Most water leaks in Perth homes are invisible until the damage isn't. By the time you notice a damp patch on the floor, a spike on your Water Corporation bill, or a hissing sound behind a wall, the leak has usually been running for weeks.
Bonza Complete Plumbing and Gas locates concealed and underground leaks using acoustic detection and pressure testing — then fixes them.
If your Water Corp bill is the trigger, we'll also walk you through the allowance claim process so you're not just repaired, you're reimbursed.
Is This Your Situation Right Now?
If any of these sound familiar, there's a reasonable chance you have a leak that needs finding:
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Your Water Corporation bill has jumped without any obvious reason
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You can hear water running when everything in the house is turned off
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There's a soft or damp patch in the yard that never fully dries out
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Your water meter is ticking even when all taps are shut
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You've noticed a drop in water pressure across the house
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There's a musty smell or discolouration on a wall, ceiling, or floor
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A patch of grass or garden is greener and more lush than everything around it
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Your hot water system is running constantly or cycling more than usual
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You've recently had a Water Corp inspector flag elevated consumption on your account
None of these is definitive proof. But any one of them is a good reason to have a licensed plumber check it before it gets worse.
What Bonza Does for Leak Detection
Pressure Testing
We isolate sections of your water supply lines and measure pressure drop over a set period. If pressure falls when all outlets are closed, there's water going somewhere it shouldn't. This tells us a leak exists and roughly where in the system to look.
Acoustic Leak Detection
Using listening equipment applied to pipes, slabs, and ground surfaces, we pick up the sound signature of pressurised water escaping. This is how we find leaks under concrete floors, beneath paving, and inside wall cavities without opening everything up. You get a precise location — not a guess.
Meter Test (the Quick First Step)
If you're not sure whether you have a leak at all, the first thing we do is a meter test. We note the reading, turn everything off, and watch the dial. If it moves, you have a leak. If it doesn't, we can tell you that too — and potentially save you a longer investigation.
Water Corp Bill Review and Allowance Claim Guidance
Perth Water Corp offers an allowance for water lost through leaks on your private infrastructure — the pipes between the meter and your house — provided the leak was concealed, not visible, and has been repaired. The claim process involves paperwork, photos, and a completed repair. We carry out the repair to a standard that supports the claim and explain exactly what you need to submit.
Repair
Finding the leak is only half the job. Once we've located it, we repair it in the same visit where access allows. Most single-point supply line leaks can be fixed on the day. Larger failures, slab penetrations requiring saw-cutting, or complex hot water system leaks may need more time — we'll give you a clear picture before any work begins.
Water Leak Detection Costs in Perth's Southern Suburbs
There's no universal price for leak detection because there's no universal leak. What we can tell you is what drives the cost up and down.
As a general guide, a leak detection callout including pressure test and acoustic location typically starts in the low-to-mid hundreds.
Excavation, concrete reinstatement, or significant pipe replacement work will push costs higher — the exact figure depends on what we find.
We inspect before we quote a repair cost. You'll get a clear number before we start cutting or digging.
Why the Dual Licence Matters
Plumbing Licence PL10971. Gas Fitting Licence GF19007. Both are held by Jared, who carries out the work. You can verify them yourself at the WA Online Licence Search: ols.demirs.wa.gov.au.
The reason licences matter specifically for leak detection: in older Perth homes and some newer estate builds, the supply line and the gas line run close together or share the same subfloor space.
An unlicensed operator doing plumbing detection can't legally work on any gas infrastructure they encounter. Jared can. Both licences, one tradie, no handoff.
Areas We Service
Bonza services the southern Perth corridor from Fremantle to Mandurah.
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Town of Victoria Park: Victoria Park, East Victoria Park, Carlisle, Lathlain, Burswood, St James
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City of South Perth: South Perth, Como, Manning, Kensington, Salter Point, Waterford
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City of Canning: Willetton, Canning Vale, Bentley, Cannington, Riverton, Rossmoyne, Shelley, Lynwood
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City of Melville: Applecross, Ardross, Attadale, Bicton, Booragoon, Bull Creek, Kardinya, Leeming, Mount Pleasant, Murdoch, Myaree, Palmyra, Willagee, Winthrop
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City of Fremantle: Fremantle, North Fremantle, South Fremantle, Beaconsfield, Hilton, O'Connor, Samson, White Gum Valley
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City of Cockburn: Atwell, Aubin Grove, Beeliar, Bibra Lake, Cockburn Central, Coogee, Coolbellup, Hamilton Hill, Hammond Park, Jandakot, Munster, Spearwood, Success, Yangebup
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City of Armadale: Armadale, Kelmscott, Harrisdale, Piara Waters, Haynes, Hilbert, Forrestdale, Seville Grove
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City of Kwinana: Kwinana Town Centre, Parmelia, Orelia, Calista, Medina, Bertram, Wellard, Wandi
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City of Rockingham: Rockingham, Safety Bay, Cooloongup, Hillman, Waikiki, Port Kennedy, Baldivis, Secret Harbour, Golden Bay
Not on the list? Call anyway — Jared can confirm availability directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Perth-Specific Factors That Affect Leaks in the Southern Suburbs
Perth soil moves. The sandy and clay-heavy profiles across the southern corridor expand when wet and shrink when dry — and that movement puts stress on supply lines, joints, and connections that wouldn't be an issue in more stable ground.
Homes in Cockburn, Kwinana, and Baldivis built in the 2000s and 2010s may have Iplex polybutylene pipe that has, in some cases, shown a higher rate of joint failure over time. If your home falls in this category and you're seeing unexplained water loss, it's worth getting the system checked.
Rockingham and Mandurah coastal homes deal with accelerated corrosion on metal fittings due to salt-laden air. What looks like a minor connection in a newer estate can fail earlier than expected in that environment.
The ATCO Gas network services most of the southern corridor. Where gas lines and supply lines share similar underground routes, it pays to have someone who can work legally across both if something unexpected comes up during detection work.
Book a Leak Detection Callout
If your bill is up, your meter is moving, or you can hear something that shouldn't be there — get it checked before the damage does the deciding for you.
Licence GF19007. Inspect before quote. One visit.
Bonza Complete Plumbing and Gas — Perth Southern Suburbs Licence: PL10971 | GF19007
"A good tradie doesn't make money from your confusion — they end it."
HOT WATER SYSTEMS
BLOCKED DRAINS
GAS INSTALLATIONS
LEAK DETECTION
RENOVATIONS
WATER FILTRATION