Short answer: a pool that loses noticeably more water than evaporation explains, or a patch of ground beside it that stays damp, usually has a leak. It is found with pressure tests on each circuit, a camera in the pipework and dye tests in the shell, so only the exact spot gets opened and the terrace stays in place. Detection is quoted per visit by the size of the installation; the repair is priced separately once we know what failed, and you get both figures before anything starts. The visit is free. Call +34 634 928 081.
Signs your pool is leaking
- The level keeps dropping. A pool loses water to sun and wind, but if it falls noticeably more than a bucket test shows for the same days, something is leaking.
- Damp ground near the pool. A wet strip in the garden or against the plant room that does not dry out.
- Rising water bills. Topping up more often than before.
- Cracks at the shell-to-wall junction, loose tiles, or water loss around the lights in a liner pool.
The first step is to separate a leak from evaporation. Our leak detection page explains how; the bucket test is the quick version you can do yourself.
Where pools usually leak
Most losses come from the same few places:
- Skimmer joints
- Return fittings (the jets that push water back into the pool)
- Pipework crushed during landscaping or terrace works
- Cracks where the shell meets the wall
- In liner pools: welds, and the area around the lights
How a leak is found without breaking the terrace
We work with non-invasive methods instead of digging first and asking questions later:
- Pressure tests on each circuit — every pipe run is isolated and tested, so we know which line loses pressure.
- A camera in the pipework — to see crushed, displaced or cracked pipe directly.
- Dye tests in the shell — to see where water is actually escaping through the structure.
- Gas testing — modern gas and pressure equipment to localise the point without demolition.
Only the exact point is opened. That is the difference between a morning of work and a rebuilt terrace.
Why you should not leave it
A slow leak washes ground from under the shell. The movement that follows turns a repair to a fitting into a structural problem. Found early, it is the cheapest problem on a pool to fix.
How much does leak repair cost?
There is no single price, because the cause decides it. The structure of the cost is simple:
| Stage | How it is priced |
|---|---|
| Leak detection | Quoted per visit, by the size of the installation |
| Fitting or a length of pipe | A small job — the repair is quoted once we know what failed |
| Re-tiling the area around the leak | About EUR 60 per m² including render and waterproofing |
| Shell that has moved, rebuilt from the inside | EUR 12,000–18,000 |
| Reinforced liner instead of new tiles | Quoted per m² after measuring the pool |
Terrace and paving, retaining walls, garden reinstatement, an electrical upgrade and town-hall fees are listed as separate lines in the quote, so you can see what each part costs. Everything is in writing before work starts; if something changes on site, you get the new figure before the work is done, not on the final invoice.
Repair options when the shell itself is leaking
- Local repair and re-tiling — most cracks are repairable: they are chased out, waterproofed and re-tiled. Read about pool re-tiling and mosaic replacement.
- Reinforced liner — a 1.5 mm PVC membrane welded on site into one watertight skin; it brings an old leaking shell back into service without demolishing it, and is forgiving of hairline cracks. See reinforced pool liners and membranes.
- A new shell inside the old one — for a shell that has moved with the ground. See swimming pool renovation and repair, and our guide to when to re-tile, re-line or rebuild.
What happens when you call us
- You send the address and a couple of photos; we can usually tell you by phone whether it is a morning, a week or a full renovation.
- We visit — the site visit is free and carries no obligation — and locate the leak.
- You receive the scope, materials, price and dates in writing before anyone starts.
Most of our repair and renovation work is on pools built by other companies. We also work for communities and rental properties as well as private villas, where safety, access and water-testing rules are stricter. Autumn and winter are our quiet months and the cheapest time to book: the pool is ready before the season instead of during it.
Where we work
From our office in Torrevieja we cover the provinces of Alicante and Murcia: Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Guardamar, Rojales, Los Montesinos, Elche, Alicante, Santa Pola, Los Alcázares, San Javier, Torre Pacheco and the towns around them. The crews are ours, not subcontractors. For routine care between repairs, see pool maintenance on the Costa Blanca.
Warranty: there is no fixed term; the conditions are written into the contract and depend on the scope of work, and you see the exact wording before you sign.
Think your pool is leaking? Call +34 634 928 081 or send us the address — we answer in English, Spanish, Polish and Russian, 08:00 to 17:00.
