Leak Detection & Repair Near You

Leak detection finds water leaks you can't see: inside walls, under floors, beneath a concrete slab or along the buried water line. Plumbers use acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging, moisture meters and pressure tests to pinpoint the leak, so they only open the spot that needs repair instead of tearing out walls to search.

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A chrome bathroom faucet with a drop of water at the spout

Signs of a Hidden Water Leak

Hidden leaks rarely announce themselves with dripping water. More often you notice the side effects first: a water bill that jumped without explanation, a musty smell, a warm patch of floor or the sound of water running when nothing is on. If your bill jumped, start with how to find the leak behind a high water bill.

Your water bill has gone up but your water use hasn't
The water meter keeps moving when every fixture is off
You hear running water when nothing is on
Warm spots on the floor, a sign of a hot water slab leak
Damp or stained drywall, a musty smell or mold
Low water pressure throughout the house
Wet patches in the yard along the water line

Hot Side or Cold Side? Narrowing Down a Hidden Leak

Once a meter test shows a leak, one more check narrows it down. With all fixtures off and the meter moving, close the cold water inlet valve on top of the water heater. If the meter stops, the leak is on the hot water side, which is common with slab leaks and often shows up as a warm spot on the floor. If the meter keeps moving, the leak is on the cold side or in the service line from the meter.

When a Leak Needs Same-Day Attention

Not every hidden leak needs a same-day visit, but some do. If water is visibly coming through a surface, or the meter is spinning fast, the leak is large and the damage is growing by the hour.

Water is visibly coming through a floor, wall or ceiling.
The meter is spinning fast with everything off, which means a large leak.
Water is pooling against the foundation or bubbling up in the yard.
A hot water slab leak is making a floor warm to the touch; shut off the water heater's cold inlet to slow it.

How to Confirm a Leak With Your Water Meter

If you can see water damage, shut off the main water valve.
Do a meter test: turn off every faucet and appliance, note the meter reading, wait an hour without using water and check it again. If the reading changed, you have a leak.
If you suspect a hot water slab leak, close the cold water inlet valve on top of the water heater.
Photograph any visible damage for your insurance claim.

How Plumbers Find and Repair Hidden Leaks

Good leak detection is about finding the leak before opening anything. The plumber confirms there's a leak, narrows it down to hot or cold and to a section of the house, then pinpoints it with listening equipment, thermal imaging and moisture meters so the repair opening is as small as possible.

Confirm the leak with a meter test or pressure test, and work out whether it's on the hot or cold side.
Pinpoint the location with acoustic, thermal and moisture equipment.
Open a small access point directly over the leak.
Repair the damaged section, or reroute the line if the pipe is failing in several places.
Pressure test the line to confirm the leak is fixed before closing up.

Spot Repair, Reroute or Repipe

Spot repair: Opens the floor or wall at the leak and replaces the damaged section. Best for a single, isolated leak.
Reroute: Abandons the leaking line and runs a new one through walls or the attic. Often used for slab leaks to avoid breaking concrete.
Repipe: Replaces the supply piping throughout the house when the pipes are aging and leaks keep happening.

What Affects the Cost of Leak Detection and Repair

Most of the cost in leak work comes from 2 things: how hard the leak is to find, and what has to be opened to fix it. A leak under a sink is quick. One under a concrete slab or behind finished tile is not.

How hard the leak is to find. A leak under a concrete slab or inside a finished wall takes more locating time than one under a sink.
Access to make the repair: cutting drywall, lifting flooring or opening concrete.
The repair method. A spot repair is quicker than rerouting a line through the attic or walls.
Pipe condition. If the pipe is failing in several places, a reroute or repipe may be recommended over another patch.
Restoring floors, drywall and finishes, which is usually separate from the plumbing work.

Leaks That Are Easy to Miss

Before assuming a leak is behind a wall, check the places leaks hide in plain sight.

A toilet flapper that seeps into the bowl without making noise. A few drops of food coloring in the tank will show it.
Irrigation lines and sprinkler valves, especially after mowing or digging.
A water softener stuck in its regeneration cycle and running to the drain.
A water heater relief valve that discharges into a pipe running outside.
Ice maker and refrigerator supply lines behind the fridge.

Why Slab Leaks Are Common in North and Central Texas

Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio have something in common: most homes sit on concrete slabs over clay soil that swells when wet and shrinks during drought. That movement puts stress on the water lines running under the slab, and over years it can crack them. In these cities, a warm spot on the floor, a meter that keeps turning, or a sudden jump in the water bill should be checked quickly, because slab leaks keep getting worse while they run.

Rerouting the line through walls or the attic is often chosen over breaking the slab, especially in older homes where more leaks are likely.

Local plumbing details: Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio

Slab Leaks by City

What our city pages say about slab leaks:

Manteca, CA: Copper lines under the slab pinhole and leak unseen.
North Richland Hills, TX: Clay soil shifts and stresses lines under older slabs.
Boynton Beach, FL: Copper lines under the slab pinhole and leak unseen.
Gulfport, MS: Lines under the slab leak unseen until a floor is warm or the bill jumps.
Henderson, NV: Most homes sit on slabs, and leaks underneath show up as warm floors or high bills.
Maricopa, AZ: Lines under the slab leak unseen until a floor is warm or the bill jumps.
Foley, AL: Lines under the slab leak unseen until a floor is warm or the bill jumps.
Lawton, OK: Clay soil swells and shrinks, stressing water lines under the slab.

What to Gather Before the Visit

Your water bills and a simple meter test give the plumber a head start, because they show how big the leak is and whether it's constant.

Recent water bills, especially if usage jumped.
The result of a meter test: the reading with everything off, and again an hour later.
Where you've seen damp spots, warm floors, stains or heard running water.
Whether the problem seems to affect hot water, cold water or both.

After the Leak Is Repaired

The best proof that the leak is fixed is the same meter test you may have done before the repair. Run it again a day or two later.

Do another meter test a day or two after the repair to confirm the leak is gone.
Watch the repaired area for new stains or dampness.
Keep an eye on your next water bill. Many utilities will adjust the bill once if you send a plumber's invoice.

Types of Leak Service

How to Catch Leaks Early

Know where your water meter is and check it now and then for movement when no water is running.
Keep household water pressure under about 80 psi. A pressure-reducing valve protects pipes.
Replace braided supply lines to toilets, faucets and appliances every several years.
Consider water leak sensors or an automatic shutoff valve, especially if you travel.

Leak Detection Questions Homeowners Ask

Can a leak be found without opening walls?

Yes. Acoustic, thermal and moisture equipment pinpoints most leaks without demolition. The plumber then opens only a small area directly over the leak to repair it.

Does homeowners insurance cover leaks?

Coverage varies by policy. Many policies cover sudden water damage but not the failed pipe itself. Check with your insurer before work begins and document the damage with photos.

Reviewed by Ron Olsen, Master Plumber, certified in Washington