Had to choose between finishing a floor or fixing a leaky pipe yesterday

I was halfway through laying laminate in a client's living room in Austin when I noticed water seeping up from a corner near the baseboard. The homeowner was at work and I had to decide: stop everything to call a plumber, or keep going and hope it was just a small issue. I stopped, called a plumber, and he found a busted supply line under the slab. Cost me two hours and $150 for the visit, but the floor would've been ruined if I kept going. Anyone else ever had to pause a job for a surprise repair like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_mitchell261mo ago

Stopped my concrete saw mid cut once when I heard water gurgling under a slab. Turned out to be a main line that had been slowly leaking for weeks. Saved myself a full redo by catching it right then. Always trust that gut feeling when something don't look right.

corablack1mo agoTop Commenter

Good call stopping when you did. A busted supply line under slab is one of those things that'll ruin everything if you let it sit, so the $150 is nothing compared to ripping up new flooring. Always keep a little cash on hand for surprise plumbing calls, it saves your back and your reputation.

mary_west1mo ago

Has anyone else had that moment where you just know something's wrong before you even see it? That water seeping up is a dead giveaway. Stopping was the only smart move. Better to lose two hours than two days ripping out brand new flooring. Plumbers aren't cheap but neither is replacing a whole floor job.