About 7.5% of Boulder's homes date to 1939 or earlier, in historic districts like Mapleton Hill, Chautauqua, and University Place, and the median home was built in 1977.
Old houses, soft water
Boulder's older homes come with cast-iron drains, clay sewer laterals, and decades of remodels layered on top of each other. The water is the easy part: at about 42 mg/L (2.4 grains per gallon), Boulder's water is soft, so scale isn't the problem it is in much of the metro. The city's inventory found no lead service lines, though it encourages owners of homes built before 1956 to check their own pipes.
Common Boulder calls
- Main line clogs and root intrusion in older laterals
- Cast-iron drain repairs
- Water heater replacement in tight basements and closets
- Frozen pipes in older, less-insulated homes
- Fixture and shutoff valve replacement
Boulder is farther from our Denver base, so most work here is scheduled by appointment.
Boulder plumbing at a glance
| Water provider | City of Boulder Utilities: Barker Reservoir, North Boulder Creek, Carter Lake, and Boulder Reservoir |
|---|---|
| Water hardness | Soft: about 42 mg/L (2.4 grains per gallon) |
| Homes | Median year built 1977, and about 7.5% of homes date to 1939 or earlier |
| Lead service lines | None found in the city's inventory. Owners of homes built before 1956 are encouraged to check their own pipes. |
| Watering rules | A permanent rule bars running lawn sprinklers 10 a.m.–6 p.m. |
Sources: Boulder drinking water quality; Census ACS 2019–2023 via Point2Homes; Boulder 2026 water quality report news; Boulder drought watch. Checked October 2026.
Backflow testing in Boulder
Boulder requires annual backflow tests on commercial, irrigation, fire, and multi-unit lines, entered in its online portal within 10 days.
First test $95 per device for new customers. Backflow testing in Boulder →
What we do in Boulder
- Drain cleaning and main sewer line clearing, including root cutting
- Water heater repair and replacement, tank and tankless
- Leak detection and repair, including slab leaks
- Frozen and burst pipe repair, same day for active leaks
- Backflow testing and repair, with the report for your water provider
- Sprinkler blowouts and spring startups
- Toilets, faucets, disposals, and shower valves
- Water softeners and whole-home filtration
Nearby
We also serve Louisville, Superior, Lafayette, Broomfield, and the rest of the Denver metro. See every city we serve →