Slab Leak Repair in Decatur, GA

My Decatur house is old. Where would a slab leak even be?

Census survey figures via Point2Homes put Decatur's median year built at 1975, with about 54% of homes built before 1980 and roughly 23% built in 1939 or earlier. Many of the oldest houses in neighborhoods like Oakhurst sit over crawl spaces, where supply pipe is reachable. Slab leaks in those homes usually turn up in a later kitchen or family-room addition, a sunroom, or a garage converted to living space. Mid-century houses built entirely on slabs are another common source, with copper that has spent decades in contact with concrete.

Is DeKalb or the city responsible for any of it?

Water in Decatur comes from DeKalb County Watershed Management. DeKalb owns the service line from the main to the meter, including the meter; the owner is responsible from the meter to the home's plumbing. DeKalb also publishes a service line inventory with a "Check your line" tool showing whether a line is lead or galvanized, which is worth checking in an older home. Decatur-mailing ZIPs extend well beyond city limits, but those areas are on DeKalb water too.

What permit does Decatur require?

Inside city limits, Decatur requires separate trade permits for plumbing, sewer, gas or drainage work regardless of job value, and all applications go through the Community Core portal only. A slab leak repair or reroute will typically need a plumbing permit. Unincorporated Decatur-mailing addresses are permitted by DeKalb County instead.

In a home with a crawl space under the original section, a reroute is often the simpler path: new pipe can run through the crawl space to the addition, skipping the slab entirely.

A Decatur note

Older homes that have been remodeled several times may have a mix of copper, galvanized and plastic supply pipe. If a plumber finds one slab leak, ask whether the rest of the supply system is worth inspecting before deciding how much to replace.

Before the visit, clear access to the crawl space door and the water heater, and mark any warm or damp areas in slab rooms. If you know when an addition was built, share it; the age of that section matters more than the age of the original house.