Natural Gas Line Installation in Raleigh & Wake County
New fire pit, pool heater, range, fireplace, dryer or tankless water heater? We run the natural gas line to it in black iron, buried poly or TracPipe, size it to the code table, and pressure-test it before the gas goes on. The price is in writing before we start.
Free quotes during business hours (Mon–Fri, 8–5). No trip charge. No estimate fee. No obligation to buy. On propane? See local propane companies.
Gas lines: the short answer
We run natural gas from your meter to the appliance, sized and tested to the NC code
Every gas appliance has a number on its rating plate: BTUs per hour. Add up everything on the meter, measure the run, and the North Carolina Fuel Gas Code tells you what size pipe it takes. Get that wrong and the far appliance starves. The fire pit won’t stay lit, or the tankless shuts down mid-shower. Add up your own BTUs below.
- What we hook up
- Fire pits, pool heaters, cooktops, ovens, ranges, fireplaces, dryers, water heaters and tankless water heaters.
- On propane?
- The tank, refills and the tank’s regulator come from your propane company. Not set up with one yet? See the local propane companies below.
- What we run
- Black iron pipe for exposed and interior runs, polyethylene (poly) for buried runs in the yard, and TracPipe flexible gas piping where it saves walls and ceilings.
- Sized to the code
- Pipe size comes from the NC Fuel Gas Code sizing tables, based on the total BTU load and the length of the longest run. When the load outgrows standard pressure, we’ll tell you whether a larger line or a 2 psi system makes more sense. We install the 2 psi regulators, and Enbridge upgrades the meter once the work passes inspection.
- Tested and permitted
- Every new line is pressure-tested before the gas goes on. ARC can pull all permits and call in inspections when needed.
- Bonding
- Flexible stainless gas piping (CSST, usually yellow) has to be bonded to your electrical ground. Home inspectors flag it when it isn’t. What that means.
- What it costs
- No price on this page, because a 6-foot dryer hookup and a 120-foot buried run to a pool heater are different jobs. You get a free in-home quote, in writing, before work starts. What moves the price.
What we hook up
Gas lines for the appliances people actually add
Most of our gas line work is one new appliance on a house that already has gas. Sometimes it’s a whole outdoor kitchen. Either way, we check what’s already on the meter first, because the new appliance shares the line with everything else.
Fire pits & fire tables
Patio fire pits and tables, usually on a buried poly run with a riser and shutoff at the pit.
Pool & spa heaters
The biggest load in most houses. Pool heaters often run 250,000–400,000 BTU. They’re usually the reason a line has to be upsized.
Ranges & cooktops
Switching from electric to gas, or adding a pro range. We run the line, set the shutoff, and connect it.
Wall ovens
Gas wall ovens on their own line or teed off the kitchen run, sized with the cooktop.
Fireplaces & gas logs
Gas logs, inserts and direct-vent units, with the key valve or shutoff where code wants it.
Clothes dryers
A short run in most homes. A gas dryer often makes sense once the line is already in the laundry room.
Water heaters
Tank gas water heaters, new installs or swaps from electric. Water heaters
Tankless water heaters
Tankless units often draw close to 200,000 BTU. Most existing ½″ lines can’t feed one. Tankless
Outdoor grills
Built-in and freestanding natural gas grills, on a buried poly run with a quick-disconnect where it fits.
On propane, or thinking about it?
Propane works differently from natural gas: the tank, the refills and the regulator on the tank belong to your propane company, so they’re the first call for a new tank, a tank set or an empty tank. These companies deliver propane in our area:
- L.G. Jordan Oil & Gas, Apex: 919-362-8388 · lgjordanoil.com. Wake, Harnett, Johnston, Chatham, Durham and nearby counties.
- Ferrellgas, Raleigh: 919-851-1262 · ferrellgas.com. Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Garner, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest and more.
- Suburban Propane, Rolesville: 919-556-3143 · suburbanpropane.com. Wake, Durham, Franklin and Granville counties.
- ThompsonGas, Knightdale: 919-365-0520 · thompsongas.com. Raleigh and eastern Wake County.
