# Rainy-Season Slab Checklist | New Orleans Concrete Leveling

> A six-point checklist for New Orleans driveways, walks and patios before heavy rain: downspouts, joints, voids, slope and trip edges. Takes about 15 minutes.

URL: https://concretelevelingneworleans.com/blog/rainy-season-slab-checklist/

Seasonal

# Rainy-season slab checklist: 6 things to check before the next downpour

By New Orleans Concrete Leveling · September 24, 2026

[New Orleans Concrete Leveling](https://concretelevelingneworleans.com/) puts this checklist out because water, not age, is what makes most New Orleans slabs sink fast. The city averages more than 60 inches of rain a year — 63.35 inches at the airport, per the [National Weather Service’s 1991–2020 normals](https://www.weather.gov/lix/newnormals). Fifteen minutes with a flashlight and a straightedge covers it.

## 1\. Where do your downspouts empty?

Walk the house. Any downspout that dumps onto or right beside a driveway, walk or patio edge is washing soil out from under it every storm. Extend it or add a splash block that carries water several feet away. This is the single most useful fix on the list.

## 2\. Are the joints open?

Look at the joints between panels and where slabs meet the house, garage or steps. Open joints let rain run straight into the base. A flexible joint sealant closes them.

## 3\. Does anything sound hollow?

Tap along slab edges with a broom handle or your heel. A hollow sound, or a gap you can see under an edge, means a void has started. Filling it early is cheaper than lifting a cracked slab later — see [void filling](https://concretelevelingneworleans.com/void-filling/).

## 4\. Which way does water run?

After the next rain, look for puddles on the slab and water running **toward** the house. A patio or walk that has tipped back toward the wall needs attention before it sends more water under the slab. See [patio leveling](https://concretelevelingneworleans.com/patio-porch-leveling/).

## 5\. Any trip edges?

Lay a straightedge across each joint. More than 1/4 inch is a trip hazard by the 2010 ADA Standards’ measure; more than 1/2 inch is a clear one. In New Orleans the owner is responsible for the public sidewalk out front, too — see [is a sunken slab dangerous?](https://concretelevelingneworleans.com/guide/is-a-sunken-slab-dangerous/)

## 6\. Has anything changed since last year?

Photograph problem joints with a ruler in frame. A drop that’s growing points to active washout, and fixing the water plus lifting now costs less than waiting.

## When to call

If you found a void, a trip edge over 1/2 inch, or a slab tipping water toward the house, get it measured. The [severity assessment](https://concretelevelingneworleans.com/tools/concrete-leveling-assessment/) helps decide how soon. For a free estimate, call [(504) 517-8336](tel:+15045178336).

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