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An All Purpose Plumbers technician showing a homeowner what he found, standing at the water meter and main shutoff outside her house
BONDED & INSURED · SINCE 2020
5.0 on Google · 4 reviews

Leak detection and repair in MD, DC and Northern VA

A stain on the ceiling is rarely right under the leak. We start at your water meter, narrow it down section by section, and open the wall once, where the water actually is.

Call (240) 695-4415Request a Free Estimate

Where leaks show up

We trace the leak in your Maryland, DC or Northern Virginia home first, then repair the pipe, fixture, drain or fitting it came from.

  • Water stains
  • Visible pipe leaks
  • Water inside cabinets
  • Ceiling leaks
  • Wall leaks
  • Fixture leaks
  • Burst pipes

What changes the price

  • How easy it is to get at the pipe we suspect
  • Whether it's a supply leak under pressure or a drain leak that only shows when water runs
  • Whether it's in a slab, a wall or a ceiling

One hole in the wall, in the right place

Rush a hidden leak and you end up with five holes in the drywall and the leak still running.

Meter before hammer
The water meter tells us whether anything is moving with every fixture off. That one test decides whether the search is on the supply side at all.
Narrowed by zone
We split the system into sections and follow moisture readings and the run of the pipe, so the search is down to a small patch of wall before anything is opened.
Shown before it is cut
You see where we believe the leak is and what the opening involves before anything is cut. The wall repair is priced as its own job.

How every job runs →

What we will not do on a hidden leak

We won't price a leak over the phone before anyone has found it, and we won't close a wall that's still wet inside.

Until we know where the water is coming from, any number is a guess about where the hole goes and how big it gets. So the search gets its own price first, and the repair gets priced once the leak is out in the open where you can see it.

A burst pipe jumps ahead of routine work and gets scheduled within 48 hours. Once we open the wall, it stays open until the cavity dries out, and we tell you that before we cut.

Before you book leak detection

Five holes to find one leak.

We narrow it down zone by zone with pressure, moisture readings and the way the pipe runs. Before anything is cut, we show you where the opening will go.

Paying someone to look and they find nothing.

The meter test comes first. With everything off, either the meter moves or it doesn’t. The search itself has a written price before it starts.

Everyone is staring at the wrong spot.

The stain is rarely under the leak. Water runs along a joist or a pipe for a few feet before it drops.

The hole is left in your wall.

We open once, where the leak is, and leave the edges clean for whoever patches it. We won’t close a cavity that’s still wet. The patch is priced on its own, before we cut.

When leaks show up around DC

Water damage and freezing make up about 22 percent of home insurance claims. A pipe that froze in February can weep inside a wall for weeks, so check under sinks and along basement ceilings after the last freeze, around April 1. Read how leak detection works.

Estimates booked seven days a week

Get a free leak detection quote

  • The search is priced in writing before it starts
  • Leak repairs carry our 60 to 90 day warranty

Or call us

(240) 695-4415

Request Leak Detection & Repair

We take insurance jobs. Financing may also be available for qualifying projects. Ask when you call.

How the job runs

  1. 1We start at the water meter. With every fixture closed, a moving dial tells us water is escaping somewhere.
  2. 2Then we close off one section at a time and follow pressure, moisture readings and the run of the pipe until the search is down to a small area.
  3. 3We show you where we think it is and what opening the wall or ceiling involves, before anything is cut.
  4. 4Once the leak is in the open, we price the repair and fix it.
  5. 5If the water has already damaged drywall or a ceiling, we tell you what putting that back involves, priced as its own job.

Questions we get about leak detection and repair

Can you find a leak without opening walls?

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We can usually narrow it down to a small area first. Something has to be opened to fix it, but it should be one planned opening instead of several exploratory holes.

The ceiling below is stained. Is that where the leak is?

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Rarely. Water runs along joists and pipe before it drops, so the stain marks where it came out. The leak itself is often a few feet away.

Do I need leak detection or just a plumber?

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If you can see the drip, you need a repair. If all you can see is the damage, the leak has to be found first, and finding it is priced as its own job.

How does leak detection work?

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By ruling things out. It starts at the meter. With every fixture off, a meter that still moves means water is escaping somewhere. Then we isolate parts of the system and narrow it down section by section, using pressure, moisture readings and the run of the pipe. A moisture meter alone only shows where the water ended up. Working through the system shows where it started, so the repair takes one opening.

Do I need to shut off my water before the plumber arrives?

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If water is coming out where it shouldn't, yes. Close the main shutoff, usually where the line enters the house in the basement, crawl space or a utility room, and leave it closed. For a slow drip under one sink or behind one toilet, close the small valve on that fixture and keep the rest of the house running. If you can't find the main or it won't turn, say so when you call, because a valve that won't close goes on the repair list too.

What should I do with a leak while I wait for a plumber?

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Stop the water, then limit the damage. Close the fixture valve or the main, put a bucket or tray under the drip and carry out whatever the water would wreck. Keep away from outlets or appliances the water has reached, and stay out from under a ceiling that is sagging. Take photos before you mop up, because the plumber and any insurance adjuster will want to see where the water was.

Can I fix a small leak myself or do I need a licensed plumber?

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A drip you can see and reach is often a fair job to try yourself, such as a loose slip nut on a sink trap or a worn faucet washer. Call a plumber when the leak is at a soldered joint, inside a wall or ceiling, on the main line or the water heater, or when the shutoff will not close. Those repairs are on the pressurized supply, and a mistake there floods the house.

How do I know if a leak is inside the wall?

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Watch for signs that appear with no water in sight. Paint stains or bubbles, a baseboard swells, the room smells musty, or the water meter keeps moving with every tap off. Turn everything off and watch the meter for a few minutes. If it moves, water is escaping somewhere. A stain usually sits a few feet from the leak, because water runs along pipe and framing before it shows, so the leak gets traced before any wall is cut.

Water showing up and no idea why?

Before you call, note where the water shows up and when it gets worse. After a shower, overnight and with the heat on all point in different directions, and knowing which shortens the search.

Call (240) 695-4415Request a Free Estimate

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