5.0 20 Google reviews Sacramento (916) 706-7460
Certified Plumbing & Drain
Leak Detection & Slab Leak Repair

Family-owned · Sacramento Local

Leak Detection & Slab Leak Repair

We locate hidden leaks fast, including slab leaks, before water damage compounds the problem.

Call now(916) 706-7460
5.0 · 20 Google reviews
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Slab Leak Repair and Hidden Leak Diagnostics

A slab leak is a pressurized water line failure beneath your home's concrete foundation. Certified Plumbing & Drain locates and repairs slab leaks throughout the Greater Sacramento area, including Elk Grove, Roseville, and Rancho Cordova. If your water bill jumped without explanation, you're hearing water running behind walls with every faucet off, or you've found warm spots on your floor, those are signals a leak is already active. Call us at (916) 706-7460 before the situation moves from a pipe repair into a structural one.

Finding the leak is half the job. Plumbers who skip proper diagnostics end up opening multiple sections of wall or slab before they locate the actual failure point. We use pressure testing and acoustic detection methods to isolate leaks before any concrete gets touched. For slab leaks specifically, access, pipe depth, soil conditions, and whether the line can be re-routed above the slab all affect what the repair looks like and what it costs. A repair that requires cutting through a finished floor is a different scope than one that can be re-routed through the attic or crawlspace. Every job is different, contact Certified Plumbing & Drain for an accurate estimate.

Signs You Have a Hidden or Slab Leak

Most leaks announce themselves before the damage becomes obvious. Know what to look for.

01

Unexplained Water Bill Spike

If your usage hasn't changed but your bill climbed 20% or more, a pressurized supply line is likely losing water somewhere between the meter and your fixtures. Slab leaks are the most common culprit in homes with copper supply lines.

02

Sound of Running Water

Hear water moving inside walls or under the floor with everything shut off? That's not a ghost. It's pressurized flow escaping through a crack or pinhole. Don't wait on this one.

03

Warm or Hot Spots on the Floor

A hot water line leaking beneath a concrete slab transfers heat directly into the slab surface. Tile or hardwood floors that feel warm in one specific spot, regardless of ambient temperature, are a strong indicator of an active slab leak.

04

Mold, Mildew, or Musty Smell

Persistent moisture beneath a slab or inside a wall cavity creates ideal conditions for mold growth within 24 to 48 hours. A musty smell in a room with no visible moisture source usually means the source is concealed.

05

Low Water Pressure at Multiple Fixtures

Pressure that dropped at more than one fixture simultaneously points to a supply line problem, not a fixture problem. A leak large enough to bleed off pressure is a significant failure that needs immediate attention.

06

Visible Foundation Cracks or Shifting

Chronic moisture beneath a slab softens the soil and can cause differential settling. If you're noticing new cracks in drywall or doors that no longer close properly, a long-running slab leak may be the root cause.

Our Process

How We Locate and Repair Leaks

  1. 01

    Pressure Testing and Isolation

    We isolate sections of the supply system and test each zone under pressure. This confirms whether the leak is on the hot side, cold side, or a drain line before we pick up a single tool.

  2. 02

    Acoustic and Thermal Detection

    Once the section is isolated, we use acoustic listening equipment to pinpoint the leak's exact location through the slab or wall. This keeps unnecessary excavation to a minimum.

  3. 03

    Targeted Repair or Re-Route

    Depending on pipe condition and access, we repair the failure directly or re-route the line through a less invasive path. We walk you through both options with honest trade-offs before any work starts.

Slab Leaks

What Makes Slab Leaks Different From Other Leaks

A standard supply line leak inside a wall can usually be accessed by opening drywall. A slab leak sits beneath several inches of reinforced concrete, which changes the repair math entirely. The pipe failure itself might be small, a pinhole from copper corrosion or an abrasion point where the line contacts rebar, but the access required to fix it can mean saw-cutting through finished floors, moving furniture and fixtures, and dealing with slab reinforcement. Older homes with copper supply lines under the slab are the most common scenario we handle. Copper corrodes over time, particularly in soils with high mineral content or in areas where the water chemistry is slightly acidic. A copper pipe that's been in the ground for 30 or 40 years may have thinned to the point where any pressure spike or soil movement cracks it. In those cases, spot-repairing the failure is a short-term fix. We'll tell you honestly when a full re-piping is the better long-term answer, even if that's a larger job than you called us about. We've handled emergency services calls where a slab leak had been running undetected for weeks before the floor damage made it undeniable. The earlier you catch it, the smaller the repair. Call (916) 706-7460 if anything on this page sounds familiar.
Plumbing

What We Check on Every Leak Detection Call

  1. 01

    Meter Test

    We check the water meter with everything in the house off. If the dial moves, water is escaping somewhere between the meter and your fixtures.

