Quick Comparison
| Firm | Founded / Tenure & Credentials | Services & Specialties | Geographic Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olson Plumbing & Heating Co. | 1917 (A.E. "Olson the Plumber" founder); five Trapp family generations | CO Master Plumber, BBB Accredited, PHCC member | Centennial Boulevard base in Colorado Springs (80907); Colorado Springs and surrounding El Paso County |
| Herman's Plumbing & Drains | 1950 (Herman A. Lohse Sr. founder); multigeneration family operation | CO Master Plumber, BBB Accredited | Colorado Springs operating base; Colorado Springs Metro |
| Father & Sons Plumbing & Drain | 1953 (three-generation family) | CO Master Plumber MP.00178241 | Colorado Springs, Peyton, Monument, Falcon, surrounding communities |
| Jolly Plumbing & Heating | 1955 (family-owned and family-operated); average 20 years technician experience | CO Master Plumber, licensed and insured | Yuma Street base in Colorado Springs (80909); Colorado Springs and El Paso County |
1. Olson Plumbing & Heating Co.
- Address: 2500 Centennial Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
- Phone: (719) 635-3563
- Founder: A.E. Olson (founded 1917 as “Olson the Plumber” with a three wheeled motorcycle); current ownership Trapp family across five generations
- Operating Since: 1917 (109 years; one of the longest-tenured plumbing operations in Colorado)
- License: Colorado Master Plumber; BBB Accredited; PHCC member
- Service area: Colorado Springs (downtown, Old North End, Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs, Cheyenne Cañon, Broadmoor, Cheyenne Mountain, Briargate, Powers, Stetson Hills, Falcon, Black Forest, Monument, Woodland Park, Cascade), Colorado Springs metro plus El Paso County
- Website: olsonph.com
Five Trapp Generations Across the 109 Year Tenure
A.E. Olson started the firm in 1917 as a one man shop using a three wheeled motorcycle to serve Colorado Springs. The Trapp family acquired the operation and has run it for five continuous generations. Olson celebrated its centennial in 2017. Five-generation family business continuity at this scale is uncommon in the Colorado plumbing trade. The Trapp family operating structure has remained intact across the entire arc.
Centennial Boulevard Colorado Springs Base
The 2500 Centennial Boulevard headquarters sits in west central Colorado Springs near the I 25 corridor. The position brings dispatch within across the full metro area. Service extends north to Black Forest, Monument, and Woodland Park. The southern reach includes the Broadmoor and Cheyenne Mountain. Olson handles residential and commercial plumbing plus heating service across the diverse Colorado Springs housing stock.
Colorado Master Plumber Credential and PHCC Affiliation
Colorado regulates plumbing through the State Plumbing Board under the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). Olson holds Colorado Master Plumber credentialing plus PHCC of Colorado membership. PHCC membership signals participation in the formal trade infrastructure. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification. The 109-year operating history plus continuous DORA credentialing across multiple Trapp generations supports a verifiable multi-decade compliance record.
2. Herman’s Plumbing & Drains
- Address: Colorado Springs, CO
- Phone: (719) 392-6000
- Founder: Herman A. Lohse Sr. (founded 1950); family business operating across multiple generations
- Operating Since: 1950 (76 years); multi generation Lohse family operation
- License: Colorado Master Plumber; BBB Accredited
- Service area: Colorado Springs (Northeast, Northwest, Powers, Briargate, Falcon, Black Forest, Manitou Springs, Cheyenne Mountain, Old Colorado City, downtown), Monument, Fountain, Security Widefield
- Website: hermansplumbingservice.com
Lohse Family Founding Plus Multi Generation Operating Continuity
Herman A. Lohse Sr. founded Herman’s Plumbing in 1950. The firm has continued under Lohse family ownership and now operates across multiple generations. The 76-year tenure spans the post-war Colorado Springs growth from a small mountain base town into a metro area with 700,000+ residents. Herman’s tracks the build out of every major Colorado Springs neighborhood across that arc.
Colorado Springs Metro Service Geography
The Colorado Springs operating base supports service across the Pikes Peak region. Northeast Colorado Springs neighborhoods (Powers, Briargate, Stetson Hills) plus the historic central neighborhoods (downtown, Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs) secure primary coverage. Service extends south through Fountain and Security Widefield. The high altitude climate (6,000+ feet elevation) creates plumbing service concerns around freeze protection and altitude adjusted pressure.
Colorado Master Plumber Compliance
Herman’s operates under Colorado Master Plumber licensure through the State Plumbing Board. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification. Service mix covers residential and commercial plumbing repair, drain cleaning, water heater work, sewer service, and the broader plumbing trade. The 76-year operating history plus continuous Master Plumber credentialing supports verifiable multi-decade compliance.
3. Father & Sons Plumbing & Drain
- Address: Colorado Springs, CO
- Phone: (719) 492-7925; (719) 683-7200
- Founder: Father & Sons family lineage (founded 1953); three generations of family ownership and operation
- Operating Since: 1953 (73 years); three generations of family practice
- License: Colorado Master Plumber MP.00178241
- Service area: Colorado Springs, Peyton, Monument, Falcon, Black Forest, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Cascade, Woodland Park, Tri Lakes corridor
- Website: fatherandsonsplumbinganddrain.com
Three-Generation Father and Son Family Practice
Father & Sons Plumbing & Drain has operated as a family-owned plumbing firm in Colorado Springs since 1953. The firm carries three generations of family practice in the trade. The 73-year tenure spans the post-war Colorado Springs population growth tied to Fort Carson, NORAD, and the broader military and aerospace economy that shaped the metro’s expansion across the second half of the 20th century.
Pikes Peak Region Service Footprint
The Colorado Springs operating base supports service across the Pikes Peak region. Service covers Colorado Springs proper plus the surrounding El Paso County communities (Peyton, Falcon, Black Forest, Monument). The northern reach extends into the Tri Lakes corridor (Monument, Palmer Lake, and Woodmoor). Westward, service extends to Cascade and Woodland Park. The geographic spread covers both urban Colorado Springs and the rural residential foothill communities.
Colorado Master Plumber MP.00178241
Father & Sons holds Colorado Master Plumber license MP.00178241 through the State Plumbing Board under DORA. The Master Plumber credential covers plumbing contractor authority for residential and commercial work. The 73-year continuous operating history plus the DORA credentialing across three generations provides a verifiable multi-decade compliance track record.
4. Jolly Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
- Address: 905 Yuma Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80909
- Phone: (719) 473-8545
- Founder: Jolly family (founded 1955); family-owned and family-operated
- Operating Since: 1955 (71 years); average 20 years technician experience across the operating team
- License: Colorado Master Plumber; licensed and insured
- Service area: Colorado Springs (Old North End, downtown, Powers, Briargate, Stetson Hills, Falcon, Manitou Springs, Cheyenne Mountain), Monument, Fountain, Security Widefield, Black Forest
- Website: jollyplumbing.net
Family-Owned Operation Since 1955
Jolly Plumbing & Heating has operated as a family-owned plumbing and heating firm in Colorado Springs since 1955. The 71-year tenure ranks Jolly among the longer-tenured Colorado Springs operations. The team carries an average of 20 years of plumbing experience per technician, rooting deep field-level trade depth across the operating crew.
Yuma Street Operating Base
The 905 Yuma Street headquarters sits in central Colorado Springs near downtown. The position opens rapid dispatch coverage across the full metro area. Service extends north to Monument, south to Fountain and Security Widefield, east to Falcon and Black Forest. The 24/7 emergency plumbing service rounds out the service profile, plus a one year warranty on all completed work.
Colorado Master Plumber Plus Licensed Insured Profile
Jolly operates under Colorado Master Plumber credentialing through the State Plumbing Board. The licensed and insured business profile covers bonding plus general liability insurance plus workers’ compensation. The plumbing and heating dual scope supports residential customers needing combined service across both trade categories.
