Advance is an unincorporated part of eastern Davie County, so water, sewer and permits come from the county rather than a town hall, and service varies by road. Plumbers Winston Salem is a free referral line, not a plumbing company. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Advance.

Plumbing services in Advance
Where Advance is
Advance is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in eastern Davie County, about 13 miles southwest of downtown Winston-Salem in a straight line and roughly 4 miles south of Bermuda Run. NC 801 runs through it, I-40 meets NC 801 at exit 180 near Hillsdale, and US 158 crosses the area. It sits along the Yadkin River and takes in rural crossroads such as Farmington, Fork Church, Cornatzer and Smith Grove. The 2020 Census counted 1,499 people in the CDP, while ZIP 27006 holds about 16,000.
Water and sewer depend on the address
With no town government, there is no town water department. Davie County Public Utilities runs the county system, drawing from the Yadkin River at its Sparks Road plant and the South Yadkin River at its Cooleemee plant and disinfecting with chlorine. Whether county lines reach your road is address-specific, and we found no source that counts private wells in Advance.
Sewer is the same story. Davie County operates a sewer system, and part of the county's wastewater is pumped to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities for treatment, but many rural homes are not on municipal sewer and rely on a private onsite wastewater system instead. Knowing which you have saves time when a drain backs up.
If you water with an in-ground irrigation system, Davie County generally expects a testable backflow device on it, tested every year. Most homes without irrigation don't need one.
Mostly newer houses
The median home in the Advance CDP was built in 2001, and a little under 29% predate 1980. That points to calls about water heaters reaching the end of their service life, fixtures, supply lines and drains, with some older farmhouses scattered through the outlying communities.
Gas, permits and what's different from Winston-Salem
Davie County is in Piedmont Natural Gas territory, though whether a main runs down a given road varies. If you smell gas, get out of the house and call 911 or Piedmont at 800-752-7504 from outside. Permits for unincorporated Davie County come from the Davie County Planning & Development Services Inspections Division in Mocksville (336-753-6050), not from Winston-Salem's City-County Inspections Division. So compared with a job in the city, you're dealing with a different county office, a different water utility, and a real chance the house isn't tied into public sewer.
Calling from Advance
Give your road or nearest community, say whether you're on county water or a well, and describe what's happening. You'll be connected with an independent local plumber who works eastern Davie County, and you agree on timing and price with that plumber directly.
Common questions in Advance
Is Advance on public water?
Who issues building permits in Advance?
Do I need a backflow test in Advance?
Where does Davie County's water come from?
Nearby cities and towns
Sources
- Advance, North Carolina (Wikipedia)
- Hillsdale, North Carolina (Wikipedia)
- Davie County 2021 Annual Drinking Water Report
- Davie County Public Utilities FAQ
- Davie County Planning & Development Services
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities 2024 Local Water Supply Plan
- Point2Homes: Advance demographics
- NCUC report on natural gas service territories (2014)
- Piedmont Natural Gas safety information
Last updated: