Leak Detection in Greenacres, FL: We Find the Leak Before Anyone Breaks Your Floor
We are Star Florida Leak Detection, a licensed Florida plumbing contractor, and our work is leak detection in Greenacres: finding water that is going where it should not. Slab leaks under 1970s and 1980s concrete, pinhole leaks in old copper, water line breaks between the meter and the house, pool leaks, irrigation leaks, and the strange ones other companies could not find on the first visit.
Greenacres is a specific place to find leaks. The county owns the meter and the city issues the permit. Much of the housing went up in the 1970s and 1980s on sandy ground with a shallow water table, so leak water often never shows up where the pipe broke. We work here every week, and this page covers what we know about finding leaks in this city.
Tell us what you are seeing and we will quote the detection price on the phone, before anyone comes out. Or check for a leak yourself first.
- Licensed Florida plumbing contractor
- Non-invasive detection before anything is opened
- Written, dated report for insurance and the county
- Local office in Greenacres
- Members of PHCC and the South East Apartment Association
- Serving 33413, 33415, 33454, 33463 and 33467
Leak Detection Services in Greenacres, FL
Every leak falls into one of two families, and knowing which one you have is half the job. A company that only pressure tests the supply side will miss the second family completely. We test for both.
Supply leaks
Pressurized pipes. Leak all day. Move your meter.
Slab leaks, water line breaks, pinholes in copper and fittings inside walls. These leak around the clock and show up on the meter even when the house is quiet.
Drain and appliance leaks
Leak only while something runs. Meter stays still.
Dishwasher and washer hoses, shower pans, drain lines under the slab and AC condensate. They only leak when something runs, so a quiet-house meter test will not catch them.
Slab Leak Detection and Repair
Most Greenacres homes are built slab on grade, with copper water lines running under or through the concrete. When one of those lines develops a pinhole, the water goes down into the sand instead of up through your tile, sometimes for months. You might notice a warm spot on the floor, a hissing sound when the house is quiet, a water bill that keeps climbing, or tile that has started to lift.
We locate slab leaks with acoustic ground microphones, thermal imaging for hot water lines, and line isolation tests that tell us which branch is losing pressure.
Once we have the spot, we talk through three repair paths:
- Spot repair: open a small section of slab at the exact leak, fix the pipe, and patch the concrete.
- Reroute: abandon the failed line under the slab and run new pipe through the attic or walls.
- Repipe: replace the whole system when the copper has failed more than once.
We tell you which one makes sense for your house and why, including when a single leak is a sign the rest of the pipe is close behind.
Water Line Leak Detection (Meter to House)
The pipe from your water meter to your house belongs to you, not the county. When the meter spins with everything off and keeps spinning after you close the main shutoff valve at the house, the leak is almost always on that service line. Tree roots, shifting sandy soil, driveway loads and old fittings all cause these leaks here.
We trace the line with a pipe locator, listen along it acoustically, and mark the leak on the ground so the repair is one small hole instead of a trench across your yard.
Hidden Leak Detection in Walls, Ceilings and Floors
A stain on the ceiling, bubbling paint, a baseboard that is swelling, a musty smell in one closet. We use moisture meters and thermal cameras to map how far the water has spread, then trace it back to the source, often a fitting, a shower valve, a supply line behind a vanity, or an upstairs toilet in a townhouse or condo.
In attached housing, the water in your ceiling may be coming from your neighbor’s unit. Our report says so clearly, which matters when an association or another owner’s insurance is involved.
Learn more about hidden leak detection in walls, ceilings and floors
Drain Line and Appliance Leak Detection
This is where many leak detection visits fail. If water shows up on the floor but the meter does not move, the leak is probably on a drain, an appliance or the AC. Dishwasher drain hoses, garbage disposal connections, washing machine standpipes, shower pans and cracked drain lines under the slab all leak only while they are in use.
We run each fixture on its own, watch with thermal imaging and moisture meters, and use camera inspection inside the drain line when the evidence points under the floor. For intermittent leaks, we may recommend a few inexpensive water alarm sensors so the next leak tells us exactly where it starts.
