What is special about plumbing in Hertford?

Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, and its centre holds a large number of old buildings. Timber-framed houses, Georgian terraces, Victorian villas and former coaching inns stand close together. Large parts of the town are a conservation area, and listed buildings are common.

What if my house is listed or in a conservation area?

Repairs and like-for-like replacement of a tap or a basin do not usually raise any problem. Larger changes can. Cutting into old beams or floors to run pipework, taking out original fittings and fixing new pipes to a historic wall can need listed building consent from the local council, and a conservation area can restrict changes to the outside of a house.

Ask the council first, before you plan or book work. A plumber will take the same approach, so tell them at the outset.

Why are leaks harder to track in old Hertford houses?

Old buildings were altered many times. Pipes may run through the thickness of a wall, under solid floors or across the tops of ceilings, and routes may be unclear after years of renovation. Water can travel a long way along a beam before it shows as a stain, so the damp patch is often nowhere near the fault.

Sloping floors and uneven walls also make it hard to lay waste pipes with the right fall.

What about old pipes?

A house of great age may still have some of its original pipework or an early repair. Lead was widely used for water pipes in the past, and some older properties still have a section of it. If you think you might, say so in the enquiry.

What are Hertford's villages and edges like?

Hertford Heath and the lanes towards Little Berkhamsted have a mix of Victorian cottages, interwar housing and larger homes on bigger plots. Some of these homes sit well back from the road, with a long private pipe from the main to the house. A drop in pressure or a damp patch in a garden can point to a leak on that run.

How does an enquiry work?

Tell us your postcode and the problem. With your consent, we pass your enquiry to a local plumber who covers SG13 or SG14, and nobody else sees it. If nobody covers you, we say so and your details are not passed on.

Who you will hear from

We pass your enquiry to one local plumber, if one covers your postcode. It is never sent to a list of companies. If nobody covers your postcode, we will tell you and will not pass your details on.