Plumbing
Leak Detection in Charleston and Summerville, SC
Finding it without opening the whole wall.
Finding it without opening the whole wall.
Quick answer: Call about the leaks you cannot see: a rising bill, a warm spot on a slab floor, water sounds with every fixture off, or a musty smell that returns. To check, turn off every fixture and watch the meter. Acoustic listening, pressure testing by zone and thermal imaging locate the leak closely enough to keep the opening small. Published Charleston examples: $185–$225 for the first hour (plumbing cost guide; not our quote). Licensed plumbing subcontractors do the plumbing and pull their own permits; we coordinate as the SC general contractor (CLG.127339). Call (843) 718-8177.
Related: Water Leaking Through the Ceiling: Who to Call First, and Who Repairs What Is Left · Why Is My Water Pressure Low in Only One Bathroom (but Fine Everywhere Else)? · Does Homeowners Insurance Cover the Damage After a Pipe Leak? What Is Usually In, What Is Usually Out.
Plan the scope: Charleston plumbing cost guide · York County cost guide · What to check before hiring a plumber.
Locating a concealed leak is a process of elimination using acoustic listening equipment, pressure isolation and thermal imaging, rather than opening drywall until something turns up. The point of the equipment is to make the repair small — knowing where the leak is within a foot is the difference between one patch and a rebuilt wall.
Foundation type shapes what is involved. A slab-on-grade house means supply lines under concrete, where acoustic and thermal methods do most of the work. A raised house on piers or a crawl space usually allows direct inspection, which is faster and cheaper — one of the few ways the Lowcountry’s raised construction works in a homeowner’s favor.
We take this work across greater Charleston, from Summerville and Goose Creek to Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and the sea islands, and on the York County side around Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie. More on our plumbing services.
Finding the leak within a foot keeps the opening small, but there is still an opening: a cut in drywall, a section of slab or a lifted floor. As a general contractor we close it, finish it and match the paint or flooring in the same job, after checking that the surrounding material is dry. See drywall repair.
Close every fixture and appliance that uses water, then watch the meter. If it still moves, water is going somewhere.
Other common signs are an unexplained increase in the bill, a warm spot on a slab floor, damp that returns after drying, and a musty smell in one particular area.
That is the entire purpose of the equipment. Acoustic listening devices, pressure testing by zone and thermal imaging together usually locate a leak closely enough that the repair opening is small and deliberate.
Exploratory demolition is what happens when nobody brought the right tools.
They occur wherever there is slab-on-grade construction with supply lines beneath, which describes a great deal of post-war building here.
Older raised houses on piers or crawl spaces have a different profile — the leaks are usually easier to reach, which makes them cheaper to fix once found.