A leak can hide inside a wall or under the tiles for months, and the first sign is often a high bill or a yellow stain on the ceiling. Before you call anyone, do the meter test yourself, learn the difference between detection methods, and the questions that save you from needless breaking.
They take about fifteen minutes and give you a clear answer: is there a leak or not?
Close every tap and toilet cistern and switch off the pump. Photograph the meter reading, then check again an hour later with nobody using water. If the reading has changed, there's a leak after the meter.
Look at the last few months' bills. If use has jumped while the household and habits are the same, that's a strong sign.
Put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern and wait fifteen minutes without flushing. If the colour reaches the bowl, the cistern is leaking.
Take photos of any stain, damp or bubbling paint, and note what's above it: a bathroom, kitchen or tank? It saves the technician time.
🚫 Don't break tiles or walls to look for it yourself. If water is pouring out, close the main valve and call a technician straight away.
Detection pinpoints the exact spot, but these signs tell you it's worth checking.
The most common sign in Riyadh. Many customers only find out about a leak after an odd bill.
Usually pipes or failed waterproofing in the bathroom above.
Damp rising from below, from a pipe in the floor or from outside.
Especially in bathrooms and in wardrobes against a bathroom wall. Wood can rot without you noticing.
A faint flowing sound in the wall or floor, noticeable at night when the house is quiet.
Nobody's using water but the pump runs? The roof tank or a supply line may be leaking.
Water under the tiles weakens the bed they're laid on.
Ground that stays damp, or extra-green plants, above the main line or the underground tank.
Most companies use more than one. What matters is that the spot is found before anything is broken.
Listens for water escaping from a pipe under the floor or inside a wall.
Shows cold or damp areas on walls and ceilings.
Lines are pressurised, or a safe gas is put in and traced.
Agree the detection price on its own, then get the repair price in writing. Some companies knock the detection fee off if they do the repair.
The aim is a small opening right over the spot. Ask who restores the tiles and plaster, and whether replacement tiles are on you.
Photos before and after, meter readings before and after, and a proper invoice. Useful if you want to ask the water company to review a high bill.
If the leak comes from the neighbours or is the landlord's responsibility, photograph it and tell them early, before the damage grows.
Ask before they start. A good company won't mind.
Before the visit: how much for a flat or villa? Is it deducted if you do the repair?
Acoustic? Thermal? Pressure? A company that knows its job will name the device.
Ask them to mark the spot before they lift any tile.
With photos and readings, plus a tax invoice.
How long, and what exactly does it cover? Get it in writing.
One sign on its own doesn't prove anything, but take care if you see them.
Random breaking costs you tiles and plaster for nothing.
Some keep detection cheap and make it up on the repair. Get the repair price in writing before work starts.
Or finds the spot by guesswork.
A "lifetime" guarantee with no paperwork is worth nothing.
Finding the leak is normally one fixed fee; fixing it is quoted separately once they know where it is and how much has to be opened. Treat these as a sense-check on quotes, not a price list.
| Service | Rough price |
|---|---|
| Leak detection, flat | SAR 150 – 300 |
| Leak detection, villa | SAR 300 – 800 |
| Bathroom check without breaking | SAR 150 – 250 |
| Underground tank check | SAR 200 – 350 |
| Pool check | SAR 400 – 950 |
| Simple repair after detection | SAR 150 – 350 |
| Medium repair (opening part of a wall or floor, re-tiling) | SAR 400 – 1,200 |
| Major repair | SAR 1,200 – 5,000 or more |
💡 Real customer requests in Riyadh in 2026 (Al Izdihar, Al Yasmin, Ar Rabwah, Ishbiliya and others) mostly paid SAR 150–300 for detection.
⚠️ Ask whether the detection fee is deducted if the same company does the repair, and get the repair price in writing before any breaking.
Figures gathered in 2026 from four places: what Riyadh customers actually paid (HomeRun requests), one Riyadh detection firm's published list, and two Saudi price pages. You and the company settle the real price; Laqeeni never sets prices or takes a cut.
Usually SAR 150–300 for a flat and SAR 300–800 for a villa, depending on size and the number of bathrooms. Repairs after detection are priced separately.
Detection itself uses devices, without breaking. Breaking is only for the repair, as a small opening over the spot they found.
Do the meter test first. If the meter moves with every tap closed, book a detection, and keep the report and repair invoice in case you want to ask the water company to review the bill.
No. Laqeeni is a directory that connects you with the company directly. You agree and pay between you.
Last updated: November 2026
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