AC Condensate Leaks (The Florida Leak People Mistake for Plumbing)
Your air conditioner pulls a lot of water out of the air, and it has to drain somewhere. When the condensate line clogs, water backs up into the drain pan and overflows near the air handler. It often shows up as a wet hallway ceiling, a damp closet or a puddle near an interior wall.
This water is not from your plumbing, so it will not move your meter or show chlorine on a test strip. We check the condensate line, pan and float switch whenever the pattern fits, so you do not pay for slab detection when the real problem is a clogged AC drain.
Pool Leak Detection and Repair in Greenacres
Florida sun evaporates pool water fast in summer, so the first question is always evaporation or leak. A simple bucket test answers it at home. When the pool is losing more than the bucket, we pressure test the skimmer, return and main drain lines and use dye testing and underwater listening around the light niche, fittings and shell cracks.
Pool leaks matter twice here. You pay for the lost water, and the county’s high bill credit excludes pool filling, so topping off a leaking pool comes straight out of your pocket.
Learn more about pool leak detection and repair in greenacres
Irrigation and Sprinkler Line Leaks
A soggy strip of lawn, a zone that runs weak, a green patch that stays wet on days you do not water. Irrigation lines are shallow PVC, and they get cut by edgers, crushed by vehicles and pushed apart by roots. Because most residential watering is limited to set days each week, water appearing on a non-watering day is a strong clue.
We isolate the irrigation system from the house to see which side is leaking, then find the broken line or stuck valve.
Water Heater Leak Repair
Water around the base of a tank can come from the tank itself, the temperature and pressure relief valve, the drain valve, or the connections on top. A rusted tank bottom means replacement. A dripping relief valve can point to high pressure or a failing expansion tank. We check which one it is before anyone sells you a new heater, and we check where the drain pan empties, because a pan that drains onto the slab hides a slow leak very well.
Toilet, Fixture and Appliance Leaks
A toilet flapper leaking into the bowl can waste a surprising amount of water without a drop on the floor. A failed wax ring can rot a subfloor quietly. Refrigerator ice maker lines, washing machine hoses and dishwasher supply lines are common sources of sudden kitchen and laundry floods. These are quick finds and usually quick fixes, and worth ruling out before anyone opens a floor.
Sewer Line Leaks and Camera Inspection
Sewer leaks under the slab can cause odors, slow drains, soft spots and even wet flooring. We run a camera through the line to see cracks, offset joints, root intrusion and the rough, scaled interior that old cast iron develops. Many older South Florida homes still have original cast iron drains. A camera settles what your house has in one visit, and a short clip goes into your report.
Gas Leak Detection
If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. Do not switch lights on or off, and do not use anything that could spark. Once the utility has made the area safe, a licensed plumber can find and repair leaks on the gas piping inside your property. We pressure test gas lines and use a combustible gas detector to pinpoint the leak.
Not sure which of these you have? Describe what you are seeing and we can usually tell you which family of leak it is before we arrive. See all 11 leak detection services.
Call (561) 783-8857A Licensed Greenacres Plumbing Contractor, Right Down the Road
Star Florida Leak Detection works out of 4021 S 57th Ave, Suite 105, in Greenacres, FL 33463. Leak detection is the core of what we do, and Greenacres homes, condos and pools are the work we see every week. We are a licensed Florida plumbing contractor. Our license number is listed in the footer of every page, and you can check it on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation license search before you let anyone in your house. We encourage it.
We are members of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) and the South East Apartment Association, which is why property managers and landlords call us as often as homeowners do. Apartment and condo leaks come with shared walls, shared ceilings and more than one insurance policy, and our reports are written with that in mind.
- Office
- 4021 S 57th Ave #105, Greenacres, FL 33463
- Phone
- (561) 783-8857
- Memberships
- Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC), South East Apartment Association
- On every leak call
- Acoustic ground microphone, thermal imaging camera, pipe and line locator, moisture meters, pressure test gauges, sewer camera and tracer gas equipment
How We Find Leaks Without Tearing Your House Apart
Guessing is expensive. Opening the wrong section of floor costs you tile, time and money, and it still does not fix the leak. We run detection methods in a set order, from least invasive to most, and we tell you what each test found.
