Plumbing · Water service lines
Water service line repair and replacement in the Kansas City metro
The water service line runs from the meter into the house, under the yard and often under the driveway. When it leaks, it usually shows up on the water bill before it shows up anywhere you can see.
What it is doing
Six signs the water service line is leaking
Most of these point outside the house, which narrows the search before anyone digs.
Before anyone quotes a new line
Find it first, then dig once
The goal is to find the leak before anyone digs, and to dig in one place if digging is needed.
Confirm it with the meter test
A shutoff test separates a service line leak from a leak inside the house in a few minutes, and it costs nothing to run.
Locate it along the run
Listening equipment and a locator trace the line and narrow down the leak, so the ground gets opened in one place rather than along the whole yard.
Repair or replace, laid out
One leak on an otherwise sound line can be a spot repair. An older line that has already leaked, or one corroded along its length, is usually worth replacing, and we will say which one yours is.
Want it looked at? Contact us
Our advice
Worth knowing about the water service line
The line from the meter to the house is usually yours
The utility typically owns the meter and the line on the street side of it, and the homeowner owns the run into the house. Where that boundary sits varies by city and utility, so it is worth confirming with yours.
Not always a trench
Depending on the ground and what is in the way, a new line can sometimes be pulled or bored in along the old route instead of trenched across the yard. Where digging is needed, our excavation partner handles it and we manage the job.
Older lines lose pressure first
Older galvanized service lines corrode from the inside, so the first sign is often falling pressure rather than a visible leak.
Related: sewer lines and excavation.
On the job
Some lines are worth replacing, not patching
When an older line has already leaked or corroded along its length, a new run is the lasting fix. Our excavation partner digs it, and we manage the job through backfill and rough grading.
Water Service Lines
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a leaking water service line an emergency?
If water is surfacing or the pressure has dropped sharply, close the main shutoff and call. A slow leak still wants attention soon, because you are paying for the water and it is softening the ground under your yard.
Who is responsible for the water service line?
Usually the homeowner, from the meter into the house. The exact boundary varies by city and utility, so check with yours.
Do you do the digging yourselves?
We find and confirm the leak and manage the job. Excavation is done by a specialist contractor we bring in, and you deal with us the whole way through. Backfill and rough grading are included. Cosmetic landscaping, sod replacement and concrete flatwork restoration are itemized separately in the written quote.
Will you have to dig up my driveway?
Not always. Locating the leak first, and pulling or boring a new line where the ground allows it, often avoids it. If the driveway has to be opened, you will know before work starts.
Does homeowner insurance cover a water service line?
Often not the line itself. Some insurers and utilities sell separate service line coverage, so check the policy you have.
Where we work
Towns we are in most often
If your town is not listed, call and ask: the list is where we are most often, not a boundary.
- Basehor
- Belton
- Blue Springs
- Bonner Springs
- Boonville
- Clinton
- Fairway
- Gardner
- Gladstone
- Grain Valley
- Grandview
- Greenwood
- Independence
- Kansas City, KS
- Kansas City, MO
- Knob Noster
- Leawood
- Lee’s Summit
- Lenexa
- Liberty
- Lone Jack
- Marshall
- Merriam
- Mission
- Mission Hills
- Oak Grove
- Olathe
- Overland Park
- Parkville
- Pleasant Hill
- Prairie Village
- Raymore
- Raytown
- Roeland Park
- Sedalia
- Shawnee
- Spring Hill
- Warrensburg
- Warsaw
Paying for it
Three things to check before you book
Rebates and payment plans, a plan that gets you seen ahead of the season, and whatever is running this month.
Ready when you are
Get a straight answer today.
- Every line quoted before the work starts
- Clear repair vs. replace options, your call
- Objective diagnostics with zero sales pressure
Mon to Thu 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM · Fri 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM · Sat 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM · Sun closed