- AmeriGas, Garner: 800-263-7442 · amerigas.com. The Garner area.
Listed for convenience. ARC isn’t affiliated with these companies. Thinking about natural gas instead? Check whether Enbridge Gas serves your street.
BTU calculator
How much gas does your house need?
Tap each gas appliance you have or want, existing ones too, since they all share the meter. We fill in a typical BTU rating. Change it to the number on your rating plate if you have it. Then pick the distance from the gas meter to the farthest appliance.
Add an appliance
Your appliances (BTU per hour)
Total connected load
0 BTU/hr
≈ 0 cubic feet of gas per hour · ¾″ benchmark at 40 ft: 170 cu ft/hr
A planning estimate, not a pipe design. Typical BTU numbers vary by model. Use your rating plates. Final sizing follows the NC Fuel Gas Code on site, with the actual layout, every fitting and every appliance on the meter. Where the table comes from.
See the code table we benchmark against
| Length | ½″ | ¾″ (benchmark) | 1″ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | 172 | 360 | 678 |
| 20 ft | 118 | 247 | 466 |
| 30 ft | 95 | 199 | 374 |
| 40 ft | 81 | 170 | 320 |
| 50 ft | 72 | 151 | 284 |
| 60 ft | 65 | 137 | 257 |
| 80 ft | 56 | 117 | 220 |
| 100 ft | 50 | 104 | 195 |
| 150 ft | 40 | 83 | 157 |
| 200 ft | 34 | 71 | 134 |
Natural gas carries roughly 1,000 BTU per cubic foot, so 170 cu ft/hr is about 170,000 BTU/hr. One tankless water heater can take more than that by itself.
How we run it
Three kinds of pipe, each where it belongs
The right pipe depends on where the run goes: through the house, under the yard, or through finished walls and ceilings. Most jobs use two of the three.
Black iron
Schedule 40 steel pipe, threaded and sealed at every joint. It’s the standard for exposed runs, crawlspaces, basements and the connection at the meter. It’s tough, it lasts, and the code sizing tables are built around it.
- Exposed and interior runs
- The trunk line off the meter
- Risers and appliance drops
Poly (buried)
Yellow polyethylene gas pipe, for runs underground outside the house: fire pits, grills, pool heaters, a detached garage. Code keeps it outdoors and underground.10 It comes up out of the ground on an anodeless riser, and a tracer wire is buried with it so the line can be found later.
- Buried yard runs only
- Tracer wire with every run
- Anodeless risers at each end
TracPipe (flexible)
Corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) in a protective jacket. It snakes through finished walls, attics and joists with far fewer joints and far less drywall to open. Because it’s CSST, it has to be bonded to your electrical system. More on bonding.
- Retrofits in finished homes
- Long runs with lots of turns
- Bonded per the NC code
What every gas line job includes
Load and layout
We add up every appliance on the meter, measure the longest run, and size each section from the NC Fuel Gas Code tables.
Permit
ARC can pull all permits and call in inspections when needed.
The run
Black iron, poly or TracPipe, supported, protected and routed where the code allows.
Shutoff at the appliance
An accessible shutoff valve in the same room, within 6 feet of the appliance, plus a sediment trap (drip leg) where the appliance needs one.
Pressure test
Every new section is tested under pressure before it’s connected. The code minimum is 3 psi. Nothing gets gas until it holds.
Light-off and leak check
We purge the line, light the appliance, and leak-check every joint we made before we leave.
Adding a lot of load, or brand-new gas service? Enbridge Gas sets the meter and decides what pressure it delivers. We coordinate with them. New service in an existing home starts with Enbridge: check availability or call 1-877-584-7762.
Gas line bonding
Is your gas line bonded? Home inspectors are checking.
If your house has flexible yellow gas tubing (CSST) in the attic, crawlspace or behind the fireplace, it’s supposed to be bonded to your home’s electrical ground. A lot of it isn’t, especially where gas was added or changed over the years. Home inspectors now write it up regularly. It’s a small job, and it should be done.
