The cost of fixing a leak in Leicester depends far more on finding and reaching it than on the repair itself. A dripping joint under a sink is usually a quick fix with cheap parts. A leak behind tiles, boxing or under a floor costs more, because of the time to trace it, the access needed and the making good afterwards. Turn the water off, take photos and get a fixed price before any work starts.
Prices at a glance
| Job | Typical price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Visible leak on a joint, valve or waste trap | Fixed price per job | Usually one short visit |
| Washing machine or dishwasher hose, valve or waste | Fixed price per job | Usually one short visit |
| Toilet cistern valve or pan connector leak | Fixed price per job | Usually one short visit |
| Leak behind a bath panel, boxing or kitchen plinth | Fixed price per job | Often a few hours |
| Hidden leak in a wall or under a floor | Priced before any work | Depends on what tracing shows |
| Making good after access (boxing, panels, flooring) | Fixed price per job | Often a later visit, once dry |
What should I do first to limit the damage?
Stop the water, keep it away from electrics and record what you see. Acting in the first few minutes usually saves more money than anything a plumber does later.
You do not always need the main stopcock. Most toilets, basins, washing machines and dishwashers have a small isolating valve on the pipe feeding them. A quarter turn with a flat screwdriver, so the slot sits across the pipe, shuts off just that fitting and leaves the rest of the house working.
- Isolate the fitting or the house
- Isolating valve if there is one; otherwise the stopcock.
- Water near electrics
- Switch off at the fuse box and do not touch wet fittings.
- Sagging ceiling
- Keep everyone out of the room below and call for help.
- Heating system leak
- Turn the heating off; don't keep topping up the pressure.
- Photos and video
- Before you clean up, for the quote and any insurance claim.
- Move valuables
- Lift rugs, furniture and boxes off wet floors.
How does access to the pipes affect the price?
The harder the pipe is to reach, the more the job costs, mainly because of the time to open up and the making good afterwards. A bath panel that unclips is easy. Tiled boxing around a toilet, or a pipe buried in a solid floor, is not.
Sometimes the cheapest fix is not to dig at all. If a pipe buried in a concrete floor or screed is leaking, rerouting a new pipe through the wall or ceiling and capping off the old one can be quicker and less destructive than breaking out the floor. Pipes buried in solid floors are common in many 1960s and 1970s homes around Leicester.
- Bath panels and plinths
- Usually quick to remove and refit.
- Boxing-in
- Often has to be cut open and rebuilt or replaced.
- Tiled walls and floors
- Tiles may break; matching old tiles can be hard.
- Floorboards
- Lift and refix; chipboard sheets are harder to lift cleanly.
- Solid floors
- Rerouting the pipe is often better than breaking out.
- Kitchen units
- Plinths come off; sometimes a unit has to come out.
What parts are usually involved in a leak repair?
Most leak repairs use small, inexpensive parts. The price difference between jobs comes from the labour and access, not from the parts.
A good repair also looks at what's next to the leak. If one compression joint is weeping because the pipework was knocked, the joint beside it may be next. If a washing machine hose has split, the other one is the same age. Replacing a cheap neighbouring part while the water is off is usually better value than a second call-out later.
- Olives and compression fittings
- Brass ring and nut joints on copper pipe.
- Push-fit fittings and pipe inserts
- Common on plastic pipe; replaced rather than repaired.
- Isolating valves
- Replaced when the spindle or body weeps.
- Flexible tap connectors and appliance hoses
- Braided or rubber hoses that perish over time.
- Waste traps and washers
- Under sinks, basins, baths and showers.
- Cistern valves and pan connectors
- Fill valves, flush valves and the toilet-to-waste seal.
- Silicone sealant
- Around baths and shower trays, where water gets under.
Who pays for making good after a leak?
Making good is usually priced separately from the leak repair, and a fair quote says so clearly. It covers putting back what had to be opened up, and repairing what the water damaged.
Wet plaster, timber and ceilings should dry out before they are repaired or redecorated, or stains and mould can come back. That can take days or weeks depending on how wet things got, so making good is often a second visit. A dehumidifier and good ventilation speed it up.
We can refit panels, rebuild boxing and repair simple flooring.
Will my home insurance cover trace and access?
It might. Many buildings insurance policies include 'trace and access' cover, which can pay towards finding a hidden leak and opening up to reach it. Whether you are covered, and how much, depends entirely on your policy.
Before work starts, read the escape of water and trace and access sections, check the excess and call your insurer. Some insurers want to be told before anything is opened up, some send their own contractor, and many exclude damage caused by a leak that has been going on gradually for a long time. The repair to the pipe or fitting itself is often not covered, even when the damage it caused is.
We cannot say what your insurer will pay. What we can do is give you a written fixed price, plus photos of the leak, the cause and the finished repair, which insurers usually ask for.
Can I fix a leak myself?
Some small leaks, yes. Tightening a loose waste trap by hand, swapping a washing machine hose with the valve turned off, or resealing around a bath are reasonable DIY jobs. Anything involving hidden pipework, soldered joints, cutting pipe or water near electrics is better left to a professional.
Plumbing work must meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, which exist to stop leaks, waste and contamination of the water supply. A botched repair under a floor can leak for months before anyone notices. Anything on a gas boiler or gas appliance needs a Gas Safe registered engineer. We do not do gas work.
What should a leak repair quote include?
A clear quote tells you what will be done, what is included and what happens if the job turns out bigger. Compare quotes on those points, not just the total.
We give one fixed price, agreed before work starts. If opening up shows something we could not see in the photos, Norman stops, shows you and prices it separately. Nothing extra is done without your approval.
- The likely cause
- What the installer thinks is leaking, and why.
- Tracing and access
- What will be opened up, and how much.
- Parts
- Listed, so you know what is being replaced.
- Testing
- Checked under normal pressure before it is closed up.
- Making good
- Included, priced separately, or left to you.
- Unexpected finds
- How they will be handled and approved.
Questions
Can a water leak cause electrical problems?
Yes. Water reaching a light fitting, socket or junction box can make the RCD trip or cause damage you can't see. Keep the circuit off until it has dried and been checked. Norman does electrical work as well as plumbing, so both can be checked on the same visit.
Do leak sealant products work?
Sealants added to central heating systems can sometimes slow a tiny weep, but they are not a reliable repair and can clog valves and boiler parts. Tape and putty products are a short-term stopgap at best. Use them only to limit damage until the leak is properly fixed.
Why does my boiler keep losing pressure?
A combi or sealed heating system that keeps losing pressure often has a small leak on a radiator valve or pipe joint, or a fault with the boiler's pressure relief valve. We can check the pipework and radiator valves. Faults inside the boiler need a Gas Safe registered engineer.
How can I tell if a leak is really fixed?
Wipe the joint dry and hold a dry tissue against it after the water has been back on for a while, then check again the next day. If you have a water meter, check it with everything turned off. Stains can take a while to dry, so watch for spreading rather than fading.
How long should I wait before redecorating after a leak?
Until the wall or ceiling is fully dry, which can take anything from days to several weeks. A moisture meter gives a better answer than touch. Use a stain-blocking primer before painting, or old water marks can show through the new paint.
Who pays if the leak is coming from the flat above?
Usually the source of the leak is the neighbour's or freeholder's responsibility, depending on where it is and the lease. Tell them and your insurer straight away, and take photos. The building's insurance may cover the damage. Check your lease, as arrangements vary.