Gas Line Repair in Long Beach, CA

Plumbing Tips

Old Pipe, Shared Meters and Kitchen Rows

Long Beach holds one of the largest stocks of pre-war housing in the county, and gas piping from that era is threaded steel that has been in place for the better part of a century. Here is where it shows up:

• Craftsman and Spanish bungalows — in Bluff Park, Belmont Heights, California Heights and Wrigley, the original gas runs have joints that every remodel since has disturbed. A failed pressure test on a house like this often means replacing a run, not tightening one fitting, and Hearth financing is available when it does.

• Courtyard apartment buildings — in Alamitos Beach and Downtown, one bank of meters feeds a building full of kitchens through risers nobody has opened in decades. When one riser leaks, we isolate it so the rest of the building is without gas no longer than the repair requires.

• Restaurants on 2nd Street and Pine Avenue — a kitchen that adds a range or a fryer needs the line sized for the whole cook line, not just for the new appliance.

Who do I call about a gas leak in Long Beach, and who fixes it?

Two different parties. Long Beach Utilities, the city-run gas provider, takes the emergency call at (562) 570-2140 and shuts off or secures the gas. The pipe beyond the meter is the property owner’s, so the repair goes to a licensed plumbing contractor. After the repair we pressure test the line so that service can be turned back on.

Does gas line work in Long Beach need a permit?

Most of it does. Permits come from the Building and Safety Bureau of Long Beach Community Development, and the city’s own permit guide exempts only a short connection: gas piping six feet or less between an approved outlet and an appliance in the same room. New lines, extensions and replaced runs are permitted and inspected. If you would rather not deal with the counter, we pull the permit and add an administrative fee to what the city bills; owners who prefer to pull their own are welcome to.