Your pool has been tested and the leak is marked. Now what? Swimming pool leak repair depends entirely on where the water is getting out. A leaking skimmer throat is sealed in a morning, a cracked pipe under the paving means digging, and a structural crack in the shell may need the pool drained. This guide walks through each leak point, how our team repairs it, what it typically costs and how long it takes.
If you haven’t got that far yet, start with our guide to what leak detection costs. Repairing before the leak is properly found is how people end up paying twice.
Pool leak repair cost at a glance
These are market prices from Cape Town contractors and SA price guides at the time of writing (October 2026). They are not fixed Kwik Pools prices. Your repair could cost less or more once we see the condition of the fitting, the surrounding concrete and how much needs to be opened up.
| Leak point | Typical repair | Typical price | Pool drained? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return jet, O-ring, gasket | Replace seal or re-seal fitting | From around R450 to R1,800 | No |
| Skimmer throat or return jet (structural) | Cut back and re-seal | From around R1,800 to R4,500 | Usually not |
| Light niche or conduit | Seal conduit, replace light seal | Light replacement R450 to R1,800 | Usually not |
| Minor shell crack | Open, fill and seal | From around R1,500 to R4,000 | Sometimes |
| Structural crack | Rebuild and seal | Up to around R12,000 | Yes |
| Underground pipe | Excavate, replace section, reinstate | Up to around R18,000 for major work | No |
The cheapest leak is the one at a fitting you can reach from inside the pool. The expensive ones involve digging, draining, or both.
Leaking skimmer repair
The skimmer is the most common leak point we see. It is a plastic box set into the concrete at the waterline, and the joint between the two works loose over time. Paving that settles, roots, ground movement and years of sun all stress that joint.
How a leaking skimmer repair is done
- The water level is dropped just below the skimmer mouth if the repair needs a dry surface.
- Loose grout, old sealant and crumbling concrete around the throat are cut back to sound material.
- The surface is cleaned and roughened so the repair compound can grip.
- A pool-grade sealant or epoxy is packed into the joint and finished smooth.
- It is left to cure, the water is brought back up, and a dye test checks the seal.
If the skimmer body itself is cracked through, sealing the joint won’t last. The skimmer has to be cut out and replaced, and the coping around it is reset. Our skimmer and weir repairs service covers both. For the warning signs, read our post on a pool skimmer leaking.
Return fittings and the multiport waste line
Return jets push filtered water back into the pool. Each one passes through the wall, and the seal around it can perish or crack. The fix is usually simple: remove the eyeball fitting, replace the O-ring or gasket, and re-seal the fitting where it meets the plaster.
If the fitting itself is cracked or the plaster around it has broken away, it needs cutting back and resealing properly, which puts it in the R1,800 to R4,500 bracket rather than the cheaper end.
One leak that fools many people never touches the pool shell at all. A worn multiport valve can let water trickle out of the waste pipe all day. Look at the waste outlet with the pump running on filter. If water keeps flowing, see our guide on a multiport valve leaking to waste.
Leak found? Let’s fix it properly
Send us your leak detection report or photos of the problem area. Our team will tell you how we’d repair it and whether the pool needs draining, then quote.
Pool light leak: sealing the niche and conduit
A pool light sits in a niche in the wall, and its cable runs through a conduit back to a junction box. Water can escape around the niche, or along the conduit itself. A pool light leak often shows up as a pool that drops to just below the light and then stops.
The usual repair is to seal the conduit where it enters the niche and to fit a new seal or a new light. At the time of writing (October 2026), a pool light replacement runs from around R450 to R1,800.
Leave the light to a professional. Pool lights combine water and electricity. Don’t pull a light out of its niche or open the junction box yourself. Switch it off at the board and let a qualified electrician or our team handle it.
If you are replacing the light anyway, it may be worth upgrading to LED at the same time. Our pool lights installation and repair page explains the options.
Pool pipe leak under the paving
When a pressure test shows that a buried line won’t hold pressure, the leak is somewhere along that pipe. Repairing a pool pipe leak means finding the spot as closely as possible, opening the ground above it and replacing the damaged section.