Reference Notes
Colorado plumbing licensing runs through the State Plumbing Board under the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). DORA issues Master Plumber, Journeyman Plumber, and Residential Plumber credentials through sequentially numbered records. Verification runs through dora.colorado.gov. The City of Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Regional Building Department issues building permits across the metro area. Colorado Springs Utilities handles water and sewer service connections plus annual backflow prevention testing. El Paso County jurisdictions outside Colorado Springs city limits (Black Forest, Falcon, Peyton, Monument unincorporated areas) operate under county level permit frameworks.
Colorado Springs residential housing reflects roughly 150 years of construction. Late 19th century downtown Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City root pre-1900 commercial and residential cores. The Old North End filled out with Victorian and Edwardian era housing 1880-1910. The Broadmoor luxury resort district drove 1910-1940 prewar luxury residential development. Postwar tract construction built out the central and northeast neighborhoods through 1945-1975 with strong Fort Carson and NORAD driven population growth. The 1980s-1990s drove the Powers corridor and Briargate master-planned community surge. Falcon, Black Forest, and Monument extended outer-suburban growth through the 2000s. The high altitude climate (6,000 7,000 feet) plus Pikes Peak granite bedrock geology shape recurring service categories: freeze protection across cold winter nights, sediment management from hard mineral water, and bedrock related sewer line installation challenges.
The four firms profiled cover four positions on the Colorado Springs market arc. Olson Plumbing & Heating leads tenure with a 1917 founding by A.E. “Olson the Plumber” plus five continuous Trapp family generations across 109 years of operating history. Herman’s Plumbing & Drains follows with 76 years of Lohse family operation since Herman A. Lohse Sr.’s 1950 founding. Father & Sons Plumbing & Drain brings three generations of family practice since 1953 plus Colorado Master Plumber MP.00178241. Jolly Plumbing & Heating runs 71 years of family-owned operation since 1955 with an average 20 years of technician experience across the team.
Verification paths run through dora.colorado.gov, BBB Southern Colorado listings, the PHCC of Colorado directory, and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department contractor records. Pre-1940 Old North End and Broadmoor housing tilts toward Olson’s century spanning five generation depth. Multi decade central Colorado Springs work fits Herman’s. El Paso County and Tri Lakes service fits Father & Sons. 24/7 emergency service plus one year warranty residential work fits Jolly.
Selection Methodology
Selection follows four criteria. First, continuous family ownership or founder-operator continuity outside the national rollup pattern. Second, verifiable Colorado Master Plumber license cross-checked via the Colorado DORA State Plumbing Board public lookup. Third, BBB Accreditation or equivalent third-party rating. Fourth, minimum 10-year continuous operating tenure with documented Colorado Springs service coverage. Firms acquired by national franchise networks (Authority Brands’ Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Neighborly’s Mr. Rooter, Service Experts, Roto-Rooter, Wrench Group, Redwood Services, Master Trades Group, ARS) are excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a Colorado Springs plumber’s license?
Use the Colorado DORA State Plumbing Board public licensee database at dora.colorado.gov. Search by license number or business name. Confirm active status, classification, bonding, and insurance before authorizing work.
What credentials should a Colorado Springs plumber hold?
At minimum: Colorado Master Plumber credential plus general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Specialty work (gas line, backflow prevention, fire sprinkler, sewer lateral) requires additional credential layers.
How can I tell if a Colorado Springs plumber is locally owned versus a national rollup?
Check ownership disclosures and acquisition history. National franchise brands typically operate under parent company branding. Search the firm name plus “acquired” or “parent company” to surface ownership structure. The four firms in this directory all run as independent locally owned operators.
When should I call an emergency plumber in Colorado Springs?
Burst pipes, sewer backups, gas leaks, no water events, and water heater failures justify after-hours dispatch. Cold winter snaps drive freeze-burst pipe demand. Each firm in this directory offers either 24/7 emergency service or structured after-hours response.
Editorial Note
Compiled by the editorial team. Firm details cross-verified through state license databases, BBB business profiles, and firm-published websites where available. License numbers should be re-verified through the Colorado DORA public lookup before authorizing work. Information current as of the date below; firm details may change without notice. Last updated: 2026-05-10.