Erie homeowners with a wet basement in ZIP 80516 usually want one answer fast: pipe or groundwater. Call (303) 552-3896 and a licensed plumber will help sort it out. Our 24/7 line is open for active leaks, sewage backups and pumps that have quit.
Erie is the largest of the four towns we cover, and it spans Boulder and Weld counties. Its population rose from 18,135 in 2010 to 30,038 in 2020, so a large share of homes are likely recent. Old Town, near the Art Center of Erie on Pierce Street, is the older part.
Not every wet floor is a plumbing job. We fix pipes, pumps and drains. We do not assess soil or foundations, and when that is the real cause we say so on the phone.
Erie at a glance
Always on the line.
Dial (303) 552-3896 whenever water is the problem. Licensed and insured plumbers cover sewage backups, burst lines and failed pumps, and the price is made clear before work starts.
Old Town and the growth years.
A large share of Erie homes were built during the jump from 18,135 residents in 2010 to 30,038 in 2020. Old Town is different. Tell us which you live in.
Soft water, surface source.
Erie's water is surface water. One third-party listing of the utility's reported hardness is 33.4 mg/L, which is soft. Check the Town's water quality report for your own address.
Routes in from Firestone.
Erie is served by I-25 at Exit 232, Highway 7, Highway 52 and E-470. Name your cross street and the nearest of those, and dispatch can route the call.
Water in the basement or on a finished floor in Erie
Work out where the water is coming from before you start mopping.
Look for a pipe source.
Water spraying, dripping from a ceiling, or running from a fixture is plumbing. Shut the main valve near where the line enters the house and call us.
Notice whether the sump pump is running.
If you have one, listen for it. A silent pump with water rising is an emergency. Keep it plugged in only if the outlet is dry.
Watch the floor drain.
Water or sewage rising from a basement floor drain points to the main line. Stop using sinks, tubs and the washer.
Check the weather and the sprinklers.
Heavy rain, snowmelt or a stuck irrigation zone near the foundation can wet a basement without any broken pipe at all. Tell us what you saw.
Stay out of standing water near power.
If water touches outlets or the panel, keep clear. Switch power off only if you can do it from dry ground.
Pipe leak or groundwater seepage
The two look alike on a basement floor, but the clues differ. This split matters because only one of them is a plumbing job.
Signs of a plumbing leak
- The meter keeps moving with every tap closed.
- Water appears near a pipe, fixture or water heater.
- It continues during dry weather.
- A sudden wet spot after a cold night.
Signs of seepage or drainage trouble
- Water shows after heavy rain or snowmelt.
- It appears along the wall and floor joint.
- Soil near the foundation is saturated or sloping toward the house.
- The meter does not move when taps are closed.
Why Erie's flood history sends people to the sump pit
Erie had floods in 1890, 1921 and 1972, and a dike was built around Coal Creek after the last one. That history is why many homeowners ask about their basements. We cannot tell you whether your lot sits in a flood zone, since the Town can answer that.
What we can do is check the plumbing side of drainage. That means the pump, the float, the check valve and the discharge line. Our sump pump repair page explains how each part fails. Licensed plumbers work to the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as adopted in Colorado for discharge and drain piping, and Erie's building department enforces it, so ask there before a discharge line changes.
If water is entering the structure through the wall or slab instead, that is a different job. Our basement waterproofing page explains where plumbing ends and drainage work begins.
Basement getting wet in Erie?
Call (303) 552-3896. We will help you tell pipe from seepage.
What we look at first, by kind of Erie home
Old Town houses.
Older supply lines, an older shutoff valve and drain pipe that may be iron or clay.
Homes from the growth years.
Failed fittings, water heater connections and fixture valves more than whole-house piping.
Finished basements.
Where the water would go if a pipe let go, and whether a floor drain or sump is present.
Yards with heavy irrigation.
Sprinkler zones near the foundation, since irrigation water can end up against the house.
Water that is soft on paper, and tankless heaters
The Colorado Geological Survey says irrigation water and poor surface drainage next to foundations cause much of Colorado's soil trouble. That is a statewide point, not a finding about your lot. It means overwatering beside the house is worth checking before anyone blames a pipe.
Erie's utility-reported hardness sits in the soft range, so scale builds slowly. That helps tankless units, though an annual flush still matters, and the details are on our tankless water heater page. If you suspect an underground leak or a sprinkler line, leak detection can trace it without digging up the whole yard.
Four things to tell dispatch about an Erie address
Erie is big, and part of it lies in Boulder County and part in Weld, so a precise location saves minutes. We also dispatch to Frederick and Mead, and your cross street tells us which way to head.
- The nearest cross street.Not just the road name. Erie has a lot of long roads.
- Old Town or a newer subdivision.Roughly how old the house is.
- Which county, if you know.This matters later if a permit is involved.
- Basement, crawlspace or slab.It tells us what we will be working around.
Erie service area map
Erie plumbing questions
Erie has one ZIP, 80516, and the Postal Service lists Erie as its preferred city. The town spans Boulder and Weld counties, and we work on both sides of that line.
Permit questions are different, which our county answer below covers.
Yes. Call (303) 552-3896 any hour, including weekends and holidays. Licensed plumbers are sent for sewage backups, burst lines, failed sump pumps and water heaters that are leaking.
A same-day appointment is possible when available for jobs that can wait.
No, and we cannot judge your lot. The Town can tell you about flood zones, and a soil engineer can assess ground and foundation questions.
We can check the sump pump, discharge line and any floor drain you rely on.
The pump, float, check valve and discharge pipe are. Installation of drainage or waterproofing systems may involve other trades. Call and describe the problem and we will tell you honestly which side it falls on.
It depends on where your lot sits. Erie spans two counties, so ask which building department covers your address before any permitted job. We do not guess which jobs need permits. Permit rules vary, so ask the proper office.
Probably not. Erie's utility-reported hardness is in the soft range, and the Town's water quality report is the document to check. If you want filtration for taste or lead concerns, call and we can talk through the options.
Yes. Flushing and repairs are both on the table, and our tankless water heater page explains what an error code usually means.