What the work covers
Slab leak detection and repair, from first reading to closed floor
Two jobs in one: prove where the water is escaping, then choose the least destructive way to stop it.
Most slab homes here carry supply lines, and all of them carry drains, in or under the concrete. When a copper line wears through against gravel or concrete, water soaks the soil beneath the house. Hot-side leaks show up as warm floors; cold-side leaks can run for months before the bill gives them away.
Detection comes first because guessing is expensive. A jackhammer in the wrong room fixes nothing and adds a floor repair to the bill.
- Meter and pressure tests that separate hot, cold and drain leaks
- Acoustic and thermal pinpointing of the leak through the floor
- Spot repair through a small opening in the slab directly over the leak
- Reroutes that abandon the buried line and run new PEX through walls or attic
- Tunnel repairs from outside the foundation when floors must stay intact
- Retesting, backfill and compaction before the opening is closed
Signs and causes
What are the signs of a slab leak in a Georgetown house?
Water under a slab rarely makes a puddle. It shows up as heat, sound, cracks and numbers.
Check for these
- A warm or hot spot on tile or wood flooring, often near a bathroom or the kitchen
- The meter or its leak indicator moving with every fixture off
- The sound of running water when nothing is on
- A water heater that fires more often than it used to
- Damp carpet pad or a musty smell along an interior wall
- New cracks in tile, baseboards pulling away or doors starting to stick
Ground matters as much as pipe. East of I-35, Blackland Prairie clay swells when wet and shrinks hard in a dry August. The slab rides that movement, and pipes cast into or laid beneath it take the stress.
West of the interstate, Edwards limestone moves less. There, leaked water can follow the rock and the gravel bed and appear a room away from the break, which is why a careful trace beats a guess.
How it is done
Slab leak repair in Georgetown, TX, step by step
From the first meter reading to a patched floor, in six stages.
Confirm a leak exists
With every fixture off, we read the meter and its leak indicator. Movement means water is escaping somewhere between the meter and the fixtures.
Isolate each system
Hot and cold sides are closed off and pressure-tested separately, and drains get checked when the signs point to odor or damp. That tells us which line to chase.
Pinpoint the spot
Acoustic listening picks up the hiss through concrete, and thermal imaging traces a hot-water leak as a warm bloom. The leak is then marked on the floor.
Choose the repair together
Spot repair, reroute or tunnel, each with its trade-offs and a quote, before anything is cut. Flooring, furniture and the age of the other buried pipes all weigh in.
Make the repair
A spot repair opens a small section of slab and splices in new pipe. A reroute runs new PEX overhead and caps the old line. A tunnel reaches the pipe from outside.
Test, then close
The line is pressure-tested again and the meter rechecked before the opening is backfilled, compacted and patched with concrete, ready for the flooring trade.
Cost
What does slab leak detection cost, and what drives the repair price?
No two slab leaks cost the same. These are the variables, and the quote comes on site before work starts.
Reroute or tunnel: how the method changes the job
| Method | Fits when | Main cost drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Spot repair | The leak sits under replaceable tile or in a closet | Concrete cutting, the flooring above, one splice |
| Reroute | Other buried lines are the same age, or the floor is costly to replace | Length of the new run, attic and wall access, drywall patches |
| Tunnel | The leak is mid-house under finished floors | Tunnel length, soil type, hauling and backfill |
Detection is priced by how hard the leak is to hear and isolate. A single hot-side leak under a bathroom is found faster than a faint cold-side leak in a large single-story home. Several leaks at once usually point toward a reroute.
Flooring, cabinets and trim above the spot are restoration costs, separate from the plumbing.
Rules and coverage
Texas 811, permits and insurance before the slab is opened
Three things to settle before anyone cuts or digs.
A tunnel or any outside excavation starts with Texas 811. State law requires the call at least two business days before digging, so buried gas, power and cable lines get marked.
A reroute is a partial repipe, and most cities in the area require permits for repipes, so we pull one when the job calls for it. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners regulates plumbing statewide, and its public search names the Responsible Master Plumber behind any company.
On coverage, the Texas Department of Insurance says most home policies cover sudden, accidental water damage but usually not gradual leaks. Read your own policy and photograph the area before the floor is cut.
Why Alta Vista Plumbing
Why homeowners call Alta Vista Plumbing about a leak under the floor
One reviewer’s story says more than a list of promises.
One customer lost water over Super Bowl weekend to a hot-water leak under the slab near the master shower. When we came out, the leak was uncovered and repaired in about three hours, in a single visit. Pinpointing first is what makes a one-visit repair like that possible.
We have worked under Georgetown slabs, on limestone and on clay, since 1999. A 4.7 average from 436 Google reviews reflects that history, and customers often mention options explained, and a quote given, before any concrete is cut. Residential or commercial, call (512) 988-5119.
A slab leak repair, as one customer told it
4.7 average from 436 Google reviewsRead our Google reviews
We were without water over super bowl weekend due to a hot water leak under the slab near the master bathroom shower. I called multiple plumbing co. Monday and only Alta Vista could help us that day. Lydia came out and in about three hours had the leak uncovered and repaired! Very happy with her work!! Thank You!
Reply from Alta Vista Plumbing
Anytime our fellow man in need, we always try our best to go out and give our 100%. I hope we can in the future, build a working relationship with all your plumbing needs. Thanks again for your rate Mr. Hanson. and again, i'm happy we were there to help.
Excellent plumbing company with knowledgeable and professional staff. They repaired my plumbing issue promptly and in a very timely manner from my initial contact. They showed up on time and were ready with materials and supplies to complete my repair issue. We will use them again without hesitation.
Jared was amazingly helpful and thorough. He managed to balance being a genuinely nice guy with his professional know-how which made having him do the work a pleasure. Steve Maldonado responded in a timely fashion and always kept me up to date with what was happening. His responsiveness and professionalism were what made me give the job to Altavista Services in the first place.