Leak Detection & Repair
The expensive part of a leak is rarely the repair. It's the damage from the weeks nobody knew about it — and the concrete somebody jackhammered in the wrong spot looking for it.
Signs you have a hidden leak
- A water bill that jumped without a change in your usage
- The sound of running water when every fixture is off
- A warm spot on the floor — classic hot-side slab leak
- Cracked, buckling, or lifting flooring
- Musty smell, or mildew in a spot that shouldn't be damp
- Pressure that's dropped across the house
- Grass that's greener in one patch than everywhere around it
Quick check you can do yourself: shut off every fixture and appliance that uses water, then look at the meter. If the low-flow indicator is still turning, you're losing water somewhere.
How we find it
The whole point is to locate the leak before opening anything. We use acoustic listening equipment to hear pressurized water escaping through concrete and soil, pressure testing to isolate which line is losing, and thermal imaging to find temperature differentials from hot-side leaks. On drain and sewer lines we run a camera and, where needed, a locator to mark the exact spot and depth.
What you get is an X on the floor rather than an educated guess, which is the difference between one small opening and a series of exploratory holes.
Slab leaks
Homes on slab foundations have supply lines running through or under the concrete. When one fails you have three realistic options, and the right one depends on the age of the plumbing, how many leaks you've had, and what's above the line.
- Spot repair — open the slab at the leak, repair, patch. Best when the plumbing is otherwise sound and it's a first leak.
- Reroute — abandon the failed section and run a new line overhead or through walls. Avoids opening the slab entirely. Often the best value on a single leak.
- Repipe — when you've had multiple leaks, the pipe is telling you something. See repiping.
We'll lay out all three with costs so the decision is yours and not ours.
Irrigation and exterior leaks
On larger North County properties — ranches, vineyards, homes on acreage — a surprising share of mystery water loss turns out to be irrigation rather than domestic plumbing. Broken laterals, stuck valves, and failed backflow devices can quietly move a lot of water. We isolate domestic from irrigation first so you're not chasing the wrong system.
Leak Detection FAQs
How much does leak detection cost?
We charge a flat diagnostic fee for the location work and credit it toward the repair when you have us do the fix. You'll know the number before we start.
Will my homeowners insurance cover this?
Policies vary, but many cover the resulting water damage and the cost of accessing the leak, while excluding the failed pipe itself. We provide documentation, photos, and a written scope you can hand to your adjuster.
Can you find a leak without tearing anything up?
That's the entire idea. Acoustic, pressure, and thermal methods are non-invasive. We only open up once we know where we're going.
How urgent is a slab leak?
More urgent than it feels. It's below your floor moving water into soil and subfloor continuously, and the damage compounds quietly. Don't sit on it.
Other services
Drain Cleaning
Slow drains, backed-up sinks, and stubborn main-line clogs cleared with cable machines, hydro-jetting, and camera confirmation.
Learn moreWater Heaters
Repairs, same-day replacements, and tankless conversions — sized properly and installed to code, with our hard water in mind.
Learn moreRepiping & Water Lines
Galvanized, polybutylene, and failing copper replaced with PEX or copper — planned around your household, not the other way around.
Learn moreNeed a plumber who picks up the phone?
Call and talk to someone who actually does the work. We'll tell you what's wrong, what it costs, and when we can be there.