Here is what that work usually involves:
- Lifting paving or cutting lawn over the leak, keeping the slabs aside to reuse.
- Cutting out the cracked or split section of PVC.
- Joining in a new length with proper couplings and solvent cement.
- Pressure testing the line again before anything is covered.
- Bedding the pipe in sand, backfilling and relaying the paving.
Pipe leaks are common under paving that has settled, near tree roots and on older pools where fittings have aged. In Cape Town, winter rain can wash out bedding sand around a leaking pipe and make the paving above it sink. Our pool plumbing pipe repairs team does this work regularly.
Pool crack repair in the shell
Cracks come in two kinds. Hairline cracks in the plaster or marbelite are surface cracks. They look alarming but often aren’t losing much water. Structural cracks go through the concrete shell, and those are the ones that cause real water loss.
Our post on hairline cracks in pool plaster helps you tell the difference. If the dye is pulled into a crack, it is leaking and needs attention.
How a crack is repaired
The crack is cut open into a V-groove so it can be filled properly rather than just smeared over. Loose material is removed, the groove is cleaned, and it is packed with a suitable repair mortar or a flexible sealant, depending on whether the crack is still moving. The repair is then finished to match the surface as closely as possible.
Minor crack repairs start from around R1,500, with most falling in the R1,500 to R4,000 range. Structural cracks that need more extensive work can reach around R12,000. Our pool crack repair service covers both, and we’ll tell you honestly whether a crack can be repaired or whether the shell needs a bigger fix.
Older marbelite pools across Cape Town often have both kinds of crack, and some leak through several small cracks at once. In those cases, repairing the cracks and then relining or resurfacing the pool can work out better value than patching one at a time.
Swimming pool leak repair with the water in or drained?
Most swimming pool leak repair is done with the water in, or with the level dropped slightly. Draining a pool is a bigger decision than it sounds. An empty concrete pool can be lifted by groundwater after heavy rain, which is a real concern in a Cape Town winter. It also means refilling with municipal water afterwards.
We only drain when the repair truly needs it, such as a large structural crack, work on the floor, or a reline or resurfacing done at the same time. For a full picture of your options, our pool repairs page shows what we can do in one visit.
Once the repair is done, do a fresh bucket test after the sealant has cured. If the pool still drops more than the bucket, a second leak may be hiding, and our crack and leak repair team can retest.
Leak repair questions
Can a swimming pool leak repair be done without draining the pool?
Most of the time, yes. Skimmer throats, return fittings, light niches and small cracks can be sealed underwater with products made for it. Draining is kept for large structural cracks, a full reline or resurfacing, and it needs care because an empty pool can be pushed up by groundwater.
How much does pool leak repair cost?
At the time of writing (October 2026), small fixes such as O-rings and jet gaskets start from around R450 to R1,800, and a skimmer throat or return jet re-seal from around R1,800 to R4,500. Big underground pipe jobs can reach around R18,000. Ask our team for a current quote once the leak has been found.
How long does a pool leak repair take?
A fitting or skimmer re-seal is usually done in a single visit, though some sealants need time to cure before the pump runs again. Underground pipe repairs take longer because paving or lawn must be opened and put back. Structural cracks that need draining take the longest.
Can I fix a leaking pool skimmer myself?
You can check the lid, basket and weir door, and keep the water level steady while you wait for help. Proper repairs to the skimmer body or throat need the right sealant, careful preparation and often cutting back concrete. If the skimmer is cracked through, it usually needs replacing.
Why is my pool still leaking after a repair?
Older pools often have more than one leak, so fixing the first point doesn’t always stop the loss completely. Do another bucket test after the repair has cured. If the pool still drops more than the bucket, more testing is needed.
Stop paying for lost water
Our team repairs skimmers, fittings, lights, pipes and cracks across Cape Town. Tell us what the leak test found and we’ll quote on the repair. Ask our team for a current quote.
