The problem: a line you would rather not chase through the floor
When a water line under the slab leaks, one option is to open the floor above the leak and repair the line where it is. Another is to stop using that line altogether and give the fixtures a new route. A reroute does the second. It leaves the old line in the slab, capped or abandoned, and brings water to the fixtures by a path above the floor.
The idea is to avoid opening the floor along the length of the old line, and to put the replacement where it can be reached more easily in future. It is an option the technician may present when the layout suits it, not a standard answer.
How a reroute works
The technician plans a new path from where the line enters the home to the fixtures it serves.
Confirm the leak and the line. The leak is located and the line identified, so the technician knows which fixtures depend on it.
Plan the new path. Usually through walls or the attic, to the same fixtures. The path depends on the home's layout and access.
Cut off the old line. The leaking section is isolated at both ends so it no longer carries water.
Run and connect the new line. New pipe is run along the planned path and connected to the fixtures.
Pressure test and restore access. The new line is tested, and any openings made in walls or ceilings are closed. Finishing the walls may be a separate trade.
Options and price before work begins.
Call for Upfront PricingWhen a reroute may be raised
It tends to come up when the leaking line is long, runs under much of the floor or runs beneath finishes that are costly or hard to match. It also arises when the line is in an awkward spot, for example under a cabinet or near a structural element, or when the line is old enough that further trouble is plausible.
It can suit homes where the attic or wall cavities give easy access, and it is less suitable where they do not. In many Florida homes the supply plumbing can be reached from the attic, which makes rerouting practical. Condos are different: walls may be shared, and access may need approval. See ground-floor condo slab leaks.
How it compares with the other options
A spot repair fixes the line where it leaks, and means opening the floor above that spot. It can be the simplest answer for a single leak in an accessible spot. Lining works from the inside of an existing pipe and is suitable only in some conditions. Repiping replaces more of the supply plumbing.
A reroute sits between them. It does not repair the old line, it replaces its function. It can leave the floor mostly intact, and it does involve work in walls or the attic. The technician explains which fits your home. See repair options compared.
No pressure to decide on the call.
Speak With Someone LocalWhat steers the choice
The location of the leak and the length of the line. Whether the attic or walls can be reached. The kind of flooring above the leak, and how well it could be matched. How many fixtures the line serves. Whether this is a first leak or a repeat. Whether the owner wants to minimize disruption in the floor or in the walls. And price, which the technician sets out before starting.
A seasonal owner may value a method that can be finished while they are in residence. A condo owner may find access in walls harder to arrange. The technician can discuss both.
What to do and what not to do
Until the work is arranged, close the main if you can reach it safely and the leak is active, keep clear of wet areas and move valuables. If the leak is slow, ask the technician whether you can keep water on for the time being.
Please do not cut into walls or ceilings to look for a route yourself, and do not attempt to cap a line. Keep clear of water near outlets. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility and emergency services from outside.
Repeat leaks often bring reroutes into the conversation.
Another Slab Leak? Call UsConfirming the leak first
A reroute is chosen after the leak has been located, not before. The technician uses the usual isolation, pressure testing, acoustic listening and thermal imaging to confirm which line is leaking and where. Without that, it is not clear that rerouting is the right answer, or which line to reroute. See how slab leaks are found.
The technician should also tell you if other lines in the home look vulnerable, so you can weigh whether a bigger piece of work makes sense.
Afterwards
After a reroute, the new line is pressure tested and the fixtures are checked. The old line stays in the slab, out of service. Ask the technician to note where it lies and which fixtures it used to serve, so the record is clear for the next owner.
Nobody can promise that no other leak will happen in the home, and the technician will not say otherwise. Workmanship on completed work is covered by a guarantee, so ask what it includes. Restoration companies handle drying and cleanup, and a painter or drywall finisher can handle any wall or ceiling openings.
Choosing the route
A new line has to run somewhere. The technician looks at the walls, the ceiling and the attic space to find a route that is short and reaches the fixtures it feeds. Where the line enters and leaves the house, and how many walls it crosses, affect how many openings are needed.
Ask to be shown the route before work begins. You can then plan around furniture, cabinets and closets.
What happens to the old line
The old line under the slab is capped and left in place. It no longer carries water, so it cannot leak into the house. Ask the technician to mark where it was capped and to note it in the paperwork, so that a future owner knows.
A simple sketch of the new route and the capped sections is useful at resale.
What the work looks like
The technician shuts off the water to the affected line, makes openings in walls or ceilings where the new line will run, and installs the line. The new section is tested and then connected. Openings are closed afterwards, and painting is a separate trade.
The work may take a day or more, depending on the route. You may be without water to part of the house for some of that time. Ask for the times in advance.
If the line crosses a closet or cabinet, clear it beforehand.