About Leak Detection Portland
We are a Portland-based leak detection team serving homeowners and property managers across the metro. Non-invasive methods. Written reports. No guesswork.
(503) 914-2356 — Call UsWho We Are
Leak Detection Portland is a specialty detection firm focused exclusively on finding hidden water and plumbing leaks across the Portland metro area. We are not a general plumbing company and we do not do repairs — that distinction matters. Our entire operation is built around one thing: locating exactly where water is escaping before a plumber opens a single wall or starts digging.
We operate out of Northwest Portland and serve a wide radius across Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties. Our team has worked on everything from 1950s slab-on-grade homes in Southeast Portland with aging galvanized mains, to newer construction in Beaverton and Hillsboro where early PEX fittings are beginning to fail. We know Portland’s housing stock, its soil conditions, and the specific failure patterns that show up in each part of the metro.
Most of our calls come from homeowners who have already spent weeks trying to figure out why their City of Portland Water Bureau bill jumped $80 or $120. Some come from property managers who need a written report before authorizing a repair contractor. Others come from real estate agents and buyers who want to know what they’re dealing with before closing. In every case, we show up with equipment, not assumptions.
How We Find Leaks
We use three core methods, often in combination, depending on where the suspected leak is and what the plumbing system looks like. None of these methods require cutting, digging, or demolition during the inspection itself.
Acoustic Listening
Electronic ground microphones and acoustic correlators pick up the sound of water escaping under pressure. We can pinpoint a supply line breach under a concrete slab, driveway, or lawn to within a few inches. This is the primary method for underground and in-slab leaks.
Thermal Imaging
An infrared camera detects temperature differences in walls, floors, and ceilings caused by moisture. Hot water line leaks show as warm zones; cold water losses show as cool patches. Thermal imaging is especially effective for in-wall leaks and moisture pockets inside crawl spaces.
Pressure Testing
We isolate sections of the plumbing system and monitor pressure drop over time. A confirmed pressure loss tells us a breach is active and helps us narrow down which section of pipe is failing—before any other equipment touches the property.
Every inspection ends with a written report documenting what we found, where the leak is located, the detection method used, and our findings. That report travels with you—to your plumber, your insurance carrier, or your water utility if you’re requesting a usage adjustment.
Why Not Just Call a Plumber?
A general plumber finds leaks by elimination—pressure-testing sections, opening walls, or excavating suspected areas. That approach works, but it often means tearing up flooring, cutting drywall, or digging a trench before anyone knows exactly where the problem is. When the plumber guesses wrong, you pay for the repair and the investigation starts again.
We locate the leak first. A plumber who arrives with our written report knows exactly where to cut, dig, or access—which keeps the repair footprint as small as possible and reduces the total project cost. Most plumbing contractors in the Portland metro are familiar with this workflow and prefer it over open-ended exploratory work.
We are not a competitor to plumbers. We are the step that happens before the plumber arrives, so that when they do, they’re repairing—not searching.
Our Service Area
We cover the Portland metro and surrounding communities within approximately 20 miles of our Northwest Portland office. Primary service areas include Portland city limits (all quadrants), Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Tualatin, Gresham, Troutdale, West Linn, Oregon City, Wilsonville, Sherwood, and Happy Valley.
If you’re unsure whether we reach your address, call us at (503) 914-2356 and we’ll confirm on the spot. We don’t charge a trip fee to tell you whether we can help.
Who We Work With
Our calls come from several distinct groups, and our process adapts to what each one needs from the inspection and the resulting report.
Homeowners with unexplained water bills. This is the most common call we receive. A Portland Water Bureau, Tualatin Valley Water District, or Clackamas River Water bill that jumps from one month to the next is almost always caused by a supply leak rather than a meter error. We locate the source, confirm it in writing, and provide what the homeowner needs to request a leak adjustment credit from their water district and authorize a targeted repair rather than exploratory demolition.
Property managers and landlords. Multi-unit buildings and rental properties with unexplained water consumption are difficult to manage without a confirmed leak location. We work with property managers across the Portland metro who need a documented answer before authorizing a repair contractor. Our report includes enough detail for a contractor to bid accurately without an exploratory visit of their own.
Real estate buyers and agents. A home with a suspected leak creates uncertainty in a transaction. We are called in during inspection periods to confirm or rule out active leaks where the water bill history, a meter reading, or a home inspector’s report raised a concern. A clean detection report gives buyers confidence. A confirmed location gives them a repair estimate and a negotiating point before closing.
Insurance claimants and adjusters. Water damage claims frequently require a third-party detection report before a carrier authorizes mitigation or repair work. Our report documents the confirmed location, likely cause, pressure test results, and photos — the format most Portland-area insurance adjusters are accustomed to receiving from a detection firm.
Plumbing contractors. Many Portland plumbing companies call us in when a leak is suspected but not easily located. Rather than opening multiple access points speculatively, they bring detection in first. We locate the source, they repair it precisely. Both sides of that workflow benefit from a clean handoff with a written location report.
What to Expect During an Inspection
An inspection typically takes one to three hours depending on property size and how clearly the leak has indicated its location. Here is how a standard visit runs.
Meter and visual check. We start at the water meter. A spinning dial with everything in the home shut off confirms an active supply leak is present. We also walk the exterior to note any soft soil, wet patches near the foundation, or surface moisture before picking up any equipment. This step takes about ten minutes and frequently narrows the search zone before acoustic work begins.
Pressure isolation. We isolate sections of the supply system and monitor for pressure drop over time. This step confirms the leak is active and identifies which branch of the system is involved — usually within the first 20 minutes of the visit. We do not begin acoustic work until we know which section we are targeting.
Acoustic and thermal scanning. With the suspect section identified, we apply listening equipment to the slab, soil surface, or wall cavity as appropriate. For in-wall and ceiling leaks, thermal imaging identifies the moisture zone before acoustic work begins. We mark the detected location on site so there is no ambiguity in the report about where the plumber should access.
Written report, same day. Before leaving we document the confirmed leak location, the detection method used, meter readings taken at the start and finish of the inspection, and pressure test results. The report is formatted to satisfy water district adjustment requests, insurance documentation requirements, and plumber handoffs. One access point, not several exploratory attempts.
Our Approach to Leak Detection
Detection-only is a deliberate business model, not a limitation. When the company that finds the leak also repairs it, there is a built-in incentive to find more damage than exists or to recommend a larger repair scope than the situation requires. We have no repair revenue to protect. Our only product is an accurate location, so accuracy is the only thing we optimise for.
That also means our report is something a homeowner can take to any plumber they choose. We have no preferred contractors, no referral arrangements, and no financial interest in which repair method gets used. Homeowners who use our service retain full control over who repairs the pipe and how — with the confirmed location in hand to hold any contractor accountable to a precise scope of work.
Get in Touch
We schedule same-day and next-day appointments most days. If you have an active leak or an unexplained spike in your water bill, the sooner we look the better—slow leaks compound.