Water leak detection is the process of locating hidden leaks in supply, drain, or irrigation lines using a combination of acoustic listening equipment, thermal infrared cameras, and pressure-isolation testing. Without invasive demolition.
A water bill that doubled. Damp drywall low on the wall. The meter ticking with every faucet closed. Hidden leaks have ways of telling you they're there, and they get more expensive the longer you wait. Most of our leak detection calls turn out to be one of four things: a pinhole in a copper line behind a wall, an irrigation valve leaking 24/7 in the yard, a slab leak under the foundation, or a toilet that's losing water silently into the bowl. We find which it is before anything gets opened, and we give you a written report with the location so the repair is precise.
Two things make leak detection a steady call in Orlando. The first is the building stock: slab-on-grade construction with copper supply through the concrete means slab leaks (see our slab leak page), but supply lines that run through interior walls also pinhole. Usually at fittings where solder joints have been stressed by water-hammer shock or by the kind of brass fittings used in 1980s-90s installs. The second is irrigation. Almost every home with a yard has a backflow assembly and an irrigation manifold, and a stuck valve or a cracked PVC pipe under the sod can run 24/7 with no visible sign and add $200 to a monthly water bill. The methodology is the same in both cases: isolate the zone, listen for the leak, and confirm with a second method before opening anything.
Copper supply lines develop pinholes at fittings or at sections where the pipe wall has thinned. You don't see it until the drywall stains. Acoustic listening on the wall isolates the area, thermal imaging confirms the temperature signature of a hot or cold leak, and we mark the wall before any cutting. The repair is usually small. One fitting, an inch or two of new pipe. Once we know the exact spot.
Underground irrigation leaks are some of the most expensive hidden water losses in Florida homes. A cracked PVC manifold, a stuck valve, or a damaged drip line can run continuously and add hundreds to the monthly bill before anyone notices. We isolate the irrigation zone at the backflow, run pressure on it alone, and use acoustic listening on the soil to find the leak. Then it's a yard repair, not a guessing game.
The silent ones are flapper failures. Water trickles from tank to bowl 24/7 and shows up only on the bill. The obvious ones are flush-valve leaks that you hear the toilet refilling every 20 minutes. Both add up fast. We test with a tablet or food coloring in the tank and if the bowl water tints in 15 minutes, the flapper goes. Quick fix, big bill savings.
If the meter ticks with no visible source, the leak is buried. Under the slab, in the yard, or in the line from the meter to the house. Pressure isolation tells us which zone, then acoustic listening or in-line camera narrows the location. Repair options depend on where it is. We cover the slab side on our slab leak detection page.
| Acoustic listening | Thermal imaging | Pressure isolation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finds | Active running leaks | Hot leaks behind surfaces | Which zone is bleeding |
| Best for | Walls, slab, in-ground | Hot water leaks, recent leaks | Narrowing to system |
| Limitation | Needs water moving | Cold leaks invisible | Doesn't pinpoint location |
| Typical use | Pinpoint stage | Confirmation stage | First triage step |
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Leak detection visit (acoustic + thermal) | $295–$550 |
| Whole-house pressure test & isolation | $195–$395 |
| Irrigation leak detection & repair | $295–$850 |
| Toilet leak diagnosis & flapper repair | $125–$295 |
Ballpark Orlando-area ranges. Your exact price depends on the job, and we give a firm, free quote before any work starts.
FBC-P 605.16 covers concealed water piping. The water meter test method (close all fixtures, observe meter dial) per FBC-P 312.7 is the first diagnostic, then acoustic and pressure isolation locate the specific run. Florida Building Code does not require repair locations be opened beyond what is necessary for the actual repair.
Leak detection runs $250 to $500 in the Orlando metro for 2026 with a $325 median, typically credited against repair if you proceed. Small accessible leak repair (under-sink, behind washer) is $250 to $650. Major repair (slab leak reroute, in-wall repair) is $1,200 to $3,500.
Detection is typically 1 to 2 hours on-site. Most accessible-leak repairs are completed the same day. Slab leak diagnosis often takes a second visit if initial pressure isolation is inconclusive; full diagnosis-plus-quote within 24 hours.
Detection equipment: SubSurface Leak Detection LD-15 acoustic, Fisher XLT-30 and M-Scope ground mics, FLIR E5-XT thermal cameras, Goldak 950 / 902B pipe locators, and pressure isolation kits with 0.5 PSI sensitivity. Smart-home leak sensors we recommend: Flo by Moen Smart Water Shutoff and Phyn Plus.
Hard-water plus aged-copper leak clusters in 32789, 32792, 32803, 32804, 32806, and 32812. Slab-on-grade pinhole leaks dominate; under-slab leaks follow the same housing-era pattern as slab-leak detection demand.
Leak detection cost by scope for Orlando metro 2026: surface visible leak $135-$285; concealed-wall acoustic detection $250-$425 (median $325); slab leak detection with pressure isolation $325-$525; whole-house pressure mapping $385-$685; thermal-imaging scan add-on $185-$285. Repair cost by location: under-sink $185-$385; behind-washer or dishwasher $235-$485; in-wall accessible $385-$785; in-wall behind tile $785-$1,485; slab reroute $1,285-$2,485. Service ZIPs 32789, 32792, 32801, 32803, 32804, 32806, 32812, 32814, 32825.
