Gas Line Services in Centreville, VA

Warning signs worth a call

• The smell of sulfur or rotten eggs. Treat it as an emergency: exit, then call from outdoors.
• Whistling or hissing near the meter, a shutoff, or behind the range
• Flames that flicker yellow, lift off the burner or make popping sounds
• A water heater or furnace pilot that won't stay lit
• Black soot on the draft hood or ceiling near a vent

Apart from the odor, these usually point to a loose fitting, a failing regulator or poor combustion, all of which deserve a prompt look.

Gas service and permits in Centreville

Centreville is the most populous community in Fairfax County but has no town government, so the County handles permits. Fairfax County says most residents are served by Washington Gas, with Columbia Gas of Virginia covering only some areas, and the name on your bill settles it for your address.

Land Development Services splits gas work into two kinds of permit, both filed in the PLUS system. Replacing a gas water heater, furnace or boiler like-for-like, with no new gas piping, uses a Household Appliance (HAPL) permit. Running any new gas piping calls for a Residential Plumbing permit. So a straight furnace swap and a new line to a kitchen island range are handled differently, and the plumber should tell you which applies.

The median home here was built in 1991, and most of the town grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. Houses from that era are often on their original black steel trunk lines, which are generally sound. The weak points tend to be later additions: a gas fireplace insert, a range swapped in for an electric one, or a grill line run off a branch that was never sized for it.

Factors that set the cost

• Length of the run and whether it crosses a finished basement ceiling or an exterior wall
• Total appliance load and whether the trunk needs upsizing
• The number of fittings, sediment traps and shutoff valves
• Which Fairfax County permit applies and the inspection
• Drywall repair once the pipe is in place

Calling the number on this page

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works on gas lines in Centreville. Tell them which appliance is involved, how old it is and where the meter is. If you noticed a smell earlier and the utility has already shut something off, say so. The plumber will cover the permit, the test on new piping and the relight.