Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Fort Collins & Loveland (2026)

Real 2026 price ranges, what drives them, and how to compare quotes in Fort Collins and Loveland.

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Two quotes for what sounds like the same sewer job can be thousands of dollars apart. This guide sets out national price ranges, local permit fees and the factors that move a Fort Collins or Loveland quote, so you can read an estimate with confidence. Your own price depends on your line, which is why every quote we give follows a camera inspection.

Call (970) 999-1365 for a camera inspection and a written, itemized quote.

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

Fort Collins Loveland Windsor Timnath Wellington Berthoud Johnstown Severance

Sewer line costs at a glance

Item	Typical cost	Source
Sewer line replacement, national average	$3,320	This Old House, 2026
Sewer line replacement, typical range	$1,390 to $5,320	This Old House, 2026
Replacement by excavation	$50 to $200 per foot	This Old House, 2026
Trenchless replacement (lining or bursting)	$60 to $250 per foot	This Old House, 2026
Sewer camera inspection	$100 to $500	This Old House, 2026
Hydro jetting	About $475 on average; most pay $350 to $600	Angi
Main water line leak repair	$500 to $4,000	This Old House plumbing cost guide
Fort Collins plumbing permit	$65 plus sales tax on the project valuation	City of Fort Collins

National figures come from This Old House’s 2026 sewer line replacement cost guide (updated March 30, 2026), which is based on Angi data. Labor, restoration and street work in Northern Colorado can price differently, so treat them as a starting point, not a quote.

Why the average can mislead you

The $3,320 average blends short repairs with full replacements. As an illustration only, here is plain arithmetic on the national per-foot ranges:

A 20-foot section replaced by excavation: 20 feet at $50 to $200 per foot is $1,000 to $4,000.
A 70-foot line, house to main, replaced by excavation: 70 feet at $50 to $200 per foot is $3,500 to $14,000.
The same 70 feet lined or burst: 70 feet at $60 to $250 per foot is $4,200 to $17,500.

Those totals leave out restoration, permits and street work, and none of them is a quote. A short line with easy access lands near the bottom of the range; a long, deep line under concrete lands near the top.

What drives the price

Length and depth. Longer, deeper lines take more pipe, digging, shoring and time. This Old House puts labor for sewer work at about $150 to $500 per hour and excavation at about $400 to $1,200 or more. Larimer County’s minimum frost protection depth for foundations is 30 inches, and buried service lines need protection from freezing too, so sewer work here is rarely a shallow dig.

Access and restoration. What sits on top of the line often costs more than the pipe. Lawn is cheap to put back. Driveways, patios, mature trees, sprinkler systems and fences are not. Opening the street adds permit fees, traffic control and pavement patching.

The method. Excavation is usually cheaper per foot, but trenchless methods can save thousands in restoration when the line runs under concrete or landscaping. Because the per-foot ranges overlap, the cheapest method depends on your yard, and the camera tells us which methods will work at all. How trenchless repair works.

Pipe material. New sewer lines are usually PVC, one of the least expensive materials. This Old House lists material costs of about $120 to $320 for PVC and $120 to $440 for ABS, against $800 to $3,000 for cast iron.

Permits. Nationally, permits run about $100 to $1,000. A Fort Collins plumbing permit costs $65 plus sales tax on the project valuation. Clearing a stoppage or stopping a leak needs no permit, but replacing concealed pipe is new work that does. Other towns and sanitation districts set their own fees and inspections.

Repair or replace: what each option costs

Cleaning only. A sound but blocked pipe can be cleared by snaking or hydro jetting, which Angi puts at about $475 on average.
Spot repair. One small excavation replaces a single broken section. It is the cheapest structural fix when the rest of the line is healthy.
Lining (CIPP). A resin liner seals cracks and root entry points from the inside, priced per foot, with little or no digging.
Pipe bursting. A new pipe is pulled through the old one between two access pits, also priced per foot.
Open-trench replacement. The most digging and restoration, and sometimes the only fix for a collapsed pipe or wrong slope.

Paying for a full replacement when a spot repair would do wastes money. So does jetting every few months on a line that is falling apart. The camera footage shows which situation you are in. More on sewer line replacement.

Costs people forget to budget for

The camera inspection, if it is not folded into the repair price. About camera inspections.
Concrete, pavers and landscaping that have to come out and go back.
A new cleanout, which makes the line easier to inspect and clear later.
Sprinkler lines and fences the trench crosses.
Cleanup after a backup, a separate bill from the pipe repair.
The water line, if it is failing too. This Old House puts a main water line leak repair at about $500 to $4,000. Water line repair.

Who pays: you or the city?

In Fort Collins, the property owner owns and maintains the sewer service line from the house to the city’s main in the street, plus any damage it causes. A blockage between the house and the main is the owner’s to fix and clean up, including damage to the street or driveway. A blockage in the city’s main is cleared by Fort Collins Utilities, which also pays for janitorial cleanup of the affected area. If sewage is backing up, call Utilities at 970-221-6700 first so they can check the main.

Loveland, Windsor and Berthoud also put the service line on the owner, and the sanitation districts that serve parts of the area set their own rules. Our FAQ covers the details.

Does insurance cover sewer line replacement?

Usually not for the pipe itself. Standard homeowners policies typically exclude wear and tear, tree roots and old age, which cause most sewer line failures. Backup damage inside the house is often excluded too unless you added a water backup endorsement. Some insurers sell a service line coverage endorsement for buried utility lines. Check your policy before work starts, and keep the camera video and itemized invoice, since insurers often ask for proof of the cause.

How to compare sewer line quotes

Line the quotes up on the same points: the same length of pipe, method and restoration; the camera video behind the price; who pulls the permits and whether fees are included; exactly what gets put back; the warranty in writing; and a final camera run after the repair.

Walk away from a full-replacement price with no camera inspection behind it, pressure to sign today, silence about permits on work that needs one, or a quote that never says what restoration is included.

Paying for the work

A full replacement is a large and often unplanned bill. Ask whether financing or a payment plan is available before you sign, and compare the total cost, not just the monthly payment.

Every job gets a written, itemized quote before work starts, with permits and restoration listed separately, so the invoice matches what you agreed to.

Sewer line cost FAQ

How much does it cost to replace a sewer line in Fort Collins?

National guides put the average at about $3,320, with most homeowners paying $1,390 to $5,320. Long, deep lines and lines under concrete cost more. In Fort Collins, add the plumbing permit: $65 plus sales tax on the project valuation.

How much does it cost to repair a sewer line?

It depends on the fix. Jetting a sound but blocked line typically costs $350 to $600, a spot repair costs less than a full replacement, and lining or replacing a longer section is priced per foot. A camera inspection, about $100 to $500, shows which one you need.

Does trenchless repair cost more than digging?

Per foot it often does: $60 to $250 for trenchless against $50 to $200 for excavation. Overall it can cost less when the line runs under a driveway, patio, mature trees or landscaping that would otherwise be torn out and rebuilt.

Does homeowners insurance cover sewer line replacement?

Usually not when the cause is wear, roots or age. A water backup endorsement may cover damage from a backup, and some insurers sell service line coverage for buried lines. Check your policy before work starts.

Is a camera inspection worth paying for?

Yes. At about $100 to $500, it is the cheapest way to avoid paying for the wrong repair, and the video helps with insurance claims and with comparing quotes.