Leak Detection in Duluth, GA

Warning signs

• A Gwinnett water bill that keeps rising with no change in household use
• The meter's low-flow indicator turning while nothing runs
• A floor that feels warm in one spot, often a hot water line under a slab
• Peeling paint or soft drywall low on a wall near a bathroom or kitchen
• The water heater firing up overnight
• Wet mulch or a soft lawn strip along the line from the street

What is behind leaks in Duluth homes

Duluth grew mainly in the 1980s and 1990s, and the median home was built in 1994. Houses of that age are past the point where original supply hoses, water heater connectors and shower valves start to give out, and some have early plastic piping that can crack at fittings. Many were built on slabs, which is why the city's own inspection list includes a slab plumbing inspection for new work: once a line is under concrete, a leak there is hard to see and best found with listening equipment.

Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources supplies water from Lake Lanier through its Shoal Creek and Lanier filter plants. The county maintains the water meter and the small pipe from the main to it. The private water service line from the meter, the entire sewer lateral and any backflow preventer belong to the property owner. For a break on the county side, Gwinnett's emergency line is 678.376.7000.

What affects the cost

• How many valves and branches the plumber has to test to narrow the source
• Whether the leak is under a slab, inside a wall, in a ceiling or in the yard
• Detection tools, such as acoustic sensors or thermal imaging
• The repair itself, from a new connector to a rerouted line
• Permits and inspections through the City of Duluth's GovWell portal when the fix involves new pipe

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Duluth. Expect questions about your recent bills, whether the meter moves with everything off, and where you have seen moisture. The plumber will usually start at the meter and work inward, and can tell you whether the repair needs a city permit.