Foundation Plumbing Leak Repair in Fort Worth

How leaks and North Texas clay move a foundation

Fort Worth slabs sit on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells when rain returns. A sound slab rides that out when the soil wets and dries evenly. A leak breaks the balance:

• Swelling in one spot: a broken pipe keeps the clay under one room wet while the rest dries, so that area can heave.
• Soil washing out: a steady leak can carry soil away and let part of the slab settle.
• It works both ways: seasonal movement can also crack old pipe joints under the slab and start a leak.

That's why many foundation companies ask for a plumbing test: leveling a slab over an active leak leaves the soil still changing.

Signs the leak is in a drain line

Drains aren't pressurized. They leak mostly while water runs, so the bill may barely change. Watch for:

• A sewer or musty smell indoors with no clear source
• Damp baseboards or flooring beside a tub, shower or toilet
• Floor cracks growing in one area, or doors that start sticking
• Soft, wet soil along one side of the foundation

Warm floor spots or a moving meter point to a water line instead; our leak detection covers both.

Not every cracked foundation is a plumbing leak

Clay moves on its own, so a crack alone doesn't prove a pipe is broken. Before anyone breaks concrete, rule out gutters emptying at the foundation, grading that sends rain toward the house, leaking sprinklers, AC condensate lines and groundwater. If your plumbing tests clean, we'll tell you so.

Hydrostatic test: checking the drains under your slab

A hydrostatic test shows whether the drains under your foundation hold water. It's usually what a foundation company or home inspector means by a plumbing test.

1. We plug the main drain, usually at the outside cleanout, with an inflatable test ball.
2. We fill the drains with water to just below floor level.
3. We mark the level and watch it. A drop means water is escaping under the slab.
4. We test smaller sections to narrow it down, then run a camera inspection to find the break.

No sinks, toilets or showers can be used during the test.

Fixing a drain leak under the foundation

There are two main ways to reach a broken pipe under a slab:

• Through the floor: a section of slab is opened, the pipe repaired and the concrete patched. Good for a single break under removable flooring.
• Tunneling: the pipe is reached from outside, under the slab, without breaking floors inside. Good for breaks under cabinets or tile.

We go over the options before work starts and test again after any repair. See drain repair and drain replacement.

Working with your foundation contractor

1. Test the drains, and the water lines if needed, before leveling.
2. Repair any leaks, so a broken pipe isn't keeping the soil wet.
3. Let the foundation crew level or pier the house.
4. Test again after the lift. Raising a slab can separate old pipe joints, so a line that passed before can fail after.

Fort Worth homes where this comes up

We're based at 955 N Sylvania Ave in Riverside. Homes in Riverside, Oakhurst and Six Points date largely from the 1920s to the 1960s, and the later ones often sit on slabs with cast-iron drains in the clay below. Cast iron rusts from the inside, so the camera may show a whole run rusted thin, and replacing that section is the lasting fix. Pier-and-beam houses, like many in historic Fairmount, have their drains in a crawlspace, where a leak can often be seen instead of tested for.

Foundation leak FAQ

Worried about a leak under your foundation?

Call (817) 755-5621. Office hours 8 AM–11 PM daily · 24/7 emergency service. Not urgent? Contact us to book a test.

Coupons: $0 dispatch fee with a repair; $50 off for new customers; 10% off for seniors, military and first responders. Terms on the coupons page.

We serve Fort Worth, including Riverside, Oakhurst, Six Points, Northside, Fairmount and Near Southside, plus Haltom City, North Richland Hills, Saginaw, Lake Worth, Benbrook, Kennedale and Burleson.