Why it matters: lightning
CSST is thin-walled stainless tubing. When lightning hits the house or something nearby, the energy looks for a path to ground. Unbonded CSST can be that path. The current can arc through the tubing wall and start a gas leak or a fire.7 Bonding ties the gas piping to the same ground as the electrical system, so there’s much less voltage difference to arc across.6
What the NC code requires
- CSST has to be bonded to the home’s electrical grounding system (NC Fuel Gas Code 310.1.1).5
- The base code calls for a bonding jumper no smaller than 6 AWG copper, no longer than 75 feet, on a listed clamp.6
- The clamp goes on rigid pipe or a brass fitting, never on the corrugated tubing itself.8
- In North Carolina the bond doesn’t have to be where gas enters the house, but the 75-foot limit always applies.5
- NC allows an exception for some arc-resistant jacketed CSST, the black kind. We check which kind you have first.5
Does my house need it?
- Yellow flexible gas tubing anywhere? Look in the attic, crawlspace, basement, or behind the fireplace and water heater. If gas was installed or changed after 1990, CSST is likely.
- Look for the bond. A bonded system has a clamp on the gas pipe with a copper wire running toward the electrical panel or ground rod.
- Selling or buying? “CSST not bonded” on an inspection report is a quick fix.
- Only black iron? Rigid steel gas pipe counts as bonded through the appliances it connects to, as long as they’re grounded.6
The code doesn’t make older systems that were installed legally add the bond after the fact.5 We recommend it anyway. So do home inspectors and the tubing manufacturers.
Gas safety
If you smell gas: get out, then call
Natural gas has no smell of its own. The utility adds one, mercaptan, so a leak smells like rotten eggs or sulfur.2 If you smell it inside, don’t try to find it.
- Leave nowGet everyone out, pets too. Leave the door open behind you if you can do it safely.
- Don’t touch anythingNo light switches, phones, garage door openers or flashlights inside. No lighters, matches or starting cars nearby.
- Call from outsideOnce you’re a safe distance away, call 911 and Enbridge Gas.
- Stay outDon’t go back in until the fire department or Enbridge says it’s safe. If gas is burning, don’t try to put it out.
ARC Plumbing is not the first call for a gas leak. The utility and the fire department are. Once they’ve made it safe, a repair to the piping on your side of the meter needs a licensed contractor before the gas comes back on.1
Other signs of a gas leak
- A rotten-egg or sulfur smell
- Hissing, whistling or roaring near an appliance, the meter or a gas line
- Dead or discolored grass or plants along a buried line
- Bubbles in standing water or a wet area
Source: Enbridge Gas North Carolina.1
Carbon monoxide is a different danger
A CO alarm detects carbon monoxide from a burner that isn’t burning right. It does not detect a gas leak. Put CO alarms near bedrooms and on every level, and test them monthly. If one goes off, get outside, call 911, and stay out until a professional clears the house.4
Digging? Call 811 first
Planting a tree, setting fence posts, or digging for that fire pit? Call 811 or go to nc811.org at least three full working days before you dig. Marking utility lines is free.1
811 marks the utility’s lines. The gas piping past your meter, like a buried line to a grill, pool heater or detached garage, belongs to the property owner,2 and 811 may not mark it. That’s one reason we bury a tracer wire with every poly run.
About Enbridge Gas North Carolina
Enbridge Gas North Carolina is the natural gas utility for Wake County and the Triangle. It was formerly PSNC Energy, then Dominion Energy North Carolina, and Enbridge bought it in October 2024. It serves more than 675,000 customers across 28 North Carolina counties through roughly 13,800 miles of gas mains.9 The meter and everything on the street side are theirs. The piping after the meter is yours.
Your local fire department
In an emergency, always call 911. For a non-emergency question, like a faint smell outside that comes and goes, or how to get rid of an old gas grill, pick your town to see the fire department’s own number.
Numbers are from each town’s or county’s official website, checked October 2026. Rural addresses may be covered by a different station. Wake County Fire Services can tell you which: 919-856-6340.
What it costs
We don’t post a gas line price. Here’s what moves it.
