Alan and Sons Brings Safer, Smoother Surfaces to Northwest Indiana
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
If you’ve ever tripped on a raised sidewalk or steered your car over a bumpy driveway, you know how much uneven concrete can affect daily life. For some homeowners, it’s an inconvenience. For others — especially seniors — it’s a safety hazard that can lead to serious injury. In Northwest Indiana, Alan Whitworth and his family-run business, Alan and Sons, have built a reputation for turning those hazards into smooth, safe surfaces, often in a single day.
Whitworth has been in the concrete raising and repair trade for more than two decades. His first experience came when he was just 20 years old, working a minimum-wage job and helping a friend with “mudjacking” — the process of lifting sunken concrete back to its proper level.
“I really liked the work,” Whitworth says. “I got to be outside, meet different people, and see the difference I could make. I stuck with it on and off for nearly 20 years.”
In 2020, when his job with another company ended during the COVID-19 shutdown, Whitworth knew it was time to build something of his own. He started Alan and Sons, named for his four boys: Tyler, Cameron, and 12-year-old twins Aiden and Logan.
“I wanted my kids to be involved,” he says. “We all pitch in.”
Two of them now work alongside him full-time.
Alan and Sons specializes in concrete raising, concrete repair, crack and joint sealing, pressure washing and, when necessary, full concrete replacement. The goal is always to save the existing concrete whenever possible.
“It’s less than a third of the cost of tearing out and replacing it,” Whitworth says. “It’s also more environmentally friendly.”
Sunken concrete is more than just an eyesore. It creates puddles, trip hazards and drainage problems. Alan sees it most often in driveways where the slab meets the garage, front steps, sidewalks near a home’s foundation and back patios. Settling usually happens, he explains, because builders don’t compact the soil well enough after backfilling around a foundation. Over time, the ground sinks — and the concrete sinks with it.
Whitworth’s method is different from many competitors. Instead of using polyurethane foam, he uses a natural clay-and-sand mix reinforced with Portland cement.
“Our mud is not a chemical,” he says. “Once I stop pumping, it stops moving. With poly, the reaction keeps expanding, and you can’t always control it. Our way is better for the ground and for the concrete.”
It starts with a visit to the property. Alan examines the problem area and, if it can be fixed, gives an on-the-spot estimate. When the crew arrives, they bring a truck and a 16-foot trailer carrying a pump and mixer. They drill 1 1/4-inch holes in the affected slab, then pump in the mud mixture starting at the lowest point. The mud fills voids beneath the slab and gradually lifts the concrete back to its original position.
Once the raising is complete, they insert a foam plug to separate the repair material from the surface patch, then apply a sand-cement patch that blends in with the rest of the slab. Whitworth says the finished result is hard to spot, and its appearance evens out even more after a few weeks. The work is washed down before the crew leaves, and most jobs are finished within a few hours.
If cracks or joints are open, Alan and Sons seals them to keep water from causing future erosion. For jobs where the concrete is too damaged to save, they can handle full tear-out and replacement.
The difference between repair and replacement isn’t just in the price. Replacing concrete means permits, utility marking and heavy equipment in the yard. It can take days to finish and often leaves a mess behind. Raising concrete avoids all that, and the surface can usually be used the same day.
Whitworth has seen how this can make a real difference for homeowners. He recalls a recent job for an elderly couple who could no longer use their back door because the sidewalk had sunk about three inches.
“We raised it up so they could step out safely,” he says. “That probably kept them out of the hospital.”
Customer Tom Elder agrees. “Alan and Sons should be your first and always choice in the concrete corrections and solutions. Their family business can always be depended on, from moving concrete to its original position and the crack filling from Alan’s son Tyler. Tyler puts the leveling crack filler in as a true artist. As myself being a picky person to do work for, Alan and Sons has always treated me with professionalism and a fair price.”
Whitworth has also helped apartment complexes, commercial properties and city sidewalks eliminate trip hazards quickly, preventing accidents and reducing liability.
While concrete raising is the mainstay, Alan and Sons also helps with drainage issues. If a downspout is causing erosion, it can be rerouted underground to a pop-up drain in the yard. They also level garage floors before epoxy coating and handle other flatwork repairs like patios and porches.
Whitworth stands behind every job with a three-year warranty.
“I don’t pack up until the customer is happy with what we’ve done,” he says. “I use the right material, and we do it right the first time.”
As longtime customer Steve Chadwick says, “Alan and Sons have done excellent work for us in the past. The prices were reasonable, and they left the work area clean and much safer.”
Working with family can be challenging, but Whitworth enjoys seeing his sons learn the trade. His oldest, Tyler, already has the skills to run a crew on his own.
“I could drop him off at a job and he’d do it start to finish,” Whitworth says. “Someday I’d like to hand the business over to him.”
The rest of the family supports in different ways. His wife, Sarah, manages the home front and works part time while raising the younger boys. Even the twins pitch in when needed.
Whitworth’s biggest tip is simple: don’t wait.
“If you see a problem, fix it as soon as you can,” he says. “It’s not going to get better on its own, and it’s usually cheaper to take care of it early.”
From his years in the field, he knows that a small crack or slope can quickly become a major repair — or a legal issue — if left alone. With his quick turnaround, most homeowners can have the work done without major disruption to their routine.
Whitworth hopes to expand services in the coming years, possibly adding decorative concrete and epoxy flooring to the lineup. The heart of the business, however, will remain the same: raising, repairing and preserving concrete for homeowners and businesses across Northwest Indiana.
“I like talking with people and seeing different places every day,” Whitworth says. “It’s satisfying to take something that looks bad and make it look good again. We help people feel safer at home, and that means a lot to me.”
Alan and Sons is located at 9481 Sycamore Bend in Rochester. For more information, contact Alan Whitworth at 219-307-1211 or email him at alanwhitworth80@gmail.com.
