Questions and Answers
Plain answers, no sales pitch.
What people most often ask us about water lines leaking beneath concrete floors.
Spotting a leak
Can you have a slab leak and not know it?
Easily. Cold-side leaks make no heat and can drain straight into the ground, so a climbing bill may be the only clue for months.
How common is a slab leak?
Common enough in slab-built regions that plumbers in the Sun Belt treat them as routine work, especially in homes with ageing copper under the floor.
What if the floor is warm but there is no leak?
Warmth can come from a hot line that is intact, in-floor heating or sunlight. A gauge test settles it before any repair is discussed.
Is a slab leak an emergency?
Normally a job for this week rather than tonight. Close the main if water is coming up and book a test.
Finding it
How do plumbers detect a slab leak?
Meter check, gauge test, hot and cold split, branch isolation, then listening equipment and thermal imaging to find the point.
How do you find a cold water leak under a slab?
By isolating each cold run and listening for escaping water, since cold leaks leave no heat trail.
How long does leak detection take?
One to three hours for most homes.
Fixing it
Can you fix a slab leak without digging?
Often. Overhead reroutes and tunnelling from outside both avoid opening the floor.
Should I repipe instead of repairing a slab leak?
Rarely for a first leak. After two or three failures on the same old system, have a repipe priced.
Can epoxy be used to fix pipe leaks?
Sometimes. Before agreeing, ask what the coating does in stretches of pipe that were not leaking.
How long does it take to fix a slab leak?
About a day for a spot repair or single reroute; longer for tunnels and repipes.
What is the average cost to fix a slab leak?
Repairs typically come to $1,500 to $5,800; a leak location visit on its own is usually $150 to $400.
Talk to us
Need Help With a Slab Leak?
Three quick checks
- Watch the small dial on your meter with all taps closed.
- Shut the water heater inlet and see whether the sound or warmth fades.
- Note any earlier leaks or repairs in the house.