Confirm and classify the leak
We start at the water meter. If the leak indicator dial moves with every fixture off, you have a supply side leak. Then we close the main shutoff at the house. If the meter keeps moving after the house valve is closed, the leak is between the meter and the house. If it stops, the leak is inside. That one test tells us whether to start in the yard or under the slab.
Isolate the branch
On slab homes, we separate the hot side from the cold side and, where the plumbing allows, individual branches. A branch that loses pressure is where the leak lives. This is why a good slab leak detection visit takes a couple of hours, not twenty minutes.
Pinpoint with the right tool
- Acoustic leak detectionWater escaping a pressurized pipe makes a sound. Ground microphones pick it up through concrete, tile and soil.
- Thermal imagingA hot water leak under a slab warms the floor above it, and the camera maps moisture inside walls and ceilings.
- Pressure testingWe pressurize an isolated line and watch the gauge. A drop confirms a leak on that line, even a slow one.
- Tracer gasFor very small or quiet leaks, a safe tracer gas mix escapes at the leak and we detect it at the surface.
- Camera inspectionFor drain and sewer lines, the camera shows the inside of the pipe directly.
- Moisture mappingMoisture meters show how far water has traveled, which on a slab is often far from the actual failure.
Mark it, report it, and give you options
We mark the leak location and give you a written report with photos, readings, the date and time, and the repair options with honest pros and cons. That report is what your insurance adjuster and the county water utility will want to see.
When a leak will not show itself
Some leaks are intermittent. They happen only when an appliance runs, only in the morning, or only after heavy rain. A single meter check can miss an intermittent drip, which is why continuous flow monitoring and moisture sensors are sometimes the right next step.
If another company already came out and found nothing, tell us exactly when you see water, what was running, and what the weather was doing. The pattern is usually the answer. We would rather set out sensors and come back with a real location than charge you twice for a guess.
Want us to find it the first time? Tell us what you have seen and when.
Call (561) 783-8857Why Homes in Greenacres Leak: Soil, Water, Pipe Age and Trees
Leaks here are not random. The same few conditions show up in house after house, and they explain why so many Greenacres leaks stay hidden for so long.
The ground under your slab
South Florida homes sit on sand over limestone, often with a high water table. Local plumbers point to slightly acidic groundwater, corrosive soil and shifting ground as the reasons copper under slabs develops pinhole leaks and eventually fails. Under the sand is porous limestone that acidic water can slowly dissolve, which lets the ground settle a little over the years, and a saturated, high water table can corrode metal pipe from the outside.
Sandy soil also explains the most frustrating thing about slab leaks here. Water from a broken line often drains away into the sand or travels along the pipe bedding, so a leak can run for months without ever pooling on your floor. When a damp spot finally appears, it is where the water found a crack or seam, not necessarily where the pipe broke. That is why we locate before anyone opens concrete.
A Tree City with big roots
Greenacres has been named a Tree City USA every year since 1992. Shade trees are a big part of why the neighborhoods look the way they do, and their roots also find water and sewer lines. Roots pushing into sewer joints and wrapping around service lines are a regular cause of the leaks we find between the meter and the house. The county’s high bill credit does not cover lines broken by root intrusion.
Storms, rain and a rising water table
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the wet season brings heavy afternoon rain for months. A saturated yard raises the water table under your slab, and a storm that uproots a tree can snap a service line in one night. After any big storm, check your meter once the power is back.
When your house was built
Greenacres was platted in the 1920s, but most of its housing came much later. Forest Hill Village is known for 1970s and 1980s stucco ranch homes, townhouses and condos, mostly between 1,000 and 1,800 square feet. The Villages of Woodlake along Jog Road were built through the 1980s and 1990s. The city also has seventeen 55 and over communities.
- 1920sThe original section is platted. Very little of that era’s plumbing survives.
- Before the mid 1970sMany South Florida drains were cast iron, which roughens and cracks with age.
- 1970s and 1980sCopper supply lines under the slab, now roughly 35 to 55 years old, the age when pinhole failures become common.
- 1978 to 1995Gray polybutylene supply pipe shows up in many homes and has a poor track record.
- Later homes and repipesPEX and CPVC supply lines and PVC drains.
Look up your home’s year built on the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser‘s website and tell us when you call. If you see gray plastic pipe at your water heater or under a sink, mention that too. We will know what pipe we are likely walking into.
