Trace and access can help pay to locate a hidden leak and repair damage caused when reaching it.
Trace and access is a term used in home insurance. It usually means cover for the cost of finding the source of a hidden leak and repairing damage caused while getting to it.
A leak may be under a floor, behind tiles, inside a wall, below a bath or above a ceiling. A plumber or leak detection firm may need to lift flooring, remove tiles or cut into plasterboard to find the problem.
Trace and access is often linked to escape of water. The ABI explains that escape of water can include water from things like burst pipes, leaking appliances and overflowing toilets, and it is usually dealt with under buildings insurance.
Trace and access does not always cover every cost linked to a leak. It often covers the reasonable cost of finding the leak and putting right the damage caused by the search.
It may not cover the cost of fixing the leaking pipe, failed seal, worn part or faulty appliance. This depends on the insurer and the policy wording.
One Financial Ombudsman Service decision looked at trace and access cover. The policy only covered it if an escape of water had first damaged the building. The complaint was not upheld because no water damage was found.
Hidden leaks can be hard to find. Water may show in one room, but the leak may start somewhere else. The search can be messy and costly.
Trace and access can help because the work needed to find the leak may damage floors, walls, ceilings or fitted parts of the home. Without this cover, you may still have some cover for water damage, but not all search costs may be paid.
Limits can apply. Some policies have a set trace and access limit. Some may also have a higher escape of water insurance excess. MoneyHelper says escape of water claims can have a higher excess than the standard policy excess, and some water damage may be excluded, such as damage linked to poor seals around baths or showers.
Before work starts, check your policy where you can. If there is an emergency, you should take steps to stop more damage, but you may still need to tell the insurer as soon as possible.
Check:
If your home is empty for a long time, check the unoccupied home rules too. MoneyHelper says you may need to tell your insurer if your home is unoccupied for a long period, often 30 days or more.
A trace and access claim is still an insurance claim. The insurer may ask for photos, invoices, reports and proof of the cause of the leak.
The FCA says insurers must handle claims promptly and fairly, give reasonable guidance to help policyholders make a claim, and not reject claims unreasonably. But this does not mean every claim will be paid. Claims are still assessed under the policy terms.
MoneyHelper explains that claims can be rejected if the policy does not cover the issue, if key information was incorrect, or if the claims process was not followed.
At Got You Covered, we arrange insurance through insurers. We do not underwrite every policy ourselves. Cover, limits, excesses, exclusions and claims decisions depend on the insurer and the policy terms.
We may be able to help with home insurance for homes that need a more careful approach, including homes with flood risk, unoccupied homes and listed buildings. We may also be able to help with landlord insurance for let properties, depending on the property, tenant type and cover needed.
Trace and access can be a useful part of home insurance when a leak is hidden. It may help pay to find the source of the leak and repair damage caused by reaching it.
It is not the same as full water damage cover. It may not pay for fixing the leak itself, and limits or exclusions may apply. Always check your policy wording and speak to your insurer before damaging parts of the building where possible.
