Fixed Price Leak Detection in London: How to Read Any Quote
Every leak detection quote leaves you exposed to something: the hours on an hourly rate, the scope on a package. Read yours by asking what it puts at risk and who carries that risk. Our £580 package, a fixed price for a leak inside one property, is the worked example. No VAT is charged.
What the visit covers
- One visit to one property at the package price for a leak inside it, with no VAT added; hourly rates apply if the source is outside the property or no leak exists
- Whichever methods the leak needs: pressure testing, acoustic detection, tracer gas, thermal imaging, moisture mapping, endoscope, dye testing
- The leak marked on the surface and photographed
- A written report of what was found and where
Published prices
What it costs
- Fixed-price leak location package
- The package gives one fixed price, known before the visit, to locate a leak in one property using whichever methods the leak needs.
- £580Fixed price
Or by the hour
- Standard leak detection
- General water leak detection in a property.
- £180an hour
No VAT is charged
A fixed hourly rate that cannot rise on the day
No find, no fee applies when a live leak inside your own property cannot be located. No find, no fee in full
Order of work
Agree the scope
The property, the symptom and the access are confirmed first, so the price you are given is for the leak you described. See what is included.
Prepare access
You clear the way to the room, the loft or the stop tap before the visit, using the list further down this page.
Run the tests
The least invasive test goes first and each result chooses the next, as set out on how a visit works.
Mark and report
The leak is marked and photographed, and the report states where it is and how that was shown.
What does a leak detection quote leave you exposed to?
Price is the smallest part of a quote. What decides the final bill is who carries each risk when the search does not go to plan. The table sets an hourly quote beside our package on the same seven points, using the standard rate of £180 an hour for the hourly side. No VAT is charged.
| Risk | Hourly quote | The package |
|---|---|---|
| The rate rises mid-visit | Ours is a fixed hourly rate that cannot rise on the day. Ask any other firm what stops theirs | Not applicable |
| The search runs long | You pay for every extra hour | You pay £580 for a leak inside the property |
| The source is outside the property | Charged by the hour | Outside the package: charged by the hour |
| A second visit is needed | Charged by the hour | Outside the package: charged by the hour |
| Opening up and making good | Separate on any quote | Separate: damage to walls, ceilings and finishes is quoted by a partner team of builders and decorators, who give a price for each job |
| No leak exists | Charged by the hour | Outside the package: charged by the hour |
| A live leak inside your own property cannot be located | Ask the firm for its terms in writing | The detection fee is waived within the limits set out on the no find no fee page |
How do I check the scope line by line?
A quote that is a single figure tells you little. Before you compare two, put the same questions to both and get the answers in writing. The longer version is eight questions to ask before hiring.
- Is the figure a rate per hour or a total for the whole job, and which property does it cover?
- Which methods does it include, and does tracer gas or a second visit cost extra? In the package, tracer gas is included by default.
- What happens when the job passes the hours estimated?
- Where exactly does the firm's no-find policy stop?
- Do you receive a written report with the leak marked, or only a spoken verdict?
Where does the package stop?
As the worked example: the package is for a leak you cannot see or place, inside the one property being surveyed. It does not stretch to two addresses, to a shared pipe or to the water company's main, and tracer gas is included by default. A small repair, such as tightening a fitting or replacing a small part on the pipe, can be done on the same visit once the leak is found, agreed first, while a larger repair is quoted separately. Damage to walls, ceilings and finishes is quoted by a partner team of builders and decorators, who give a price for each job. The full limits are on the package page, and the sums for six sample jobs are in hourly versus package worked examples.
No find, no fee waives the detection fee when we attend a live leak inside your own property and cannot locate it. A leak that belongs to a neighbour, a communal pipe or the water company's main is a located leak and is charged, and so is a survey that establishes no leak exists, because ruling a leak out is the answer you paid for. The terms are on the no find, no fee page.
Some home policies include trace and access cover, which can change who pays for detection. Cover depends on the policy and the insurer decides; see leak detection cost with home insurance.
What should I have ready before the visit?
Most of the time on a hidden leak goes on reaching things, and a second visit is a common way for a quote to grow, so a clear route is worth more than any other preparation.
- A clear path to the affected room, and to any loft hatch, cupboard or bath panel near it
- The location of the stop tap and the boiler, and a way to reach both
- Someone present who can say when the symptom began and whether it changes with use
- Photographs of the stain or damp taken over recent weeks, if you have them
- Leave the pipework as it is: do not drain the system or take joints apart, because the tests need water in the pipes
Questions customers ask
Is fixed price leak detection really one price?
For the package, yes, while the leak is inside the property: £580 for one property. If the source proves to be outside it, or no leak exists, hourly rates apply instead. No VAT is charged. Hourly work is not a fixed price; it is a fixed hourly rate that cannot rise on the day.
Is an hourly quote a bad sign?
No. An hourly rate suits a short check on one known joint. It becomes the riskier choice on a hidden leak, where the hours cannot be known at the start. The hourly rate against package page shows where the two cross.
How do I check another firm's hourly quote against the package?
Enter their rate in the quote checker to see the hours at which it passes the package, then ask the firm how many hours they expect.
How much does leak detection cost in London?
The package is £580 for a leak inside one property, however many methods are used. Standard hourly detection is £180 an hour, a fixed hourly rate that cannot rise on the day. No VAT is charged. Costs elsewhere in the UK are in how much leak detection costs in the UK, and the case for the package is in why a package price suits the heating season.
Can the price change after I book?
The package price is £580 for a leak inside the property. Hourly rates cannot rise on the day. Anything outside the package, such as a second property, a second visit or a source outside the property, is charged at the hourly rate for the methods used. No VAT is charged.
Do you offer a quote for repairs?
Yes, for anything beyond a small repair. A small repair, such as tightening a fitting or replacing a small part on the pipe, can be done on the same visit once the leak is found, agreed first. A larger repair is quoted before any work starts, and the leak is stopped in the meantime. See leak repair after detection.