Three Checks You Can Do Before You Call Us
These take a few minutes and give us much better information. None of them need tools beyond a flashlight and, for one test, a cheap pack of pool test strips.
The water meter test
- Turn off every fixture and appliance that uses water, including the ice maker, irrigation timer, washer and dishwasher.
- Find your meter box near the street or sidewalk and lift the lid. Look for the small leak indicator dial and the sweep hand.
- If the indicator is moving, water is flowing somewhere.
- If nothing moves, write down the reading, use no water for a couple of hours, and read it again. A change means a slow leak.
- Close the main shutoff at the house and look again. Still moving means the leak is between the meter and the house. Stopped means it is inside.
As a rough benchmark, the U.S. EPA suggests a family of four using more than 12,000 gallons in a month may have a serious leak rather than normal use.
Supply leak or drain leak?
If water appears on the floor but the meter test shows nothing, write down exactly what was running when you found it: the dishwasher, the washing machine, a shower upstairs, or the AC on a humid afternoon.
Leaks that only show up when something is running are almost always drain, appliance or condensate leaks. That note alone can save you the cost of a slab leak test you do not need.
The chlorine test
Palm Beach County Water Utilities disinfects water in its eastern service area, from West Palm Beach to Boca Raton, with chloramine. Tap water leaking in your home should show chlorine on a test strip. AC condensate or groundwater usually will not.
- Buy total chlorine test strips. A free chlorine only test can miss chloramine.
- Dip one strip in the standing water and one in water from your kitchen tap.
- Leak water that reads like tap water points to a supply or drain leak. A zero reading points to the AC, a window, the roof or groundwater.
Pool water and reclaimed irrigation water can carry chlorine too, so treat this as a clue, not a verdict.
Bonus for pool owners: the bucket test
Set a bucket on a pool step and fill it with pool water until the water inside matches the pool’s level outside. Mark both levels with tape. Leave the pump on its normal schedule and check after 24 hours. If the pool dropped more than the bucket, the difference is a leak, not evaporation.
Did any of these point to a leak? You just did half of our first step for us.
Call (561) 783-8857How to Get Your Water Bill Credited After a Leak in Greenacres
Greenacres does not run its own water utility. Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department (PBCWUD) serves the city, reads your meter and sends your bill. The county has a written policy called the Excessive Usage Credit, and a hidden leak often qualifies. Always confirm the current version with PBCWUD before relying on it.
Who qualifies
- One month’s reading is at least four times your average monthly use over the past twelve months.
- Total use in that billing cycle is more than 10,000 gallons.
- The high use did not come from something like filling a pool, running sprinklers often or leaving a hose on.
- The credit is available once every three years per account.
- The bill in question is from the past six months.
What the credit covers
You still pay for your normal average use in full. For the extra gallons above your average, you pay only the lowest rate tier. On a big leak bill, that difference can be substantial.
Two more county rules worth knowing
Storm damage: the county will also credit high use caused by acts of nature if you can document it, for example with a copy of the insurance claim or photos of an uprooted tree. Lines broken by root intrusion are not covered under this rule.
Leaks at the meter: if the county changed or repaired your meter within the last three months, you are not responsible for leaks at or within three feet of the meter box, as long as you did not cause them.
How we help you with the claim
We find the leak and document it in a dated report with photos and the leak location.
We repair it, or you get a repair invoice from whoever fixes it.
You call PBCWUD customer service at 561-740-4600 (option 1 is for water emergencies) and request the Excessive Usage Credit, with the report and invoice ready. If that does not resolve it, the policy manual also describes an administrative review and a hearing process for disputed bills.
Source: Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department, Uniform Policies and Procedures Manual, Chapter 2. Verified September 2026. Confirm current terms with PBCWUD.
Water Leaks and Homeowners Insurance in Florida
Insurance is where a leak turns from annoying to expensive. We are plumbers, not lawyers or adjusters, so read your own policy and talk to your agent. Here is what we see over and over with Greenacres homeowners.
The damage and the pipe are usually two different things
Many policies cover the resulting water damage (flooring, drywall, cabinets) but not the plumbing repair itself. Some also cover the cost of tearing out and replacing the part of the house needed to reach the pipe. Ask your agent specifically about tear out or access coverage.
