B&D Plumbing · 2525 Frontier Ave, Boulder
B&D Plumbing is a licensed plumber based in Boulder. We repair leaks, clear drains and sewer lines, fix and replace water heaters, and thaw and repair frozen pipes for homeowners across the city. Emergency calls are answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
B&D Plumbing handles residential plumbing repair, replacement and emergency work in Boulder: water supply lines, drains, sewer service lines, water heaters and fixtures. When you call, you talk to the plumbing company that does the work. Your call does not get passed on to another contractor.
24/7 Emergency PlumbingBurst pipes, sewage backing up, a water heater dumping water. Call any hour and we come out to stop the damage and make the repair.
Water Heater Repair & ReplacementNo hot water, a leaking tank, a pilot that will not stay lit, or a tank past its service life. Gas, electric and tankless.
Drain CleaningSlow sinks, clogged tubs and showers, toilets that back up, and main line clogs that show up at the basement floor drain.
Sewer Line RepairCamera inspection of the line to the street, root intrusion, cracked or sagging pipe, and repair or replacement of the service line you own.
Leak DetectionA water bill that jumped, a meter that spins with everything off, stains on ceilings or drywall. We find the leak before opening walls.
Frozen & Burst Pipe RepairThawing frozen lines, repairing split pipe after a cold snap, and fixing frost-free hose bibs that burst inside the wall.
RepipingReplacing failing galvanized or polybutylene supply pipe with PEX or copper, in sections or the whole house.
Water Line RepairLeaks and low pressure on the buried line from the meter to your house, the part Boulder homeowners own.
Sump & Ejector PumpsSump pumps that quit during storms and ejector pumps that stop basement bathrooms from draining.
Backwater Valve InstallationA one-way valve on the main sewer line that keeps city sewer backups out of your basement.Most calls start with one of these symptoms. Each one points to a likely cause, which helps you decide how fast you need a plumber.
On a gas water heater this usually means a failed thermocouple or flame sensor, a pilot problem or a bad gas valve. On an electric unit it is often a burned-out element or a tripped high-limit switch. Rusty hot water or a puddle at the base points to a tank near the end of its life. A leaking tank means water heater replacement, while a failed part can usually be repaired.
When the lowest drain in the house backs up while you run a washer or flush a toilet, the blockage is in the main line, not a single fixture. Roots, grease and a collapsed or offset pipe section are the usual causes. Stop using water and call for main line drain cleaning.
One slow sink is a local clog. A tub that gurgles when the toilet flushes means the problem is further down the line or in the vent.
Check the meter with every faucet and appliance off. If it still moves, water is leaking somewhere: a running toilet, a supply line, or a pipe in a wall or under the slab. Leak detection pins down the spot before anyone cuts drywall.
No flow at one faucet after a cold night usually means a frozen pipe in an outside wall, crawl space or garage. Keep the faucet open and shut the main valve if you see water. A line that splits as it thaws needs frozen and burst pipe repair.
These can come from a dry trap, a failed wax ring or a vent problem. Repeated backups or wet spots over the sewer route point to a damaged service line. A camera inspection settles it.
A few local conditions explain a lot of the plumbing problems Boulder homeowners run into. Knowing them helps you decide what is worth fixing now and what can wait.
The City of Boulder reports average hardness of about 42 mg/L, roughly 2.4 grains per gallon. That is soft water, so the heavy scale that ruins water heaters and fixtures in hard-water cities is less of a problem here. Most homes on city water do not need a softener. Water heater life here depends more on the anode rod and on sediment from the supply.
The Colorado Geological Survey identifies swelling clay soils under much of the Front Range, Boulder included. Clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry stresses buried pipe, especially older clay and cast iron sewer lines with joints every few feet. Offset joints catch paper and let roots in. That is why we recommend a camera inspection before buying a home and when backups keep coming back.
Boulder sits above 5,000 feet. Thinner air means less oxygen for combustion, so gas water heaters and boilers have to be rated or set up for high altitude by the manufacturer. A unit that is not set up correctly can produce soot, roll flame out of the burner or shut down on its safety sensor. We check the altitude rating when we install or replace a gas water heater.
Boulder winters swing from mild afternoons to hard freezes, sometimes in the same week. Pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces, garages and cantilevered floors freeze first. Frost-free hose bibs split inside the wall when a hose is left connected. The leak often does not show until the line thaws. Disconnect hoses in fall and keep cabinet doors open on outside walls during deep cold.
