Yes -- always. A repair company digging without a confirmed leak location is doing exploratory work at your expense. Leak detection first means targeted excavation, not guesswork.
The most expensive mistake homeowners make when dealing with a suspected underground pool pipe leak is calling the repair company first. The repair company arrives, does not know where the break is, and begins cutting concrete along the pipe run until they find it. By the time they locate the break, they have removed far more deck than was necessary -- and the homeowner pays to restore all of it.
A pool leak detection visit uses acoustic listening along the pipe path, water pressure testing to confirm which line is broken, and trace gas when needed to narrow the break zone further. This process identifies a specific area of the pipe run before any concrete is touched. The repair crew then opens a targeted section -- sometimes just a few square feet -- directly over the break.
Compare that to exploratory excavation without a location: the repair crew may need to open 10, 15, or 20 feet of deck along the pipe run before finding the break visually. Every foot of additional concrete removed adds labor cost and restoration cost. The detection visit is the investment that makes the repair cheaper, faster, and less disruptive.
If a repair company suggests starting to dig before leak detection is done, tell them you want a leak detection specialist to confirm the location first. A professional repair company respects this -- they know that working from a confirmed location is faster and more efficient for them too. A repair company that pushes back on calling a leak detection specialist first may be pricing exploratory excavation into their quote.
Step 1: Call a licensed pool leak detection specialist. Get the visit done, findings documented, break zone confirmed.
Step 2: Share the leak detection report with the repair contractor. They know exactly where to open the concrete and what they are repairing before work begins.
Step 3: Repair is completed at the confirmed location. Concrete is restored. Pool returns to service.
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By a few days at most -- the time it takes to schedule and complete the leak detection visit. That delay is worth it. The alternative is starting the repair without a location and potentially spending days doing exploratory excavation that damages more of your deck and costs more in labor and restoration. The leak detection visit makes the repair faster from start to finish.
Ask what tools they use for leak detection. If they do not carry acoustic hydrophones, a pressure testing manifold, and a pipe locator, they cannot confirm the location without digging. Their approach to 'finding the leak' is likely to dig along the pipe run until they see the break. That is exploratory excavation, not leak detection.
You can schedule them in sequence -- leak detection first, then repair once findings are documented. Some homeowners contact both companies simultaneously so the repair can be booked as soon as the detection visit is complete. Just make sure the repair company knows they need to wait for the confirmed location before starting excavation.