Local Expert You can Trust

Slab & Underground
Water Leak Detection
Sunshine Coast

We offer slab leak detection Sunshine Coast wide, finding hidden water leaks under concrete floors or underground pipes without breaking the slab, using acoustic listening gear, thermal cameras and pressure testing. Most jobs are done in one visit, with a written report showing the leak location and cause.

  • No unnecessary digging
  • Fixed price before we start
  • Written report included
  • Fast accurate Results
Lear More About Us
Get a free Quote
Slab and Undergroun Water Leak Detection Sunshine Coast

24 – 48 Hr

Booking

No Mess

No Guesswork

Same Day

Results

5 Star

Rated Services

Common signs of a slab leak:

  • Water bill up with no change in usage
  • Damp patch on the floor that will not dry out
  • Warm spot on the concrete with no heating underneath
  • Meter still moving with every tap off
  • Low water pressure at one tap while the rest of the house is fine
  • A musty smell that will not go away in one room

How Much Does
Slab Leak Detection Cost?

Water leak detection Sunshine Coast pricing depends on how far the pipe has to be traced and how accessible the property is.

  • Standard Sunshine Coast call out: a few hundred dollars, depending on pipe length and access
  • Lower end: leak close to the meter or an exposed fitting
  • Higher end: larger property, longer pipe run, or leak under a pool area
  • Repair priced separately from detection
  • Small corroded joint: usually a small patch repair
  • Longer failing section of copper: may need re piping instead
  • Fixed price confirmed before any work starts, no invoice surprises
  • Weekend and after hours call outs may carry a small additional fee, confirmed upfront
Plumbing Cost Estimator
1.What do you need done?

Please select a service type.

2.Property type

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3.How soon?
4.Number of fixtures Sinks, taps, toilets, units affected
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5.Job complexity
6.Optional add-ons Select any that apply

Expert Slab & Underground
Leak Detection Services

Coverage

Maroochydore, Buderim, Mooloolaba, Caloundra, Noosa, Sippy Downs

Booking

most call outs within 24 to 48 hours

Why it happens here

older copper pipe, ground movement, hot Queensland soil

Left unfixed

softened ground, cracked tiles, mould inside walls

Caught early

usually a same day fix, minimal mess

Works on

Works on homes, units, and small commercial properties

No obligation

No obligation to use us for the repair once the leak is found

Expert Slab & Underground Leak Detection Services
Signs You May Have a Slab or Underground Water Leak

Signs You May Have a
Slab or Underground
Water Leak

Unexplained Rise
in Water Bills

  • Bill up, usage habits unchanged: check the meter
  • Turn off every tap and appliance, watch the dial
  • Dial still moving means water is escaping somewhere on your property
  • Compare this quarter’s bill to the same quarter last year, not just last month
  • A jump of 20 percent or more with no new appliances or guests is a strong signal

Damp Floors, Walls or Concrete

  • Wet patch on tile or carpet that keeps coming back
  • Warm concrete near a hot water line
  • Musty smell in one room
  • Swollen skirting boards or bubbling paint near the floor line
  • Tiles that feel slightly loose or hollow when tapped
  • Discolouration on grout lines that was not there before

Sound of Running Water With No Visible Source

  • Faint hissing or trickling through the floor, often noticeable at night
  • Every tap off but you still hear water: call us straight away
  • Sound often loudest near where the pipe enters the slab

Other warning signs

Greener Patches

A patch of lawn greener or wetter than the rest

Hot water

Hot water system running more than usual

Water pressure

Low pressure at one tap while the rest of the house is fine

Insects

Ants or insects gathering in one specific spot in the yard, often drawn to moisture

Ground

A slight give or softness in the ground near the house

Think You have a Hidden Leak?

Don’t wait until the damage gets worse.
Our experts are ready to help.

Get free Leak Inspaction
  • Fast Response
  • No Obligation

When Is It an Emergency?

Call the same day if you notice:

Call Same Day

  • Water bill doubled or more between billing periods
  • Warm floor spot with no heating underneath
  • Damp patch that keeps spreading
  • Meter moving with everything off
  • Water visibly pooling near the slab edge or foundation
  • Warm floor spot with no heating underneath

Book Soon

  • A slow rise in the water bill over several quarters
  • A faint smell with no visible dampness yet
  • Damp patch that keeps spreading
When Is It an Emergency

Spot the Signs of a Hidden Slab Leak

Match what you’re noticing below — see what it means and what waiting could cost you.

