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Leak Detection & Repair Gold Coast: Find It Fast, Fix It Once
Water bill up and nothing to see? We find hidden and slab leaks across the Gold Coast without wrecking your home, then fix them.
Meter moving with the taps off?
Free, upfront quotes, no call-out surprises
Licensed, insured and tidy on every job
We reply within the hour.
The short version
A hidden leak is the most expensive plumbing problem you can't see. It runs 24 hours a day, it shows up first on your water bill, and by the time it shows up on a wall or a floor it's usually been going for weeks. This page tells you how to confirm you've got one tonight, where it's most likely hiding, how we find it without smashing tiles, and what it costs to have it found and fixed on the same visit.
Walter & Co is a licensed, family-run plumber based in Helensvale, servicing the whole Gold Coast. Ben and the team have more than 20 years on the tools, and leak detection is the job that built our reputation, because we'd rather find a leak in an hour than charge you for a day of guessing.
Warning signs
Signs you've got a hidden water leak
Some leaks announce themselves. Most don't. Here's what to look for:
- Water bill higher than the same quarter last year with no change in usage
- Water meter dial moving when every tap is off
- Damp, soft or discoloured patches on walls, ceilings or skirting
- Warm spots on a tiled or concrete floor (hot water line under the slab)
- Mould or musty smell in a cupboard, under a sink or in a wardrobe backing onto a bathroom
- Hissing or running-water sound in a wall when nothing's on
- Constantly wet patch in the lawn or garden, or unusually green grass in a strip
- Low water pressure that's got worse over time
- Cracks in paving or a slab edge that stay damp
Two of these together and you almost certainly have a leak. One on its own is still worth the meter test below.
Seeing two or three of these?
Send us a photo of the damp patch and we'll tell you what you're looking at.
Do this first
The five-minute meter test (do this first)
You can confirm a leak before you call anyone.
- Turn off every tap, appliance and irrigation on the property. Check the toilet cisterns aren't refilling.
- Find your water meter (usually at the front boundary in a plastic or metal box at ground level).
- Write down the reading, including the red numbers or the small dial.
- Wait 15 minutes without using any water.
- Read it again. If it's moved, water is going somewhere.
Then a second check: turn off the isolation valve on the house side of the meter (or the main stop tap). If the meter keeps moving, the leak is in the underground main between the meter and the house. If it stops, the leak is inside the house or in the garden lines after the main tap. Tell us which when you call and we'll arrive with the right gear.
Usual suspects
Where leaks hide in Gold Coast homes
Under the slab
Most Gold Coast homes built from the 1980s on are on a concrete slab with copper or poly water lines running through or under it. Slab leaks show up as warm floor patches (hot side), spongy carpet, lifting tiles or a bill that doubles. On reactive clay blocks around Helensvale, Nerang and Oxenford, slab movement stresses the pipe joints and slab leaks are more common than people expect.
Inside walls and ceilings
Shower recesses, bath spouts, wall-mounted mixers and the pipework behind a vanity. Two-storey homes get ceiling stains under an upstairs bathroom. Sometimes it's the pipe, often it's failed waterproofing or grout, and telling the difference matters because the fix is completely different.
Underground mains and garden lines
The line from the meter to the house, plus irrigation and tap lines through the yard. Tree roots, old poly pipe and ground movement are the usual causes. These leaks can run for months because the water just soaks away.
Hot water systems and flexi hoses
A hot water unit weeping from the relief valve or the tank base, or a braided flexi hose under a sink or toilet giving way. Flexi hose failures are one of the biggest causes of insurance water-damage claims in Australia, and they usually let go without warning. If yours are more than five years old, replace them. We do it while we're there.
Not sure which one you've got?
We'll narrow it down on the phone before we book the job in.
The method
How we find leaks without ripping your house apart
The goal is to pinpoint the leak to within a tile or two before any cutting starts. We use a combination of methods depending on where the meter test points us.
Acoustic listening
A ground microphone and listening rod pick up the sound of water escaping under pressure. Works well on slabs and underground mains, especially copper.
Thermal imaging
A thermal camera shows temperature differences through floors and walls. Hot water leaks light up immediately, and cold leaks show as a cool patch where the surface is wet underneath.
Pressure testing and isolation
We isolate sections of the system and pressure test them one at a time. This tells us which line is losing pressure, which narrows the search before we bring out the camera or listening gear.
Tracer gas and CCTV
For stubborn leaks in long runs, tracer gas (a safe hydrogen-nitrogen mix) is pumped into the line and a detector follows it to where it escapes. For drainage leaks and sewer lines, a CCTV camera goes down the pipe so we can see the crack or root intrusion on screen. That's the same kit we use for blocked drains.
