Denver Main sewer line replacement
Home/Services/Pipe Locating
Pipe and Sewer Line Locating in Denver
Sewer Experts finds where your sewer, water and drain lines run underground and marks them on the surface, so nobody digs blind. Private utility locating with camera and sonde, electromagnetic line tracing, and clear paint and flag marks across the Denver metro.
In shortColorado 811 marks public utilities for free, but it does not mark the private lines on your property, including your sewer line. That is what a private pipe locate is for.
Camera readout83 ft 6 infrom the cleanout to the break
Underground pipe locating
Underground pipe and utility locating: what we find
We locate the buried pipes that carry water in and waste out. If it is a pipe you own, we can usually find it, mark it, and tell you how deep it sits.
Sewer lines and laterals
The private sewer line from your house to the city main, including bends, offsets and the exact spot of a break shown on camera.
Water service lines
The line from the meter or curb stop to the house, so a repair, a fence post or a new driveway does not hit it.
Septic tank locating
Tank lids, inlet and outlet pipes, the distribution box and the drain field, found without digging up half the yard.
Cleanouts
Buried or paved-over cleanouts that a plumber needs to reach your line. We find them, and we can raise or install one if you have none.
Storm drains and yard drains
Downspout lines, French drains, area drains and the pipes that carry them to the street or a dry well.
Abandoned and unknown pipes
Old lines from a previous addition, a removed garage or a former septic system that still sit in the ground and show up when you dig.
Public versus private lines
Why calling 811 is not enough
Colorado law requires a locate request through Colorado 811 before you dig, and that service is free. But 811 only marks the utility company’s lines. Everything on your side of the meter or property line is yours to locate.
Free · Colorado 811
What an 811 locate marks
Utility companies that belong to Colorado 811 send locators to mark the lines they own, up to the point where the line becomes yours. Request it online at colorado811.org or by dialing 811, and allow the required waiting period before digging.
- Gas mains and the gas service to your meter
- Electric, cable and fiber owned by the utility
- Water mains and the public side of your water service
- Sewer mains in the street
Paid · Sewer Experts
What a private locate marks
Anything on your side of the meter or property line is a private line. Utility locators skip it, even if you asked for the 811 locate. We find it with a camera sonde or a line tracer and mark it on the surface.
- Your sewer lateral, from the house to the main
- Your water service from the meter to the house
- Septic tanks, drain fields and cleanouts
- Storm and yard drains, irrigation mains, lines to a shop or garage
Reading the marks
What the paint colors on your lawn mean
Locators across the United States use the same color code, set by the American Public Works Association. Our marks follow it too, so a plumber, landscaper or excavator can read them at a glance.
- GreenSewer and drain lines
- BlueDrinking water
- YellowGas, oil, steam
- RedElectric power
- OrangePhone, cable, fiber
- PurpleReclaimed water, irrigation
- WhiteProposed dig area
Pink marks are temporary survey marks. Flags carry the same colors as paint. Marks are only valid for a limited time, so a locate should happen shortly before the dig.
How we find a pipe without digging
Camera, sonde and line tracing
A locate visit takes about an hour for a typical Denver home. Here is how we do it.
01
Camera goes in
We push a sewer camera through the cleanout, a roof vent or a pulled toilet. The screen shows the pipe, every fitting and any damage, with the distance counted in feet.
02
Sonde sends a signal
The camera head carries a small transmitter called a sonde. Above ground, a receiver picks up its signal and shows us exactly where the camera head is and how deep it sits.
03
Trace the whole run
We walk the line and mark it every few feet. Metal pipe and pipe with tracer wire can also be traced end to end with an electromagnetic locator, no camera needed.
04
Mark and record
Paint and flags on the surface, depth written at key points, and photos of the marks sent to you or your contractor. If a break was found, we mark the dig spot too.
When to book a locate
Situations where a pipe locate saves money
A cracked sewer line costs thousands to repair. A fence post through it costs the same. Knowing where the line runs before anyone digs is the cheapest step in any project.
- Before a sewer or water repairPinpoint the break so the excavation is one small hole, not a trench along a guess.
- Fences, decks and shedsPost holes and footings go three feet down or more. That is sewer line depth in many Denver yards.
- Planting treesRoots follow water. Keep new trees off the line and you avoid the number one cause of sewer backups.
- Driveways, patios and additionsKnow what you are building over before concrete goes down. Some cities will not permit a structure over the lateral.
- Buying a homePair the sewer scope with a locate and you know the line’s route, depth and condition before you close.
- Lost cleanout or septic lidBuried under sod, mulch or a new patio. We find it in minutes instead of you digging test holes.
- Irrigation and landscapingTrenching for sprinkler lines is the classic way to nick a water service. Mark it first.
- For plumbers and contractorsWe locate for other trades every week. Send us the address and we will have the marks down before your crew arrives.
