How deep is a sewer tap?

Deeper than most owners expect, because the main has to sit below everything it serves. Depth is confirmed by locating before the project is priced.

Can the tap be done trenchless?

The connection at the main is an open excavation. The service run between the building and that pit can sometimes be installed with less digging.

Do I need a cleanout?

Most jurisdictions require one at a defined location. We confirm and install what the authority requires.

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.

Sewer Tap Installation in Denver

An independent, licensed plumbing contractor. Not affiliated with Denver Water or the City and County of Denver.

A sewer tap is the connection between a property's sewer service and the public sanitary main. Denver Sewer and Water is a private, family owned contractor. We are not the City and County of Denver. The wastewater authority permits and inspects the tap. We perform it.

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New and replacement sanitary sewer taps.
Main line connection and service run.
Permit coordination and inspection support.
Deep excavation with proper shoring.
Private contractor, not the city.

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Family Owned and Operated, Not the City Utility

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What a Sewer Tap Is

A sewer tap is the point where a property's sewer service line connects to the public sanitary sewer main. Depending on the main and the jurisdiction it may be a saddle connection, a cored connection with a boot, a wye fitting, or a manhole connection.

Sewer taps sit deeper than water taps because sanitary mains run deep enough to serve everything above them by gravity. That depth drives the excavation, the shoring, and most of the cost.

Grade is the other defining constraint. The service has to fall continuously from the building to the main, and that requirement decides the route as much as the property layout does.

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When a Sewer Tap Is Required

New construction with no existing sanitary service.
Converting a property from septic to public sewer.
Splitting a shared service into separate connections.
A failed connection at the main that cannot be repaired in place.
Reconnecting a service that was previously abandoned.

Excavator digging a deep shored trench for a storm drain and fire line at a Denver commercial site — Commercial scale excavation for storm drains, fire lines, and taps.

How We Diagnose It

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 wastewater authority or sanitation district owns the main, approves the connection type and location, issues the permit, charges the connection and system development fees, and inspects the tap before backfill.

Denver Sewer and Water performs the excavation, the connection at the main, the service run, and the restoration under that permit.

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

Are You Denver Water? No. Here Is the Difference.

Authority Side and Contractor Side

Authority: Owns the sanitary main and approves connection type and location.
Authority: Issues the tap permit and sets connection fees.
Authority: Inspects the open connection before backfill.
Authority: Accepts the service into the public system.
Denver Sewer and Water: Verifies main depth, location, and available grade before design.
Denver Sewer and Water: Prepares and submits the contractor side of the permit package.
Denver Sewer and Water: Excavates and shores to the main safely.
Denver Sewer and Water: Makes the connection to the approved detail and sets the service to grade.
Denver Sewer and Water: Holds for inspection, then backfills, compacts, and restores.

How a Sewer Tap Project Runs

1
Locate the Main and Check Grade
We confirm main depth and position and verify there is workable fall from the building before anything is designed or applied for.
2
Permit Package
The application goes in with the required detail on connection type, route, and depth.
3
Excavate and Connect
The trench is opened with proper protective systems, the connection is made to the approved detail, and the service is laid to grade.
4
Inspect, Backfill, Restore
The authority inspects the open work, then we backfill in lifts, compact, and restore the surface.

Contractor reviewing utility permit plans on a work truck tailgate with locate marks on the pavement — Locates, permits, and the right authority get handled before the first cut.

Work With a Contractor Who Handles the Paperwork Side Too

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Sewer Tap Fees and Who Charges Them

The authority side typically includes a connection or tap fee, a system development or plant investment charge, permit fees, and inspection fees. These are charged to the property owner by the authority.

The contractor side covers excavation depth and length, shoring, dewatering if groundwater is present, traffic control, materials, and surface restoration.

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

Related guides

Who Is Responsible for Sewer Line Repair From the House to the Street in Denver?

Planning a Sewer Tap?

We confirm main depth, grade, and the authority's requirements before you commit to a schedule.

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