September 11, 2025

Trusted Slab Leak Detection: Water Bill Spikes? Call JB Rooter and Plumbing Inc

There is a particular kind of phone call that gets everyone in the shop moving faster. It usually starts with a worried voice and the same line: “Our water bill doubled, but nothing looks wet.” When that happens, we start thinking slab leaks. If you live over a concrete foundation, miles of water and drain lines snake under that slab. When one pinholes or splits, it can run for weeks without a visible puddle. You might hear a faint hiss, or a warm patch might show up on the floor, but just as often the leak hides, and the only clue is a bill you don’t want to open twice.

At JB Rooter and Plumbing Inc, trusted slab leak detection is not guesswork or gadgets for show. It is methodical, careful, and grounded in experience that spans hundreds of foundations, from older copper to newer PEX manifolds. We combine acoustic listening, thermal imaging, line tracing, and pressure testing until the picture becomes clear. Then we give you options that make sense for your home, your budget, and the long term.

Why a slab leak can sneak up on you

Most houses in our region run pressurized water lines under the slab. Those lines never get a break. Every 24 hours, they hold 60 to 80 PSI against copper, galvanized steel, or jb rooter and plumbing expert team PEX. Soil shifts with seasons, concrete expands and contracts, and someone once drove rebar exactly where a pipe now lives. It does not take a dramatic event to start a leak. A pinhole the diameter of a grain of sand can push several gallons a day into the soil.

Older copper laid directly on the concrete is the biggest risk. Concrete is alkaline, and where copper touches, you get small chemical reactions that, with time, turn into pitting. Add water quality factors, like high chloramines or aggressive dissolved solids, and wear accelerates. Newer homes are not immune. We have seen PEX crimp rings corrode under a slab near coastal air, or a mis-stapled bend abrade over years.

The surprise is how quiet the damage can be. The water does not always find your baseboards. It often fills voids in the soil, or runs to a French drain or sump. The first visible symptom might be a laminate seam lifting or a room that feels oddly warm underfoot. And of course, that bill.

The first five minutes we spend on every slab leak call

We do not start with a jackhammer. We start with questions that tell a story. Has anyone noticed a warm spot in the hallway, a musty odor in a closet, or baseboard swelling? Does the water meter move when all fixtures are off? Has the irrigation run more than usual? Did the spike hit in a single cycle or climb over the last three?

Then we shut off all fixtures, including the ice maker and humidifier if you have one, and watch the meter. Modern meters often have a triangle or star that spins with flow. If it spins with everything off, you have a pressurized side leak. If it sits still, but the bill climbed, the problem might be irrigation or a slow drain leak that shows up as mildew rather than flow. If the house has a whole-home shutoff, we close it. If the meter keeps ticking after the shutoff, the leak is on the street side. If it stops, it is likely within the house envelope.

Anecdote: in one ranch home, the triangle spun even with the main closed. The homeowner assumed the worst. It turned out to be a break in the service line under the driveway, not a slab leak under the living space. That change alone saved thousands in restoration.

How trusted slab leak detection actually works

There is a myth that one tool can “see” through concrete and find every leak. In practice, the answer comes from stacking methods. Here is what we do and why it matters.

Pressure and isolation testing tells us which line leaks. We isolate hot and cold with shutoffs at the water heater and fixture stops. If the hot side loses pressure quickly and the water heater heater runs more than usual, we know to expect a warm spot somewhere. If the cold side drops, we trace that loop.

Acoustic listening turns the leak into a noise map. Water under pressure makes a distinct hiss or roar as it exits a pipe. We use ground microphones and sensitive correlators to listen through the slab. On dense concrete, the sound can travel, so experience matters. We compare readings room to room and look for where the signal peaks, not just where it is present.

Thermal imaging helps confirm a hot side leak. A thermal camera often shows a defined warm plume radiating outward in a shape that narrows toward the source. This is especially helpful over tile where your feet cannot feel subtle warmth. It does not help much on cold side lines, but it can still show moisture-cooling patterns where water has chilled the slab.

