Water Leak Detection in Montenegro: Thermal Imaging Prices, Fault Location and What Leaking Water Costs (2026)

In Montenegro finding a water leak is searched for with a town and a price: on 24 September 2026 Google completed detekcija curenja vode (water leak detection) with podgorica, crna gora (Montenegro), u zemlji (underground), cena (price) and u zidu cena (in the wall, price), and detekcija curenja vode cijena with u zidu cijena. The queries kako otkriti curenje vode u zidu (how to find a leak in the wall), curenje vode od komsije (leak from the neighbour), curenje vode sa plafona (leak from the ceiling), termovizija za curenje vode (thermal imaging for leaks) and vodoinstalater podgorica cijena (plumber Podgorica price) also exist. The same searches in English and Russian return nothing for Montenegro.

This guide covers detection and repair prices from two Montenegrin price lists, the official prices of Podgorica's water utility for locating faults and for meters, the methods used to find a leak without breaking walls and a calculation of what the leaking water itself costs.

Detection and repair prices

Emanuel Gruppe from Podgorica publishes a price for thermal-imaging detection, and Gradjevina.org a price for an emergency call-out to a leak:

The first source writes that the repair is assessed separately, after inspection. The second says the emergency call-out depends on distance and time of day and that on the coast everything is up to 25% dearer. According to the plumbers' own figures reported in our guide to plumbers in Podgorica, detection costs €40 to €100, depending on the equipment.

What the Podgorica water utility charges

Vodovod i kanalizacija Podgorica has a decision on the prices of services it provides to users, adopted on 20 May 2024:

Testing the meter makes sense when the bill suddenly rises and there is no visible leak in the flat. Who is responsible for a fault depends on where it is: according to our guide to emergency repairs in a flat, a leak before the water meter is as a rule handled by the municipal water utility, and everything after the meter is on the owner's side.

How a leak is found without breaking walls

The first source lists four methods:

1. A thermal imaging camera, which shows temperature changes in walls and floors.
2. Acoustic detection, which "listens" for the noise of water leaking under pressure.
3. Gas detectors, when the water is not accessible, for example in closed systems.
4. Pressure testing, which quickly shows leakage in a closed installation.

According to the same source, the aim is to find the exact spot without "breaking until it is found", because a leak that stays invisible for a long time brings damp, mould and damage to installations. The second source adds that a hidden leak in a wall is the most expensive fault in a home, which is why a new installation is kept under pressure for at least 24 hours before the walls are closed.

What leaking water costs

On its 2026 price list the Podgorica water utility charges €0.46 per m³ for water, €0.1889 for wastewater collection and €0.152 per m³ for treatment, excluding VAT. Together that is about €0.80 per cubic metre, plus a monthly fixed charge of €0.76 for water and €0.2568 for wastewater.

At those prices ten cubic metres of leaked water cost about €8. That is why the bill is rarely the real cost of a leak: the call-out, the detection and repairing the wall, floor or ceiling cost more. If water is getting through a bathroom wall or floor, see also the guide to waterproofing, and if the water heater is leaking, the one on water heater replacement.

When a repair turns into a replacement

If leaks in an old bathroom start to recur, the calculation changes. The second source lists €800 to €1,500 in labour for complete water and drainage pipework in a bathroom of up to 5 m², and €1,000 to €2,000 for a bathroom of 5 to 10 m², without sanitary ware. For new pipes it writes that PPR and multilayer pipes are the most common, and that copper lasts longer but is dearer and needs a more experienced plumber.

What the job must include

1. A finding with the location of the leak and images; with the first source the report is included in the detection price.
2. A separate repair estimate after inspection, because it depends on access and the extent of the damage.
3. Materials listed separately, because the second source prices the emergency call-out without materials.
4. A pressure test after the repair, before the wall or floor is closed.
5. Final building work, from replacing the pipe to patching and tiling, if agreed.
6. A fiscal receipt: a registered contractor's invoice goes through the electronic fiscalisation system.

While you wait for the plumber, the second source advises closing the main valve and sending a photo of the fault, so the crew arrives with the right parts.

Who finds leaks on Glatko

On 24 September 2026 Glatko had ten verified plumbers in the plumbing and renovation plumbing categories, most of them in Podgorica, with one or two each in Tivat, Budva and Bar. One plumber from Tivat explicitly lists leak detection and repairs in their description. Of the 25 requests the platform received between 24 April and 28 June 2026, three concerned leaks, all from Budva in June: a water meter spraying water, a leak under a kitchen sink and dripping taps. All three expired without an offer.

If the leak turns out to be part of a bigger problem in the bathroom, see the guide to bathroom renovation.

What we did not measure

We did not check actual prices in quotes, the accuracy of individual methods or water utility prices outside Podgorica, nor the rules on liability when water leaks from a neighbour. The contractor prices come from two published price lists; the first was updated in October 2025 and the second in September 2026.