Found a leak in your new build? What to do first, and who to tell
Water through a brand new ceiling is stressful, and with a builder and a warranty involved it is not always obvious who deals with it. Here is the order to do things in.
1. Stop the water if you can
If water is coming through a ceiling or pooling on a floor, close the internal stopcock, which in most new homes is under the kitchen sink. If water is near light fittings, sockets or the consumer unit, turn the electricity off at the main switch, but only if you can reach it without touching water or standing in it. If you cannot, keep out of the room and have an electrician check everything before the power goes back on. If the boiler pressure is falling and you suspect the heating, turn the heating off. Put down towels and a bowl, and move furniture and anything that will stain.
2. Photograph everything
Take photos and a short video of the leak, the damage and the room, with the date. Write down when you first noticed it, what was running at the time, the meter reading and the boiler pressure. That record helps the builder, the warranty provider and any insurer, and it helps the engineer too.
3. Work out what kind of leak it is
The pattern usually points to the cause, and the cause decides who needs to hear about it.
| Pattern | Most likely | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| A ceiling stain below a shower that grows when the shower is used | The shower tray, seals, screen or waste | Stop using that shower and report it |
| Water appears whether or not anything is in use, and the meter keeps turning | A pressurised supply pipe | Close the stopcock and do the meter check |
| The boiler keeps losing pressure, or a floor has a damp or warm patch | Heating or underfloor heating pipework | Note how often it needs topping up |
| Damp around a window or below a flat roof after rain | A roof, window or balcony defect | Photograph it while it is raining and report it |
| Damp or mould on cold walls and window corners in the first winter, worst in the mornings | Condensation, or the house drying out | Ventilate and keep the heating steady; report it if it spreads or lasts into a second winter |
New homes hold a lot of water from the build. Screed, plaster and blockwork can take a year or two to dry out fully, and condensation is usually at its worst in the first winter. A patch that keeps growing, a meter that turns with everything off, or a boiler that keeps losing pressure is much more likely to be a leak.
4. Tell the builder in writing
Most new homes come with a ten-year warranty from a provider such as NHBC, Premier Guarantee or LABC Warranty. Under most of them the builder is responsible for putting right defects reported in the first two years. From year three the cover is insurance against damage caused by defects in specific parts of the home, mainly the structure, so a leaking pipe found after year two is often not covered. Report the leak to the builder's customer care team in writing, attach your photos, and keep a copy. Read your own warranty document for the exact cover and how to report a problem, because it varies from one policy to the next.
If the builder does not put it right, use its formal complaints process and keep a record of every visit and reply. If the builder is registered under the New Homes Quality Code, you can take an unresolved complaint to the New Homes Ombudsman Service, normally within two years of completion. In the first two years your warranty provider may also be able to step in; its policy document explains how.
5. Decide whether you want the leak found independently
The builder may send its own plumber, and often that is the end of it. If the leak is not found, keeps coming back, or the proposed fix means taking up a large area of new floor, an independent survey gives everyone the same evidence: where the leak is, what failed where that can be seen, and photographs. ADI's report can go to the builder, the warranty provider or your insurer as it stands. What happens on a new build leak survey.
6. Check your home insurance
Many home insurance policies include trace and access, which covers finding and exposing a hidden leak. With a new home the insurer may point you to the builder or the warranty first. Ask before the survey, and tell the office what they need.
What not to do
- Do not let anyone start lifting floors or cutting into walls before the leak has been located. A new screed floor is slow and expensive to relay.
- Do not paint over a ceiling stain. It hides the evidence while the leak carries on.
- Do not keep topping up a boiler for months without telling anyone. A slow heating leak still does damage.
When to call
If the builder cannot find it, the problem keeps coming back, or you want the leak located before anything is opened up, call. Have the photos, the meter reading and the boiler pressure to hand, and say who else is involved.