What you get
A locate you can hand to any contractor
You are not paying for a guess. Every locate ends with marks on the ground and a record you can keep.
- Surface marksPaint and flags along the full run, in the standard color for the type of line.
- Depth readingsDepth noted at the house, at turns and at the dig point, so the excavator knows what to expect.
- Camera videoWhen the locate is done with the camera, you get the recording of the inside of the line as well.
- Photo recordPhotos of the marks with measurements from fixed points like the house corner, so the line can be found again after the paint fades.
- Straight answersIf the camera shows a problem, we tell you what it is and what the fix options cost. No pressure to repair on the spot.
Where we locate
Pipe locating across the Denver metro
Based in Commerce City, we cover Denver and the suburbs on both sides of the city, plus the Front Range from Fort Collins to Castle Rock. Same crews, same equipment, wherever the pipe is.
Sewer Experts6510 E. 49th Ave. Ste A, Commerce City, CO 80022 · (720) 663-7473
- Denver
- Commerce City
- Aurora
- Arvada
- Lakewood
- Thornton
- Northglenn
- Brighton
- Broomfield
- Wheat Ridge
- Golden
- Englewood
- Littleton
- Centennial
- Highlands Ranch
- Parker
- Castle Rock
- Castle Pines
- Ken Caryl
- Evergreen
- Boulder
- Louisville
- Lafayette
- Superior
- Longmont
- Loveland
- Fort Collins
- Greeley
- Bennett
Questions
Pipe locating questions from Denver homeowners
?
How do I find the sewer line on my property?
Start with the cleanout: a capped pipe near the foundation, in the basement floor or in the yard. The line runs from there toward the street, usually the shortest route to the sewer main. Your city may have a map of the mains but not of your private line. For the exact path and depth, a camera with a sonde traced from above ground is the only reliable way. Our guide to finding your sewer line covers the free clues first.
?
Is there a free sewer line map for my property?
Usually not for the private line. Denver and most Front Range cities publish maps of the public sewer mains and sometimes the tap location, but the lateral from your house to the main is private and rarely on any map. Building permits or an old plumbing inspection may show a rough route. A locate visit gives you the actual path, depth and a photo record you can keep.
?
Does Colorado 811 mark sewer lines?
No. Colorado 811 members mark the utility-owned lines up to your meter or property line. The sewer lateral from your house to the main is private property in Denver and most Front Range cities, so 811 locators do not mark it. A private locating company like Sewer Experts does.
?
How do you find a sewer line without digging?
We run a camera through the pipe with a sonde transmitter in its head, then follow the signal above ground with a receiver. The receiver shows the pipe’s path and depth. Metal pipe and pipe with tracer wire can also be traced electromagnetically from the surface.
?
How deep is a sewer line in Denver?
Most residential sewer lines around Denver sit between three and eight feet deep. They start shallow near the house and get deeper toward the main in the street. Water service lines are usually about four and a half feet deep to stay below the frost line. A locate tells you the actual depth on your lot.
?
Can you locate a pipe if I have no cleanout?
Usually. We can enter the line through a roof vent or by pulling a toilet. If access is the problem, we can install a cleanout, which also makes every future cleaning and inspection faster and cheaper.
?
Can you find my septic tank or the drain field?
Yes. We trace the outlet line from the house to the tank and mark the lid, then follow the line to the distribution box and the laterals of the drain field.
?
How long do the marks last?
Paint lasts a few weeks on concrete and less on grass that gets mowed and watered. Flags last until someone pulls them. That is why we also give you photos with measurements from fixed points, so the line can be found again later.
?
How much does a private utility locate cost in Denver?
A single-line residential locate is a flat visit fee. Extra lines, no cleanout access, long commercial runs and septic drain fields add to it. Call for a price for your address, and ask about applying the locate fee to a repair if we end up fixing the line.
?
Do I still need to call 811 if you locate my lines?
Yes. Our locate covers your private lines. The gas, electric and communication lines owned by the utilities still have to be marked through Colorado 811 before anyone digs, and Colorado law requires that request. If we are doing the excavation, we file it for you.
Book a locate
Know where it runs before you dig.
Send us the address and what you are planning. We will quote the locate, schedule it, and have the marks down before your project starts.
- (720) 663-7473Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm
- info@sewerex.comEmail us anytime
- 6510 E. 49th Ave. Ste A, Commerce City, CO 80022Serving Denver and the Front Range
Request a pipe locate
Tell us the address and what you need found. We will call you back.
Localización de tuberías y líneas de alcantarillado · Llamenos Hoy (720) 663-7473
6510 E. 49th Ave. Ste A,
Commerce City, CO 80022Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm
Comercial y residencial contratista de reparación
Phone Number:Número de teléfono:
(720) 663-7473
Call us todayLlamenos Hoy
info@sewerex.com
