Your water bill jumped and you can't see a leak anywhere?

Here's the deal before we start

About 2 minutes, 5 questions. At the end you'll have a best guess at which of three buckets you're in: a cheap fix you can do yourself, a meter/billing issue to raise with your utility, or a hidden leak worth paying a plumber to find. It's a guide, not a diagnosis.

If paid help isn't a fit for you, we'll say so and you leave with the free steps. "No" is a perfectly good answer at any point.

Let's find where it's coming from

1. How much higher was this bill than normal?

Normal bill $   This bill $

2. With every tap and appliance off, does your water meter still move over 10-15 minutes?

3. Food-coloring test: a few drops in each toilet tank, no flushing, wait 15 min. Color in the bowl?

4. Does the meter reading printed on your bill look higher than the meter shows today?

5. How many bills has this been going on?

What this is costing you

Who else needs to be on board?

If someone else decides, copy this summary and send it to them:

What fits what you told us

Free first: run the free bill check on your actual bill. It costs nothing.

From what you told us, you probably do not need anything paid. The free check and guides cover it.

What happens next

Run the free bill check first. Your answers here stay in this browser only; nothing is sent to us. If paid help doesn't fit after the free check, don't buy it.

Know someone whose bill just jumped? Send them watershortcut.com/bill-jumped.

No problem

Browse the guides or analyze any bill for free.