4 services · Fort Collins
Drains & sewer in Fort Collins, CO
A single slow sink is usually a local clog a plumber can clear in one visit. Several drains backing up at once, gurgling toilets or water at a basement floor drain point to the main sewer line, which may need cleaning, a camera inspection and sometimes repair.
- Licensed local plumbers
- The problem explained before work starts
- Price agreed before the job begins
Drains & sewer services in Fort Collins
Drain cleaning in Fort Collins
UrgentIf one fixture is slow, the clog is usually in that fixture's branch line. If several drains back up at once, or the basement floor drain fills when you run the washer, the main sewer line is blocked and needs a larger cable or a jetter.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting cleans the full width of a drain pipe with high-pressure water, washing out grease, scale and fine roots that a cable only punches a hole through. It works best on sound pipe and is usually done after a camera inspection confirms the pipe can take it.
Sewer camera inspection in Fort Collins
A sewer camera inspection runs a waterproof camera through the line from your house to the city main and records what it finds: roots, cracks, sags, offset joints or collapsed pipe. It's the best way to decide between cleaning, spot repair and replacement.
Sewer line repair
UrgentA damaged sewer line can be fixed with a spot repair, a trenchless liner, pipe bursting or an open-trench replacement. Which one fits depends on what the camera shows, how deep the pipe is, and what's on top of it, such as a driveway, trees or landscaping.
Local conditions
Drains & sewer in Fort Collins: what's different
Fort Collins drain calls split between older homes near Old Town and Colorado State University, where clay sewer lines and cast-iron drains are common, and rentals near campus, where heavy use of kitchen and bathroom drains keeps branch lines slow.
Expansive clay soils can shift sewer lines and create offset joints and cracks that a camera inspection shows clearly. Fort Collins Utilities serves much of the city, while some areas are served by other districts. Plumbing permits come from the City of Fort Collins building services, or Larimer County for unincorporated addresses.
- Water and sewer in Fort Collins
- Fort Collins Utilities serves much of the city; some areas are served by districts such as Fort Collins-Loveland Water District and East Larimer County Water District.
- Permits in Fort Collins
- The City of Fort Collins building services issues plumbing permits; unincorporated Larimer County addresses use the county.
Fort Collins housing and plumbing
Older homes near Old Town and CSU can have clay sewer lines, galvanized supply and cast-iron drains. Neighborhoods from the 1970s–90s have copper supply and aging water heaters and fixtures. Newer east-side homes use PEX and often have sump pumps.
Other Fort Collins conditions that affect plumbing
- Clay soil movement: Expansive soils can shift slab floors and sewer lines, causing offset joints and cracks that show up on a camera inspection.
- Rental-heavy wear near campus: Rentals near CSU see heavy use of toilets, disposals and drains, and frequent turnover means problems go unreported until they're bigger.
- Cold winters: Northern Colorado winters bring long cold spells. Pipes along exterior walls, in garages and in crawl spaces freeze when heat is turned down in vacant units.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
Plumbers on Thawline cover Fort Collins and Larimer County, including Old Town, Midtown, Rolland Moore, Harmony, Waterfield, Old Town North. ZIP codes: 80521 · 80524 · 80525 · 80526 · 80528.
When to call a plumber in Fort Collins
- Water backing up in the tub or shower when a toilet flushes
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time
- Water or sewage at a basement floor drain
- Gurgling from drains or toilets
- Sewer smell inside or a soggy patch in the yard
- The same clog returning within weeks of being cleared
How these problems start and how to choose between repair options is covered in the drains & sewer guide.
Drains & sewer questions in Fort Collins
Should landlords near CSU scope their sewer lines?
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
More plumbing in Fort Collins
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