What Under-Slab Drain Repair Involves

🏠 Under-the-Slab Drain Repair & Tunneling: What Homeowners Need to Know

When plumbing problems happen under your home’s foundation, they can feel overwhelming. Slow drains, foul odors, and unexplained water pooling may be more than just a nuisance — they could be signs of a broken drain line beneath the concrete slab. Repairing these pipes requires a specialized process known as under-the-slab drain repair with tunneling, and it’s one of the most effective ways to solve serious plumbing issues without tearing up your home.

At IGD Plumbing & Air, we’ve helped countless homeowners restore peace of mind by tackling tough drain problems below the slab — safely, efficiently, and to code. Here’s everything you should know.

🛠️ What Is Under-Slab Drain Repair?

Most homes in Texas are built on concrete slab foundations, which means the drain lines carrying wastewater away from your home run beneath the concrete. Over time, these pipes can crack, collapse, or corrode — often without visible signs at the surface.

Under-slab drain repair is the process of locating, accessing, and repairing or replacing these pipes without having to break through your interior floors. Instead, our team digs a tunnel under the slab from the outside of your home to reach the problem area directly. This approach allows us to restore your plumbing system while keeping your floors, tile, and cabinets intact.

📍 Why Tunneling Is the Preferred Solution

Tunneling is a specialized method that offers major advantages over traditional slab-cutting methods:

• Minimal Disruption: No need to tear up flooring, walls, or cabinets — your home stays livable during the repair.
• Precision Access: We reach the exact damaged area without unnecessary demolition.
• Safer for Your Foundation: By digging from outside, we reduce the risk of compromising your slab’s structural integrity.
• Faster Restoration: Most tunneling projects allow us to complete the repair and restore service more quickly.

For homeowners, that means less mess, less stress, and a solution that fixes the problem at its root.

🔎 Common Causes of Under-Slab Drain Damage

Several factors can lead to drain line issues beneath your foundation:

• Aging cast-iron pipes that corrode and collapse over time.
• Soil movement and foundation shifting that crack or misalign pipes.
• Tree roots infiltrating drain lines and causing blockages or breaks.
• Persistent leaks washing away soil beneath the slab, creating voids and instability.

Because these issues are hidden below the surface, they often go unnoticed until symptoms like slow drains, foul smells, or foundation cracks appear.

🔧 How the Tunneling Process Works

Here’s what to expect when you hire IGD Plumbing & Air for under-slab drain repair:

1. Detailed Inspection: We use sewer cameras and hydrostatic tests to locate the exact problem.
2. Tunneling Access: Our team carefully digs a tunnel beneath the slab from the exterior of your home to reach the damaged pipe.
3. Pipe Repair or Replacement: We replace corroded sections, fix cracks, and ensure proper slope and flow.
4. Testing and Verification: Once repairs are complete, we pressure-test the system and run a camera inspection to confirm everything is working perfectly.

Backfill and Restoration: The tunnel is carefully backfilled and compacted to protect the foundation’s integrity.