Who can move the gas line to the gas meter?

15 years ago

So, four days into my huge home remodel and we've hit a snag.

The contractor needs to dig and pour concrete footings around the entire perimeter of the house in order to satisfy the structural engineer's plan. The footings will extend about 30" away from the foundation. Unfortunately, the natural gas line that leads to my gas meter runs about 24" away from the foundation along about 25' of the north wall of my house. It's going to have to be moved, so the first step is getting the gas shut off completely.

My contractor spoke to the gas company and it turns out it's an incredibly involved (and expensive) process to get them to respond to an "abandon service" request. It involves getting the right permit, excavating the sidewalk and potentially even the street as there's no shut-off valve from the gas main to my meter. It's all just plumbed in place. (The Field Planner explained to me that it's just too expensive for the gas company to install dependable, safe valves to every property in the city.)

My question is: Can this work be done by a qualified plumber, or must I get the gas company involved? I'd rather cut the line on my property, cap it, get on with the work and then reroute the line when the work is done. But since the gas line will remain "live", I'm not sure if that's wise or even legal.

Has anyone dealt with this sort of situation? What did you do?

I am in the city of Los Angeles, if that's of any import.

Thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

sierraeast

15 years ago

Here in kern county, from the meter to the house can be done by a state licensed plumber. From the meter to the main is the responsibility of the gas company. Often times they collaborate on projects such as yours when it involves work both from the main to the meter and from meter to the house. Check with your county or city as county to county codes differ sometimes and even city to county in ca. Claif. is switching to the i.b.c for the whole state in '09. It is being recognized in residential now but will become full blown in '09. I would contact your local building dept and get their take on it.

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Comments (11)

annzgw
15 years ago
I'd continue talking to the folks at the Gas Co. myself. What would happen if one of the workers hit the gas line? What would the company do in an emergency situation? We had a worker hit a line when we were working on a home in the East Bay area and it was a scary situation, but PGE responded quickly and turned it off via a line in the street.

One would think they could kill the feed long enough to install a valve somewhere along the line without tearing up everything. Then, when the construction is finished they'd use as much as possible of the existing line and add new where needed.
Sometimes you have to call the gas company several times to find someone willing to work out the problem!

As sierra said, the line up to the meter can only be worked on by the gas company.
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I am doing the same (except I am bringing in a new line from my gas meter outside--which is about 20 feet from where my dual fuel Bosch range will be). Contractor brought in a plumber. Plumber said it was easy. It is something they do all the time. Can't wait to be cooking with gas!
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On the surface, that sounds a little crazy. The actual work involved with relocating the gas service is pretty minimal and shouldn't take much time. In most jurisdictions, it's the type of work that technically requires an "over-the-counter" permit, but more often than not the contractor would suggest not pulling any permits, as it is such minimal work. But that might not be a feasible strategy for a multi-unit dwelling (see below). The complication with gas service is that unless you have your own gas meter, there probably isn't a cut-off valve that turns gas off for just your unit. So, even for this tiny bit of work, they'll have to turn off gas for the entire building. And after completing work, they need to do a pressure test to make sure they didn't introduce any leaks. Again, this takes extra time, while everybody else doesn't have gas service. Turning gas back on is another wrinkle. For modern appliances that have spark igniters or glow bars, it's a non-issue. But you don't know that that's what everybody has. So, somebody needs to walk through the entire building and make sure that pilot lights are lit where needed. I don't see how this would cost $5k. But I can see how it is highly disruptive and how it can take a lot longer than you'd think. It quite conceivably involves pulling in the HOA to coordinate work. On the other hand, if you can turn off gas for just your unit, then most of the above becomes a non-issue and a good plumber can have you up and running within less than a day. And it only should cost a few hundred dollars. Out of interest, how many units are we talking about? Two or three additional units? Or 20, 50? The answer to this question can determine how realistic your project is.
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suero
15 years ago
We had to relocate the outside meter to a new location. It was approximately five feet away from the old location, and actually nearer to the gas line than was the old location. Our plumber had to extend the gas line inside the house to the new location and the company that our gas utility outsources the work to was the only company authorized to do the work on the outside. It was very expensive, including a Federal tax charge of $228, which compensates the gas company for the increased capital investment. Yeah, I know, it's absurd, but that's the way the law is written.
ventupete
15 years ago
Agree with the above posts -only the Gas company can move the line up to the meter. But here's a thought. What if your contractor excavated around the existing gas line and then built and poured the footing around it thereby encasing it in concrete. This may or may not be permissible(?) but as a practical matter, who would ever know - unless it would be readily apparent to a meter reader.
brickeyee
15 years ago
The gas company normally controls the line to the meter, and they get to charge for owner driven modifications to the service line.
Erin O'Doherty
3 years ago
I just received a price from PGE for moving my meter 8ft closet toy the street. A plumber

could do this for $1000. Pge controls the right to this and is charging 10-12k
Erin Reuther
2 years ago
What was your final cost to move it? I’ve heard 4x that?!?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
2 years ago
I'll bet for another grand your plumber would do it anyway.
Reema Sreeram
last year
What was the timeline for PGE to move the gas meter? We have a similar issue and they are saying 6 months!!!
yani808
last year
We just did the PG&E online application to move the existing gas meter 3 feet. A representative called us but could not give a ballpark. We must commit to a $2,000 non-refundable engineering advance and then they can give us an estimate (also they want gas loads and site maps). Has anyone had to move the gas meter within the last year or two? If so, what were the ballpark costs that PG&E charged?
Jessica Shupe
last year
Reema did your project end up taking six months?

Who can move the gas line to the gas meter?

sierraeast

Comments (11)

annzgw

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