Leak Detection Sydney
Hidden water leaks found with acoustic, thermal and pressure testing, then repaired by the same licensed plumber, usually on the same visit. Sydney-wide from Earlwood, upfront fixed price before any work starts.
No call-out fee in business hours. After-hours, weekend and emergency call-outs carry a call-out fee, always quoted upfront before we dispatch a plumber.
Founded 2017 · No call-out fee in business hours · After-hours emergencies · NSW Licence 311287C · Lifetime labour guarantee
Get the price for your job
Takes 60 seconds. Tell us the job and we call you back with a fixed price, or send a photo through the Instant Quote tool.
- No call-out fee in business hours
- Fixed price before any work starts
- Lifetime Labour Guarantee on every job
Nick or Julie aim to call you back within 30 minutes, 7am to 6pm seven days.
We use these details to price your job and contact you about it. Nothing else.
No call-out fee in business hours · Licensed 311287C · Lifetime Labour Guarantee
Signs of a hidden water leak
- A water bill that jumped for no reason you can see.
- The water meter keeps moving with everything off.
- Damp patches on floors or walls, or bubbling paint.
- A warm spot on a concrete floor, the classic sign of a hot water pipe leaking under the slab.
- Mould or a musty smell that keeps coming back.
- Low water pressure at one tap or all of them.
- The sound of running water when nothing is on.
One might be nothing. Two together usually means a leak.
For taps, toilets and everyday jobs, see our general plumbing page.
How professional leak detection works
We find the leak before anything is opened, so a small job never becomes a renovation.
Pressure testing. We isolate sections of the plumbing (hot, cold, inside, outside, pool, irrigation) and watch a gauge. A drop on a closed section shows which line is leaking. Gas lines get the same test from a licensed gas fitter.
Acoustic listening. Water escaping a pressurised pipe makes a noise. Ground microphones amplify it through concrete, tiles and soil, and the point where it peaks is the leak.
Thermal imaging. An infrared camera shows a leaking hot water line as a warm patch and evaporating moisture as a cool one. It points to the area; another method confirms it before anyone picks up a tool.
Tracer gas, where appropriate. For tiny leaks, plastic pipes that carry sound poorly, or noisy sites, a safe, non-flammable tracer gas in the drained line escapes at the leak and registers on a detector at the surface.
Moisture meters. These map the damp and separate a plumbing leak from rising damp, condensation or a roof problem.
CCTV drain camera. Cracked sewer and stormwater lines leak under slabs too. A drain camera shows the fault and we locate its position and depth from above ground. See blocked drains.
We find it and we fix it
A detection-only service marks the floor and leaves you to find a plumber. Pink Plumbing is a licensed plumbing company, so the plumber who finds your leak can repair it, usually on the same visit: one price, one company responsible for the result. Anything we cannot fix on the spot is quoted before we leave.
Where leaks hide in Sydney homes
Under concrete slabs. Many Sydney homes and unit blocks built from the 1960s on have copper pipes in the slab; movement and corrosion eventually open a pinhole.
Inside walls. Behind showers, mixer taps and cisterns, where a slow leak runs for months before a stain appears.
Underground service lines. Between the water meter and the house, often under driveways and paths.
Pool and irrigation lines. Auto-fill valves hide pool leaks by topping up; irrigation lines leak into garden beds unnoticed.
Hot water lines. Long runs from the heater to the far bathroom, and usually the first to fail.
Unit blocks with shared risers. One riser serves several units, so a leak in one place shows up in another.
Locate first, then a targeted repair
We will not promise that no floor or garden is ever touched: a slab pipe cannot be repaired without reaching it. What we promise is detection first, so the repair is targeted: one tile section lifted, one hole in the yard, in the right place. Sometimes rerouting a new line is cheaper than opening the floor, and we will say so.
Leak detection for strata and real estate
Unit-to-unit leaks are the classic strata dispute: water in the unit below and nobody agreeing where it came from. We locate the source, establish whether the pipe is common property or within the lot, and put it in writing with photos. For strata managers and landlords we prepare water ingress reports for insurers and committees. See strata plumbing and real estate plumbing.
