Houston's Slab Leak Pros
We fix slab leaks in the Houston area.
If you suspect a Houston water leak underneath your home or business, it’s critical to find the source quickly, and repair it correctly. Under slab Houston leak detection and repair is not a DIY task, but you can trust the professionals at Wedgeworth Plumbing to get the job done right.
If you think you may have a slab leak, contact us now for fast response!
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Houston Slab Leak Detection and Repair
Think that you may have a leak under your foundation? You’ve come to the right spot. Wedgeworth Plumbing is the Houston slab leak experts!
What is a Slab Leak?
In the Houston area, many homes are built on a slab of concrete, with the plumbing system running underneath it.
A slab leak, also called a foundation leak or concrete slab leak, is a water leak in the pipes under the concrete foundation of your home or business. This type of leak can cause significant damage to a building’s structure and lead to the development of mold. It’s important that foundation leaks are repaired as soon as possible by a licensed Houston plumbing professional to prevent further damage.
What Causes Slab Leaks?
Foundation movement
If the foundation shifts, the pipes can move as well, which could cause them to pull apart, crack, or break. Foundation movement can be due to Houston’s unique soil expanding and contracting with the changing weather, extreme flooding in the Houston region in recent years, or poor-quality foundation repairs.
Corroded copper or cast iron pipes
Over time, water and chemicals in and around pipes can cause them to break down or rust. Common causes include the use of water softeners and cleaning solutions. Corrosion can also happen when the water velocity in the pipes is too high, if pipes are sitting in wet soil, and where copper pipes come into contact with the steel rebar in the concrete foundation.
- Pipes that are broken or cracked by tree roots
- Poor installation of sewer lines or incoming water lines
What are the Symptoms or Problems of a Houston Slab Leak?
Because Houston slab leaks happen below the foundation of your home or business, you may not notice signs of a leak until water has built up and already caused damage. If you notice any of these things, you may have an under slab leak.
Water bill is unusually high
Unfortunately, this is usually how many home or business owners discover they have a leak in their water supply line. Even a small “pinhole” leak can waste over 10,000 gallons of water in just a month.
Excess water around the foundation
Unfortunately, a sewer line can leak under the foundation for years before being noticed. With the expansive soils in Houston, a sewer leak could cause the soil to swell. You may notice wet flower beds or soggy dirt around the building’s foundation. Over time, all that water can cause the slab to erode.
Structural damage to the building
If enough water is present, Texas’ expansive soil can swell up enough to actually lift a building. When this lifting, or heaving, is due to a water leak, you’ll see the foundation buckle. Cracks in floors or walls, floors that are uneven, or doors dragging on the floor are all signs that there could be a water leak under your building’s concrete slab.
Sound of running water
If you can hear water running through the pipes when there isn’t any water being used, that’s a good sign that there could be a leak.
Damp or warm spots on floor
When there’s a leak under the slab, water can seep up through the concrete and onto your flooring. Wet floors, carpet, or baseboards are all possible signs of a leak. Mildew under your flooring is another indicator. If areas of the floor feel warm or even hot, you could have a hot water line leaking out under your foundation.
Remember, these problems will only get worse with time, so it’s important to call the professionals at Wedgeworth Plumbing as soon as you suspect a slab leak. We’ll find and fix the leak, so you can be sure your home or business is a stable, safe, healthy place to be.
Houston Slab Leak Detection
Before a leak can be fixed, we have to confirm that there is a leak, and find exactly where it’s located. Wedgeworth Plumbing starts investigating a slab leak by visually inspecting your property for the signs listed above. Based on this evidence, we can usually determine whether the source of the leak is more likely to be a sewer pipe or water supply line. Then we can begin the actual testing.
Detecting leaks from a sewer line
To check for sewer line leaks, hydrostatic testing is used. A special ball is placed in the main sewer line and inflated until it’s big enough to plug the line. Then we attempt to fill the entire system with water. After 20 minutes, if the lines can’t be filled or they’ve lost water, there’s a slab leak. Once we’ve confirmed a sewer line leak, we have to figure out where it is. We use a special camera to go into the sewer lines and inspect them visually. We can also perform a leak isolation test, which involves filling different sections of pipe with water to see if it will hold.
Detecting water supply line leaks
A pressure test checks for leaks by checking the water pressure delivered from the main supply at the street and comparing it to the pressure in the lines after the supply from the street is turned off. If the pressure in your home’s water lines drops, there’s a leak somewhere.
After a water supply line leak is confirmed, the location is determined by first checking faucets and toilets for drips and leaks. If there are none found, acoustical listening devices can be used to detect the sound of leaking water under the building.
Wedgeworth Plumbing also recommends slab leak detection in these situations:
- Before any foundation work is started
- After foundation repair has been completed
- Before you buy a home
- Once a year in areas where foundation cracks are common
Once we’ve discovered where the leak under your slab is located, we can fix it.
Houston Slab Leak Repair
Repairing a slab leak quickly will prevent further damage, which saves you money and hassle. Before your repair is started, it’s a good idea to check with your homeowner’s insurance agent to see if you have coverage for any or all of the work to be done.
Because these types of repairs deal with your home’s foundation and demolition, plumbing, and concrete work is usually required, you should choose a licensed professional. Wedgeworth Plumbing uses high-quality materials, and our technicians have the knowledge and skill to not only fix the leak, but to prevent it from happening again. Before beginning the job, we’ll get any required permits and have all utilities marked if outside excavation is needed. The entire process could take up to a week, and we test the lines when we’re done to make sure the leak has been fixed.
