Foundation Leak Detection
Water at a foundation can come from inside the plumbing or from outside the building. Those are different problems with different fixes, and separating them is the point of the investigation.
Plumbing Leak or Water Intrusion?
A plumbing leak under the slab is continuous, unrelated to weather, and shows up at the meter. Exterior intrusion correlates with rain, irrigation cycles and grade — it appears after a storm and dries out during a dry spell, and the meter says nothing about it.
Because Tampa gets intense seasonal rain, both can be present at once. Confirming meter behavior first prevents a drainage problem from being treated as a pipe failure, or the reverse.
What We Look At
- Meter behavior with the property isolated, to establish whether pressurized water is being lost
- Moisture readings along the interior perimeter and at the slab edge
- Grade, downspout discharge and irrigation head placement near the foundation
- Hairline cracking patterns and their relationship to moisture readings
- Whether wetting is continuous or event-driven over time
Why This Distinction Saves Money
Cutting concrete to chase a drainage problem accomplishes nothing, and regrading a yard does not fix a broken pipe. The diagnosis determines whether the next call is to a plumber, to a drainage contractor, or to both.
Not sure where the water is coming from?
Describe what you are seeing and we can explain how the investigation would be approached on your property.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is a foundation leak the same as a slab leak?
- Not necessarily. A slab leak is a plumbing failure under the concrete. A foundation leak often refers to water entering at or through the foundation from outside. The tests that separate them are straightforward.
Related Pages
For the wider picture, see our overview of leak detection services in Tampa.