If a pipe has burst in your Lakewood home, close the main shutoff right away and kill power to anything near the water. A plumber can repair the split section or reroute a vulnerable run so it doesn't freeze again. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Lakewood.
Lakewood homes and the water patchwork
Lakewood is a big, spread-out city west of Denver, from Belmar and the West Colfax corridor to the neighborhoods around Green Mountain. Its median home was built in 1977 and about 56% of the housing predates 1980, so plenty of supply lines here have been through decades of Front Range freezes and repairs. Lines in crawl spaces, garages and north-facing exterior walls are the usual casualties.
Who supplies the water depends on the address. Denver Water sells to nearly 20 providers inside Lakewood, and the City of Lakewood's own water utility is just one of them; others include Consolidated Mutual, Green Mountain, Bear Creek and several more water and sanitation districts. On the city's system, the city maintains the main, the line to the meter pit and the pit itself, while the owner maintains the line from the meter pit to the building. Other districts can draw that line differently, so check your bill.
Patch it or replace the run?
| Situation | Usual approach | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One clean split, sound pipe on both sides | Cut out and splice a new section | Fast, and the rest of the run is fine |
| Several cracks along one cold wall | Replace that whole run | Repeated splices invite new leaks |
| Pipe through an unheated garage or crawl space | Reroute or insulate | Stops the same freeze next winter |
| Corroded older pipe beside the break | Replace a larger section | New fittings won't seal on weak pipe |
Signs the problem is a broken pipe
- Water dripping through a ceiling or pooling under a sink
- Sudden low pressure across the house
- The sound of flowing water with every tap closed
- A water bill that jumps without explanation
If your water comes through the City of Lakewood utility and the leak seems to be outside near the meter pit, its after-hours emergency line is 303-980-7300.
Timing and the freeze-thaw pattern
Many Lakewood bursts show up the afternoon after a frigid night, when ice inside the pipe melts and water reaches the crack. A sunny warm-up can hide the problem until a ceiling stains. Most plumbing work in Lakewood needs a permit from the city Building Department, so ask the plumber whether yours does, especially if a run is being replaced or rerouted.
Burst Pipe Repair questions in Lakewood
Water is bubbling up near the street or meter. Who do I call?
Why did the leak only show up once the pipe thawed?
Does a burst pipe repair need a permit?
Does one burst mean the whole house needs new pipe?
More plumbing services in Lakewood
Burst Pipe Repair nearby
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