Plumbing · Putney, London
Leak Detection & Repair in Putney
[Honest Plumber Putney](/) takes the view that nobody should lift a floor on a guess. A hidden leak is found by method, not by hope, and the call to 07782 232151 starts with working out whether you have a leak at all, where the water is probably travelling and which technique will find it with the least mess.
Telltale signs are small: a water meter that creeps when every tap is off, a brown stain that appears on a ceiling and dries, a boiler that keeps losing pressure, a damp skirting board on an outside wall. Any of them is worth a call. We match you with an independently owned local plumbing company that does diagnostic work and text you its name before it comes.
Published figures show what the search costs. A leak survey with a written report is typically £250 to £750 in the UK, and London guides put a survey at £200 to £450 plus £300 to £1,500 for access and making good. By method, acoustic detection runs about £150 to £400, thermal imaging £150 to £500 and tracer gas £250 to £600. The partner company quotes its own figure in writing.
Putney's pipework makes tracing harder than it looks. West Putney's later-Victorian and Edwardian houses are mostly extended or split into flats, with long concealed runs, early copper and sometimes lead. Lead supply pipes were standard until about 1970. In Roehampton, block risers pass through several flats, and in Barnes the oldest stock includes galvanised and very old copper.
Repair comes second. Once the leak is located, the partner explains what has to be opened, what it will cost and how it will be made good. You should never be asked to approve demolition before you have seen what the survey found.
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Three Ways a Leak Gets Found
The right method depends on what the pipe is doing, not on what the partner owns.
Listening: Acoustic Detection
Sensitive microphones pick up the hiss of pressurised water escaping from a supply pipe, even through a screed or a floor. It suits a leak on mains or cold-water supply and costs roughly £150 to £400 on published UK figures. It is less useful for a slow drip on a drain or on pipe that is not under pressure.
Seeing: Thermal Imaging
A thermal camera shows warm patches where a heating pipe or underfloor loop is losing hot water, or cold patches where damp is spreading. Published UK ranges are about £150 to £500. It is particularly good for central heating leaks behind plaster, a common cause of a boiler dropping pressure. See central heating repair.
Proving: Tracer Gas and Pressure Tests
A harmless gas is pushed through an emptied pipe, and a sensor follows it to the point it escapes. This is the method for a stubborn leak that other tools have not found, and published UK ranges are about £250 to £600. A pressure test alongside it shows whether the system holds, which can rule a leak in or out.
What's Included
What You Get From a Proper Survey
A good survey ends with answers, not another appointment.
A Location You Can Point At
The report marks where the water escapes, on a plan or with photographs, so you know the pipe or the joint before anything is opened.
A Choice About the Repair
Sometimes the answer is a new section of pipe, sometimes a re-routed run that avoids opening a floor at all. You see the options and the written price for each.
Something for the Right Person
If the leak belongs to the freeholder, the water company or a neighbour's flat, the report gives you evidence to send, which is usually what gets them moving.
Tips
Spotting a Leak Before the Bill Does
Small checks catch what a ceiling stain only reveals later.
Check the Meter
If you are metered, this test is free.
- Turn off every tap and appliance in the property
- Read the meter and note the number
- Wait an hour with nothing used, then read again
- A moving dial points to a leak between meter and tap
- Photograph both readings for the partner company
Look for Quiet Clues
These often appear before water does.
- Musty smell in a cupboard or under a stair
- Paint blistering on an external wall
- A boiler pressure that keeps falling below 1 bar
- Warm patches on a floor with no heating pipe above
- A toilet cistern that refills on its own
The Difference
Leaks Look Different Across the Patch
The same stain on the ceiling can mean three different things.
Putney Conversions
In a split Victorian house, water that appears in the flat below is rarely from directly above. Pipework runs sideways through joists, so the partner traces it back before blaming anyone.
Estate Blocks in Roehampton
The Alton Estate's slab blocks have risers serving many flats. A leak on one floor may begin elsewhere, and communal pipework is the landlord's concern, not yours.
Riverside Barnes
Barnes stock includes galvanised and very old copper pipes. Corrosion pits at joints, so the leak you can see is often the first of several, and the partner should say so.
Browse every service or read how the partner network works on How We Work. A fast leak with water pouring in belongs with emergency plumbing.
What Leak Detection Is and Isn't
Leak detection is the process of locating where water escapes from a supply pipe, heating circuit or drain, without guessing and without opening more of the building than necessary. It is a diagnostic service first and a repair second, which is why the report matters as much as the fix.
A repair that starts without a diagnosis is a gamble. Taking the floor up in the wrong place costs money and still leaves the leak, and the water carries on running while you decide what to do next.
Honest Pricing for a Hidden Fault
The Survey Is Often the Cheapest Part
Published UK figures for a survey with a report start around £250 and top out near £750. The larger numbers come from access: lifting boards, cutting plaster and making good afterwards, which London guides put between £300 and £1,500. Ask for the survey and the repair quoted separately so you can compare.
