Who pays for a supply pipe leak?
The property owner normally pays for private supply pipe work. Supplier assistance and insurance may help, depending on their conditions.
0333 567 2637Seven days a week, 7am to 9pm. Fixed price agreed before anyone travels.
The water company repair scheme
Covers The cost of repairing, and sometimes replacing, a leaking supply pipe.
Some suppliers offer free or assisted repairs, subject to their conditions. Eligibility and access requirements vary. Ask your own supplier about help before arranging private work.
Search your supplier’s site for "free leak repair" or ask them directly when you report the leak.
The leak allowance
Covers The wasted water on your bill.
A metered customer may qualify for an adjustment after a leak is repaired. Your supplier sets the eligibility rules, deadlines and evidence requirements. Ask about water and sewerage charges.
Ask for the leak allowance form at the point you report the leak, and keep both meter readings.
Trace and access on your buildings insurance
Covers Eligible investigation and access costs, within your policy’s terms.
This section exists on many buildings policies to pay for locating the source of an escape of water and reinstating whatever was removed to reach it, usually up to a stated limit. It is not on every policy and the limit varies, so read it or ask the insurer before the work starts.
Ask your insurer whether the policy carries trace and access cover, and what the limit is.
The water company, because it was their pipe
Covers Repair of pipework owned by the water company.
Report a fault on the company’s pipework to them. Reimbursement of a privately commissioned investigation is not automatic; ask what they will agree to cover.
Send them the report as soon as the location is confirmed.
Keep the evidence for your application
A scheme, an allowance, a claim and a refund are all assessed on evidence of what the fault was, where it was, how it was found and what was done about it.
- Meter readings before and after, with dates.
- Photographs of the fault in the ground, before it was covered.
- The methods used and what each one showed.
- What was repaired, in what material, and the pressure test that followed.
- A date, and the name of the engineer who signed it.
ADI provides an investigation report. Keep it with the invoice and readings, and ask the organisation assessing your application what else it needs.
What that looks like in practice
Profecional from the start very polite…
Profecional from the start very polite and helpful on the phone. Plumber name of Brett Steel investigated the leak fully. Found it was not on our property,but still continued investigating, A few days later we got the report, with pictures of meter readings etc. conclusivly proving the leak was the responsibility of the water company. We have had a full rebate of the cost involved. Thank you.
What ADI charges, and what no find no fee means
The investigation is quoted before booking. Confirm the scope, VAT and any additional charges. Access and repair are separate from detection.
No find, no fee has limits, and they matter on a supply pipe
- One qualifying domestic appointment investigating a single leak at one property.
- A minimum loss of 0.5 litres per minute, on water mains up to 30 metres or hot and cold feeds.
- ADI must also be instructed to carry out access and repair.
- Shared supplies, commercial properties and intermittent leaks are among the exclusions.
- The full terms define success and further property, pipework and access restrictions.
This is a summary, not the full set of conditions.Read ADI’s full booking termsand confirm eligibility before booking.
Questions about cost
Will my water company repair the leak for free?
Possibly. Some suppliers offer free or assisted repairs, subject to eligibility, access and the condition of the pipe. There is no universal free first repair. Ask your own supplier about its current scheme before booking private work.
Guidance: Thames Water leak repair conditions; Scottish Water customer leakage guidance.
Can I claim back the cost of wasted water?
If you pay for metered water, you may qualify for a leak allowance after the leak is repaired. The supplier sets the eligibility rules, deadlines and evidence requirements, so a credit is not automatic.
Keep meter readings, the repair invoice and the engineer’s report. Ask your supplier whether water charges, sewerage charges or both can be adjusted.
Guidance: Thames Water leak allowance conditions.
Will home insurance cover the work?
Your policy may cover locating and accessing a leak, damage to underground pipes, or resulting water damage. These are different types of cover; approval for one does not mean every cost is covered.
Ask your insurer about your external supply pipe, the excess, limits, exclusions and any approval needed before work starts. A report can support a claim, but cannot guarantee payment.
Guidance: Financial Ombudsman guidance on underground pipes.
What does the detection visit cost?
We quote for the investigation before booking. Access and repair are separate from detection. Confirm what is included, including VAT, materials and parking, before you agree to the work.
Guidance: ADI full booking terms.
What does no find, no fee cover?
It is conditional, not a guarantee for every job. ADI’s full terms require one qualifying domestic appointment and instruction for ADI to carry out access and repair. They define a successful detection as narrowing the leak to a room or an area of 5 metres by 5 metres.
Shared supplies, commercial properties, intermittent leaks and investigations finding no active pipework leak are among the exclusions. Other property and pipework restrictions apply. Read the full terms and confirm eligibility before booking.
- A single leak at one property, losing at least 0.5 litres per minute.
- Water mains up to 30 metres and hot or cold feeds only.
Guidance: ADI full booking terms.
Get the price before anyone travels
Describe the property and what the meter is doing. You will be told what the visit costs and what it covers, and the repair is quoted separately on the day.
The office team speak to every customer before an engineer is booked, and the engineer who attends is the one who writes the report.
Seven days a week, 7am to 9pm
England, Scotland and Wales. £5 million public liability insurance.