Main Water Line Repair & Replacement in Fort Collins & Loveland

Leak detection, repair and full replacement of the water line from the curb stop to your house.

Camera inspection first
Written, itemized quotes
Serving Larimer County

The pipe that brings water from the curb to your house is buried, out of sight and easy to forget, until the water bill doubles, the pressure drops or a soggy patch appears in the front yard. We find and fix leaking main water lines across Fort Collins, Loveland and the surrounding towns, and replace old galvanized, polybutylene and undersized lines with new copper or PEX.

Call (970) 999-1365 if you suspect a leak between the curb and the house.

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Choose your area

Local rules on who owns the line, permits and inspections differ by town. Pick yours:

Fort Collins Loveland Windsor Timnath Wellington Berthoud Johnstown Severance

Signs your water service line is leaking

A sudden jump in your water bill with no change in how you use water.
The meter keeps moving when every faucet, toilet and sprinkler is off.
Low or falling water pressure throughout the house.
A wet, soft or unusually green spot in the yard between the curb and the house, or water seeping up through a driveway crack.
The sound of running water near where the line enters the house.
Rusty or discolored water that does not clear, which can point to a corroding galvanized line.

Who owns which part of the water line

Fort Collins. Fort Collins Utilities maintains the water main, the curb stop (the shut-off valve near the property line) and the meter. The property owner is responsible for the service line from the curb stop to the house, for any property damage it causes and for the plumbing inside. Only Utilities staff can operate the curb stop, so a service line repair is coordinated with the city’s shut-off.

Loveland. Loveland’s municipal code also places the water service line from the curb stop into the building on the property owner.

Other towns and water districts. Rules vary across Windsor, Timnath, Wellington, Berthoud and Johnstown and the water districts that serve parts of the area. We confirm whose side the leak is on before we quote, because if it is on the utility’s side, it is theirs to fix at no cost to you.

Water meter and shut-off valves in a service box

Why water lines fail here

Old pipe materials. Galvanized steel corrodes from the inside, narrowing the pipe until pressure drops, and eventually leaks. Polybutylene, a plastic pipe (often blue, gray or black) installed in many homes from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, is prone to cracking and splitting. About 31% of Fort Collins homes and 34% of Loveland homes were built before 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates), so plenty of original service lines are still in the ground.

Galvanized and lead line inventories. Utilities across the country are inventorying service line materials under federal lead rules. Fort Collins Utilities has an online lookup where you can check whether your address has a galvanized service line on record.

Freezing. Larimer County requires foundations to be protected at least 30 inches below grade. A service line laid shallow, or one that runs under a driveway where frost goes deeper, can freeze and split in a hard cold snap.

Shifting soil. Expansive clay soil, which the Colorado Geological Survey calls the state’s most significant geologic hazard, swells and shrinks with moisture and can stress buried pipe and fittings.

Old corroded galvanized water pipes

Repair or replace?

Spot repair. A single leak on an otherwise healthy copper or PEX line can be dug up and repaired with a new section.
Full replacement. Galvanized and polybutylene lines, lines with repeated leaks and lines too small for the house are better replaced. The new line is usually copper or PEX, sized for your water use.
Trenchless replacement. A new line can often be pulled or bored from the curb to the house through small pits at each end, avoiding a trench through the yard, driveway or landscaping.

Finding the leak

We confirm the leak with a meter test, then pinpoint it with acoustic listening equipment and line locating, so the dig is one small hole rather than a trench. Where the line runs under concrete, we compare the cost of repairing in place against rerouting a new line around it.

What it costs

National cost guides put a main water line leak repair at roughly $500 to $4,000, depending on depth, access and what is on top of the line (This Old House plumbing cost guide). Full replacement costs more and depends mostly on length, depth, method and restoration. Every quote is written and itemized before work starts. See the cost guide.

Permits and the shut-off

Replacing a service line is permitted work, and digging starts with an 811 call to mark buried utilities. In Fort Collins, a plumbing permit costs $65 plus sales tax on the project valuation, and the curb stop shut-off is scheduled with Utilities. We handle the permit, the locate request and the scheduling.

Water line FAQ

Is the water line from the street to my house my responsibility?

In Fort Collins, yes, from the curb stop to the house. The city is responsible for the main, the curb stop and the meter. Loveland’s code also puts the line from the curb stop into the building on the owner.

How do I know if my main water line is leaking?

Turn off every faucet, toilet and sprinkler and watch the meter. If it keeps moving, water is leaking somewhere between the meter and your fixtures, often in the service line.

Can a water line be replaced without digging up the yard?

Often, yes. A new line can usually be pulled or bored from the curb to the house through small access pits.

Should I replace a polybutylene or galvanized water line before it fails?

If it has leaked before, if pressure is poor, or if you are already digging for other work, replacing it is usually worth it. Both materials are known for failing with age.

How long does a water line replacement take?

Most residential replacements are finished in a day, plus time for permits and the curb stop shut-off.