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AnyLeak provides condo leak inspection services in Coquitlam 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.
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With townhomes and strata developments making up a significant share of Coquitlam’s housing stock, water leaks in these buildings come with an added layer of complexity: figuring out who’s responsible, and how a leak detection report fits into that process. This is general guidance, not a substitute for reading your specific strata’s bylaws or consulting the strata council directly.
Council Responsibility vs Unit-Owner Responsibility
Generally, common property — shared pipes, exterior walls, and building-wide systems — falls under the strata corporation’s responsibility, while plumbing fully contained within an individual unit is typically the owner’s. In practice, the line between the two isn’t always obvious, especially where a pipe serves multiple units or runs through a shared wall. Coquitlam’s mix of hillside townhomes and established strata buildings means the specifics can vary building to building, so checking your strata’s bylaws and any relevant provincial strata property rules is a necessary first step.
Depreciation Reports and Infrastructure Age
Most strata corporations maintain a depreciation report that outlines the expected lifespan and condition of major building systems, including plumbing. This document can give owners a general sense of how old the building’s water infrastructure is and whether major work is anticipated. It’s a useful starting point for understanding overall risk, though it’s a planning document rather than a real-time diagnostic tool.
How a Leak Detection Report Supports a Claim or Repair Decision
When a leak is suspected in a strata setting, a non-invasive detection report can help establish where the leak actually originates — which matters directly for determining whether it falls under common property or a specific unit’s responsibility. Because the report documents the method used and the located source, it gives both the owner and the strata council a factual basis for that conversation, rather than relying on guesswork about which unit or system is at fault.
Coordinating the Investigation
In many cases, it makes sense for the strata council to coordinate a leak investigation when a shared line is suspected, since access to common areas and other units may be required. Individual owners suspecting a leak within their own unit can typically arrange a non-invasive inspection independently, though it’s worth notifying the strata council early if there’s any chance the source turns out to be a shared line.
Strata Leak Response Checklist
- Review your strata’s bylaws on plumbing responsibility
- Check the building’s depreciation report for infrastructure age
- Notify the strata council early if a shared line is suspected
- Get a written, non-invasive detection report before assigning cause
- Coordinate access with neighbouring units if needed
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for leak detection in a strata building?
This depends on the strata’s bylaws and where the leak is found. It’s a question to raise with the strata council directly, since practices vary between buildings.
Can a leak detection report determine whose responsibility a leak is?
The report identifies the leak’s physical location, which is a key factual input into that determination, but the final responsibility decision typically involves the strata council applying its own bylaws and provincial strata rules.
Does a depreciation report replace the need for leak detection?
No. A depreciation report is a planning document about overall building condition and expected lifespan, not a real-time diagnosis of an active leak.
Have a question about what you’re seeing? Call AnyLeak at (604) 269-5325 or email info@anyleak.ca — non-invasive leak and moisture detection across British Columbia since 1999.
A Closer Look at This Service
The cost of finding a leak is small compared to the cost of the damage it causes. A month of undetected leaking can wet insulation, rot framing, wash soil, and attract mould in the time it takes to book an inspection.
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 most common mistake is waiting: waiting for the stain to dry, waiting for the bill to settle, waiting for the leak to announce itself. Water does not wait, and every week of waiting grows the repair scope.
What This Costs
Pricing for this service in British Columbia depends on the scope of the investigation: the systems to be tested, the size of the property, and whether the finding is confirmed with a second method. A fixed quote is provided before any work begins, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
The comparison that matters is not detection cost versus no cost; it is detection cost versus the cost of an undetected leak. One targeted repair, guided by an exact location, almost always costs less than exploratory work and repeated damage.
Insurance and Documentation
The report produced after a this investigation investigation is written with insurers in mind. It documents the cause, the extent, the methods used, and the readings taken, so the adjuster has everything needed to process the claim.
The report produced after a this investigation investigation is written with insurers in mind. It documents the cause, the extent, the methods used, and the readings taken, so the adjuster has everything needed to process the claim.
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.
You keep the report. It documents the finding, the condition at the time of the investigation, and the guidance for the repair, which is useful for warranty, insurance, and future reference.
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.
Nothing else needs to be done. The investigation does not require demolition, preparation of the systems, or any work on your part beyond access. Showing up with the history is the whole preparation.
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.
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