Published: March 2, 2026 | Reading time: 8 minutes
If you smell gas right now, stop reading and leave the building. Take everyone with you, do not touch any switches, and call us from outside on (770) 285-5619. Call 911 or Atlanta Gas Light as well if the smell is strong. Everything below assumes you are already safe.
What to Do the Moment You Smell Gas
Natural gas is odourless by nature. Utilities add mercaptan, the sulphur compound that smells like rotten eggs, specifically so leaks are detectable. If you can smell it, treat it as real.
Immediate Safety Steps
- Leave the building. Take everyone, including pets, and go outside and upwind.
- Do not touch any electrical switch. Not lights, not appliances, not the garage door. A switch arc can ignite an accumulated gas pocket.
- Do not use a phone indoors. Call from outside once you are clear of the building.
- Do not light anything. No matches, lighters, or candles, and no vehicle starting in an attached garage.
- Leave doors open as you exit if you can do so without delay, to help the space ventilate.
- Do not go back in to check anything until a professional confirms it is safe.
Once outside, call us on (770) 285-5619 for emergency gas leak repair. If the smell is strong, or you hear hissing, call 911 and Atlanta Gas Light first.
Signs of a Gas Leak Beyond the Smell
Not every leak produces a smell strong enough to notice, particularly small outdoor leaks or ones in a well ventilated space.
- A hissing or whistling sound near a gas line, meter, or appliance
- Dead or discoloured vegetation in a patch above a buried gas line
- Bubbles appearing in standing water over a buried line
- A gas bill higher than usual with no change in usage
- Physical symptoms that improve when you leave the house: headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue
- A pilot light that repeatedly goes out
- Soot or yellow rather than blue flames on gas appliances
Physical symptoms that ease when you leave and return when you come back are a serious warning sign, and they can also indicate carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion rather than a raw gas leak. Both warrant immediate professional attention.
Where Gas Leaks Happen in Local Homes
Most of the leaks we find in Lawrenceville and across Gwinnett County fall into a handful of categories.
Appliance Connectors
Flexible connectors behind ranges, dryers, and water heaters are the single most common source. They loosen with appliance movement and degrade with age. Older uncoated brass connectors in particular are a known failure risk and should be replaced on sight.
Corroded Exterior Lines
Buried and exterior gas piping corrodes over decades, especially where it enters the ground. Georgia's damp red clay accelerates this at the soil line, which is exactly where the pipe is hardest to inspect.
Improperly Sized or Modified Lines
Gas work carried out during a past renovation by someone unlicensed is a recurring theme. Undersized lines, unsupported runs, and missing sediment traps all show up in our pressure testing.
Water Heater and Furnace Connections
Connections at water heaters loosen over years of thermal cycling. This is also why a tankless conversion needs the gas line properly resized rather than reused as is.
Why This Is Licensed Work Only
Gas line work in Georgia legally requires a licensed plumber. This is not a formality or an upsell.
Unlicensed gas work can void your homeowner insurance entirely, fail inspection at resale, and create a genuine risk of fire or explosion. A handyman who is competent with a wrench is not qualified to pressure test a gas system or determine correct line sizing. We are licensed and insured for gas work throughout Gwinnett County. Our guide on licensed versus unlicensed plumbers in Georgia covers why this matters more here than for almost any other trade task.
How Professional Detection Works
Once the property is safe, finding the leak is a methodical process rather than sniffing around.
- Pressure testing isolates sections of the system and monitors for pressure loss, confirming whether a leak exists and roughly where
- Electronic gas detectors identify concentrations far below what a person can smell
- Soap solution testing pinpoints the exact joint or fitting once the section is narrowed
- Visual inspection of connectors, unions, and the meter assembly for corrosion or damage
Once located, we repair or replace the failed section, then re-test the whole system before restoring supply. We do not restore gas to a system that has not passed a test.
What Gas Leak Repair Costs
Most gas repairs are far less expensive than homeowners expect, because the common failures are connectors and fittings rather than whole lines.
Typical Gas Work Costs in Lawrenceville, GA
- Gas leak detection and pressure test: $150 to $400
- Appliance connector replacement: $150 to $350
- Fitting or union repair: $200 to $500
- Section of gas line replacement: $500 to $1,500
- New appliance gas line run: $400 to $1,200
- Gas line resizing for a tankless conversion: $800 to $2,000
Gas Services Across Gwinnett County
We handle emergency gas leak response, appliance line installation, and tankless conversion gas resizing across Snellville, Suwanee, Duluth, Dacula, Grayson, Lilburn, and Buford as well as Lawrenceville.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if I smell gas?
Leave the building immediately with everyone inside, without touching any electrical switch or using a phone indoors. Go outside and upwind, then call (770) 285-5619 from outside. If the smell is strong or you hear hissing, call 911 and Atlanta Gas Light first. Do not go back inside until a professional confirms it is safe.
Why should I never flip a light switch during a suspected gas leak?
The small electrical arc created inside a switch as it operates is enough to ignite accumulated natural gas. That applies to any switch: lights, appliances, garage door openers, and thermostats. It is also why you should not use a phone inside the building.
How much does gas leak repair cost in Lawrenceville GA?
Detection and pressure testing typically runs $150 to $400. Most repairs are connector or fitting replacements at $150 to $500. Replacing a section of gas line generally runs $500 to $1,500. Costs are lower than most people expect because the common failures are fittings rather than whole lines.
Can a handyman repair a gas leak in Georgia?
No. Gas line work in Georgia legally requires a licensed plumber. Unlicensed gas work can void your homeowner insurance, fail inspection at resale, and create a real fire and explosion risk. Always verify the licence before anyone touches a gas line.
What is the most common source of a gas leak in a home?
Flexible appliance connectors behind ranges, dryers, and water heaters, by a wide margin. They loosen as appliances are moved and degrade with age. Older uncoated brass connectors are a recognised failure risk and should be replaced whenever found.
Can a gas leak make me feel unwell?
Yes. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue that improve when you leave the house and return when you come back are warning signs. Those symptoms can indicate raw gas exposure or carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion. Both require leaving the building and calling a professional immediately.