How Much Does It Cost to Install or Repair Gas Lines & Meters?

Cost to Run a Gas Line

To run a new gas line, it'll cost an average of $551. However, gas line installation cost can range anywhere from $120 to $1,350. Cost per linear foot will cost between $15 to $25 for new and replacement lines. Most homeowners spend between $271 and $867.

Budget $15 to $25 per linear foot for new and replacement lines, including the labor, piping, and materials. You'll typically pay a master plumber between $45 to $150 per hour for the work. However, extension and replacement costs vary by location, complexity, and the type of pipe currently installed.

Switching from electric to propane or natural gas, or adding appliances to your current setup require additional pipes. Even adding a single appliance to a home with existing lines may require new pipes if the current lines are too small. It's an inexpensive investment for an efficient way to heat your home or run stoves, water heaters, and even dryers. Always discuss installation options with a master plumber or gasfitter.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Installing or Repairing

Other considerations for larger jobs include digging trenches for outdoor conveyance of gas lines and ensuring the contractor acquires all necessary permits from the city or county authorities.

• Trenching costs $4 to $12 per foot.

• Concrete work budget of $75 per cubic yard

• Landscaping prices $300 to $10,000 with an average of $3,400. This depends heavily on the type of landscape you have. Running a line under a custom stone patio costs far more than simply installing sod.

• Permits range from $100 to $300 or more.

• Complex installations increase the time it takes to cut, thread, and install black iron. Additional time means more labor hours on the bill.

Reasons for New Gas Pipe Installs

If you add a new appliance such as a furnace, water heater, or stove to a property, you'll need new or extended lines. Gas-powered appliances tend to be more efficient and of higher quality, but if a home's infrastructure doesn't have the correct sized tubing to support the install, you'll need to retrofit it.

One reason many people install new pipes is because they are purchasing a new appliance. They may want to replace existing electric appliances such as stoves or water heaters with a gas-powered variety.

Cost to Install Gas Line for Kitchen Stove

A kitchen stove line costs an average of $20 per linear foot, though there is often a minimum charge for a plumber to come to the home. Expect to pay at least $120 for the entire project.

• Kitchen appliances get gas through a flexible steel hose connected to the solid black iron pipe that sticks out of the wall.

• The layout of your kitchen and the complexity of the installation can more than double the price.

Running a Line for an Outdoor Grill or Fire Pits

These usually run underground or under a deck for $20 to $25 per linear foot. Outdoor kitchens or fire pit areas use black iron pipes and flexible tubing. It may be cheaper to include these charges into fire pit construction costs averaging $700 or an outdoor fireplace installation price of about $3,000.

If there are landscaping costs involved to reconstruct your patio or custom outdoor area, you'll spend an additional $1,500 to $5,000 on average. Installing a natural gas BBQ costs an additional $240.

Gas Dryer, Water Heater, & Drip Leg Hookup Costs

Line installation runs anywhere from $200 to $5,000 or more. It depends on which scenario fits your project. Figuring price based on $20 per linear foot, distance matters:

1. 20 linear feet: $400. A gas line already exists to the home and carries enough - no new line required. The line in the home requires a branch or extension which is the shortest run of tubing needed.

2. 20 to 100 linear feet: $200 to $2,000. The installed pipes don’t carry enough gas for expansion. In this scenario, you'll need a new line from the manifold, increasing installation complexity and distance.

3. New line to street: $2,000+. If the line to your home is already at max capacity, you'll need a new line from the main in the street. This is in addition to any new interior lines and manifold extensions.

If you're upgrading from electric to gas, water heater installation costs range from $750 to $1,400.

Adding Pipes for a Gas Fireplace

Installing a gas fireplace costs an average of $2,100 which often includes the line price. Otherwise, default to anywhere from $15 to $25 per linear foot for an interior line.

Gas Furnace, Pool Heaters, & Run a Line to a Garage

A furnace, pool heater, and garage lines cost the same as any other run, or about $20 per linear foot including labor and materials. On top of the line charge, furnace installation costs $4,200 on average. You'll also need to adjust your budget for other factors that affect installation.

How Much to Convert Electric to Gas

Costs depend on several factors. Are you converting only one appliance, like a dryer or a whole home? Do you already have a gas line run to your home with a meter installed? Talk to a master plumber for a specific quote.

Gas Line Leak Repair Costs

Repairing a gas pipe is going to vary drastically in price for a variety of reasons.

• Location of leak. A few examples include:

  • A leak at a junction behind a stove is a simple remove and replace and can cost $120 to $250.

