Slab Leak Detection ProsSlab Leak Detection The Colony: Pinpointed Before Concrete Is Cut
Slab leak detection The Colony homeowners trust finds leaks in homes built from the 1970s through the 1990s. The Colony slab leak detection pinpoints the leak before anyone opens a floor, in neighborhoods near Lewisville Lake, Grandscape and Hawaiian Falls.
- 1CallDescribe what you’re seeing
- 22–4 hoursLeak confirmed and pinpointed
- 3ReportExact spot marked, in writing
- Acoustic listening
- Thermal imaging
- Tracer gas
- Pressure & hydrostatic tests
- Camera inspection
Warning signs of a slab leak in your The Colony home
- Water bill jumped with no change in use
- Meter keeps moving with everything off
- Warm spot on tile, wood or carpet
- Running-water sound when nothing is on
- Water heater runs constantly
- Damp carpet, cupped wood, musty smell
- Sewer smell or slow drains
- New cracks or sticking doors
Our The Colony home is from the 1980s and the water heater runs constantly. Should we test for a slab leak?
Yes. A heater that keeps running may be replacing hot water leaking from a line under the slab. Close its cold inlet and watch the meter to check the hot side.
A 2-hour leak test for The Colony homes
This simple test tells you whether water is escaping somewhere in your The Colony home before you pay for a visit.
- Turn everything off. Faucets, dishwasher, washer, ice maker, sprinklers and pool fill.
- Find your meter. It is usually in a box near the street. Read the number or take a photo.
- Wait one to two hours. Use no water at all during that time.
- Read it again. If the number moved, or the small leak indicator is spinning, water is escaping.
- Narrow it down. Close the house shut-off. If the meter keeps moving, the leak is in the yard line; if it stops, it is inside, possibly under the slab.
What Slab Leak Detection The Colony Includes
We do one thing: find leaks under concrete slabs. Every visit is done by an independent, licensed Texas plumber who specializes in leak detection, so you pay to find the leak, not to break concrete searching for it.
Water Line Leaks
Find leaks in the pressurized supply lines buried in or under your slab.
Hot-Water Line Leaks
Thermal imaging traces warm spots and leaking hot-water runs.
Drain Line Leaks
Hydrostatic and isolation tests find drain leaks that never show on your meter.
Pressure Testing
Confirm a leak exists and measure how fast the line loses pressure.
Line Isolation & Tracing
Separate hot, cold and branch lines and map where they really run.
Acoustic Pinpointing
Ground microphones hear escaping water through the concrete.
Tracer Gas Detection
For very quiet leaks and plastic pipe, gas rises at the leak point.
Written Leak Report
Exact location, readings and photos for your insurer or water utility.
Local conditions behind The Colony slab leaks
Much of The Colony was built from the 1970s through the 1990s, so many homes still have their original plumbing under the slab. Copper of that age can develop pinholes, and older drains can crack.
The city sits on North Texas clay along Lewisville Lake, where soil moisture swings from wet to dry and keeps slabs moving.
Serving homes across The Colony, including neighborhoods near Grandscape, Lewisville Lake, Hawaiian Falls.
Can Grandscape-area construction traffic affect slabs in The Colony?
Vibration from nearby construction rarely damages slab plumbing. Clay movement and pipe age are far more common causes of leaks.
The Colony homes and the pipes beneath them
Across The Colony: Older 1960s–80s homes with cast iron and copper, and brand-new post-tension slabs with PEX. Knowing what pipe is under your floor tells the plumber which slab leak detection method will work best.
Copper supply lines
Common in homes built from the 1960s through the early 2000s. Copper wears where it rubs against concrete or gravel, and pinhole leaks show up as homes pass 25–40 years old. Acoustic listening finds them well.
Cast-iron drains
Standard in homes built before about 1980. Cast iron rusts from the inside and cracks as the slab moves. Drain leaks never show on the water meter, so a hydrostatic test and camera inspection are used.
Polybutylene
Gray plastic pipe installed from about 1978 to 1995. It is known for failing at fittings. Tracer gas and pressure testing are often the best ways to locate leaks in it.
PEX and newer plastic
Used in most homes built since the 2000s, often run from a manifold. PEX leaks are usually at fittings or where the pipe was nicked during construction. Each run can be pressure-tested from the manifold.
How we find a slab leak in The Colony without tearing up your floor
The same nine steps on every job, so you know what’s happening and why. Read the full process →
Listen and look first
The plumber hears what you've noticed and walks the home to look for clues.
Rule out the easy causes
Toilets, faucets, irrigation, the water heater and the AC drain are checked so you don't pay to search for the wrong leak.
Confirm the leak with the meter and a pressure test
A meter test and a pressure test prove water is escaping from the plumbing.
Isolate the leaking line
Hot, cold and branch lines are separated so the search focuses on the one that's leaking.
Test the drains, if needed
Drain leaks don't show on the meter, so they get their own hydrostatic test and camera check.
Trace the pipe's route
An electronic locator maps where the leaking line actually runs under the floor.
Pinpoint the exact spot
Acoustic listening, thermal imaging and tracer gas find where the water is escaping, and two methods must agree.
Scan the slab and mark the leak
The slab is checked for steel tendons and rebar, and the leak is marked on the floor.
Get your written report
You receive the leak's location, the line, the readings and photos in writing.
Water coming up through the floor in The Colony?
Shut off the main water valve and call now. We’ll connect you with a licensed slab leak specialist.
What a slab leak detection visit in The Colony looks like
The Colony slab leak detection follows the same careful path on every job, but the details depend on your home. A licensed plumber who serves Denton County arrives with pressure gauges, an acoustic ground microphone, a thermal camera and, when needed, tracer gas equipment.