The 14 day rule
Many Florida policies exclude damage from constant or repeated leakage lasting 14 days or more. That is one of the biggest reasons to act the day you notice a stain or a jump in your bill, and to write down when you first noticed it. A Florida appeals court decision, Hicks v. American Integrity, found that this kind of exclusion does not clearly exclude losses caused during the first 13 days. How that applies to your claim is a question for your agent or an attorney.
Limited water coverage on older homes
Limited water coverage has become standard for many older Florida homes, typically those around 30 to 40 years old and up, and it often caps water damage at $10,000 per incident. Much of the housing in Greenacres falls right into that age range. Pull your declarations page and look for limited water damage before you ever need it.
Deadlines
Florida law generally bars new property insurance claims unless you give notice within one year of the date of loss. Do not wait.
How our report helps
Adjusters want to know where the leak was, what caused it, and roughly when it started. Our written report gives the location, photos, readings, the date of detection and the cause as we found it.
General information, not legal or insurance advice. Verified September 2026.
What Leak Detection Costs in Greenacres
We price every job in writing before we start, and we tell you the detection price on the phone, before we come out. Here is what published 2026 figures show, so you know what is reasonable.
| Service | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Slab leak detection (national) | Average about $280, most pay $150 to $400 | Angi, 2026 |
| Slab leak repair including detection (national) | Average about $2,280, most pay $630 to $4,400 | Angi, 2026 |
| Leak detection (Florida) | Roughly $300 to $700 | St. Petersburg plumbing guide, 2026 |
| Slab repair (Florida) | Most land between $2,000 and $6,000; reroutes and repipes cost more | St. Petersburg plumbing guide, 2026 |
What moves the price
- Where the leak is: under a kitchen island, under a tiled living room, or in an easy-to-reach closet.
- Repair method: spot repair, reroute or repipe.
- Flooring: porcelain tile costs more to open and patch than carpet.
- Pipe condition: a single pinhole or a system failing everywhere.
- Timing: after-hours and emergency calls cost more.
Questions to ask any leak detection company, including us
- Is the detection fee credited if you also do the repair?
- What happens if you do not find the leak?
- Will I get a written report for insurance and the county?
- Is the concrete patch included, and who replaces the flooring?
- Does the repair need a City of Greenacres permit, and who pulls it?
Greenacres Neighborhoods and ZIP Codes We Serve
Greenacres covers about six square miles and uses five ZIP codes. Some of those ZIP codes also include homes outside city limits, which matters because your water provider and your permit office depend on where you actually are, not just your mailing address. Give us the street address and we will confirm both.
- 33413
- 33415
- 33454
- 33463
- 33467
Forest Hill Village
- 1970s and 1980s
- Stucco ranch homes
- Townhouses and condos
A mix of single-family homes, townhouses and condos, typically 1,000 to 1,800 square feet. Expect original copper under slabs that are now roughly four to five decades old. In townhouses and condos, a ceiling leak may come from the unit above or next door, so shared-wall detection and clear reporting matter.
Villages of Woodlake
- Along Jog Road
- 1980s and 1990s
- Attached and detached
Built through the 1980s and 1990s, with homes from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet and a clubhouse and pool. Homes from this window are where we check most carefully for polybutylene supply lines, and community pools and irrigation put this area on our list for pool and sprinkler leak calls.
Gated and golf communities
- The Fountains
- Poinciana Place
- Palm Beach National
The Fountains Country Club has gated communities with golf courses, and Poinciana Place includes a golf course and community center. Irrigation systems are large, and association rules often decide who is responsible for pipes outside your walls. Check your HOA documents before a repair, and we will help you identify which side of the line the leak is on.
55 and over communities
- Seventeen communities
- Condos and villas
- Clubhouses
Greenacres has seventeen 55 and over communities. We slow down here: we explain every test before we run it, we never rush a decision, and we are glad to talk with a son or daughter on speakerphone. About 17.6 percent of Greenacres residents are 65 or older.
Renters, landlords and apartments
- About one in three homes rented
If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager right away and put it in writing. If you own or manage rentals, a hidden leak in a vacant unit can run a long time, so a quick meter check between tenants is cheap protection. As members of the South East Apartment Association, we work with property managers regularly.
