Slab Leak Repair in Arlington, VA

Clues worth checking

• The meter's leak indicator spins while every tap, the dishwasher and the ice maker are off
• Carpet in a finished basement turns damp along one wall with no rain in the forecast
• A strip of tile on a ground-level floor feels warmer than the rest
• You hear water moving under the floor late at night when the house is quiet
• The water bill rises without any change in how the household uses water

How Arlington houses are built

Arlington mixes high-rise corridors along the Rosslyn-Ballston Metro line with blocks of single-family homes, and the county's median home was built around 1976. Most detached houses here sit over basements, so supply pipes often hang in the basement ceiling where you can see them. The pipes that end up inside concrete are usually the service line where it comes through the foundation, drains under a basement bathroom, and lines in slab-on-grade townhouses, garages and newer additions.

The County's service line rules matter here. It owns everything from the main through the meter box, and it says it has found no lead in its part of the system. The run from the meter to your fixtures belongs to you, including any section buried under a basement floor. If water is surfacing in the street or near the meter, the County's emergency line is 703-228-6555; leak investigation requests go to 703-228-5000.

Arlington's water averages about 8 grains per gallon of hardness and is treated with chloramine most of the year. That scale shows up in heaters and faucets far more than in buried pipe, so a plumber judges a slab leak by the age and condition of the line itself.

What changes the price

• Finding it. Pressure testing, isolating hot from cold, and acoustic or thermal tools to mark the spot.
• Getting to it. Cutting a basement slab under bare concrete is simpler than under tile, built-in cabinets or a finished floor.
• Fix or bypass. A spot repair versus abandoning the buried run and routing new pipe through the basement ceiling or walls.
• Drain versus supply. A cracked drain under the floor often needs a camera first.
• Cleanup. Wet drywall, carpet pad and trim add work.

When you call

The call connects you with an independent plumber who works in Arlington. Have the meter reading handy, say where you saw moisture or warmth, and mention whether the house has a basement or sits on a slab. If water is actively spreading, close the main shutoff valve and keep it closed until the plumber gets there. The plumber can also tell you whether Arlington County's building permit program needs to be involved for the repair you choose.