Gas Line Services in Boulder, CO

Things that point to a gas piping problem

• A sulfur smell near the furnace closet, kitchen or laundry. Leave and call from outside.
• A faint whistle from a valve, union or appliance connection
• Range flames that look ragged and yellow rather than steady and blue
• Soot collecting at a water heater draft hood
• A higher gas bill in a month when nothing about the household changed

Apart from the odor, these warrant a scheduled check rather than an evacuation.

Boulder specifics

The City of Boulder lists Xcel Energy as the gas utility. Permits run through Planning & Development Services on Arapahoe Avenue, where plumbing and mechanical work, furnaces and water heaters included, are handled as single-trade permits. The city exempts some minor fixes such as clearing a stoppage or repairing a small leak, but adding or altering gas piping is a different matter, so expect a permit and inspection for new branches.

The housing ranges from older homes around Chautauqua and near the University of Colorado campus to later neighborhoods on the edges of town. Older houses often have gas lines that were extended piece by piece as ranges and dryers moved, while remodels may have added flexible tubing tied into original iron pipe. Those transitions are worth checking whenever a plumber is already working on the system. Dry Front Range air does not hurt gas piping, but big temperature swings and long heating seasons mean furnaces and water heaters run hard for much of the year.

What affects the cost

• The length and route of the run, especially through finished walls
• Whether the main line from the meter can carry another appliance
• Number of new shutoff valves, connectors and fittings
• Patching or access work in older plaster or tight crawl spaces
• Permit, pressure test and city inspection time

How the call goes

The number on this page puts you in touch with an independent plumber who works on gas piping around Boulder. Describe the appliance, where it will go and roughly how old the house is. If the address is outside city limits in unincorporated Boulder County, say so, since permits there come from the county rather than the city.

Before the visit, clear a path to the meter and to the appliance, and find the main gas shutoff so you know where it is. If an appliance is being replaced at the same time, have the new unit's spec sheet available.