Escape-of-Water Claims: What a Good Plumbing Report Includes

Escape of water is one of the most common causes of home insurance claims, and one of the easiest to get stuck. When the cause of a leak isn't clearly recorded, questions about cover, liability and reinstatement all take longer to answer.

What the report should cover

• The source of the leak: the exact pipe, joint, fitting or appliance, and where it is in the property.
• The likely cause: a failed joint, corrosion, frost damage, a perished seal or accidental damage.
• Whether the leak was sudden or has been developing over time, with the evidence for that view.
• What was done to make the property safe, such as isolating the supply or capping a pipe.
• Photographs of the damaged component before and after repair.
• Any further work needed before reinstatement can begin.

Why the make-safe visit matters

The first attendance shapes the whole claim. An engineer who isolates the water, records what they find and keeps the failed part where possible gives the adjuster far more to work with than a quick fix and an invoice.

Repair or replace?

Where a boiler, cylinder or section of pipework has been damaged, the report should say whether a repair is realistic or replacement is the more sensible option, and why. That recommendation, backed by photographs, helps the claim move forward without a second visit.

Our insurance account holders get findings and photographs with every job, with the claim reference quoted on each invoice.