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4 services · Lakewood

Drains & sewer in Lakewood, 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
Plumber working on the drain pipes under a sink

Drains & sewer services in Lakewood

Local conditions

Drains & sewer in Lakewood: what's different

Much of Lakewood is 1950s–70s ranches, split-levels and bi-levels with cast-iron drain stacks and original sewer laterals still in service. In those split-level designs, the lowest drain is often a floor drain or a lower-level bathroom partly below grade, and that's where a main-line clog shows up first.

Expansive soils near the foothills on the west side can shift slab floors and stress sewer lines where they leave the foundation, leading to offset joints. Sanitation is handled by several districts depending on the address, and permits come from the City of Lakewood or Jefferson County.

Water and sewer in Lakewood
Water service is split among several providers, including Denver Water, Consolidated Mutual Water Company and other local districts, depending on your address. Sanitation is also handled by multiple districts.
Permits in Lakewood
The City of Lakewood's building division issues plumbing permits for addresses inside city limits; unincorporated Jefferson County addresses go through the county.

Lakewood housing and plumbing

Many 1950s–60s Lakewood homes have cast-iron drain stacks and copper supply, while some still have galvanized runs. Split-level and bi-level designs put plumbing in lower levels that sit partly below grade, where a sewer backup or sump problem shows up first.

Other Lakewood conditions that affect plumbing

  • Lower-level backups: In bi-levels and split-levels, the lowest drain is often a floor drain or a basement bathroom. When the main line clogs, that's where water appears first.
  • Clay soils on the west side: Expansive soils near the foothills can shift slab floors and stress sewer lines where they leave the foundation, leading to offset joints.
  • Freeze-prone hose bibs: West-side homes get cold canyon air during arctic fronts. Hose bibs and pipes along north walls freeze in the same places most winters.

Neighborhoods and ZIP codes

Plumbers on Thawline cover Lakewood and Jefferson County, including Belmar, Green Mountain, Bear Creek, Applewood, Union Square, Lakewood Heights, Bonnie Brae. ZIP codes: 80214 · 80215 · 80226 · 80227 · 80228 · 80232 · 80235.

When to call a plumber in Lakewood

  • 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 Lakewood

Why does water come up in my Lakewood bi-level's lower bathroom?

When the main sewer line clogs, wastewater backs up to the lowest fixture, which in bi-levels is often the lower-level shower or floor drain. Clearing the main and scoping it shows whether roots or a damaged joint caused it.

Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?

They can damage older pipes and fixtures, and they make the job hazardous for the plumber if they don't work. A plunger or a drain snake is safer for a single slow drain.

More plumbing in Lakewood

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