Nearby cities
- Palm Springs
- Wellington
- Atlantis
Call with your address and we will confirm whether we cover it. Several neighboring cities run their own water utilities with different bill credit rules, so tell us your address and we will explain what applies to you.
Who to Call in Greenacres: Water, Permits and Emergencies
People are often surprised that water and permits here come from two different governments.
| Need | Who handles it | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Water service, meter, bills, high bill credit | Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department | 561-740-4600 (option 1 for emergencies) |
| Sewer service | Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department | 561-740-4600 |
| Plumbing permits for work on your property | City of Greenacres Building Department, City Hall complex on Melaleuca Lane | City Hall: 561-642-2000 |
| City public works | City of Greenacres Public Works | 561-642-2071 |
| Police non-emergency | Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office | 561-688-3400 |
| Fire, medical, gas smell with danger | Emergency | 911 |
| Leak detection and repair | Star Florida Leak Detection, 4021 S 57th Ave #105, Greenacres, FL 33463 | (561) 783-8857 |
Who owns which pipe
- County side: the water main in the street and the meter.
- Your side: everything from the meter to your house, and every pipe inside.
- Sewer: the county maintains its lines up to the point of service. If the county’s line is clear, work on your side of that point is your responsibility.
A problem at the property line? Establishing which side of the meter the leak is on comes first, because it decides who pays for the work at all.
Sources: City of Greenacres, Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department. Verified September 2026.
Seasons, Weather and Water Rules That Affect Leaks Here
Wet and hurricane season
From June through November, heavy rain and storms keep yards saturated and the water table high. After a storm, check your meter once power is back and save photos of fallen trees near your water line for insurance and the county’s acts of nature credit.
Dry season
Soil shrinks and shifts a little, which can stress rigid pipe. A green, soggy strip in an otherwise dry lawn stands out, so irrigation and service line leaks are easier to spot.
Watering rules
The South Florida Water Management District limits most homes to two watering days a week by address, with no watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wet yard on a non-watering day? Think irrigation leak. Check your day on the SFWMD site.
AC season, most of the year
Our air conditioners run hard and pull a lot of water out of the air. Have the condensate line cleared during AC maintenance and check the float switch. A clogged condensate line is one of the most common leaks here that is not a plumbing leak at all.
Little-Known Greenacres History, and What It Means for Your Pipes
- 1909
Farmland that was too wet to farm
Frederick E. Bryant, Harold J. Bryant and William Greenwood of the Palm Beach Farms Company were buying and selling land here, but wetland conditions made farming difficult and much of it sat unused until the 1920s land boom. The ground was wet before any house was built, and the water table under your slab is part of that same story.
- 1923
Platted during the land boom
Lawrence Carter Swain began platting the original section of Greenacres.
- 1926
Named by chance
The community was incorporated as Greenacres City on May 24, 1926, and the name was drawn out of a hat.
- 1940s
Lost its city status, then got it back
The city was dis-incorporated during a dispute among residents and then restored. It formally became the City of Greenacres on November 6, 1990.
- 1960s to 1980s
Growth came decades after the founding
The first City Hall complex went up in the 1960s at Perry Avenue and Fourth Street. The city set up its own fire-rescue and police departments in the 1970s, and growth in the 1980s pushed City Hall to 10th Avenue North and Sherwood Forest Boulevard. That growth curve is why so much plumbing here dates from the 1970s through the 1990s.
- 2007
Today’s City Hall
The current City Hall complex on Melaleuca Lane was completed, home to the Building Department that issues plumbing permits.
- 2026
100 years
Greenacres is celebrating its centennial. The year wraps up with the Centennial Close-Out Celebration on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Samuel J. Ferreri Community Park, 2905 Jog Road, with rides, an ice rink, live entertainment and a drone show. If your house is around 50 years old, it has seen half of the city’s history, and its pipes have too.
Sources: City of Greenacres, Greenacres Centennial, Wikipedia (Greenacres, Florida). Verified September 2026.
Living in Greenacres: Parks, Landmarks and Everyday Life
These are the places our customers mention when they tell us where they live, and the landmarks we use to find your street.
