Slab leak repair usually takes one day for a spot repair once the leak has been located, and one to two days for a reroute that runs new pipe around the slab. A whole-house repipe takes three to five days. Finding the leak first adds one to three hours of detection.
Detection comes first and sets the clock. A plumber pressure tests the hot, cold and drain lines separately, then uses acoustic listening and thermal imaging to pinpoint the spot. A drain-side leak does not move the water meter, so it can take longer to confirm. Precise slab leak detection is what limits the repair to one opening instead of an exploratory search across the floor.
The repair method decides the rest. A spot repair opens the floor at the leak, replaces that short section of pipe and patches the concrete. A reroute abandons the line under the slab and runs new pipe through the walls or attic. A full repipe suits homes where old copper is failing in more than one place. Pipe age and leak history decide between them, as this spot repair versus reroute comparison explains.
A leaking drain line under the slab can often be lined instead. A resin liner goes in through a cleanout and cures into a new pipe, and most residential lining jobs finish in one day with the floor left intact. Contractors who epoxy coat supply lines quote a day or two. Lining cannot fix a collapsed or badly sagged pipe, which is why lining a sewer line under a slab starts with a camera inspection.
These times cover the plumbing only. Replacing flooring, drying out water damage and any foundation repair are separate jobs, and each adds time after the pipe is fixed.