What Is Trace and Access?
The part of your buildings insurance most people have never heard of — until water starts coming through the ceiling.
Trace and access cover pays for finding a hidden leak and making good the access needed to reach it — the repair of the leak itself is usually covered separately, and damage the water caused falls under your main buildings cover. Most, but not all, UK buildings insurance policies include it, so check your policy schedule.
What does trace and access cover actually pay for?
Two things: the professional detection work needed to locate a hidden leak (thermal imaging, acoustic listening, tracer gas), and the cost of opening up and reinstating whatever had to be disturbed to reach it — floorboards, tiles, plaster, a section of wall. It exists because finding a concealed leak is a specialist job, and insurers would rather pay for precise detection than for an exploratory demolition.
How does trace and access work?
Our process runs in four steps. First, moisture mapping: calibrated meter readings establish where the water is and where it is heading. Second, thermal imaging picks up the temperature signature of wet materials and warm pipes. Third, acoustic listening and tracer gas pinpoint the escape point, usually to within a few centimetres. Fourth — and only then — we open up the exact spot that needs it. Nothing is broken open on a guess.
What happens during a trace and access inspection?
Expect the surveyor to ask about the history (when the damp appeared, what your water bill is doing), test the obvious circuits — mains, central heating, waste — and work through the detection steps above. You get a written report stating the cause, the exact location, the evidence, and photographs: the document your insurer or loss adjuster needs to move the claim.
Is trace and access standard on all home insurance policies?
No. Most modern UK buildings policies include it, but not all, and policies set their own limit on how much they will pay. Look for “trace and access” or “home emergency” sections in your schedule, and check the limit before work starts. Cover is policy-dependent — trace and access is may be covered under buildings insurance depending on the policy, but never assume; check the schedule or ask your insurer.
How much does trace and access cost?
Detection is priced per job — it depends on the property and how elusive the leak is — so we quote it on the phone. Where your policy includes trace and access cover, the cost is often recoverable under the claim, and the report we produce is written to support exactly that. Our trace and access leak detection service covers London and Surrey with insurance-ready reports in 24–48 hours, and we can liaise with your insurer or loss adjuster directly. For the detection technology itself, see our leak detection page.
Hidden leak? We find it without tearing up your home — with the report your insurer asks for.