On the day
Detection vs repair: what happens on the day
| Stage | What we do | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnose | Meter test, isolation, choose the detection method | Confirmation there's a leak and which section |
| Locate | Acoustic, thermal, tracer gas or CCTV as needed | Leak pinpointed to a small area, marked on the floor or wall |
| Quote | Written quote for the repair | No surprises before anything is opened up |
| Repair | Cut, repair or re-route the pipe, test under pressure | Leak fixed and proven fixed |
| Reinstate | Patch, backfill, tidy | Site left clean; tiling or plastering can be arranged |
On most jobs we find and fix on the same visit. Where the repair is a bigger job, like a full re-route around a slab, we'll give you the quote and options on the spot.
Want it found and fixed in one visit?
Call Ben, tell him what the meter is doing, and we'll bring the right gear.
Pricing
Leak detection cost on the Gold Coast
We quote every job, but here's what moves the price.
| Factor | Simpler / cheaper | More involved |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Exposed pipe, under a sink, garden tap line | Under the slab, inside a tiled wall |
| Detection needed | Meter test and visual | Tracer gas, thermal and acoustic combined |
| Repair type | Single joint or hose replacement | Re-route around slab, new underground main |
| Access | Single storey, open yard | Two storey, tight side access, concrete over the run |
| Reinstatement | Grass, mulch, soft floor | Tiles, stone, rendered walls |
For a lot of leaks, the detection fee is a fraction of what the leak is costing you every quarter.
The bill
Hidden leaks and your water bill
Gold Coast Water can offer a concealed-leak concession on the excess water charged if the leak was hidden, fixed promptly by a licensed plumber, and you apply within the required time with proof of the repair. Rules change, so check the current City of Gold Coast requirements, but the two things that don't change are that you need a licensed plumber's invoice and you need to act quickly.
We give you an invoice that states what was found and fixed, in the wording the application needs.
Bill jumped and you want it documented?
We write the invoice so it says exactly what was found and fixed.
From the crew
Five tips from 20 years of finding leaks
- Photograph your meter reading on the first of every month. A leak shows up as a jump before the bill arrives.
- Replace flexi hoses every five years. Braided hoses under sinks and toilets are the number one cause of flooded homes we see.
- Know where your main stop tap is. If a pipe bursts at 2am, the first job is shutting the water off, not calling us.
- Don't let a builder chase a leak with a jackhammer. Locate first, cut second. It's the difference between one tile and a whole floor.
- Check the relief valve on your hot water unit. A steady drip is normal, a steady stream is a leak, and a unit that never drips may have a valve that's seized.
Where we work
Leak detection across the Gold Coast
We're based in Helensvale and cover the Coast from Coomera to Coolangatta. Slab and underground main leaks come up a lot in the older estates through Helensvale, Oxenford, Runaway Bay and Southport, and in unit blocks and car parks along Paradise Waters and Surfers Paradise where a leak can run under a whole building before anyone notices. One of our Paradise Waters customers had other plumbers quoting big money before Ben found the car park leak, and that job is still one of the reviews people mention when they call.
If you're searching for a plumber in Helensvale or the best plumber Helensvale locals recommend for a leak that nobody else can find, that's us. Read on for what to expect, or skip to the FAQs.
Anywhere from Coomera to Coolangatta.
Give us the suburb and what the meter's doing, and we'll book you in.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Answering your leak detection questions.
Do the meter test with the main house tap turned off. If the meter still moves, the leak is in the underground main. If it stops, it's inside or in the garden lines after the tap.
Yes. Acoustic and thermal detection locate it to a small area first. Then we either cut a small section of slab at that point or re-route the line overhead or around the slab if that's cheaper and less disruptive.
Most residential leaks are located within one to two hours. Complex slab or multi-unit leaks can take longer, and we'll tell you at the start if that's likely.
Usually. We carry the fittings for copper, PEX and poly repairs, hose and valve replacements. Bigger re-routes are quoted and scheduled quickly.
A slow drip during heating is normal. A constant flow, or a puddle at the base of the tank, isn't. See our hot water systems page or give us a call.
Almost certainly a concealed leak. Do the meter test, then call us. Keep the bill, because you may be able to claim a concession once it's fixed.
Yes, and it's common. We pressure test the pipework first. If it holds, the problem is the membrane, grout or seals, and we'll tell you rather than replacing pipes that aren't leaking.
Yes. Car parks, unit blocks, retail and offices. See commercial plumbing for how we handle larger sites with minimal disruption.
Got a question about a leak? Give us a call or book a free quote today.
Get a Free QuoteLast thing
Stop paying for water you're not using
If the meter's moving and the taps are off, call Ben on 0450 024 231 or use the form below. We'll find it fast, quote before we touch anything, and fix it properly. Licensed and insured, based in Helensvale, servicing the whole Gold Coast, and we answer the phone 24/7 for burst pipes and emergencies.
Contact information
Hidden leak, burst pipe or a water bill that does not add up? Get in touch and we'll sort it. We answer the phone 24/7 for emergencies.
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0450 024 231
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Walterandcoplumbing@gmail.com
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Gold Coast, QLD and surrounds