Direct Answer
AnyLeak provides building envelope leak detection services in British Columbia using non-invasive methods — acoustic correlation, tracer gas, thermal imaging, and moisture metering — to find leaks without digging or damage. Every inspection includes a written, insurance-ready report. Call (604) 269-5325 for a free phone consult.
🔄 Reviewed and maintained by the AnyLeak team — October 2026. Rated 5 stars by BC customers.
Water ingress is water finding its way into a building through the envelope — the walls, windows, cladding, decks, parapets and below-grade assemblies that are supposed to keep it out. In British Columbia’s wet, wind-driven-rain climate, envelope leaks are common and notoriously difficult to trace, because the point where water enters is rarely where it appears inside. AnyLeak.ca has specialised in locating hidden water since 1999, and envelope and water-ingress investigation is one of the most technical parts of that work.
What the building envelope is
The envelope is every surface separating inside from outside: exterior walls and cladding, windows and glazing, curtain wall, sealants and flashings, balconies and decks, roof-to-wall transitions, parapets, and below-grade foundation walls. Water can enter at a failed sealant joint, a window perimeter, a cladding penetration or a deck membrane and travel inside the assembly before it shows as a stain, damp drywall or mould.
How we find envelope water ingress
- Infrared thermal imaging. Thermal imaging reveals temperature differences caused by trapped moisture and by air moving through the assembly, mapping the path water has taken behind the finish.
- Moisture meters and mapping. Calibrated readings confirm where moisture is present and how far it extends.
- Controlled water testing. Windows, joints and assemblies are tested with calibrated water application in stages to reproduce the leak and confirm the exact entry point.
- Electronic detection. On decks and membranes, electronic leak detection locates breaches in the waterproofing.
- Air-infiltration assessment. Thermal imaging during an envelope survey also shows where outside air is moving through the assembly. For projects that require formal certified air-barrier or blower-door compliance testing, we can advise on the right scope and specialists.
Where ingress shows up
Common entry points we investigate include window and door perimeters, cladding and rainscreen penetrations, balcony and deck membranes, parapet caps, curtain-wall joints on high-rises, and below-grade foundation walls and parkades.
High-rise, strata and commercial envelopes
Curtain-wall and rainscreen assemblies on commercial and strata high-rises are complex, and a single leak can affect several units. We work with property managers and facility professionals to isolate the source with as little disruption as possible, and our reports support strata records and insurance claims.
Signs of envelope water ingress
- Staining, damp drywall or peeling paint near windows and exterior walls
- Mould or musty odours along the building perimeter
- Efflorescence (white mineral deposits) on concrete or masonry
- Water appearing after wind-driven rain from a particular direction
- Damp or pooling water in parkades and below-grade areas
What to expect
Our process begins with the building’s history and the conditions when leaks appear, followed by a methodical survey of the suspect assemblies and a clear report identifying the entry point and the extent of moisture — so remediation is targeted, not exploratory.
Where we work
We investigate building envelope and water-ingress problems across Metro Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan — see all service areas.
Frequently asked questions
Do you do destructive testing? We start non-invasively. Where confirmation requires opening a small, targeted area, we identify the precise spot first so any opening is minimal.
Can you tell where a window is leaking? Yes — controlled water testing reproduces the leak and confirms whether it’s the window, the perimeter seal or the surrounding wall.
Do you handle strata building envelope leaks? Yes, regularly, including curtain-wall and rainscreen assemblies, with documentation suited to strata and insurance.
Is this the same as a building envelope condition assessment? Our focus is locating active water ingress and its source; we can coordinate with envelope consultants where a broader assessment is needed.
To investigate water ingress or a building envelope leak anywhere in BC, call (604) 269-5325 or request an assessment.
A Closer Look at This Service
The most expensive leak is the one that was never located. Exploratory openings, repeated drywall repairs, and months of a running meter all cost more than a single professional investigation with an exact answer.
