Key Takeaways
- Owners usually handle plumbing inside their unit, and the association handles common elements.
- Read your HOA or condo documents. They define the split.
- Leaks travel down: a problem upstairs often shows up in the unit below.
- Know where your unit's shut-off is, often in the water heater closet.
Rockville, MD's Shared-Wall Housing
Rockville has every kind of attached home: 1970s and '80s townhouse communities, the townhouses and condos of King Farm and Fallsgrove built from the late 1990s on, and mid-rise condos around Rockville Town Square and Rockville Pike. Each shares some plumbing with the neighbors, whether it's a wall, a drain stack or a water main.
Who Is Usually Responsible
| Item | Usually |
|---|---|
| Fixtures, faucets, toilets in your unit | Owner |
| Your unit's water heater | Owner |
| Supply lines serving only your unit | Owner |
| Shared drain stacks and risers | Association |
| Building water main and sprinklers | Association |
These are typical arrangements, not rules. Your HOA or condo documents define responsibility. Check them before a leak happens.
When Water Comes Through the Ceiling
- Stop the water if you can, by shutting your unit's main valve if it's coming from your unit.
- Notify the neighbor above and the property manager right away.
- Photograph the damage.
- Have a licensed plumber find the source. That decides who's responsible.
- Keep the plumber's findings for the association and insurers.
In many Rockville condos and townhouses, the unit's main shut-off is in the water heater closet or behind an access panel. Find yours now, before you need it.
Common Problems in Attached Homes
- Water heaters in upstairs closets leaking into the floor below. A drain pan helps.
- Washing machine hoses bursting. Braided stainless hoses are cheap insurance.
- Shower valves leaking inside shared walls
- Clogs in shared drain stacks backing up into lower units
- Polybutylene in some 1980s townhouses. See our polybutylene guide
Working With Your Association
We work with owners and property managers. That means documenting what we find, coordinating access and shutdowns, and fixing the right section. For buildings, our commercial plumbing team handles shared systems, and we're licensed for fire sprinklers too.
We serve townhouses and condos across Rockville, Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg and North Bethesda.
