Installing a Gas Line Cost

• Some local gas companies will install a new gas line for free if you're adding a gas heater or a gas water heater plus another gas appliance such as a dryer or stove. If this service isn't free, your gas company may install the line at a set rate, then add the charges to your gas bill and let you make monthly payments. In some areas gas companies charge less than certified plumbers for installing a gas line; in other regions the gas company may charge as much as twice the going rate; and not all gas companies have technicians available to install an additional gas line.
• It's possible to add a gas line as a do-it-yourself project for $50 -$150 worth of materials, but in some states certain types of flexible pipe or other special materials can only be bought by someone officially certified to install them. Because of the danger of leaks or an explosion plus the liability involved, most experts recommend hiring a certified plumber or contractor to install a new gas line.
• In estimating the cost having a new gas line professionally installed, expect to pay $15 -$25 a linear foot to hire someone to handle everything -- labor, materials, testing and any required permits -- and there's often a minimum charge of at least $100. Extending an existing gas line 10 feet might run $150 -$250, but that can only be done if the existing pipe has the capacity to add another gas appliance. If not, running a new line from the gas manifold (where the gas service to your house starts) to where you want the new appliance installed might take 20-30 linear feet or more, which works out to $300 -$750. And in areas with higher labor costs, a long and complex installation project could be $800 -$1,000 or more.

• Gas pipe must be correctly sized according to how many appliances are on the line, and how much gas each appliance needs to function properly. Although it may appear logical to simply extend an existing gas line a few feet to where you want to add a gas dryer or a gas barbecue, often it's necessary to install a T-valve back at the gas manifold and run a new line all the way to the new appliance, or to replace the existing line with larger pipe. So installing a gas appliance a short distance from an existing gas line might require 20-50 or more linear feet of pipe, or however much is needed to reach back to the gas manifold.
• For those determined to make this a do-it-yourself project, xj.cdevco.net and HomeBuilding.TheFunTimesGuide.com both post personal accounts of installing a new gas supply line.
• Local regulations vary, but usually a new gas line must be tested by a certified plumber or contractor, and approved by the local gas company before it can be used. Check with your local planning department to see which regulations apply and which permits are required.

• If your gas company charges to install a new gas line and you'd rather hire your own certified plumber or contractor, go ahead and get a quote from the gas company, then make sure the bids from the private companies include the same specifications as the gas company's quote. Be sure you understand whether a quote includes the cost of any required testing and permits.
• Contact your local gas company for a list of certified contractors in your area. Or, referrals are available through the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association. Get bids from several companies, and verify that they are properly licensed and insured -- and that their insurance covers gas line connection and disconnection.
• >state or regional association of the American Nursery & Landscape Association for referrals to local landscape firms.

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