# Tap Services in Denver

A tap is the connection between a private service line and the public main. Denver Sewer and Water installs, repairs, and replaces sewer, water, and fire line taps across the Denver metro, including the permit application, the main locate, the inspected connection, and the surface restoration. Very few contractors carry the full tap scope in house. We do.

- Sewer, water, and fire line taps.
- Permit application and utility coordination.
- Main locating, shoring, and inspected connections.
- New construction, upsizing, and abandonment.
- Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, and the surrounding metro.

## When Does a Property Need a Tap?

A property needs a tap when it has no existing connection to the public main, when the existing connection is the wrong size for the building's demand, or when the existing tap has failed at the main. New construction is the obvious case. The less obvious ones are an addition or a change of use that outgrows the original service size, a fire sprinkler system that requires a dedicated fire line, and an old tap that has corroded or been damaged at the connection point.

The reverse also happens. When a structure comes down or a service is permanently retired, the tap has to be abandoned properly at the main, cut and capped to the standard the jurisdiction requires. Leaving an open or improperly capped tap is a liability for the next owner and an inspection failure for the demolition.

- New construction with no existing service connection.
- Service upsizing after an addition, a remodel, or a change of use.
- A dedicated fire line required by the sprinkler design.
- A failed, corroded, or damaged connection at the main.
- Permanent abandonment of a service that is being retired.

## Who Issues the Permit for a Tap?

It depends on which line you are tapping and which jurisdiction you are in. In Denver, water taps go through Denver Water, which owns the main and sets the tap fee by meter size. Sanitary sewer connections are reviewed and inspected by the City and County of Denver. Anything that opens a street, alley, or sidewalk needs a separate right-of-way permit with its own restoration standard.

Aurora and Lakewood run their own utilities and their own review, so the same job carries a different application, a different inspection sequence, and a different restoration spec depending on which side of the line the property sits. We handle the applications rather than handing them to the owner.

- Denver: water tap authority is Denver Water, sanitary review is the city, and street opening is a separate right-of-way permit.
- Aurora: municipal utility review with its own tap application and inspection sequence.
- Lakewood: local review with the applicable district for water and sanitation.
- Fire line taps carry backflow and acceptance testing requirements on top of the tap itself.

## What Does the Tap Process Look Like End to End?

1. **Sizing and Scope** We confirm the service size the building actually needs, check it against the civil or fire protection drawings, and identify which main you are connecting to and how deep it sits.
2. **Application and Permits** We apply to the authority that owns the main, pull the right-of-way permit if the connection is under the street, and build the traffic control plan when the street width requires one.
3. **Locate and Verify** Every utility in the work zone gets located and verified before a bucket moves. On congested corridors we vacuum excavate to expose the crossings rather than trusting paint alone.
4. **Excavate and Shore** We open the pit to the main, shore it to depth, and control water and traffic around the opening. Main taps are usually the deepest part of any service job.
5. **Make the Connection** The tap is made to the jurisdiction's specification, then inspected before anything is covered. We do not backfill a connection that has not been seen by the inspector.
6. **Backfill and Restore** Compaction is placed in lifts to the spec for the surface above, then the surface is restored to what was cut. Concrete gets concrete, asphalt gets asphalt.

## What Drives the Cost of a Tap?

We do not publish tap prices, because the two largest cost drivers are set by the jurisdiction and the ground, not by us. Tap fees are set by the utility and scale with meter or service size. Excavation cost scales with depth, soil, shoring, traffic control, and the surface that has to be restored.

What we can tell you before any digging happens is the scope: which authority is involved, what the connection requires, and what restoration standard applies. That is the part people get surprised by, and it is the part we put in writing first.

- Service size and the utility's own fee schedule.
- Depth of the main and the shoring the pit requires.
- Whether the connection sits in the street, the alley, or private property.
- Traffic control requirements on narrow or busy corridors.
- The surface being cut and its restoration specification.

## Frequently asked questions

**What exactly is a tap?**

A tap is the physical connection between your private service line and the public main in the street. On the water side it includes the corporation stop, the service line, and the meter setter arrangement. On the sewer side it is the connection of your lateral into the sanitary main. It is the point where the utility's infrastructure ends and yours begins.