Sign You’re Noticing What It Usually Means Urgency Cost If You Wait
Damp patch that keeps spreading Active leak washing away soil under the slab Emergency Softened ground can lead to cracked or shifting slab
Meter still moving, everything off Confirmed leak somewhere on your property Call Now Hidden leaks can waste 400L+ a day unnoticed
Warm patch on concrete, no heating there Likely a hot water line leaking beneath the slab Same-Day Moisture spreads to tiles, walls and mould risk
Faint sound of running water, taps off Water escaping through the pipe near the slab entry Same-Day Sound often means the leak is already established
Musty smell that won’t go away Moisture has been sitting under flooring for a while Book This Week Mould remediation costs far more than the original leak
Water bill up 20%+, no usage change Slow leak wasting water without any visible sign yet Book This Week Compounds each billing cycle until found and fixed

Not sure what you’re seeing? Call us for a free phone estimate based on your symptoms.

Get Your Free Quote

Our Leak Detection Process

A typical visit follows the same order every time, so nothing is skipped:

Meter

Meter check and initial isolation testing

Pipe Tracing

Pipe route tracing

Acoustic Scan

Acoustic and thermal sweep along the route

Cross Checking

Cross checking the loudest or warmest point

Leak Confirmation

Small access hole and visual confirmation

Written Report

Written report handed over before we leave

Technician using leak detection equipment outdoors

Non Invasive Detection,
No Unnecessary Digging

Learn More
  • Isolate sections of plumbing at the meter and valves
  • Electronic line tracing maps the pipe route under the slab
  • Route confirmed before any listening starts, no guesswork
  • Cold and hot water lines checked separately, since they often run different paths
  • Outdoor taps and irrigation lines checked too, since these are common leak points

Pinpointing the Exact Leak Location

  • Acoustic listening equipment finds the loudest point along the traced line
  • Ground microphone checked every few steps along the route
  • Loudest spot is almost always the leak
  • Readings recorded at each point so the loudest can be compared accurately
  • Background noise from traffic or appliances filtered out where possible

99%

Accuracy

Few Centimeters

Precison

Report Included

Underground heating pipes during repair work
Leak Report

Accurate Leak Reports & Recommendations

  • Written report with pipe route, leak location, and photos
  • Used as evidence for insurance claims or water bill disputes
  • Includes the method used to confirm the leak location
  • Plain language explanation, not just technical readings

What Happens After the Leak Is Found

Small access hole dug, usually no bigger than a dinner plate

Leak confirmed by sight

Repaired on the spot, or report handed to your own plumber

No need to dig up the yard or break the whole slab

Most repairs finished same day

Access hole patched or made safe if repair is scheduled for later

What Happens After the Leak Is Found

Advanced Leak Detection
Equipment & Technology

Why we use more than one method:

acoustic Detactor device

Acoustic Detector

best first choice for copper pipe, loud and easy to trace

Thermal Imaging device

Thermal Imaging

confirms a spot by temperature difference, useful on plastic pipe where sound is weaker

pipe detector

Pipe Detector

Electromagnetic locator clamped onto an exposed section, like the meter or an outdoor tap

Electrical leak Detector

Acoustic Detector

Ground microphone and correlator pick up the sound of escaping water through the pipe wall

pressure detector

Pressure Detector

Sections isolated and monitored for pressure drop over ten to fifteen minutes

digital moisture meter

Digital Moisture Meter

Moisture meter checks how wet a slab, wall or subfloor is

Acoustic Leak Detection

  • Ground microphone and correlator pick up the sound of escaping water through the pipe wall
  • Narrows the search to within centimetres
  • Works best on metal pipe, which carries sound clearly
acoustic device Detactor
Thermal Imaging device

Thermal Imaging

  • Camera reads surface temperature across floors, walls, and ceilings
  • Water changes the temperature of concrete or plasterboard as it evaporates
  • Flags a wet area before it is visible to the eye
  • Useful for confirming a suspected spot without any digging at all

Electronic Leak Detection

  • Sends a signal along the pipe and measures the change at the leak point
  • Works well on plastic or poly pipe, where acoustic signals are weaker
  • Helps trace pipe runs that have no visible above ground section
Electrical leak Detector
pipe locator

Pipe Tracing

  • Electromagnetic locator clamped onto an exposed section, like the meter or an outdoor tap
  • Maps the pipe route before anything else happens
  • Prevents digging in the wrong spot entirely

Pressure Testing

  • Sections isolated and monitored for pressure drop over ten to fifteen minutes
  • Fast drop confirms a leak in that section
  • Helps rule out sections and focus the acoustic search
  • Useful on larger properties with multiple pipe runs
pressure detector
digital moisture meter

Moisture Detection

  • Moisture meter checks how wet a slab, wall or subfloor is
  • Confirms the leak location and how far water has spread
  • Helps decide if flooring or subfloor timber also needs attention

DIY Check vs Professional
Detection

DIY CHECK

  • Guess Work
  • No Equipment
  • No Report
  • Trial Digging
  • May Damage Slab
VS

PROFESSIONAL DETECTION

  • High Accuracy
  • Finds Hidden Leaks
  • Saves Time & Money
  • Detailed Report Included
  • Non-invasive & Safe

A DIY meter test is a good first step and costs nothing. It tells you a leak exists but not where it is. Professional detection picks up from there, since equipment based tracing avoids the trial and error digging that often damages more of the slab than the repair itself needs.

