Leak Detection Redwood City, CA
A meter that spins when nothing is running. A warm patch on the floor. A water bill that doubled for no reason. Hidden leaks announce themselves quietly in Redwood City homes — and Leak Detection Pros handles the leak detection Redwood City, CA homeowners need to stop them: pinpointed with acoustic and thermal equipment first, before anyone talks about cutting or digging.
- Non-invasive pinpointing — no exploratory demolition
- Written detection report you can hand to your insurer
- Detection and repair priced separately, in ranges, up front
Get a Leak Quote
Tell us what you are seeing — a high bill, a damp spot, a running-water sound — and a local specialist will call you back.
Signs You Have a Hidden Leak
Most leaks we are called for in Redwood City have been running for weeks before anyone sees a drop of water. These are the warning signs worth acting on:
- Your water bill jumped with no change in how your household uses water
- The meter keeps moving when every faucet, toilet and appliance is off
- A warm or soft spot on the floor — a classic sign of a hot-water slab leak underneath
- You hear water running when the house is quiet and nothing is on
- Damp patches, bubbling paint or a musty smell along a wall or ceiling
- Water pressure dropped across the whole house, not just one fixture
- A soggy patch in the yard that never dries, even in a dry Redwood City summer
One quick self-check: shut off every fixture, note the meter reading, and do not use water for two hours. If the reading moved, water is escaping somewhere between the meter and your taps — that is exactly what our detection visit is built to find.
The 2-Minute Meter Test
Turn off all water in the house. Look at your meter's low-flow indicator — if that small dial or triangle is still turning, you have a leak on the house side. Redwood City's My Water portal also shows your usage hour by hour, so you can see whether water runs at 3 a.m. when nobody is awake.
Still not sure? Read our high water bill playbook — it walks through every check, step by step.
Leak Detection Services in Redwood City
Every visit starts with finding the leak precisely. From there, most Redwood City calls fall into one of these services:
Slab Leak Detection
Leaks under the concrete slab, pinpointed electronically before any concrete is opened.
Learn more →Emergency Leak Repair
Burst line or water coming through the ceiling? Shut it down and stop the damage, day or night.
Learn more →Water Leak Detection
Hidden leaks in walls, ceilings and underground yard lines, traced without tearing the house apart.
Learn more →Sewer Leak Detection
Camera inspection that shows you the inside of the line on screen — no guessing, no digging on a hunch.
Learn more →Drain Cleaning
Stubborn clogs and slow drains cleared properly, with a camera check when a blockage keeps coming back.
Learn more →Water Heater Leak Repair
Puddles at the tank, rust at the fittings or a relief valve that will not stop dripping — found and fixed.
Learn more →Crawl Space Leak Detection
Many older Redwood City homes sit on raised foundations — we find the underfloor leaks others miss.
Learn more →Repiping
When a line has failed in more than one place, replacing it beats patching it. PEX and copper options.
Learn more →Faucet & Fixture Leaks
Drips, running fixtures and leaking valves — small leaks that quietly add hundreds to a water bill.
Learn more →Toilet Leak Repair
A silent toilet leak can waste hundreds of gallons a day. We test, find it and fix it in one visit.
Learn more →Irrigation Leak Repair
Broken sprinkler lines and stuck valves are the top outdoor culprit behind summer bill spikes here.
Learn more →Commercial Leak Detection
Leak locating for offices, restaurants and multi-unit buildings, with an insurance-ready written report.
Learn more →How We Find a Leak Without Tearing Up Your Home
Detection is a process, not a guess. This is the sequence our specialists run on a typical Redwood City call:
Isolate the Line
We narrow the leak to one branch — hot, cold, irrigation or sewer — so the rest of the house keeps working.
Pressure Test
A gauge on the isolated line confirms the leak and tells us how fast you are losing water.
Trace the Run
Electronic line tracing maps where the pipe actually runs under the slab or through the walls.
Acoustic Pinpoint
Ground microphones listen for the leak's signature sound and peak directly over the break.
Thermal Confirm
An infrared camera confirms the spot — a hot-water leak shows as a warm plume on the floor or wall.
Mark & Report
The spot is marked, photographed and documented in a written report before any repair is quoted.
What Does Leak Detection Cost in Redwood City?
Homeowners here tell us the same thing: the scariest part is not the leak, it is not knowing what finding it will cost. These are the typical ranges for this area — your exact price is confirmed before work starts, and detection is always quoted separately from repair.
| Service | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Basic leak inspection | $100 – $300 |
| Electronic (acoustic) leak detection | $300 – $800 |
| Slab / underground leak locating | $500 – $1,200 |
| Sewer camera inspection | $271 – $1,725 |
| Slab spot repair (after locating) | $1,500 – $3,500 |
| Pipe reroute (bypass the leaking line) | $2,000 – $4,500 |
Want the full breakdown, including repiping? See our Redwood City leak detection cost guide.
Local Knowledge Matters Here
Redwood City's water comes from the Hetch Hetchy system — some of the softest water in California. So when a pipe here starts pinholing, it is rarely "bad water." With 61% of the city's homes built between 1940 and 1980, the real culprits are age, water pressure, and soil contact on lines that have been in the ground for 50-plus years. We diagnose the actual cause before recommending a fix, so you are not sold a repair for the wrong problem.
Water Coming Through the Ceiling Right Now?
Shut off your main water valve — usually by the front hose bib or at the meter — then call us. Stopping the water in the first minutes is the difference between a repair and a restoration.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Redwood City
We cover all of Redwood City — ZIP codes 94061, 94062, 94063, 94064 and 94065 — including these neighborhoods:
Leak Detection Questions Redwood City Homeowners Ask
How much does leak detection cost in Redwood City?
A basic leak inspection typically runs $100–$300, electronic acoustic detection $300–$800, and slab or underground locating $500–$1,200, depending on the home and how hidden the leak is. You get the price range up front, before any work starts, and detection is priced separately from the repair so you can decide with real numbers.
Can you find a leak without tearing up my floors or walls?
Yes. We isolate the line, pressure test it, then pinpoint the leak with acoustic listening equipment and thermal imaging. In most homes the leak is located within a small marked area, so any opening is targeted and minimal — nobody starts jackhammering on a guess.
My water bill doubled but I can't see a leak anywhere. What should I check?
First, turn off every fixture and check your water meter — if the low-flow indicator still moves, water is escaping somewhere. Redwood City's My Water portal shows hourly usage, which tells you whether the leak runs all day (a supply line or toilet) or only at certain times (irrigation). Then call us and we will pinpoint it.
Will homeowners insurance cover a slab leak?
Often the resulting water damage and the cost of tearing out and restoring access are covered, while repairing the failed pipe itself usually is not, and slow gradual leaks are commonly denied. Every policy differs. Our written detection report documents the source and the damage in the format insurers ask for, which makes the claim conversation much easier.
How long does leak detection take?
Most residential leak detection visits take one to three hours depending on the size of the home and how many lines need testing. Slab and underground locating can take longer. You get a marked location and a written summary the same visit.
Do you also repair the leak once you find it?
Yes. After the pinpoint, we walk you through the repair options — a spot repair, a reroute, or repiping when the line has failed in more than one place — with price ranges for each before you choose. Detection and repair are quoted separately, so there is no pressure and no surprise bill.
Think You Have a Leak? Get It Pinpointed.
Every day a hidden leak runs, it is adding to the water bill and soaking into the structure. One visit tells you exactly where it is and what fixing it will cost — in ranges, in writing, before you commit to anything.
Call (650) 632-9185 Request a Quote