01
Unexplained bills or running water
Something is open when nothing is on. We help find it.
Leak detection · Chicago
Find it or clean it — without inventing a full loss.
Leak detection Chicago, IL
Hidden leaks work behind walls, under slabs, and under floors until the damage is already expensive. We partner with specialized leak-detection pros and use moisture mapping so demolition is targeted. Once the source is known, extraction, drying, and rebuild stay in the same file.
Map first
Then open
Thermal
Plus meters
Targeted
Not shotgun demo
Request a callback
Get a crew moving.
A real technician from this shop answers. Not a bot. Not an outsourced call center.
Ceiling that keeps blooming
The stain is in 2B. The pipe might not be.
Your house
The stain is in 2B. The pipe might not be.
The plumber said the fixture is fine. You are not tearing the house apart on a guess. “It’s just humidity” while the meter disagrees is how you get three holes and still no source.
Why this shop
How Big Shoulders handles this file.
01
Map it before we open a wall
Find the wet zone. Stop the source. Then open only what the map says — not demo theater billed by the hole.
02
Meters over opinions
If the assembly is wet, we say so. If it is not, we do not invent a loss.
03
Dry the assembly you found
Detection without drying leaves you with a stain that comes back. Same shop for both.
When to call
The leak is hiding if
This part of the file is quieter until it is not. Call if any of this is true.
- A water bill that jumped with nothing “on”
- Running-water sound in a wall or slab
- A ceiling stain with a dry roof
- Musty rooms without a visible flood
- A plumber already “fixed it” and it is still wet
- The stain is in 2B and the source may be 3B
Hidden water
When you need detection, not demolition
02
Slab and in-wall leaks
Pinpoint before cutting a trench through the wrong room.
03
Ceiling stains with no obvious roof leak
Supply lines, baths above, and HVAC drains are common.
04
Musty rooms without a visible flood
Slow leaks feed mold. Find moisture first.
05
Post-repair confirmation
After a plumber repairs a line, we confirm the assembly is actually drying.
06
Multi-unit mysteries
The stain is in 2B. The source may be 3B. We map across units.
Find it
Opening the wrong wall is not detection.
Hidden leaks work until the damage is expensive. We map wet zones, bring specialized detection when the source is still invisible, then dry the assembly — finding it is not the same as drying it.
If water is still running or a ceiling is sagging, that is an emergency extraction first. Detection happens after the flow is stopped.
Process
How leak detection fits restoration
01Inspect and map
Thermal and meters establish wet zones before anyone opens a wall.
02Specialized detection
When the source is still hidden, detection partners pinpoint without shotgun demo.
03Stop the source
Plumber or building engineer repairs the line.
04Dry the assembly
Commercial drying with readings — finding it is not the same as drying it.
05Document
Photos and maps for the claim and for whoever owns the pipe.
06Rebuild if needed
Only the openings the detection required, then finishes.
Timeline
Mapping on the first visit. Specialized pinpointing as needed. Drying follows the repair.
What drives cost
Detection is scoped separately from the dry-out and rebuild so you are not paying for walls we did not need to open.
Insurance
Sudden supply failures are often covered. Slow leaks may be maintenance. The map still matters for whoever owns the pipe.
Questions
What homeowners ask first.
Can you find a leak without tearing up the house?
Often yes. Mapping and specialized detection exist specifically to avoid random demolition.
Is this an emergency?
If water is still running or a ceiling is sagging, call the emergency line. Detection still happens — after the flow is stopped.
Related
Keep it in the same shop.
Request assessment
Ask about this file.
A real technician from this shop answers. Not a bot. Not an outsourced call center. Name, phone, ZIP, and what happened. If it cannot wait, call the 24/7 line.
(773) 900-8407Request a callback
Get a crew moving.
A real technician from this shop answers. Not a bot. Not an outsourced call center.