Copper under the slab
Slab leak repair in Phoenix, AZ
Warm floor, hiss under tile, meter spinning. Detection first. Then a written method: patch, reroute, or repipe.
Slab leak repair in Phoenix
Phoenix houses sit on slabs. There is almost no basement and usually no crawl space. Hot and cold supply lines are in or under that slab. When copper gets a pinhole from the inside — hard water and scale, 1970s–2010s stock — you get a warm streak in the floor, a hiss under tile, a meter that spins with every fixture off, or an unexplained water bill. That is a slab leak. Call (857) 201-2772.
Detection first — the full find-it visit lives on leak detection. We do not jackhammer the warmest tile on a guess. Acoustic and electronic methods locate the line. Dye and meter tests confirm it is supply, not a drain or a swamp-cooler line. Once we know it is under the slab, this is where we name the repair: spot-fix, attic reroute, or PEX. A photo of a wet baseboard does not replace that visit.
Three methods, three different jobs
Spot-fix in the slab. Open at the leak, repair the copper or insert a coupling, restore concrete and floor. Honest when the rest of the copper is sound and this is a one-off hit (nail, isolated failure).
Attic or wall reroute. Abandon the slab section, run new PEX or copper above, isolate the buried leak. Avoids a trench in the living room. Needs attic access, a plan for a tile roof, and heat safety in summer.
Whole-home PEX repipe. The right conversation when pinholes are a pattern, not an incident. 1970s–2010s copper in this water often gets there. Two quotes “for the same slab leak” diverge here: one shop sells a patch they know will have a sequel; another prices the house.
Where we see it
Ahwatukee 85044/45/48: 1990s copper under tile, hillside slabs. Scottsdale older luxury copper. Mesa and Chandler: caliche if the repair leaves the slab and becomes a trench. Arcadia mixes slab copper with remaining galvanized. North Phoenix newer PEX still gets manifold and fitting leaks — not classic copper pinholes, but the floor still gets wet and the method still has to be named.
Price drivers: detection, method, tile type, caliche, attic heat, fixture count if we repipe. Published Valley ranges for leak detection exist. No dollar amounts on this page. Insurance and ROC on the quote. Emergency hiss with a spinning meter: shut the curb valve if you can; calls are taken.
Questions people ask before they book
What is included in slab leak repair in Phoenix?
Leak detection (acoustic, electronic, or both), confirmation it is a supply line under the slab, and a written quote that names the method: spot repair in the slab, attic or wall reroute, or a larger PEX repipe. Tile and concrete restoration are line items, not surprises.
After-hours slab leaks?
If water is still moving under the house, that is an emergency call. Calls are taken. Detection and a written quote follow the visit. We do not claim 24/7. Shut the house valve at the curb if you can hear a hiss and the meter is spinning.
Licensed and insured?
Insurance and Arizona ROC as generic offer language. HOAs in Ahwatukee and Scottsdale often want both papers on the quote packet. We attach certificates when asked. We do not invent a license number just to make this page look finished.
What drives slab leak prices?
Detection time, slab vs attic reroute vs full repipe, pipe material, tile vs vinyl vs carpet, caliche if we trench outside, and heat if we are in an attic. Fixture count matters if the honest repair is a whole-home PEX job. No invented dollar amounts.
Spot-fix in the slab, attic reroute, or full PEX repipe?
A single pinhole on otherwise sound copper can be a local repair. Recurring pinholes on 1970s–2010s copper usually deserve a reroute or a whole-home repipe. Attic reroute avoids opening the slab but needs attic access and a tile roof plan. We write the three options when they are real — that is why two quotes vary.
What must the written quote include?
Where the leak is, how we found it, method, restoration, whether other copper is already failing, and what is excluded. If we recommend repipe, the quote should not pretend a $patch is the same scope as PEX through the attic.
Meter spinning with everything off?
Shut the curb valve if you can, then call (857) 201-2772.