What leak detection costs
No call-out fee in business hours. After-hours, weekend and emergency call-outs carry a call-out fee, always quoted upfront before we dispatch a plumber.
Upfront fixed price before any work starts. You only pay for the work we do. Detection is priced on the size of the property and the lines to test; the repair is priced before we do it.
Burst pipe or water pouring in right now?
That is an emergency, not a detection job. Turn the water off at the meter and call 1300 111 007: our emergency line takes calls after hours too. See also burst pipes.
Why homeowners and strata managers call us
- Licensed NSW plumbers, licence 311287C, fully insured.
- Founded in 2017 by Nick, a Sydney plumber with nearly 20 years on the tools. Four plumbers, 40+ years of combined experience, and every job done or supervised by a licensed plumber.
- Lifetime Labour Guarantee on every job.
- 160+ five-star Google reviews and 5.0 on hipages.
- Based in Earlwood, covering the Inner West, St George, Eastern Suburbs and Sutherland Shire.
Book leak detection in Sydney
Call 1300 111 007. Non-urgent bookings and strata or real estate reports: info@pinkplumbing.com.au.
No call-out fee in business hours. After-hours, weekend and emergency call-outs carry a call-out fee, always quoted upfront before we dispatch a plumber.
Areas we cover
Based in Earlwood, working across the Inner West, St George, the Sutherland Shire, the Eastern Suburbs and the North Shore.
Questions
Leak detection FAQs
How much does leak detection cost?
Leak detection from $545 inc GST, confirmed on site. That covers finding the leak with acoustic, thermal and pressure testing equipment; the repair is then a separate fixed price given before any work starts, and the plumber who finds the leak usually repairs it on the same visit.
How do I know if I have a leak under my slab?
A warm patch on the floor, a jump in your water bill, or a meter that moves with everything off. Note the reading, wait an hour without using water and check again. If it has moved, detection equipment tells us whether the leak is under the slab and where.
Can you find a leak without ripping up the floor?
Yes. Acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging and pressure testing let us pinpoint the leak behind a wall, under a slab or in the garden, so the repair opens one spot, not the whole room.
Will my insurance cover the damage?
Many home policies cover sudden damage from a burst pipe but not a slow leak that has been going for months, so check your policy. We give you photos and a plain written report of what failed and what we did, which is what insurers ask for.
My water bill has jumped. Do I have a leak?
Try the meter test: turn off every tap and appliance in the house, then watch the water meter for 15 minutes. If the dial moves, water is going somewhere. Call us and we locate it without guesswork.
Can you fix the leak on the same visit?
Usually, yes. Our plumbers carry parts for common repairs, so once the leak is located we quote the repair and get on with it. Larger jobs, such as rerouting a hot water line, may need a second visit, quoted before we leave.
Who is responsible for a leak between two units in a strata block?
That depends on whether the pipe is common property or part of the lot, which the strata plan and NSW strata law decide, not who noticed it first. We establish where the leak is and put it in writing with photos, so the owners corporation and insurer can settle it on facts.
Should I replace the flexi hoses under my sinks?
Braided flexible hoses are one of the most common causes of indoor flooding in Sydney homes. Look for rust spots, fraying or bulging; manufacturers generally suggest replacing them every five to ten years. We check every flexi hose during the free plumbing health check that comes with every job.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
No call-out fee in business hours. After-hours, weekend and emergency call-outs carry a call-out fee, always quoted upfront before we dispatch a plumber.
Do you attend emergencies after hours?
Yes, every night from 6pm to 7am. Call 1300 111 007 and the on-call plumber answers, tells you whether we can get to you tonight, and quotes the after-hours call-out fee before we dispatch. We aim to be on site within 60 minutes for emergencies in the Inner West, St George and the Shire.
Which areas do you cover?
From our Earlwood base we cover the Inner West, St George, the Sutherland Shire, the Eastern Suburbs and the North Shore, and greater Sydney for larger jobs. Tell us your suburb and we tell you the real travel time.
Find the leak before you dig
Upfront fixed price before any work starts. You only pay for the work we do. Call 1300 111 007 or send a photo through the Instant Quote tool.
Enquiry received!
We aim to be in touch within 30 minutes.
Need us right now? Call 1300 111 007, seven days.