Leak Detection in South Florida

How leak detection actually works

Detection starts with proof that a leak exists. A provider will run a meter test — all water off in the house, then watch whether the meter's leak indicator still moves — and isolate whether the loss is on the supply side, in the home's drain system, or on an irrigation or pool line. That first split saves real money, because each side has a different fix and a different specialist.

For supply leaks under a slab, providers use acoustic listening equipment to hear pressurized water escaping through concrete, electronic pipe tracing to map where the lines actually run (rarely where you would guess), and thermal or moisture scanning to confirm the wet zone. The goal is a marked spot on your floor with a stated confidence level — not exploratory demolition.

You should receive the findings in plain terms: where the leak is, what line it is on, how it was confirmed, and the repair options with their consequences. A detection report also serves you with your water utility — Miami-Dade and Broward utilities commonly offer bill adjustments for repaired leaks, and documentation of the repair is usually required.

• ▸Meter test to confirm and isolate the leak
• ▸Acoustic listening through slab and walls
• ▸Electronic line tracing and mapping
• ▸Moisture and thermal confirmation
• ▸Marked location plus repair options in writing

Slab leaks in South Florida homes

The classic local setup: copper supply lines run under the slab of a single-story ranch home. Decades of contact with our soil and water, plus the chemistry of the concrete itself, corrode copper from the outside in until a pinhole opens. Because the leak is pressurized, it can run hundreds of gallons a day under the house — your first sign is the bill, a warm area where a hot line leaks, or water wicking up through flooring far from the actual hole.

One pinhole in aging under-slab copper also raises a planning question: spot-repair this leak, or stop chasing them? If the home has had two slab leaks, providers will often recommend abandoning the under-slab lines and rerouting new supply lines through the attic or walls. It costs more once than a spot repair, and far less than three spot repairs plus floor restoration three times.

Drain-side leaks under slabs exist too — a failed cast iron line can leak into the ground for years, undermining soil and feeding odors and pests. Those are found with a camera and drain testing rather than listening equipment, which is why the supply-versus-drain split comes first.

Repair options and what they cost

Once located, the usual options are: a spot repair (open the floor at the marked location, repair the section, restore the floor), a reroute (abandon the leaking line and run a new line overhead — often the cleaner answer on slab homes), or, for drain failures, the sewer repair options covered on our sewer line page. Each trades money, disruption, and future risk differently, and a good provider prices the realistic ones side by side.

Detection itself is typically a few hundred dollars depending on the home and difficulty; repairs price by the option chosen and the restoration involved. Your quote depends on your home's layout and the leak's location, so ask what floor or wall restoration is included and what is not — that line item is where surprise costs live.

PlumbCove connects you with independent local plumbing providers; we do not perform detection or repairs ourselves. If your water bill has spiked, Request a Local Pro or call 786-741-7667 and say when you first noticed it — that timeline helps the provider.

Related services