Most Kiawah homes are raised rather than built on a slab, which changes this job considerably.
If your home is elevated
The pipework runs underneath where it can be seen and reached, so there is no concrete to break and no guessing. A leak that would be a significant job on the mainland is often something we can locate and repair in a single visit.
Where slabs exist
Some ground-level sections and later additions are on slab. There we use listening equipment and thermal imaging to pinpoint the leak before opening anything — which matters a great deal in homes finished with stone, wide-board flooring and built-in cabinetry.
Rule out irrigation first
Before assuming anything under the house, it is worth isolating the irrigation system. Kiawah properties have extensive irrigation, and a failed line or backflow preventer produces exactly the same rising bill with nothing wrong indoors.
In an empty house you will not hear it
The usual early warning — the sound of water running when everything is off — only helps if somebody is standing there. It is the strongest argument for an automatic shut-off valve on a property used a few weeks a year.