Slab Leak Detection & Repair in San Antonio
You searched slab leak repair San Antonio because something doesn't add up: a warm spot has appeared on the tile, the water bill jumped with no change in how you use water, or you can hear water running when every fixture is off. That's a pressurized supply line leaking under the concrete, and here's how we handle it: Armor Pro Services pinpoints the exact leak with acoustic discs and tracer gas, usually within a few inches, then repairs the plumbing the right way for your specific slab. We are licensed under Texas RMP #36282, locally owned, and you'll get an upfront written price before any concrete is cut. We locate and repair the plumbing leak. We do not do foundation or structural repair, and if your slab needs structural work, that belongs to a foundation specialist, not a plumber.
Slab Leak Repair in San Antonio: What We Actually Do
A slab leak is a leak in a water line that runs under or through the concrete slab your house sits on. Most homes south of Loop 1604 were built after 1970 on post-tension slab foundations, and that's the housing stock where this call comes up most. Here's the honest scope: we are the plumbing contractor. We find the failed line, we repair or reroute the plumbing, and we restore water service. The structural side, meaning the post-tension cables, the foundation itself, and any slab engineering, is handled by a foundation specialist, and we'll say so plainly rather than take on work we aren't licensed for. On the plumbing we do, you have three real paths: a spot repair where we open the slab at the pinpointed leak and replace the bad section, an overhead reroute in PEX-A where we abandon the failed under-slab run and route a new line through the attic and walls, or a partial or full repipe when the copper has already failed more than once. We won't sell you a repipe when a six-foot point repair will do, and we won't talk you into a spot repair on copper that's clearly going to leak again next year. Call 210-212-7667 and describe what you're seeing.
Slab Leak Detection: How We Find It Without Guessing
Cutting concrete is expensive and disruptive, so the worst thing a plumber can do is open the slab in the wrong place. We don't guess. We isolate the system and confirm it's a pressurized supply leak and not a drain issue, because the two are fixed completely differently. Then we pinpoint the leak using acoustic listening discs that pick up the hiss of water escaping under pressure through the concrete, and tracer gas, a safe helium and nitrogen blend pumped into the isolated line, which rises through the slab at the exact leak point where a sensitive detector picks it up. On a post-tension slab in particular, knowing the precise location matters even more, because there are tensioning cables in the concrete that must not be cut. Pinpointing the leak first means a smaller opening, a cleaner repair, and far less floor to patch back. We typically locate the leak within a few inches before any concrete is touched, and we show you where it is before we quote the repair.
Signs of a Slab Leak Most San Antonio Homeowners Miss
Slab leaks rarely announce themselves with a puddle. They show up as smaller clues that are easy to write off until the water bill or the floor forces the issue. Watch for these signs. A warm or hot spot on the floor, often on tile, which usually means the leak is on the hot-water side. The sound of water running when every faucet, toilet, and appliance is off. An unexplained spike in your SAWS bill with no change in how much water you use. A drop in water pressure throughout the house. New cracks in tile or flooring, or a section of flooring that feels damp or has started to lift. A musty smell or visible mold near a baseboard with no obvious source above the floor. The fastest at-home check: turn off every fixture, find your water meter, and watch the small leak-indicator dial. If it keeps moving with everything shut off, water is escaping somewhere in the pressurized system, and under-slab is one of the likeliest places in a post-1970 San Antonio home. If you've got one or more of these signs, call 210-212-7667 and we'll pinpoint it before recommending anything.
Spot Repair, Reroute, or Repipe: Choosing the Right Fix
Once we know exactly where the leak is and how the rest of the line looks, the repair decision comes down to the age and history of the piping. A spot repair makes sense when the copper is otherwise sound and this is a first, isolated failure: we open the slab at the pinpointed spot, cut out the bad section, replace it, pressure-test, and patch the concrete. It's the least disruptive fix when the line has life left in it. An overhead reroute in PEX-A is the right call when the under-slab copper has already failed once or the run is in a spot that would be brutal to open, like under a kitchen island or a tiled bathroom. Instead of chasing leaks through the slab, we abandon the failed line in place and route a fresh PEX-A line up through a wall, across the attic, and back down to where it's needed. No more concrete cutting on that run, ever. A partial or full repipe is the honest answer when the copper is pinholing in multiple places, which is common on older soft-copper systems that have been sitting in aggressive soil for decades. Chasing one leak at a time on a system that's failing all over just means we're back next year. We'll lay out which path fits your home and price each one upfront, so the choice is yours, not a surprise on the invoice.
