Almost certainly yes. Around 97% of UK buildings insurance policies include trace and access cover (Defaqto), usually with a limit of £5,000 to £10,000 per claim. It pays to find a hidden leak and to reach it, including making good the walls or floors opened up. It does not pay to repair the pipe itself. Check your policy schedule for your exact limit.
A hidden water leak puts you in a strange position: you know something is leaking, your water bill or boiler pressure says so, but nobody can fix what nobody can find. Trace and access is the part of your home insurance built for exactly this moment, and it is one of the most misunderstood covers on the policy. This guide explains what it pays for, what it leaves out, and how to use it properly after a leak.
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What trace and access cover actually pays for
Trace and access covers the cost of locating the source of a leak and getting to it. In practice that means two things:
- The tracing: professional leak detection, including specialist methods such as thermal imaging, acoustic listening and tracer gas, used to pinpoint where the water is escaping without guesswork.
- The access, and making it good: if a wall, floor or tiled surface has to be opened to reach the leak, the cover pays for that work and for reinstating what was removed.
Insurers describe it the same way across the market: Admiral defines it as cover for "the cost of finding the source of the leak", and MoneySuperMarket notes it includes making good the damage caused while locating it. The cover sits inside the escape of water section of a buildings policy, alongside the cover for the water damage itself.
If you want the fuller background on the cover itself, our guide what is trace and access? goes deeper. This article is about the insurance question: whether you are covered, for how much, and how to claim.
What it does not cover
Three gaps catch people out:
- The repair of the pipe itself. Fixing the leaking joint, pipe or fitting is treated as maintenance and normally sits with you. Confused.com and Admiral both spell this out. In practice this is usually the smallest bill of the lot, because once the leak has been pinpointed the plumbing repair is often minor.
- Gradual damage and wear. Policies cover sudden escapes of water, not deterioration that a survey or basic upkeep should have caught.
- The water damage, under this heading. Damaged flooring, walls and belongings are covered under the escape of water and contents sections instead, with their own terms. Trace and access is only the finding and reaching part.
How much cover you get
Trace and access is not unlimited. Policies set a limit per claim, and the common shapes look like this:
| What you might see | What it means |
|---|---|
| £5,000 limit | The most common figure on standard policies |
| £10,000 limit | Increasingly common on mid-range and premium policies |
| Unlimited | Offered by some insurers, usually on higher-tier products |
| Not included | Rare, but it exists. Some budget policies exclude it or sell it as an add-on |
Defaqto's analysis, cited across the comparison sites, puts trace and access in around 97% of UK buildings policies. So the odds are strongly in your favour, but the only answer that matters is the one in your own policy schedule. Look for "trace and access" or "escape of water" in the schedule and the policy wording.
The specialist report insurers want to see
A trace and access claim is settled against evidence: where the leak was, how it was found, what had to be opened, and what it cost. That is why detection companies working with insurance claims produce a written report with photographs and thermal images showing the leak's location and the moisture pattern around it.
Every DCI Leak Detection job includes an insurer-ready trace and access report as standard. It gives your insurer exactly what the claims handler needs, and it gives the loss adjuster, if one is appointed, a clear professional record to work from. Our guide to the loss adjuster visit explains that side of a bigger claim.
Claiming step by step
- Stop the water getting worse. If you can, turn off the internal stop valve, or isolate the heating circuit if the pressure loss points that way.
- Check your schedule. Confirm trace and access is listed, note the limit and the escape of water excess.
- Tell your insurer early. Some insurers send their own contractor; many are happy for you to instruct a specialist and claim the cost back. Telling them first avoids any argument later.
- Get the leak found and documented. The detection visit produces the report, the exact location, and usually a neat access point.
- Keep every invoice. Detection fee, access work, reinstatement. These are what the claim repays, up to your limit.
- Repair the pipe. Usually your own cost, usually the small bill of the lot.
The excess, and whether a small claim is worth it
A trace and access claim normally carries your escape of water excess, which on many policies is set higher than the standard excess. It also goes on your claims record. For a large job, with flooring up and reinstatement to follow, claiming is the obvious call. For a small find with minimal access, it is worth doing the sums: the specialist's fee against the excess plus any effect on your renewal. Our guide to the escape of water excess walks through that decision properly.
Either way, the detection itself is worth doing quickly. Water that keeps escaping does not get cheaper to find, and the damage it causes only spreads.
Frequently asked questions
Is trace and access included in every home insurance policy?
Almost all, but not every one. Around 97% of UK buildings policies include it (Defaqto), and the rest either exclude it or offer it as an add-on. Your policy schedule will say.
How much trace and access cover do I get?
Most commonly £5,000 per claim, with £10,000 on many mid-range policies and unlimited cover on some premium ones. The figure sits in your policy schedule.
Does trace and access pay to repair the leaking pipe?
No. It pays to find the leak and reach it, including making good the access. The pipe repair itself is treated as maintenance and normally sits with you.
Do I need the insurer's permission before calling a leak detection company?
Tell your insurer early. Some appoint their own contractor; many accept a specialist you instruct and repay the cost within the limit. Keep the report and invoice either way.
Will a trace and access claim affect my premium?
It is recorded as a claim, so it can. You will also normally pay the escape of water excess. For small finds, compare the detection fee against the excess and renewal impact before claiming.
Suspect a hidden leak?
DCI Leak Detection finds hidden water and heating leaks across Cornwall and Devon using thermal imaging, acoustic listening and tracer gas, with an insurer-ready trace and access report included on every job. No find, no fee on residential work, subject to terms. Our trace and access service covers the whole process.
Call Dickie on 07822 025 911 Fast response across Cornwall & Devon · Insurance-approved reports