How Much Does Slab Leak Repair Cost? [2025 Data]

Slab Leak Repair Cost Factors

Your final slab leak repair cost hinges on two major factors: the type of repair needed for the leak itself and the repair needed for your home’s concrete slab after the leak gets fixed. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of detecting the leak, which requires time, skill, and specialized equipment. As much as you may want to, this is no time to DIY.

Type of Repair

Plumbing issues come in all different shapes and sizes, and the type of repair that your slab leak requires can affect the time and materials it takes to complete the work.

Cured-in-Place Repair

Cured-in-place pipe repair involves inserting a liner into your existing pipes, which is then cured with a hard resin to create a new, undamaged pipe inside the damaged pipe. This method is a no-dig plumbing repair, and since the original pipe is kept in place, it uses less labor than traditional pipe replacement. Cured-in-place repair costs average between $80 and $250 per linear foot.

Pinhole Leak Repair

Pinhole leak repair can cost an average of $150 to $800, depending on the leak's location and the complexity of the fix. While temporary fixes for pinhole leaks like epoxy or compression wraps may seem tempting, you’ll need to replace the damaged section of pipe and secure it with a plumbing coupling to permanently fix it. 

Single Burst Pipe Repair

Fixing a single burst pipe can cost between $200 and $3,000. Pipe material, accessibility of the burst pipe, and how much of the pipe is damaged can all affect the cost to repair the pipe. 

Slab Leak Reroute

Rerouting plumbing lines in a slab foundation can cost between $600 and $4,000, on average. Rerouting plumbing pipes may involve cutting into and removing parts of the slab, removing sections of walls, ceilings, or floors. Depending on the extent of the rerouting, you may end up paying upward of $10,000 or more when all is said and done. 

Pipe Leak Repair

Standard pipe repair costs average between $250 and $850 per pipe. The type of leak, pipe material, where the pipe is located, and its accessibility can all contribute to the repair cost. Leaks that are hard to get to or require cutting into walls, floors, or sections of slab for access will cost more than easily accessible pipes in basements or other areas where they’re out in the open.

Water Main Leak Fix

The cost to fix a water main can average between $150 and $5,000. Costs range widely due to the type of repair, whether the leaking part of the main is above or below ground, if excavation is needed, and how much pipe needs to be replaced. 

Drain Line Leak Repair

Repairing a drain line costs an average of $800 to $5,000, depending on the type and size of the damage, where the leak occurs, and how difficult it is to access. 

Slab Leak Detection Cost

Your slab leak cost includes the detection of any leak (or leaks) for an average price of $280. Most homeowners will end up paying $150 to $400 for slab leak detection. Where in this range your pricing falls depends on the location of the leak and how many leaks are present.

You might also pay more if you need emergency leak detection and repair, which will likely be the case if your leak is in your water main and you can’t get water to your home without the leak progressively doing more damage.

Repairing the Concrete Slab

Repairing your home’s concrete foundation after fixing the leaks will usually run anywhere from $300 to $6,750. This is a necessary slab leak cost to consider, as your plumber will need to break through the foundation in order to address any leaking pipes below the surface.

The slab repair cost will depend again on the location of the leak and the number of leaks that the plumber needs to access. The concrete material and labor costs can also vary based on the foundation repair contractor near you that you choose to complete the work.

For very severe leaks that require breaking through a large portion of your foundation, you might have to bring in a structural engineer to assess and fix the issue. Hiring this type of professional will cost around $150 per hour, or anywhere between $70 and $250 per hour.

Foundation Stabilization

Foundation stabilization in the form of underpinning for slabs usually costs around $2,500 per pier or a total of $5,000 to $10,000 after slab leak repair. Underpinning isn’t always necessary after a leak repair, so we haven’t included the cost in the average total above.

You might need underpinning if an ongoing water leak in your slab has led to excessive soil movement or settling under your foundation. Supportive piers installed under the slab can ensure that foundation sinking and resulting structural damage don’t occur.

Water Damage

Depending on the extent of the damage, repairing water damage can cost anywhere from $500 for a minor subfloor repair to $15,000 or more for more extensive damages. If a leak goes unnoticed for a while, it can cause serious water damage to your subfloor, flooring, sheetrock, insulation, and the slab itself, and it might even lead to structural damage. Repairing that water damage, removing any mold that formed, and drying out the area can all add to the cost of slab leak repair.

Build-Back

Returning the affected area to how it was prior to the slab leak will average around $500, but the cost could be anywhere from $300 to $10,000 or more.

