Slab Leak Detection & Repair
On a slab foundation, the fix you choose matters as much as the leak itself.
Most Tampa homes sit on concrete slabs, with supply lines running beneath them. When one fails you usually notice a warm patch on the floor, a running-water sound with everything off, or a water bill that jumped and stayed high.
There are two ways out: break through the slab and repair the failed section, or abandon that run and reroute a new line overhead. Neither is automatically right. A single failure on an otherwise sound line can justify a spot repair; a line that has already leaked twice usually cannot.
We locate before we quote, always. The price gap between a spot repair and a reroute is far too wide to guess at over the phone, and breaking concrete in the wrong place is expensive in a way that cannot be undone.
When this is likely your problem
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the quote
- Electronic and acoustic location of the leak beneath the slab
- A written explanation of both repair paths with pricing
- The repair method you approve — spot repair or reroute
- Pressure test of the repaired or rerouted line
- Basic patch of concrete we cut
Quoted separately
- Flooring removal and replacement over the work area
- Finish concrete work and surface restoration
- Drywall repair where a reroute runs new lines
- Foundation evaluation or structural work
- Permits where required
What drives the number
We quote after diagnosis, not before. These move the number most:
- METHODSpot repair through the slab versus a full reroute.
- LOCATIONWhere the leak sits and what flooring is above it.
- EXTENTOne failure versus a line with a repeat history.
Tampa note
Florida's high water table and sandy soils mean slab leaks here often present with damp flooring before anything else. If you have unexplained damp on a slab floor, it is worth testing for a supply leak before assuming it is humidity or a failed seal.
Related
What the visit involves
Verify it is under the slab
Plenty of suspected slab leaks turn out to be a wall line or a fixture.
Pinpoint the location
Acoustic and pressure methods put us on the spot rather than opening a large area.
Price both paths
You get both numbers where both apply, with a straight recommendation.
Repair, test, patch
Work completed, line pressure tested, concrete patched.
Questions about this service
Spot repair or reroute?
If it is a first failure on a line otherwise in good shape, a spot repair is reasonable. If the same line has failed before, a reroute usually costs less over time despite being more expensive today. We give you both prices and a straight recommendation.
Will you have to break my floor?
For a spot repair, yes — through the slab at the leak location, and through whatever flooring is on top. A reroute avoids the slab entirely by running new pipe overhead, which is one reason people choose it.
Does a slab leak damage the foundation?
Prolonged water under a slab can contribute to soil movement, which is a real concern. But we are plumbers, not structural engineers — if you see foundation cracking, that needs a specialist's opinion separately.
Ready to get this looked at?
Call and describe what's happening. You'll get an honest read before anyone drives out.