PBD
Leak Detection Division
All Divisions 0203 336 7362
Division 03 · PBD Leak Detection

Specialist leak detection.

Non-invasive leak tracing using gas tracer and acoustic equipment to pinpoint hidden water leaks — then targeted excavation and repair, with minimal damage to your property.

Call 24/7 Request Quote
Going through insurance? See our claim hub
PBD Leak Detection logo
Do you need leak detection?

Most hidden leaks show subtle signs.

Leak detection is a specialist service — and most people don’t realise they need it until they’re losing water without a visible cause. If you’ve spotted any of these signs at home or work, it’s likely you have a hidden leak.

A letter from your water company about increased water usage, a meter reading discrepancy or losing “x amount” of water per hour.

Your water bill has spiked with no change in how much water you actually use.

Your water meter is ticking even when every tap, appliance and toilet in the property is off.

Damp patches, mould or stains appearing on walls, floors or ceilings with no obvious cause.

Audible water running inside walls, under floors or behind tiles when nothing is in use.

Warm patches, soft ground or sinking earth outside — usually a sign of a buried supply pipe or drain leak.

If any of these sound familiar, you likely have a hidden leak — and that’s exactly what we find. Non-invasively, quickly, and with a clear written report.

Take the 60-Second Leak Test

Got a visible leak, burst pipe or active flood instead? That’s an emergency for our Plumbing division — they’ll isolate the leak and stop the damage first, then we can locate the source if needed.
What we cover

Leak detection services in detail.

Find the leak. Fix the leak. Without tearing your home or premises apart.

Gas Tracer Detection

Inert gas pumped through pipework escapes at the leak point and is detected at the surface.

Acoustic Leak Location

Specialist listening equipment picks up the sound of water escaping under floors, walls and slabs.

Water Supply Diagnostics

Pressure testing, flow rate analysis and meter monitoring to isolate the source of water loss.

Thermal Imaging

Heat signatures reveal hidden moisture trails and damaged pipework behind walls and ceilings.

Excavation & Repair

Once located, targeted excavation reaches the leak with minimal disruption to surrounding ground or surfaces.

Insurance Reports

Full written documentation and photographic evidence to support home and commercial insurance claims.

Cost of a Hidden Leak

What is that leak costing you?

Most hidden leaks add hundreds — sometimes thousands — to your annual water bill. Pick the closest match below to see an estimate.

6 months 1 month → 2 years
Estimated annual cost
£110
A steady drip wastes around 43,800 litres a year.
Water lost so far 21,600 litres
Equivalent to 270 baths
Survey pays for itself in 54 months
Book a Leak Detection Survey

Estimates based on combined UK water and sewerage rates of approximately £2.50 per m³. Actual costs vary by region and supplier. Long-running hidden leaks often qualify under your home insurance trace and access cover — see our insurance hub below.

Pricing

Clear, upfront pricing.

Three survey options, priced by the property and the scope of the work.

Property Survey · Standard
£500
+ VAT
Full leak detection survey, internal and external. Suitable for properties up to 5 bedrooms.
Property Survey · Large
£800
+ VAT
Full leak detection survey, internal and external. For larger properties of 6 to 10 bedrooms.
External / Mains Water
£330
+ VAT
External water supply pipe and mains water leak detection — for buried supply pipe leaks and rising main investigations.

Every survey includes a written report with detection findings. Repair work is quoted separately after the leak is located — see our FAQ below for how the two-stage process works. Same-day appointments available for urgent cases.

Insurance Claim Hub

Going through your insurance?

Most UK home insurance policies include “trace and access” cover for hidden leaks — typically £5,000 to £10,000 within an “escape of water” claim. We work with all major UK insurers and provide the documentation they need to settle.

01

Call your insurer first

Register the claim and get a claim reference number. Ask about your “trace and access” cover limit so you know what’s included.

Most policies cover the cost of locating the leak as well as the damage caused by it.

02

Book us to locate the leak

We carry out the survey non-invasively using acoustic, gas tracer and thermal imaging equipment. No tearing up floors or walls to find the source.

You receive a detailed written report with our findings, ready for your insurer.

03

Submit and settle

Forward our report and invoice to your claims handler. Most insurers process “trace and access” reimbursements quickly when the documentation is complete.

If repair work is needed, we quote that separately so you can submit it to the same claim.

What’s typically covered

  • Trace and access — cost of locating the leak.
  • Reinstatement — putting back any flooring, walls or ceilings disturbed during access.
  • Resulting water damage — drying out, decoration and repair of damage caused by the leak.
  • Alternative accommodation — if the property is uninhabitable during repairs (policy dependent).

What we provide for your claim

  • Detailed written report with location of the leak and our findings.
  • Thermal imaging photos showing temperature anomalies and moisture mapping.
  • Acoustic and tracer gas readings documenting the detection method used.
  • Itemised invoice with VAT, ready to submit to your claims handler.
Insurance questions, answered
Will my insurer pay for the leak detection survey?+

In most cases, yes — under the “trace and access” section of your home insurance policy. Cover limits vary (typically £5,000–£10,000), so it’s worth checking your policy wording or asking your insurer when you register the claim.

We’d still recommend paying our invoice up front so the survey can go ahead without delay. You then claim reimbursement from your insurer using our report and invoice.

Do I have to use my insurer’s “approved” contractor?+

No. You’re free to instruct a leak detection specialist of your choice. Some insurers will suggest one of their network providers, but you’re not obliged to use them.

What matters is the quality of the report. Our documentation is accepted by every major UK insurer we’ve worked with.

Will making a claim increase my premium?+

That depends on your insurer and your claims history — we can’t advise on it directly. As a rough guide, a single escape-of-water claim within a clean history rarely causes a large increase, but multiple claims over a short period can.

