Most leaks in valley homes don’t announce themselves with a puddle. They hide in a wall, under the concrete slab, in the water heater closet or in the line between the meter and the house. Our job is to find exactly where the water is going before anything gets cut open, so the repair is as small as it can be.
Las Vegas Water Experts is a family owned and operated plumbing company based in Henderson. Our small family team does the work ourselves, led by owner Jason Miller, who has more than 24 years of plumbing experience. We’re licensed, bonded and insured, and we answer 24/7.
Signs of a Hidden Leak
- A water bill that jumps with no change in how you use water
- The sound of running water when every faucet and appliance is off
- A warm spot on the floor, often from a hot water line under the slab
- Damp drywall, swollen baseboards, stained ceilings or a musty smell in one area
- The water heater running more than it should
- Low pressure across the house, or a wet spot in the yard that never dries
A Quick Meter Check You Can Do First
Turn off every faucet, appliance and irrigation zone. Find your water meter, usually in a concrete box near the curb, and look at the small leak indicator, a triangle or dial. If it’s moving, water is going somewhere. Then shut off the house main valve, often in the garage or on an outside wall. If the indicator stops, the leak is inside the house. If it keeps moving, the leak may be in the service line between the meter and the house, or in the irrigation.
Who you call depends on which side of the meter the leak is on. Most of the valley is served by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, Henderson homes by the City of Henderson, and North Las Vegas homes by the city’s own utility. A leak at the meter box or in the street is the utility’s to fix. Anything on the house side of the meter is the homeowner’s, and that’s where we come in.
Where Leaks Hide in Valley Homes
Nearly every home here is built on a concrete slab, with water lines in or under it, so slab leaks are a big part of what we find. See slab leak repair for how those get fixed. Other common spots are supply lines inside walls, the water heater and its connections, failing shut-off valves under sinks and toilets, toilets that run silently, softener and RO connections, and the main service line in the yard. Hard water, 17 to 25 grains per gallon, about 22 typical, wears on valves, fittings and older pipe year after year, which is why so many of these leaks start small and grow.
How We Find a Leak
- Ask and look. We start with what you’ve noticed, the water bill, the age of the home and the type of pipe, then check the meter and the visible plumbing.
- Isolate. We shut off and test sections of the system, such as hot side versus cold side and house versus irrigation, to narrow down which line is leaking.
- Pinpoint. Depending on the leak, we use a listening device and a thermal imaging camera to locate the spot before any drywall or concrete is opened.
- Explain the options. We show you what we found and walk you through the repair choices, from a single fitting to a reroute or a repipe.
After the Leak Is Found
A small, one-time leak in otherwise sound pipe is usually a straightforward repair. See our pipe repairs page. If the home has polybutylene or Kitec, or has had several leaks, a PEX repipe may be the better long-term fix, and we’ll tell you honestly which we’d recommend. If water has already soaked floors or walls, our water damage response page explains the next steps. And if the problem is a slow or backed-up drain rather than a supply leak, see drain cleaning and hydro jetting.
When to Call Right Away
If water is spraying, flooding or coming through a ceiling, shut off the main valve first, then call. We answer 24/7, and our emergency service page covers what to do while you wait. For slow leaks, it’s still worth calling soon. Water under a slab or inside a wall keeps doing damage while it waits. We work across the valley, including Henderson, Summerlin and North Las Vegas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the leak mine or the water utility’s?
If it’s on the house side of the meter, it’s the homeowner’s. If it’s at the meter box or in the street, call your water utility. The meter check above helps tell the difference, and we can help you sort it out.
Will you have to cut holes in my walls or floor?
Sometimes, but the point of finding the leak first is to keep openings small. In some cases a line can be rerouted so the slab doesn’t need to be opened at all.
Can a running toilet really raise my water bill?
Yes. A worn flapper or fill valve can leak water into the bowl around the clock without much noise. A few drops of food coloring in the tank will show it: if color appears in the bowl without flushing, it’s leaking.
Could the leak be in my irrigation?
Yes, and it’s common. If the meter keeps moving with the house main shut off, the leak may be in the irrigation or the service line. Drip lines and valve boxes are frequent culprits.
Does homeowners insurance cover a hidden leak?
It varies by policy. Some cover access and resulting water damage but not the pipe itself. Check with your agent and keep photos and records of what you find.
Water bill jumped, or you can hear water running? Las Vegas Water Experts is a Henderson-based, family owned plumbing company. We’re licensed, bonded and insured, and we answer 24/7. Call 702-577-5505. NV LIC# 0095727. Prefer to write? Use our contact page.