A slab leak is a leak in a water line that runs under your home’s concrete foundation. Because the water soaks into the soil instead of onto your floor, it can run for months before anyone sees it. The early signs are a higher water bill, the sound of running water when everything is off, and a warm spot on the floor. A simple meter test can confirm it.
Most single-story homes in Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Cypress, Cerritos and Huntington Beach sit on a slab with copper water lines underneath. After 40 to 60 years, that copper wears thin, especially where hard water and shifting soil add stress. Hot water lines tend to fail first.
Leaks in general are more common than most people think. According to the EPA’s WaterSense program, household leaks waste more than 9,300 gallons a year in the average home, and about 9 percent of homes have leaks that waste 50 gallons or more every day.
A Water Bill That Doesn’t Make Sense
Compare your last several bills. A steady climb with no change in how you use water is often the first clue.
The Sound of Running Water
Turn off every faucet, appliance and the irrigation system, then listen near the floor. A faint hiss or rush with everything off points to a leak somewhere in the system.
A Warm Spot on the Floor
When a hot water line leaks, it heats the slab above it. You may notice a warm patch on tile or wood, or a pet that suddenly likes one spot in the house.
Damp Flooring, Cracks or a Musty Smell
Over time the water works its way up. Carpet that feels damp, wood flooring that cups, new cracks in tile, or a mildew smell can all come from below.
A Water Heater That Never Rests
If hot water is leaking out under the house, the heater keeps refilling and reheating. A heater that runs constantly is worth checking.
The EPA suggests a simple check. Turn off all water in the house, read your water meter, wait two hours without using any water, and read it again. If the number changed, water is leaking somewhere. Many meters also have a small leak indicator dial that spins when water is moving.
Before you blame the slab, rule out the toilets. Put a few drops of food coloring in each tank. If color shows up in the bowl within 10 minutes, that toilet is leaking, and a worn flapper is a much cheaper fix.
We use acoustic and thermal leak detection equipment to pinpoint the leak through the floor. That means we only open the floor where the leak actually is, not across the whole room.
Once we know where the leak is, there are three common approaches. A spot repair opens the slab at the leak and fixes that section. A reroute abandons the failed line and runs a new one through the walls or attic. A full repipe replaces all the water lines in the house. Spot repairs make sense for a first leak in otherwise sound pipe. If the house has had more than one leak, rerouting or repiping usually costs less over time. We’ll explain the tradeoffs and give you a clear price for each. Learn more about slab leak repair.
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