Emergency Water Damage Restoration in Highlands Ranch

Four Decades of Development, Four Decades of Plumbing

Highlands Ranch's story begins in the early 1980s when the Shea Homes company began transforming the historic ranch land south of C-470 into what would become one of Colorado's most successful planned communities. Development rolled outward in waves: Northridge and the areas near Dad Clark Gulch came first, followed by Southridge and Eastridge through the 1990s, Westridge into the 2000s, and the premium Back Country neighborhood continuing into the present. This phased development over more than 30 years created a community where your neighbor's plumbing could be a generation older or newer than yours.

For water damage restoration, this diversity of housing ages matters enormously. The earliest Highlands Ranch homes, concentrated in Northridge and surrounding the original community parks, were built with plumbing materials and techniques standard for the early 1980s. Some of these homes received polybutylene supply lines, a plastic pipe material that was widely used from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s before a wave of class-action lawsuits revealed its tendency to crack and fail without warning. If your Highlands Ranch home was built before 1995 and has never had a plumbing repipe, polybutylene could be hiding behind your walls.

Homes from the late 1990s and 2000s in Westridge and Eastridge transitioned to copper and CPVC supply lines, which are more reliable but not without their own aging concerns. Copper develops pinhole leaks after 15 to 25 years, particularly in areas with aggressive water chemistry. CPVC becomes brittle over time and can crack from the minor impacts of normal household activity. The newest homes in Back Country and near Highlands Ranch Town Center use PEX tubing, which offers the longest expected lifespan, but even these properties are not immune to water damage from appliance failures, storm events, and the occasional construction defect.

Water and Waterways: The Highlands Ranch Landscape Factor

Highlands Ranch was designed around its natural terrain, and that terrain includes a remarkable network of water features. The Highline Canal, a historic irrigation ditch dating to the 1880s, winds through the community and serves as the spine of an extensive trail system. Numerous creeks and drainage channels, including tributaries feeding toward the South Platte, thread between neighborhoods. The community's 70-plus miles of trails frequently follow these waterways, putting thousands of homes within proximity to moving water.

During normal conditions, this proximity to water is an amenity. During heavy rain events or rapid snowmelt, it becomes a risk. Properties along the Dad Clark Gulch drainage, homes backing to open space with seasonal creeks, and neighborhoods near the Highline Canal can experience elevated groundwater levels and surface water intrusion when conditions overwhelm the drainage infrastructure. Falcon Hills and sections of Eastridge that sit at lower elevations relative to surrounding terrain are particularly susceptible to water collecting around foundations during prolonged wet weather.

The clay soil that underlies most of Highlands Ranch compounds the problem. When saturated, this expansive soil exerts lateral pressure against foundation walls and can force moisture through hairline cracks that develop as foundations settle over the years. Homeowners in the oldest Highlands Ranch neighborhoods sometimes discover chronic basement dampness that has been present for years, silently feeding mold growth behind finished walls and beneath carpet padding.

Highlands Ranch Neighborhoods We Serve

Colorado Rapid Dry responds to water emergencies in every section of this expansive community:

• Northridge — Among the first neighborhoods developed in the 1980s. Homes here are the most likely to have original plumbing systems, including polybutylene supply lines that are well past their expected service life.
• Southridge — Early-to-mid 1990s construction with a mix of plumbing materials. Many homes here have had partial plumbing updates, creating a patchwork of old and new that requires careful assessment after water damage.
• Westridge — Late 1990s through 2000s homes featuring larger floor plans and finished basements that represent significant restoration stakes when flooding occurs.
• Eastridge — Properties in lower-elevation sections of this neighborhood face groundwater concerns during wet seasons. We respond frequently to basement seepage calls in this area.
• Dad Clark — Named after the gulch that runs through the area, this neighborhood sits directly along a natural drainage corridor and sees storm-related flooding during heavy precipitation.
• Falcon Hills — A neighborhood with varied topography where water follows gravity toward the lowest lots, concentrating around certain foundations during rain events.
• Back Country — The newest and most premium area of Highlands Ranch, featuring large custom homes with extensive below-grade living spaces. Modern plumbing but high-value finishes at risk.
• Town Center — A mix of retail, dining, and newer residential including townhomes and condominiums where shared-wall construction means water damage can cross unit boundaries.

Full-Service Water Damage Restoration for Highlands Ranch

Whether your home was built in 1983 or 2023, Colorado Rapid Dry has the expertise and equipment to restore it. Our complete services for Highlands Ranch include:

• Emergency Water Extraction — Truck-mounted and portable extraction systems sized to handle any Highlands Ranch property.
• Flood Cleanup and Structural Drying — Drying programs tailored to the specific building materials in your home, from 1980s construction to modern builds.
• Fire Damage Restoration — Complete recovery from both fire damage and the suppression water that follows.
• Mold Remediation — Identification and removal of mold growth, especially in older Highlands Ranch homes where chronic moisture has gone undetected behind finishes.
• Sewage Backup Cleanup — Safe decontamination when aging sewer laterals or overwhelmed systems back up into living spaces.
• Insurance Claims Assistance — Detailed documentation and insurer communication from first response through final restoration.
• Moisture Inspection — Comprehensive thermal and probe-based inspection to verify complete drying and identify hidden moisture sources.

Also Serving Nearby Communities

Colorado Rapid Dry provides the same dependable service to communities bordering Highlands Ranch. We also serve Littleton, Lone Tree, Centennial, and Castle Rock. Wherever you are in the south metro area, our 40-minute response commitment holds.