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Leak Detection Cost
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Leak detection cost in the UK

Most leak detection falls into one of three price bands. The right band depends on whether the leak can be seen, how difficult it is to reach, and whether an insurer needs a written report.

Published by ADI Leak Detection. Every price on this page links to its source. Last checked .

Typical UK leak detection prices, per job

  1. General leak check

    Visible or easy-to-find leaks

    £115 to £234 [2]

  2. Specialist leak detection survey

    Hidden leaks, or a report for an insurer

    £395 to £850

    Mostly plus VAT [3]

  3. Complex investigation

    Several suspect areas or hard-to-reach pipework

    £1,250 or more [3]

What does leak detection cost for your symptom?

Choose the symptom closest to yours

Every job and its price is listed in the price list below.

How much does leak detection cost for each type of leak?

Pipework and heating leak detection

  1. Water leak detection, location unknown

    A damp patch, a rising meter or a dripping ceiling with no obvious cause. An engineer uses thermal imaging, moisture readings and acoustic listening to locate the leak.

    See the figures

    Checkatrade describes these as ballpark averages; repair and making good are charged separately.

    £80 to £1,600per job

    Checkatrade, May 2026 [1]

  2. Trace and access survey

    A full investigation by a dedicated leak detection firm, usually with a written report and photos your insurer can use. This is the type of investigation that trace and access insurance cover is designed to fund.

    See the figures

    Published fixed fees: Fixiz £395 to £600, TraceSurveys £400 to £850, The Leak Hunter £475 to £795, London Leak Detection £490. All plus VAT except The Leak Hunter, which does not state VAT. Fixiz quotes £1,250 or more for complex jobs.

    £395 to £850per job, mostly plus VAT

    Four firms' price lists, 2026 [3]

  3. Central heating leak detection

    The boiler loses pressure and needs repressurising, with no visible escape of water. The water is usually escaping from a pipe under a floor or inside a wall.

    See the figures

    TraceSurveys: £400 to £550 for a 2 or 3 bed home, £600 to £850 for 4 bed and up. Draining and refilling the system adds £100 to £200.

    £400 to £850per job, plus VAT

    TraceSurveys, June 2026 [4]

  4. Underfloor heating leak detection

    A warm or wet patch on the floor, or a wet screed, with the pressure dropping. Thermal imaging shows where the pipe loop runs; tracer gas often confirms the exact spot.

    See the figures

    Based on a single published figure from a London firm's own jobs; treat it as a London guide price.

    £250 to £500per job, London

    Emergency Repairs London, June 2026 [5]

  5. Water supply pipe leak detection

    The pipe between the property boundary and the internal stop tap. An unexplained increase in a metered bill or a letter from the water company usually indicates a leak on this section, and responsibility for the repair rests with the property owner.

    See the figures

    One specialist publishes a fixed fee: £675 to trace up to about 20 metres of mains. Checkatrade lists repair of a main water service line at an additional £330 to £1,500.

    £675per job, up to about 20m

    The Leak Hunter, June 2026 [3]

Roof, drain, damp and pool leak detection

  1. Roof leak detection

    Water comes in when it rains. On a pitched roof it is usually a visual inspection; on a flat roof, electronic testing sends a small current across the membrane to find the breach.

    See the figures

    MyJobQuote's range is for an inspection where no repair is done the same day. Electronic flat roof testing with a report starts at £500 (Skyguard Flat Roofing).

    £80 to £200per job

    MyJobQuote, Sept 2026 [6]

  2. CCTV drain survey

    A camera inspection identifies cracks, root ingress or broken joints. Recommended where there are odours, slow drainage or damp near an outside wall.

    See the figures

    Checkatrade: £85 to £450, with a full survey and written report at £200 to £350 (July 2025). MyBuilder: £100 to £400 (August 2026) [7].

    £90 to £500per job

    MyJobQuote, August 2026 [6]

  3. Damp survey

    Establishes whether damp walls result from a leaking pipe, rainwater ingress, rising damp or condensation, so that the correct remedy is specified.

