A leaking drain does not show on your water meter, because the water has already been paid for. It shows as damp, smell or a sinking patch of ground.
That is why drain leaks run undetected for years. Related services at Leak Detection Johannesburg.
Tell us about any smell, soft ground or damp near a drain run.
Get a Drain Leak QuoteSigns of a Leaking Drain
- Ground that sinks or feels soft along a known drain line.
- Persistent damp on a wall near a gully or inspection chamber.
- A foul smell outside that comes and goes.
- Unusually lush grass in one strip of an otherwise even lawn.
- Repeat blockages in the same line, which often point at a crack collecting debris.
How Drain Leaks Are Found
CCTV first, because a camera shows the defect and its distance down the line. Where the pipe is intact but water is escaping, a dye or smoke test confirms the escape point, and an air test proves whether the section holds at all.
Drain Leak Detection Prices in Johannesburg
| Job | Indicative range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| CCTV drain survey | R1,200 – R2,800 | One line with recorded footage. |
| Dye or smoke testing | R850 – R2,200 | Confirms where water is escaping. |
| Air pressure test on a drain line | R950 – R2,400 | Proves whether a section holds. |
| Full property drainage investigation | R2,400 – R5,500 | All runs to the connection point. |
| Sectional point repair by relining | R4,500 – R12,000 | One damaged joint or crack. |
| Full reline, 110 mm residential | R1,500 – R3,500 per metre | Trenchless, no excavation. |
| Excavate and replace a section | R950 – R2,800 plus reinstatement | Where the pipe has collapsed. |
These are indicative market ranges, not a quotation. They are compiled from published South African leak detection and plumbing pricing to give you a starting point for budgeting. They are not the rate card of any company on this platform.
Subsidence beside a drain run is worth investigating quickly. Escaping water washes out the material supporting foundations and paving, and that damage grows faster than the pipe fault does.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will a drain leak show on my water bill?
No. The water has already passed the meter and been billed. Drain leaks are found through damp, odour, subsidence and repeat blockages instead.
Can tree roots cause a drain to leak?
Roots are the most common cause in older Johannesburg suburbs. They enter at a joint seeking moisture, widen it, and then both leak and catch debris, which is why the same line keeps blocking.
Is a leaking drain covered by insurance?
Sudden collapse is sometimes covered; gradual root damage and deterioration usually are not. CCTV footage showing the cause is what an insurer will want to assess.
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