Water line repair in MD, DC and Northern VA
A water bill that jumped with nothing dripping inside usually means the line between the meter and the house. We confirm it on the meter, find where it failed, and dig only there.
Water line work we do
This is the pipe people often call the water main, the service line that runs from the meter to the house, in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia. A lot of houses here still have galvanized or old copper service line that has been failing slowly for years. How deep it is, what it's made of and what's on top of it decide the job.
- Service line leaks
- Supply line repair
- Galvanized line replacement
- Pressure loss
- Frozen and burst lines
- Meter to house runs
Service Line Leaks
The line between the meter and the house is leaking. Usually the water bill is the first thing that tells you.
Supply Line Repair
A supply line that failed inside the house, at a fixture, an appliance or a stop valve.
Galvanized Replacement
Galvanized line closes up from the inside over the years. When pressure drops everywhere at once, no fixture repair is going to help.
Pressure Loss
Every tap in the house lost pressure at the same time. That points at the line or the pressure reducing valve, and we check the valve first.
Frozen and Burst Lines
A line that split in an unheated crawl space, garage or outside wall. Get the water off first, then call.
Meter to House Runs
The whole run from the meter to the house, including the stretch under a driveway or a walk.
Find the failure, then dig
A leak in the service line runs day and night and nobody sees it. The job is finding exactly where it failed and digging only there.
- Confirmed on the meter
- With every fixture off, the meter shows whether water is still leaving. That separates a line leak from a fixture leak before any digging.
- Small excavation
- Because we find the failure point first, the hole in the yard or under the walk is only as big as the repair needs.
- Repair or replace, reasoned
- One failure on a sound line is a repair. Galvanized line closed up from the inside is a replacement. You get the reasoning with the written price.
Old galvanized water lines
Once galvanized line has closed up from the inside, it gets replaced. Cleaning it out doesn't last, so we don't offer it.
If the whole house lost pressure overnight, we check the main shutoff and the pressure reducing valve before we blame the line. A valve that got bumped or simply wore out drops every tap at once, and swapping a valve is a different job from replacing a line.
Pressure can be too high, too. That wears out fixtures, valves and appliances early, and it's a common reason supply hoses let go. A gauge on an outside spigot answers it in about a minute.
Water line questions
What people ask once the water bill arrives.
My water bill doubled and I can't find a leak.
That's the textbook sign of a service line leak. The water is going into the ground between the meter and the house, so there's nothing to see indoors.
Do you have to dig up the yard?
Not always. If the line can be fixed where it failed, the hole is small. You'll know which case you're in before anything gets dug.
Who is responsible, me or the water authority?
That depends on which side of the meter failed, and where that line falls changes between DC, Maryland and Virginia. Finding the failure answers it, so that's what we do first.
Before you book water line repair
The yard gets dug up end to end.
We find the failure first, so the hole is only as big as the repair. You hear whether it’s a repair or a replacement before anyone digs.
Paying for a repair the water authority owes.
That depends on which side of the meter failed, and the line between yours and theirs moves between DC, Maryland and Virginia. Finding the failure settles it, which is why we do that first.
The bill keeps climbing while you wait.
You can check today. Turn every fixture off and watch the meter. If it still moves, the leak is on the line. Tell us that when you call.
Replacing a line that only needed a repair.
One failure on a sound line gets repaired. Galvanized that has closed up inside gets replaced, because cleaning it out doesn’t hold. The written price says which, and why.
When water lines fail around DC
Lines in unheated crawl spaces, garages and exterior walls split once the average first freeze around November 12 arrives. Get the water off first and then call. Pressure that faded slowly over years is the same problem in slow motion. See low water pressure.
Get a free water line repair quote
- We find which side of the meter it failed on
- Line repairs carry our 60 to 90 day warranty
Or call us
(240) 695-4415Request Water Line Repair
We take insurance jobs. Financing may also be available for qualifying projects. Ask when you call.
How the job runs
- 1Tell us what changed: the bill, the pressure, a wet patch that never dries. Each points somewhere different.
- 2We read the meter and check pressure around the house to confirm the leak is on the line and not at a fixture.
- 3We find the failure point before digging, so the hole is no bigger than the repair needs.
- 4You get the repair or replacement price in writing, with the reasoning for which one the line needs.
- 5We repair the line, check the pressure at the taps, and put the ground back.
Questions we get about water line repair
How do I know the leak is on the water line?
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Repair or replace?
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Water bill jumped for no reason?
Turn everything off and watch the meter for a few minutes. If it still moves, tell us when you call, because that points straight at the line.