A dryer line off a basement trunk and a buried run to a pool heater across the yard aren’t the same job. A number on a web page would be wrong for one of them. What you get instead is a free visit during business hours, a plumber who looks at your meter, your appliances and the route, and a written price before any work starts.
Makes it cost less
- Short run off an existing line
- Open crawlspace or unfinished basement
- Room to spare on the current pipe
- Appliance close to the meter
Makes it cost more
- Length of the run and how many turns
- Trenching for a buried poly line
- Finished walls and ceilings in the way
- A trunk line that has to be upsized
- Bonding, if the system needs it
Decided with Enbridge
- The 2 psi meter upgrade, after the line passes inspection
- A meter move or new gas service
- Their timing for the meter set
You should know why the pipe is the size it is.
Gas line jobs are easy to oversell and easy to undersize. We built ARC so the person at your meter has no reason to do either. Read the full ARC Promise.
- Our technicians aren’t paid based on how much you spend. If your current line can carry the new appliance, that’s what we’ll tell you.
- We don’t charge you just to give you a price. No trip charge, no estimate fee, no obligation.
- A quote shouldn’t come with a countdown clock. Think it over, compare it, call us when you’re ready.
- Ask why. If we can’t explain why we’re recommending something, we shouldn’t be recommending it.
From customers
What gas line customers say
★★★★★
"From the initial walkthrough to the final installation, Clay and Thomas exemplified professionalism, courtesy, and efficiency. They took the time to listen to my concerns and worked with me to find a solution for installing my gas line with minimal impact on my home's structure. Thanks to their expertise, I now have a perfectly functioning gas cooktop and fireplace. I highly recommend ARC Plumbing for anyone in need of top-notch plumbing services!"
★★★★★
"Having a pool installed and Bradly & Clay from ARC Plumbing came by to run the gas line plumbing. They were GREAT! They took the time to answer all of our questions, worked hard the entire time that they were here and were courteous and professional. We would highly recommend them!!"
★★★★★
"I had ARC Plumbing and Electric both here for natural gas and electric hook ups for my backup generator. They were on time, did excellent work and were finished earlier than expected."
★★★★★
"Came out to provide an estimate on a gas grill connection and was able to do the work in the same visit. Very professional and explained everything involved. I would highly recommend this company."
★★★★★
"Had a gas line moved. It was done quickly and at a reasonable price. This is not the first time we've used ARC and it won't be the last."
From ARC Plumbing's 402 Google reviews (5.0★ average).
Questions we get
Gas line questions
I'm on propane. Who do I call?
Your propane company. The tank, the refills and the regulator on the tank are theirs, so they're the first call for a new tank, a tank set or a refill. Not set up with one? This page lists propane companies that deliver in Wake County and nearby. If you're thinking about switching to natural gas, Enbridge Gas North Carolina can tell you whether gas is available at your address.
How many BTUs can my gas line handle?
It depends on the pipe size, the material and the length of the run. By the NC Fuel Gas Code table, a 3/4-inch black iron line at standard pressure carries about 170,000 BTU per hour at 40 feet and about 104,000 at 100 feet. Add up every gas appliance on the meter, including the ones you already have, and compare. The calculator on this page does that math for you.
When do I need a high-pressure gas meter?
When the total load is more than a 3/4-inch line can carry over your longest run, the choices are a larger standard-pressure line or a 2 psi (elevated-pressure) system. ARC installs the line and the regulators that step the pressure back down for the appliances; once the work passes inspection, Enbridge upgrades the gas meter. Big loads like pool heaters and tankless water heaters are the usual reason. We compare both options on the free in-home quote.
What kind of pipe do you use for gas lines?
Black iron (Schedule 40 steel) for exposed and interior runs and the trunk off the meter, polyethylene (poly) for buried runs in the yard with a tracer wire and anodeless risers, and TracPipe flexible stainless tubing for runs through finished walls and ceilings. Most jobs use two of the three.
Does my gas line need to be bonded?
If your home has CSST, the flexible stainless gas tubing that is usually yellow, the North Carolina Fuel Gas Code requires it to be bonded to the home's electrical grounding system. The bond protects against arcing from lightning. The requirement isn't retroactive for older systems that were installed legally, but home inspectors flag unbonded CSST and we recommend bonding it. Bonding is electrical work. Our sister company ARC Electric does it.
