Trace and access reports for insurance claims in Sussex, Surrey & London
Almost every UK buildings policy includes trace and access cover: the insurer will pay the cost of finding a leak and getting to it, as well as the damage the water caused. Most people never claim it, because they do not know it exists or because their evidence is not good enough.
A claim succeeds or fails on documentation. Our reports set out the date and conditions, the methods used, calibrated moisture readings, thermal and photographic evidence, the precise location and cause of the failure, and a schedule of what is required to access and reinstate. That is written to be read by a claims handler, not by a plumber.
Our approach
How we find trace and access reports for insurance claims 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
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
Tracer gas testing
Hydrogen is the smallest molecule there is, so it finds its way out of a crack far too small to see and rises straight up through concrete, screed and soil. We sweep the surface with a sensitive detector and the reading spikes directly over the breach. The gas mix is non-toxic, non-flammable at the concentration used, and leaves nothing behind.
- 4
CCTV drainage survey
Where waste water is escaping rather than supply water, the fault is usually a cracked, displaced or root-invaded drain. The camera carries a sonde so we can mark the position of the defect on the surface above, and the footage doubles as evidence for an insurer or a neighbour dispute.
- 5
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.
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
Trace and access reports for insurance claims: your questions
What is trace and access cover?
It is the section of a buildings policy that pays for locating the source of an escape of water and for the damage caused by getting to it, such as lifting a floor or opening a wall. It is separate from the cost of repairing the damaged property, and limits commonly sit between five and fifteen thousand pounds.
Should I claim before or after you attend?
Notify your insurer as soon as you are aware of the damage, because most policies require prompt notification. You do not need their permission to instruct a detection specialist, and having a proper report ready usually speeds the claim up rather than slowing it down.
Will my insurer accept your report?
Our reports are written to the evidence standard loss adjusters work to: calibrated readings, dated photographs, a stated methodology and a clear causation finding. If a handler comes back with questions we will answer them directly rather than leaving you in the middle.
Does claiming affect my premium?
It can, and that is your decision to weigh. What we can tell you is the actual scale of the damage and the likely cost of putting it right, so you are choosing with real numbers rather than guessing.
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.
- Damp and mould surveysEstablishing whether you have a leak, rising damp, penetrating damp or condensation, because the fix for each is completely different.
- Leak repairFind and fix in one visit wherever possible, with the repair pressure tested and proved before we leave.
Trace and access reports for insurance claims near you
We cover 74 towns, cities and boroughs across Sussex, Surrey and London.
Sussex
Need trace and access reports for insurance claims?
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.