24/7 leak detection · Orange County & Long Beach
Hidden water leak?Found before it spreads.
Most leaks in Southern California homes are out of sight: under a slab, inside a wall, along a buried line to the street. Call to speak with a local, licensed plumber who uses acoustic and thermal tools to pinpoint where the water is going.
Tap to call. Answered 24/7, nights and weekends included.
Answered 24/7
Nights, weekends, holidays
Licensed local plumbers
Licensed in California
Pinpoint locating
Acoustic, thermal, tracer gas
Price ranges up front
Know the range before they come
What are you seeing?
Start from the symptom
Start from the symptom. Each page explains what usually causes it, how a plumber tracks it down and what the fix tends to cost.
How it works
What a leak-detection visit involves
- 1
Confirm there is a leak
The plumber shuts off every fixture and watches the meter's low-flow indicator, then may pressure-test the hot and cold sides separately. This alone often tells them whether the leak is on the supply side, the hot side, or outside the house.
- 2
Narrow it down
Isolation valves, a thermal camera (hot-water leaks show up as warm patches on a slab) and moisture meters shrink the search from the whole house to one room or one run of pipe.
- 3
Pinpoint it
Acoustic ground microphones pick up the hiss of water escaping under pressure. On a slab, a good locate gets within a foot or so, which keeps any opening small.
- 4
Talk through the fix
You should get the options in writing (a spot repair, rerouting the line through the attic or walls, or repiping if the pipe is failing in several places), with a price for each before anything is opened up.
When you call
What to expect on the line
01A person answers, any hour
Day or night, you reach a licensed leak-detection plumber who works in your city.
02Ask for the price range first
Describe what you're seeing and ask what locating and repair usually cost before anyone comes out.
03Check their license
Ask for their California contractor license number and look it up on the CSLB site before work starts.
Before you call
Two-minute test: is water leaving the house?
- 1Turn off every tap, the dishwasher, washer, ice maker and irrigation controller.
- 2Find the meter box near the curb and lift the lid (watch for spiders and wasps).
- 3Look for the small triangle or star dial: the low-flow indicator. If it's turning with everything off, water is going somewhere.
- 4Close the house shut-off valve. If the dial stops, the leak is inside the house; if it keeps turning, it's on the line between the meter and the house.
Service area
Leak detection near you
Each city has its own page on the houses, pipes and soil there, and the leaks that come with them.
Guides
Know what you're dealing with
Questions people ask
Are the plumbers licensed?+
Yes. Leak detection is handled by licensed local plumbers. Before work starts, ask for their California contractor license number; you can check it on the CSLB website.
How much does leak detection cost in Orange County?+
Locating a typical leak runs roughly $150–$600 depending on how hidden it is and whether it's after hours. Slab and yard-line locates sit toward the top of that range. The repair is priced separately.
Will they have to break up my floor?+
Usually not much of it. Modern locating gets close enough that a slab opening is often around two feet square, and many slab leaks are fixed by rerouting the pipe overhead instead, with no floor opening at all.
Does homeowners insurance cover a slab leak?+
Many California policies cover the damage the water causes and sometimes the cost of accessing the pipe, but not the pipe repair itself. Check your policy wording and call your insurer before the floor is opened, so they can document it.
Can I call at night?+
Yes. The line is answered 24/7. Whether a plumber comes out overnight depends on how urgent the leak is and who is on call near you, so ask when you're connected.