Plumbing Inspection in Littleton, CO

What should I expect from a house built during Littleton's 1950s and 60s boom?

Littleton is an established suburb that expanded quickly after World War II, and much of its housing is detached single-family homes from that period. Houses of that age can still have galvanized supply pipe that narrows with rust, cast iron drains that crack from the inside, clay sewer lines that let roots in and shutoffs that have not been turned in decades. A plumber will check each of these and tell you which items are urgent, which can wait and which are simply worth budgeting for. Homes from later decades usually raise different questions, like aging water heaters and supply hoses.

Who provides water and sewer here?

The city says all City of Littleton residents get water from Denver Water; the city itself does not supply water. Sewer is different. Most residents are billed for sewer by the City of Littleton, and wastewater is treated at South Platte Renew, which Littleton owns jointly with Englewood. Some connecting communities are billed by their own sanitation district, and the city offers a lookup map. After-hours sewer emergencies go to the city at 303-794-1551. For a water emergency, Denver Water's after-hours line is 303-628-6801.

A Littleton mailing address is not the same as city limits. ZIP codes like 80123 and 80127 also cover unincorporated areas such as Columbine and Ken Caryl, which have different providers and get permits from the county.

Do repairs after the inspection need a permit?

Inside city limits, yes. Littleton requires a permit to install, alter, repair or replace any plumbing or gas system, and homeowners doing their own single-trade work sign a Homeowner Affidavit. Permits come from the city's Building and Development Permit Center. Addresses outside city limits go to Arapahoe, Jefferson or Douglas County, and the city's District Map Tool shows which.

A local note

Gas comes from Xcel Energy. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house, then call 911 and Xcel at 1-800-895-2999 from outside. A plumber can look at visible gas piping to the furnace and water heater during the inspection, but a gas odor always comes first.