What is trace and access cover, and does your buildings insurance include it?

In the UK — England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — trace and access is an insurance-policy feature, not a statutory right. No UK statute defines or requires it, so whether you have it depends on the wording of your buildings insurance.

What is trace and access insurance?

Trace and access insurance pays the reasonable cost of finding the source of a hidden leak, gas leak, or damage to underground pipes, drains or cables, and usually the cost of making good the damage caused by exposing it, but it does not usually pay to repair the failed pipe, cable or fitting itself. Hiscox’s buildings wording describes the cover as paying “the necessary and reasonable costs” incurred with consent “to locate any damage to cables, underground pipes and drains or the source of a gas leak or of any escape of water from permanent internal plumbing”. That wording matters because “trace” is the investigation and “access” is opening floors, walls, ceilings or ground to reach the problem; the actual plumbing repair is normally dealt with separately, if at all. No UK legislation defines “trace and access”, and a legislation.gov.uk title search returned “no results”, so the policy wording is the rule.

Does buildings insurance cover trace and access?

Most UK buildings insurance does cover trace and access, with one trade summary citing Defaqto for 97% of UK buildings policies including it as standard and typical limits of £5,000–£10,000, but it is not universal and Admiral’s own materials show why landlords must check their exact tier. Direct Line states plainly that “Direct Line Buildings Insurance has Trace and Access cover”, which reflects the mainstream homeowner market. Admiral is the useful warning: its trace-and-access guide lists a landlord tier as “Admiral: not included”, while its homeowner buildings cover may include trace and access. That means “Admiral trace and access cover” is not a yes-or-no brand answer; the product and tier decide it. Because no UK statute mandates trace and access cover, a building insurance policy covers it only if the schedule or wording says it does, and the stated limit is the maximum before any excess or exclusion.

Is trace and access cover worth it?

Trace and access cover is usually worth having where a hidden leak would require floors, walls, ceilings, concrete or communal parts to be opened up, because the investigation and reinstatement can cost far more than the failed pipe repair. A landlord or freeholder of a flat, block or older property gets the clearest value from it: Deacon says some policies omit trace and access, “but we think it can be essential for a shared building like a block of flats.” The practical risk is not the £20 part that failed; it is paying for leak detection, access work, drying out and making good when the insurer says those costs were never included. One trade guide warns that discovering the gap only after a hidden leak has been investigated can leave a landlord facing “costs of several thousand pounds with no recourse to the insurer.” The cover is less compelling only where the policy limit is low, the excess is high, or the building has little hidden pipework.

Why was a trace and access claim refused?

The Financial Ombudsman Service upheld a trace and access refusal because there was only a pressure drop or suspected leak, not actual building damage: the policy paid trace and access only after an escape of water had first caused damage. The FOS put the trigger sharply: “in order for trace and access to be covered under Mrs M’s policy, an escape of water needs to have firstly caused damage to Mrs M’s building.” A second FOS decision shows the related point that a leak-detection fee is not always a standalone insured cost: esure did not reimburse a report fee because “no access works were carried out and no claim for water damage from the leak was made.” Other refusal reasons in the market include gradual leaks, wear-and-tear or maintenance exclusions, no trace-and-access section on the policy, unauthorised work before insurer approval, and weak evidence linking the damage to an insured escape of water. The FCA rule is still that an insurer must “not unreasonably reject a claim”.

Last reviewed August 2026.

Sources

• Hiscox property buildings wording — “We will pay for the necessary and reasonable costs you incur with our consent to locate any damage to cables, underground pipes and drains or the source of a gas leak or of any escape of water from permanent internal plumbing, where the damage, leakage or escape first occurs during the period of insurance.” Source
• legislation.gov.uk title search for “trace and access” — “Your title search for trace and access in the English language of legislation has returned no results.” Source
• 0800 Homefix landlord insurance guide — “According to Defaqto, 97 percent of UK buildings insurance policies include trace and access cover as standard, typically with limits between £5,000 and £10,000.” Source
• Direct Line home cover — “Direct Line Buildings Insurance has Trace and Access cover.” Source
• Admiral trace and access guide — “Admiral: not included” Source
• Deacon trace and access guide — “Some policies – not those provided by Deacon – do not include it, but we think it can be essential for a shared building like a block of flats.” Source
• 0800 Homefix landlord insurance guide — “The consequences of discovering trace and access is not included after a hidden leak has already been found and investigated can leave a landlord facing costs of several thousand pounds with no recourse to the insurer.” Source
• Financial Ombudsman Service decision DRN-3501648 — “So, in order for trace and access to be covered under Mrs M's policy, an escape of water needs to have firstly caused damage to Mrs M's building.” Source
• Financial Ombudsman Service decision DRN-4602962 — “esure didn't agree to reimburse Mr and Mrs P for the fee they paid for a leak detection report because no access works were carried out and no claim for water damage from the leak was made.” Source
• FCA Handbook ICOBS 8.1 — “(3) not unreasonably reject a claim (including by terminating or avoiding a policy); and” Source
• DCI Leak Detection guide — “The gradual-leak and maintenance reasons are the two you will see most often, and they are also the two where good evidence matters most.” Source
• Water Leak Finder insurance claim guide — “Common reasons are a gradual or slow leak, a wear-and-tear or lack-of-maintenance exclusion, no trace and access cover on the policy, work starting before the insurer authorised it, or not enough evidence to link the damage to a covered escape of water.” Source