How Much Does Main Water Line Repair Cost in Denver?

Main water line repair costs in Denver average $1,601, and most projects total between $603 and $2,651. Your total will depend mostly on the type of damage and how many linear feet of piping your plumber needs to expose and replace. However, the material you choose and how accessible the main line is can also play important roles in your cost.

Main Water Line Repair Cost Factors

Residents in Denver have paid as little as $295 for main water line repair, but prices can climb as high as $4,700. There are a few cost factors you should consider to find out where in this range your project will fall.

Linear Feet

The most crucial cost factor is ultimately the length of piping you need to repair or replace, as this affects material costs and, more importantly, labor costs. Each additional linear foot you need your local plumber to excavate and repair will add $100 to $200 to your total. The average lot size in Denver is 0.13 acres. Luckily, there’s minimal distance that lateral service lines need to travel, which means repairs are smaller than average.

Type of Damage

The type of damage and the underlying cause of your water main damage will usually play an important role in determining how many linear feet need to be repaired, so it’s another crucial cost factor to consider.

The most common water main issue in Denver is cracking from shifting soils. Denver has clayey soil that expands and contracts with changes in moisture, and the freeze-thaw cycle through the seasons only adds to that soil movement. Movement around your water main can lead to cracking. This type of damage requires just a few linear feet of repair in most cases, so your cost will fall closer to the lower end of the average range, between $600 and $1,600.

Denver also gets its water from the Rockies, and the hardness of the water changes throughout the year. It’s soft during the summer, and soft water leads to corrosion inside most metal piping, like the ductile iron that’s common in Denver's water mains. Corrosion leads to more widespread damage and will more likely cost closer to the higher end of the normal range, between $1,600 and $2,650.

Material

You have a few options when it comes to the material you choose for your water main. Ductile iron is the most common material for its value and durability, although it is prone to corrosion from Denver’s soft water. The city recently started replacing the main service lines with copper, which lasts longer but costs three to 10 times as much as iron. PVC is also a more modern option, and it’s the most affordable, but it’s the least sustainable and more likely to crack from shifting soils in Colorado.

Accessibility

Finally, the accessibility of your main water line will affect your costs, as your plumber will need to excavate the line to carry out repairs. Accessibility in Denver is more challenging than in most states because the frost line is at an average depth of 36 inches. Water mains need to run below the frost line to resist freezing, so this deep installation point means a lot of expensive excavation to get to your pipe.

Your costs could go up by hundreds or even thousands if you have a patio, porch, walkway, or driveway that’s in the way of the excavation and makes the process take longer.

Plumber Costs

When you hire a plumber in Denver, an average of 90% of the total cost of your water main repair will go toward labor, which puts labor costs at $1,440. This is over 50% more than you’d pay for labor in most other states, and about half of that excess cost is because the cost of living is above average in Denver, which leads to higher labor costs. The rest of the increase is due to more labor being required to excavate the dense clayey soil down below the frost line.

In addition to labor, your plumber will charge you for the necessary plumbing permits. They’ll file the paperwork and schedule the inspection, but you’ll be responsible for the fees. The City of Denver charges $35 for the first $2,000 worth of work plus $8 for each additional $1,000 worth of work. Given the average cost of main water line repair in Denver, you’re looking at permit fees of $35.

Does Main Water Line Repair Increase Home Value?

Main water line repair won’t increase your home value, but taking care of the repairs can avoid damage from underground leaks that could otherwise decrease your home value. Even a complete main water line replacement will have only a minor positive impact on your home value, as it doesn’t improve curb appeal but does offer the buyer some peace of mind that they won’t need to pay for repairs or a replacement themselves.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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