Plumber fitting a supply pipe beneath insulated flooring

Pipes

Gas line repair and installation

If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility from outside first; they make the leak safe. After that, a licensed contractor repairs or replaces the damaged gas piping, pressure-tests it, and has it inspected before appliances are relit.

Call (833) 753-0180 Request service online

At a glance

Common sign
A rotten-egg smell near an appliance, the meter or inside a wall
First step
Make it safe

Gas piping work falls into two very different situations. A suspected leak is an emergency the gas utility handles first: they shut off the meter or the affected line and check for gas in the house. Only then does repair start. New lines, for a gas range, a dryer, a water heater, a generator or an outdoor grill, are planned work that needs a permit and an inspection.

Gas piping after the meter is the property owner's responsibility, and in North and South Carolina it has to be installed or repaired by a contractor licensed for fuel piping. The utility owns the service line and the meter.

Gas Line Repair & Installation at a glance

What it is: If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility from outside first; they make the leak safe.
Service category: Pipes
Related: Water Heater Installation & Replacement, Tankless Water Heaters, Emergency Plumbing

Signs you need gas line work help

A rotten-egg smell near an appliance, the meter or inside a wall
A hissing sound near gas piping or a connector
An appliance that won't light after work was done nearby
Corroded or kinked flexible connectors behind a range, dryer or water heater
Plans for a new gas appliance, generator or outdoor kitchen

The visit

What a gas line repair visit involves

1
Make it safe
For a suspected leak, the gas utility responds first and shuts off gas as needed. Nobody relights anything until the leak is found.
2
Locate and assess
Leak checks with a combustible gas detector and soap solution at fittings, valves and connectors, plus a sizing check for any new load on the existing piping.
3
Repair or install
Damaged fittings, connectors or pipe sections are replaced; new lines are run in approved material and sized for the total appliance load.
4
Test, inspect, relight
The system is pressure-tested, the permit inspection is completed where required, and appliances are relit and checked.

What affects the cost of gas line repair

Repair of a fitting or connector vs. a new run
Length of the run and the route (crawl space, attic, exterior wall)
Pipe material and size needed for the total appliance load
Whether the existing line must be upsized for a new appliance
Permit, inspection and utility coordination

Before you call

Gas Line Repair: what's safe to try yourself

Safe to do yourself

•Leave, then call the gas utility from outside if you smell gas
•Keep the area around the meter and appliances clear

Stop and call a plumber if

•Never search for a leak with a flame
•Don't operate switches, phones or appliances where you smell gas
•Don't connect or move gas appliances yourself

Check gas line repair coverage near you

Use your location or ZIP code to see whether gas line repair & installation is covered where you are, and the nearest service area.

Location is only used to find the service area nearest you. It stays on your device and isn't stored.

Water actively leaking, overflowing or backing up? That's a job for 24-hour emergency service, not a scheduled visit.

Gas Line Repair: common questions

What should I do if I smell gas?

Leave the house without switching anything on or off, and call the gas utility's emergency number or 911 from outside. The utility makes the situation safe; the repair comes after.

Who is responsible for a gas leak?

The gas utility is responsible for the service line and meter. Piping after the meter, inside the house and to your appliances, belongs to the property owner.

Does adding a gas appliance need a new line?

Often it needs at least a new branch, and sometimes the main house line has to be larger. Gas piping is sized for the total load of every appliance on it, so a new tankless heater or range can overload an existing line.

Does gas line work need a permit?

In most cases, yes. New piping and significant repairs are permitted, pressure-tested and inspected before the gas is turned back on.

Is customer gas piping tested before service is turned on?

Yes. North Carolina Utilities Commission rules require a customer's piping to be tested for leaks before gas service is turned on, in addition to any local permit pressure test.

Who do I call if I smell gas in the Charlotte area?

Leave the house, then call Piedmont Natural Gas at 800-752-7504 or 911 from outside.

Sources: Piedmont Natural Gas: safety information; NC Utilities Commission rule R6-40. Prices are national estimates, not quotes.

Service area

Gas Line Repair across the Charlotte metro

Tank water heater and utility piping in an unfinished basement

Water Heater Installation & Replacement

Replacing a water heater means sizing a new unit to your household, installing it to current code (expansion tank, relief valve drain, venting, drain pan where required), pulling the permit, and hauling away the old one..

Learn more