Parks and green space
The city has 11 parks covering more than 93 acres, including:
- Greenacres Freedom Park
- Heather Estates Park
- Ira Van Bullock Park
- Oasis Park
- Ramblewood Park
- Rambo Park
- Samuel J. Ferreri Community Park
- Veterans Memorial Park
Freedom Park has pickleball, basketball and sand volleyball courts, soccer fields, a shaded playground and a lakeside walking path. Right next to the city, Okeeheelee Park is a regional county park with more than 1,700 acres of recreation.
The Community Center
The Greenacres Community Center at 501 Swain Boulevard runs youth, adult and senior classes and hosts free information sessions through the year.
Main roads and shopping corridors
Most of the city’s businesses sit along Lake Worth Road, Forest Hill Boulevard, 10th Avenue North and Jog Road. Greenacres borders Atlantis to the southeast, Wellington to the west and Palm Springs to the east. The Mall at Wellington Green and the Lake Worth Swap Shop are both about five miles from Forest Hill Village.
Who lives here
Greenacres had 43,990 residents in the 2020 census. About 44.8 percent of residents are Hispanic and 43.3 percent were born outside the United States, which makes this one of the most international cities in Palm Beach County.
How a Leak Detection Visit Works, Step by Step
You call or text
Tell us what you are seeing, when it happens, what was running, and your home’s year built if you know it. If there is active water, we walk you through closing the main shutoff first.
We plan the tests
Based on what you tell us, we decide whether to start at the meter, the slab, a wall, the pool or the yard. You get the detection price before we come out.
We find and mark the leak
We run the tests in order from least to most invasive, show you the readings as we go, and mark the leak location.
You get a written report
Leak location, photos, readings, the cause as we found it, and repair options with prices. No pressure to decide on the spot.
We repair it and pull the permit
Work that needs a permit goes through the City of Greenacres Building Department. We handle it and schedule the inspection.
We help with the paperwork
You get what you need for your insurance claim and the PBCWUD high bill credit. After the repair, run the meter test again. It should not move.
Safety First: Before Anyone Opens a Wall or Floor
Shut the water off
Know where your main shutoff valve is before you need it. On many Greenacres homes it is on an outside wall near where the line enters, or in the garage. In an emergency, the curb valve at the meter can also be used.
Older flooring and asbestos
Some flooring and adhesive in homes built before the 1980s can contain asbestos. If a repair means breaking up old floor tile or mastic, have it tested first.
Mold
Wet drywall, carpet pad and cabinets can start growing mold quickly in our humidity. Dry things out fast, photograph the damage, and ask your insurer about water mitigation.
Gas
If you smell gas, leave first. Call 911 and your gas utility from outside. Do not flip switches.
Leak Detection in Greenacres: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have a slab leak?
Common signs are a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water when nothing is on, a water bill that keeps rising, damp or lifting flooring, and a water meter that moves with every fixture off. In Greenacres, slab leak water often drains into the sand, so a rising bill or a moving meter may be the only sign for a while.
Why is my water meter moving when nothing is on?
Water is leaving your plumbing somewhere. Close the main shutoff valve at the house. If the meter keeps moving, the leak is on the service line between the meter and the house. If it stops, the leak is inside, often a toilet, a fixture, or a line under the slab.
Why is there water on my floor if my meter is not moving?
Then the leak is probably not on the pressurized supply side. Look at what was running: the dishwasher, the washing machine, a shower, or the AC. Drain lines, appliance hoses and AC condensate lines only leak while in use. A total chlorine test strip can also help tell tap water from AC water or groundwater.
Can leak detection companies miss a leak?
Yes, especially intermittent leaks and drain side leaks, because a standard pressure test only checks the supply lines. The fix is testing both families of leaks and, when needed, using moisture sensors to catch the leak in the act. If a company missed yours, tell us what they tested and what you have seen since.
How much does leak detection cost in Greenacres?
We quote the detection price on the phone before we come out. For reference, Angi’s 2026 national average for slab leak detection is about $280, with most homeowners paying $150 to $400. Complex leaks, after-hours calls and tracer gas testing cost more.
Is leak detection non-invasive?
The detection itself usually is. Acoustic equipment, thermal imaging, pressure testing, tracer gas and cameras find most leaks without opening anything. The repair may need a small opening at the exact spot we mark, or a reroute that avoids the slab altogether.
