Emergency leak detection in Sussex, Surrey & London
An active escape of water causes more damage in an afternoon than a slow leak does in a year. Ceilings come down, floors lift, and electrics become genuinely dangerous. The first priority is stopping the flow; the second is finding out where it came from before the drying starts.
We run a genuine 24 hour line, not an answering service, and we do not add an emergency premium to the hourly rate. Out of hours costs more because the rate for that time of day is higher, and that rate is published on our pricing page.
Our approach
How we find emergency leaks
These are the methods we would normally work through on this kind of job, in this order, stopping as soon as the evidence agrees on one point.
- 1
Thermal imaging camera survey
Water moving where it should not changes the temperature of everything it touches. A thermal camera renders those differences as an image, so a leak under a solid floor shows up as a shape long before it shows up as a stain. It is completely passive: nothing is drilled, lifted or cut to take the reading.
- 2
Moisture mapping and salts analysis
Damp on its own does not tell you where water came from. Rising ground moisture leaves nitrate and chloride salts behind; a burst pipe does not. Testing the salt content of a plaster sample separates a plumbing leak from rising damp or condensation, which is often the difference between a valid insurance claim and a rejected one.
- 3
Borescope inspection
When every non-invasive method points at the same spot, a borescope gives visual confirmation before anything is properly opened up. The access hole is small enough to fill and touch in with a dab of filler, which is why we always try it before lifting a floor or cutting a ceiling.
- 4
Tracer dye testing
Ideal where several possible sources share the same wet patch. A shower tray, a waste trap and a heating pipe can all end up on the same ceiling; dosing them one at a time and watching where the dye emerges answers the question definitively rather than by elimination.
What happens
Trace, access, repair, prove
The same four stages on every job, whether it is a weeping joint or a mains supply pipe under a driveway.
- 1
Trace
Non-invasive survey of the whole affected area. We rule systems out as well as in, because knowing what is not leaking is half the evidence.
- 2
Access
One opening, in the right place, as small as the job allows. Usually a borescope hole first, and a larger opening only if the repair needs it.
- 3
Repair
The fault fixed on the same visit wherever it can be, guaranteed for 12 months. Anything larger is quoted at a fixed price before we start.
- 4
Prove
The circuit re-pressurised and held, moisture readings taken again, and the whole job written up with dated photographs and calibrated readings.
Pricing
Published rates, no call-out fee
Charged by the half hour with a half an hour minimum, and no premium for an emergency. All prices exclude VAT at 20%.
- Weekdays7am – 6pm, Monday to Friday£54.00+ VAT
- Evenings & weekends6pm – 9pm weekdays, plus all day Saturday and Sunday£69.75+ VAT
- Late night9pm – 7am, every day£90.00+ VAT
Questions
Emergency leak detection: your questions
What should I do first while I wait for you?
Turn off the water at the internal stop tap, which is usually under the kitchen sink or in a downstairs cupboard. If water is anywhere near lights or sockets, turn the electricity off at the consumer unit. Do not stand under a bulging ceiling. Then take photographs of everything, because your insurer will ask for them.
How quickly can you actually get to me?
We target one hour across our Sussex, Surrey and London coverage. Traffic and time of day affect that, so we give you a realistic arrival window on the call rather than an optimistic one.
Do you charge more at night or at weekends?
There is no surcharge for the emergency itself. The hourly rate does vary by time of day, and all three tiers are published in full on our pricing page before you book.
Related services
- Water leak detectionThe core survey: we find the exact source of any escape of water in your property without lifting floors or opening walls on a guess.
- Ceiling leak detectionWater travels along joists before it drops. The stain is almost never directly under the fault.
- Leak repairFind and fix in one visit wherever possible, with the repair pressure tested and proved before we leave.
Emergency leak detection near you
We cover 74 towns, cities and boroughs across Sussex, Surrey and London.
Sussex
Need emergency leak detection?
Call 01273 123 5050 for free advice, or book a survey online. No call-out fee, and we will tell you honestly if you do not need us.