Leak Detection and Repiping in Miami
A water bill that doubles with no new habits, a warm patch on the floor, or the hiss of water with every tap off usually means a supply leak you cannot see. In a Miami slab house the first job is finding it without breaking more concrete than necessary.
Confirming there is a leak
Turn off every tap, the ice maker and the irrigation system, then look at the meter. If the dial or the small leak indicator is still moving, water is leaving the pipes somewhere on your side. Closing the main shutoff at the house and watching again tells you whether it is between the meter and the house, which is often a yard line, or inside. Toilets are the cheapest leak to rule out: a few drops of food colouring in the tank that show up in the bowl without a flush mean a worn flapper.
How a slab leak is found
Leak detection companies and plumbers isolate the hot and cold sides, pressure test them, and then listen. Acoustic equipment picks up the sound of water escaping through the slab; thermal cameras show a hot-water leak as a warm stain on the floor. The result is a mark on the tile, and the decision is then whether to open the floor at that spot, reroute the line through the walls or attic, or repipe the house. In Miami's high water table, a leak in a slab line can run for months before anything shows on the surface, because the water has somewhere to go.
One slab leak, or the second one
One leak in a copper line under the slab is a repair. A second within a year or two is a pattern, especially in a house whose supply lines are original. The usual choice then is a repipe: new PEX or copper run through the attic and walls, abandoning the old lines in the slab. It is a few days of work, with holes in drywall that need patching afterwards, and it removes the slab from the equation for good. Ask how the quote handles drywall repair and whether it includes painting, because that is where comparisons go wrong.
Galvanised and polybutylene supply lines
Galvanised pipe in pre-1960s houses
Common in houses built before the 1960s. It corrodes from the inside, so water pressure falls over the years, the water may run brown after it has sat, and eventually the threaded joints leak. In older Shenandoah, Little Havana and Coconut Grove houses that have never been repiped, this is a likely culprit for weak showers.
Polybutylene
Grey plastic supply pipe used widely in South Florida houses and condos from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s, which covers a lot of Kendall and the western suburbs. It is known for failing without warning, and some insurers decline or surcharge homes that still have it. If yours is on a four-point inspection report, a repipe is usually the way to clear it.
Outside the house
Yard lines between the meter and the house, irrigation pipes and the backflow preventer on an irrigation system all leak too. Miami-Dade requires backflow assemblies on certain connections, including many lawn irrigation systems, to be tested when installed and every year after by a certified tester. Salt air, mower strikes and theft of the brass are the usual reasons they fail.
Meter spinning with everything off? Call, say so, and ask for leak detection rather than a general visit. It is a different set of tools.
Other plumbing work in Miami
- Plumber in Miami, FL
- Emergency Plumber in Miami
- Drain Cleaning in Miami, FL
- Cast-Iron Drain and Sewer Line Repair in Miami
- Water Heater Repair and Replacement in Miami
Also serving
Leaks & Repiping also reaches past Miami, into Coral Gables , Miami Beach , Hialeah and Kendall .
Common questions
Does homeowners insurance pay for a slab leak?
Some policies cover the cost of access and the resulting water damage but not the pipe repair itself; others limit or exclude it. Read your policy or ask your agent before work starts, and keep the leak detection report.
Can I get a leak adjustment on my water bill?
Utilities in Miami-Dade, including Miami-Dade Water and Sewer and the City of Hialeah, have processes for leak credits once a repair is made. Keep the plumber’s invoice showing the repair and its date.
How long is a Miami house disrupted by a repipe?
For a typical single-storey Miami house, a few days of plumbing work, followed by drywall patching. Water is usually restored at the end of each day.
Ask about leaks & repiping
Say what is happening and where, and a local plumbing company will call you back to set a time. Phones answered Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm · after hours, leave a message or send the form Or ring (786) 432-8693 if water is running right now.