According to the City of Boulder, copper water pipe has been required in Boulder since 1955, and the city's service line inventory found no lead service lines. Homes built before then, common in Mapleton Hill and other central neighborhoods, can still have galvanized steel supply pipe. Galvanized pipe rusts from the inside, which lowers water pressure and causes pinhole leaks. When it fails in several places, repiping the house is the lasting fix.
In Boulder, the property owner is responsible for the sanitary sewer service line up to and including its connection to the city main. When roots or a broken section in that line cause a backup, the city does not fix it. A plumber does. Knowing this up front saves a wasted call. Homes with low basement fixtures can add a backwater valve to keep city-side backups out.
You call our number and talk directly with the plumbing company that will do the work. Here is how a typical service call goes:
The cost of a plumbing repair depends mainly on how hard the problem is to reach, which parts or materials are needed, and whether the job turns out bigger than the first symptom suggested. We do not quote prices before seeing the job, because two calls that sound the same over the phone can be very different jobs once the plumber is on site.
You should call an emergency plumber right away, any hour, if water is actively leaking into the house, sewage is backing up, or you have no water at all. Waiting turns a pipe repair into a drywall, flooring and mold job. These situations count as emergencies:
If you smell gas, leave the house first and call Xcel Energy or 911 from outside. A dripping faucet or a slow single drain can usually wait for a scheduled visit. For any of these, call for a 24/7 emergency plumber and close the main water valve while you wait.
B&D Plumbing works throughout the City of Boulder from our shop at 2525 Frontier Ave in east Boulder, covering ZIP codes 80301, 80302, 80303, 80304 and 80305. Housing age varies a lot across town, and so do the plumbing problems.
A 1900s house near downtown and a 1980s house in Gunbarrel fail in different ways. Older central homes tend to have galvanized pipe and clay sewer laterals, while 1970s to 1990s homes are more likely to need water heaters, supply lines and valves replaced.
Service covers the rest of Boulder too, including central Boulder, the University Hill area and east Boulder near our shop. If you are not sure we cover your address, call (720) 571-0891.
B&D Plumbing is a licensed plumbing business at 2525 Frontier Ave, Boulder, CO 80301, with more than five years of plumbing experience. Here is what you can count on when you hire us:
Calls are answered 24 hours a day at (720) 571-0891, and the shop is at 2525 Frontier Ave in east Boulder (directions and hours). Every call starts with diagnosis before repair, which is how B&D Plumbing works.
Yes. B&D Plumbing answers calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights, weekends and holidays. Call (720) 571-0891 and describe what is happening. If water is running where it should not be, shut off the main water valve while you wait.
Yes. Plumbing work is performed by a licensed plumber, and the business has more than five years of plumbing experience. If you would like to see license details before work starts, ask on the phone or when we arrive.
It depends on the problem, how easy it is to reach, the parts involved and whether the job needs a City of Boulder permit. A clog in an accessible trap is a very different job from a sewer line under a finished basement. We explain what we found and what the fix involves before the repair starts, so you can decide.
No, not for most homes on City of Boulder water. The city reports average hardness of about 42 mg/L (roughly 2.4 grains per gallon), which is considered soft. If your home is on a well or a different water provider, have the water tested before buying treatment equipment.
In the City of Boulder, the property owner is responsible for the sanitary sewer service line up to and including the connection to the city sewer main. A backup caused by a problem in that line is a job for a plumber. Roots, cracks and sagging sections in that line are fixed with sewer line repair.
It depends on the job. Replacing fixtures in place is different from replacing a water heater, moving gas or water lines, or replacing a sewer service line. We tell you during the visit if your job needs a City of Boulder permit and inspection, and the permit is factored into the plan before work begins.
We work throughout the City of Boulder, including Gunbarrel, North Boulder, Mapleton Hill and the rest of central Boulder, Martin Acres and Table Mesa, across ZIP codes 80301, 80302, 80303, 80304 and 80305. Our shop is at 2525 Frontier Ave in east Boulder.
Stop the water if anything is leaking: close the fixture's shutoff valve or the home's main valve. Turn off a leaking water heater's power or set a gas unit to pilot. Move belongings out of the wet area and clear a path to the problem, the water heater and the main shutoff.
Call B&D Plumbing at (720) 571-0891, day or night. Tell us what is happening and we will tell you the next step, including how to stop the water while you wait.
Licensed plumber · Answered 24/7 · 2525 Frontier Ave, Boulder