Burrows don't stop at the seawall. Under a slab, patio, or driveway they create voids that lead to settling and cracks — here's how to catch it early.
People associate iguana burrows with seawalls, and rightly so, but the burrowing doesn't respect the waterline. Iguanas dig into any soft, sun-exposed ground they like, and that includes the fill under pool decks, patios, walkways, and driveways, and the beds tight against a warm foundation. The result is the same as at the seawall — voids where there should be compacted soil.
I see this on inland Palm Beach County lots as well as waterfront ones, which surprises owners who thought moving off the canal meant they were clear. A bed against a sunny south-facing foundation is prime digging whether or not there's water nearby.
How a burrow undermines a slab
Concrete flatwork relies on the soil beneath it staying put and staying compacted. A burrow network under a slab breaks that.
- Tunnels remove and loosen the fill that supports the slab from below.
- Rain washes more soil into and through the voids, enlarging them.
- The unsupported slab settles unevenly, and concrete that can't flex, cracks.
- Pavers and walkways heave or sink at the seams as the base shifts under them.
Foundations and the beds against them
The landscaping beds tight against a house are a favorite because the foundation radiates warmth and the mulch is easy digging. Burrowing there doesn't threaten a properly built foundation the way it threatens a thin pool deck, but it does undermine the soil grading that keeps water flowing away from the house, and it can void out the fill under adjacent flatwork. Water that pools against a foundation because the grade collapsed into a burrow is its own slow problem.
The signs to watch for
This damage is quiet until it isn't, so catching the early signs saves you the expensive version.
- Half-moon holes with a fan of loose soil against the foundation or at the edge of a slab.
- Soft or sunken spots underfoot within a few feet of the driveway, patio, or deck.
- New hairline cracks in flatwork, or existing ones widening.
- Pavers or walkway sections settling unevenly at the seams.
- Mulch or soil visibly migrating into a hole after rain.
Why patching alone loses
Filling a burrow while the iguanas still live there is a losing game — they re-dig within days, often a foot to the side of where you packed. And re-pouring a settled slab over soil that's still being tunneled just buys you a repeat. The repair has to be paired with removal so the animals causing it are gone, and with climb-route and bank work so the property doesn't refill.
The cheap version of this problem
Concrete work — re-pouring a settled deck or driveway section, re-leveling pavers — runs well into the thousands once it's needed, and like seawall damage it's the kind of gradual, earth-movement damage insurance tends to exclude. Catching burrows early and removing the animals is the cheap version. Single visits start from $189 and monitored programs from $99/mo, and the free walk is the fastest way to find out whether burrows have already started under your hardscape.
Questions we hear
Can iguana burrows really crack my driveway?
They can undermine it. Burrows remove and loosen the fill that supports the slab, rain enlarges the voids, and unsupported concrete settles and cracks. It's the same mechanism that fails seawalls, just under your hardscape instead of your bank.
I'm not on the water — am I safe from burrow damage?
Not necessarily. Iguanas dig into any soft, sunny ground, including beds against a warm foundation and fill under patios and driveways. Inland lots get burrow damage too, which surprises owners who assumed the canal was the only risk.
Can't I just fill the holes myself?
Filling alone rarely holds — if the iguanas are still there they re-dig within days, often right beside where you packed. The fill has to be paired with removing the animals and closing the climb and bank routes, or you're shoveling the same soil twice.
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