Leak detection in Cape Town: sorted in one visit, no surprises

Water showing under a tile or a damp patch spreading on the wall? We find the hidden leak and get it sorted in one visit. Done and dusted.

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Klipspringer Plumbing runs leak detection across Cape Town, from Muizenberg to Fish Hoek and Tokai. You send us a WhatsApp photo of the wet patch and a note on what the tenant reported and we quote before anyone drives out. On arrival we trace the pipe with acoustic and thermal gear, so the garden stays whole. You get an invoice that matches the quote and a job you can sign off on from anywhere.

When you need leak detection

Your tenant messages you. There's a wet patch on the ceiling, a running-water sound behind a wall or a water bill that jumped for no reason. You're not on site. You can't see it yourself.

Maybe you've already had someone out. They couldn't say if the leak was yours or the City's. Or they wanted to start digging before giving you a straight answer and that left you paying a call-out with nothing fixed.

In older far-south homes the usual culprits are galvanised pipes corroding from the inside and clay sewer lines that have shifted. A slow leak under a slab rots the floor for weeks before anyone spots it. The meter keeps turning while the tap is off. That is the sign we trace first. For wider background, see Water meter readings (City of Cape Town).

How leak detection works

You send us a WhatsApp with a photo and a short note on what the tenant reported. We give you a quote before anyone drives out.
We check the meter and stopcock on arrival. If the meter still turns with everything closed, the leak is on your side of the line.
We trace the leak with acoustic and thermal gear, no digging up the garden to guess where it sits.
We photograph the fault, fix it where we can on the day and photograph the repair.
You get a written report and an invoice that matches the quote, so you can forward it straight to the owner or insurer.

Leak detection costs

So what makes one trace cost more than another? The price moves with how deep the leak sits and how long the trace takes. A meter that clearly turns points us straight to the problem. A leak buried under a slab or a long pipe run takes more time to pin down.

We quote off the WhatsApp photo first. That way you know the figure before we arrive. The number we quote is the number you pay, full stop. If the job grows beyond the quote, we call you before we carry on. No surprise bill at the end.

Why choose us for this

WhatsApp reply within the hour

Send a photo of the problem on a weekday and you will hear back within the hour, not at the end of the day.
The owner signs your certificate

Zaid, the owner and master plumber, checks the job himself and signs your certificate of compliance. Not a stranger passing through.
The quote is the invoice

The price we quote you is the price on the bill. No extra line items once the job is done.
Parts quoted before we fit them

You see the price before it's spent, so the invoice matches the quote with no surprises on the bill.

Jobs we've done recently

Real call-outs, written up the same week they were done.

Fish Hoek September 2026

The meter kept ticking over at night with every tap closed, but no damp walls and no puddles anywhere. A previous contractor wanted to break up the kitchen floor. Zaid isolated the hot side, listened along the floor and confirmed it with a thermal camera. Then he found a way to fix it without a chisel touching those tiles.
Kalk Bay September 2026

The water meter kept moving with every tap closed. We put the acoustic listener on it and found the leak under the bathroom floor. We lifted one tile to get to it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does leak detection cost in South Africa?

Leak detection (acoustic and pressure testing): from R1 450 excl. VAT. Call-out (trip and first assessment, first 30 minutes): R450 excl. VAT. Labour, after hours, weekends and public holidays (per hour): R950 excl. VAT per hour: per hour, after hours, weekends and public holidays. R650 excl. VAT per hour, weekdays 07:30–17:00. Call-out: R450 excl. VAT (trip and first assessment, first 30 minutes); after hours, weekends and public holidays: R950 excl. VAT per hour (Labour); After-hours: R850 excl. VAT (call-out); always quoted before we fit them: cost plus a fair handling margin (Parts).

Why does a rental property actually need leak detection?

A tenant spots a wet patch, but you're not on site. We confirm the fault and send photos you can forward on.

Will my insurance cover the cost of leak detection?

We can't say for your policy, but our written report and photos give your insurer what they need to assess a claim.

What's the most reliable way to track down a leak?

Check the meter first. If it still turns with every tap closed, the leak sits on your side of the line.

How do plumbers actually find a hidden leak?

We use acoustic and thermal gear to trace the sound and heat of running water, so there's no need to dig blind.

What's the leak that shows up most often in older homes?

Galvanised pipes corroding from the inside and clay sewer lines that have shifted with the ground over the years.

Explore more

Check your meter before you call anyone out
Check your own meter first, before paying anyone to tell you water is running

Stop the leak you can't see

A hidden leak never stops. Damp climbs the wall. Your water bill grows each month. Wood rots behind the plaster. A tenant often spots it first. The landlord makes the call. WhatsApp us a photo and we'll run the leak detection, then send you an honest price before we arrive. For every other plumbing job in the far south, we're your Plumber.