Lead pipes and drinking water
Who does the Drinking Water Inspectorate say should do plumbing work on a lead pipe?
DWI says you should employ a qualified plumber, for example one accredited through the WaterSafe scheme. That person is not the surveyor, and the survey does not appoint them. The survey, at most, records visible pipes. The plumber quotes for work after a test or after they have seen the pipe.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
WaterSafe is the example DWI gives. It is not a condition rating and not a warranty on the house. An accredited plumber can still only replace what they are instructed to replace. Show them the water company’s written advice if you have it, so the quote matches the source of lead that was found.
The surveying firm should not be asked to “just include removal” in the original fee. That is a different trade and a different instruction. Costs vary with how much pipe is buried and who owns it. Nothing on the DWI page is a works price, so this page does not invent one.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Are you recommending a plumber, or only noting a visible pipe?
- Did you see enough to say how far the lead runs?
- Is any of this inside the survey fee?
What are the typical next steps?
- Get the water test or the written advice before you instruct a plumber to strip the house.
- Ask the plumber, in writing, which lengths they will replace and which they cannot see.
- Keep their invoice out of the survey fee when you compare quotes for surveys.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does WaterSafe accreditation replace the water company’s test?
No. Accreditation is about who does plumbing work. The test is how you find dissolved lead.
Can the seller’s plumber’s old receipt clear the house?
Only for the work it describes. Read what was replaced. A receipt for a tap is not a receipt for the supply pipe.