INTEGRITY
INSTITUTE
SII / LEAK REPAIR SCOPE DESK
Does “leak repair” coverfinding the cause, or doing the work?
Separate investigation, repair and reinstatement. Ask for marked locations and a written scope covering preparation, materials, testing and warranty. Where the cause is still uncertain, agree how it will be investigated and how further work will be priced.
A water stain does not establish where water enters. This guide helps you read a quotation; it does not diagnose a leak or specify a repair method.
Illustrative document — not a real case
“Bathroom leak repair” Split the scope first.
- The quotation says
- Bathroom leak repair and waterproofing, including labour and materials.
- Investigation
- Which inspections, tests or exploratory openings are included? What records will you receive? What happens, and what is charged, if the cause remains uncertain?
- Repair and reinstatement
- Which surfaces or junctions will be treated? Does the price include removal, preparation, materials, protection, testing, waste disposal and replacement finishes?
- Still to be confirmed
- List the missing information, who will check it and when. If the scope changes, record the proposed work, cost and time implications before confirming it.
This example does not identify a cause, prescribe materials or tests, or guarantee a repair outcome.
Investigation and repair need separate scopes.
One contractor may undertake both, or you may commission them in stages. The quotation should tell you which stage you are paying for.
- Investigation
- Specify the areas, methods, any opening-up work and the photos or findings to be provided. Record what happens if the cause is not established and whether investigation fees are credited against later repairs.
- Repair and reinstatement
- List the agreed preparation, waterproofing system, junction details, protection, testing and replacement finishes. Identify excluded work and anything requiring a separate quotation.
Ten questions, from investigation to handover.
Open the questions where your quotation is missing detail. You can send the complete inquiry below; it includes all ten questions, even when their answers are collapsed here.
01Am I paying for investigation, repair or both?
Does this price cover leak investigation, repair or both? Please separate inspections, tests, exploratory openings and repair work. Explain the basis for your current assessment, any uncertainty, the findings you will provide, and the next steps and charges if the cause is not established.
Keep this in writingInvestigation scope, methods, photos or findings, unresolved points, fees and any credit against later repair costs.
If the reply is vague“We will know once we start”: uncertainty can remain, but the work covered by this payment and the next decision point should be clear.
02Exactly which areas will you treat?
Please mark the work locations, boundaries, area and height on photos or drawings. Is the treatment local or across the whole area? Identify surfaces, fittings and finishes to be retained or removed, and list excluded work or work to be arranged separately.
Keep this in writingMarked locations, dimensions or measurement records, photo references, document versions and exclusions.
If the reply is vague“The whole bathroom”: ask which walls, floors and fittings that actually includes.
03What preparation is included?
Does the scope include removing old waterproofing or finishes, waste disposal, cleaning, drying, rust removal, crack and hole repairs, and levelling? What substrate conditions must be confirmed before work continues, and how will additional findings be priced and agreed?
Keep this in writingPreparation tasks, retained layers, substrate checks, treatment records and excluded costs.
If the reply is vague“We will apply another layer”: ask why that approach is proposed here and what preparation it requires.
04How will junctions and penetrations be treated?
Which wall-to-floor junctions, pipe penetrations, pipe bases, outlets, thresholds, cracks, movement joints and old-to-new interfaces need separate treatment? Please specify the proposed details, materials, reinforcement extent and terminations.
Keep this in writingMarked junctions, detail drawings or photos, materials and treatment extent linked to the quoted work.
If the reply is vague“The installer will handle it”: list the actual junctions and confirm that their treatment is included in the price.
05Which material system will you use?
Please give the brand, product name or model, material type, intended locations and relevant product documentation. Identify primers, main materials, supporting layers, coat sequence, intervals and the thickness or coverage requirements proposed for this job. How will substitutions be agreed?
Keep this in writingFull product and system details, the applicable documentation, installation requirements and written substitution approval.
If the reply is vague“A good brand and extra coats”: neither explains the complete system. Ask how the specification relates to this substrate and location.
06Who protects the work and replaces the finishes?
How will the completed waterproofing be protected and handed over before tiling, fitting installation or other trades enter? Are protective layers, replacement tiles or coatings, waste removal and cleaning included? How will any damage, repair scope and charges be recorded and agreed?
Keep this in writingProtection and reinstatement scope, trade handovers, responsible contacts, photos and the procedure for dealing with damage.
If the reply is vague“Other trades just need to be careful”: establish the protection and handover arrangements without assuming liability in advance.
07How will the result be checked?
What inspection or test is proposed, under what conditions, over which area and for how long? Who will perform and confirm it, and what agreed criteria will be used? Please explain the records, corrective work, retesting and associated charges if the result does not meet those criteria.
Keep this in writingThe project-specific test plan, conditions, criteria, responsible people, results and retest records.
If the reply is vague“We will see whether it leaks”: ask when, how and where that observation will be made. A suitable professional should confirm whether water-retention, spray or other testing is appropriate here.
08What can change the price?
Which tasks are fixed-price for the agreed scope, measured on completion or quoted separately? How are investigation, removal, waste disposal, access equipment and common-area arrangements charged? How will any wider repair scope, cost and time implications be submitted for agreement?
Keep this in writingPricing basis, quantities, exclusions and the written process for additional or omitted work.
If the reply is vague“Extras depend on the site”: identify the relevant tasks, calculation method and person authorised to agree them.
09What records will I receive?
Will handover include photos before and after work and before layers are concealed, material records, test and retest results, maintenance restrictions and warranty documents? Please identify who provides them, when they will be delivered and any outstanding work.
