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Leak Detection Services. Phoenix, AZ.
Lawson Family Plumbing uses thermal imaging, acoustic detection, and pressure testing to find leaks behind walls, under slabs, and underground, without unnecessary digging or demolition. Serving Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Phoenix, and surrounding areas. Slab leaks are especially common in older East Valley homes. Lawson's equipment finds them fast, with minimal disruption to your floors.
Warning Signs
Most leaks cause damage for weeks before a homeowner notices. Knowing what to look for lets you catch them early, before a drip behind a wall becomes a mold problem or a cracked foundation.
A sudden jump in your monthly water bill with no change in usage habits is one of the earliest and most reliable signs of a hidden leak. Even a small drip can waste hundreds of gallons a month without a drop showing inside your home.
Mushy ground, unusually green patches, or standing water in a dry yard often point to an underground supply line leak. These are invisible from inside the home but detectable with acoustic equipment before any digging starts.
Discoloration, bubbling paint, or peeling wallpaper signals moisture behind the surface. The stain often appears far from the actual leak source, as water travels along framing before soaking through to the visible surface.
Mold grows wherever there's consistent moisture. A musty smell in a room with no visible water source almost always means a hidden leak is feeding it. Mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours of a leak starting.
A gradual or sudden drop in water pressure, especially when no fixtures are in use, suggests water is escaping somewhere in your supply line. It's one of the clearest signs of an active leak in the system.
Turn off every fixture and watch your water meter for two minutes. If the dial moves, water is flowing somewhere it shouldn't. This simple test confirms an active leak is present and is your cue to call us immediately.
How We Find Leaks
We use non-invasive methods first. Our goal is to locate the exact source of every leak without cutting unnecessary holes in walls, tearing up floors, or excavating large portions of the yard.
Infrared cameras detect temperature variations caused by moisture inside walls, floors, and ceilings. This lets us see exactly where water is collecting behind a surface without touching it. Fast, accurate, and leaves your home completely intact.
Sensitive listening devices and ground microphones pick up the sound of water escaping from pressurized pipes, even deep underground. We pinpoint the leak location before any excavation begins, reducing repair scope and cost significantly.
A safe tracer gas is introduced into the plumbing line. Specialized sensors then detect exactly where the gas escapes, identifying the leak point with precision. Ideal for complex underground situations and slab leaks where acoustic signals are hard to isolate.
Moisture meters measure water content inside building materials to locate hidden damp zones. Pressure testing isolates sections of the plumbing system to confirm where pressure loss is occurring and narrow down the leak's exact location.
What We Handle
From a dripping supply line to a slab leak beneath your foundation, our team is equipped to find and fix it. We handle both detection and repair in one visit whenever possible.
Why It Matters
Water is patient. It works through drywall, insulation, framing, and concrete slowly enough that most homeowners don't notice until the damage is already extensive. Early detection is always cheaper than late repair.
Why Lawson
Most plumbers can fix a leak once you show them where it is. Lawson brings the diagnostic equipment to find it first, without guessing and without tearing your home apart unnecessarily.
Thermal cameras, acoustic sensors, and moisture meters on every leak call. We find the source before we open anything up.
Non-invasive methods protect your property during detection. No unnecessary demolition before we know exactly where to look.
We handle both detection and the repair in one visit whenever possible. One call, one crew, one invoice.
We pressure test and re-check after every repair to confirm the leak is gone, not just assumed fixed.
What Our Customers Say
"Came out to inspect a suspected leak. Was so helpful and courteous. I would use these folks again if I ran into plumbing issues at my house."
"From my first call with Brooke, I was impressed by how professional and responsive she was. Robert handled the repair on a major pipe leak and his service was outstanding. The pricing was very reasonable, the work was done quickly and accurately, and everyone was friendly and genuinely caring."
"We've been exclusively using Lawson plumbing since we bought our home in 2021. Most recently Kam came out to fix a faucet bib that was leaking and found our pressure regulator was broken. He explained things simply and was very efficient getting these problems fixed, on a Sunday no less!"
Common Questions
The clearest test: turn off every faucet, appliance, and fixture in your home, then watch your water meter for two minutes. If the dial moves, water is flowing somewhere it shouldn't. Other signs include a spiking water bill, mold smell, water stains on walls or ceilings, and wet spots in the yard.
A slab leak is a break in a water line running beneath your home's concrete foundation. Signs include warm spots on floors, the sound of running water when nothing is on, or a constantly cycling water heater. We locate them using acoustic sensors and pressure testing before breaking any concrete.
Not as a first step. We use thermal imaging and moisture meters to identify leak locations behind surfaces before opening anything. In most cases, we pinpoint the exact spot so any access point is minimal and targeted, not a wide demolition search.
Most costly leaks are invisible from the surface. Underground supply line leaks, in-wall pipe failures, and slab leaks can waste thousands of gallons monthly without any visible sign inside the home. A professional detection visit is the fastest way to confirm what's happening.
Almost always. A single undetected slab leak or in-wall pipe failure can cause thousands in structural damage, mold remediation, and flooring replacement. Professional detection typically costs a fraction of what a delayed repair ends up costing. We also provide free estimates before any work starts.
Mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours in damp conditions. Once established, it spreads through walls and insulation quickly and carries real health risks, including respiratory irritation and allergic reactions. Early leak detection is the most effective way to prevent mold from taking hold at all.
Don't Wait on a Hidden Leak
Non-invasive detection. Same-Day When Available. Free estimates.
100% satisfaction guaranteed. That's why families keep calling Lawson for their plumbing needs.
Available Mon-Sat 7am-7pm. 24/7 for emergencies.
