Service hub
Leak Detection across London and the South East
Leak detection from a directly-employed team. 24/7 reactive dispatch across all 33 London boroughs with a 30 to 60 minute target response, plus scheduled project visits across the wider South East of England (Sussex, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire). Same fixed pricing, same 12-month guarantee, same insurance-grade reporting, every county.
Specialist guides
Leak detection: deeper dives
Per-job guides covering scope, pricing, and how we handle the awkward bits.
Thermal imaging surveys
Specialist guide covering thermal imaging surveys across London.
Read →Acoustic leak detection
Specialist guide covering acoustic leak detection across London.
Read →Trace & access for insurance
Specialist guide covering trace & access for insurance across London.
Read →Moisture mapping survey
Specialist guide covering moisture mapping survey across London.
Read →Tracer gas leak detection
Specialist guide covering tracer gas leak detection across London.
Read →Fluorescent UV dye testing
Specialist guide covering fluorescent UV dye testing across London.
Read →Underground supply pipe leak
Specialist guide covering underground supply pipe leak across London.
Read →Pre-purchase plumbing survey
Specialist guide covering pre-purchase plumbing survey across London.
Read →Salt-test damp analysis
Specialist guide covering salt-test damp analysis across London.
Read →Damp survey full report
Specialist guide covering damp survey full report across London.
Read →Ceiling leak and water-stain trace
Specialist guide covering ceiling leak and water-stain trace across London.
Read →Shower tray and pan leak detection
Specialist guide covering shower tray and pan leak detection across London.
Read →Bath leak test (under-bath access trace)
Specialist guide covering bath leak test (under-bath access trace) across London.
Read →Central heating leak detection
Specialist guide covering central heating leak detection across London.
Read →Underfloor leak detection
Specialist guide covering underfloor leak detection across London.
Read →Concrete slab leak detection
Specialist guide covering concrete slab leak detection across London.
Read →Symptoms
Signs you have a hidden leak
Spotting the early signs saves money. Each of these symptoms is a reason to call a qualified engineer before it becomes an emergency.
⚠️ Unexplained spike in water bill
Thames Water bill up 30%+ with no change in occupancy or usage = hidden leak. Often an underground supply leak or a constantly-running toilet.
⚠️ Damp patch that won't dry out
Persistent damp on a wall or ceiling, particularly one that doesn't track to a known weather-driven cause, almost always indicates an active leak.
⚠️ Boiler losing pressure with no visible leak
System leak somewhere in the central heating circuit. Could be radiator pin-hole, joint weep, or under-floor pipework. Trace gas or thermal usually finds it.
⚠️ Warm patch on a floor (in summer or unheated zone)
Hot water leak on a buried supply pipe. Thermal imaging makes this obvious, the pipe creates a clearly visible heat plume on the floor surface.
⚠️ Sound of running water with no taps on
Rare and definitive. There's an active leak somewhere in the supply system. We isolate zones to identify which run is leaking.
⚠️ Recent flooring failure (warped boards, lifted tiles)
Often a leak that's been running for months has reached the floor finish.
⚠️ Mould growth in unexpected places
Persistent mould below sink units, behind built-in furniture, or low on internal walls usually indicates a slow leak feeding the mould with water.
⚠️ Stains on ceilings below bathrooms or kitchens
Active or recently-active leak in the floor above. Trace immediately, long-running leaks can compromise structural timber.
How we work
Our leak detection engineer process.
No surprises, no “I'll need to come back tomorrow”. This is the exact path every leak detection job follows.
- Site visit and customer interviewWe start with what you've seen, when you saw it, what's been done already. Saves us time, saves you money.
- Visual inspection & moisture mappingCapacitance and pin-meter moisture readings establish the wet zone and the gradient of moisture concentration.
- Pressure isolation testsSystematic isolation: hot vs cold. Mains vs system. Floor by floor. Identifies which circuit is leaking.
- Thermal imaging surveyFLIR cameras visualise temperature differentials. Hot water leaks produce distinct heat plumes. Cold water leaks cause evaporative cooling visible as cool spots.
- Acoustic detectionGround microphones and listening sticks pinpoint the leak to within 100–300mm.
- Tracer gas (where required)For deeply buried or inaccessible leaks. Hydrogen-nitrogen mix introduced. Sniffer probes identify escape point.
