Leak Detection · Find It Before You Open Walls
Leak Detection & Repair in NYC
A hidden leak announces itself sideways: a ceiling stain two rooms from any pipe, a water bill that doubled for no reason, the neighbor downstairs at your door. The leak is rarely where the evidence is — water travels.
We find hidden leaks by diagnosis instead of demolition, and fix what we find — from a pinhole in a riser to a full repipe.
Signs You Have a Hidden Leak
- A water bill that jumped without a lifestyle change — the meter never lies for long.
- Ceiling or wall stains that return after painting, especially below bathrooms.
- Musty odor, bubbling paint, or lifting floor finishes in one area.
- The sound of running water with everything off, or a meter that creeps overnight.
- A warm floor spot (hot-water line under slab) or a chronically damp cellar corner.
- Downstairs neighbors reporting water — the multifamily classic.
How We Find Leaks Without Wrecking Your Home
- 1Interview and inspection: where the evidence shows, when it appears, what changed. Water travels along pipes and joists; the stain is a clue, not a location.
- 2Meter and isolation testing: with fixtures off, the meter separates real leaks from condensation and phantom worries; isolating branches narrows the system to the guilty line.
- 3Pressure testing: supply lines confirmed tight or leaking, section by section — the difference between a supply leak (constant) and a drain leak (only when used).
- 4Targeted access: one opening where the diagnosis points, cut cleanly where repair is simplest.
- 5Written finding and repair scope: what failed, why, the fix, and the price. In multifamily buildings, documentation that settles the responsibility question.
The Multifamily Leak: Evidence Matters
In apartment buildings, every leak is two problems: the water and the argument. Owners, boards, and managing agents need to know whether the failed pipe is building infrastructure or a unit's branch line, because responsibility — and the invoice — follows that answer. Our diagnosis names the pipe, documents it, and holds up with insurers and agents.
Left chronic, intrusion leaks become HPD water-damage complaints and violations. If the building already has that paper trail, the repair and the record cleanup can run together — how we clear the violations that leaks leave behind →
When the Leak Is a Symptom
A third pinhole in the same copper run, or any leak in original galvanized supply piping, isn't a repair story — it's the system telling you its age. We say so plainly, with numbers for both paths, because patching a dying line every winter costs more than replacing it once. Repiping: when patching stops making sense →
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you find a leak without opening every wall?
By narrowing before cutting: isolating sections of the system and watching the meter, pressure-testing supply lines to confirm or clear them, running fixtures to separate supply leaks from drain leaks, and inspecting accessible runs where the evidence points. By the time anything is opened, we know why — one targeted opening instead of a wall of guesses.
My water bill spiked but I see no water anywhere. What is it?
The classic culprits, in order: a running toilet (silent flapper leaks waste astonishing volumes), an underground or slab supply leak that drains away invisibly, and a hidden fixture drip into a cavity. The meter test sorts it fast — everything off, meter still moving means a real leak, and the isolation process finds which line owns it.
Water is coming through my ceiling from the apartment above. Whose problem is it?
Legally it depends on where the failed pipe sits — building risers and mains are typically the building’s responsibility, fixture branches and appliance connections the unit’s. What settles disputes is evidence: our diagnosis documents which pipe failed and where, which is exactly what managing agents and insurers need. In multifamily leaks, the finding matters as much as the fix.
Do hidden leaks cause violations?
They can. Chronic water intrusion in multifamily buildings turns into HPD complaints and violations for water damage and mold conditions — and a leak that has been painted over twice is usually on its way there. Fixing the leak and documenting the repair is how the complaint trail actually closes.
What does leak detection cost?
The diagnosis is a defined visit with a defined price, quoted when you call, and it ends with a written finding and a repair quote. Repair costs track the actual failure: an accessible pinhole is a modest fix; a failing riser is a bigger conversation.
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Stop Guessing Where the Water Comes From
One diagnostic visit: the leak found, the cause named, the repair quoted in writing. Active leak right now? Call — that’s an emergency response.