Questions · Gas lines
Running a gas line for an outdoor kitchen or fire pit
A new outdoor run starts with sizing, not digging. The line has to carry what the new appliance needs on top of everything already on the system, so the meter, the existing load and the distance all get worked out first. Then the route, the shutoff, the pressure test and, in most cities, a permit.
What has to be worked out first
- What the appliance needs, which comes off its own rating plate
- What the house already runs on gas, because the existing load counts
- The distance from the meter, since a long run needs a larger pipe for the same delivery
- The route, including what it crosses and how it comes out of the wall
- Where the shutoff goes, so the appliance can be isolated without killing the house
How the work goes
- 01
Size the line for the new load plus the existing load
- 02
Run the pipe on the agreed route, buried or above ground as the situation requires
- 03
Install a shutoff at the appliance
- 04
Pressure test the new work and hold it, which is the part that proves the job
- 05
Have it inspected where the city requires it, then connect and check the appliance under load
Decide these before we quote
- Exactly where the grill, fire pit or heater will sit, because moving it later means moving the line
- Whether more than one appliance is going out there now or later
- Whether anything is being paved, tiled or built over the route
- Whether the appliance is set up for natural gas or for propane, because they are not interchangeable without the right conversion
Answers
Do I need a permit for a gas line?
In most Valley cities, yes, and that is the normal way this work is done. The requirements vary by city, and the building department in yours has the final word.
Can you just tee off the line to my grill?
Only if the line can carry it. Adding an appliance to a line that is already at its limit is how you end up with everything running poorly, which is why sizing comes first.
Can a fire pit run off a propane tank instead?
It can, and plenty do. The trade off is refilling tanks against the cost of running a permanent line, and that is a fair conversation to have before anything is dug.
If you need this done
- Gas line installNew lines for appliances, water heaters and outdoor kitchens, installed to code by a licensed contractor and tested before we finish.
- Gas line repair and replacementDamaged or aging lines repaired or replaced, then pressure-tested.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
In-home estimate
Rather have someone look at it? Tell us what's going on
We come out, look at the problem and explain what it needs before any work starts. For something urgent, calling is fastest.
Rather talk? Call or text (602) 833-4133.