Turn off every tap and water-using appliance in the house, then look at the meter. If the dial is still moving, water is going somewhere it shouldn't. That's not proof of a slab leak specifically, but it confirms an active leak and it's worth doing before you call anyone.
Slab leaks rarely announce themselves. These are the early signs:
This part of Texas has expansive clay soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry. A slab leak feeds water under the foundation continuously, and that moisture makes the soil move. Slab movement is expensive to correct and far more serious than the plumbing repair itself — which is the argument for acting on the early signs rather than waiting for certainty.
A contractor locates the leak before breaking anything, using acoustic listening equipment, pressure testing or thermal imaging. Once found, there are generally three routes: open the slab at that point and repair the section; reroute that line through the walls or attic, bypassing the slab entirely; or repipe the house if the plumbing is old enough that more leaks are likely. Rerouting is often cheaper than it sounds and avoids opening the floor.
More urgent than most plumbing problems, because of the foundation risk rather than the water loss. The plumbing repair is manageable; foundation damage is not.
Policies vary a lot. Many cover the damage caused by a sudden leak but not the pipe repair itself, and few cover gradual leaks. Read your policy, and document what you find.
Not always. Rerouting the affected line through walls or the attic avoids opening the slab and is often the better option, particularly when the leak is under finished flooring.
Send the details and we'll route it to a licensed local contractor. Free, no obligation.