**Who owns the tap once it is installed?**

The utility owns the main and generally the tap fitting itself. The property owner owns the service line from the connection to the building, which in Denver includes the portion under the sidewalk and the street. That ownership line is why the owner pays for a lateral repair in the right-of-way.

**Can a homeowner apply for their own tap?**

Applications generally require a licensed contractor to perform the work and stand for the inspection, so in practice the contractor carries the application. We prepare and submit it as part of the job rather than leaving the owner to navigate the utility.

**How long does the permit side take?**

That varies by jurisdiction, by season, and by how complete the submittal is, so we will not quote you a turnaround we cannot control. What we can control is submitting a complete package the first time, which is where most delays actually come from.

**Do I need a separate tap for a fire sprinkler system?**

Usually yes. Fire protection typically requires a dedicated fire line with its own tap, sizing, and backflow prevention, separate from the domestic water service. The fire protection design and the civil drawings have to agree before the tap goes in.

**What happens to the old tap when a service is abandoned?**

It has to be cut and capped at the main to the jurisdiction's standard and inspected. An abandoned service left open is both an inspection failure and a future liability, and it comes back on whoever owns the property next.

## Every Tap Service We Handle

- [Sewer Line Tap Services](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/sewer-lines/sewer-line-tap-services/denver-co) Sanitary sewer taps, connections, and repairs at the Denver main.
- [Water Line Tap Services](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/water-lines/water-line-tap-services/denver-co) Domestic water taps, meter setups, and service connections.
- [Fire Line Tap Services](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/fire-line-tap-services/denver-co) Dedicated fire line taps, hydrants, and backflow prevention.
- [Sewer Tap Installation and Replacement](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/sewer-line-tap-installation-replacement/denver-co) New sanitary taps and replacements at the Denver main, permitted and inspected.
- [Sewer Tap Installation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/sewer-tap-installation) New sanitary connections for construction and retired services.
- [Denver Water Tap Installation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/denver-water-tap-installation) Domestic water taps applied for and installed under Denver Water.
- [Fire Line Tap Installation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/fire-line-tap-installation) Sizing, tapping, and acceptance for dedicated fire service.
- [Tap Permit Process in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/tap-permit-process-denver) How the Denver application, inspection, and restoration sequence runs.
- [Tap Process in Aurora](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/tap-process-aurora) How Aurora reviews, inspects, and accepts a new tap.
- [Tap Process in Lakewood](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/tap-process-lakewood) Lakewood tap review, district coordination, and restoration.
- [Denver Wastewater Tap Fees Explained](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/denver-wastewater-tap-fees-explained) What the wastewater side charges for and how it is calculated.
- [Sanitary Sewer Connection for New Construction](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/sanitary-sewer-connection-new-construction) First connection for a new build, from sizing to inspection.
- [Water Service Line Upsizing](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/water-service-line-upsizing) Resizing an undersized service after demand outgrows it.
- [Water Meter Pit Installation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/water-meter-pit-installation) Meter pits and setters where an interior set is not practical.
- [Backflow Preventer Installation and Certification](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/backflow-preventer-installation-certification) Required backflow devices, installation, and annual certification.
- [Storm Drain Connection](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/storm-drain-connection) Private storm connections into the public storm system.
- [Abandonment, Cut and Cap Requirements](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/abandonment-cut-and-cap-requirements) Properly retiring a service at the main and passing inspection.
- [Excavation in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/excavation/denver-co) The excavation side of tap work, locating through restoration.
- [Sewer Lines in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/sewer-lines/denver-co) Repair, replacement, and trenchless work on the sanitary lateral.
- [Water Lines in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/water-lines/denver-co) Service line repair, replacement, and pressure problems.

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Denver Sewer and Water is a privately owned, licensed and insured plumbing contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Denver Water, the municipal water utility, or any government entity. To pay a municipal water bill or reach the public utility, visit denverwater.org.

Source: https://www.denversewerandwater.com/tap-services/denver-co