What a slab leak is and why water spreads the way it does
A slab leak is a leak in a pressurized water line that runs under or inside a concrete slab. You cannot see the pipe, so the first sign is usually water showing up somewhere else. Concrete is porous and slabs have joints, so water finds the low path and travels sideways before it surfaces.
That is why the wet spot may sit a room away from the broken pipe. It can rise into the bottom of a wall, soak the baseboard and slip under flooring. A plumber locates the break and repairs the line. We handle the water damage and drying.
Signs you may have a slab leak
- A warm spot on the floor that you can feel with bare feet.
- The sound of running water when every fixture is off.
- Damp baseboards or a damp edge on carpet along one wall.
- Flooring that lifts, cups or buckles with no obvious cause.
- A water meter that keeps moving with everything off.
Ask your water utility how to read your meter, then check it with all fixtures off. A moving meter points to a leak somewhere between the meter and the house, and a plumber can narrow it down. None of these signs proves a slab leak alone.
Safety in the first hour of a slab leak
Act on the water first, then on the cause. Here is what to do before anyone arrives.
- Shut off the main water valve for the house, and test that the sound of running water stops.
- If water has reached an outlet, a light fixture or the breaker panel, keep the power off and stay out of the wet area.
- Lift small rugs and electronics off the wet floor.
- Take photos of the wet areas and the meter reading before anything moves.
- Get a plumber to locate the leak, then ring (817) 623-9267 to start the floor drying.
Water coming up through the floor?
Call the 24/7 line. A dispatcher explains the shut-off steps.
How we dry a slab-on-grade house
Most of the damage sits in the finishes and the base of the walls, because the slab is the floor. We map moisture with a meter and a thermal camera, then pull wet baseboard, carpet and pad. Wet drywall at the wall base is cut back above the water line.
Hard flooring such as laminate and engineered wood often lifts and has to be removed so the slab can breathe. Air movers sweep the floor surface while LGR dehumidifiers take moisture out of the room air. We keep checking the slab and the wall bases until readings settle. Those calls follow the published ANSI/IICRC S500 standard.
We do not repair plumbing or foundations. If the plumber has to break into the slab, we coordinate drying around that work.
North Richland Hills notes: slab homes and who to ask
The National Association of Home Builders analyzed U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Construction data and found that 97.9 percent of single-family homes started in 2024 in the West South Central division had slab foundations. That figure describes new homes, not existing North Richland Hills housing, and foundation type varies by house. It does explain why slab homes are the common case in this region.
Per the city history page, the population went from 16,514 in 1970 to 45,895 in 1990, which means many local houses are decades old. Its Utility Operations page names 817-427-6440 for the Utilities Division, a sensible first call about the water meter.
In its home insurance guide, the Texas Department of Insurance names damage to foundations or slabs as an optional add-on, and names a continuous leak as an exclusion.
What affects the cost of slab leak cleanup
- Time the supply line spent leaking unnoticed.
- How much flooring, baseboard and wall base got wet.
- Whether the flooring can dry in place or must come up.
- The number of rooms and the drying days required.
- Coordination with the plumber if the slab is opened.
Scope and price get laid out before any equipment is set. Ask about your slab at (817) 623-9267.
Insurance questions for a leak under the slab
The state insurance department separates a sudden and accidental release of water, often covered, from a continuous leak, which is excluded. A slab-damage endorsement is sold separately. A slab leak can sit on either side of those lines, and your insurer decides.
Ask what your policy says about the plumbing repair, the access to the pipe and the water damage separately. Keep the plumber report and photos of the damage.
Mistakes to avoid with a suspected slab leak
- Waiting to see if the damp spot dries on its own.
- Laying new flooring over a floor that has not been checked with a meter.
- Assuming the wet wall is the leak location.
- Leaving the main valve open while you wait for the plumber.
To prevent more damage, find the shut-off now and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is.
Related help
If a pipe above the slab is the source, see burst pipe water damage. For deeper drying of floors and walls, read structural drying. We also work in Haltom City and Colleyville.
Slab leak questions answered
Yes. A dispatcher answers day and night about slab leaks, and same-day response is offered when a crew is available. No arrival time is set by phone. Ask the dispatcher to walk you through finding the main valve.
No. A plumber locates and repairs the line. We dry and clean the floors, baseboards and wall bases the water reached.
Water follows slab joints and low paths before it surfaces, so the visible damage can sit a room away from the break.
No. The NAHB figure covers new homes started in 2024 in a multi-state division, and foundation type varies by house. Check your own home.
Ask your water utility how to read your meter. The city lists the Public Works Utilities Division at 817-427-6440. Check with all fixtures off.