You have a confirmed leak. Now what are the choices?
After a leak has been located, a homeowner faces four realistic repair routes. One is to open the slab and fix the pipe where it leaks. Another is to abandon the buried pipe and run a new line through walls or the attic. The other two are a full repipe, or a coat of epoxy inside the pipe. Each trades off cost, mess, disruption and how long the fix is likely to last.
The right pick depends on what failed, how many other lines look tired, what is on top of the slab, and what you plan to do with the house. This guide covers the decision only. For how leaks are found, see our slab leak repair page.
The four options side by side
Use this table to narrow the field before you ask for a written scope. Nothing here is a price, because every job depends on access and the condition of the surrounding pipe.
| Option | What it involves | What it disturbs | Best fit | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spot repair (break-in) | Cut the slab over the leak, repair or replace that section, patch the concrete. | Flooring, a strip of slab, dust and noise in one area. | One clear leak in otherwise sound pipe. | Other weak spots may fail later under the same slab. |
| Reroute through walls or attic. | Cap the buried line and run new pipe overhead or inside walls. | Drywall, paint and some ceiling access, not the floor. | Failing line with easy overhead paths. | Visible patches and a longer job than a spot repair. |
| Repipe. | Replace the whole supply system, usually rerouted. | Walls and ceilings in several rooms. | Multiple leaks or aging pipe throughout. | Largest scope, and the most disruption. |
| Epoxy lining. | Clean the pipe, coat the inside with epoxy, cure. | Only access points, if the pipe is suitable. | Limited cases with sound, accessible pipe. | Not suitable for every pipe, and no fix for a bad fitting. |
Notice that only one of these, the spot repair, touches the slab. Two of the others avoid the slab entirely, which matters if tile, hardwood or a built-in cabinet sits over the leak.
How each route plays out in a real house
Spot repair through the slab
The crew locates the leak with acoustic or thermal tools, marks the spot, and cuts a rectangle of concrete, often a couple of feet on a side. They expose the pipe, replace the damaged length, pressure test, and patch the concrete. It is the least expensive of the four when the leak is isolated, and it fixes the problem right where it started.
The tradeoffs are dust, jackhammer noise and floor finishes. Tile and wood over the cut will not survive, and matching them afterward is part of the cost. If the same pipe has failed once, ask how the rest of that run looks.
Rerouting the line
A reroute leaves the buried pipe in place, capped at both ends, and runs a new line to the fixture through the attic, a wall cavity or a soffit. The slab stays whole, which is why homeowners with finished floors like it. The new pipe is visible and accessible, and a future leak is far easier to find.
The cost is drywall work. Holes are cut to run the line, then patched and painted, and the length of the new route drives the labor. Long routes through finished rooms add up quickly.
Repiping the house
A repipe replaces the supply lines throughout the house with new pipe, typically PEX or copper, run through the attic or walls so nothing new goes under the slab. It makes sense when more than one leak has appeared, or when the pipe material is known to fail in groups. Our repiping page walks through what a whole-house job looks like.
Repair the leak, or repair the reason for the leak
Pinhole leaks often come from the outside in, where a copper pipe rubs the concrete or rock, or from water chemistry attacking thin walls. If you only patch the leak, the next one may be a few feet away.
Ask your plumber what likely caused the failure, and whether the rest of the line shows the same wear. That one answer usually decides between a spot repair and a larger route.
Epoxy lining: a narrow option, not a shortcut
What it does well
- Avoids cutting the slab or the walls.
- Can seal pinholes in a pipe that is otherwise sound.
- Shortens the disruption to a day or so in the right case.
Where it falls short
- Cannot fix a failed fitting or a split pipe.
- Needs clean, accessible pipe with proper entry points.
- Reduces the inside diameter slightly, which matters on small lines.
Whether a lined potable pipe is suitable for drinking water is a question to settle in writing before work starts. Ask what product is used and what approvals it carries, and ask about the permit. We cover the risks in more detail in a separate guide on lining.
Have a leak report and need a second opinion?
We can look at the findings and talk through the routes. Call us and have the location and pipe material ready.
Questions to put to any contractor before you decide
Bring this list to the estimate
A good scope answers all of these in writing.
- Which pipe failed, what is it made of, and how do the neighboring runs look?
- Will the new line go under the slab, through the attic, or inside walls?
- What flooring or cabinetry will be removed, and who restores it?
- Is a permit required, and who pulls it?
- How will the line be pressure tested before it is closed up?
- What happens to the old pipe, capped or removed?
Compare answers from two sources if you can. The cheapest bid often leaves out flooring restoration.
Insurance, honestly
Whether your policy covers a slab leak depends on the policy and the cause. Sudden pipe failures and gradual leaks are often treated differently, and some policies exclude the cost of breaking into the slab. Read your policy, call your insurer before work starts, and document the damage with photos.
Permits and the building department in Greenacres
The City of Greenacres building department accepts permit applications only electronically, and work must be done by a licensed contractor or an exempt owner-builder. For a slab break-in, a reroute or a repipe, ask the building department whether a permit applies and what inspection is needed, because we will not guess at rules we cannot confirm. Inspections are scheduled by 3:00 pm, so ask about timing before you plan the day the floor is open.
Verify the contractor before you sign. Palm Beach County runs a Certificate of Competency search at pbc.gov/pzb, and the state's Verify a Licensee tool is at myfloridalicense.com. A Business Tax Receipt is not a license, and using an unlicensed contractor can bring code enforcement fines to the property owner. Our slab leak repair work is done by a licensed and insured crew.
If your leak is near a neighboring town
Homes in nearby areas share the same decision. If your home is west of us, our Wellington plumber page explains how we cover that area. In Lake Worth Beach, about 1,000 of the cottages built between 1913 and 1949 remain, and older finishes there can make flooring and wall access more delicate, so see our Lake Worth Beach service area page.
Repair methods and the permit question
Whichever repair route you pick, the new piping falls under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing, which Florida builds on the International Plumbing Code (IPC), built on the IPC. Breaking a slab or rerouting lines are the permit-sensitive options.
Ask the City of Greenacres building department before work starts, and confirm that your contractor is licensed.
Choosing a repair: common questions
A spot repair is usually the lowest cost when there is one isolated leak and the floor above is easy to replace. Add the flooring restoration to the total before you compare it to a reroute.
No. A reroute or a repipe leaves the slab alone and runs new lines overhead or through walls. Those routes trade floor damage for drywall work.
It can seal small leaks in a suitable pipe, but it is a narrow option. It does not repair bad fittings or split pipe, so ask for the specifics in writing.
Not automatically. If the rest of the line is sound, a spot repair or reroute may be enough. If you have had more than one leak, or the pipe is known for failing, a repipe deserves a serious look.
It varies with the route and the access. A spot repair may be done in a day, while a repipe is a multi-day project. Ask for a schedule, not a promise, before you commit.
Ask them. We cannot state the permit rules, but the City accepts permit applications only electronically and requires a licensed contractor or an exempt owner-builder, so a quick question first avoids surprises.