Broward · Miami-Dade · Jacksonville
Leak Detection
Leak detection is how we find hidden water leaks behind walls, under floors, or underground without tearing your home apart to look. Listening equipment, thermal imaging, and meter testing narrow a leak to a small, specific spot before anyone picks up a saw. If your water bill jumped and your habits didn't, this is usually the right first step.
What the job includes
- A walkthrough of your home and a look at recent JEA or utility bills
- Water meter testing to confirm whether water moves with every fixture off
- Acoustic listening equipment that hears water escaping a pressurized pipe
- Thermal imaging to spot temperature differences behind walls and floors
- Pressure testing to isolate which section of supply line is losing water
- A plain-language summary of where the leak is and your repair options
How you know it’s time
Your water bill jumped and you can't explain it
A sudden spike with no change in habits is one of the most reliable signs water is escaping where you can't see.
You hear water running when everything is off
A faint hiss behind a wall or under the floor, with every fixture off, points to a pressurized line losing water.
The water meter moves with all fixtures shut
If the dial keeps ticking when nothing is using water, something is drawing it continuously.
Musty smells or soft spots you can't trace
Damp odors, cupping floorboards, or bubbling paint low on a wall often appear before any visible water does.
When to make the call
Schedule leak detection when the evidence says water is going somewhere it shouldn't, but you can't see where: an unexplained bill increase, a meter that moves on its own, or a damp spot with no source. There's a check you can do first: turn off everything that uses water and watch your meter for 20 to 30 minutes. No movement means a constant leak is unlikely; movement confirms a leak but not its location — the part our equipment answers, at your convenience.
Local knowledge
Leak Detection is a different job in Broward than in Jacksonville. We know both.
Broward & Miami-Dade
Nearly every South Florida home sits on a slab, so the leaks that cost the most are the ones under the floor — a warm patch on the tile, a meter that turns with everything off, a bill that jumps. We find them with acoustic and thermal equipment rather than opening the slab on a hunch, in houses from Cooper City to Coral Gables and in condos where a leak may be the unit's or the building's.
Jacksonville & the First Coast
Jacksonville homes hide leaks well. Most First Coast houses sit on concrete slabs, so supply lines run where you'll never see a drip, and the first symptom is often a JEA bill that doesn't add up. Humidity complicates things too: summer condensation on cold pipes gets mistaken for leaks constantly, and part of our job is telling those apart honestly. Older Riverside and Springfield homes develop pinholes in aging copper and galvanized lines; newer PEX homes in Nocatee tend to leak at fittings.
What it looks like
Before we came. After we left.
Pull the handle across. More on the work page.
Questions
Leak Detection. Ask us anything.
Last reviewed September 16, 2026
How do plumbers find leaks without tearing open walls?
Plumbers locate hidden leaks with acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging, and pressure testing, so the wall only gets opened at the one spot where the repair happens. Escaping pressurized water makes a distinct sound microphones pick up through drywall and concrete, and thermal cameras spot the temperature change a leak creates.
How can I tell if my high water bill in Florida is from a leak?
Turn off every faucet, appliance, and irrigation zone, then watch your water meter for 20 to 30 minutes; if it keeps moving, water is leaving your plumbing somewhere. The test is free and we encourage it first — though a leaky toilet flapper or irrigation issue can pass it and still inflate a JEA bill.
How much does leak detection cost?
The cost depends mostly on how hard the leak is to reach: under a slab or out in the yard takes more time and equipment than behind an accessible wall. Rather than guess, we take a look, give you a free estimate, and put the price in writing before any work starts.
Can I have a water leak with no visible water anywhere?
Yes, and most hidden leaks we find never show a visible drop. Water under a slab drains into the soil, and a buried line can lose water for months into Florida's sandy ground without a puddle forming. That's why the meter test and your bill are better indicators than your eyes.
Is the moisture on my pipes a leak or just Florida humidity?
Often it's condensation, not a leak: in our humid climate, cold water lines sweat, especially in summer. A leak stays in one spot regardless of weather and usually comes with a moving meter or rising bill. If you're unsure, we'll tell you straight, even if the answer is that nothing needs fixing.
Also in the family
Serving Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Jacksonville & the First Coast.