Most single-family homes here stand on pilings rather than a slab, and that changes this job completely.
If your house is elevated
There is no concrete to break up. 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 one visit. If someone has quoted you for slab leak work on an elevated island home, that is worth questioning.
Ground-level and villa construction
Some ground-floor villa units and older properties do have slab beneath them. 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 through finished floors.
What tends to give it away
- A water bill that climbs with no change in use
- A warm patch on the floor, meaning a hot water line
- Water running when everything is switched off
- Damp or staining where there should not be any
Turn the water off while you decide
Whatever the construction, a leak does not stop by itself.