Extra points worth knowing:

  • A DIY check cannot confirm whether a leak is on the hot or cold line
  • Professional detection isolates each line separately for a clearer answer
  • DIY digging based on guesswork can accidentally hit electrical or gas lines
  • Professional pipe tracing avoids this risk before any digging starts

Real results. real homeowner

Real Leak Detection Case Studies

sudden spike in water bills

Maroochydore

Problems: Homeowner Noticed a sudden spike in water bills with no visible leaks.

Method Used: Acoustic listening + Thermal imaging

Outcome: Leak found under concrete slab in bathroom. Repaired same day.

View details
Warm Spot on floor and musty smell in hallway.

Buderim

Problems: Warm Spot on floor and musty smell in hallway.

Method Used: Acoustic Listening + Pipe tracing

Outcome: leak located in underground copper pipe. Section repaired.

View details
Low water pressure

Mooloolaba

Problems: Low water pressure and running wate sound at night.

Method Used: Acoustic listening

Outcome: Leak found in hot water line under slab. Repaired and tested

View details
Problems Unexplained high water usage over several months

Caloundra

Problems: Unexplained high water usage over several months.

Method Used: Thermal imaging + acoustic listening

Outcome: pinpointed leak in poly pipe buried under driveway.

View details

More Real Case Studies Comming Soon

We don’t publish fictional examples. Real case studies from completed jobs will be added here.

Get free Leak Inspaction
  • Fast Response
  • No Obligation

What Causes Slab & Underground
Water Leaks?

Ageing copper pipe

corrodes from the inside over 15 to 20 years, faster in slightly acidic soil common in the Sunshine Coast hinterland

Ground movement

clay soil expanding and contracting after rain stresses joints and fittings

Tree roots

seeking moisture, can crush or crack poly pipe over time

Poor original installation

joints never properly sealed, common in older homes

What Causes Slab & Underground Water Leaks

Poor quality fittings

Poor quality fittings used during a renovation, especially where a DIY repair was done previously

Pressure spikes

sudden changes, often after council mains work, trigger weak spots into active leaks

Pre 1990s homes

copper pipe often run with little protection from the concrete, faster corrosion

Newer homes

not immune, a poorly compacted joint or slab settling can stress a fitting years later

Electrolysis

contact between dissimilar metals in older plumbing can speed up corrosion at joints

A slab leak can run undetected for months. A small pinhole leak losing a litre or two an hour can go unnoticed for a long stretch if water drains into surrounding soil rather than pooling. Studies on residential water loss have found some hidden leaks waste more than 400 litres a day once established, which is why a water bill spike is often the only early clue.

Why Early Leak Detection Matters

Prevent Structural Damage

  • Water sitting under a slab for months can wash away supporting soil
  • This can cause the slab itself to crack or shift
  • Early detection avoids this before it starts
Prevent Structural Damage
Reduce Water Bills

Reduce Water Bills

  • A moderate slab leak can waste hundreds of litres a day
  • Fixing it early usually pays for the call out cost within one billing cycle
  • Ongoing leaks compound over multiple billing periods if ignored

Prevent Mould Growth

  • Constant moisture under flooring or inside a wall cavity is exactly what mould needs to establish
  • Mould growing inside a wall costs far more to fix than the original leak
  • Mould can also affect air quality inside the home
Prevent Mould Growth
Protect Your Foundations

Protect Your Foundations

  • Queensland’s Plumbing and Drainage Act sets standards for water service maintenance
  • Unresolved leaks near a slab edge can affect footings over time
  • Fixing a leak early is the cheapest way to protect the foundation

Our Service Guarantee

Written Report

Written report and photos included with every job

Fixed Price

Fixed price confirmed before work starts

No invasive

Non invasive equipment used on every job

No Call out fee

No call out fee if we cannot pinpoint the leak on the day

Free re-check

Free re check if a repair based on our findings does not resolve the issue

Access hole

Access hole left clean and safe, whether or not repair happens the same day

Concealed Leak Allowance: Can You Get a Water Bill Rebate?

