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Once SoCalGas has made it safe, the leak on your side of the meter is yours to fix. We find it, repair it, test the line, and handle the permit so your gas can be turned back on.
SoCalGas maintains its lines up to the meter. Everything after the meter, including the piping to each appliance and any buried line to a pool heater or barbecue, belongs to the property owner. The numbers show where leaks usually start.
Swipe sideways to see the whole diagram.
Natural gas has no smell of its own. The utility adds one so leaks can be noticed. If you smell it indoors, leave and call SoCalGas first.
Leave and callA steady hiss or whistle near the meter, a connector or a valve usually means gas escaping under pressure.
Leave and callPlants or grass dying in a strip between the meter and a barbecue or pool heater can point to a leak underground.
Call usBubbling in puddles or wet soil along the path of a buried line, with no other explanation.
Call usA jump in usage with no change in how you use gas can be a small, steady leak.
Have it checked| What we find | What we do |
|---|---|
| Old uncoated brass appliance connector | Replace it with a stainless steel or plastic-coated connector. The CPSC recommends replacing any uncoated brass connector. |
| Loose or cracked threaded fitting | Remake or replace the joint and test it. |
| Leaking appliance shutoff valve | Replace the valve. |
| Corroded buried line to a barbecue or pool heater | Replace the run rather than patch it. Corrosion rarely stops at one spot. |
| Piping strained by earthquake movement or settling | Inspect the whole system, repair the damaged section, and add a seismic shutoff valve if there isn’t one. |
If you’re adding a gas line for a new appliance, a kitchen remodel or an outdoor kitchen, that’s covered on our gas line repair and installation page.
Under LAMC §94.1216.2, any building with gas piping needs a seismic gas shutoff valve or an excess flow shutoff valve when it is sold, or when a building permit over $10,000 is issued. A seismic valve shuts off gas at the meter when the ground shakes hard enough; an excess flow valve closes when gas flow jumps, as it would with a broken line. Either one satisfies the rule.
The valve has to be installed under an LADBS permit and inspected. If you’re selling, it’s worth doing before escrow so it doesn’t hold up closing. We install both types.
Most gas piping repairs and replacements in the City of Los Angeles go through the Department of Building and Safety with a permit and inspection. The California Plumbing Code (§1213) requires repaired piping to be tested before it goes back into service; very small fitting repairs can be checked with leak-detecting solution instead of a full pressure test. We pull the permit when one is required, test the work, and meet the inspector. Unpermitted gas work tends to surface later, often during a sale.
Leave first. Don’t turn lights or appliances on or off, don’t use a lighter, and don’t try to fix or shut off a damaged pipe or meter yourself. From outside, call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200, or 911 if anyone is in danger. Once SoCalGas has made it safe, call us to find and repair the leak on your side of the meter.
You are. SoCalGas maintains its lines up to the meter. Everything after it belongs to the property owner, including the piping to each appliance and buried lines to a pool or spa heater or barbecue. SoCalGas recommends having those lines inspected periodically for corrosion and repairing unsafe conditions right away.
SoCalGas will respond to make the situation safe, which can mean shutting off gas to an appliance or the whole house. Repairing piping on your side of the meter is the owner’s job and is done by a licensed contractor. Once the repair passes, the gas can be turned back on.
We check the meter for movement with everything off, close appliance valves to isolate sections, then use an electronic gas detector and leak-detecting solution on fittings and connectors. For buried lines we pressure-test the run. We show you where the leak is before we quote the repair.
Most gas piping repairs and replacements go through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety with a permit and inspection. The California Plumbing Code (§1213) requires repaired piping to be tested; very small fitting repairs can be checked with leak-detecting solution instead of a full pressure test. We pull the permit when one is required and meet the inspector.
Yes. Under LAMC §94.1216.2, when a building with gas piping is sold, or a permit over $10,000 is issued, it needs either a seismic gas shutoff valve or an excess flow shutoff valve. The valve is installed under an LADBS permit and inspected. We install both types.
It can be. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warned that older, uncoated brass connectors, used mostly on ranges, ovens and dryers, can fail where the fittings were soldered on. It recommends replacing any uncoated brass connector with a new stainless steel or plastic-coated one, and having a professional do it rather than moving the appliance yourself.
It depends on what failed. A leaking connector or fitting is often repaired and tested in one visit. A corroded buried line takes longer, and if a permit inspection is required, the gas stays off until it passes. We tell you the expected timeline when we quote.
We work from our shop at 5301 Beethoven St in Los Angeles and cover the Westside and central Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, Culver City, Venice, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Silver Lake. We’re open Monday through Saturday 8am to 5pm and Sunday 8am to 4pm. Call (310) 845-6027.
Call our Los Angeles shop. We’ll find it, fix it, test it, and get your gas back on.
Our plumbing repair solutions are available throughout Los Angeles, including Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Venice, Inglewood, and El Segundo. Wherever you are in the Los Angeles area, we can provide the exceptional plumbing services you deserve!
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