The meter test
The cheapest diagnostic you own:
- Turn off every tap, appliance and ice maker.
- Find your water meter and note the reading, or watch the low-flow indicator.
- Wait fifteen minutes without using water.
- Read it again.
Movement means a leak. No movement over fifteen minutes means any leak is very small or intermittent - repeat overnight to be sure.
Signs worth acting on
- A water bill that rises with no change in usage
- The sound of running water when nothing is on
- A warm or damp patch on a slab floor
- Cracks appearing in drywall or tile, or doors that stop closing squarely
- Mildew smell in a cupboard or along a wall base
- Grass that is greener over one line in the yard
What a professional adds
Acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging and pressure isolation testing locate a leak without opening walls or breaking slab speculatively. The point of paying for detection is not finding that you have a leak - the meter told you that for free - it is finding exactly where, so the repair opens one square foot of floor instead of ten.
Do not wait
A slab leak does not stay the same size. Water under a foundation moves soil, and soil movement is what turns a plumbing bill into a structural one.
Common questions
How do I know if I have a hidden leak?
Shut every tap and water-using appliance, then watch your meter. If the dial still moves, water is going somewhere it should not. That single test catches most hidden leaks.
What is a slab leak?
A leak in a supply line running beneath a concrete foundation. Common in Texas because of slab-on-grade construction. Signs include a warm spot on the floor, unexplained damp carpet, and a water bill that climbs without explanation.
Will insurance cover it?
Policies commonly cover the resulting damage but not the pipe repair itself, and almost never cover damage from a leak that was neglected. Document when you noticed it and when you reported it.