Slab leaks show up often in Lakewood because most homes here were built directly on a concrete slab foundation during the same three-year construction window, with copper supply lines running underneath. Seven decades on, those lines are a common failure point, and a leak under the slab behaves very differently from an exposed-pipe leak.
We locate the leak with electronic detection equipment before recommending any concrete work, since opening the wrong section of slab wastes time and money without fixing anything. Repairs are performed to California's adopted Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) standards. If detection instead points to a leak inside the water heater itself, that's a simpler water heater repair, and we'll tell you which one you actually have.
Why Call Us For This
Detection Before Demolition
We confirm the exact leak location electronically before opening any concrete.
Slab-Specific Experience
Familiar with the copper supply lines typical of Lakewood's original 1950s foundations.
Repair Options Explained
Spot repair, reroute, or full repipe, each with honest trade-offs for your situation.
Upfront Pricing
A flat price once the leak is located, before any concrete is opened.
Signs You Need This Service
Warm Spot On The Floor
A hot water line leaking under the slab often warms the flooring directly above it.
Sound Of Running Water Under The Floor
A hissing or trickling sound with no visible source nearby.
Cracks In Flooring Or Baseboards
Water pressure under a slab can shift flooring and create small, unexplained cracks over time.
Unexplained Water Bill Increase
One of the most common first signs, especially paired with any of the above.
A warm patch on the floor, especially near the garage or a bathroom, is one of the more specific signs of a hot-water-line slab leak, not just general dampness. So is a leak that seems to be coming up near a concrete driveway or garage edge rather than inside the living space. Either is worth an electronic detection visit before assuming what's underneath.
Warm Spot On Your Floor?
We can confirm whether it's a slab leak before any concrete is opened.
How It Works
Trace
Electronic detection narrows the leak to a specific section of slab.
Explain Options
Spot repair, reroute above the slab, or full repipe, with real trade-offs for each.
Repair
Minimal, targeted concrete work once you approve the flat price.
Pressure Test
Full pressure test on the repaired line before the job is called done.
Spot Repair vs. Reroute
Spot Repair
- Lower upfront cost
- Minimal concrete opened
- Doesn't address other aging line sections
- Best for a single, isolated leak
Reroute Above Slab
- Avoids further concrete work
- Line becomes accessible for future repairs
- Higher upfront cost than a spot repair
- Better value if the line has leaked before
What This Typically Costs
Depends on repair method and how deep the line runs. Quoted after detection, before any concrete work.
Common Questions
Electronic detection confirms the leak is actually under the slab before we recommend any concrete work, rather than assuming from symptoms alone.
Often it covers the cost of accessing and repairing the leak, though not always the water damage itself. Check with your insurer, we can provide documentation either way.
In some older homes with a history of repeated leaks in the same copper line, a full repipe can be more cost-effective long-term than repeated spot repairs. We'll say so honestly if that's your situation.
Not always, but it's common enough in this housing stock to be worth checking. We confirm with equipment rather than assuming.
Most spot repairs are completed in a single day once the leak is located. A reroute or larger repair may take longer, and we'll give you a realistic timeline before starting.
If detection points instead to a line further from the slab, our leak detection page covers the broader process. Homeowners near Torrance can see our Torrance service page for coverage details.
Water Under The Floor?
We find slab leaks before they cause real structural damage.
☎ Call (562) 488-9614