Gas leak testing & repair
Gas Leak Repair in Los Angeles
If you smell gas, get everyone outside, leave the switches alone, and call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 from the street. Once the meter is off, the repair side is our job. A+ Electric & Plumbing handles gas leak repair in Los Angeles around the clock: we find the leak, fix the pipe, pass the pressure test, and get your service restored.
- Smell gas? Leave first, call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 from outside, then call us
- Gas leak repair $150-$800 for most homes; failing old pipe repiped for $3,000-$8,000
- SoCalGas red tag? We repair, pressure test, pass inspection, and get service restored
- Appliance connectors, risers, and buried lines tested and fixed to code
- CSLB #942404, 24/7 across LA and the San Fernando Valley: (818) 421-5290
Smell gas right now? Do this first
- Leave the buildingimmediately
Walk everyone out, pets included. Leave the door open behind you if that takes no switches or openers.
- Touch nothing electricalon the way out
No switches, no phones indoors, no garage door opener. A spark is all it takes when gas has pooled.
- Call SoCalGas from outsidewithin a minute
Dial 1-800-427-2200 from the sidewalk. The utility shuts the meter and checks the property at no charge, day or night.
- Then call ussame day, 24/7
Once the meter is off and the danger has passed, ring (818) 421-5290. We find the leak on your side and repair it.
The utility handles the emergency, and a licensed plumber handles the fix. SoCalGas will shut things down and tag the hazard, but their crews do not repair the piping that belongs to the house. That part is ours.
How much does gas leak repair cost in Los Angeles?
Gas leak repair in Los Angeles runs $150-$800 for most single-leak fixes, from a failed fitting to a corroded joint. A pressure test to certify the whole system adds $150-$350 as a standalone job, and the city permit runs $150-$400. Old pipe leaking in several places is a different conversation: a whole-house gas repipe runs $3,000-$8,000.
Gas leak repair costs in Los Angeles by job
| Job | Typical Los Angeles range |
|---|---|
| Single leak repair (fitting, joint, short section) | $150-$800 |
| Appliance connector and shutoff valve replacement | $150-$400 |
| Standalone pressure test / leak certification | $150-$350 |
| Red-tag repair, test, and inspection package | $500-$1,500 |
| Whole-house gas repipe | $3,000-$8,000 |
| City permit | $150-$400 |
These are typical Los Angeles ranges for orientation, not a quote. Every job is priced by its own conditions, so your exact number comes from a free on-site look. Get a free estimate in minutes, or call (818) 421-5290.
Access moves the price more than the pipe does. A leak at an exposed joint in the garage is a fast fix, while a buried line under a planter takes digging, and a leak inside a finished wall adds drywall work on top of the plumbing.
How we find the leak: sniffers, soap, and gauges
Finding a gas leak is a process of elimination with the right tools, and it starts at the meter. If the meter dials creep with every appliance off, gas is escaping somewhere in the house piping.
- Electronic combustible gas detectors trace the odor to a fitting, a valve, or a stretch of wall
- Soap testing confirms it: bubbles at a joint mean escaping gas, plain and simple
- Pressure isolation splits the system into sections, so the gauge names the branch that leaks
- Buried runs between the meter and the house get tested as their own section before any digging starts
Old thread sealant, shifted fittings, and corroded risers cause most of what we find. Los Angeles adds its own factor: decades of small quakes work threaded joints loose a little at a time, which is why a line that held for years can start seeping.
Repair the line or replace it?
One leak at one joint gets a spot repair: cut back to sound pipe, replace or re-thread the fitting, seal, and test. That is the $150-$800 job, and on most homes it is the right call.
Pipe that fails in several places tells a different story. Black iron from the 1950s rusts from the outside in damp soil and from the inside where moisture rides along with the gas, so a third leak in the same system usually means replacement beats patching.
A full gas repipe at $3,000-$8,000 sounds heavy next to a small repair, yet it resets the clock on the whole system and ends the leak-a-year pattern. If you are planning new gas appliances anyway, sizing the new line for them is part of our gas line installation work, priced in the same quote.
Appliance connections leak more than pipes do
The flexible connector behind the stove or dryer is the most common leak point we find. Connectors age, kink when appliances get shoved back into place, and some older brass types have failed outright, which is why every appliance swap should include a new connector, never a reused one.
Water heaters earn special attention. The connector and the shutoff valve sit close to the burner, and a small seep there has an ignition source inches away. During any leak call we check each appliance connection with the detector, since a new connector and valve at $150-$400 is cheap insurance.
If your home still lacks a seismic shutoff, ask while we are there. An earthquake gas shutoff valve closes the line automatically in a strong quake, and many LA-area cities require one at sale or with a major permit anyway.
Permits, pressure tests, and the city inspection
Most gas leak repairs beyond a simple connector swap need a permit and an inspection, and the City of Los Angeles processes them through LADBS. The permit runs $150-$400, while Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena issue their own through local building departments.
The pressure test is the heart of the sign-off. We cap the system, pump it with air to the required pressure, and the gauge must hold steady for the inspector. A tight gauge is also your proof: no smell test, no guesswork, just a needle that does not move.
Skipping the permit invites trouble later. Unpermitted gas work can stall an escrow and give an insurer a reason to fight a claim, while the permitted repair costs one inspection visit and protects both.
