If there's a gas smell in a Potomac home, get out first, then call 911 and Washington Gas at 844-WASHGAS (927-4427), option 1, from a safe distance. For repairs and new gas piping on the house side of the meter, call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Potomac.
Potomac grew from farmland into an affluent suburb around Potomac Village, where Falls Road meets River Road, about 12 miles from downtown Washington. The median home dates to 1977, and many are large houses with long gas runs to kitchens, fireplaces, pool heaters and standby generators added over time. WSSC Water permits and inspects gas work here, and gas appliance replacements must be done by a WSSC-registered plumber or gasfitter.
What to do right now
- If you smell gas, leave. Don't flip switches, use the garage door opener or light anything on the way out.
- Call 911 and Washington Gas from outside, at the end of the driveway or a neighbor's house.
- Stay out until cleared. Responders shut off the supply and decide when it's safe.
- Arrange the repair. A plumber fixes the piping on your side of the meter, tests it and relights appliances.
- For planned additions, list every gas appliance in the house with its input rating so the plumber can size the line.
Signs and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Generator or fireplace struggles while the furnace runs | Trunk line too small for the total connected load |
| Odor near a buried line to a pool heater or grill | Leak at an outdoor fitting or damaged buried pipe |
| Soot around a water heater draft hood | Poor combustion or venting problem |
| Ragged orange flames on a cooktop | Burner adjustment or low supply pressure |
| Dead strip of lawn over a gas run | Gas escaping underground |
What drives the price
- Run length across a large house or out to a pool, patio or generator pad
- Trenching, boring and restoring landscaping for buried lines
- Upsizing the trunk or adding a larger meter request with the utility
- Pipe material and the number of shutoffs and connectors
- The WSSC permit and inspection
Not every Potomac property is the same: Montgomery County assigns each parcel a water and sewer category, and some are planned for private wells and onsite systems rather than public service. If your home has no gas meter at all, it may be all-electric or on propane; in that case call 911 and your propane supplier for any leak.
Gas Line Services questions in Potomac
Can gas be piped outdoors to a grill, fire pit or generator?
Do I need to call 811 before a buried gas line is dug?
What if the house runs on propane instead of utility gas?
I smell gas inside. What should I do first?
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