Slab Leak Detection and Repair in Tampa Bay

A warm spot on the tile. A water bill that jumped and will not come back down. Water showing up through the floor where no water should be. If any of that sounds familiar, there is a good chance a water line under your concrete slab has sprung a leak, and it is not going to fix itself.

Fast Track Plumbing finds slab leaks and fixes them, and most of the time we do both in the same visit. You do not need one company to find it and another company to fix it.

meet the plumber

Who finds and fixes your slab leak

Fast Track Plumbing is a State Certified Plumbing Contractor, license CFC1433909, serving homes and businesses across Tampa Bay.

We do our own leak detection, so the plumber who listens for the leak is the same plumber who cuts the floor and makes the repair. The thickest slab we have cut through to reach a leak was 20 inches of concrete at the foundation of a home on Davis Islands. The more concrete, the harder the job. That one came out well, the floor went back together, and the homeowner never had to call again.

We have also repiped a six to seven bedroom home from end to end, so if your situation turns out to be bigger than one leak, it is not a job we have to learn on.

Signs of a Slab Leak

Signs of a slab leak

Slab leaks are not visible. You feel them, or you see them on your water meter, long before you see water. Here is what Tampa Bay homeowners usually notice first:

A warm spot on a tile or concrete floor, often in one area, when the leak is on the hot water line
A water bill that is higher than usual with no change in how you use water
The sound of running water when every faucet and appliance is off
Damp flooring, damp baseboards, or water coming up through the floor
A musty smell you cannot trace
A water heater that seems to run all the time
Lower water pressure than you are used to

The meter test:

Your water meter is the simplest check there is. EPA’s WaterSense program recommends reading the meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak. Most meters also have a small leak indicator dial that turns at the slightest flow.

A moving meter does not tell you where the leak is. That is our job. If the meter is moving, or any of the signs above sound familiar, call us at (813) 797-7392

Hot side or cold side

A leak on the hot water line usually shows itself as one warm area on the floor, and it keeps your water heater working overtime. A leak on the cold side gives you no heat to feel, so it tends to show up on the water bill or the meter first. Both are found and fixed the same way.

Leak Detection

How we find a slab leak

We listen for it. Water escaping a pressurized pipe under concrete makes a steady hiss, a “shhhh” that an acoustic water leak detector picks up through the floor. We compare it to working a metal detector on the beach: you move across the floor, the sound gets stronger, and it tells you where to look.

That gets us close, usually within about 12 inches. From there we keep testing as we cut and dig, and work our way to the leak rather than opening up a large area and hoping. The goal is the smallest opening in your floor that still gets the pipe fixed properly.

Already had a leak detection company out, and there is a spot marked on your floor? That is common, and it is fine. Call us and we will work from their mark, confirm it as we go, and make the repair.

Repair vs. Repiping

Repair it or repipe it? How we decide

Most slab leaks in Tampa Bay come down to one of two answers: fix the leak where it is, or replace the piping so you stop having leaks. Here is how we make that call, and it is the same thing we will tell you on site

Spot repair through the slab

One leak in an otherwise sound system gets fixed where it is. We cut the floor neatly, cut through the concrete, dig down to the pipe, repair the failed section, test it, and then patch and re-cement the concrete. On larger openings we set rebar in the patch so the repair is solid.

Best for: a first leak, in a home whose piping has not given you other trouble

Whole-home repipe

If we fix a slab leak and you call a couple of months later with a leak in another area, or we find more than one leak at the same time, the honest answer is a repipe. Old copper fails in more than one place once it starts, and so does galvanized pipe. At that point, patching leak after leak through your floor costs more than replacing the system.

Budget plays a real part here and we will not pretend otherwise. If a spot repair is what makes sense for you right now, we will tell you what to watch for next.

Best for: a second leak, several leaks at once, or a home on old copper or galvanized pipe that you plan to stay in.

Rerouting a line outside the house

When the leak is on a line outside the house, or under a big tree whose roots you do not want to dig through, it often makes more sense to run a new line than to chase the old one. Our longest reroute so far was 30 to 40 feet, and a typical reroute takes about half a day, roughly three to four hours. For leaks outside the slab entirely, see our water line repair page

Best for: leaks outside the footprint of the house, and lines tangled up with tree roots

Why we do not put a SharkBite under your floor

This is one of the most common requests we get. Push-to-connect fittings like SharkBite are quick, they are sold everywhere, and in the right spot they are a fine repair. That spot is somewhere you can see it and reach it later. Under concrete you can do neither, and a buried fitting that lets go means cutting the floor open all over again. We do not use push fittings under your slab.

Most of the repairs we see go wrong were done with cheap materials, poor technique, or by someone without a license, often a homeowner trying to save money. A slab leak is worth doing once.

What’s Included

What a slab leak repair includes, and what it does not

This is the question we hear most after “how much,” so here is exactly where our work starts and stops.

Included

Cutting the floor and the concrete, and digging to the pipe
Repairing the pipe and testing
Patching and re-cementing the concrete, with rebar in larger patches
Permits, when the job requires one
A one-year warranty on our repair. Call for details
Lower water pressure than you are used to

Not included:

We would rather you know that now than find out on the day.

Tempa Pricing

What slab leak repair costs in Tampa

Every slab leak is different, so these are typical Tampa Bay ranges, not a quote

Job

Typical range

$1,500 – $3,500

$1,500 – $4,000

$4,500 – $9,000
more for larger homes

Not included, referred out

Call (813) 797-7392 for real pricing on your home

What moves the price is mostly time, and a bit for the concrete:

Under an open floor is one thing. Under a kitchen cabinet run or a tub is another.

Tight rooms, built-ins, and furniture all add time.

A standard slab and a 20-inch foundation section are very different jobs.