If you’re unsure, call your insurer and ask before you formally register the claim — they can often quote the likely impact.

What if my claim is rejected or capped below the cost?+

If your “trace and access” limit is lower than our invoice, your insurer will reimburse you up to the policy limit and the balance falls to you. Our pricing is transparent up front so there are no surprises.

If a claim is rejected outright, we can review the report with you to see whether anything else can be submitted. We don’t deal with insurers directly on your behalf, but the documentation we provide is designed to make claims as straightforward as possible.

How long does the claim process usually take?+

From our side, a survey is typically completed in a single visit and the report issued within 24–48 hours.

Reimbursement from the insurer varies, but most “trace and access” payments settle within 2–4 weeks once all documentation is in. Repair work is normally quoted and approved as a separate stage.

One important note: always register the claim with your insurer before instructing repair work — that’s a condition of most policies. Locating the leak via a survey is generally fine to instruct directly. If you’re not sure, give us a quick call and we’ll talk you through the order things should happen in.
Recent work

A glimpse of our leak detection.

A small selection of recent jobs across our coverage area.

Acoustic detection
Acoustic detection · Chigwell
Thermal imaging
Thermal imaging · Camden
Gas tracer
Gas tracer · Hertford
Targeted excavation
Targeted excavation · Bishop’s Stortford
Why choose us

Since 2019. Thousands of satisfied clients.

— 01

Same-Day Appointments

Same-day visits available for urgent cases, next-day as standard across our coverage area. For active emergencies, our Plumbing division responds first.

— 02

Clear Pricing

Upfront estimates before any work begins. No hidden fees, no surprise invoices.

— 03

Fully Accredited

CAT, CHAS, WaterSafe, CIPHE & NADC Approved — fully qualified engineers across plumbing, drainage and leak detection.

— 04

WaterSafe Approved

On the WaterSafe approved plumber register — the UK national scheme verifying competence for water supply, mains and external leak investigations.

Customer Reviews

What our clients say.

Real reviews from real customers across Essex, London and the South East.

★★★★★
Google Review

Two other firms tried to find a leak under our kitchen floor and failed. PBD Leak Detection found it in under an hour with acoustic equipment — saved us thousands in unnecessary excavation.

James & Olivia P.
Chigwell, IG · Acoustic Detection
★★★★★
Google Review

Insurance wanted full documentation of a hidden leak before they’d settle. PBD provided detailed reports, thermal images and pipework photos — claim went through without a hitch.

Mark H.
Bishop’s Stortford, CM · Insurance Claim
★★★★★
Google Review

Water bill suddenly tripled. PBD pinpointed a buried supply leak in the front garden using gas tracer, dug a small section, repaired it cleanly. Bill back to normal next month.

Linda S.
Hertford, SG · Gas Tracer Detection
★★★★★
Google Review

Ceiling stain in our flat from upstairs — managing agent wanted proof before authorising repairs. PBD’s thermal imaging gave us exactly what we needed. Genuinely impressed.

Aaron M.
Camden, NW · Thermal Imaging
Frequently Asked

Common leak detection questions.

Quick answers to the things customers ask us most often.

How do you find leaks without digging up my home? +

We use a combination of acoustic listening equipment, inert gas tracer detection and thermal imaging to pinpoint the exact location of a leak through walls, floors and slabs — without invasive work.

Once the source is located, any necessary excavation is targeted to that exact spot, often a small section rather than tearing up whole rooms or driveways.

How much does a leak detection visit cost? +

Pricing depends on the scope and equipment required. We’ll give you a clear, fixed quote before any work begins — no surprises, no hidden charges.

For most domestic leaks the detection visit pays for itself many times over compared to the cost of unnecessary excavation or ongoing water bills.

What happens after you locate the leak? +

Detection and repair are quoted as two separate stages. Once we’ve pinpointed the leak, we’ll give you a clear written quote for the repair work needed — with no obligation to proceed.

Most repairs require some form of targeted excavation to reach the pipe, even after non-invasive detection. We keep this as minimal as possible by working only at the precise leak location.

For straightforward leak repairs our PBD Leak Detection team handles the work directly. For more involved repairs — or where the leak is on a domestic supply, heating system or wider plumbing — we link with our plumbing division so it’s handled as a joined-up service. You only ever deal with one company, one quote, one job.

Will you damage my property to find the leak? +

No — detection itself is fully non-invasive. We use acoustic, gas tracer and thermal imaging equipment that locates the leak without touching walls, floors or driveways.

Repair work afterwards is quoted separately and may involve targeted excavation to reach the pipe (see the question above) — but we always take the most minimal-disruption route available and leave the area tidy.

Can your reports be used for insurance claims? +

Yes. We produce detailed written reports with thermal images, equipment readings and pipework documentation — suitable for home, landlord and commercial insurance claims. Most insurers accept our documentation directly.

How long does a typical detection visit take? +

Most domestic leak detection visits take between 1 and 3 hours, depending on property size and the complexity of locating the leak. We’ll give you a realistic estimate when you book.

Why is my water bill suddenly high? +

An unexplained spike usually means a hidden leak somewhere in your water supply — often a buried supply pipe, a leak under a slab, or a slow drip behind a wall. These rarely show themselves until significant damage has been done.

A leak detection visit can confirm the cause within hours and put a stop to ongoing water loss.

Coverage Check

Do we cover your area?

Enter your postcode and we’ll tell you instantly.

Primary coverage: CM · RM · SS · N · E · EN · IG · AL · SG · CB · CO · NW · WD · IP
Other postcodes — subject to availability & a travel charge.

Suspect a hidden leak?

Our PBD Leak Detection specialists can locate the source today across Essex, London and the South East — without digging up your home to find it.

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