Think water is leaking under the floor right now? Do this first
A floor that is hot, wet, or humming with water while every tap is closed is an urgent problem. Our 24/7 dispatch takes slab leak calls overnight and on weekends, and same-day visits are often possible depending on how the day is booked. The number is (562) 488-9614.
While you wait, shut the main water valve at the house, switch off the water heater, and keep cords and floor-level electronics away from damp areas. Do not drill, chisel or pry up flooring to hunt for the source. Tell us what you saw and heard so the right tools are on the truck.
Symptoms that point to water under the floor
No single sign proves a slab leak. Several together are a good reason to call.
- A warm patch on the floor, especially in a room with no heating vent nearby. A leaking hot-water line can warm the surface above it.
- The sound of water running or hissing when every fixture is off. Listen with your ear near the floor in the quiet of the night.
- A water bill that keeps climbing with no change in who lives in the house. EPA says a family of four above 12,000 gallons a month in a colder month may have a serious leak.
- A meter that keeps moving. Shut everything off for two hours and read it before and after, because any change means a leak somewhere. Then call us with the two readings.
- Damp carpet, lifting laminate, or a musty smell along the base of a wall.
- Hot water that takes longer to arrive, or a water heater that seems to run more than it used to.
Jot down the rooms and times you noticed each sign. That short note saves real time on the diagnostic visit.
Warm floor and a spinning meter?
Tell dispatch what you can hear and feel. Reach us 24/7 and we will tell you what to shut off while we head your way.
Why a 1957 median build year changes how we look
Census ACS 2024 data puts the median year built for Pico Rivera homes at 1957, and 8,480 of its 17,352 housing units went up in the 1950s, the largest decade. Many homes of that era have plumbing that has been in service for decades, some of it under floors or in spots that are hard to reach.
For you, that means we inspect before we recommend. We confirm where the leak is with tools, tell you what we found in your house, and do not assume what your pipes are made of until we have looked. If the loss turns out to be outside the house, it is a job for Water Line Repair, and if the wet floor comes from the drain side, Sewer Line Repair is the page you want.
How we find the leak before anyone opens the floor
The goal is one small, well-placed opening instead of a trench across the house.
- 1
Shut-off and meter test
We isolate the house and watch the meter to confirm the water is leaking and not just running somewhere in plain view.
- 2
Pressure and line check
We test hot and cold lines separately. That tells us which side is losing water and narrows the search.
- 3
Listen and scan
Listening equipment picks up the sound of escaping water through the floor. Thermal imaging adds a picture when a hot line is involved.
- 4
Mark and confirm
We mark the likely spot and cross-check it from a second direction before any cutting is discussed.
- 5
Talk through the options
You get the finding in plain words, along with the choices below and a clear price before work starts.
Spot repair, reroute or repipe: the honest trade-offs
The right choice depends on what we find, not on what is easiest to sell.
| Option | Fits when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Spot repair | One clear leak and the rest of the line looks sound | Opens the floor in one place. A second leak may show up later on the same line. |
| Reroute | The line under the floor is the problem and walls or the attic give a new path | Keeps the slab intact, but new pipe runs through walls or ceilings and needs patching. |
| Repipe | Several leaks, or repairs that keep repeating | Most work and most disruption, but it ends the guessing on that line. |
We lay out all three even when one looks obvious, so the decision stays yours.
What moves the price of a slab leak job
We do not quote from a phone description. These are the factors we weigh once we have found the leak.
If it is two in the morning
Overnight, our priority is stopping damage and finding the leak. Finish work such as floor restoration can wait for daytime hours once the water is under control.
Our trucks leave from 8600 Whittier Blvd, and we work in nearby towns like Santa Fe Springs. If you are unsure whether the problem is under the slab or in a backed-up drain that sewer line cleaning would clear, talk it through with dispatch and we will help you sort it.
Standards and sources behind this page
Housing-age figures come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Slab work may need a permit, which we confirm with the city.
Questions we hear most
Yes. Dispatch runs 24/7, and slab leaks that are flooding a room or spiking the meter get priority after hours. A same-day slot is possible when the day is not fully booked, and (562) 488-9614 is the line to use.
A warm floor patch, a hissing sound at floor level and a meter that moves with everything off point toward the floor. A wet lawn or a damp wall points elsewhere. We run the tests to be sure rather than guess.
Not always. We locate the leak first so any opening is small and in the right place. If a reroute fits your house, the slab may stay untouched.
If water is visibly spreading, shut the main valve and stay off fixtures. If it is a slow leak, limit use and keep the main valve within reach. Either way, tell dispatch which one you have.
No. Toilets, irrigation and outdoor taps leak far more often. Do the two-hour meter test first and call us with the result so we can narrow it down.
Yes. We explain what we found and give you a clear price before work starts, and you choose the repair option.
Pico Rivera has two providers depending on your address. The city page has a lookup map, and you should check which one bills you before you call them.
Do not let the floor decide your weekend
Hot spots and hissing do not fix themselves. Call the 24/7 line and we will find the leak and lay out your options before cutting anything.