Will you have to break my tile floor?
Not always. If the leak is under the slab, we compare a spot repair (a small opening at the exact location) with a reroute through the attic or walls that leaves your floor alone, and explain the cost and trade-offs of each before any work starts.
How long does a slab leak repair take?
Detection usually takes a couple of hours. One Florida plumbing guide puts a typical spot repair at about one day plus concrete cure time, and a reroute at one to two days. A whole-house repipe takes longer.
Does homeowners insurance cover slab leaks in Florida?
It depends on your policy. Many policies cover the resulting water damage but not the pipe repair itself. Watch for the 14 day constant or repeated leakage exclusion and for limited water damage caps on older homes. Give notice to your insurer promptly, and within one year of the loss at the latest.
Can I get my water bill reduced after a leak in Greenacres?
Possibly. Palm Beach County Water Utilities offers an Excessive Usage Credit when a month’s usage is at least four times your 12-month average and over 10,000 gallons, and the high use was not caused by something like pool filling or sprinklers. It is available once every three years, and the bill must be within the past six months. Call 561-740-4600 to request it, with your leak report and repair invoice ready.
Who is responsible for a leak at my water meter, me or the county?
The county owns the meter and the main. The line from the meter to your house is yours. One exception: if the county changed or repaired your meter within the last three months, you are not responsible for leaks at or within three feet of the meter box that you did not cause.
Do I need a permit to repair a slab leak in Greenacres?
Plumbing repairs to water or sewer lines generally need a permit from the City of Greenacres Building Department. A licensed plumber pulls it and schedules the inspection. Your water provider is the county, but the permit comes from the city.
Is my pool leaking or just evaporating?
Do a bucket test. Set a bucket of pool water on a step, match the water levels inside and outside the bucket, mark both, and check after 24 hours. If the pool dropped more than the bucket, you have a leak. The county’s high bill credit excludes pool filling, so a pool leak costs you directly.
What does a warm spot on the floor mean?
Usually a hot water line leaking under the slab. The escaping hot water heats the concrete above it. It is one of the clearest slab leak signs, and a thermal camera can map it quickly.
I hear running water in my walls. What should I do?
Do the meter test first. If the meter moves with everything off, you likely have a supply leak in a wall or under the slab. Turn off the main if the sound is loud or you see water, and call us. If the meter does not move, the sound may be a drain line carrying water from a neighbor’s unit in attached housing, or a toilet refilling.
Can a leak cause a mold smell without any visible water?
Yes. Slow leaks behind walls, under cabinets or under flooring can keep materials damp long enough to grow mold before any stain appears. A musty smell in one room or closet is worth a moisture check.
What pipes are in my Greenacres home?
It depends on when it was built. Many homes from the 1970s and 1980s have copper supply lines, homes built from 1978 to 1995 may have polybutylene, and older drains may be cast iron while newer ones are PVC. Look up your year built on the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s site and tell us when you call.
Should I turn off my water main if I suspect a leak?
If you see active water, hear loud running water, or the meter is spinning fast, yes. Close the main shutoff at the house and call a plumber. If you need water while you wait and the leak seems slow, call us first and we will help you decide.
Do you serve areas outside Greenacres?
Call (561) 783-8857 with your address and we will confirm coverage. Some neighboring cities run their own water utilities with different bill credit rules, so tell us your address and we will explain what applies to you.
Question not answered here? Call (561) 783-8857 and ask. Talking it through costs nothing.
Find Your Leak Today
Every day a hidden leak runs, it adds to your water bill, soaks more of the ground under your slab, and gets closer to the 14 day line in many insurance policies. Most leaks can be found in a single visit without tearing up your house.
Tell us what you are seeing and when, your home’s year built if you know it, and whether you have already checked the meter. We plan the right tests before we arrive, give you the price up front, and leave you with a written report you can use with your insurer and with Palm Beach County Water Utilities.
Star Florida Leak Detection, 4021 S 57th Ave #105, Greenacres, FL 33463. Member of PHCC and the South East Apartment Association. Last updated September 2026. County policies, insurance rules and published cost figures change, so confirm current terms with PBCWUD, your insurer and the SFWMD before relying on them.