The way we fix your slab leak will depend on the location of the leak and the type of pipe that’s leaking. It may be necessary to directly access the leak through the concrete slab and replace the affected section of pipe. Often, the line can just be re-routed through the walls and attic of your building. In this case, the leaky pipe under the slab is simply closed off. This method allows for water line repair without damage to your floors or breaking through the slab. Tunneling a pipe underneath the slab is another option. A newer way to fix slab leaks is to coat the inside of the pipe with an epoxy to seal up the existing leak and prevent future ones. Wedgeworth Plumbing will evaluate your situation to determine the most cost-effective and least invasive way to repair your slab leak.
Recent reviews from happy customers
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Local Reviews
Amazing!
KarinL - Katy, TX 77450
Every time I called Wedgeworth, it was incredible service from the initial phone call to the end of the job. Can’t recommend enough!
Great service
Yvonne - Houston, TX 77056
I used Wedgeworth Plumbing to repair the water line for my exterior watering system that had burst during the freeze. TJ Pinkerton provided the service, and I was absolutely delighted with his work. He arrives precisely as scheduled, kept me informed about what he would be doing and showed me exactly what had been done. I am so pleased with the service TJ provided. He had also previously repaired two other issues in my home, and I was equally delighted with his service. I am thrilled to find Wedgeworth Plumbing.
Thankful for prompt and respectful service.
Sheila - El Lago, TX 77586
I hate to have a faucet leaking and wasting precious 💧 water! Now it is fixed thanks to Wedgeworth plumbers TJ and Marshall.
great service
Marsha - Katy, TX 77450
Fast Response, Excellent Customer Service and a Fixed Clog!
Mike - Houston, TX 77069
Erica was so nice and professional getting someone out the day after I called (not an emergency). TJ then Shane showed up within the window and got me taken care! Very pleased.
Great Service
Brandon - Katy, TX 77450
Incredibly helpful and efficient. Fair price and gave me options. Will definitely be a returning customer
Amazing service.
Martha - Houston, TX 77055
Shawn was an absolute pro. Would highly recommend!
Terrific Service
Jeanne - Houston, TX 77043
Professional, knowledgeable, and always on time
Great Service, Knowledgeable Plumber
Satisfied Customer C - Houston, TX 77096
We were slotted for a 3-6 pm arrival time for Shawn to look at our leaking tub faucet (leak was previously repaired by another plumber two months prior). In the midst of a torrential downpour, flooding streets, and tornado warnings, Shawn arrived early after finishing up his earlier appointment. He greeted me with a smile and a hello and immediately set to work examining our plumbing. He explained the problem and presented multiple options, with clear prices and a 25-month warranty. There was no pressure in the decision making as he left it all up to me (and a quick call to my husband for confirmation of course). He was very personable and didn't mind my multitude of questions or those of my husband regarding the job. Shawn was very open and honest regarding questions I had with other plumbing concerns and gave me some great tips and suggestions. It turned out to be longer than expected to complete the job, and a secondary access hole needed to be cut into the wall, but Shawn diligently kept working as he had promised our problem would be fixed by the end of the day. When Shawn was finished, he made sure he cleaned up his area, demonstrated the ease of use of our new plumbing hardware, and asked if we had any questions. He ran out of time to work on some other issues and reached out to his office to schedule a return time in one week. We can't wait for Shawn to return! I was very pleased with the ease with which I was able to schedule the appointment, call the office with questions regarding timeframe availability and updates, and how easily they were able to reach out to Shawn while he was on the road, both in route to our home and back from acquiring the needed parts. I would highly recommend Shawn W. as your next plumber with Wedgeworth Plumbing. He is friendly, open, responsive, caring, punctual, very knowledgeable in the industry, takes pride in his work, and has a great sense of humor.
Great Service
Yong - Katy, TX 77450
Plumbing repair
Tim - Houston, TX 77024
Great service
Brianne - Houston, TX 77018
Awesome service
Lynn - Cypress, TX 77433
Had some pipes break during the last freeze. Wedgeworth plumbing came out and fixed them. Ask Shawn if they could repipe using pex. They gave me a bid and did a fantastic job. They are a 5 star company.
great job
Shawn - Houston, TX 77008
very professional, excellent craftsmanship and a seemingly fair price. Highly recommend.
Wedgeworth Plumbing review
Yvonne - Houston, TX 77056
TJ was on time, explained precisely what needed to be done and did a great job. I sincerely appreciated his professionalism and demeanor. I am so pleased to find Wedgeworth, which came highly recommended.
Great service and quick work.
Brandon - Houston, TX 77042
Good partial service but, more than one month later, still waiting to hear from them about a part they ordered for finishing all the jobs, I have cal
Diana - Houston, TX 77024
Great service
Meg - Houston, TX 77009
It was very easy to work with the main office to set up the appointments and Shawn was very professional and did a great job
Wedgeworth Review
Howard - Houston, TX 77024
Shawn came out and was quick and professional. Very satisfied.
Add Another Good Experience to Our Long List of Good Wedgeworth Experiences!
Clayton - Houston, TX 77062
TJ did a great job repairing our freeze break, and your home office coordinator did a great job keeping us in the loop as far as arrival time. You guys were super busy after the freeze and we really appreciate the extra effort to get us back up and running. Thanks for that! Only one suggestion - add a field to your invoice for the tech's name. I now have five WW invoices in my file and I've added the repair person's name to four of them, but missed out doing that on the fifth, invoice #11332477 from April 2021. I like to keep track of who we've worked with from your excellent firm!
TJ P.
Drain cleaning
shawn w.
Toilet repair
Damondrick B.
Gas work
shawn w.
Toilet flange
TJ P.
Toilet repair
TJ P.
Replace back flow
shawn w.
Camera sewer
TJ P.
Water line replacement
shawn w.
Gas repair
shawn w.
Stoppage