Leaks under a slab
A supply line that runs under the concrete floor, most often a hot-water line. The leak spreads through the gravel and soil below the slab and can show as a warm spot, a damp edge or a hot-water loss rather than as a puddle.
Serving Orange County
Slab and Plumbing Leak Detection in Orlando, FL
Finding supply leaks hidden under slab floors, inside walls and beneath flooring in Orlando homes before the moisture spreads.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Storm flooding, slab leaks, A/C condensate
- Price confirmed on site before any work
- Drying tracked to dry-standard readings
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Slab Leaks
Slab and Plumbing Leak Detection: what it covers
Quick answer
Slab and plumbing leak detection locates water leaking from a supply line hidden under a concrete slab, inside a wall or beneath flooring. In Orlando, many homes are built on slabs, so a leak can run for weeks before a stain shows. Meter checks, moisture mapping and thermal imaging narrow the search. Phones are answered 24/7.
A leak you cannot see is the hardest kind to deal with. Water from a supply line under a slab or inside a wall spreads through the soil, the gravel base or the framing before it appears on the surface, and by the time a floor feels soft or a wall stains, the leak may have been running for weeks. The bill, a warm patch on the floor or a faint smell is often the first clue.
Much of Central Florida housing is typically built slab-on-grade, which means the supply lines typically run through or under a concrete floor rather than a crawl space or an attic. A leak under that floor is hard to reach without opening it, so the detection step is about locating the leak precisely enough that the smallest possible area has to be opened.
Detection is a diagnosis, not a repair. The job is to show where the water is and how far it has travelled, so that a plumber can fix the line and the restoration crew can dry the area that was wet. Finding the leak without the drying plan leaves the moisture in the slab and the flooring above it.
- Service area
- Orlando & Orange County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7, hurricane season included
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
Warning signs
Signs you need slab and plumbing leak detection
Do not dig, drill or cut into a slab or a wall to look for a leak. Stay off wet tile or vinyl near a live outlet, and keep the water heater's power and gas off if the leak is near its connections. Keep children and pets off the flooring above a suspected leak. Do not pour sealants or chemicals into the line to stop a leak. Call (833) 490-5225 to have the leak located before anything is opened.
- A water meter that keeps moving when every fixture in the house is closed, read by checking the dial or leak indicator
- A water bill that has risen sharply without a change in use, especially in the warmer months
- A warm patch on a tile or vinyl floor in one spot when the hot water heater is running
- A hot-water tap that takes longer than usual to run hot, or a loss of pressure when a fixture is opened
- Cracked or lifting tile, or a seam in the flooring that is slowly separating over one area
- A musty smell at the floor or the baseboard in one room with no visible source
- Damp soil or lush, soft grass over a line that runs from the house to the street
Options
Types and options for slab and plumbing leak detection
Leaks inside a wall
A supply or drain line that runs through a wall cavity, often behind a tub, a sink or a laundry closet. The leak soaks the drywall and the framing on one side, and the stain may appear on the far side of the room.
Leaks beneath flooring
A slow leak at a fitting or a valve that runs under tile, vinyl or wood flooring. The floor lifts or cups over time, and the moisture travels along the subfloor before it shows at a seam.
Skip the guesswork. Call for a straight answer.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what slab and plumbing leak detection should cost.
Does a slab leak always have to be dug up?
Not always. Many leaks can be reached through a small access point or a repair from above the slab, and the plumber chooses the least invasive method after the leak has been located. Some leaks do require opening a section of the floor.
The detection step exists to avoid opening more of the floor than necessary. Once the zone is known, the plumber can often reach the pipe through a cabinet, a wall or a single section of tile.
Ask the plumber to show the leak zone on the moisture map before the floor is opened, and to explain why each access point is needed.
Who is responsible for repairing the line?
A licensed plumber repairs the supply line, and the restoration crew handles the drying and the flooring. Detection does not repair anything, so ask who will do each part before the work is booked. Get each responsibility written into the scope before work starts.
A plumbing repair usually needs a permit, and the building office for the address decides the requirements. Ask the plumber who pulls the permit and whether the inspection happens before the floor is closed.
Keep the detection report, the moisture map and the plumber's invoice together. Those documents show when the leak was found and how it was handled, which the insurer will ask about.
Our process
How our slab and plumbing leak detection visit works
Confirm the leak with the meter
With every fixture closed, the water meter is read at the start and again after an interval. A moving reading confirms a leak in the supply, and a meter that stays still points to a fixture or a drain instead.
Narrow the area with listening and pressure
A listening device picks up the sound of escaping water through the slab or the wall, and a pressure test isolates each section of the supply. The result narrows the search to a zone the size of a room or a single run of pipe.