  • Leaks hidden in walls and crawlspaces take longer to find and can incur additional drywall costs of $270 to $760 on average.

  • Buried lines require excavation and landscaping. Add an additional $1,500 to $5,000.

• Material Pricing. The type of pipe used along with the length of replacement add material costs to your overall bill.

Repair is imperative in the event of a leak. The rotten egg smell caused by sulfur additives alert you to any leaks. Contact a qualified professional immediately if you smell sulfur.

Tubing often corrodes over time, this is especially true at joints where it changes from one type of material to another.

Gas Line Pressure Test Costs

This is typically a plumbing service call which will range from $75 to $150. In some areas, code requirements are more stringent and will need a 12 or 24-hour test. Expect to pay up to $500 for these longer tests. New construction or additions usually include this in the installation price.

A pressure test takes about 20 to 30 minutes. The plumber shuts off all the valves to appliances and heaters, removes the main line cap to attach a pressure gauge, and takes a reading. This checks for leaks—if the pressure drops, there is a leak. No drop indicates a correctly installed line.

Cost to Cap a Gas Line

Capping a line is just a service call charge for between $75 and $150, though some urban areas will have higher charges. It should take no more than 30 minutes.

Capping a line is necessary when removing an appliance or switching to electric and only involves putting a cap on the end of an open line to avoid leaks.

Fixing or Replacing a Damaged Gas Pipe

In the event of corrosion of old pipes or earthquake damage, replacing the entire system is necessary. In addition to new installation costs, you'll pay for old line removal for $6 to $7 per foot.

In the event of a simple leak, it may be possible to fix it with the replacement of a single section of pipe. When a tube is damaged, replacement is the only option. Costs vary greatly depending on the type of line, extent of damage and length of replacement, and accessibility.

Cost to Move or Reroute a Gas Line

Like any other installation, you'll expect to pay between $15 and $25 per linear foot. Moving or rerouting a line is necessary when installing things like an underground pool, putting an addition on the house, or meeting updated code requirements when renovating your home.

Cost to Extend a Line

Costs to extend a line will vary depending on the type of line and length of the extension, along with any barriers the line needs to pass through.

Another factor involved is the decision to extend an existing line or to run a new one back to the manifold. Extending an existing line will be less expensive because it will require less pipe, but in some cases, that may not be as safe or as effective. It is up to the professional's judgment to determine the best course of action.

Cost to Install a Gas Line

Gas Line Labor Costs

A master plumber costs anywhere between $45 and $200 per hour with an average of $75 to $100 per hour. They are the best qualified to install any type of pipe. Labor pricing for installing or repairing lines may range within the standard contractor price, occasionally going into high-end hourly rates.

Installing and repairing pipes is a dangerous job that requires a lot of knowledge and experience, and this reflects in a contractor's estimate. This cost may also vary depending on location. Jack-of-all-trades plumbers might not charge as much for labor and may undertake minor tubing repairs. However, extensive projects are likely to need more specialized labor with higher price tags.

Material Costs for Gas Pipe Installation

The cost of materials for installing or repairing gas lines runs anywhere from $1 to $10 per foot, though equipment for Horizontal Directional Drilling and trenching may increase that price.

The final price will depend on:

• Pipe type. This is the main factor.

• Size of pipe.

• Location of pipes in your home.

• Pipe joining method. Some newer methods are significantly more expensive than traditional cut and thread piping but can also dramatically reduce labor costs.

• Number of turns. This increases the number of fittings and other job supplies like thread sealant needed. It also increases the amount of time required for installation since each pipe needs to be measured, cut, and threaded before installing.

*Uniform Plumbing Code states: "Copper and brass pipe shall not be used if the gas contains more than an average of 0.3 grains of hydrogen sulfide per one-hundred (100) standard cubic feet (scf) of gas (0.7 mg/100 L)."

**Does not corrode like metal tubing.

Underground Natural Gas Pipe Prices per Foot

Natural gas underground lines run $0.50 to $8 per foot.

PVC and HDPE

• $0.50-$1.50 per linear foot.

• Only exterior, underground installations.

• Considered more durable than metal pipes for low-pressure lines.

Black Iron and Galvanized Steel

• $3-$8 per linear foot

• Used extensively for high-pressure tubing that exceeds 500 PSI as PVC doesn't do well under those conditions.

• Most common type found inside homes.

• More labor-intensive.

Adding a Line From Street to House

Typically, you'll spend anywhere from $0 to $2,500 to add a line from the main in the street to your home. Some companies and municipalities offer free or cheap installation for short distances to get your business.

