Leak Detection & Repair — UK-Wide, Vetted & Priced Up Front
A hidden leak announces itself indirectly: a warm patch on a floor, a musty smell, a water bill that's crept up, a meter that ticks with everything off. Our your area leak detection engineers find the source before anyone lifts a floorboard.
How non-invasive leak detection works
We combine methods until the location is proven, not guessed. Acoustic detection amplifies the sound of escaping water through floors and walls. Thermal imaging shows the temperature signature of a hot-water leak or the evaporative cooling of a cold one. Moisture mapping traces the wet path back to its highest concentration. On pressurised systems we can add tracer gas, which escapes at the leak point and is picked up by a sensor at the surface.
Each method has a job. Thermal cameras find hot-water and heating leaks fast; acoustic microphones hear mains-pressure leaks through solid floors; capacitance moisture meters map how far the water has travelled and in which direction concentration rises; tracer gas finds weeping joints that make no noise at all. Your your area engineer selects the combination that suits the construction and reports what was found before any repair is priced.
Signs you have a hidden leak
Watch for: unexplained increases on a metered water bill, the meter dial moving with every appliance and tap off, damp or musty smells with no visible source, warm spots on solid floors (hot feed or heating loop), lifting laminate or cupping floorboards, low boiler/system pressure that needs regular topping up, and paint or plaster blistering low on a wall. Any two of those together justify a detection survey in your area.
The classic tells in your area homes: a water bill that's risen with no change in use, background sound of running water at night, a warm stripe across a floor, skirting or plaster damage that returns after redecorating, and pressure loss on sealed systems. A ten-minute meter test — everything off, read, wait an hour, read again — is the cheapest first diagnostic you can do yourself.
Detection to repair, one accountable job
Detection without repair leaves you with a report and a hole in your week. Our your area engineers do both: locate, expose the minimum area needed, repair the failed section — soldered, compression or correct plastic fitting — then pressure-test and confirm with follow-up readings that the moisture is drying rather than renewing. Housing stock varies street to street, and with it the pipework our engineers find.
Once located, the repair is quoted from evidence: what pipe, what failure, what access. We open the smallest area that allows a proper repair, replace the failed section rather than patching it, and re-test at pressure. Where flooring or tiling must come up, you approve the scope first, and everything is photographed for your records or your insurer.
Leak detection cost in your area
A detection survey in your area is a from-£120 fixed band depending on property size and methods needed, agreed before booking. The repair is quoted separately once the leak is proven — you're never committed to a repair price before anyone knows what's actually wrong. Trace-and-access is commonly covered by buildings insurance; our reports are written to support that claim.
Expect a fixed detection fee from £120 for a typical your area property, quoted up front. Because the repair is priced from findings, you avoid the worst outcome in this trade: paying someone to search destructively by the hour. Reports include images and readings suitable for insurance submission.
| Item | Guide |
|---|---|
| Typical price band | £120–£380 |
| Pricing basis | from-pricing; detection survey band, repair quoted on findings |
| Typical attendance | 2–3 hours |
| Urgency profile | Standard |
Frequently asked questions
How do you find a leak without ripping up floors?
Acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging, moisture mapping and tracer gas, used in combination. The point is to prove the location from the surface so any opening-up is minimal and targeted.
My water bill has doubled — is that a leak?
Quite possibly. Do the meter test: turn off every outlet and appliance, read the meter, wait an hour without using water, read again. Any movement means water is escaping somewhere between the meter and your taps.
Can you find leaks in underfloor heating in your area?
Yes. Thermal imaging shows the loop layout and the anomaly at the leak point, and pressure testing confirms which circuit is losing water. UFH leak repairs are precise work — locating first is essential.
Will my insurance pay for leak detection?
Trace-and-access cover — finding the leak and the making-good of access — is a standard feature of many buildings policies, even where the pipe itself isn't covered. We produce reports and photos formatted for claims.
How accurate is leak detection?
With combined methods, location is typically proven to within a small area — close enough that access is a tile or two, or a short floorboard lift, rather than a room. The engineer will tell you the confidence level honestly before anything is opened.
What causes hidden leaks in your area homes?
Corrosion pinholes in ageing copper, failed soldered or compression joints, abraded pipes rubbing on joists, nail and screw punctures from past work, and weeping pushfit connections. Your local water hardness affects how quickly scale builds in taps, cylinders and showers.
Is a small hidden leak really urgent?
A pinhole leak can release dozens of litres a day into a floor void. The damage is cumulative — rot, damp, ruined finishes — and insurers look less kindly on long-neglected leaks. Confirmed leaks are worth acting on within days, not months.
Do you detect leaks on the mains supply pipe?
Yes — external supply pipe leaks between the boundary and the property are located with acoustic and tracer-gas methods. Note the pipe from the boundary into the house is normally the homeowner's responsibility, not your local water company's.
Which areas of your area do you cover?
All of your area, including your neighbourhood, the surrounding area and nearby districts, plus surrounding villages and suburbs.