A simple access point for a pipe in an area where the slab surface is unfinished, like in a utility closet, could just require pouring new concrete—called a cold pour—to bond with the existing concrete, which should cost closer to $300. A larger access point in the same area could bring the total to $400.

However, if you have a finished floor, hardwood kitchen cabinets, or some other more expensive building material over the access point, your build-back costs could hit $10,000 or go well past that number. Build-back averages around $2,000, unfortunately, because plumbing pipes only run through your slab if you have a slab foundation. Since everything above a slab foundation is usually finished, chances are you’ll have to pay for quite a bit of build-back.

Treating the Underlying Issue

Addressing the root cause of the slab leak could cost nothing at all if there isn’t one that could cause ongoing issues, or it could total as much as $15,000 for something like a French drain to mitigate future problems with foundation drainage and soil expansion under your foundation. Something as simple as foundation waterproofing particular problem areas might be useful as well, and this costs around $200 for application to a small area.

We recommend having a professional assess the foundation issue and come up with a plan to reduce the risk of the problem occurring again in the future.

Excavation Costs

Your pro may need to dig around your existing slab in order to get a better understanding of the leak and any damage. Residential excavation costs around $3,000, but the total cost will largely depend on how much land needs to be removed (and then put back).

Excavation costs can increase significantly if your professional needs to provide support to your foundation during the excavation process. Expect to pay an additional $2,000 or more for temporary piers or foundation jacks.

Location

If your leak is tough for a pro to access, it will drive up costs considerably. For instance, an easy-to-reach leak under an unfinished utility closet might cost around $630 to fix, while a leak tucked under a kitchen cabinet or in another tight area with minimal access is more likely to reach toward that upper cost of $4,400.

Permits

In most cases, building permits for a slab leak will cost between $75 and $200, but the total can vary based on the fee schedule for your building department. In many jurisdictions, plumbing repair specialists and foundation repair contractors both require building permits, so you could get hit twice with permit fees.

Permits are likely to cost toward the upper end of the price range if you have an issue with your water main running into your slab.

Labor

The labor for a slab leak repair costs between $500 and $4,000 in most cases or between $75 and $150 per hour. The large majority of your slab leak repair costs will be for the labor, as the materials required will often cost under $100. Slab leak repair is time-consuming, so the bulk of the total will go toward locating the leak, cutting into the concrete, replacing the damaged section of the pipe, and repairing the slab.

Structural Damage

Cutting into a foundation or tunneling underneath one is dangerous because any mistakes can lead to severe structural damage. You might save money on the initial foundation repair costs, but the structural issues that could result will likely cost you far more than you’d save in the long run. Additionally, foundation issues can put you and your family at risk, which isn’t worth any amount of savings.

Concrete Slab Repair vs. Replacement

If your concrete slab foundation has a leak, you may wonder if it’s more cost-effective to repair or replace it. Concrete slab repair can cost as much as $10,000 or more, but replacement can easily cost many times that much. 

Replacing a concrete slab involves extensive excavation, supports for the house while the foundation is being replaced, and a significant amount of structural work to ensure the job is safe and stable. Replacing a slab foundation can cost $50,000 to $100,000. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro to Repair a Slab Leak

The cost to repair a slab leak yourself—around $400—will pale in comparison to the cost of hiring a professional—an average of $2,200. The materials make up just a small portion of the total cost of hiring a local plumber to do the work, which accounts for the lower price. While it might be tempting to do the work yourself to save money, we strongly recommend against it, as a lot can go wrong very easily.

How to Save Money on Slab Leak Repair Costs

Since repairing a slab leak is expensive and a DIY job isn’t recommended, most homeowners who need this repair completed will look for ways to save money in the process. There are a few things you can do to keep your repair costs down.

• Request a reroute: Rerouting pipes through your slab is often more affordable than accessing and repairing existing ones. Ask your plumber if a reroute is possible.

• Don’t put off repairs: Slab leaks tend to get worse over time and can lead to structural damage if left without a solution. Get the work done as soon as you recognize the issue to avoid higher repair costs.

• Get the underlying problem fixed: If expansive soil or uninsulated pipes are the reason you need slab leak repair in the first place, get those problems addressed simultaneously to avoid future repair costs.

• Refinish on a budget: If you need to build back over the area where the leak occurred, consider more affordable building materials. For example, you could opt for engineered hardwood—as low as $2.50 per square foot—over real hardwood—more likely higher than $8 per square foot.

• Hire a professional: Although you could save money by DIYing the slab leak repair, we strongly recommend hiring a professional instead. You’ll pay more upfront, but the work is far more likely not to cause additional issues or further foundation damage.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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