Do you need a permit to add a gas line in Chandler?

The Gas Permits page of the Homeowner Building Permit Manual (Rev. 4/09/26) opens with the trigger: "When adding a gas line inside the residence, or attaching to an existing gas stub out, you will need to:" and then lists what goes on the plans.

For that job, the first item reads: "Provide a gas riser schematic that shows the length of all sections of the gas line, starting at the gas meter." The same item adds: "Show all existing appliances, as well as any proposed additions." You also provide the total BTU rating of each appliance, each line size and each line type.

For a new line run from the meter, the list repeats those items and adds one more: the trench depth or burial depth, with the pipe at 12 inches below grade minimum.

The manual also covers how the line is built:

• Pressure test. The manual says: "Tests of systems shall be performed at no less than 1-1/2 times the proposed maximum working pressure, but no less than 3 psig." The test runs at least 10 minutes, through the open valve and flex line, with the flex line capped at the appliance.
• Plastic pipe. Heat fusion PE pipe needs a minimum 8, 12 or 18-inch deep trench depending on the situation, plus a continuous insulated 18-gauge copper tracer wire. "PE is not allowed for use beneath any building slab or structure."
• Buried metal pipe. It must have factory-applied coating and be schedule 40 minimum weight. "Galvanized fittings or piping are prohibited in underground gas systems."

The code behind all of this is City Code 29-7: "The City Council of Chandler adopts by reference the International Fuel Gas Code, 2024 edition". Chandler deletes the IFGC's Chapter 1 and uses the 2024 International Building Code's Chapter 1 administration instead. The adopting ordinance, No. 5108, took effect July 1, 2025.

• Gas riser schematic: a line drawing of the gas piping from the meter to every appliance. The manual lists what it must show (lengths, appliances, BTU ratings, line sizes, line types); it does not define the term.
• Gas stub out: the manual does not define it; the usual reading is a capped pipe end left for a future appliance. Tying into one is on the manual's gas permit list.
• BTU rating: the appliance's gas input. The manual asks for the total BTU rating of each appliance but does not define the term.
• psig: pounds per square inch, gauge.

It covers anyone adding gas piping to a Chandler home, natural gas or propane. The manual says "Most residential systems (including propane) will be at 3 psig unless you have a high-pressure system above 2.0 psi."

The manual's rule on who does the work: "Any construction requiring a permit also requires that a licensed contractor do the work unless the owner-applicant performs the work." It adds: "If you own a home that you lease or rent to others, a licensed contractor is required to obtain a permit." The details are on our page on who can pull a Chandler plumbing permit.

This does not apply to a like-for-like appliance swap on the existing line. City Code 29-6.7 adds gas items to the IRC's list of work exempt from permit, including "Replacement of gas air-conditioning equipment, direct vent equipment, furnaces, and log lighters where the replacement equipment is of equal or lesser BTU capacity and is placed in the same location as existing equipment." Pool and spa heaters get the same treatment. Water heaters are covered on our Chandler water heater replacement permit page.

On repairs, the manual's exempt list says ordinary repairs "shall not include addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation of any standpipe" or other piping, and gas piping is named in that list.

The kitchen conversion. A Chandler family swaps an electric range for a gas one, which needs a new branch off the existing gas line. The plans show the whole system from the meter: the water heater and furnace already on it, the new range, each one's BTU rating, and each pipe's size and type.

The backyard grill. An owner wants a new line from the meter to a built-in grill. On top of the schematic, the plans give the trench depth, at 12 inches below grade minimum. If the line is PE plastic, it gets tracer wire, and it cannot pass under the house slab.

The furnace swap. A gas furnace dies and the replacement has the same BTU input and goes in the same closet. City Code 29-6.7 exempts it, so no gas permit.

The edge case: the swap that grows. The same homeowner decides to add a gas dryer while the furnace is being replaced. The furnace alone was exempt. The new dryer branch is an added gas line, so the job now needs a permit and a riser schematic.

1. 1Draw the riser schematic: every section's length from the meter, every existing and new appliance with its BTU rating, and each line's size and type. Add burial depth for any new line from the meter.
2. 2Decide who files. An owner-occupant can apply and do the work; a rental home needs a licensed contractor to pull the permit.
3. 3Apply through the city's CLICS portal (developmentpermits.chandleraz.gov/clics) or at the Development Services counter, 215 E. Buffalo St. (480-782-3000). If you are unsure whether a job needs a permit, the manual points to the Plan Reviewer of the Day at 480-782-3078 or prod@chandleraz.gov.
4. 4Pay the fee. The Fee Schedule (4.6.4) lists $100.00 for miscellaneous minor residential work covering 1 to 6 gas outlets. The manual says the minimum permit fee is $60.00, based on a valuation of $500.00 or less.
5. 5Book inspections at least one business day ahead by CLICS, by phone at 480-782-3100, or by text to 844-281-3520. Chandler's gas codes are 729 U/G Gas, 735 Rough Gas Piping Test, 736 Final Gas Piping Test and 746 Gas Final. Our Chandler plumbing inspections list walks through the rest.

If you are not doing it yourself as the owner, a licensed plumber handles the drawing, the permit and the pressure test. HQ's licensed and insured plumbers do gas line work in Chandler.

• Only a licensed plumber can pull a gas permit. Not so. Chandler's manual lets the owner-applicant do permitted work on their own home. A rental home is different: a licensed contractor must obtain the permit.
• Drawing just the new line is enough. It is not. The schematic starts at the meter and shows all existing appliances, as well as any proposed additions.
• Plastic gas pipe can run under the slab. No. The manual says PE is not allowed beneath any building slab or structure.
• A pipe repair is exempt. Not for gas piping. The manual's ordinary repairs do not include replacing or relocating gas piping.
• Skipping the permit just means paying it later. The manual says "Permit fees are doubled for building without a permit," and the city can order non-compliant work removed at the homeowner's cost.

This page explains Chandler's published gas permit rules as checked on the date above; the city's adopted code and the Development Services counter govern any specific job.