Boyds is a semi-rural corner of upper Montgomery County where water and sewer service vary by address, so the first step on any commercial job is finding out whether the property is on public service or its own systems. WSSC issues plumbing and gas permits, including for propane installations. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Boyds.
How do we know what serves our property?
Boyds began as a stop on the B&O Metropolitan Branch and a dairy-farming village, and it is still semi-rural around Black Hill Regional Park and Little Seneca Lake. WSSC Water is the public water and sewer utility for Montgomery County, but service across the 20841 ZIP is not uniform. Some properties may be on WSSC water and sewer; others rely on a private well and a private onsite wastewater system. Your water bill, if you get one, settles it. Without a bill, Montgomery County's water and sewer category for the parcel tells you what it is planned for. A plumber needs that answer before quoting a water line, pump or drain job.
What permits apply to farm and commercial buildings?
WSSC Water issues permits for, and inspects, plumbing and all natural gas and LP gas installations in Montgomery County. That means a propane water heater or a new gas line to a shop heater needs a WSSC permit and a gasfitter registered with WSSC, the same as natural gas work would. WSSC Permit Services is at 301-206-4003. Building, electrical and mechanical permits come from the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (240-777-0311). For WSSC-served properties, testable backflow assemblies on irrigation and similar systems need a yearly test by a certified cross-connection technician; the Montgomery County cross-connection line is 301-206-7932.
What are the common commercial calls out here?
Barn and stable hydrants, wash-down areas, small shops and offices, places of worship and rental houses managed as a business. Freezing nights are hard on exposed lines in outbuildings, and long runs between buildings mean leaks can hide underground for a while. Well-served properties bring pump and pressure tank calls, while public-sewer properties see the usual clogged building drains. Older farm buildings often have piping added piece by piece over decades, so a plumber may suggest a walk-through before quoting larger work.
Local note
Gas service varies here too. Some properties have natural gas and others use propane or are all-electric. If anyone smells gas, leave, then call 911 and your gas utility (the name and emergency number are on the bill) or, on propane, 911 and your propane supplier.
Commercial Plumbing questions in Boyds
How do we find out which utility supplies water to our building?
What if a business property is not on public water or public sewer?
What should staff do if they smell gas in the building?
Who can apply for a plumbing or gas permit on a business property?
More plumbing services in Boyds
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