Map the moisture
Moisture meters and a thermal camera read the flooring and the walls across the zone. The map shows where the water has travelled, and it often reveals a second wet area that the leak did not obviously reach.
Hand the location to the plumber
The crew marks the leak zone and the moisture map and gives both to the plumber, who decides how to reach the line. The access is planned to open the smallest area possible, and the plumber's repair is checked by a pressure test before the floor is closed.
Dry the area and rebuild
Once the line is repaired, the wet slab edge, the subfloor and the flooring above are dried to a reference reading. Flooring and baseboard are replaced only after the readings match, and the record is kept for the insurer.
Orange County
Why slab and plumbing leak detection is different in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties
Hidden hot-water line leaks are a common local concern in slab homes. A supply line under the slab is warm when the heater runs, so a warm spot on the floor on a cool morning is a useful clue, and the water heater's own pan and connections are checked first.
Older houses in Pine Hills and Conway, built mainly from the 1960s through the 1980s, may have supply lines that have aged, and a leak can start at a fitting that has been under pressure for years. The burst pipe water damage page covers the sudden end of that process.
Newer slab-on-grade houses in Lake Nona and Hunters Creek more often show hidden leaks at appliance connections and hot-water lines inside walls, so the detection plan usually begins at the water heater and the laundry closet.
Where we work
Slab and Plumbing Leak Detection across Orange County
- Slab Leaks in College Park
- Slab Leaks in Conway
- Slab Leaks in Azalea Park
- Slab Leaks in Orlo Vista
- Slab Leaks in Winter Park
- Slab Leaks in Belle Isle
- Slab Leaks in Pine Hills
- Slab Leaks in MetroWest
- Slab Leaks in Maitland
- Slab Leaks in Lockhart
- Slab Leaks in Lake Nona
- Slab Leaks in Gotha
- Slab Leaks in Altamonte Springs
- Slab Leaks in Casselberry
- Slab Leaks in Clarcona
- Slab Leaks in Goldenrod
- Slab Leaks in Ocoee
- Slab Leaks in Windermere
- Slab Leaks in Meadow Woods
- Slab Leaks in Hunter's Creek
- Slab Leaks in Dr. Phillips
- Slab Leaks in Winter Springs
- Slab Leaks in Apopka
- Slab Leaks in Longwood
- Slab Leaks in Alafaya
- Slab Leaks in Oviedo
- Slab Leaks in Winter Garden
- Slab Leaks in Kissimmee
- Slab Leaks in Lake Mary
- Slab Leaks in Oakland
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Burst Pipe Water Damage
Shutting off a split supply line, removing the water and drying the wall cavities and floors it reached in Orlando and Orange County.
Water Heater Leak Damage
Shutting down a leaking water heater safely, drying the garage or closet it wet, and checking the permit before replacement in Orlando.
Drywall and Flooring Water Damage Repair
Rebuilding drywall, trim, flooring and cabinets once a water-damaged building is dry, with licence and permit questions answered first.
Mold After Water Damage
Assessing and removing mold that grew after a water loss in Orlando homes, with Florida's individual licensing explained.
Guides
Read before you book
What Affects Water Damage Restoration Cost in Orlando
This guide publishes no price.
Burst Pipes and Aging Plumbing in Orlando Homes
A burst supply pipe can flood a room within minutes, and in Orlando the failures that cause the most trouble are often hidden behind walls or under slabs.
FAQ
Slab and Plumbing Leak Detection FAQs
How much will the leak detection cost?
The detection visit is priced on the work it takes to locate the leak, and the estimate is explained and approved before the work starts. The repair and the restoration are separate estimates.
Can I shut the water off to test for a leak?
Yes. Turn off the main and watch the meter for a while. If the meter stays still, the leak is inside the house, and if it moves, it is in the supply line before the main or in the service line. Tell the detection crew what you saw.
What is the warm spot on my floor?
Often a hot-water line under the slab or in the floor cavity. The warmth comes from the water inside the pipe, so the spot is likely to be where the line runs. Report it and do not cover it with a rug until it has been looked at.
Does a leak detection visit fix the leak?
No. Detection locates the leak and maps the moisture. A plumber repairs the line, and the restoration crew dries the area. Ask each trade what it will do before the work begins.
Why is the floor still damp after the leak was repaired?
The slab and the subfloor hold water after the leak has stopped, and they dry slowly. Readings show when the area is dry, and the flooring should not be laid until they match the reference.
Can I be sure the leak is gone?
Ask the plumber for a pressure test after the repair, and check the meter again with every fixture closed. A written note of both readings gives you a record that the leak is no longer running.