Slab Leak Repair

Water under your floor: slab leak repair in Aubrey and Denton County

Many homes in this part of Texas sit on a concrete slab, and some water lines run in or beneath it. When one of those lines leaks, the water has nowhere obvious to go. It soaks the soil, works up through flooring, and shows on your bill long before you see it on the floor. Vor-Tex Plumbing Co. repairs slab leaks for homes in Aubrey and the surrounding towns. We help you confirm the leak, explain your options, and give you the price before we begin. This page is part of our drain and sewer services.

Signs of a slab leak

• Warm spots on the floor. A leaking hot water line can heat the concrete above it.
• An unexplained high water bill. Usage did not change, but the bill climbed.
• The sound of running water. You hear it in quiet rooms when no fixture is on.
• A meter that moves with everything off. Shut off all water and watch the leak indicator.
• Damp or discolored carpet, or buckling flooring.
• Cracks in floors or walls that appear together with other signs.
• Low water pressure.
• A musty smell or mold along baseboards.

One sign alone may have another cause. Two or three together make a slab leak more likely. Our leak detection page explains simple checks you can do first.

What causes a slab leak

The pipes under a slab are exposed to forces you cannot see.

• Soil movement. As the ground under a house swells and shrinks, the slab and the lines in it shift slightly.
• Corrosion. Pipe can wear from the outside from soil contact and from the inside from the water itself.
• Abrasion. Pipes rubbing against concrete or gravel wear a thin spot over time, especially where a line vibrates.
• High pressure. Water pressure above normal strains joints over years.
• Installation problems. A poorly made joint or a pipe pinched during construction can fail later.

How slab leaks are handled

The first job is to be sure the leak is under the slab and not in a wall or the yard. After we locate it, we explain what we found and what your choices are. Generally, repairs fall into a few paths: fixing the damaged section, running a new line around the slab, or replacing a larger run if the pipe is failing in several places. The right one depends on the pipe, where the leak sits, and your floors. We tell you what each option involves and what it costs, and you choose. We do not recommend more than the problem requires.

Call right away if

• The floor is hot underfoot in one area.
• Water is seeping up through a floor or at the base of a wall.
• Your meter is running fast with all water off.
• You see cracking or lifting flooring along with a high bill.

What a visit looks like

1. You call (469) 552-2881. Tell us what you have noticed, and shut the main off if the water is active. We book the first same-day or next-day window, or come out right away for an emergency.
2. We look and quote on site. The $79 dispatch fee covers the visit and is applied toward your repair total when you approve the recommended work.
3. You get the estimate first. Nothing starts until you say yes.
4. We do the work and show you. Then you pay, and we ask for a review.
5. Warranty. Parts and labor carry a 5-year warranty when we supply the parts.

What the soil does in Denton County

Soil varies across the county. The USDA Soil Survey of Denton County lists the Sanger-Somervell and Slidell-Sanger clayey soils as having high shrink-swell, and the survey describes Sanger clay as holding cracks 1 to 3 inches wide when dry. Aubrey’s comprehensive plan, by contrast, describes sandy loam soil. Clay that swells and shrinks moves a foundation, and that movement can stress the lines in it. We do not assume your soil. We look at your house.

What to do after the repair

A slab leak is sometimes the first sign that a pipe is near the end of its life. If your home has had more than one leak, talk to us about repiping. For a fresh leak with water on the floor, see emergency leak repair.