  • South East Queensland water retailers, including Unitywater, run a concealed leak allowance policy
  • Eligibility: leak was hidden (under a slab or underground) and repaired promptly once discovered
  • Our written report, with photos and leak location, is the type of evidence Unitywater asks for in a claim
  • Policy terms change: check Unitywater’s current terms or call them directly before submitting a claim
  • Applications usually need proof of both the leak location and the repair invoice
  • Rebate typically applies to the affected portion of the bill, not the entire quarter
Concealed Leak Allowance Can You Get a Water Bill Rebate

The Sunshine Coast Climate & Hidden Leaks

Leak Report

Why Humidity Speeds Up Water Damage Locally

  • Humid subtropical climate, wet warm summers December through March
  • Moisture from a slab leak evaporates slower than in a dry climate
  • Mould and timber damage set in faster once a leak starts
  • Heavy summer rain raises the water table in low lying coastal suburbs, masking slow leaks

Recommendation:

1. check your meter every few months, especially before the wet season

2. Coastal salt air can also speed up corrosion on exposed metal fittings

Why Homeowners Across Sunshine Coast Choose Us

Experienced Local
Technicians

  • Years of experience in local conditions
  • Familiar with sandy soil near Mooloolaba and clay heavy ground around Buderim

Transparent, Affordable Pricing

  • Fixed price confirmed before work starts
  • No hourly surprises
  • Detection and repair quoted separately, so you only pay for what you need

Emergency Response Available

  • Urgent call out slots kept open for fast growing leaks
  • Same day response where possible for genuine emergencies

Meet Our Leak Detection Team

Meet Our Leak Detection Team

  • Technicians trained specifically in acoustic and thermal detection, not general plumbing alone
  • Real field hours required before working unsupervised
  • Ongoing familiarity with local pipe materials and soil conditions across the region
View more about our team

Areas We Cover Across Sunshine Coast

We provide slab leak detection Sunshine Coast wide, including:

Maroochydore

  • Maroochydore CBD and Sunshine Plaza area
  • Older streets near the Maroochy River with ageing copper pipe
  • Mix of older homes and newer apartment developments

Buderim

  • Buderim Village shops out to surrounding acreage properties
  • Mix of slab leaks and longer underground runs
  • Larger blocks often mean longer pipe traces from the meter

Mooloolaba

  • Mooloolaba Esplanade and canal front properties
  • Sandy coastal soil, different wear patterns to inland areas
  • Canal front homes sometimes have longer irrigation and pool pipe runs

Caloundra

  • Caloundra foreshore and Bulcock Street through to Kawana
  • Many older homes with original plumbing
  • A good mix of slab leaks and yard leaks on larger blocks

Noosa

  • Noosa Junction through to Noosaville
  • Unit blocks to riverside properties with longer pipe runs
  • Riverside properties sometimes need extra care around retaining walls

Sippy Downs

  • Near the University of the Sunshine Coast
  • Newer growth area, leaks usually from installation issues rather than age
  • Newer estates still see the occasional poorly sealed joint from the original build
Areas We Cover Across Sunshine Coast

What Our Customers Say

  • Fast & Professional Service

    We noticed our water bill kept increasing but couldn’t find any visible leak. The technician explained each step, located the problem under the slab without unnecessary digging, and provided a detailed report. The whole process was straightforward and professional.
    Michael R
    Buderim

  • Accurate Leak Detection

    I was expecting a big mess, but the leak was located with very little disruption. The team arrived on time, answered all my questions, and confirmed the exact location before any excavation. Highly recommend their service.
    Sarah T
    Maroochydore

  • Excellent Communication

    Our insurance company asked for documentation, and the report we received included photos and everything we needed. Communication was excellent from booking through to completion.
    Daniel W
    Caloundra

  • Saved Our Backyard

    We had a hidden underground leak that several people couldn’t identify. The equipment they used found the issue quickly, which saved us from digging up the entire yard. Very happy with the service.
    Emma J
    Mooloolaba

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions homeowners ask about water leak detection Sunshine Coast wide:

Yes. Acoustic listening, thermal imaging and pipe tracing narrow the leak to a small spot before any concrete is broken. Usually only a small access hole is needed once confirmed.

Some insurance policies cover locating a leak, not always the repair. Unitywater’s concealed leak allowance can reduce your bill if the leak was hidden and fixed promptly. Check both.

One to three hours for most residential jobs, depending on pipe length and access.

Small access hole dug to confirm by sight, then repaired directly or handed to your preferred plumber as a written report.

Ageing or corroded pipe, ground movement, tree root intrusion, poor original joints, sudden pressure spikes.

No. A pipe leak does not seal itself. It may slow down temporarily if debris partly blocks the gap, but the pressure inside the pipe usually reopens it, and the leak tends to get worse rather than better over time.

Request Your Free Quote Today

Book a slab leak detection appointment on the Sunshine Coast before a small leak becomes a big repair.Our experts are ready to help.

Same day appointments available

Fixed price confirmed before work starts

Free phone estimate based on your symptoms

No unnecessary digging

GET FREE QUOTE
Book inspection online