About Trace

We investigate building failures with scientific rigour — the equipment, accreditations and discipline to tell you what is actually wrong.

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UKAS Accredited
IRATA Certified
CAA Approved

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We find what others miss

Trace Surveys brings forensic diagnostics to building problems — measuring, testing and reporting so you can act on evidence, not guesswork.

About Us

The science behind the diagnosis

Building problems follow patterns. Water seeks the path of least resistance. Mould thrives where moisture accumulates. Heat loss concentrates at thermal weak points. These aren’t mysteries. They’re physics.

Most surveyors work from observation alone. They look at what’s visible and make educated guesses about what lies hidden. This approach fails because buildings conceal their failures. The real damage happens where no one can see it.

Trace Surveys operates differently. We bring equipment designed to penetrate surfaces and reveal what’s actually happening inside your building’s systems. Thermal imaging shows temperature gradients that expose insulation failures. Moisture meters detect water content before visible staining appears. Borescope cameras examine cavities without destructive investigation. Acoustic analysis measures sound transmission with scientific precision.

Our history

From leak detection to building diagnostics

Trace Surveys was founded in 2010 by Tim Sanders, whose career in construction management — built on a BSc in Building Engineering — gave him a grounded understanding of how buildings are put together and, crucially, how they fail. Recognising a gap in the market for specialist leak detection in 2007, Tim established a small company in that field, developing the forensic, evidence-led approach that became the foundation of everything Trace does.

From those origins, Trace grew into a broader building diagnostics practice, investigating defects from the inside out. The name reflects its roots in the insurance clause “Trace & Access” — locating and exposing a source of damage — a principle that still runs through the business: diagnosis before cure.

Over the following years, Trace built a reputation for technical excellence and impartial diagnosis, expanding into acoustic consultancy, building compliance testing, and rope access. That growth has always been driven by the same commitment — apply scientific method, remove assumption, and give clients the clarity to make the right decisions.

Values

The principles behind every investigation we run.

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Diagnostic Integrity

We remove the guesswork. Our findings are evidence-based, impartial, and never shaped by the remedial work that follows.

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Evidence-Led Diagnosis

We apply scientific, methodical testing to reach the right answer — not the quickest one. Our non-destructive approach solves problems without creating new ones, keeping disruption to a minimum.

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Measured Expertise

From architectural acoustics to environmental noise monitoring, our assessments are independent and measurement-based — designed to inform the right solution, not justify a predetermined one.

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Demonstrated Performance

Construction-phase and post-completion testing — air tightness, membrane integrity, façade water tightness, sound insulation — rigorous and traceable, so compliance is demonstrated, not assumed.

Our team