Mountain · 407 covered ZIP codes
Plumbers in Colorado
Thawline connects homeowners across the Denver metro, Boulder County and Northern Colorado with licensed plumbers who serve their town. Plumbing here is shaped by three things: hard freezes that arrive fast, expansive clay soils that move foundations and buried pipe, and a housing stock that runs from 1890s Denver brick to 2020s subdivisions on the plains.
Call now to check plumber availability
Is your Colorado ZIP covered?
Plumbing conditions in Colorado
Colorado's Front Range sees sudden arctic fronts between mild, sunny spells, so pipes freeze and thaw repeatedly. Expansive clay soils and high altitude also affect sewer lines and gas appliances.
Housing runs from 1890s brick in Denver to new subdivisions on the plains, and many homes have basements.
Hard freezes are a regular part of winter in Colorado, so pipes in exterior walls, garages, crawl spaces and attics need protection every year, and outdoor faucets and sprinkler lines must be drained before the first freeze.
Plumbing services in Colorado
Colorado at a glance
- Covered ZIP codes
- 407
- Cities and towns covered
- 188
- Winter freeze risk
- Hard freezes every winter
- Common foundations
- basements
- Most covered areas
- Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Littleton, Boulder
- Region
- Mountain
Common plumbing problems in Colorado
Frozen and burst pipes
Cold snaps in Colorado freeze pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and garages. A frozen line often splits and leaks only after it thaws, so shut off the main if you see water.
Frozen pipe thawing →Basement backups and sump pumps
Many Colorado homes have basements, where the floor drain is the first place a sewer backup shows up and a sump pump is the main defense against groundwater.
Sump pump service →Shifting clay soil
Expansive clay in parts of Colorado swells and shrinks with moisture, cracking buried sewer lines and stressing pipes under slabs.
Sewer line repair →Altitude and gas appliances
At higher elevations in Colorado, gas water heaters and tankless units lose output and must be sized and set up for altitude.
Tankless water heaters →Aging pipes in older homes
Older homes in Colorado often still have galvanized supply pipe, cast-iron drains or clay sewer laterals, which corrode, crack and collect roots with age.
Repiping →Licensing, permits and utilities in Colorado
Licensing
Colorado licenses plumbers statewide through the State Plumbing Board in the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). Master, journeyman and residential plumber licenses are issued by the state, and you can look up any plumber's license on the DORA website before work begins.
Permits and inspections
Larger cities such as Denver, Aurora, Fort Collins and Boulder run their own building departments and plumbing inspections. In unincorporated areas the county building division handles permits, and in some places the state plumbing program does the inspections. Water heater replacements, repipes, sewer and water line work and gas piping usually need a permit.
Water and sewer providers
Water comes from a patchwork of city utilities and special districts. Denver Water serves Denver and many surrounding suburbs; Aurora, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Golden, Boulder, Longmont, Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley run their own utilities. Homeowners generally own the water service line from the curb stop and the sewer service line out to the main.
Climate and soil
Front Range winters bring sudden arctic fronts between mild, sunny spells, so pipes freeze and thaw repeatedly. Bentonite clay soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, which can shift slab floors, stress buried sewer lines, and crack basement walls. Spring snowmelt and summer storms put sump pumps to work.
Plumber guides for Colorado cities
Local pages with each city's water provider, permit office, housing and common problems.
Denver & west metro
South & east metro
Boulder County
Northern Colorado
Where plumbers are covered in Colorado
Cities and towns with the most covered ZIP codes. Coverage is set ZIP by ZIP, so smaller towns not listed here may also be covered.
- Denver66 ZIPs
- Colorado Springs53 ZIPs
- Aurora17 ZIPs
- Littleton16 ZIPs
- Boulder11 ZIPs
- Fort Collins9 ZIPs
- Pueblo8 ZIPs
- Arvada7 ZIPs
- Englewood7 ZIPs
- Greeley6 ZIPs
- Westminster4 ZIPs
- Longmont4 ZIPs
- Broomfield4 ZIPs
- Golden4 ZIPs
- Grand Junction3 ZIPs
- Castle Rock3 ZIPs
- Loveland3 ZIPs
- Brighton3 ZIPs
Colorado plumbing questions
How do I check a plumber's license in Colorado?
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Colorado?
When should I winterize outdoor plumbing in Colorado?
Is there a plumber near me in Colorado?
Which Colorado cities have the most plumber coverage?
Do pipes freeze in Colorado?
Plumbing problem in Colorado?
Tell us what's going on and your ZIP code. You'll be connected with a licensed plumber who serves your area.
Call now to check plumber availability