Trace gas makes hidden leaks obvious. For stubborn cases where sound and thermal disagree, we sometimes introduce a non-toxic trace gas, like a helium-hydrogen mix, into the isolated line. With a gas detector, we track where the gas escapes through microcracks in the local plumber slab or along baseboards. It takes more setup, but it nails down sources that acoustic alone cannot find.

Line mapping and records keep us honest. We rarely trust old plans blindly, but we do use them with electronic line tracing to understand likely routes. Many older plumbers ran straight shot lines from manifolds to fixtures. Others took sweeping arcs to avoid beams. Knowing the era and builder habits saves time and reduces exploratory holes.

The combination is what creates confidence. If the acoustic peaks under the hall bath, the thermal plume hugs that wall, and the gas detector sings near the vanity base, we are ready to discuss repair with conviction. That is what being a plumbing company with proven trust looks like on a messy job.

Repair paths that respect your house and your budget

Once we know where the leak lives and what line it is on, you have choices. Each method has trade-offs, and we walk through them openly.

Spot repair at the leak location makes sense when the line is otherwise healthy. We open a small section of slab, expose the pipe, replace the damaged piece with new material and couplings, then backfill and patch. In a newer home with PEX or in a copper system with a single abrasion point, this can be the most direct and least costly. The risk is recurrence on the same old line a few feet away. If we see multiple pits or history suggests trouble, we caution against chasing leaks one at a time.

Overhead re-route bypasses the bad section entirely. We cap the line below and run a new segment through walls or the attic, then drop to fixtures. This avoids opening floors, and it is often the preferred answer for hot side leaks, especially when thermal shows a plume in a heavily finished space. The challenge is finding neat paths through framing with minimal drywall disturbance. Done right, it is cleaner, faster, and future-proof.

Whole-home re-pipe is the long-game option when a system shows systemic failure. If a house has suffered two or more slab leaks in a year, we have learned not to gamble. New PEX or copper routed through accessible spaces with a central manifold gives you shutoffs at each room and removes miles of pipe from the slab. The upfront cost is higher, but the long-term math is clear. Fewer emergency calls, lower risk, and better control.

Epoxy lining and internal repairs exist, but we use them sparingly. They can be useful on certain drain lines with limited access, and we sometimes recommend them for cast iron laterals after a reliable pipe inspection contractor documents the condition. For pressurized domestic water in a slab, we have seen too many partial cures and callbacks. When we can, we prefer new pipe over patches.

The hidden damage no one wants to discuss

Water under a slab takes the path of least resistance. If it moves fines from the soil, it can create voids that settle later. If it wicks into wood plates or into a bath vanity, it can create slow rot and mold. The sooner the leak stops, the less you risk, but proper drying and a measured look at adjacent materials matter too.

We have meters for moisture mapping and relationships with restoration pros who specialize in drying trapped areas. A hot side leak under tile might not show surface moisture for a week, but the thinset could be saturated. Pulling a few baseboards and poking holes behind them for air movement beats tearing out whole rooms later. We share that judgment with you instead of treating plumbing like a silo.

What your water bill is trying to tell you

A sudden spike usually points to a single break. A gradual climb hints at deteriorating pipes, a running toilet, or irrigation problems. Toilets are classic culprits. A flapper that does not seal can waste 100 to 200 gallons a day. We have seen owners spend on slab detection only to find a silent siphon sending dollars down the drain. If we suspect this, we test it first. Affordable toilet repair specialists can reset a household’s water use in one visit.

Irrigation deserves the same scrutiny. Many systems tie in before the house shutoff, so your meter test can mislead you. A stuck zone valve or a cracked lateral line after a cold snap will run only when the timer calls for it. That looks like a normal meter when you check mid-day, then a giant bill at month’s end. We pressurize and isolate the irrigation to confirm. If the leak is there, we can fix it or hand it off to a trusted partner, depending on the system.

