Installing a gas line costs about $15 to $25 per linear foot in published 2026 guides, with a typical total of $260 to $820 and a national average near $540. That covers a short run to an appliance. Long runs, trenching, a new service from SoCalGas, the permit and an earthquake valve add to it. These are guides, not quotes,. Our wider page on gas lines explains the work.
How much does it cost to have natural gas installed?
A new natural gas service from the street to your meter is billed by SoCalGas, and the cost depends on distance and the existing main. A third-party guide puts a new service including the meter tie-in at about $1,500 to $3,500 or more. SoCalGas itself gives no fixed price, since it estimates each job, and says actual cost can be well above or below an example estimate.
For single-family homes, SoCalGas offers an online cost estimator and a request for service. Since July 2023, builders applying for residential new construction pay the full cost of the main and service line, and the estimate is due in advance. If actual costs exceed the estimate you are billed the difference, and if they come in lower you are refunded. The piping inside your home is a separate cost, priced by the plumber.
SoCalGas will not turn service on until it has proof of a passed local building inspection. So the order is: utility estimate, plumber's run and permit, inspection, then service.
How much does it usually cost to replace a gas line?
Replacement is priced like a new run, roughly $15 to $25 per foot for labor, plus $1 to $9 per foot for pipe, connectors and fittings, plus the permit, with wall or yard repairs on top. A short gas line repair or replacement behind one appliance sits near the national $260 to $820 range. A whole-house replacement or a buried line costs several times that.
What replacement involves depends on why it is being done. A leaking fitting is a small repair. A corroded or damaged buried line means trenching, and an old run through finished walls means opening them. Angi notes that more turns cost more because each pipe is measured, cut and threaded, and digging through concrete or landscaping adds to the price.
Gas line work is regulated. A plumber needs a C-36 plumbing license from the CSLB, and in Los Angeles piping changes beyond the meter need an LADBS plumbing permit and inspection. Contractor sites quote permit and inspection fees of about $150 to $400 for such work. We could not confirm the current LADBS fee, so ask the plumber for the exact number.
What are typical plumber prices for gas work in Los Angeles?
The published guides give the figures below. Most are national averages or come from contractor price lists, so treat them as a guide to the size of the job and not as a Los Angeles quote. Your own written quote, after the plumber has seen the route, is the number that counts.
| Item | Published guide range |
|---|---|
| Gas line installation, labor | about $15 to $25 per linear foot |
| Typical total for a short run | $260 to $820 (national average about $540) |
| Pipe, connectors and fittings | about $1 to $9 per linear foot |
| Gas plumber hourly rate | about $45 to $200 in most cities, higher in large cities |
| New SoCalGas service (third-party guide) | about $1,500 to $3,500 or more |
| Permit and inspection (contractor guides) | about $150 to $400 |
| Earthquake shutoff valve, standard outdoor meter | about $449 and up |
| Earthquake valve, hard-to-reach meter | about $549 and up |
How much does an earthquake gas shutoff valve cost?
Los Angeles installers' price lists from January 2024 show $449 for a standard outdoor meter, from $549 where the meter is under the home or hard to reach, and from $899 where the valve is braced to posts. Other guides give $200 to $800, and fees are often included. A valve fitted before the meter by SoCalGas needs no LADBS permit.
The valve is required in the City of Los Angeles for new construction with gas piping, work that alters the gas meter, permitted work valued at $10,000 or more, and sale of a building with gas piping. The code section is cited inconsistently, so check with LADBS. See our page on the earthquake gas shutoff valve for what the rules mean for you.
What pushes the price of a gas line up or down?
Length, route and materials. A short run in an open crawl space is cheap. A long run through finished walls, under a slab or buried in a yard is not. Black steel, corrugated stainless steel tubing and polyethylene each cost and install differently, and the number of appliances sets the pipe size.
Other factors:
- Number of turns and fittings, since each is cut, threaded or connected by hand.
- Digging under concrete, patios or landscaping, and restoring them afterward.
- Appliances: a stove, dryer, water heater, fireplace or outdoor grill each add a branch and a shutoff valve.
- Permit and inspection fees, and plan approval for larger systems.
- Whether the work includes a pressure test, a seismic valve or bonding for CSST.
- Pipe type: our page on the 1/2 inch flexible gas line explains the options and rules.
Gas piping in an older Los Angeles house may be corroded or undersized for new appliances. A plumber should check the existing line before adding to it.
How do I compare gas plumber quotes?
Ask for a written quote that names the scope, the pipe type, whether the permit and inspection are included, whether a pressure test is included, and what is excluded. Ask for the C-36 license number and verify it with the CSLB. A cheap quote that leaves out the permit is not a lower price.
Ask whether pricing is per foot or hourly, and what a trip charge covers. Quotes for a similar job should list similar items, so compare them line by line. For general rates, read what a plumber charges per hour and the service call cost guide. To start, ask for a written quote and we'll arrange a local plumber to come to you.
If you smell gas, leave the building, call SoCalGas on 1-800-427-2200 from outside and call 911 if there is danger.
Common questions
How much does a plumber charge to fix a pipe?
Hourly rates in published guides run about $45 to $200 in most cities and higher in the largest ones, and many plumbers charge a minimum service call. A small fix is often under an hour of work plus parts. Larger repairs depend on access. See our guide to plumber service call costs.
What is a gas safe plumber, and what do they charge per hour?
Gas Safe is the United Kingdom's gas registration scheme, so it does not apply in California. Here, gas piping must be done by a contractor with a C-36 plumbing license from the CSLB, or an HVAC contractor within their scope. Published guides give about $45 to $200 per hour,.
What does a gas pipe connector cost?
Connectors are an inexpensive part, and the published guides group them with other fittings at about $1 to $9 per foot of piping. The bigger cost is the plumber's time and any permit. A flexible appliance connector should be replaced when the appliance is replaced or moved.
How long does it take to run a new gas line?
A short run to one appliance can take a few hours. A longer run, trenching or a new service takes longer, and the SoCalGas and inspection steps add days of scheduling. The plumber should give a timeline with the quote, including inspection.
Do I need a permit for a gas line in Los Angeles?
Yes. Installing or changing fuel gas piping in the City of Los Angeles needs an LADBS plumbing permit and an inspection, and the work must be done by a contractor with a C-36 plumbing license, or an HVAC contractor within scope. SoCalGas will not restore service without proof of a passed inspection.