Leak Detection Services in Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands & Greater Houston
You Know There’s a Leak. You Just Can’t Find It.
Your water bill doubled. There’s a warm spot on your slab. You hear water running but nothing is on. The meter is spinning with every fixture shut off. You’ve had three plumbers out and nobody can pinpoint it.
MaxResto provides professional leak detection services across the Greater Houston area, including Tomball, Spring, Cypress, The Woodlands, and surrounding communities. We use acoustic detection, thermal imaging, and nitrogen pressure testing to locate leaks inside walls, under slabs, and in supply lines without tearing your house apart to find them. As an IICRC-certified restoration company, we don’t just find the leak. We fix the source and restore the damage.
How We Find Leaks
Acoustic Leak Detection
We use a Sewerin Aquaphon A200 Pro with ground microphones and contact sensors to listen for pressurized water escaping through pipe walls. The receiver filters out ambient noise and isolates the sound signature of the leak. We walk the line, listen at every fixture and fitting, and zero in on the loudest point. That’s your leak.
Thermal Imaging
Hot water slab leaks change the surface temperature of your floor. Our FLIR thermal cameras detect those temperature differentials and map exactly where the warm water is spreading under the concrete. This works on both hot and cold supply lines and shows us the path of the leak before we ever cut into anything.
Nitrogen Pressure Testing
We isolate individual supply lines, drain them down, and pressurize with nitrogen. If the line holds pressure, it’s intact. If it drops, that line has a breach. Then we use the acoustic equipment to pinpoint exactly where on that line the nitrogen is escaping. This method is especially effective on slab leaks where you can’t see the pipe.
Electronic Moisture Mapping
When a leak has been running for days or weeks before anyone noticed, the water migrates through the slab and into walls, cabinets, and flooring. We use Protimeter and Tramex pin-type and non-invasive moisture meters to map the full extent of moisture intrusion. This tells us not just where the leak is, but how far the damage has spread. These readings are critical for accurate water damage restoration scoping and insurance documentation.
Common Leak Types We Handle
Slab Leaks
Copper supply lines under your foundation corrode over time. The clay soil in Greater Houston expands and contracts with moisture, shifting the slab and stressing pipe joints. A pinhole leak under concrete can run for weeks before you see any sign of it. By then, the water has migrated into your flooring, baseboards, and wall cavities. We locate the leak through the slab without exploratory demolition.
Supply Line Leaks
The braided steel hoses behind your washing machine, under your kitchen sink, and behind your toilets fail without warning. So do the copper and PEX lines running through your walls and attic. When a supply line is leaking inside a wall, you might see a stain, hear dripping, or notice a musty smell before you ever see standing water. We trace the line and find the source.
AC Condensate Leaks
Your air conditioner produces gallons of condensate every day. When the drain line clogs, the overflow pan fills, and if the float switch fails, water runs into your ceiling and walls. In Houston, your AC runs 8 to 10 months a year. That’s a lot of opportunity for a slow leak to go undetected.
Post-Storm Hidden Leaks
After hurricanes, hail events, and heavy rain, water intrudes through compromised roofing, damaged flashing, and window seals. These leaks often go undetected for weeks because the entry point is hidden in the attic or behind exterior walls. We use thermal imaging and moisture mapping to find water intrusion that isn’t visible from inside the house. See our storm damage restoration services for more information.
Why Leak Detection Matters Before Restoration
Every water damage restoration project starts with one question: where is the water coming from? If you dry the structure but don’t find and fix the source, the damage comes back. We’ve seen homeowners pay for full mitigation and rebuild only to have the same wall wet again three months later because nobody located the actual leak.
MaxResto handles both sides. We find the leak, fix the source, and restore the damage. One company, one scope, one point of contact. No finger-pointing between your plumber, your restoration company, and your insurance adjuster. If mold is present or suspected, we scope remediation as part of the same assessment.
What to Expect
- We arrive with acoustic detection, thermal cameras, and moisture meters
- We test and isolate supply lines to identify which line is compromised
- We pinpoint the leak location without cutting into walls or floors
- We document everything with photos, thermal images, and moisture readings
- We provide a written report showing leak location and recommended repair
- If water damage has already occurred, we scope the mitigation and restoration on the spot
- If mold is present or suspected, we include mold remediation in the scope
Credentials
- IICRC Certified Firm #70031289
- Licensed and insured contractor operating under Texas law — Registration #5844665
- EPA Lead-Safe Certified
- Xactimate Level 3 Certified
- Licensed plumber, electrician, and HVAC contractor
- Woman-owned business
Frequently Asked Questions
- Leak detection and location
- Water damage restoration
- Mold remediation
- Fire damage restoration
- Storm damage and roofing
- Full reconstruction
We pressurize the supply line with nitrogen and use acoustic sensors to listen through the slab for escaping gas. Combined with thermal imaging that shows temperature changes on the floor surface, we can pinpoint the leak location within inches. No exploratory cutting required.
