Not all leaks announce themselves. A hidden leak may be a pinhole in a copper line behind a wall, a failing fitting under a bathroom, a crack in a pipe under a slab or a leak in the water service line between the street and your house. Our leak detection work is about finding the exact location so the repair is targeted, not a guess that means opening more wall than necessary.
Signs include an unexplained jump in your water bill, a water meter that moves when everything is turned off, the sound of running water when no fixtures are on, damp or warm spots on the floor, musty smells, peeling paint, stained ceilings or lower water pressure. Outside, an unusually soft or green patch of lawn near the service line can point to a leak underground.
Fort Collins homes present different possibilities. Older houses with galvanized or early copper lines can develop pinholes and failing joints. Homes on slabs, including some in southeast Fort Collins and newer developments, can have leaks in lines buried below the floor. Expansive clay soils flex and shift, which can stress buried water lines and joints over time. PEX has its own fitting failures and occasional damage from rodents or improper installation.
We begin with a look at the symptoms and a simple meter check to confirm that water is being lost. Then we narrow down the location using pressure testing, acoustic listening and thermal or moisture inspection as the situation requires. Once we have the location, we explain what is behind the wall or under the floor, what repair is needed and what access is required, and we put the scope in writing before opening anything.
Before we come, you can check your meter. Turn off all water use in the house, then look at the meter; if the low-flow indicator or dial is moving, water is going somewhere. Check under sinks, around toilets and near the water heater for visible moisture. If you can, shut off the main valve to limit damage until we arrive.
Why does it matter to catch a leak quickly? Water moves along framing, insulation and subfloor before it shows up on a ceiling or baseboard, so the visible stain is often far from the source. Prolonged moisture can lead to mold, rot and swelling flooring, and a leak under a slab can undermine the soil beneath it. Finding the actual source early limits the opening we need to make and the repair that follows, and it stops the steady waste of water that shows up on your utility bill.
Call us when your bill climbs without explanation, when you find damp drywall or flooring, or when the meter keeps moving with everything off. Slow leaks do their damage quietly, including mold growth and structural staining, and finding them earlier keeps the repair smaller.
Technician insight
In older Fort Collins homes, pinhole leaks in aging copper and failed joints in galvanized lines are common. In slab-on-grade homes, we often start with a pressure test on the hot and cold lines separately, which quickly tells us which side is leaking. Outdoor leaks can hide for months because clay soil drains slowly, so a soft spot near the water service is worth a call.
Leak Detection and Repair Services We Offer
✓Hidden Pipe Leak Detection
Locating leaks in walls, ceilings and crawlspaces without unnecessary demolition.
✓Slab and Under-Floor Leak Detection
Finding leaks in lines beneath concrete slabs and in crawlspace floors.
✓Water Line Leak Repair
Repairing leaks in the service line between the meter and the home.
✓High Water Bill Investigation
Tracing the source of unexplained water use, from toilets to buried pipe.
✓Pipe Leak Repair
Repairing pinholes, failed joints and damaged sections in copper, galvanized and PEX.
How it works
- 1
Confirm there is a leak
We check the meter and fixtures to rule out running toilets and other simple causes.
- 2
Locate the leak
Using pressure tests and listening or moisture tools, we narrow down where the water is escaping.
- 3
Explain and agree
We show what we found, discuss access and repair options and put the scope in writing.
- 4
Repair and retest
We repair the line, retest pressure and confirm the meter is no longer moving.
Pricing
Cost depends on how hard the leak is to locate, where it sits (wall, ceiling, slab, yard), the pipe material, how much access work is needed and the repair method. We explain the likely scope once we know where the leak is and agree on it in writing before we open anything.