Do I need a permit to add a gas line?
New gas piping is permitted and inspected work. ARC can pull all permits and call in inspections when needed, and every new line is pressure-tested before the gas is turned on.
What should I do if I smell gas?
Leave the house right away and take everyone with you. Don't use light switches, phones, garage door openers or anything that could make a spark inside. Once you're a safe distance away, call 911 and Enbridge Gas North Carolina at 1-877-776-2427, which answers 24 hours a day. Don't go back in until the fire department or Enbridge says it's safe.
Who is responsible for the gas line after the meter?
The property owner. Enbridge owns and maintains the meter and everything on the street side of it. The piping from the meter to your appliances, including buried lines to a grill, fire pit or pool heater, is yours to maintain, and 811 may not mark it.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from
- Enbridge Gas North Carolina. Report a gas emergency: leave immediately and call 911 and Enbridge from a safe location; emergency line 1-877-776-2427; signs of a leak; call NC811 at least three business days before digging.
- Enbridge Gas. Smell gas? (mercaptan, the rotten-egg odor; what not to do) and Safety: property owners are responsible for maintaining the natural gas piping from the meter.
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal. Codes: current and past: the 2018 NC Fuel Gas Code (based on the 2015 International Fuel Gas Code) is in effect. Pipe capacities are from its Table 402.4(2): Schedule 40 metallic pipe, natural gas, inlet pressure under 2 psi, 0.5 in. w.c. pressure drop, 0.60 specific gravity. Test pressure (406.4), sediment traps (408.4) and appliance shutoff valves (409.5) are from the same code.
- Enbridge Gas. Carbon monoxide: CO alarms detect carbon monoxide, not natural gas leaks; placement and monthly testing.
- NC Office of State Fire Marshal, Engineering Division. 310.1.1 CSST bonding requirements for contractors and code officials (August 2019): the bond need not be where gas enters the building; 75-foot maximum; NC exception for arc-resistant CSST; not retroactive for lawfully installed systems.
- International Code Council. CodeNotes: 2015 IFGC: CSST bonded to the electrical service grounding electrode system with a 6 AWG copper (or equivalent) conductor, 75 feet maximum, listed clamp; bonding creates an equipotential condition that reduces arcing. Other above-ground gas piping is considered bonded when connected to grounded appliances (IFGC 310.1).
- National Association of State Fire Marshals yellow-CSST safety campaign, as reported by Contractor magazine (July 2012): direct or nearby lightning can perforate CSST and ignite escaping gas.
- OmegaFlex, TracPipe / CounterStrike flexible gas piping (manufacturer information): the corrugated tubing must not be used as the bonding attachment point; the clamp goes on a brass fitting or rigid pipe.
- Enbridge. Gas distribution and storage: Enbridge Gas North Carolina serves more than 675,000 customers in 28 counties with about 13,843 miles of mains. The acquisition from Dominion Energy closed October 1, 2024 (Pipeline & Gas Journal).
- International Code Council. CodeNotes: underground gas piping system requirements: plastic gas pipe outdoors and underground only, with a tracer wire (18 AWG minimum) and anodeless risers.
Tell us what you’re hooking up. We’ll size the line.
Fire pit, pool heater, range or tankless: the first visit is free during business hours. We check what’s on your meter, measure the run, and put the price in writing. Already have a quote? We’ll give you a free second opinion.
Where we run gas lines
Homes and businesses with natural gas service across Wake County, from our shop at 2406 Waco Commercial Ct in Fuquay-Varina: Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Morrisville, Wake Forest and Knightdale. We also cover Clayton, Angier, Lillington, the City of Durham and the Town of Chapel Hill.
Not sure we cover you? See the full service area or call with your address. Related: tankless water heaters · water heaters · commercial plumbing · 24-hour emergency plumbing · all plumbing services.
ARC Plumbing · 2406 Waco Commercial Ct, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 · NC Plumbing Contractor License #36473 · About ARC · Our Signature Work · Page updated October 2026