How much does leak detection really cost in Sydney?

Detecting a water leak in Sydney metro costs between $300 to $500 for the first hour. A lower hourly fee ranging between $200 to $250 applies after the initial hour for more complex leaks. There are a few factors to consider when choosing the right leak detection company for your needs and although the use of specialist leak detection equipment is a huge differentiator, it doesn’t really matter if it is in unexperienced and untrained hands. Most Sydney water leak detectors charge in 30 minute increments after the first hour, instead of the full hour, whilst traditional plumbing companies claim to have a flat fee or free* if the service is not provided the same day. Always read the terms carefully as the term ‘free’ rarely applies in practice and many users end up getting caught paying far more than initially budgeted for. 

Leak detection in Sydney costs between $300 to $500 for the first hour and up to $900 for complex leaks that are hard to access. The final price may vary depending on your location.

There are over a thousand plumbing businesses listed in the Sydney region in Google Maps. A very large number also claim to be leak detection experts, but are they? As you’ll see here, owning specialist leak detection equipment does not automatically translate into being a leak detection expert. The truth is that the plumbing and leak detection industry has evolved, and right now is in a bipolar phase – Sydney customers find themselves either delighted or extremely frustrated.

As industry leaders in Sydney Leak Detection we have seen the transformation of the plumbing industry over the past 20 years, and more rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to uncover some industry secrets to help you understand and navigate the digital maze and ensure you are well equipped to engage the right leak detection company for your needs or jump straight to the Goldilocks: Insider Guide to Engaging the Right Leak Detection Specialist in Sydney.

How are leak detection customers feeling in Sydney?

Delighted customers

A leak has been successfully located and was able to fix it without major complications or additional and unforeseen fees. Due to better and more accessible leak detection equipment, the level of unnecessary property damage in Sydney continues to decline. However, in many cases, intrusive work is still required to complete the repairs. The outcome for some property owners is largely positive having to spend less fixing collateral damage compared to the old days. Although there is still plenty of room for greater accuracy, in the past decade there has been a leap in plumbing and leak detection services compared to traditional plumbing methods.

Frustrated customers

Many property owners continue to spend time, money, and emotion engaging multiple contractors that have not succeeded and the plumbing or building leaks continue to go undetected, specially those linked to heavy downpours and severe storms with driving rain. A portion of customers are worse off having to repair more holes in the wrong places or replace structures that were not the actual problem: a new roof, a re-tiled and re-waterproofed balcony. With an increasing number of plumbing businesses claiming to be leak detection experts, it has been a tough journey figuring out how water is getting into their properties.

Plumbers vs. Leak detection specialists: The evolution and true leak detection cost 

Plumbers vs. Leak detection specialists:
The evolution and true cost in Sydney

1 Untrained leak detection operators

Most all-rounder plumbers in Sydney charge between $60 to $160 per hour. To be a licensed plumber you need TAFE certification and a valid licence by the Department of Fair Trading. However, there is no licensing or formal training requirement to purchase and operate specialist leak detection equipment. This has led to more leak detection instruments in the market but not necessarily more trained, or skilled contractors. Due to the steep learning curve, semi-used leak detection equipment is listed for sale from time to time in popular market places.

2 Leak detection tech adoption during COVID-19

It has been well documented that during the pandemic many people, as well as businesses, had a reflective period and used the quiet, yet tumultuous time, to evaluate their personal goals resulting in a dramatic change of direction or subtle adjustments. Some contractors, specially sole traders and small business owners, had the opportunity to dedicate more efforts to research and learn more about their careers, the construction and plumbing industries. This in turn, may have led to new discoveries around the possibilities in leak detection techniques in Australia and worldwide. New ideas, new horizons, new ideals were forged and some businesses purchased leak detection equipment in their efforts to innovate.

The trend impacted supply and demand  and new pain-points have emerged. Motivated but unskilled technicians and businesses pressure to recoup the investment are recurrent themes. Conversely, well established companies on high stand focus on introducing new technologies to their leak detection arsenal whilst also gaining further certifications such as water restoration, mould accreditations, and other closely related areas to continue their dominant positions in the leak detection field.

3 Inconsistent quality in leak detection

How do you know if the lead technician or the young apprentice may knock at your door?.

There are many newcomers into the leak detection field that identified themselves as Millennials and Gen Z who have grown in a digital and progressive society where the adoption of high-end tech is no barrier to entry. Many are self-thought in various disciplines expanding from radio location, electronics, frequencies, thermography, acoustics, and other forms of engineering. The problem are not necessarily the self-starters but the inconsistencies in the market place regarding calibre, experience, and skill. Similarly, long-term maintenance plumbers may lack the knowledge and experience of modern constructions or complex plumbing systems to make a swift transition into  leak detection. Choosing the right leak detection company fit for your needs involves careful sifting through the glossy marketing and jackpot offers. 