The meter knows. Call (407) 964-8940 and we'll isolate the system, find the leak, and quote the repair before anyone opens a wall or digs a yard.
Detection work flows into slab leak repair when the leak is under concrete, repiping when the supply lines are at end of life, and backflow testing for irrigation systems. Common in homes across Altamonte Springs and Winter Park.
The simplest test: turn off every fixture in the house and watch the water meter for 15 minutes. If the small triangle or dial keeps moving, water is leaving the system somewhere. That's the trigger to call.
$295 to $550 for a standard leak detection visit with acoustic and thermal methods. Pressure isolation adds $195 to $395 if it's needed. Irrigation work runs $295 to $850 because there's usually some digging involved. The detection fee usually gets credited against the repair if you have us do both.
Yes. That's the whole point. Acoustic listening, thermal imaging, and pressure-isolation testing together usually pinpoint a leak within a foot or so, often without opening anything. The cutting happens at the leak location after we know where it is.
Toilets, because they're the easiest. Put a few drops of food coloring in each tank and wait 15 minutes. If color shows up in the bowl without flushing, the flapper is leaking. After toilets, check the irrigation system. A stuck valve can run continuously without anyone seeing it.
One to three hours for most residential calls. Larger homes or properties with detached irrigation systems can take longer. We give you the leak location and a repair quote before we leave.
Yes. Copper pinhole leaks have a distinct acoustic signature, especially under pressure. Hot copper leaks also show up clearly on thermal imaging. We use both methods together for confirmation.
Same methods. Acoustic listening picks up any active leak under pressure regardless of pipe material. PEX is actually easier to detect because the leaks tend to be at fittings, which are localized.
Intermittent leaks are harder because the system has to be leaking while we're listening. We can leave a pressure-monitoring gauge for 24 to 48 hours if the leak is on-and-off, which catches the pressure drop when the leak runs.
Yes. We provide a written report with the leak location, photos, and a description of the methodology. Most insurance carriers accept this for claim documentation when there's been water damage tied to the leak.
Our team is available around the clock to better assist you. Call now for fast, friendly help.
We work across eight regions of Greater Orlando. Reasons the service matters change by neighborhood, county, and home era.
Inner-ring historic homes have aging copper supply behind plaster and lath walls. Hidden leaks at fittings and at hard-to-access elbows are common detection calls in College Park, Thornton Park, and Audubon Park.
Downtown Orlando, Thornton Park, College Park, Audubon Park, Baldwin Park, Delaney Park, Parramore, and Fairview Shores
Conway, Belle Isle, and Pine Castle lakefront homes deal with irrigation system leaks on top of the standard hidden-pipe issues. We isolate the irrigation zone first when the bill jumps.
Lake Nona, Waterford Lakes, Avalon Park, Alafaya, Azalea Park, Rio Pinar, Union Park, Conway, Belle Isle, Pine Castle, Sky Lake, Hunters Creek, Meadow Woods, Williamsburg, and Lake Buena Vista
Doctor Phillips and Windermere country-club homes have extensive irrigation systems that account for most hidden water loss. Pool auto-fill leaks are common too.
Pine Hills, MetroWest, Doctor Phillips, Windermere, and Goldenrod
Apopka and Ocoee 1980s-90s polybutylene homes have fitting-related hidden leaks at the brass connectors. Rural east Orange properties on wells need detection more often for pressure-tank and well-line leaks.
Apopka, Maitland, Winter Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Oakland, Gotha, Zellwood, Clarcona, Bithlo, Wedgefield, and Christmas
Heathrow country-club homes have heavy irrigation systems. That's where most leak-detection work goes. Older Casselberry and Longwood interior leaks tend to be in copper at fittings.
Sanford, Lake Mary, Heathrow, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Fern Park, Forest City, Wekiwa Springs, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Geneva, and Lake Monroe (community)
Deltona's GDC tract homes follow predictable hidden-leak patterns: hot copper at the slab, cold copper at fittings inside walls. DeBary lakefront homes face irrigation leaks as well.
DeBary, Deltona, Orange City, Enterprise, Osteen, DeLand, and Cassadaga
Clermont hill-elevation homes have water-pressure variations that stress fittings. Mount Dora and Eustis historic-district leaks are usually in original galvanized supply behind walls.
Eustis, Tavares, Mount Dora, Sorrento, Montverde, and Clermont
Vacation rental properties in Davenport, Reunion, and Kissimmee have ongoing irrigation, pool auto-fill, and indoor fixture leaks that go unnoticed between management visits. Leak detection is a routine maintenance call.
Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Buenaventura Lakes, Poinciana, Intercession City, Davenport, Four Corners, Reunion, and Celebration
A few of the communities we serve. View all →
We provide water leak detection across 75 cities and neighborhoods in Greater Orlando. Click your city for local detail, pricing, and what we typically see there.