A rotten-egg smell, a hissing line, or a failed appliance connector — we locate the leak, repair black iron and CSST, pressure-test, and pull the permit, 24/7.
A gas emergency is the one plumbing call where the first step is to leave. If you smell the rotten-egg odorant (mercaptan) NW Natural adds to the gas, get everyone outside, leave the door open, don’t flip a switch or light, and call NW Natural’s emergency line at 800-882-3377 from outside. Once the utility has the meter safe, we handle the repair on the house side of the meter.
Portland’s gas piping is mostly threaded black iron with CSST in newer and remodeled homes and polyethylene underground. Leaks show up at corroded threaded joints, at failed flexible appliance connectors, and where CSST was never properly bonded. We locate it, repair it, and pressure-test the system before signing off.
Call (971) 293-4200Supply piping, appliance connectors, and the meter-to-house run — leak-tested before we leave.
Electronic sniffers and a soap test pinpoint the leak at joints, valves, and connectors before any repair.
Corroded or leaking threaded black-iron supply piping sectioned out and re-cut to the 2023 Oregon code.
Corrugated stainless (CSST) repairs with the code-required bonding that protects against a lightning arc-through.
Failed range, dryer, water-heater, and furnace flex connectors and shut-off valves replaced.
Polyethylene yard lines to a garage, shop, fire pit, or generator located, repaired, or replaced.
Seismic gas shut-off valve installation — sensible insurance in Cascadia subduction-zone Portland.
| Cause | What happens — and the fix |
|---|---|
| Corroded black iron | Threaded joints rust over decades, especially in damp crawlspaces and where pipe meets a concrete slab. Fix: section out and re-thread to code. |
| Failed appliance connectors | Old brass flex connectors crack and leak behind ranges and dryers — a frequent, easily-missed source. |
| Unbonded CSST | Corrugated stainless tubing that was never bonded can be punctured by a nearby lightning strike; bonding is now code. |
| Damaged underground PE | A shovel, fence post, or auger nicks a buried polyethylene yard line — located and repaired without trenching the whole run. |
| Over-pressure or bad regulator | A failed regulator or over-pressurized line stresses every joint; we pressure-test to find the weak point. |
Live answer, dispatch, on-site quote, fix — here's the order.
You call (971) 293-4200 and a real dispatcher answers, confirms your address, and triages the emergency.
We dispatch the closest stocked truck and quote a realistic ETA before hanging up — usually 20-60 min.
On-site written estimate, then the fix — most first-visit complete, with any required Portland BDS permit pulled.
A few steps that limit the damage while your plumber is en route.
Natural gas in Portland is delivered by NW Natural, and the responsibility line matters: the utility owns and maintains the service line up to and including the meter, while everything on the house side — the supply piping, appliance connectors, and any underground line to a detached garage or shop — is the homeowner’s, and that’s the work we do. When you report a leak, NW Natural will come make the meter safe; restoring gas to a code-compliant system is a licensed plumber’s job.
Most Portland homes are piped in threaded black iron, which corrodes slowest in dry runs and fastest in damp crawlspaces and at slab penetrations. Remodels and newer construction use CSST (corrugated stainless steel tubing), which installs faster but must be bonded to the electrical grounding system to prevent a lightning-induced arc puncture — a detail older or DIY installs often miss. Buried lines to a garage, generator, or fire feature are polyethylene, vulnerable to a careless shovel or post hole.
Every gas-piping repair or alteration in Portland requires a permit through Oregon ePermitting and must pass a pressure test and inspection under the 2023 Oregon Plumbing and Mechanical Specialty Codes — there is no “minor repair” shortcut for fuel gas. We pull the permit, repair to code, pressure-test the system, and coordinate the inspection. Because Portland sits in the Cascadia subduction zone, we also install seismic shut-off valves that automatically stop gas flow during major shaking, a low-cost safeguard against post-quake fires.
Licensed Oregon plumbers, fully insured with workers’ comp on every job.
General liability and workers' comp with property-damage coverage on every job. COI on file for landlords.
Pricing on-site before any work. If the diagnosis shifts once we open things up, we stop and re-quote.
Common parts, fittings, and units on every truck — first-visit completion on the majority of calls.
We dispatch 24/7 across all Portland quadrants with live answer and an upfront written estimate.
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