Sound of running water with nothing on. Water bill doubled. Wet spot you can't find the source of. We locate it.
Live 24/7 dispatch. Stocked trucks. Most repairs first-visit complete.
Emergency leak detection is the call you make when you know you have a leak but can't find the source — sound of running water with everything off, a water bill spike that won't go away, a warm spot on the floor, a wet ceiling under nothing. Same equipment and approach as scheduled leak detection but faster dispatch and triage on the call. We locate the leak with acoustic, thermal imaging, and pressure isolation before opening anything.
Real dispatcher picks up — no IVR. We confirm your Portland address and triage on the call.
Closest stocked truck. ETA 20-60 min depending on quadrant.
Written quote before any work starts. Re-quote if diagnosis shifts.
Most repairs first-visit. Portland BDS permits where required.
Same as scheduled leak detection — Fluke Ti-401 Pro thermal imaging, SubSurface acoustic equipment, pressure isolation manifold, tracer dye, moisture meter. Difference is response time.
Verifiable Oregon CCB license at oregon.gov/ccb before our crew arrives.
Property-damage coverage on every job. COI for landlords.
Upfront pricing before any work starts.
First-visit completion on most calls.
Emergency leak detection customers are typically homeowners who: (1) Got a water bill spike of 2-3x normal with no explanation, (2) Hear running water with everything off, (3) Discovered an unexplained wet ceiling or wall, (4) See a warm spot on the floor (potential slab leak). The common thread is urgency without obvious location — they know they have a leak but can't find it. Some customers come from real estate transactions (inspector flagged a meter test that showed leakage) or insurance claims (insurer requires professional documentation of leak cause).
On the call we ask: when did you first notice, what's the symptom (sound, bill spike, wet spot), is the meter moving with no fixtures running? On-site we start with a meter test to confirm leak presence and quantify rate. Then pressure isolation to narrow which section of the supply system is leaking. Then acoustic and thermal to pinpoint location. The goal is to open one small access hole, not a wall. We provide written documentation with photos for insurance claims.
Dispatch from SE Portland to all metro neighborhoods. Same upfront estimate any quadrant.
We dispatch to all Portland quadrants and the surrounding metro: Hawthorne, Sellwood-Moreland, Alberta Arts, Mississippi, Mount Tabor, Hollywood, Irvington, St. Johns, Nob Hill, Belmont and the rest of inner Portland; plus Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Vancouver WA, West Linn, Oregon City, Happy Valley, Wilsonville, Troutdale, Forest Grove, McMinnville, Canby, and Saint Helens. Same upfront estimate any quadrant.
Full Service AreaPortland's slightly acidic Bull Run water (pH 6.8-7.2 before treatment) creates pitting corrosion in copper supply lines over 30-50 years. Pinhole leaks in 1970s-90s copper retrofits are the most common hidden-leak call in inner-Portland neighborhoods that gentrified during that wave (Alberta, Mississippi, Hawthorne, Belmont). Portland BDS doesn't require a permit for leak detection itself but does require one for the repair if it touches concealed piping over 5 ft. For irrigation leaks, the Portland Water Bureau will adjust the sewer portion of your bill if you provide documentation that the lost water didn't enter the sewer system — we document for that purpose.
Three habits catch leaks before they cause major damage. (1) Read your water meter monthly. Note the reading, compare to last month. Unexpected jumps mean a leak. The Portland Water Bureau bills bi-monthly so by the time the bill arrives a leak has been running for weeks. (2) Annual visual inspection of every exposed supply line: under-sink, water heater, washing machine, ice maker. Catching a slow drip before it becomes a burst pipe saves the drywall. (3) Annual toilet flapper check — drop food coloring in the tank, wait 15 min without flushing. Color in the bowl = flapper leak (silent, can waste 2,000+ gallons per day).
Honest boundary on what's safely DIY-friendly vs when to bring us in.
Toilet flapper test (food coloring in tank, wait 15 minutes, check bowl) you can do yourself. Visible drip under a sink — tighten the supply connection, replace the supply line if braided is over 7 years old. Call us when: water bill spiked with no visible source, you hear running water with everything off, warm spot on floor (slab leak signal), or unexplained mold/wet patches on walls or ceilings.
We dispatch 24/7 across all Portland quadrants. Live dispatch around the clock.
+1 (971) 293-4200 Request a Quote