Keep this in writingLocation-linked photos, a document list, dates and versions, outstanding items and a contact for follow-up.
If the reply is vague“Call us if anything happens”: obtain the record of this work now so any later issue can be compared with the agreed treatment.
10What does the warranty cover if water returns?
When does the warranty start, which areas, materials and workmanship does it cover, and what is excluded? If water returns, who should I contact, how will a response and investigation be arranged, and how will removal, rework, replacement finishes and other damaged areas be addressed and priced?
Keep this in writingStart date, duration, provider, covered and excluded work, reporting and response arrangements. Leave unresolved cause and responsibility questions open.
If the reply is vague“Five years”: duration is only one part. Ask what work and costs are covered and how a reported problem will be handled.
Copy it into your next message.
Use the complete inquiry to request missing detail, or the blank record to organise a discussion you have already had. Add your project information after pasting. This page does not send anything to the contractor.
When the reply arrives, do these four things.
- Match it to a locationLink each quoted task to the same marked photo or drawing, not just a verbal description.
- Update the project documentPut the agreed scope, costs and testing arrangements into the quotation or a dated attachment.
- Keep uncertainty visibleIf the cause or scope is unresolved, record who will check it and when instead of filling in an assumed answer.
- Record the handoversKeep the agreed photos and confirmations for concealed layers, trade handovers and changes during the work.
Check the details for your repair location.
Use the relevant group below. These are matters for the quotation to explain, not universal installation specifications.
Bathrooms and wet areas
Which surfaces and heights are included?
Mark the floor, walls and retained areas. Show the extent of both waterproofing and replacement finishes.
How are corners and penetrations treated?
Identify wall-to-floor junctions, pipe bases, penetrations and any reinforcement rather than relying on “bathroom waterproofing”.
What about thresholds, outlets and falls?
Clarify the scope and responsibilities for terminations, drainage interfaces and work on falls. Do not substitute a generic measurement for this job’s specification.
What happens between testing and tiling?
Agree testing, handover, protection and replacement tiling, including how any later damage will be recorded and addressed.
Roofs and terraces
How much existing waterproofing is removed?
Identify layers to be retained or removed, disposal, substrate treatment and work excluded from the price.
How are cracks, ponding and drainage assessed?
Ask the site professional to explain findings, unresolved points and the proposed scope. Applying a coating is not an explanation of every observed problem.
Are parapets, outlets and equipment bases included?
Mark corners, terminations, penetrations and base junctions on a drawing or photo, then confirm which are covered.
Who replaces the upper layers?
Clarify removal and reinstatement of finishes, insulation or protective layers, with materials and pricing identified.
External walls and windows
Is the proposed scope the wall or the window perimeter?
Mark the investigation area and ask for the basis of the assessment. A stain’s location alone does not establish where water enters.
Which sealant work is proposed?
Specify removal of existing material, preparation, proposed sealing material, treatment extent and terminations; “reseal” is not the full scope.
How will the result be verified?
If spray testing or another method is proposed, agree its suitability, conditions, extent, duration and records for this project.
Are access and common-area costs included?
Ask who arranges and pays for scaffolding, access platforms, site access and common-area coordination.
Balconies and service balconies
How do floor, wall-base and door-frame treatments join?
Mark the boundaries, old-to-new interfaces and areas that will remain unchanged.
Does the scope cover outlets and work on falls?
Distinguish waterproofing, drainage interfaces and any adjustment to falls instead of treating them as a single unnamed task.
What removal and reinstatement is included?
Check finish removal, waste handling and disposal, protective layers and replacement finishes against the price.
What happens at the indoor threshold?
Ask the project professional to confirm the treatment at doorways, indoor–outdoor interfaces and level changes, and record its extent.
Six common questions about these quotes.
Does “waterproofing — lump sum” tell me what is included?
Not by itself. A lump sum is a pricing format, not a description of locations, preparation, materials, testing or reinstatement. Clarify the scope and exclusions before comparing totals.
Is the brand name enough?
Ask for the specific product and supporting system. One brand may offer materials for different uses. The quotation should connect the product documentation and installation requirements to the proposed location and substrate.
Are more coats always better?
Coat count alone is not enough to judge the proposal. Ask about the material system, substrate conditions, intervals, thickness or coverage requirements, and the basis for them. This guide does not prescribe a universal coat count or select a method.
Should every bathroom use the same water-retention test?
Do not assume a fixed method or duration applies everywhere. Ask a suitable project professional to confirm the test, site conditions and criteria, then record who performs it and how results, repairs and retesting will be handled.
Does a five-year warranty cover every later leak?
Duration alone cannot answer that. Check the start date, covered areas, exclusions, investigation process and whether removal, rework, replacement finishes or other damage are included. Ask for written terms without assuming responsibility has already been established.
Can SII identify the cause or guarantee a successful repair?
No. SII reviews the information in documents such as quotations and how it can be checked. It does not carry out site leak investigations, approve repair methods, guarantee outcomes or rate contractors or people. Site-specific judgments require appropriate professionals.
This is a guide to reading and clarifying a quotation, not a substitute for site investigation, design, supervision, acceptance inspection or legal advice. It does not determine suitable products or methods, the cause of a leak or responsibility for it.
STANDARD INTEGRITY INSTITUTE
READ → COMPARE → DISCUSS
Clarify the document, then check what is missing.
SII reviews documents through Transparency, Consistency, Reasonableness and Executability. A clarified quotation should link locations, materials, scope and confirmation records. This is not workmanship certification or a contractor rating.