Slab Leak Detection & Repair
Locate and fix a leak under the concrete slab that many St. Pete homes sit on.
Leaks and water lines
Leak Detection in St. Petersburg, FL
A water bill that jumped, a damp spot with no source, or a meter that turns when everything is off. Leak detection finds where the water is going before anyone opens a wall.
Call, describe what you see, and the dispatcher connects you with a local contractor.
Clues of a hidden leak
- Meter keeps movingThe dial turns with every fixture and appliance off.
- Bill climbs for no reasonUse stays high with no change in how many people are home.
- Damp or warm spotsA wet patch on a floor, a stain on a ceiling or a warm tile.
How to tell a leak from normal use
Start with the meter. Turn off every tap, the ice maker and the irrigation, then watch the small leak indicator on the meter face, often a tiny dial or triangle. If it spins, water is moving somewhere it should not.
Next, check the toilets. A flapper that does not seal can lose hundreds of gallons a month with no sound. A few drops of food coloring in the tank will show color in the bowl within fifteen minutes if the flapper is leaking.
If the meter holds still when the house is off, the leak may be intermittent, or it may only appear under pressure when a fixture is in use. That is a different search, and it usually starts with the irrigation system and the water heater.
How the search works
A leak search narrows the problem in stages instead of guessing. The plumber isolates the house by closing the main valve and watching the pressure, then closes branch valves to work out which section of pipe is losing water.
Once the section is known, a plumber can listen along the pipe for escaping water. A thermal camera can also show a cool or warm patch where a line is leaking behind a surface. On a line under concrete, a plumber may pressurize the pipe and trace the sound to a spot on the floor above it.
The goal is a small, accurate opening. A leak pinpointed to a few square feet means a patch, not a demolished wall. That is where most of the savings in this work come from.
In St. Pete
Slabs and summer storms
Many homes in the area are built on a concrete slab, so a lot of the plumbing runs underneath the floor rather than in an attic or crawlspace. That makes slow leaks harder to see and easier to ignore.
Heavy summer rain can also muddy the picture. A wet yard after a storm is not always a sprinkler or supply leak, so a meter test is worth doing before anyone digs.
Cost
What affects the price of finding a leak
Leak detection is usually priced by the time and method needed to pin the leak down, then the repair is quoted separately. These things move the number.
Ask whether the detection fee is credited toward the repair if the same contractor does the work. Practices differ, so get it in the quote.
Where leaks usually hide
Supply lines in a wall, the fittings behind a tub, the line to an ice maker or washing machine, and the pipe running under a slab are the usual locations. Outside, the irrigation system and the line from the meter to the house account for many of the rest.
Drain leaks behave differently from supply leaks. A drain only leaks while water is going down it. A stain that shows up after a shower or a load of laundry points to a drain, and a stain that grows all day points to a pressurized supply line.
Pool and spa plumbing can also be the source of a high water bill. If the pool needs topping up more than evaporation explains, see pool leak detection and repair.
What happens after the leak is found
The plumber explains what was found, where it is and what the repair involves. Some leaks are a ten-minute fix, like a failed shutoff valve. Others, like a leaking pipe under a slab, are a bigger job with more than one way to approach it.
Ask whether the repair covers the pipe only or also the access hole. Patching drywall or tile is often a separate trade, and it helps to know that before the work starts. If water has already soaked the structure, the drying is a separate job, covered on the water damage restoration page.
Signs to watch
Signs you may need leak detection
Most hidden leaks announce themselves in small ways. Any one of these is enough reason to look closer.
Which method finds which kind of leak
No single tool finds every leak. Listening gear picks up the sound of water escaping a pressurized pipe, and it works best on metal lines. Thermal imaging shows temperature changes behind a wall or under a floor. A camera reaches inside drain and sewer pipes. A pressure test isolates a section of line and shows whether it holds. Tracer gas helps when a leak is quiet and the pipe is plastic.
Which of these a contractor carries varies, and the equipment is not something this page can promise for every job. When you call, ask what they plan to use and why. A good answer ties the method to the pipe material and where the leak seems to be.
How close can the leak be pinpointed?
The goal is a spot small enough that only a small opening is needed, not a whole wall. Ask whether the contractor marks the location on the floor, wall or ground, and how large an opening to expect before any work starts.
When a first search did not find the leak
Some owners call after another plumber looked and left without an answer. That is common with slow leaks, buried plastic pipe and leaks that only show under pressure. A second visit should change the approach, not repeat it.
Useful steps include shutting off one branch at a time and watching the meter, pressure testing the line from the meter to the house, and checking the supply to the water heater and the irrigation tie-in. Tell the dispatcher what has already been tried so the next contractor starts there.
Rentals, multi-unit buildings and houses being sold
A triplex or small apartment building has several branches, and a tenant may report a symptom far from the real leak. Mention the number of units, whether a single meter feeds them and which units show damp or stains. That tells the contractor where to begin.
If a house is under contract, say so. A buyer may ask for a leak check, and a seller may need the answer quickly. Ask what the report will show, since a clear written finding is easier to hand to an agent or an insurer.
For repairs, ask whether the same company can fix the leak once it is found. Some owners prefer to repair it themselves or hire someone else, and that is fine. The detection fee and the repair quote are usually separate, so ask how each is priced before work begins.
Before we arrive
What to do before a contractor arrives
A few minutes of preparation saves time on site.
Related services
Water Line Repair & Replacement
Repair or replace the pipe that carries water from the meter into the house.
Water Damage Restoration
Dry out and restore a home after a leak, burst pipe or storm water.
Common questions
Leak detection questions
Watch the water meter with everything off. If the leak indicator moves, water is flowing somewhere. A sudden jump in your bill, a musty smell and a warm patch on the floor are other signs.
Often yes. A plumber can isolate the pipe, listen along it and scan with a thermal camera, then open only the spot where the leak is. Hidden leaks that only show under pressure take longer.
Treat it as one if water is actively spreading or near electrical outlets. Shut off the main valve and call. A slow leak can wait a day, but the damage grows the longer it sits.
Some homeowner policies cover the cost of finding a sudden leak, and many do not cover repairing worn pipe. Read your policy and ask your insurer before work begins.
Very likely. Make sure the ice maker, irrigation and softener are not cycling, then watch the leak indicator. If it still moves, water is going somewhere. A contractor can then tell whether it is on the line before the house or inside.
Common tools are acoustic listening gear, thermal cameras, drain cameras, pressure testing and tracer gas. Equipment varies by contractor, so ask which one they will use for your pipe type and where the leak seems to be.
That is the aim. Ask before the visit whether they mark the spot, how close they expect to pinpoint it and how large an opening is likely.
Often yes, but confirm it on the call. Detection and repair are usually quoted separately, so ask how each is priced and whether a detection fee is credited toward repair.
Share what was already tested. A new visit should use a different method, such as isolating sections of pipe or pressure testing the line between the meter and the house.
Tell the dispatcher how many units there are and where water shows up. Multi-unit buildings need a plan by branch, and the dispatcher can connect you with a contractor who handles them.
Water going somewhere it should not?
Close the main valve if you can reach it, then call. Describe what you see and the dispatcher will explain what happens next.