Lauderdale has some of the worst termite pressure in the state.
See the difference
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
A full Quikrete slab tear-out and replacement for a home addition or ADU in Fort Lauderdale runs $45,000 to $130,000, depending on square footage, access, and whether the existing structure stays in place or gets lifted. That number includes demolition, haul-off, new formwork, the Quikrete pour, finishing, and the cleanup. If the structure itself is sound and only a section of slab needs repair, you’re often looking at a fraction of that, though partial slab repairs are only smart when the rest of the pad is solid.
The biggest cost drivers: rebar or wire mesh requirements, slab thickness, soil compaction work, and whether we’re pouring a monolithic slab or a stem wall foundation. Every estimate we write includes the line-item breakdown, so you see exactly what the concrete, the prep, and the labor each cost. No number changes once the work starts unless we uncover something that genuinely changes the scope, and in that case we stop and show you, with photos, before any additional cost is approved.
DIY or Call Us?
Mixing and pouring a small Quikrete pad for a grill or a shed, that’s a weekend project if you have the back for it. But an addition or ADU slab is structural. A bad pour here means cracked walls, water intrusion, and a building that won’t pass inspection. You’re also dealing with rebar placement, slab thickness verification, and curing times that Florida’s heat fights against, concrete poured in 90-degree sun can cure too fast on the surface and stay weak underneath.
Before calling anyone, here’s what you can safely check yourself: measure any cracks and mark their ends with a pencil and date. A month later, check if the marks have moved. That tells us whether the slab is actively moving. You can also check for moisture by taping a 2-foot square of clear plastic to the slab for 24 hours and looking for condensation underneath. Those two things give us a real head start. After that, call (754) 354-7423, because the next steps involve a saw, a jackhammer, and a lot of concrete.
Luca says it best: “The work either holds up or it doesn’t, we make sure it does.”
FAQs
How long does a Quikrete slab last in Fort Lauderdale?
A properly poured Quikrete slab in Fort Lauderdale should last 50 years or more, but only if the subgrade was compacted correctly, a vapor barrier was used, and the slab stays above the water table. Without those, expect problems within 5 to 10 years in coastal areas.
Can a cracked Quikrete slab be repaired instead of replaced?
Yes, if the crack is stable, not moving, and not caused by erosion or voids underneath. We can epoxy-inject structural cracks, patch spalled surfaces, and in some cases level the slab. But if the slab has settled because of water or poor compaction, patching over it just hides the problem until it gets worse.
How long does a slab replacement take?
Most Fort Lauderdale addition or ADU slab replacements take 1 to 2 weeks from demolition to finished pour, plus curing time before framing can begin. Curing to full strength takes 28 days, but you can walk on the slab after about 24 to 48 hours depending on the mix and the weather.
Do you stock Quikrete products on the truck?
We carry Quikrete 5000, Quikrete Fast-Setting, and Quikrete Crack-Resistant mixes on our trucks for repair jobs and smaller pours. For full slab replacements, we order the volume directly so it arrives fresh and ready to place the morning of the pour.
Will the price change once work starts?
No. The price we write before the first tool comes out is the price you’ll see on the final invoice. If we find something unexpected that changes the scope, we stop and show you before any change is approved. That’s the Relay Standard, and it is not optional on our jobs.
Do you pull the permits for an addition or ADU in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. We handle the building permit, the inspection scheduling, and the paperwork with the City of Fort Lauderdale. You’ll get updates at every step, including photos before and after each inspection.
If your Quikrete slab is cracking, settling, or you’re planning an addition or ADU in Fort Lauderdale, call (754) 354-7423 to schedule your free estimate. We’ll walk the site, take measurements, and put a written price in your hands before any work starts.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner & Lead Contractor, Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale at Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
