One city, one era
Lakewood is unusually uniform for a metro city. The bulk of it was built in the two decades after the Second World War, with West Colfax and the Belmar area filling in first and the Green Mountain subdivisions following.
That uniformity shows up directly in the restoration work. Original galvanized steel supply lines from that era corrode from the inside out and fail at the threaded joints, which means the failures are small, hidden and slow rather than dramatic — a pinhole inside a wall cavity that soaks framing and drywall for weeks before anyone smells anything. By the time it is found it is usually a mold remediation job as well as a water job.
Cast iron drain stacks from the same era are reaching the end of their life on a similar schedule, and clay sewer laterals under mature street trees fail the same way they do in Denver's older neighborhoods.
The basements are the other factor. Most Lakewood ranch homes have full basements, and most of those were finished at some point in the 1980s or 1990s. When water arrives it lands on carpet, pad, drywall and paneling.
Water from outside
Western Lakewood rises toward Green Mountain and the hogback. The slopes there are decomposed granite and compacted soil with limited infiltration, so intense monsoon rain runs off quickly rather than soaking in.
That runoff drains east through Bear Creek, Weir Gulch and Lakewood Gulch. Properties in the low ground near those channels take water first during summer downpours and during rapid spring snowmelt, and the water arrives contaminated, which puts it in flood cleanup territory rather than ordinary drying.
Services
Lakewood water damage restoration is the primary service, with ZIP coverage listed separately. Also: fire and smoke damage, mold remediation, storm and hail damage, sewage cleanup, burst pipe cleanup and structural drying.
Cost
Lakewood sits on Denver-metro rates, typically $1,500 to $7,500. The one local factor that pushes jobs upward is dated plumbing: a slow hidden leak that has been running for weeks costs far more than a dramatic burst found in an hour, because the damage is already inside the wall. The cost guide has the full breakdown.
Nearby: Denver, Arvada, Littleton and the full service area.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Lakewood have so many pipe failures?
Because so much of it was built at once. A very large share of Lakewood housing went up between roughly 1950 and 1970, which means a large share of it reached the end of its original supply plumbing's service life at roughly the same time. Galvanized steel fails at the threaded joints, and it fails progressively rather than all at once.
Does the foothills location change the flooding risk?
Yes. Western Lakewood rises toward Green Mountain and the hogback, and the ground sheds water fast during intense rain. Bear Creek, Weir Gulch and Lakewood Gulch all carry that runoff east through the city, and the low-lying properties near them take the water first.
Is 80226 Lakewood or Denver?
Both, in effect. Several ZIP codes along the eastern edge straddle the Lakewood and Denver boundary, which occasionally confuses insurance paperwork and utility records. It makes no difference to the restoration work.
Do you cover Golden and the 80401 area?
Yes. Coverage extends west through the 80401 area toward Golden, though drive times lengthen as you head up into the foothills and contractor availability thins out at higher elevations.