Plumbing and leaks

The short answer

Leaks range from a dripping joint to a burst pipe that damages several flats. The first steps are the same: stop the water at the stopcock, contain the damage, then find the source. In tenements, a leak often crosses ownership boundaries, so establishing where the failure occurred matters for insurance as much as for the repair itself.

What the work involves

Isolating the supply, tracing the leak (sometimes with moisture meters or thermal imaging), repairing or replacing pipework, joints, cylinders or appliance connections, and then drying out and reinstating finishes.

Rules and consents in Scotland

No warrant is needed for repair. Unvented hot water cylinders must be installed and serviced by a suitably qualified person. Insurers usually require the source to be identified before settling an escape-of-water claim.

What commonly goes wrong

Redecorating a stained ceiling before the leak above has been confirmed as fixed and the structure has dried.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

• An emergency call-out costs more than a booked appointment, particularly out of hours.
• Leak detection using thermal imaging or acoustic equipment is an additional but often worthwhile cost in a flat.
• Drying equipment hire and reinstatement usually exceeds the plumbing repair itself.
• Escape of water is one of the most common household insurance claims, so check your policy excess before claiming.

What to do, in order

1. 1Locate and label your stopcock now, before you need it.
2. 2Turn the water off and contain the leak.
3. 3Tell the flat below and, in a tenement, the factor if there is one.
4. 4Get the source identified before any repair or redecoration.
5. 5Notify your insurer early if damage extends beyond your own property.
6. 6Allow proper drying time before reinstating plaster and decoration.

Local detail for the Lothians

• In Edinburgh tenements a leak commonly affects two or three flats, and liability depends on whether the failed pipe served one flat or is common property under the title deeds.
• Older lead and iron pipework survives in some pre-1919 Edinburgh property and is more prone to failure at joints.
• Factored blocks in Leith and the New Town usually have a block insurance policy covering common parts, separate from each owner's contents cover.
• Unheated tenement stairwells and loft spaces are where pipes most often freeze and burst in a cold snap.

When you need a professional

A plumber for the repair; a leak detection specialist where the source is hidden; a loss adjuster or surveyor where multiple flats and insurers are involved.

Common questions

Who pays when a leak damages the flat below?

It depends on where the failure was and what the title deeds say about common property. Insurers usually resolve it between them once the source is established.

Should I claim on insurance for a leak?

Compare the likely repair cost against your excess and the effect on future premiums, but notify the insurer early where other properties are affected.

Related pages

• Central heating repairs

  Cold radiators, noisy systems, power flushing and control upgrades.

• Damp problems

  Telling penetrating damp, condensation and rising damp apart before spending money.

• Boiler servicing and repairs

  Annual servicing, common faults and when replacement makes more sense.