- Written report with images and recommendationsInsurance-grade. Locations marked. Recommended access cuts and repair scope.
- Repair (separate quote) or trace-and-access invoicingWe can carry out the repair under our standard plumbing service, or invoice trace-and-access alone for insurance-claim purposes.
London context
Leak detection in London: what makes it different.
London's building stock and water characteristics make hidden leaks both more common and more damaging than elsewhere.
High water pressure in many areas. Mains pressure of 4–6 bar in some inner London zones puts more stress on joints and pipework than the UK average of 2–3 bar. Pinhole leaks and joint failures are correspondingly more common.
Hard water and pinhole corrosion. Hard London water is mildly aggressive to copper pipework over decades. Pinhole leaks on 1970s-80s copper installations are now showing up across the city. Thermal imaging finds them before they breach the floor finish.
Period properties with original lead supply pipes. Many Victorian/Edwardian terraces still have lead between the pavement stop tap and the internal stop tap. Lead corrodes slowly over a century-plus and develops hairline failures. Tracer gas locates these without excavating the pavement.
Need a 24/7 emergency engineer?
30 to 60 minute response across every London borough. Gas Safe registered. 12-month workmanship guarantee.
Borough coverage
Leak detection in your borough
Every London borough has its own page with local postcodes, scenarios, and pricing. Pick yours below or use the postcode checker on the homepage.
Leak detection in Barking and Dagenham
Coverage across RM6, RM8, RM9, RM10 and the rest of the borough.
See Barking and Dagenham →Leak detection in Barnet
Coverage across EN4, EN5, HA8, N2 and the rest of the borough.
See Barnet →Leak detection in Bexley
Coverage across DA1, DA5, DA6, DA7 and the rest of the borough.
See Bexley →Leak detection in Brent
Coverage across NW2, NW6, NW9, NW10 and the rest of the borough.
See Brent →Leak detection in Bromley
Coverage across BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 and the rest of the borough.
See Bromley →Leak detection in Camden
Coverage across NW1, NW3, NW5, WC1 and the rest of the borough.
See Camden →Leak detection in City of London
Coverage across EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4 and the rest of the borough.
See City of London →Leak detection in Croydon
Coverage across CR0, CR2, CR3, CR4 and the rest of the borough.
See Croydon →Leak detection in Ealing
Coverage across W3, W5, W7, W13 and the rest of the borough.
See Ealing →Leak detection in Enfield
Coverage across EN1, EN2, EN3, EN4 and the rest of the borough.
See Enfield →South East England coverage
Leak detection also across the wider South East.
Beyond London + the M25 belt we run leak detection as scheduled project visits across 8 South East England counties. Same kit, same workmanship guarantee, insurance-grade written reporting accepted by every major UK insurer. Pick your county for postcodes covered, the water authority, target arrival window, and local property-stock notes.
East Sussex
New coverageBrighton and Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes and more.
Postcodes BN, TN
6 local-authority districts
Leak detection in East Sussex →
West Sussex
New coverageChichester, Worthing, Crawley, Horsham and more.
Postcodes RH, BN, PO
7 local-authority districts
Leak detection in West Sussex →
Hampshire
New coverageSouthampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Basingstoke and more.
Postcodes SO, PO, RG, GU, SP
13 local-authority districts
Leak detection in Hampshire →
Oxfordshire
New coverageOxford, Banbury, Bicester, Witney and more.
Postcodes OX
5 local-authority districts
Leak detection in Oxfordshire →
Kent
M25 + widerMaidstone, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and more.
Postcodes BR, DA, ME, CT, TN
13 local-authority districts
Leak detection in Kent →
Surrey
M25 + widerGuildford, Woking, Reigate, Epsom and more.
Postcodes GU, KT, RH, SM
11 local-authority districts
Leak detection in Surrey →
Berkshire
M25 + widerReading, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Windsor and more.
Postcodes RG, SL
6 local-authority districts
Leak detection in Berkshire →
Buckinghamshire
M25 + widerHigh Wycombe, Aylesbury, Milton Keynes, Amersham and more.
Postcodes HP, MK, SL
3 local-authority districts
Leak detection in Buckinghamshire →
FAQ
Leak detection: your questions
How fast can a leak detection engineer reach me?
How does leak detection pricing work?
Do you charge to come out and look?
Are you Gas Safe registered?
Do you guarantee the work?
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