4 Leak detection discounted pricing

Some plumbers organically pivoted towards leak detection, more often than not, driven by the needs of their client base. Others, however, have chosen to focus on leak detection as the more profitable plumbing stream. In turn, the conventional tradie model and business practices have remained mostly the same: charging by the hour, with or without call out fees.  The advertising tactic is also largely the same: offer a low rate to gain customers attention, charge for add-ons, either take longer to complete the job to increase billable hours, or worse abort the leak detection investigation altogether if there’s low confidence in finding the leak. 

Typical attention grabbing headlines include: No call out fees, $0 call out, fixed pricing, book a free inspection today, we’ll beat any quote by 12%…. You get the idea. This model typically benefits from quickly moving trades from job to job. This may also explain the more recent explosion of more aggressive price-led campaigns between plumbers turned leak detection experts.

5 Reputable expertise

In your engagements with truer leak detection specialists you may find them to have a more inquisitive approach with a more genuine interest in understanding the problem before they even come to you. Professional leak detectors tend to be small business owner operators, a niche group with a vested interest in building a solid reputation. Besides servicing homeowners throughout Sydney, they also have the capability for long-term B2B relationships with Strata, commercial facilities, real estate agencies, whilst also partnering with other building professionals such as plumbers, builders, engineers, and building consultants to help them find leaks fast and accurately.

Goldilocks: An Insider Guide to choosing the right leak detection specialist in Sydney

How to engage the right leak detection company?

In a digital age every business looks amazing with little differentiation between contractors. Everyone claims to be a leak detection expert, a leak detection specialist, or the best water leak detector in Sydney. How do you choose the one with the right fit for your job?  We think the Goldilocks approach works best.

The 4 Rs below may provide some guidance, a cheat sheet, to choosing a reputable leak detection company in Sydney: Review, Referral, Research, and Ring. If in doubt, get in touch to walk through your individual scenario.

1 Review

  • Is this an emergency? If so, please call 000, the Fire brigade, SES, Sydney Water, or an Emergency plumber.
  • Defining the problem as objectively and calmly as you can is the first step towards determining who is best positioned to assist you. The options are from your local plumber, Sydney Water, your home insurer, an engineer, a leak detection specialist with plumbing and building expertise. When contacting someone for help be as descriptive as possible. Whilst on the phone or via email the response may see short or uninterested to you, do not take it personally, finding and fixing water problems is what they do.

To get the right help try to answer these questions clearly before you pick up the phone:

  • Is this your home, an apartment, a commercial building, a medical practice, a business suite?
  • What makes you think you have a water leak?  
  • Has a flexi-hose burst and flooded the property? 
  • Can you see water escaping or dripping?
  • Can you hear hissing sounds, if so Where? 
  • Is water ponding or streaming outside or inside the property?
  • Is your water bill higher than usual?
  • Is the building old or new and is already leaking? 
  • Who first reported the leak – the owners, tenants, other?
  • Is there any damage?
  • Where is the damage in the ceiling, wall, carpet, timber flooring?
  • What is adjacent or above the damaged area, a balcony, bathroom, the roof, a window, the shower, sliding doors?
  • Has this happened before or is it the first time?
  • Does the leak appear to be related to plumbing or a building defect?

2 Referral

Speak to your contacts and your social networks. You’ll be surprised how many people may have dealt with a similar situation previously, or know someone that has, and may be able to give you a recommendation or point you in the right direction.

3 Research

Reaching out to Google is likely to leave you a tad overwhelmed with options which can be good and bad. Read a little and make a short list of names and phone numbers. In parallel you may want to ring your insurance company to find out more about the options available to you under your insurance policy.

2 Ring

The fastest way for you to ask questions and get answers relevant to your case is to phone the plumber or leak detection specialist to understand the services they provide, the equipment at hand, the fee structure, payment methods, their attitude towards customer service, and their availability.

How much does a leak detection inspection cost?

To conclude, the cost of leak detection services in Sydney ranges between $300 to $500 for the first hour plus a lower hourly fee between $100 to $250 after the first hour often charged in half hour increments. There is no standard of equipment, quality, or training in Sydney, therefore always read the terms carefully and get past the glossy offers to avoid getting caught with a high bill, or worse, a few high bills and no answers. 

Read more about the specialist leak detection equipment, what they do, and how testing in tandem with various instruments is the most reliable method to detect a plumbing or building water leak.

Get in touch for a free over the phone consultation

The team at Sydney Leak Detection also collaborate with a large network of plumbers, building consultants, engineers and insurance loss adjusters to provide a wide range of water leak specialist services from plumbing issues to storms, rain and building leaks.