Financing is available through Acorn Finance, which can make a repipe much easier to say yes to. Call for terms

insurance requirement

Slab leaks and your homeowners insurance

Most people ask about insurance on the first call, and it is a fair question. The only one who can tell you what your policy covers is your insurance company, so call them and ask.

What we do: we give you a written report and photos of the leak and the repair, so you have what you need for a claim. We do not deal with insurance companies directly. Payment is due when the work is done, and if your claim is approved, your insurance company pays you.

Why Slab Leaks Happen

Why slab leaks happen in Tampa Bay homes

Almost every slab leak we repair is the same story: an older slab home, copper water lines run through or under the concrete when the house was built, and a pinhole leak in that copper. In our experience it is old copper with a pinhole leak 99.9 percent of the time.

The usual causes work together over time

Copper laid in a slab decades ago has been carrying water every day since.

Water chemistry wears at copper from the inside, and Tampa Bay water is hard on plumbing.

High water pressure puts constant stress on pipes and fittings. According to the Department of Energy’s Building America Solution Center , most plumbing codes require a pressure reducing valve where supply pressure exceeds 80 psi, because higher pressures can rupture pipes and damage fixtures.

That is why slab leaks cluster in older neighborhoods, the established parts of South Tampa like Hyde Park included, and in homes of the same age across Pinellas.

What waiting costs you

Our first piece of advice is that a slab leak does not get better with time. While it runs, you are paying for water you never use, and the water is going somewhere: into the soil under your home, into the slab, and eventually into flooring and walls. Water running under a slab can wash soil out from beneath it and leave a hollow, what we call a mini sinkhole, which turns a pipe repair into a bigger one.

Leaks in drain and sewer lines under the slab are a related problem with their own repair. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection lists collapsed or broken sewer and drain pipes among the human causes of sinkholes. We handle those too. See our drain repair and video camera inspection pages for how we find and fix them

The Process

How we work

We take slab leak work in houses, condos, rentals, and commercial buildings, case by case

Licensed and insured

Credentials

There is no manufacturer certification specific to tank water heaters, and we would rather say so than invent one. What matters on this work is the license, the insurance, and whether the installer pulls a permit.

trust that you can verify

Proof

5.0 stars from 51 reviews on Google

"Fast Track arrived on time and provided very fair pricing for the work needed"

-Eric G

I had an amazing experience with this plumber! I was struggling to locate a leak in my bathroom, but he came in quickly, replaced some pipes, and had everything fixed in no time. Professional, efficient, and super knowledgeable—highly recommend!

- Gerard C.

"They were quick to respond, showed up on time, and got the job done efficiently"

- Anthony T.

You can verify us in two places without taking our word for anything. The Google Business Profile has the reviews and the rating. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation license lookup will confirm CFC1433909 is active and in our name.

Local Service Area

Areas we serve

Fast Track Plumbing is based in downtown Tampa at 400 N Ashley Dr and covers the Tampa Bay area.

South Tampa
North Tampa and New Tampa
Downtown Tampa, Davis Islands, Ybor City, and Channelside
Brandon and Riverview
St. Petersburg and Clearwater
Lutz, Temple Terrace, and Westchase
Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties

Recent slab leak repairs have taken us to homes in Tampa, Brandon, Davis Islands, and Palm Harbor. If you are in Tampa Bay and do not see your area here, call and ask.

Plumbing Services

Related services

Water Lines & Leaks

For leaks that are not under the slab, including main water lines running through the yard

Drain Repair & Install

When the leak under your slab is in a drain or sewer line instead of a water line

Video Camera Inspection

To see inside a drain line under the slab before anyone cuts the floor

Burst Pipes

When a line has failed badly and water is coming up fast. We also offer emergency plumbing service.

Water Heater Replacement

A hot water slab leak keeps your water heater running nonstop. Once the leak is fixed, it is worth making sure the heater came through it.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Do plumbers fix slab leaks, or do I need a leak detection company first?

We do both. We find the leak ourselves with acoustic detection and then repair it, usually in the same visit. If a leak detection company has already marked the spot, that is fine too. We will work from their mark and confirm it as we cut

Will my homeowners insurance pay for a slab leak?

That depends on your policy, and your insurance company is the only one who can answer it, so call them and ask. We provide a written report and photos for your claim. Payment is due when the work is done, and if your claim is approved your insurer pays you.

Should I repipe the house instead of fixing the slab leak?

If it is your first leak and the rest of your plumbing has been fine, fixing the leak usually makes sense. If you have had a second leak within a few months, or we find more than one, a repipe is the better money. Older copper and galvanized pipe tend to keep failing once they start. We will give you both options and the price for each.

Can't you just put a SharkBite on it?

Not under your floor. A push-to-connect fitting can be a fine repair where you can see it and reach it later. Under concrete you cannot do either, and if it lets go, the floor has to come up again.

Are you fixing the tile and drywall too? Is it all included?

We cut the floor and concrete, repair the pipe, and patch and re-cement the concrete. Tile replacement, drywall, and water damage repair are not included. We can refer you to a tile installer and to a restoration and drying company.

How serious is a slab leak? Can it wait?

It does not get better with time. A slab leak wastes water every hour it runs, and the water soaks into the soil under your home, the slab, and eventually your floors and walls. It can wash soil out from under the slab and leave a hollow, a mini sinkhole. If your water bill is up and you cannot explain it, call someone quickly

Found a leak under your slab? Call before it gets worse

Keep an eye on your water bill and stay on top of it. If it is higher than it should be, if a spot on the floor is warm, or if water is coming up where it should not, do not wait.

Found and fixed in the same visit in most cases, a one-year warranty on our repair, and the plumber you talk to is the plumber who does the work.

Slab Leak