Slab Leak Detection & Repair in Fort Worth

Signs of a slab leak

• A water bill that jumps for no clear reason
• The meter moving with every tap, toilet and appliance off
• A warm spot on a tile or concrete floor, often a hot-water line
• Damp carpet, cupping wood floors or a musty smell with no source
• Running-water sounds when nothing is on
• Low pressure, sometimes at only one or two fixtures
• A water heater that runs constantly
• New cracks in tile or drywall, or doors that suddenly stick

Why Fort Worth slabs leak

North Texas clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, so the ground under a slab keeps moving and stresses the pipes beneath it. Slab leaks show up most after a long dry summer and again when fall rains soak the soil.

Age adds risk. Much of the housing around Riverside, Oakhurst and Six Points dates from the 1920s to the 60s, and the slab-built homes among them may still have original copper or galvanized lines under the floor. Hard water thins that pipe from inside while shifting concrete wears it from outside, and hot lines flex every time they heat up.

Many historic Fairmount homes differ: they sit on pier-and-beam foundations, with pipes in a crawl space that can be reached without touching concrete.

Hot side or cold side? A quick meter check

1. Turn off every faucet, ice maker, sprinkler and water-using appliance, then watch the leak indicator in the meter box, usually near the curb, for a few minutes.
2. If it moves, rule out a running toilet, a dripping hose bib or a leaking water heater first.
3. Close the cold-water valve on top of the water heater. If the indicator stops, the leak is probably on the hot side, which fits a warm spot on the floor.
4. If it keeps moving, close the main valve at the house. Movement now points to the yard line between the meter and the house, not the slab.

Knowing which side is leaking narrows down where the pipe runs before anyone opens a floor.

How we locate a leak under concrete

Opening a slab is disruptive, so the goal is to know exactly where to cut first. We start with your symptoms, water use and plumbing layout, then:

• Confirm the leak on the meter and separate the hot side from the cold
• Check floors, baseboards and walls for moisture and warmth
• Compare pressure and flow at each fixture to narrow down the run
• Rule out leaks outside the slab, such as a yard line or the water heater

Spot repair vs reroute

There are three usual fixes. The right one depends on where the pipe runs, the condition of the rest of the line and the flooring on top.

Spot repair

The slab is opened, or a tunnel dug from outside, at the leak, and the bad section is replaced. It suits one leak on otherwise sound pipe, with concrete and flooring work over the repair.

Reroute

The leaking run is abandoned and a new line goes through the attic or walls to the same fixtures, leaving the concrete alone. In an older home, where one leak can signal more to come, it's often the longer-lasting choice.

Repipe

If under-slab lines have leaked more than once, or the house still has galvanized supply pipe, replacing the system can cost less than chasing leaks. See piping and repiping, or water line repair if the leak is between the meter and the house.

Slab Leak FAQ

Get a slab leak checked in Fort Worth

Call (817) 755-5621 and tell us what you're seeing: a moving meter, a warm floor or a bill that doubled. We cover Fort Worth from Riverside, Six Points and the Northside to Near Southside, plus Haltom City, North Richland Hills, Saginaw, Lake Worth, Benbrook, Kennedale and Burleson.

New customers get $50 off; seniors, military and first responders get 10% off; and there's a $0 dispatch fee with a repair. Terms are on our coupons page.