Why licensing, insurance, and methodical paperwork matter

Slab work touches structure, mechanicals, and finishes. It is not a place to gamble with a cheap bid. When you hire insured emergency sewer repair or emergency leak repair contractors, you are buying risk reduction as much as labor. Permits may be required for large re-routes or whole-home re-pipes. Inspections follow. If a contractor sidesteps permits to shave a day, you inherit the risk. That risk shows up when you sell or when a problem resurfaces.

We photograph and document our detection steps, not to pad a file, but to justify the chosen repair path. If an insurance claim is appropriate, that record smooths approvals. It also protects you from paying twice if something unrelated breaks later. A licensed sewer inspection company would not put a camera into a main without recording the run. We bring the same mindset to water lines under slabs.

The JB Rooter and Plumbing Inc approach, step by step

Here is how a typical slab leak project unfolds with us from the first call to the last sweep of a broom.

  • Phone triage and scheduling: we ask targeted questions, set expectations on time and cost ranges, and make sure you know how to shut off water in a pinch.
  • On-site verification: we perform meter checks, isolate fixtures, and document initial findings so we do not chase false leads.
  • Detection protocol: acoustic, thermal, pressure, and, if needed, trace gas, with notes and photos tied to room names and helpers marks that wipe off cleanly.
  • Repair choice discussion: we present at least two options when possible, with pros, cons, and approximate timelines, not just a single take-it-or-leave-it number.
  • Execution and restoration: we protect floors, contain dust, perform the repair, pressure test, patch concrete if we opened it, and align trusted trades for drywall and paint if needed.

That sequence looks simple on paper. The real discipline is refusing to skip steps when you think you already know the answer. That is where experience shows.

When slab leaks intersect with other plumbing systems

A slab leak often shows up alongside other issues. Heat from a hot side leak can fatigue a nearby water heater faster than normal. If your tank cycles constantly to replace heat bleeding into the slab, it works harder. We check equipment health as part of the visit. If your heater is at the end of life, a certified water heater replacement can be timed with the re-route so finish work happens once. That coordination saves mess and money.

Backflow matters too. High pressure swings from municipal supply, especially after hydrant use, can stress older lines. Professional backflow prevention services keep pressure surges out and protect potable water. We inspect existing backflow devices during slab work, because the last thing you want after a repair is a pressure spike that finds the next weak link.

Drains get a look as well. With slab leaks on your mind, it is easy to ignore sluggish sinks or recurring clogs. Yet we often uncover drain lines with bellies or cast iron scaling when we open floors. An experienced drain replacement team can fix those while the area is accessible. Doing both repairs together means a single patch and a single round of dust.

Tools you can use to catch problems early

You do not need our gear to detect every issue, but a few habits and small investments pay off. Know where your main shutoff is and test it twice a year. If it sticks, we can replace it before a crisis. Watch your water bill for three months after a move or renovation, then set alerts with your utility if they offer them. A $30 leak sensor under the water heater and at the base of vanities can save thousands. The best sensors talk to your phone, but even a simple alarm buys time.

Listen to your house. A faint hiss when everything is off is not normal. Vibrations in pipes, ghost flushing toilets, or a tankless water heater firing when no one is using water all hint at hidden flow. If you have a recirculation pump for hot water, we check its check valves. A failed check can move hot water in loops you do not intend, warming floors and confusing the picture.

Real cases, real solutions

A two-story built in the late 90s with copper under slab called us after a 3,000-gallon spike in one month. No warm floors, no puddles. The meter wheel spun slowly with everything off. We isolated hot and cold. Hot side dropped. Thermal showed a faint warm bloom near the pantry that was easy to miss. Acoustic listening confirmed a strong hiss under the kitchen. We offered a spot repair or an overhead re-route to the kitchen fixtures. The owners cooked daily and dreaded tearing up tile, so we re-routed through a pantry chase and ceiling cavity. Total drywall opened: two neat rectangles, both patched the next day. Water use normalized immediately.