Most of the visit is about narrowing the search. A meter test confirms water is escaping, a pressure test measures how fast, and isolating the hot, cold and branch lines turns the whole house into a single pipe to follow.
Then comes pinpointing: the pipe is traced, the slab is checked for post-tension cables, and acoustic and thermal readings are compared until they agree. That is what makes the mark on your The Colony floor reliable.
Before the plumber leaves, you get a written report with the leaking line, the exact location, the readings and photos. Keep it for your insurer, your water utility’s leak credit and whichever licensed plumber you choose for the repair.
If you found us by searching leak detection slab The Colony, TX, this is the visit you can expect: careful testing first, and no concrete broken to search.
We arrange slab leak detection for homes all over The Colony, from neighborhoods near Grandscape to those around Hawaiian Falls. Most visits take two to four hours.
Why The Colony homeowners choose detection first
Most of the cost of a slab leak comes from searching for it and repairing the floor afterward. Slab leak detection is all we do, so you get an exact location before anyone touches your floor.
Licensed Texas plumbers
All work is done by independent plumbers licensed in Texas who will show their license number on request.
Typical prices up front
Know the usual range before anyone arrives, and get a written quote before work starts.
Documentation you can use
Photos, readings and a written summary for your insurer or your water utility’s leak credit.
Slab leak detection specialist vs. general plumbing contractor in The Colony
Many general plumbers do excellent work. The difference is focus and equipment when the leak is hidden under concrete.
| What matters | Slab leak detection specialist (our network) | Typical general plumbing contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Only finding hidden leaks under slabs | Installs, repairs and remodels across all plumbing |
| Detection tools | Acoustic ground mics, thermal imaging, tracer gas, line tracing | Varies; often a pressure test and visual inspection |
| Locating the leak | Pinpointed before any concrete is opened | May open the floor in more than one place to search |
| Drain leaks under slab | Hydrostatic, isolation test and camera find the broken section | May recommend replacing the whole drain system |
| After the leak is found | Exact spot marked and documented; you choose who fixes it | Often moves straight into its own repair or repipe |
| Paperwork | Written report with photos for insurance and water credits | Usually an invoice only |
| Typical cost to locate | $150–$600 in most The Colony homes | Varies; exploratory openings add cost |
Tip: whoever you call, ask which detection methods they use and whether they’ll pinpoint the leak before opening the slab.
Slab leak detection prices for The Colony homes
Quoted up front, based on your home and what you are seeing.
Included
- Leak marked on your floor
- Readings you can give your insurer
- Hot and cold line isolation
- Thermal imaging on hot lines
- Written report with photos
Pushes it higher
- Drain testing (a hydrostatic test is typically about $250)
- A very quiet leak that needs tracer gas
- More than one leak
- Long yard lines from the meter
Not included
- Mold cleanup
- Flooring replacement
- Foundation work
Sources: This Old House, Angi/HomeAdvisor via Bob Vila. We only do detection; you choose who does any repair.
Is a drain test usually needed for older The Colony homes?
Only if there are drain symptoms, such as a sewer smell, slow drains or damp spots near bathrooms. It typically costs around $250 on top of supply-line detection.
How soon does your The Colony home need slab leak detection?
Call the same day
- Water coming up through the floor
- Sewer smell inside the home
- Meter spinning fast with everything off
- A large warm or wet area
Shut off the main water valve first.
Book this week
- Meter moves slowly with everything off
- One warm spot on the floor
- Water heater running constantly
- Bill up for a second month
Keep watching
- A single high bill with an explanation
- Hairline cracks with a normal meter test
- Slow drains in one fixture only
Repeat the meter test monthly.
Insurance and slab leaks in Texas
Coverage depends on your policy and the cause. The Texas Department of Insurance has long said the standard HO-B policy covers damage to the dwelling, including the foundation, from an accidental discharge of water from a plumbing system. Many policies still exclude wear and tear, the pipe itself, and mold.
What helps your claim: shut off the water, protect your belongings, and get the leak documented by a licensed plumber before the adjuster visits.
Ask for a leak credit
Many Texas cities and MUDs credit part of the water lost to a hidden leak once it’s repaired. Most want a paid plumber’s invoice and a request within a set number of days, and allow one credit a year.
Keep your invoice, and call your utility soon after the repair to ask about its rules and deadline.
Questions about slab leaks in The Colony?
Still not sure if you have a slab leak? Call and describe what you’re seeing. A licensed plumber will tell you whether it’s worth a visit.
Call (833) 841-0340Are original pipes in 1970s The Colony homes likely to fail?
They have had decades of wear and movement, so leaks are more likely than in new homes. Testing when symptoms appear is more useful than replacing pipe on age alone.
Can a slab leak raise our The Colony energy bill?
Yes, if it's on a hot line. The water heater keeps heating water that leaks away, so both the water and energy bills climb.
Our The Colony home had foundation work last year. Should we test the plumbing?
Yes. Lifting or leveling a slab moves the pipes inside it, so a plumbing test after foundation work is a smart check.
Can a slab leak in The Colony attract pests?
Constant moisture can draw moisture-loving pests, including termites looking for damp soil. A pest problem near a damp area is a reason to check for a leak.
Our The Colony townhome shares walls with neighbors. Who handles a slab leak?
Usually the owner of the unit whose line is leaking. Check your own meter first, and review your HOA documents for how shared slabs and repairs are handled.
What paperwork helps with a The Colony leak credit?
Keep the detection report and the repair invoice. Utilities that offer leak adjustments usually ask for a licensed plumber's invoice.
Slab leak detection near The Colony and across Texas
Last updated 2026-11-03