Finding and fixing hidden water leaks in London
Water leak detection for businesses and homes across all of London. We trace the leak with minimal opening up, then the same engineers fix it. The visit is charged by the hour, with any return visit or further work quoted first.
From £110 + VAT (£132 inc VAT), first hourThen charged by the hour
Gas Safe registered · 4.9 average from 229 reviews · £10m insured · 12 month guarantee
Signs of a hidden leak
Hidden leaks rarely show as a puddle. Look for:
- A boiler that keeps losing pressure. A sealed system only loses pressure by losing water.
- A damp patch that grows, or comes back after redecorating.
- A warm patch on the floor, often a hot water or heating pipe below it.
- A water meter that moves with everything turned off.
- A musty smell in one spot.
Any of these is worth a call. The earlier a leak is traced, the smaller the repair.
Tracing before opening up
Water travels along pipes and joists and often surfaces a room away from the fault, so chasing the stain wrecks floors. We establish whether the heating circuit, mains cold, hot supply or waste is losing water, then isolate and test until the evidence narrows to a point. The building is opened where the repair happens.
Some opening up at the fault itself is usually unavoidable, and we say so before we start.
Found, then fixed
The same engineers fix what they find, and the visit ischarged by the hour, with any return visit or further work quoted first. Gas Safe registered, City & Guilds qualified. All work carries a 12 month guarantee and we hold £10 million of public liability insurance.
A leak from a bath seal or behind a kitchen unit becomes abathroom & kitchen plumbing job. Pressure loss traced into the boiler becomes a boiler repair.
What tracing a leak costs
From £110 + VAT (£132 inc VAT) per engineer for the first hour, which covers the call out and finding the fault. After that the visit is charged by the hour, with materials and parking added where they apply. A return visit or further work is quoted first. To see the rate for right now,get a price.
Common questions:what leak detection costs,the signs of a hidden water leak andwhat is charged on top of the hourly rate.
If water is coming through right now
A burst pipe is a different job. Turn the water off at the stopcock, keep electrics away from the wet, and call us. Ouremergency plumbercover runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Blocks, flats and rentals
In blocks and flats, the leak and the damage are often in different homes. In rentals, damp gets reported, nothing obvious is found, and the stain grows back. Both need a proper trace. Our engineers arrange access with tenants directly, and any return visit or further work is quoted to whoever instructed the work before it goes ahead. See ourblock managers andlandlords pages.
We are based in Camden and cover all of London; the full list is on our areas page. Our record, 4.9 average from 229 reviews and 4.95 out of 5 on TrustATrader, is linked fromour reviews page.
The record behind the work
A real job, and the review it earned
Pressure fixed on a top floor bathroom
Water pressure to the top floor bathroom of a house was too poor to use properly. Our engineers fitted in line pumps to the supply, then brought in an electrician, a carpenter and a painter so the customer did not have to find and book three more trades themselves. The work was finished without delay between visits.
Reviews you can check
Rated 4.95 out of 5 on TrustATrader, and 9.95 out of 10 on Checkatrade from reviews left for CJ Plumbing & Heating, one of the two businesses that merged to form Neos. Every review is on a platform we cannot edit, and the links go straight to the originals.
Stars are drawn from each platform’s real score and never rounded up. The average is weighted by how many reviews each platform holds, and uses the lower of the two TrustATrader scores.
Talk to us about a suspected leak
Call, email or get a price. The hourly rate is confirmed when you book. A call out is charged by the hour, and a return visit or further work is quoted first.
Leak detection questions
Do you trace leaks in offices and blocks of flats?
Yes. Leak detection is part of our commercial plumbing work across all of London, in offices, shops and residential blocks, as well as in homes.
My boiler keeps losing pressure. Is that a leak?
Almost always, yes. A sealed system only loses pressure by losing water, often at a joint or valve under a floor, or in the boiler itself. Tracing finds where first.
How can I check for a hidden leak myself?
Turn off every tap and appliance, note your water meter reading, and check again after an hour. If it has moved, water is escaping. For heating leaks, watch the pressure gauge instead.
Will you have to take up floors or open walls?
Usually a little, at the point of the repair itself. Tracing narrows the fault first, so the building is opened where the leak is, not searched at random.
Does insurance cover a hidden water leak?
Many buildings policies cover damage from escape of water, though not always the pipe repair. Check your wording. We trace the leak first, and a repair that needs a return visit or further work is quoted before it goes ahead.