I live in a townhouse. My electric range died, so I'm looking to replaec it with a gas stove. But how do I know if the house is already set up with the required pipes, etc.?

I suspect that I do have at least the gas tank and some pipes, because I have a gas fireplace. But I'm not sure where the gas tank is, and that's in the living room.

I've heard that I will need at least the pipes (to go all the way into the kitchen), and then an extension to plug it into my stove. But is this feasible for a ten-year old house? Is this going to be expensive?

  • A lot will depend on the construction of the house. Can you give more details on your location and what you know about how the house is built. – ChrisF Dec 26 '11 at 20:54

Any house can be equipted to run a gas stove. Some houses have gas service from the utility, others have on-site tanks.

If you already have gas service or some type of gas distribution in your house, then you can add a stove by having a licensed contractor run a line to your kitchen. The process is similar to running new pipes or electrical circuits. It is easier to do if the area under your kitchen is not finished, otherwise expect a lot of holes. The cost will depend on the distance from the gas main and the complexity of the run.

Cost will also depend on where you live. Just for an example, in Toronto, ON, Canada, it cost me $700 CAD to add hook-ups for my BBQ and stove. The BBQ run was outside while the stove run was done in my unfinished basement.

Make sure you contact a licensed installer/contractor. Don't mess with gas yourself.


Since you already have a gas fireplace (natural gas or propane) then that means you have some kind of gas service. It is entirely possible to have a gas range. As Steven says in previous answer, the cost is going to vary depending on the path the contractor has to take to run a line to the range location. If the gas service in in an unfinished basement or accessible through en exterior wall, then the install should not be all that expensive. With the amount of info you have supplied, it is impossible to answer with more detail. But DO NOT attempt to do this yourself, get a quote from a licensed gas contractor. Good Luck.


The other answers say don't do this yourself, but that is not necessarily good advice. Different jurisdictions have different rules.

In mine, it is okay to install gas lines yourself provided a mechanical building permit is issued and inspections are done and passed. For installing a gas fireplace insert, water heater, and gas stove, I explain my saga here and here.

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