    See the figures

    MyBuilder: thermal imaging surveys £200 to £350. Checkatrade: £200 to £600, about £400 for a 3 bed terrace (May 2024 prices).

    £150 to £500per job

    MyBuilder, August 2026 [8]

  4. Swimming pool leak detection

    A pool losing more than evaporation explains. Finding it usually means dye testing and pressure testing the pipework, sometimes with divers in the water.

    No independent published price for pool leak detection was found. Any quoted typical figure should be supported by a verifiable source.

    No published rangerequest a fixed price

What does each leak detection method cost?

Method How it finds a leak Best for Checkatrade range [1]
Thermal imaging A camera shows the heat pattern of hot pipes and the cold spread of escaping water. Leaks behind walls, ceilings and floors; heating pipes £150 to £1,000
Acoustic listening Ground microphones and correlators pick up the hiss of water escaping under pressure. Underground supply pipes and central heating £1,000 to £1,500
Tracer gas A harmless hydrogen and nitrogen mix is introduced into the drained pipe and detected where it escapes. Underfloor heating and leaks other methods cannot locate £250 to £2,000
About the acoustic price

Checkatrade's acoustic figure is inconsistent with every other source reviewed. A London firm's own job log puts an acoustic survey at £150 to £300 [5], and Checkatrade's own London listing page puts acoustic at £150 to £1,000 [2]. Tracer gas is often charged as an add-on: £80 to £200 in the same London log.

How much does a trace and access survey cost?

Specialist firms publish fixed fees of £395 to £850, mostly plus VAT [3], well above Checkatrade's £162 listing average.

The two figures most likely cover different jobs. The listings may include plumbers carrying out a straightforward check, while a specialist survey uses several detection methods, spends more time on site and includes a report written for insurers.

Where a leak is visible or its location is apparent, a standard plumber visit charged by the hour is often sufficient [9].

A specialist survey becomes more cost-effective where the leak is concealed under a floor, within a wall or underground, or where an insurance claim is planned. Exploratory opening-up charged by the hour can exceed the survey fee once floors, plaster and tiling are reinstated.

An ADI Leak Detection engineer wearing headphones, listening with an acoustic ground microphone on a block-paved driveway.
Acoustic listening on a supply pipe. Photo: ADI Leak Detection.

What makes a leak detection job cost more?

What adds to the cost of leak detection
What adds costAddsDetail and source
Out of hoursAbout two thirdsOne London firm's late night rate against its weekday rate [10].
Tracer gas£80 to £200Charged as an add-on where initial methods do not locate the leak [5].
Draining the heating£100 to £200To drain and refill a central heating system for testing [4].
Report for your insurer£50 to £120When bought separately [5]. Some specialists include it; confirm before booking.
A larger home£200 to £300The difference between a 2 or 3 bed and a 4 bed central heating survey [4].

What does it cost to repair a leak once it is found?

Typical costs after a leak is found
Repair a leaking pipe£220 to £440Checkatrade [11]
Repair a main water service line£330 to £1,500Checkatrade [1]
Ceiling water damage repair£1,550Checkatrade average [12]
Water removal and drying out£500 to £5,000Checkatrade [12]
A water supply pipe exposed in a small excavation, with water spraying from a split and pooling in the gravel around it.
A split supply pipe, exposed after detection. Photo: ADI Leak Detection.

Fixiz, a leak detection firm, estimates the total often reaches three to five times the detection fee once access, repair and making good are included [3].

Lost water also carries a cost. A single faulty toilet can leak 200 to 400 litres a day, against an average of 140 litres used per person per day [13].

South Staffs Water says a small leak on a metered supply pipe could add around £500 a year to a bill [14].

Is leak detection covered by insurance or the water company?

Home insurance: trace and access cover

Trace and access covers finding a hidden leak and opening up and making good the walls or floors to reach it. It does not pay to fix the leaking pipe itself, and damage the water caused falls under escape of water cover instead [15].