Why Slab Leaks Happen Here: Local Soil and Pressure
San Antonio is hard on under-slab copper for reasons specific to this region, and understanding them is why we check for the root cause instead of just patching the symptom. The soil is the first culprit. Bexar County sits on expansive clay over caliche and limestone that swells when wet and shrinks hard during drought, and that seasonal movement flexes and shears the rigid copper supply lines running under slabs. The same soil cycle that cracks sewer laterals at their fittings works on copper supply lines too. The second culprit is incoming water pressure. High pressure from the SAWS main accelerates pinhole failures in copper, and a home running well above the recommended range is wearing out its pipes faster than it should. That's why, when we find a slab leak, we also check the pressure-reducing valve at the main: high incoming pressure that accelerates slab pipe failures is a fixable problem, and ignoring it just sets up the next leak. Add the post-tension slab construction common south of Loop 1604, where lines are cast into concrete with little room to move, and you have a region where slab leaks are a recurring category, not a freak event. We fix the leak, and we tell you what's driving it.
Frequently asked
How do plumbers find a slab leak?
We first isolate the system to confirm it's a pressurized supply leak and not a drain problem, since the two are repaired differently. Then we pinpoint the exact location using acoustic listening discs, which detect the hiss of water escaping under the concrete, and tracer gas, a safe helium-nitrogen blend that rises through the slab at the leak point for a sensitive detector to find. This locates the leak within a few inches before any concrete is cut, which keeps the opening small and the repair clean. On post-tension slabs it's especially important, because precise location avoids the tensioning cables in the concrete.
How much does slab leak repair cost?
We don't publish flat rates because the right repair depends on what the leak detection finds. What moves the price: whether it's a single isolated failure that a spot repair handles versus copper that's pinholing in multiple places and calls for a reroute or repipe, how accessible the leak is, whether the slab is post-tension or has tile that's harder to open and patch, and whether high incoming water pressure needs a PRV to stop the next leak. A first-time spot repair is at the low end; an overhead PEX-A reroute or a partial repipe is a larger job. We pinpoint the leak first, show you where it is, and give you a firm written price on each repair option before any concrete is touched. Call 210-212-7667 and describe what you're seeing for a realistic ballpark.
Is a slab leak covered by insurance?
It depends on your policy, and we can't speak for your insurer, but here's the general pattern in Texas. Many homeowner policies cover the resulting water damage and the access cost, meaning the cutting and patching to reach the leak, while excluding the failed pipe itself and any wear-and-tear cause. Some policies require a specific endorsement for slab leak access. We provide a written diagnosis, photos, and an itemized scope that separates the leak location, the plumbing repair, and the concrete restoration, which is exactly the documentation adjusters ask for. We handle the plumbing side; foundation or structural repair, if any is needed, is a separate trade and a separate line on your claim. Call your carrier with our report in hand to confirm what your policy covers.
Do you repair the foundation or just the plumbing leak?
Just the plumbing leak. Armor Pro Services is a licensed plumbing contractor under Texas RMP #36282. We locate the under-slab leak, repair or reroute the failed water line, and patch back the concrete we opened to make the repair. We do not work on post-tension cables, the foundation structure, or slab engineering. If your home has a genuine structural or foundation problem, that's the job of a foundation specialist, and we'll tell you plainly rather than take on work we aren't the right contractor for. Sometimes what gets blamed on a slab leak is actually a drainage or grading issue, and we'll flag that too.
Can you handle a slab leak the same day?
Usually we can pinpoint the leak the same day for addresses inside Loop 1604 when you call by early afternoon on a weekday. Once it's located, we either spot-repair through the slab or set up an overhead reroute, depending on how many leaks the line shows and the age of the copper. We give you a real ETA when you call, not a four-hour window. For outlying areas, next-morning first call is typical. Call 210-212-7667 and we'll tell you honestly when we can be there.
What's the difference between a spot repair and a reroute?
A spot repair means we open the slab at the pinpointed leak, cut out the bad section of pipe, replace it, and patch the concrete. It's the least disruptive fix when the copper is otherwise sound and this is a first, isolated failure. A reroute means we abandon the failed under-slab line in place and run a fresh PEX-A line overhead through a wall and the attic instead, so that run never gets cut into concrete again. We recommend a reroute when the under-slab copper has already failed once, or the leak sits somewhere brutal to open like under a tiled bathroom or a kitchen island. We price both options upfront so you choose.