Why We Won't Quote Repair Before the Survey
A quote written before the leak is located is a guess dressed as a price. The partner company assesses first and writes the quote second. If a quote arrives before anyone has looked, treat it with suspicion.
Standards Behind the Repair
Pipe repairs follow the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 and use WRAS-approved fittings, with joints made to the manufacturer's instructions. Where a repair involves the hot water system, Building Regulations Part G applies as well.
What To Do If Nothing Is Found
Occasionally a survey finds no leak. That is a result, not a failure, and it saves you opening anything. The partner explains what was ruled out, whether a repeat check after a few days is worth doing and what to watch in the meantime. A meter that still moves after that is worth a second look, perhaps with a different method.
Straight Answers
How much does leak detection cost in Putney?
Published UK figures put a leak survey with a report at roughly £250 to £750. London guides add £300 to £1,500 for access and making good when floors or walls have to be opened. Acoustic, thermal and tracer-gas methods sit at about £150 to £400, £150 to £500 and £250 to £600. The partner company quotes in writing once it has seen the property.
How do I know whether I actually have a leak?
Turn off every tap and appliance, then read your water meter and wait an hour before reading it again. A moving dial means water is escaping somewhere between the meter and the tap. Other signs are a boiler that keeps losing pressure, damp patches that return and a musty smell with no visible source. Ring us and we will help you narrow it down.
Do you have to dig up my floor to find a leak?
Not usually, and a decent partner company will try the non-invasive methods first. Acoustic listening, thermal imaging and tracer gas can pinpoint most leaks within a small area, so only that patch needs opening. If the floor does have to come up, you should be told where, why and how it will be made good before any cutting starts.
Why is it hard to find leaks in older Putney houses?
West Putney's later-Victorian and Edwardian houses are often extended or split into flats, which leaves long concealed pipe runs passing through joists and walls. Water travels along those runs before it shows itself, so the stain on the ceiling may be metres from the actual fault. Early copper and lead make the pipework more brittle than modern plastic.
Is the leak my responsibility or the water company's?
As a rule, the supply pipe from the boundary to your stopcock is the property owner's responsibility in many cases, while the water main in the street belongs to Thames Water. The survey report tells you where the water escapes, and that determines who is asked to fix it. If the leak is on the supply side, the partner company explains the options in writing.
My boiler pressure keeps dropping. Could that be a leak?
Quite possibly. A sealed heating system loses pressure when water escapes from a radiator valve, a joint under the floor or the boiler itself, and the most common cause is a slow leak you cannot see. Thermal imaging often traces it without opening anything. Do not keep topping up the system without finding out why. Our boiler repair page covers the other causes.
A neighbour's leak is coming through my ceiling. What should I do?
Photograph the damage, note when it started and tell the neighbour or managing agent in writing. A survey on your side can confirm where the water enters and show whether the source is their pipe or a communal one. The partner company's written findings become the evidence you can send. If the water is heavy, treat it as an emergency and ring the line.
Can a leak be repaired the same visit it is found?
Sometimes. A leaking compression joint or a stopcock can often be dealt with straight away, and published London figures put a leaking stopcock replacement at £150 to £300. A leak behind a wall or under screed usually needs a second visit to open up, repair and make good. The partner explains the sequence and the price in writing beforehand.
Will you tell me if a repair is not worth it?
Yes, that is the point of calling the brand Honest Plumber. If a pipe is corroded along its whole run, repairing one pinhole may just move the leak, and replacing the section or re-routing may be the better choice. Pipework should follow the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. The partner lays out both options and their written prices.
Can lead pipes in an old house be repaired?
Lead supply pipes were standard until about 1970, and the 1999 regulations ban lead in new work. The partner company can often repair or replace a section of a lead supply with modern pipe. If a house still has lead throughout, replacing the whole run is worth asking about at the quote stage. The written quote should say exactly what is being replaced.
Do you cover leaks in Barnes and Roehampton?
Yes, together with Putney, West Putney, Putney Heath and East Sheen. Barnes and East Sheen are in Richmond upon Thames and Roehampton is in Wandsworth, which affects who deals with any street-side issue. The Barnes and Roehampton pages cover local housing. Ring 07782 232151 and we send the nearest suitable partner company that does diagnostic work.
What do I do while waiting for someone to arrive?
Turn the stopcock off if water is escaping, open the cold taps to drain the system and switch off the central heating if the leak is on the heating side. Move belongings away from the wet area and photograph the damage. If the leak is slow, you can leave it overnight with a bowl underneath. See burst pipe repair if the leak turns into a flood.
Suspect a Hidden Leak? Ask Before Anything Gets Opened
Trace first, quote in writing, then repair. Call 07782 232151.
07782 232151