Slab Leak Repair in Doraville, GA

What Doraville homes face

Doraville is a small, diverse DeKalb city on Buford Highway that grew around the former General Motors plant. Its housing reflects that era: Census survey figures via Point2Homes put the median home at 1975, with about 61% built before 1980. Many are ranch houses where at least part of the floor is a slab with original copper beneath.

Water comes from DeKalb County Watershed Management, treated at the Scott Candler plant from Chattahoochee River water. DeKalb is responsible for the service line from the main to the meter, which usually sits in a pit outside. From the meter to the house, the line belongs to the owner. DeKalb also keeps a service line inventory where customers can look up their line's material.

Doraville handles plumbing permits through its Trade Permit Application in the Cloudpermit portal, and every permit requires a notarized property-owner affidavit.

Comparing repairs

Signs

• The meter turning with the house shut down
• A warm or damp spot on the floor
• Rising DeKalb water bills
• Running water sounds at night
• Tile cracks with dampness around them

Timing notes

Allow a little extra time for paperwork: Doraville's notarized owner affidavit has to be in place before a permit is issued. If water is surfacing through the floor, shut the main valve first; the permit question can follow. For problems at the meter pit, DeKalb's 24-hour emergency repair line handles them.

A good habit for any Doraville homeowner with an older ranch: read the meter once at bedtime and again first thing in the morning, with nothing used in between. If the reading changed, something is leaking. It might be a toilet flapper or an outdoor spigot, but if those check out, the buried lines are the next suspect. Doing this check once or twice a year can catch a slab leak before it damages flooring.

The DeKalb service line lookup tool is also worth a minute if you are unsure what your service line is made of.