Plumber in Lakewood, CO: providers, permits and hiring

Who supplies water and sewer in Lakewood?

It depends on your street. Lakewood's water and sewer provider list (December 2024) names 27 providers, from Denver Water and Consolidated Mutual Water Company to small sanitation districts such as Green Mountain, Bancroft-Clover and Wheat Ridge Sanitation. The city's drinking water utility page says Denver Water sells water to nearly 20 water providers within Lakewood that serve more than 143,000 residents, and that the city's own small utility also buys its water from Denver Water. Your sewer district may be different from your water provider.

Why it matters: the provider decides meter and tap rules, where its responsibility ends, and which rebates you can claim. The city suggests using its My Neighborhood portal to find yours, or simply check your bills.

How old are Lakewood homes?

Older than most of the metro. Census Bureau survey data for 2020 to 2024 put Lakewood's median year built at 1977, with about 56 percent of homes built before 1980 and about 34 percent before 1970 (ACS table B25034 via Census Reporter). Houses from the 1950s and 1960s can have galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains and clay or early plastic sewer laterals, and some still heat with boilers. If your home has radiators or baseboard hot water heat, see our boiler maintenance guide.

Before you hire anyone for an older Lakewood house, it helps to know what you have. Look for these clues:

• Gray threaded pipe at the water heater or under sinks usually means galvanized steel supply lines, which narrow inside as they corrode and reduce water pressure.
• Heavy black drain pipe in the basement is often cast iron; ask for a camera inspection before deciding between repair and replacement.
• A water heater label shows the manufacture date, which tells you how close the tank is to replacement.

Which Lakewood permits apply to plumbing?

Lakewood issues permits through eTRAKiT. Its permit types sheet lists:

Permit type	Covers	Who
Systems Replacement: Replace Water Heater	Replacing a water heater or boiler only (single-family or duplex)	Plumbing registration with the city for a water heater; mechanical or plumbing registration for a boiler
Plumbing (Residential)	Other plumbing work	Registered contractor or qualifying homeowner
Lakewood Water or Sewer Utility	New, repaired or abandoned lines in Lakewood utility service areas	Applies only where the city is your provider
Public Way: Excavation	Any water or sewer work in the public right-of-way	Separate permit, in addition to the above

Can a Lakewood homeowner pull their own plumbing permit?

Sometimes. Lakewood's permits for homeowners guide says the owner and occupant of a single-family detached home may pull the permit when doing the work personally, by adding yourself as the contractor for each building system in eTRAKiT. Important limits:

• If you hire someone, make sure they are registered with the City of Lakewood and have them obtain the permit.
• Owners of townhomes and condominiums must hire registered subcontractors for systems work.
• LLCs, trusts and corporations are not issued homeowner permits for residential projects.
• A water heater replacement needs its own application, specific to that system.

Questions go to the city at 303.987.7500.

How to confirm a Lakewood plumber is legitimate

Ask for the company's Lakewood contractor registration, since without it the company cannot pull a water heater permit. Then search the plumber's own name in the Colorado DORA license lookup; the state licenses individual plumbers through the Plumbing Board. Get a written quote that says who pulls the permit. Our guide to choosing a plumber lists the questions to ask, and the water heater guide covers sizing and replacement timing.

Rebates for Lakewood residents

Because most Lakewood water ultimately comes from Denver Water, many residents can use the Denver Water toilet rebate, which is open to customers of Denver Water or a qualifying distributor. It pays up to $100 for a WaterSense toilet averaging 0.8 gallons per flush or less, limited to two per residence in 10 years, with an online application within 90 days of purchase.

About this guide

We are an independent homeowner guide, not a contractor; we do not perform plumbing work. To get next steps, email a request with your Lakewood address or ZIP, your water and sewer provider, the symptoms and photos. Where a licensed local contractor is available, we will introduce you.