The first minutes
Stay calm and look at where the water is. Surfacing water, a hissing sound, a warm floor or a racing meter all point the same way. The aim now is to stop the flow, keep people safe and keep the damage small.
If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility and emergency services from outside. Do not turn lights or switches on or off.
Step by step
Work through these in order.
Shut off the main. Close the main water valve. It is often at the front of the house, near the meter, or where the line enters the garage.
Stay out of standing water. If water is near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel, keep away and switch off power only if you can reach the panel dry and safely.
Move valuables. Lift rugs, electronics, papers and furniture legs out of the wet area.
Take photos and notes. Record where the water is and the meter reading. This helps the technician.
Call a plumber. Tell them what you saw and heard, and that the main is off.
A person answers, day or night.
Water Surfacing? Call NowFinding and closing the main
Know where the main valve is before you need it. Most Florida homes have a shut-off near the meter at the street, and many also have one at the house. Turn it clockwise until it stops. Some are stiff, so a wrench may help.
If you cannot reach or turn it safely, do not force it. Call the plumber.
What not to do
Do not cut or break into the floor. Do not try to patch the leak with sealant. Do not run drains or appliances to see if the sound changes, and do not go into water that may touch electrics.
Do not delay the call because the leak seems small. Hidden water keeps working under the slab. See emergency slab leak service.
Calm, clear next steps.
Speak With Someone LocalWhat to tell the technician
Where the water appeared, when you first noticed a sign, whether the hot water seems affected, the meter reading with everything off and any past leaks. See water meter leak check.
Mention whether it is a condo, a rental or a seasonal home, since access and who is responsible can differ. See condo ground floor slab leaks.
If you are away, renting or in a condo
Seasonal owners should ask a trusted neighbor or manager to close the main and let the technician in. See seasonal home slab leaks.
Tenants should tell the landlord or manager promptly and in writing. Condo owners should tell the association, because shared lines may be involved.
We will talk it through.
Not Sure What You See? CallSigns that point to a slab leak
A meter that moves with everything off, a warm patch on the floor, the sound of water when nothing runs, damp edges at the baseboards, tile that lifts and a bill that climbs without explanation. Any one can have another cause, and two or three together make a leak more likely.
If you are unsure, do the meter check first. See water meter leak check.
Looking after the household
With the main off, you have no running water. Keep bottled water for drinking, and use a neighbor or local facility if you need a shower. If you have a water heater, turn it off at the switch or breaker once the main is closed, so it is not heating an empty or low tank.
Check on anyone in the home who needs extra help, and keep pets away from wet floors and any cleaning products you use.
Keeping a record
Write down the date and time you first noticed the sign, the meter reading, what you did and who you called. Photos of wet areas and the marked floor are useful. If you rent or live in a condo, send the same record to the manager or association.
Keep every invoice and test note. They help if the home is sold, and if the same line leaks again.
Once the water is off
With the main closed, the urgency drops. The technician can locate the leak, explain the options and give a price before work begins. See how slab leaks are found.
Drying and cleanup of wet flooring are handled by restoration companies. Ask the plumber who they work with if you need one.
Staying methodical
Finding water where it shouldn't be makes people hurry. A short order of events helps: make the area safe, close the main if it is safe to reach, move what can be moved, take a few photos and a meter reading, then call. Each step takes under a minute, and together they give the technician a clear picture.
Resist the urge to look for the leak yourself. Lifting tile, drilling or chasing a pipe through the floor can make the situation worse and slow the diagnosis.
Who needs to know
If you rent, tell the owner or manager as soon as the water is off. If you live in a condo, tell the building manager, since neighbors may share walls or lines. If the home is seasonal, tell whoever holds the key so that someone can let the technician in.
Give each person the same short facts: the date, the sign, the meter reading and the number you called.
What the first visit looks like
The technician starts by talking to you about what you noticed, then checks the meter, isolates lines and listens. You may be asked to keep the water off for a while. A good visit ends with a plain explanation of what was found, what was not and what the next step could be.
It is fine to ask questions about the options and what would steer the choice. The decision is yours, and the technician's job is to explain.
Children, pets and the household
Keep children and pets away from wet floors and from any area near outlets or appliances. Wet tile is slippery, and a child's curiosity about a hissing sound is hard to manage in the middle of a worry. Give one adult the job of watching them while another handles the call.
If anyone in the home depends on running water for a medical reason, tell the technician when you call so that the visit can be planned with that in mind. Have a few bottles of drinking water ready in case the main stays off for a while.
Once the water is off and the call is made, the household can usually carry on in the rest of the house while the technician is on the way.
If you must leave the house while the water is off, tell a neighbor or relative where you are going and when you expect to be back, and leave a key with someone for the technician.
When the repair is done, after a slab leak repair explains the follow-up checks and paperwork.