# Abandonment and Cut-and-Cap Requirements

When a building is demolished or a service is replaced, the old water and sewer services usually must be killed at the main, not at the property line. Denver Sewer and Water is a private contractor. The authority sets the abandonment standard. We perform and document the work.

- Abandonment at the main, not the house.
- Required for demolition permits in most jurisdictions.
- Water and sewer handled differently.
- Inspection and documentation required.
- Private contractor, not the utility.

## What Abandonment and Cut-and-Cap Mean

Abandonment is the permanent disconnection of a service from the public system. Cut-and-cap describes the physical act: the service is cut and sealed so nothing can enter or leave the main through it.

The critical detail is location. Authorities generally require the kill at or near the main, because a service capped at the property line still leaves an open path in the public system and a leak path in the right of way.

Water and sewer are handled differently. Water is typically shut and sealed at the corporation stop or the tapping valve. Sewer is typically plugged at the connection with an approved material.

- Demolition of a structure served by existing water and sewer.
- Replacing a service with a new tap at a different location.
- Upsizing where the old service is retired.
- Consolidating multiple services into one.
- Converting a property from public sewer to another arrangement.

## Who Authorizes the Tap and Who Performs the Tap

Denver Sewer and Water is a private, family owned and operated contractor. We are not Denver Water or the City and County of Denver. We do not issue permits, set fees, own the mains, or approve service. The utility or municipality with jurisdiction does all of that.

The water and wastewater authorities set the abandonment standard, issue the permit, inspect the work, and close the account. Many building departments will not release a demolition permit or a final without proof of proper abandonment.

Denver Sewer and Water excavates, performs the abandonment to the required detail, and provides the documentation the authorities and the building department need.

The authority authorizes. The licensed contractor performs. Below is the split for this type of work.

- Authority: Sets the abandonment standard and required detail.
- Authority: Issues the abandonment permit and inspects the work.
- Authority: Closes the utility account and releases the demolition hold.
- Denver Sewer and Water: Locates the old service and the connection point at the main.
- Denver Sewer and Water: Excavates in the right of way with proper permits and traffic control.
- Denver Sewer and Water: Cuts, caps, plugs, or seals to the authority's detail.
- Denver Sewer and Water: Holds for inspection and provides documentation.
- Denver Sewer and Water: Backfills, compacts, and restores the surface.

## How an Abandonment Runs

1. **Records and Locating** We identify where the service actually connects, which is often not where records suggest.
2. **Permits** Abandonment permits and right of way approvals are secured before excavation.
3. **Cut, Cap, Inspect** The service is killed at the main to the required detail and the authority inspects before anything is covered.
4. **Document and Restore** Documentation goes to the authority and the building department, and the surface is restored.

## Abandonment Costs

Authority side includes permit and inspection fees and, where the work is in a street, right of way and pavement restoration charges.

Contractor side is driven by depth, location in the street versus the parkway, traffic control, and restoration requirements.

We do not publish fee amounts. Tap fees, plant investment fees, permit fees, and inspection fees are set by the authority with jurisdiction and change on their schedule, not ours. We confirm the current figures in writing with that authority for your address before work is scheduled.

## Frequently asked questions

**Can I just cap the line at the house?**

Generally no. Authorities require the service killed at or near the main, and inspections are written against that standard.

**Does demolition require this first?**

In most jurisdictions the demolition permit is tied to proof of proper utility abandonment. We confirm the requirement for your address.

**What if the old service cannot be found?**

Locating, records research, and potholing establish the connection point. We use hydro excavation where other utilities are close.

**Are you Denver Water?**

No. Denver Sewer and Water is a private, family owned and operated company. We are not Denver Water or the City and County of Denver. We are the licensed contractor who performs the physical work after the authority with jurisdiction issues the permit.

**Can you tell me my tap fee amount over the phone?**

We can tell you which fees apply to your project type and who charges them. The dollar amounts come from the authority with jurisdiction, and we confirm them for your specific address rather than quoting from memory.

## Related Tap Services and Municipal Process Pages

- [Denver Water Tap Installation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/denver-water-tap-installation) Who authorizes a water tap, who physically makes the connection, and how the two fit together.
- [Sewer Tap Installation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/sewer-tap-installation) Connecting a property to a sanitary sewer main, from permit through inspection.
- [Water Service Line Upsizing](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/water-service-line-upsizing) Increasing service size for added fixtures, fire service, or a remodel.
- [Tap Permit Process in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/tap-permit-process-denver) How a tap moves from application to authorized construction in Denver.
- [Sanitary Sewer Connection for New Construction](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/sanitary-sewer-connection-new-construction) Sequencing the sewer connection inside a new build schedule.
- [Tap Process in Aurora](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/taps/tap-process-aurora) Aurora runs its own water and sewer utility, so the process differs from Denver.

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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/taps/abandonment-cut-and-cap-requirements