From red tag to relight, step by step
Here is how a typical leak call runs, from your first ring to the burners lighting again. Most single-leak jobs finish the repair and the test in one visit.
- Call and same-day dispatchsame day for most of LA
You describe the smell or the red tag, and we schedule the visit, 24/7 for active leaks.
- Find the leak30-90 minutes
Detectors, soap testing, and pressure isolation narrow it to the exact fitting or section.
- Written quoteon the spot
You get the repair, the test, and any permit in one written number before work starts.
- Repair1-4 hours
We cut back to sound pipe, replace the failed fitting or section, and re-seal every joint we touched.
- Pressure testabout 1 hour
We cap and pump the system, and the gauge must hold before anything reconnects.
- Inspection and relightdepends on the city's schedule
The city inspector signs off where required, SoCalGas restores the meter, and we relight and check each appliance.
Why call A+ Electric & Plumbing for a gas leak?
A+ Electric & Plumbing is a licensed plumbing and electrical contractor based in Tujunga, CSLB #942404, serving all of LA and the San Fernando Valley. Gas leak repair across Los Angeles is part of our regular week, not an occasional sideline, and you can verify the license at CSLB before we knock.
Holding both trades pays off on gas jobs. CSST bonding is an electrical code item, a relocated range sometimes needs a circuit moved, and one crew closes out both sides in a single permit package instead of two contractors trading blame.
If your gas is off and the house is getting cold, treat it like the emergency it is: our emergency plumber line runs 24/7, and the full plumbing team backs every repair with our 1-year workmanship guarantee. Call (818) 421-5290.
Frequently asked questions
How much does gas leak repair cost in Los Angeles?
Gas leak repair in Los Angeles costs $150-$800 for most single-leak fixes at a fitting, joint, or short pipe section. A standalone pressure test runs $150-$350, the permit adds $150-$400 where one is required, and pipe failing in several places points to a $3,000-$8,000 repipe. Every number comes in writing before work starts.
What should I do if I smell gas in my house?
Leave first, with everyone including pets. Do not touch light switches, phones, or the garage door opener on the way out, since one spark can ignite pooled gas. From outside, call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200 so they can shut the meter, then call us at (818) 421-5290 to find and fix the leak.
Who do I call first, SoCalGas or a plumber?
SoCalGas, every time there is an active smell. The utility responds free of charge, around the clock, and makes the property safe by shutting gas off at the meter. Their crews do not repair house piping, though, so the plumber comes second: we fix the leak, test the system, and get your service restored.
What does a SoCalGas red tag mean?
A red tag marks a hazard the utility found, either on one appliance or on your whole system, and your gas stays off until the problem is fixed and proven tight. A licensed plumber repairs the leak, runs the pressure test, and handles any permit, then SoCalGas unlocks the meter and relights. We manage that whole chain for you.
How do you find a gas leak?
We work from the meter inward. Electronic combustible gas detectors follow the odor to the area, soap testing shows bubbles at the exact joint, and pressure isolation proves which branch of the system is losing air. Buried lines get tested as their own section before any digging, so the shovel only comes out with a confirmed target.
Can the leak be in the appliance connector instead of the pipe?
Very often it is. The flexible connectors behind stoves, dryers, and water heaters age, kink when appliances get pushed back, and certain older brass models are known failures. A replacement connector with a fresh shutoff valve runs $150-$400 installed, and we check every appliance connection with the detector during a leak call.
Do I need a permit to repair a gas line in Los Angeles?
Most repairs beyond a simple connector swap need one. The City of Los Angeles issues gas permits through LADBS at $150-$400, while Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena run their own building departments. We pull the permit, run the pressure test the inspector wants, and meet them on site, all inside the written quote.
How long until my gas is back on after a red tag?
Most single-leak repairs and pressure tests finish the same day we start. The variable is the inspection, since some cities sign off next day while others take a few days for a slot. SoCalGas then restores the meter and relights, usually within a day of the sign-off, and we push every step that sits in our control.
I sometimes smell a faint gas odor near the stove. Is that normal?
A brief whiff when a burner lights is normal, since a little gas escapes before the flame catches. A smell that lingers, shows up when nothing is cooking, or sits near the connector behind the range is not, and it deserves a detector check. Trust the pattern: a constant or growing odor means call it in.
Do you handle gas leaks at night and on weekends?
Yes, gas leaks are 24/7 work for us. Let SoCalGas make the scene safe first, then call (818) 421-5290 at any hour and we dispatch a licensed plumber, the same as any emergency plumbing call. Nights and weekends carry the usual after-hours premium, which we state up front before anyone rolls a truck.
Will my carbon monoxide alarm detect a gas leak?
No, and the difference matters. A CO alarm senses carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion, not the methane in natural gas, so a leaking pipe will not set it off. Some stores sell separate explosive-gas alarms, which can help near a garage or laundry. Your nose plus the utility's added odorant stays the first line of defense.
Where we do this work
Gas leak testing & repair across our service areas
Get a free estimate
Tell us what's going on and a licensed tech calls you back fast, with the exact price before any work starts. Electrical and plumbing, one team.
Estimates for quoted work are free. Troubleshooting or diagnosis may carry a $100-$250 service call, credited to your repair when you approve the work.
- Exact price in writing before we start
- Licensed, bonded & insured (CSLB #942404)
- One team for electrical and plumbing
Prefer to talk? Call (818) 421-5290, answered 24/7.