  • It comes with buildings insurance. Contents-only policies do not include it.
  • Limits are usually £5,000 to £10,000, and it is not standard on every policy [16]. Admiral's landlord policy leaves it out [15].
  • Escape of water claims commonly carry a compulsory excess of £250 to £500 [17].
  • Contact your insurer before appointing a contractor, as Confused.com advises [18]. Your insurer may want to choose the firm or agree the cost first.

Water company: who owns which pipe

Who is responsible for which water pipe The water main in the street and the communication pipe up to your boundary or the company stop tap belong to the water company. The supply pipe from the boundary to your first stop tap inside the house belongs to you. Boundary Main Stop tap Water company Main and communication pipe, up to the boundary You Supply pipe, boundary to inside stop tap
Based on Ofwat's guidance on supply pipes [19]. Shared supply pipes are owned jointly by every home they serve.
  • The owner pays for leak detection, repair and replacement on the supply pipe. The water company can serve notice and recharge the owner if it is not repaired [19].
  • Metered customers can request a leak allowance once the leak is repaired. Yorkshire Water wants the leak repaired within 28 days to qualify [20]. Thames Water separately asks for supply pipe leaks to be repaired within four weeks [20].
  • Support varies by company. South Staffs Water does not charge to locate a supply pipe leak and may put up to £300 towards the repair [14]. Thames Water offers no free supply pipe repair [20].

What should be done before paying for leak detection?

  1. Check your water meter

    Turn off every tap and appliance that uses water, note the meter reading, and wait one hour without using any water. If the reading has changed, water is escaping after the meter.

  2. Contact your insurer first

    Ask whether you have trace and access cover, the limit, the excess, and whether they want to choose the firm. Claims are more straightforward when the insurer has approved the approach in advance.

  3. Appoint a non-invasive specialist

    Confirm which methods will be used, whether tracer gas or draining the heating costs extra, and whether the price includes VAT and a written report.

  4. Keep the report

    Send it to the insurer, and to the water company if the supply is metered and a leak allowance is being requested.

Where do these leak detection prices come from?

  1. Checkatrade: water leak detection cost guide, updated May 2026. Standard detection £80 to £1,600; thermal, acoustic and tracer gas ranges; main service line repair.
  2. Checkatrade: water leak detection listings for the UK, Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham and London, undated. Averages and ranges by city; the London page lists method prices instead.
  3. Specialist price lists: Fixiz (March 2026), TraceSurveys (June 2026), The Leak Hunter (June 2026), London Leak Detection (July 2026).
  4. TraceSurveys: central heating leak detection cost, June 2026.
  5. Emergency Repairs London: leak detection cost in London, June 2026. Figures from the firm's own jobs.
  6. MyJobQuote: roof leak repair cost, September 2026, and drain survey cost, August 2026. Also Skyguard Flat Roofing, undated.
  7. Checkatrade: CCTV drain survey cost, July 2025, and MyBuilder: drain survey cost, August 2026.
  8. Checkatrade: damp survey cost, March 2023 with May 2024 prices, and MyBuilder: damp survey cost, August 2026.
  9. Checkatrade: plumber cost, June 2026. Hourly, call-out and emergency rates.
  10. Aspect: leak detection rates, undated. Half hourly rates by time of day, plus VAT.
  11. Checkatrade: water supply pipe repair cost, June 2026.
  12. Checkatrade: water removal cost, August 2026.
  13. Yorkshire Water: a leaky loo could be wasting double your daily use, May 2025.
  14. South Staffs Water: assisted pipe repairs, undated.
  15. Admiral: what is trace and access cover, August 2026. Also MoneySuperMarket, May 2026.
  16. AA: water leak trace and access cover, undated.
  17. Uswitch: escape of water, June 2026.
  18. Confused.com: trace and access, January 2026.
  19. Ofwat: supply pipes, undated.
  20. Water company leak policies: Yorkshire Water, Thames Water, Severn Trent.