Leak Detection in Lawrenceville, GA

What happens when you call

You'll be routed to an independent plumber who works in Lawrenceville. They'll want to know when the bill changed, whether the meter moves with everything shut off, and where you've seen stains or damp spots. On site, the usual order is a meter test, then closing the house shutoff to separate the yard line from indoor plumbing, then isolating branches and listening until the leak is narrowed to one area. If the plumber needs to replace a run of pipe, they'll explain what permit the City of Lawrenceville requires.

What shapes the cost

• How quickly the leak can be isolated, which depends on the valves in the house
• Access: crawl space, slab, basement or a long buried line
• Equipment for pinpointing, such as acoustic or thermal tools
• The fix: a fitting, a valve, a section of pipe or a new service line
• Restoring drywall or flooring afterward

Lawrenceville conditions

Gwinnett County bought the city's water distribution system and took over on December 1, 2020. Water customers now get service and billing from Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, while the city still bills for gas, electric and sanitation. Under Gwinnett's rules, the county maintains the main and the meter, and everything on the customer's side of the meter is the owner's to maintain, repair or replace, including the entire sewer lateral. Gwinnett's 24-hour line for problems on its side is 678.376.7000.

Housing in the county seat is a mix of older homes near the square and newer subdivisions, with a median build year of 1988 and about 30% built before 1980. Older homes tend to leak at original valves and buried service lines; newer ones at fittings and appliance hoses. Lawrenceville also runs its own natural gas department, so if a leak search turns up a gas smell rather than water, leave the house and call 911 and the city gas emergency line, 770-963-3332, from outside.

Before the plumber arrives

• Take a meter reading, wait an hour without using water, and read it again
• Locate the main shutoff and check that it turns
• Look up your service line material at GwinnettCounty.com/ServiceLines
• Clear access to the water heater and under-sink cabinets