Though most installs don't top $2,500, estimates as high as $50,000 have been reported. Though prices that high are rare, it's possible to spend over $2,500 depending on several factors:

• Gas supplier - private company, public municipality, or co-op.

• Distance from your home to the main line.

• Obstructions like a highway or building.

• Local building codes.

Often, the line up to and including the gas meter is installed, owned, and maintained by the gas company. Always check with your local gas company about lines and meters outside your home.

Free or Cheap Main Gas Line Installations

Though most homeowners pay for their own installation, there are some less common scenarios with lower or free installation. Check with your local gas company for details in your area:

• Free installation for short distances. In some areas, distances under 100 feet with a confirmed connection to a gas-run heating system can mean a free installation. This includes both the line and the meter. Private companies are often happy to invest a few hundred in a line for the regular monthly return of your utility bills.

• Lines sometimes free to the edge of your property. You're responsible for the rest. More common in rural areas.

• A single charge for multiple homes. This effectively splits the cost to run a main line to small groups of outlying homes. Common in rural areas.

Connecting a Propane Tank to a Gas Line

Connecting a gas line, referred to as a yard line, to a propane tank runs $0 to $75, depending on the lease options from your local gas company. Often, hookups are free or a minimal charge when you lease or purchase a tank from a gas supplier. Only copper or polyethylene tubing are approved for propane use. It takes only a few minutes for a plumber or propane tank specialist to hook up the line. Lease agreements often include these figures.

Leasing vs. Purchasing a Tank: If you agree to purchase your propane from a single supplier, they'll lease you the tank for $0 to $150 per year. Purchasing a tank allows you to shop around for the best propane prices. Need an example of propane gas tank costs? Purchasing and installing a 500 to 1000-gallon tank runs anywhere from $800 to $3,000.

New Gas Meter Installation

Installation of a new gas meter for your home will rarely exceed $500. Because many companies own, install and maintain the lines and meters, they restrict installation to types and contractors they designate. This is mainly to keep meter types consistent for wireless reading purposes. If you do have to pay, it's relatively inexpensive.

• Residential meters: $100-$300. Capable of 250 cubic feet per hour (CFH)*.

• Commercial meters: $400-$1,200+. Capable of more than 250 CFH*.

• Installation Labor: $150-$400.

* Cubic feet per hour is a measure of the flow of gas into your home. 1 CFH = 1000 BTUs of natural gas and 2500 BTUs of Propane (LP).

Gas Shut-Off Valve Installation

Gas shut-off valve installation runs $300 to $500. The valves run between $100 to $300 depending on the pipe size and pressure capabilities. Labor is an additional $150 to $200 and you'll also pay for miscellaneous supplies and pipe.

Shutoff valves are commonly found throughout a gas system, typically a main valve near the meter and separate valves before all appliances. They are used whenever working on an appliance or the system as a whole.

Seismic shut-off valves are common in earthquake-prone areas where they are required by code.

DIY vs. Hiring a Plumber

Installing and repairing pipes is a labor and skill-intensive home improvement project. While other tasks may be worth DIYing, hire a gas line installation pro for pipe repairs or installs. It deals with highly flammable, potentially deadly gases and requires the right materials and proper procedures.

Gas systems must be calibrated for the right BTU and flow levels. Mistakes could lead to leaks or compromise the integrity of the piping and result in serious destruction of property. For safe installation, find a plumber near you.

Things to Consider When Hiring Someone to Install or Repair Gas Lines

Installing and repairing pipes is not just something that anyone can do with ease. It is a complex process that requires the assistance of a professional. You can install lines affordably with a professional. Hiring a professional reduces the possibility of leaks, explosions, toxic gas buildup, and corrosive or fire damage to the home.

Annual Gas System Inspections

A plumbing inspection costs an average of $150. In addition to relatively minor emergency jobs, it is always a good idea to have the entire system professionally inspected every year to make sure that there are no weaknesses or potential areas for leaks. Find a local plumber today.

Questions & Research Prior to Hiring

Depending on the nature of the job, installing or repairing gas pipes may require due diligence on the part of a homeowner. Ask these questions before deciding on a local contractor for installation:

• Can I see your references?

• Are you insured?

• Can I see your license?

• Are you a general plumber or a gas line specialist?

• What are the code requirements?

• Will you take care of all local permits?

Besides these questions, do further research into:

• Reviews and ratings.

• Local code.

• Energy options.

Gas installation doesn't need to be dangerous, expensive, or a headache. Asking your contractor the right questions can help you save when hiring a plumber.