Sewer & Water Line FAQ: Fort Collins & Loveland

Across most of Northern Colorado, the homeowner. Fort Collins Utilities makes owners responsible for the service line from the house to the city main in the street, including any damage it causes. Loveland Water and Power maintains its mains and leaves the connection leading up to them with the customer. Windsor and Berthoud draw the line the same way, and Berthoud’s ordinance even puts the attachment to the main on the owner. The utility looks after the main itself. If your sewer bill comes from a sanitation district, such as the Boxelder Sanitation District, that district’s rules apply. Our home page has the town-by-town breakdown.

Anywhere from a few hundred dollars to five figures, depending on the fix. Clearing a blockage costs least: Angi puts hydro jetting at about $475 on average. A spot repair sits in the middle, and replacing a long, deep line costs most. National guides put the average replacement at about $3,320, with most homeowners paying $1,390 to $5,320 (This Old House, 2026). A camera inspection, about $100 to $500, tells you which job you actually need. Full cost guide.

Rarely, when the line simply wore out. Policies usually exclude age, corrosion and tree roots, and those cause most sewer line failures. Ask your agent whether you have, or can add, a service line coverage endorsement; some insurers sell one that pays for repairs to buried utility lines on your property.

The pipe repair usually is not covered, but damage inside the house may be if your policy includes a water or sewer backup endorsement. Photograph everything before cleanup starts, keep the camera video and the invoice, and call your insurer early.

A technician feeds a waterproof camera on a flexible cable into the line through a cleanout or a pulled toilet and pushes it toward the main while it records. A transmitter in the camera head lets the technician find its position and depth from the surface, so any damage can be marked on the ground. You get the video and a written summary of what it shows. About camera inspections.

Yes, especially for an older home. A standard home inspection does not look inside the sewer line, and roughly a third of homes in Fort Collins and Loveland were built before 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates). Book the scope during your inspection period so you can negotiate if it finds damage.

Yes. New PVC lines resist roots and corrosion, but trench backfill that was not compacted well can settle and leave a sag, and joints can separate. Fence posts, sprinkler installs and landscaping also damage new lines. Half or more of the homes in Timnath, Severance, Berthoud and Wellington were built in 2010 or later, so this comes up often around here. If the home is still under the builder’s warranty, check it before paying for a repair.

Stop all water use, keep people and pets away, and call your utility to check the main. In Fort Collins that is 970-221-6700; in Windsor, Public Works at 970-674-2400. If the main is clear, the blockage is in your line and we can help. Sewer backup checklist.

Something in the line keeps catching waste: roots growing through cracked joints, a sag where solids settle, an offset joint or a grease buildup. Clearing the clog does not fix the cause. A camera run finds it, and lining, a spot repair or hydro jetting usually ends the cycle.