Skip to the content
Leak Insurance ClaimCall 0333 567 2652

Is a water leak covered by home insurance? Prepare your enquiry

Only an assessment against your policy and the circumstances can establish cover. Prepare an accurate incident record, notify your insurer promptly and ask which decisions remain open. This page helps you organise that enquiry.

Call 0333 567 2652

Mon to Fri, 7:30am to 6:30pm

Guidance from ADI Leak Detection. Content reviewed 30 September 2026.

Prepare for your first insurance claim call

Use this checklist to identify missing information. It checks your preparation, not your eligibility for a payout. Do not delay reporting while trying to complete every item.

  1. 1Do you have the relevant policy and claims contact?

    Record the insurer, policyholder and claims contact. If another party insures the building, ask them how to report the incident.

  2. 2Have you recorded what you first noticed and when?

    Keep dates, room names and photographs. Distinguish the first observation from any estimate of when the leak began.

  3. 3Have you listed emergency work already carried out?

    Keep contractor details, the reason for the work, invoices and any evidence of the condition before it changed.

  4. 4Have you written down the decisions you need from the insurer?

    Include who may commission investigation, which costs require approval and how to submit supporting documents.

Answer all four questions to identify gaps in your first-call record. Answers reset when you reload this page.

Describe observations without guessing the cause

Say when you first noticed the damage, which areas are affected and what has changed. “A stain appeared on the hall ceiling on Tuesday” records an observation. “The pipe has leaked for six months” is a different claim and needs evidence.

If the cause is unknown, say so. Send an engineer’s findings as a separate report when available. Keep the original record and add later information with its date.

Record each cover decision separately

  • Damage to the building and any contents.
  • The investigation and any opening needed to reach the source.
  • The failed pipe or component repair.
  • Drying, access reinstatement and other agreed work.

Ask the insurer which items are accepted, declined or awaiting evidence, and request the relevant wording. A claim reference confirms that the incident has been logged; it does not confirm payment for every item.

What if information is missing?

Identify the missing item and who can supply it. You may need the building policyholder’s details, a contractor’s invoice or a technical explanation. Keep an outstanding-items list with the request date and expected reply.

If hidden damage is described as gradual, supply the chronology of what you could see and when you acted. The Financial Ombudsman explains how the circumstances may affect its assessment.

Keep the enquiry with your claim file

Record the call date, contact name, claim reference, information requested and next action. Ask for important approvals in writing.

Use the claim record and document checklist. It provides a repeatable way to organise photographs, invoices and correspondence.

More water leak insurance claim guides

Speak to a leak detection specialist

Discuss the leak, the assessment process and the next steps before booking.

Call ADI Leak Detection0333 567 2652

Lines open Mon to Fri, 7:30am to 6:30pm

Leak Insurance Claim is run by ADI Leak Detection.