Trace and access is the insurance term for finding a hidden water leak, getting to it, and making good afterwards, as distinct from repairing the damage the water caused. Many UK buildings insurance policies include some trace and access cover, commonly up to a stated limit, but cover varies enormously and you must check your own policy.

We locate hidden leaks using non-invasive methods across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Milton Keynes, and provide a written report you can give to your insurer.

What trace and access actually means

It helps to separate three different things, because insurers do.

• Trace. Finding the leak. Under a solid floor, behind a wall or in a ceiling void, this is skilled diagnostic work with specialist equipment and it can take a substantial part of a day.
• Access. Getting to the leak once you know where it is: lifting a section of floor, cutting into a wall, opening a ceiling. It also covers putting that back afterwards, the making good part.
• The repair and the damage. Fixing the pipe itself is usually a modest plumbing job. Drying the structure, replacing ruined flooring, replastering and redecorating is handled separately, typically under the escape of water section of a policy rather than under trace and access.

That distinction matters, because a trace and access limit applies to finding and reaching the leak, not to repairing the damage, and the two usually sit under different headings with different limits.

An important note on insurance

What we can do is find the leak properly, document it thoroughly, and give you a clear written report of what we did, what we found and where. What your insurer does with that is between you and them.

If you plan to claim, the sensible order is: contact your insurer first, tell them you have a suspected hidden leak, ask what they need and whether they require prior authorisation, then instruct us.

Signs of a hidden leak

• An unexplained rise in your water bill
• A patch of floor warm underfoot, which on a heated floor often means a leak in the heating circuit
• Damp, staining, blistering paint or a musty smell with no obvious source
• A sealed heating system you keep having to top up
• The sound of running water when everything is off
• Lifting flooring, or mould in a corner that was previously fine

How we find leaks without demolishing your house

There is rarely one method that finds every leak. We combine several, because each is good at a different thing and they cross-check each other.

Thermal imaging. A thermal camera reads surface temperature. It is very effective on heating and hot water leaks, where escaping warm water creates a visible plume through a floor or wall, and it also shows the cool signature of evaporating moisture. It is the usual starting point because it touches nothing. Its limit is that it reads surfaces, not depths.

Acoustic detection. Pressurised water escaping from a pipe makes a noise. Ground microphones and contact sensors, filtered to the right frequency range, let an experienced operator hear and localise it through concrete, screed and tile. It is the workhorse method for pressurised pipework. It works less well on very low pressure leaks and on gravity drainage.

Tracer gas. A safe, inert hydrogen and nitrogen mix is introduced into isolated pipework. Being extremely light, it escapes at the leak and rises through screed, flooring and structure, where a sensitive detector picks it up at the surface. Tracer gas finds the leaks the other methods miss, including very small ones and leaks in pipework not under normal pressure.

Moisture meters. Pin and pinless meters map how wet the fabric is across a floor or wall. This does not find the leak on its own, but it maps the spread and helps distinguish a live leak from historic damage.

Pressure testing. Isolating sections of pipework and monitoring for pressure loss shows which circuit is leaking before we hunt for exactly where. On a heating system it separates a leaking pipe from a failed expansion vessel or a discharging relief valve, which look similar and need very different work.

CCTV drain inspection. Where a drain or waste pipe is involved, a camera survey is the right tool. It shows cracks, displaced joints, root ingress, collapses and blockages, and gives you recorded footage with distances.

Your written report

Every trace and access job comes with a written report: the property and date, the symptoms reported, the methods used, the readings and images obtained including thermal images where relevant, our findings, the precise location of the leak, and our recommendation for the repair. It is written to be usable in support of an insurance claim. We cannot promise your insurer will accept it, because that decision is theirs and depends on your policy, but it is documented, evidenced and specific rather than a one-line invoice.

What happens after we find the leak

Access. We open only the area we need. That is the point of spending time on detection: a precisely located leak might mean lifting one section of floor rather than a whole room.

Repair. Most located leaks are straightforward once you can reach the pipe. Where old pipework has failed once and looks likely to fail again, rerouting a section is often the better long-term answer, and we will explain the options rather than decide for you.

Drying. Structural drying is a specialist trade and often arranged by your insurer directly. We will tell you honestly what state the fabric is in.

Making good, reinstating the floor, wall or ceiling we opened, with photographs and notes at each stage if you are claiming.

Frequently asked questions

What does trace and access cover mean on my policy?

It generally refers to the cost of locating a hidden leak, getting access to it, and making good afterwards. It is normally separate from repairing the water damage itself and usually has its own limit. Cover and limits vary between policies, so check your wording or ask your insurer.

Is leak detection destructive?

The detection itself is not. Thermal imaging, acoustic detection, tracer gas and moisture mapping are all non-invasive. The point of using them is that when something does have to be opened up, it is one small area in the right place rather than several in the wrong ones.

Can you deal with my insurer for me?

No. We are not insurance advisers and we cannot make or manage a claim for you. We provide a thorough written report of what we did and found, which you can pass to your insurer. Speak to your insurer before work begins, as some policies require prior authorisation.

Is tracer gas safe to use in my home?

Yes. The mix used is inert, non-toxic and non-flammable at the concentration used, and it disperses naturally. It goes into isolated pipework, not into the room.

How long does leak detection take?

It depends on the property, the construction and how clearly the symptoms point at a location. Some leaks are found in an hour, some take most of a day, particularly under solid floors.

Do you find leaks under concrete floors and underfloor heating?

Yes. Those are exactly the situations these methods exist for, because you cannot simply lift a board and look. Thermal imaging combined with tracer gas is usually the effective pairing on underfloor heating.

Where to next

• Leak detection
• Advice from our engineers
• Talk to a local engineer