The best detection work is done by people who have seen the region’s buildings and buried systems fail in every common way. That experience is what turns a set of readings into a confident, cross-verified answer.
A professional investigation does not end with a verbal summary. It ends with a written report, and that report is the point of the exercise: a document that carries the finding, the evidence, and the guidance to the repair.
How the Investigation Is Delivered
Every investigation follows the same disciplined sequence: consultation, survey, testing, cross-verification, marking, and documentation. The sequence is deliberate, and each step builds on the last.
- Step 1: Consultation to understand the situation and the history
- Step 2: Site survey and indicator mapping
- Step 3: Testing of the suspected systems with matched methods
- Step 4: Cross-verification of the finding
- Step 5: Marking and documentation
- Step 6: Written, dated report
The third mistake is assuming the leak is in the same room as the stain. Water travels along structure for surprising distances, and the visible stain is almost never the source. The investigation traces the path before any repair is planned.
What This Costs
Every property is different, which is why pricing follows the investigation plan rather than a menu. The free consultation defines the scope, and the fixed quote follows it. What you are quoted is what you pay.
Most property-level investigations in British Columbia are quoted as a fixed fee once the situation is understood. The quote covers the technician’s time, the instruments, the investigation, and the written report.
Insurance and Documentation
For BC policyholders, the practical value is speed: the claim starts with the report already in hand, instead of weeks of back-and-forth while the insurer tries to establish what happened.
For BC policyholders, the practical value is speed: the claim starts with the report already in hand, instead of weeks of back-and-forth while the insurer tries to establish what happened.
What the Report Includes
The report is written in plain language first and professional language second. Owners read the conclusion and the cause; contractors and adjusters read the method notes and the readings. Both are in the same document.
The report is written in plain language first and professional language second. Owners read the conclusion and the cause; contractors and adjusters read the method notes and the readings. Both are in the same document.
When to Call
Call when a repair contractor cannot find the source. Blind replacement of pipe, membrane, or roofing is expensive, and it fails when the true cause is elsewhere. The investigation answers the question the contractor could not.
Call when a decision needs documentation: an insurance claim, a real estate transaction, a strata dispute, or a warranty process. Those decisions run on evidence, and the evidence has to exist before the deadline.
How to Prepare the Property
Clear access to the meter, the main shut-off, the water heater, and the areas showing indicators speeds the investigation. A cleared path saves the technician’s time, which is your time on the quote.
Clear access to the meter, the main shut-off, the water heater, and the areas showing indicators speeds the investigation. A cleared path saves the technician’s time, which is your time on the quote.
Common Questions
Is this service non-invasive?
Yes. Every method used works from the surface and leaves no marks. Nothing is cut, dug, or permanently marked during the investigation.
How accurate is the location?
With cross-verified methods, locations are typically within a metre or less, and slab locations within inches.
Is the report useful for insurance?
Yes. The report documents the cause, the extent, the methods used, and the readings, structured for claims and engineering review.
How long does an investigation take?
Most property-level investigations complete within a day, and the written report follows within one to two business days.
Do you repair leaks?
No. Detection and documentation are the service. The report guides the repair contractor to the exact location.
What does this cost?
The quote is fixed before work begins, based on the scope defined in the free consultation. What you are quoted is what you pay.
Call (604) 269-5325 or email info@anyleak.ca for a free consultation. The report is dated, documented, and written to the standard insurers and engineers expect.
★★★★★
"They fixed my leaking roof in just 1 hour. The guys came to my home the prompt and did a great job."
Anmol Brar
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Envelope Leak Detection by Building Type
Water ingress behaves differently by construction — start where your building lives:
- Condo & strata window/envelope leaks and leaky-condo-era buildings
- House envelopes — siding, stucco, windows and deck-to-wall details
- High-rise envelope investigation by drone
- Thermal imaging for multi-unit buildings and moisture mapping
- Balcony & deck membranes and window perimeter testing