The expensive leaks are the quiet ones — inside a wall, under the slab, running for weeks. These are the signals worth acting on, including a five-minute test that settles it.

The seven signals

A water bill that climbed with no change in habits.
The sound of running water when everything is off.
Musty smell, or mold spots on a wall, ceiling, or baseboard.
Warm spots on the floor (a hot-side slab leak) or unexplained damp patches.
Paint or drywall that bubbles, stains, or softens.
Low water pressure at fixtures that used to run strong.
A foundation crack plus any of the above — slab leaks undermine soil.

The 5-minute meter test

Turn off every fixture and water-using appliance. Find your water meter and watch the small leak indicator (a little spinning triangle or dial). If it moves with everything off, water is leaving your system somewhere. Note the reading, wait 30 minutes without using water, and check again — any change confirms it.

Why early beats cheap-now

A pinhole leak found this week is a plumbing repair. The same leak found in three months is a plumbing repair plus drywall, flooring, and possibly mold remediation. Leak detection equipment — acoustic listening, thermal imaging — finds the spot without opening walls on a guess.

If water is actively running

Shut the main valve (usually at the meter box or where the line enters the house), then call. JB Plumbing answers 24/7 and most calls are returned within the hour.

Trust the meter test — it doesn’t lie. Moving indicator with everything off means call now, while it’s still a small job.