Find the failed pipe or fitting. Settle who repairs it. Keep the evidence Fairfax Water needs to consider a leak credit.
Stop the water and identify who owns the failed part
If water is escaping inside, close your home's main water valve if you can reach it safely. Fairfax Water says it is normally where the supply enters through the foundation. A long shutoff can affect appliances. Fairfax Water advises you to ask a plumber or HVAC professional about those appliances.
For a suspected public water-main break or water emergency, Fairfax Water lists 703-698-5613. Check the supplier on your bill. The utility procedures below apply to Fairfax Water customers. They do not automatically apply to every Fairfax County address.
Water dripping beside an inside meter does not mean the meter itself has failed. Fairfax Water's Meter Shop maintains the utility meter itself. You are responsible for the surrounding pipes, copperhorn setting and main-line valves. Fairfax Water also says it does not maintain or replace pressure-reducing valves.
Suspect a leak at an inside meter? The Meter Shop asks for photographs showing where water escapes before it gives further instructions. Ask your plumber to name the failed part in writing. This helps you avoid paying for work on the wrong part. It also saves you waiting for the utility to repair pipes you own.
Source: Fairfax Water, Your Plumbing, FAQs — Water Main Break, and Meter Shop, undated guidance; no effective dates stated. Gathered 2026-09-23.
What a useful leak-finding visit should establish
You can find the basic toilet and outdoor-meter isolation checks on the county plumbing page. If those checks leave you unsure, ask the plumber which pipe or fixture is losing water. Ask what evidence justifies opening a wall or digging.
Fairfax Water recommends that you record the meter's gallon count. Use no water for at least 15 minutes. Read the meter again. A changed reading suggests a leak. Allow longer if the leak may be slow or intermittent, as Fairfax Water recommends. A High Water Use Alert means staff noticed increased use while reading your meter. It does not identify a broken pipe.
Before you book, ask what the diagnostic charge covers. Checks at fixtures? Separate checks of pipe branches? A mark showing the suspected location? Opening up to expose the pipe? Ask what you will owe if the visit does not locate the fault. Settle these questions in the quote. The utility does not promise that every plumber will provide these services.
Keep the readings. Note the conditions when you took them. Ask for a report that makes clear whether the leak is confirmed or its location is only suspected. Get the next step explained before you approve disruptive work.
Source: Fairfax Water, Detecting Leaks, undated guidance; no effective date stated. Gathered 2026-09-23. Questions about the diagnostic scope are homeowner guidance, not utility service specifications.
Agree on what the plumber will repair
Ask the plumber to describe the failed section. Find out how they will reach it. Ask what they will replace. Check how they will test the finished repair. If they propose replacing a longer run, ask what they found to justify more than a local repair. Keep any photographs with the quote.
For buried work, get the start and end of the new pipe recorded in the quote. Have it show where the crew will dig. Settle who will restore the disturbed surface. For an indoor repair, settle who opens the wall or ceiling. Agree who patches it afterwards. Treat drying damaged finishes as a separate item unless the contract expressly includes it.
Fairfax handles plumbing permits through Land Development Services. Virginia distinguishes between work that alters the water-supply system and exempt fixture replacements that leave it unchanged. The building official can also treat certain repairs as minor and ordinary. The words “leak repair” alone do not settle whether you need a permit.
Have your contractor check whether the planned work needs a permit. Settle who handles any required permit. Agree who arranges any required inspections. The crew may find more damage after opening the area. Before you agree to added repairs, get the revised work in writing. Get the new price in writing too.
Source: Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development, 13VAC5-63-80, permit requirements and exemptions, latest listed amendment effective 2024-01-18; Fairfax County Land Development Services, Hiring a Contractor, undated guidance, no effective date stated. Gathered 2026-09-23. Scope questions are homeowner guidance.
What leak detection and repair cost locally
We could not verify a county-specific price range for household leak detection or water-pipe repair from the primary sources reviewed. A permit fee does not tell you what the plumber will charge. A utility bill credit does not reimburse your repair invoice.
Compare quotes for the same confirmed problem. Ask each contractor to price finding the leak separately from repairing it. Check whether the cost of finding it comes off the repair charge. Ask for a quote that lists each cost: any emergency visit charge, access work, materials, testing, and restoring walls or ground.
Clear up uncertain costs. The plumber may be unable to price hidden work until the pipe is exposed. If so, ask what your initial go-ahead covers. Check when you must approve more spending. Ask what the warranty covers. Find out whether you will pay for another visit if you keep losing water.
Fairfax Water does not endorse plumbers. It does not keep an approved list. Its advice is to check references. Compare prices too. Do not let a claim that someone is “utility approved” replace those checks.
Source: Fairfax Water, FAQs — Can Fairfax Water recommend a plumber?, undated guidance; no effective date stated. Gathered 2026-09-23. This source supports contractor comparison, not local repair prices; the quote questions are homeowner guidance.
How Fairfax Water calculates a possible leak credit
Fairfax Water may reduce unusually high water charges caused by an unknown leak. The utility decides whether to adjust your bill. A refund is not guaranteed.
| Rule | Published allowance or condition |
|---|---|
| Unknown underground leak on the customer's service line | 100% of usage above normal |
| Unknown leak inside the primary building, including outdoor irrigation systems | 66% of usage above normal |
| Period covered | One quarterly billing period |
| Maximum water adjustment | $5,000 |
| Usual eligibility interval | No courtesy leak adjustment during the preceding five years |
| How normal usage is calculated | Average of the last three corresponding quarterly periods; utility customer-class average when residence history does not exceed three years |
An outdoor leak does not automatically qualify for the underground service-line allowance. The irrigation category matters here. The utility can choose to reverse an earlier adjustment. It can then consider a later, larger loss within the usual interval.
If no ongoing leak is found, a separate Courtesy Unknown Loss Adjustment may apply. You must request it in writing. You must provide proof that a plumbing professional found no leaks. You can receive it only once per account. The utility decides whether to grant it.
Source: Fairfax County Water Authority, Rules and Regulations for the Furnishing of Water Service, section V.I, adopted 1995-05-18; courtesy-leak provision marked amended 2018-06-14, separate effective date not stated. Gathered 2026-09-23.
Keep the repair record and check both parts of the bill
Fairfax Water requires you to repair the leak promptly and properly. You must provide written proof. Its request form asks for the leak type, repair date, account and service address. It also asks for a brief statement. Include copies of receipts or an invoice. Ask for an invoice that says where the leak occurred. Have it say what the plumber fixed, rather than merely “plumbing service.”
The current form says the utility will tell you within four weeks whether it approved an adjustment. That is its published wording for the review. It does not promise a credit on your next bill.
Check the sewer charge separately. Fairfax County bases residential sewer use on current water consumption or the preceding winter quarter, whichever is lower. A winter leak can therefore affect more than your immediate water charge. Ask the billing agent whether the repair changes that basis. Do not assume the water-credit percentages apply to sewer charges. We could not verify a leak-specific county sewer-credit formula in the sources reviewed.
Source: Fairfax Water, Request for Courtesy Leak Adjustment, updated 2025-10, no separate effective date stated; Fairfax County DPWES, Sewer Charges FAQs, current guidance accompanying charges effective 2026-07-01, no separate effective date stated for the winter-quarter policy. Gathered 2026-09-23.