  2. 02

    Pressure Reading at Shutoffs

    We take pressure readings at multiple isolation points to narrow the failure to a specific line or zone before any surface is opened.

  3. 03

    Visual Inspection of Accessible Lines

    Supply lines in crawlspaces, utility rooms, and under sinks get a physical inspection. Some leaks are hiding in obvious places that a previous plumber didn't look.

  4. 04

    Drain Line Evaluation

    Not all moisture problems are supply leaks. We check drain lines for cracks or joint failures that mimic the symptoms of a pressurized leak but require a completely different repair approach. If sewer line services are the actual issue, we'll tell you.

Leak Detection for Every Type of Property

  1. 01

    Residential Homes

    Single-family homes, condos, and townhomes, particularly homes built before 1985 with original copper supply lines or galvanized steel, are the most frequent source of slab and concealed leaks we see.

  2. 02

    Commercial Properties

    A leak in a commercial building can shut down operations and create liability. We respond to commercial calls the same way we respond to residential emergencies: we answer the phone and we show up when we say we will.

  3. 03

    Mobile and Manufactured Homes

    Mobile homes have their own plumbing configurations and access challenges. We work on manufactured and mobile home plumbing throughout the region, including supply line repairs that conventional plumbers often won't touch.

Our Promise

Why Call Certified Plumbing & Drain

20 years in this trade. 20 five-star reviews on Google. We find the leak before we open anything.

Call (916) 706-7460
  1. 01

    20+ years of plumbing experience

    We've worked on every pipe material and configuration in the region

  2. 02

    Upfront pricing, no hidden fees

    You know the cost before we start, not after

  3. 03

    24/7 availability

    We answer nights, weekends, and holidays

  4. 04

    100% satisfaction guarantee

    On every job, residential or commercial

Leak Detection: Common Questions

How do I find a hidden water leak in my house?
Start at the meter. Turn off every fixture and appliance, then watch the meter dial for movement. If it moves, water is escaping somewhere in the system. From there, isolating hot vs. cold, checking pressure at different shutoffs, and listening for flow through walls or the slab will narrow the location. Realistically, if the meter test confirms a leak but you can't identify a source visually, you need acoustic detection equipment, not a garden hose and a guess.
How much does slab leak repair cost?
It depends on how deep the pipe sits, whether you're repairing the break directly or re-routing the line, and what flooring or fixtures sit on top of the access point. Pipe material matters too, copper and PEX behave differently. What one plumber calls a minor slab repair another calls a re-pipe job depending on the condition of the surrounding pipe. Every job is different, contact Certified Plumbing & Drain for an accurate estimate.
Is leak detection expensive?
The cost of detection is almost never the issue. What's expensive is waiting. A slab leak running for several weeks can saturate the soil under a foundation and contribute to settling, and the moisture inside a wall that's been wet for 48 hours may require mold remediation on top of the plumbing repair. Catching it early is almost always cheaper than dealing with the secondary damage.
Can a slab leak be repaired without breaking up the concrete?
Sometimes, yes. If the failed pipe segment can be bypassed by re-routing through the attic, walls, or crawlspace, we avoid the slab entirely. That's the preferred approach when the existing line is aging and a full re-route is more durable than a spot repair. When direct slab access is necessary, we minimize the cut area using precise acoustic locating first.
What causes slab leaks in older homes?
Copper corrosion is the most common cause. Copper reacts with high-mineral water, acidic soils, and stray electrical currents over time. Pipe-to-pipe or pipe-to-rebar contact points also wear through the copper wall from vibration and expansion. Most homes we see with active slab leaks have copper supply lines that are 30 or more years old. Galvanized steel supply lines fail for different reasons, rust buildup eventually restricts flow and then breaches the pipe wall.
How long does a leak detection appointment take?
A typical residential leak detection call runs one to two hours for the diagnostic phase. If the leak location is straightforward and the repair is something we can complete the same visit, many jobs are resolved same-day. Slab access repairs that require concrete cutting are scheduled separately after we've confirmed the scope and you've approved the approach.

Where We Provide Leak Detection Services

We cover the Greater Sacramento region, including surrounding cities and communities. If you're unsure whether we service your area, call us directly at (916) 706-7460.

15Communities
served

Suspect a Leak? Call Before It Gets Worse

Slab leaks don't stop on their own. The longer pressurized water runs beneath a foundation, the more it costs to fix.

Call (916) 706-7460 Call Now: (916) 706-7460

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