Most Folly Beach homes are not built on a slab — they stand on pilings — and that changes this job completely.
Good news if your house is elevated
There is no concrete to break up and nothing to guess at. The pipework is underneath in open air, so a leak that would be a serious job on the mainland is often something we can see, reach and repair in a single visit. If someone has quoted you for slab leak work on an elevated house, that is worth questioning.
Where slabs do exist
Some ground-level and older properties on the island are on slab, and a few homes have slab sections under later additions. There we use listening equipment and thermal imaging to pinpoint the leak before opening anything, so it is one deliberate opening rather than a search.
What tends to give it away
- A water bill that climbs with no change in use
- Water running when everything is switched off
- The meter still moving with every tap closed
- Damp or staining where there should not be any
Turn the water off while you decide
Whatever the construction, a leak does not stop on its own and the damage adds up.