Sewer Line Replacement in Longmont, CO

Which part of the sewer does Longmont take care of?

The city's Water Utilities maintains the sewer mains and investigates problems in them. The service line connecting your home to the main is yours to own and maintain, so damage anywhere along it is a private repair. If you're not sure whether a backup is in your line or the main, call Water Utilities at (303) 651-8416 during business hours. After hours, the city directs residents to Longmont Public Safety Dispatch. A problem affecting several houses points to the main; one house alone usually points to the service line.

How likely is my Longmont home to have an old sewer line?

It depends on when the house went up. The median Longmont home was built in 1991, and about 37% predate 1980, according to ACS 2019-2023 estimates. Longmont was founded in 1871 by the Chicago-Colorado Colony, and the older streets around the downtown Main Street corridor are where original clay or cast iron drain lines are most likely. Clay joints let roots in and cast iron scales and thins from the inside, so after decades the damage is usually spread along the line. Homes from the 1990s onward, such as those in planned neighborhoods like Prospect New Town, generally have plastic pipe; when those fail, it is usually from settled soil, a poorly supported joint or later digging.

Do I need a permit to replace a sewer line in Longmont?

Yes. Longmont Building Services requires a permit for any changes to plumbing systems, and replacing a sewer service line qualifies. Building Services is in the Development Services Center at 385 Kimbark Street, (303) 651-8332. In practice, the plumber you hire will usually file the permit and schedule the inspection before backfilling. Ask whether the plan includes camera footage of the finished line, which is useful for your records and for any future buyer.

A local note

Longmont's housing ranges from the historic core to newer subdivisions on the edges, and the right method follows from the pipe. An old clay line that still holds its route is often a good candidate for pipe bursting, which avoids a long trench across a mature yard. A plastic line that has bellied usually needs digging so it can be reset to the correct slope. A camera inspection settles which case you have before you commit.