Most homeowner policies cover the resulting water damage from a sudden leak, and many cover reasonable costs to locate the source. The leak detection itself is often included as part of the mitigation scope. We document everything to carrier standards so your adjuster has what they need to process the claim.
We handle both. Once we locate and fix the source, we scope the water damage mitigation and restoration on the same visit. Extraction, drying, demolition of damaged materials, mold prevention, and full rebuild. One company from detection through final repair.
Leak detection pricing depends on the type of leak, accessibility, and number of lines that need testing. A standard acoustic and thermal scan typically runs between $250 and $500. Slab leak detection with nitrogen pressure testing may be higher due to the equipment and time involved. If the leak has caused water damage covered by insurance, detection costs are often included in the mitigation scope.
Most residential leak detection visits take between 1 and 3 hours depending on the complexity. A single supply line leak with clear symptoms can be located in under an hour. Slab leaks that require nitrogen pressure testing across multiple lines take longer. We provide a written report with findings before we leave.
Common signs include a sudden spike in your water bill, warm spots on the floor, the sound of running water when fixtures are off, water meter spinning with everything shut off, cracks in walls or flooring, musty smell near the foundation, and damp or buckled flooring. Houston’s expansive clay soil makes slab leaks particularly common because soil movement stresses pipe joints under the foundation.
Yes. Our FLIR thermal cameras detect temperature differentials caused by water behind drywall. Non-invasive moisture meters confirm the presence and extent of moisture without penetrating the surface. If a supply line inside a wall is leaking, we can also pressurize the line with nitrogen and use acoustic sensors to pinpoint the exact location of the breach.
If you notice any signs of moisture intrusion after a storm — stains on ceilings, damp walls, musty odors, or water in areas that were previously dry — professional leak detection is recommended. Storm damage leaks often go undetected for weeks because the entry points are hidden in attics, behind exterior walls, or at flashing transitions. Early detection prevents mold growth and secondary damage.
Most plumbers focus on the pipe repair. MaxResto is an IICRC-certified restoration company that provides detection, source repair, and full water damage restoration under one scope. We locate the leak, fix the pipe, extract standing water, dry the structure, remove damaged materials, and rebuild. If you have insurance, we document everything to carrier standards and work directly with your adjuster. No need to coordinate multiple contractors.
Leak Detection by Service Area
Slab Leak Detection in Tomball, TX
Tomball sits on expansive clay soil that shifts with moisture changes, putting constant stress on copper supply lines under slab foundations. Homes built in the 1980s through early 2000s are especially vulnerable to pinhole leaks from pipe corrosion and joint failure. MaxResto provides slab leak detection in Tomball using acoustic sensors and nitrogen pressure testing to locate breaches without cutting into your foundation. Our office is at 11412 Spring Cypress Rd, Bldg 4E.
Leak Detection in Spring, TX
Spring’s mix of older subdivisions and newer master-planned communities means a wide range of plumbing systems and potential failure points. Older homes on well water may have corroded galvanized lines. Newer builds can develop PEX fitting failures or AC condensate leaks in attic-mounted air handlers. We serve all of Spring including Champions, Klein, and the Spring Creek area.
Leak Detection in The Woodlands, TX
The Woodlands’ dense tree canopy and clay soil create conditions where slab leaks and underground supply line failures are common. Root intrusion into sewer lines is another frequent issue. We provide non-invasive leak detection throughout The Woodlands including Panther Creek, Indian Springs, Grogan’s Mill, and Sterling Ridge.
Leak Detection in Cypress, TX
Cypress is one of the fastest-growing areas in Greater Houston, with both new construction and homes dating back to the 1990s. Supply line leaks behind walls and under slabs are common in homes with original copper piping. We provide acoustic and thermal leak detection across Cypress including Bridgeland, Towne Lake, Fairfield, and Lakewood Forest.
We also provide leak detection services in Jersey Village, Magnolia, Montgomery, Conroe, and surrounding communities across Harris and Montgomery counties.
Call Now
24/7 emergency line. Serving Tomball, Spring, Cypress, The Woodlands, Jersey Village, Magnolia, and surrounding communities.
Serving Greater Houston
MaxResto provides leak detection services across the Greater Houston area including Tomball, Spring, Cypress, The Woodlands, Jersey Village, Magnolia, Montgomery, Conroe, and surrounding communities.