Another case involved a mid-century with galvanized lines, a classic candidate for systemic failure. The owners had patched three slab leaks in two years. When the fourth hit, we ran the numbers for a whole-home re-pipe. They chose PEX with a central manifold. Each bathroom, kitchen, and laundry got individual shutoffs. We coordinated with a trusted hot water tank repair team to replace an aging tank during the same window. The project took four days with water down only during tie-ins. That family has not called us for a leak since, though we still see them for regular service.

Beyond leaks: keeping a plumbing system healthy

Healthy systems are less dramatic and cheaper to own. That takes a rhythm of maintenance and the right partners. A local plumbing maintenance company that knows your house can spot small issues before they escalate. Skilled plumbing maintenance experts will test water pressure, dial in expansion tanks, inspect shutoffs, and check supply lines to appliances. Each one of those is a failure point that can mimic a slab leak when it fails.

We wear more hats than just leak detectors. We are also the team neighbors call for professional garbage disposal services, because a jammed disposal often sits at the center of a clogged kitchen drain that everyone blames on old pipes. Expert bathroom plumbing repair keeps showers and toilets in shape. Those fixes prevent slow leaks that can seep into floors and, over time, cause the same kind of hidden damage that slab leaks do. When sewer lines misbehave, we send a camera. As a reliable pipe inspection contractor, we do not guess at root intrusion or cast iron scaling. We record, measure, and diagnose, then recommend targeted fixes. If a break requires quick action, our insured emergency sewer repair crew moves fast and cleans up after themselves.

Cost, time, and the honest conversation

People ask for a simple price for slab leak repair. The honest answer is a range, because homes differ. Detection alone typically falls into a few hundred dollars to a little over a thousand, depending on methods needed. A single spot repair can land in the low thousands, especially if finishes are straightforward and access is clean. Overhead re-routes sit higher, but often save on restoration. Whole-home re-pipes climb higher still, but amortize well over years of worry-free use. We do not disguise restoration costs. Concrete patching, tile replacement, paint, and baseboard work take real labor. We price them transparently or connect you with trades at costs you can verify.

Time matters as much as money. Detection often fits into half a day. A spot repair can be completed the same day unless we encounter surprises. Re-routes range from one to three days, depending on paths and drywall work. Re-pipes run three to five days in most average homes. We keep water on whenever possible, and when it must be off, we schedule tie-ins to suit your life. If you work from home or have young kids, we plan around naps and calls. Plumbing lives in people’s houses, and respect for that shows in the schedule as much as the work.

When to pick up the phone right now

If your meter spins with everything off, if you feel a warm patch on a floor with no radiant heat, if baseboards lift or you smell that sweet, earthy scent that follows hidden moisture, do not wait. Water wins every time it gets a head start. We have seen floors saved because a homeowner called on day two, and we have seen cabinets ruined because someone hoped jb rooter and plumbing locations the problem would go away. If you are unsure, we are happy to walk you through quick checks over the phone before a truck rolls.

Why JB Rooter and Plumbing Inc

Trust is not a slogan, it is the behaviors you see on site. We show up when we say we will. We explain our findings in plain language. We respect your home, lay down protection, and clean up our work. We document what we do and why, so you can make informed choices. We aim to be the plumbing company with proven trust, not by saying it, but by earning it job by job.

If your water bill spiked or your floor feels warmer than it should, let’s find out why. Our emergency leak repair contractors are ready to help, and the same team that handles a slab leak can keep the rest of your system humming. From professional backflow prevention services to experienced drain replacement, from affordable toilet repair specialists to trusted hot water tank repair, you can make one call and know the person who answers understands the full picture.

A home’s plumbing is quiet when it is healthy. If it has your attention, there is a reason. We are here to listen, to detect, and to fix, with the kind of care we would want in our own homes.

Josh Jones, Founder | Agent Autopilot. Boasting 10+ years of high-level insurance sales experience, he earned over $200,000 per year as a leading Final Expense producer. Well-known as an Automation & Appointment Setting Expert, Joshua transforms traditional sales into a process driven by AI. Inventor of A.C.T.I.V.A.I.™, a pioneering fully automated lead conversion system made to transform sales agents into top closers.