Slab Leak Repair in Lawrenceville, GA
Water leaking from a pipe in or under the concrete floor can run for months before anyone sees it. Call and we connect you with an independent local plumber who handles slab leak detection and repair in Lawrenceville and across Gwinnett County.
Slab Leak Detection and Repair in Lawrenceville
What a slab leak is and why it matters here
A slab leak is a leak in a water line that runs in or under the concrete floor of a house. You cannot see the pipe, so the first clue is usually something else: a water bill that jumped, a warm patch on the floor or the sound of water in a quiet house. This site is a referral line. Call (770) 285-5619 and we connect you with an independent local plumber who handles slab leaks. The plumber does the work and gives you the price.
Signs of a slab leak
- A warm or hot spot on a tile, wood or concrete floor
- Running-water sound when all fixtures are off
- Water bill is up with no change in use
- Water meter moves with the house main closed
- Damp carpet, baseboards or a musty smell along an interior wall
- Lower water pressure, or the water heater running more than usual
- Floor tiles lifting or grout lines wet
Why Slab Leaks Happen in Gwinnett Homes
Pipe age, soil and installation
Not every Gwinnett house has a slab. Many homes sit on crawlspaces or basements. Slab-on-grade is common in some subdivisions, in ranch-style houses and in additions. Check your own house: if the plumbing for a bathroom or kitchen comes up through the floor with no crawlspace or basement below, you have a slab.
- Pipe material and age. Copper under slabs from the 1970s through the 1990s can develop pinhole leaks. Polybutylene was used in some homes from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s and fails at fittings. Newer slab homes with PEX can leak at fittings or where a pipe rubbed against rock or concrete.
- Red clay movement. Gwinnett soil is red clay. It swells when wet and shrinks when dry, which can shift a slab slightly and stress the pipes beneath.
- Water pressure. High pressure wears pipes faster. A failed pressure regulator is worth checking.
- Installation damage. A pipe nicked or bent while the slab was poured can fail years later.
Confirm It: A Simple Meter Test First
Before you pay for detection
- Turn off every faucet and appliance that uses water.
- Look at the leak indicator on your water meter at the street. If it moves, water is going somewhere.
- Close the house main shutoff. If the indicator still moves, the leak is between the meter and the house, not under the slab. If it stops, the leak is on the house side, which includes a slab leak.
- Check the water heater area and under sinks to rule out an obvious drip.
Share what you found with the plumber. If the leak is outside, see water line repair.
How Slab Leaks Are Found and Repaired
Detection first, then three repair routes
A plumber usually isolates the hot and cold sides and zones of the house, listens for the leak with acoustic equipment, and may use thermal imaging or a pressure test to confirm the location. The aim is to open the floor in one place instead of guessing.
Spot repair through the slab
The plumber cuts the concrete above the leak, repairs the pipe and patches the slab. It suits a single leak in good pipe, with floors that can be repaired.
Reroute through the attic or walls
The leaking slab line is capped and a new line runs overhead or in walls. Often the better answer when there are multiple leaks or aging copper. Related: repiping.
Pipe lining
A coating is applied inside the pipe. It is not an option for every pipe and not for all leak types, so ask whether it fits yours.
Ask the plumber how flooring will be handled. Tile, hardwood and carpet each change the work, and who replaces them is a question to settle before the job.
What to Do While You Wait
Slab leak action list
- Close the house main shutoff if water is coming up through the floor.
- Turn off the water heater (breaker for electric units, gas control to pilot or off for gas) if the leak is on the hot side.
- Keep rugs and furniture off wet areas and run fans if the floor is damp.
- Take photos and write down when you first noticed the bill, warm spot or sound.
- Call your insurance company early, before repairs begin.
Slab leaks can become an emergency quickly. For after-hours help see emergency plumbing.
What Affects Slab Leak Repair Cost
The things that change the price
- The method: spot repair, reroute or lining.
- How many leaks the plumber finds.
- The floor above: tile, hardwood, carpet or bare concrete.
- Pipe material and how much has to be replaced.
- Permits or inspections that apply in your city or county.
This site does not set prices. Ask the plumber for the price before any work starts, and ask what is included for flooring, patching and cleanup.
Slab Leak Repair in Lawrenceville and Gwinnett County
Where the plumbers on this line work.
Water Supply
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources supplies water to most of the county, including most Lawrenceville addresses. Buford has its own water system.
Slab Homes and Crawlspaces
If your home has a crawlspace instead of a slab, the leak may be easier to reach. See burst pipe repair and leak detection.
Age Matters
Pipes in a 1980s slab home are old enough to start failing. A single repair may be only the first of several.
Mold Risk
Water under a slab can wick into walls and flooring. Dry the floor and watch for musty smells in the weeks after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common signs are a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water with every fixture off, a water bill that jumps, a meter that moves when the house main is closed on the house side, damp carpet or baseboards, and cracks or floors that feel wet along a wall. Warm floor spots point to a hot water line, since the leak heats the concrete.
Typically in stages: a meter test to confirm water is leaking, isolating hot from cold and zones of the house, then listening equipment, thermal imaging and pressure testing to pinpoint the spot. The goal is to open the floor in one place, not several. See also leak detection.
There are three common approaches: breaking through the concrete at the leak and repairing the pipe, rerouting the line through the attic or walls so the slab pipe is abandoned, or relining the pipe from the inside. Which one makes sense depends on how many leaks there are, the pipe material, the flooring above and how easy the ceiling or attic is to reach.
It can be. Shut off the water at the house main and call if water is coming up through the floor or the meter is spinning fast. A slow leak can wait for a daytime visit, but it does not fix itself. Water under a slab can wash out soil, damage flooring and run up the bill.
There is no single number. The cost depends on the method, the floor covering above the leak, the pipe material and how many leaks there are. This site does not set prices. Ask the plumber for the price before any work starts, and ask whether flooring and drywall are included.
If there is one leak in a good pipe, a spot repair can make sense. If the house has had two or more leaks, or the pipe is aging copper that is pinholing, rerouting the lines through the attic is often the longer-term answer. The plumber should explain both options. See repiping.
Some policies cover the resulting damage but not the pipe repair itself, and some exclude it. Read your policy and call your agent before work starts. Ask the plumber to document the leak with photos and a written description.
Related Plumbing Services
Other problems that often show up alongside this one in Gwinnett homes.
Suspect a Slab Leak in Lawrenceville?
Call and we connect you with an independent local plumber who handles slab leak detection and repair across Gwinnett County.