Posted on 05/03/2007 3:45:41 AM PDT by mattdono
I need some FREEPER help.
I have a project at the house that requires the extension of a gas pipe off of my main natural gas station (word?).
The extension pipe needs to run about 15-18 feet from the gas main to the gas-fed appliance I'm installing.
Anyone have an idea how much that would cost?
Pipe is cheap but you may be required to get a permit and inspection.
Probably under $50 if you do it yourself; otherwise a plumber is probably going to charge a few hundred bucks.
I would urge you to get a professional to do this work. it should take a day or less...is the pipe running thru a crawl space? does it run under concrete? etc.
The materials involved are inexpensive, the labor and expertise are what you need. You may also need a permit and inspections depending on your locale. Rough guess around $500...not including inpsections, fees or the like.
In some areas,like here in the rural SE Ohio, you can lay the pipe above ground. My neighbor, across the road, uses an above ground plastic pipe especially made for gas transmission, from his gas well to his house. Check with local building codes.
I think you can use an approved yellow plastic pipe, with a metal transition on both ends. But I also think you have to pull a permit to do the work.
That’s a union job... better call Ted Kennedy.
I’m in FL too (St Pete). I few years back I had a gas pool heater installed. Called the gas company and they did it for next to nothing. After all your gonna be buying more gas from them.
Should cost you under $100 for pipe and other needed goods like a hole saw. Make sure the gas company inspects your work before using it. It cost me nothing for the inspection, but the situation in your area may differ.
How much is your house worth?..LOL... Seriously, as long as the estimate is LESS than the replacement cost of your home..hire someone to do the job..
Unless you know your way around a pipe machine I would strongly suggest that you hire a professional. If they show up in a rusty pick up and tennis shoes, call somebody else. Check with your local PHCC (Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors) Association for a reputable contractor who is licensed.
Good Luck
Sorry, that Rule of Thumb price above is labor, materials and necessary permits.
Unless you have an existing tap or port available from the main then one will have to be installed. That takes some expertise.
Running the line can be either black pipe or the new yellow-jacketed stainless pipe that is a heck of a lot easier to install but requires someone licensed (at least in my state) to even buy it.
Running black pipe requires knowledge of how to cut and tap the pipe and the ability to plan the routing of the pipe.
If you hire someone to use the yellow pipe, depending on obstacles it should take him no more than about two hours to run the pipe. Tapping the main may add an hour to it.
I would guess this will run you about $300. It seems high, even to me, but that's what labor costs these days.
Good luck. Don't do it on the cheap. Gas lines are important enough to get it done right.
Thanks for all of the replies.
I’m definitely NOT going to do this work myself.
I should have been more specific. I was actually asking to see what a fair price would be for the work.
marine86297...so the $15/LF is typically inclusive of parts, labor, etc?
Yes but remember that it is a rule of thumb. I am located in the midwest and our labor rate is a little less. I should have said the rule of thumb is between $15 and $25 per foot time, material etc.
FReep mail me details of your estimate and region where you live, and I’d be happy to give a fellow FReeper a thumbs up or thumbs down on the pricing.
I had been calling locally to get some idea and several of the folks that I called were completely evasive about what it might cost.
I called 2 HVAC guys and 2 plumbers. I told them what I was looking to do (run another gas line/pipe off the main to my pool heater) and the approximate length/distance plus 2 more LF, just to be sure. All I wanted was a general idea about the price.
I swear I thought they were Bill Clinton on the stand: "well, I'll have to come out to see it", "I couldn't really tell you over the phone", etc. They wouldn't even tell me their labor rate. Seemed like they wanted to get to the house and just come up with whatever price they wanted. It was so odd. Hence, I turned to my fellow FREEPERs...
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not convicting all HVACers or plumbers (especially you marine...wink), but there's something to be said about being plain spoken and keeping it simple.
The first guy who told me, "It's $10/12/15-LF for parts and $50/75/100-hr for my labor. I'll tell you a fair total price at the house after I look at it." would have gotten the job right there over the phone.
Anyway, thanks for the help. marine, I'll take you up on your offer for FREEPmail when I get the estimate. Thanks
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