Find the leak. Write the report. Hand you back a dry house. From your first call to the engineer leaving, the whole thing usually takes under three hours. Here's exactly how every step works.
Step 1 — You Call
You call 020 8050 4690. We ask three things:
- Where you are (postcode is enough)
- What's happening (boiler losing pressure, damp patch, water bill spike, etc.)
- When we can come
We give you a fixed price (£495 + VAT for a standard survey) and book the appointment. If you've called before 11am, we're usually with you that afternoon. Booking confirmation goes to you by text or email straight away.
Time taken: about 30 seconds.
Step 2 — We Arrive
The engineer texts you their ETA on the way. They arrive in a sign-written van with all the detection equipment on board:
- FLIR-grade thermal imaging camera
- Tracer gas detector and hydrogen-nitrogen mix
- Acoustic ground microphone and pipe correlator
- Endoscopic borescope camera
- Calibrated pin and pinless moisture meters
- Pressure testing rig with isolation manifolds
- Repair tools and common spares for first-fix work
Before any testing, we walk through the symptom with you and look at the suspected area together. This is when we confirm the scope — and if anything looks like it's going to be more complex than the standard survey, we tell you before any meter goes on.
Time taken: 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3 — We Confirm There's A Leak
Before going looking for a leak, we confirm one exists. We pressure-test the relevant circuit (heating, hot, cold, or mains) and watch the gauge. A drop confirms the leak and tells us which system it's on. This single step saves homeowners thousands in unnecessary "exploratory" damage — because we don't open anything until we know there's something to find.
Time taken: 15 to 30 minutes.
Step 4 — We Locate It
Now the detection work begins. We use the method (or combination of methods) that's right for the leak type:
- Thermal imaging on heated systems — underfloor heating, hot feeds, central heating pipework — to spot temperature anomalies where water is escaping.
- Tracer gas on pinholes and on pipework where thermal isn't conclusive. The gas escapes where the water does, and our detector pinpoints the spot.
- Acoustic ground microphone for buried mains, supply lines under driveways, and pressurised pipework behind solid walls.
- Endoscopic camera for visual confirmation through a coin-sized access hole.
- Moisture meters to map damp patterns back to source — particularly useful on ceiling stains where the leak is rarely directly above.
Most leaks we pinpoint to within a few centimetres. The whole detection process is non-invasive — we don't lift floors, chase walls or break tiles to look for the leak. The only access we cut is where we actually need to make the repair.
Time taken: 45 to 90 minutes, depending on complexity.
Step 5 — We Show You
Once we've found it, we show you exactly where the leak is and what we think caused it. We answer your questions, talk through repair options, and tell you honestly whether it's something we can fix in this visit or whether it needs a separate scheduled appointment.
You decide what happens next. Nothing more is touched without your say-so.
Time taken: 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 6 — We Repair (Where Possible)
Where the leak is accessible and the repair is straightforward, we do it that day. That's covered by the £495 survey fee — no second invoice, no second callout.
Typical first-fix repairs we complete on the day:
- Replacing a small section of leaking copper or plastic pipe
- Re-soldering or re-pressing a failed joint
- Replacing a failed radiator valve or olive
- Repairing a leaking soldered fitting on visible pipework
- Re-sealing an accessible compression joint
If the repair is bigger — replacing a length of buried mains, lifting screed to reach underfloor heating pipework, replacing a hot water cylinder — we quote that separately and book the work in.
Step 7 — We Document Everything
Whether we've repaired the leak or not, the survey ends with a written trace and access report. It includes:
- The address surveyed and the date
- The reported symptom and what you told us
- The methods we used (and why)
- Thermal imaging photos and moisture readings where relevant
- The leak location, expressed in plain English and with measurements
- The cause, where we can determine it
- Our recommendation for repair, with cost
- An itemised invoice
The report lands in your inbox within 24 hours. It's formatted to be submitted directly to your buildings insurer as evidence of the leak's location — which is what your policy's "trace and access" clause requires.
Step 8 — We Follow Up
If you've asked us to liaise with your insurer or claims handler, we do that. If you're waiting on a decision, we chase them. And the 12-month leak-free guarantee starts the day the repair is completed — if anything comes back, you have one phone call to make.
Total time on site: typically 90 minutes to 3 hours.
What You Need To Do
Honestly, very little. Please:
- Be at the property (or arrange access)
- Clear access to suspected leak areas — under sinks, around the boiler, near floor hatches
- Tell us about any recent building work or known hazards
- Secure pets and keep children out of the working area
Everything else is on us. To book, call 020 8050 4690.