Converting An Electric Stove to Gas: Costs & Requirements

The newest trend in home appliances is the gas stove.

Electric stoves also remain quite popular, but many people want to make the switch to see how their home might fare with a gas stove rather than the traditional electric one. This leaves many wanting to convert their electric stove to gas, but they have questions about the cost and requirements for doing so. Fortunately, we have the answers for them. 

hand turning on the gas stove
How much does it cost to convert from an Electric to Gas stove?

The relative cost of a converting an electric stove to gas is going to range from $125 to $2,000 depending on many factors (which we will get into). You’ll need an electrician to do it, including changing the socket voltage from 240 volts to 110. Homeowners should budget for the particular situation that applies to them and their home. 

Gas Stoves Require Both Gas And Electricity 

What some don’t realize is that a gas stove will still require a constant supply of both electricity and gas to the stove to make it work. This means that it is a necessity to hire an electrician to help do the conversion. This will factor into the overall cost of what one pays for this project. 

The job of the electrician is to change the electrical outlet that powers the stove from a 240-volt to a 110-volt outlet. Electric stoves require a stronger voltage to operate properly, but a gas stove will only require a 110-volt supply. Assuming that a gas line is already available for the stove, then the job is nearly done. The electrician would just need to change those outlets and install the gas line to make the stove gas powered instead of electric. This is the ideal scenario for the home owner because it is the least expensive option on the board. If this is the way things work out, then the homeowner is likely to only pay a service call charge of around $125 for the entire project. 

There is another scenario that could be relevant here and is still rather affordable. That would be if the capped gas line exists but is not long enough to reach over to the stove as required. Expending a gas line is a possibility, but you are looking at about $200 extra for a ten-foot extension of that line. That, on top of the service call charge, has the project landing at about $325. Still, this is very reasonable for a stove conversion project. 

Adding A Capped Gas Line

The process of adding a capped gas line is necessary if you are lacking one in your home right now. The line needs to be added for you to even have the ability to get a gas stove operating in your home at all, but you should know that it will typically run between $350 to $400 to get one installed. The cost of the material for the line itself is not where a lot of the expense lies. Rather, it comes down to the cost of the installation. It is not easy or cheap to get this work done. 

As far as home projects are concerned, installing a gas line is one of the more labor intensive and potentially dangerous jobs that one can take on. In fact, while it is technically possible for an individual to install their own gas line, it is highly recommended that they do not. There is so much danger to making even a simple mistake in this process. If one makes even a tiny error, it could result in a gas fire or even an explosion that causes massive property damage or even bodily injury to someone in the house. It is not worth the risk, and most people are smart enough to recognize this for themselves. They know that paying a few hundred dollars may hurt their wallet right now, but it is a much better outcome than ending up with massive property damage for just trying to save a few bucks. 

Adding New Gas Installations To A House

It is far from cheap to add entire new gas installations to a home. This is the most expensive scenario that we will review when looking at how one might go about converting an electric stove to gas. The reality is that if one’s only purpose in hiring a contractor to do work on their is to convert their stove and they don’t currently have any gas hookup options, they are probably best forgoing this idea. 

Getting brand-new gas lines installed in a home that currently has none can cost around $2,000 (and sometimes more) to make happen. The reason for the big jump in expected costs here is due in large part to the fact that everything has to be done from scratch. Every element of the gas installation process must be considered, including: 

hand installing a pipe
Getting gas lines installed can cause up to $2000.
  • Parts And Materials – None of the parts involved are cheap. They range from $0.50 to $8 per linear foot for the underground piping options required to make a gas installation happen properly. There are many feet of this material needed.
  • Labor – Safety and proper installation are top priorities on any gas installation project, and that is why the labor cost can run so high. Professionals are required, and their services are in high demand. It is challenging to make the case that you can merely do this work on your own because you likely do not have the skills or experience necessary to safely install a gas line. The risks are too high, so you need to accept the labor charges and pay up. They can range from $50 to $150 per hour. 
  • Regulatory Concerns – Some jurisdictions have strict regulatory standards that must be met before any home project may move forward. A contractor who has to contend with this on top of everything else they are doing will add costs to the bottom line. The reality is that it is not cheap to handle all of the paperwork that tight regulations require. It takes time and energy that could be spent working on other projects. As such, that time and effort must be incorporated into the final bill presented to the customer. 
  • Value Added – It is known that gas appliances lower one’s utility bills and add value as a result. Thus, the cost of making this happen always keeps this fact in mind. Contractors understand that they are doing a great service for their customers, and they expect to be paid for that added value.  

Is A Gas Stove Preferable To An Electric Stove? 

Making the switch from an electric stove to agas stove is not merely a matter of personal choice or preference, but will result in a change in one’s utility bills as well. Part of the reason for the spike in popularity of gas stoves is because they provide a reliable stove experience with less cost than an electric stove. This makes sense when you consider the much greater pull on electricity required to operate an electric stove. This has held true for a long time, but changes in the price of gas recently have chipped away at some of the increased value that consumers used to enjoy from their gas stoves. 

It is very difficult to try to predict the price of any commodity into the future, but those who follow these types of things, such as the experts over at Kiplinger state that they believe that gas prices may have peaked for the time being. This is good news for gas stove owners as they are beginning to see the cost of operating their gas stove mirror that of operating an electric one. Much of the value had been zapped away, and it left consumers wondering why they converted to gas in the first place. 

Can You Convert Back?

If you are unhappy with your gas stove, it is a simple fix to convert it back to an electric stove. You will once again call out the professionals to make the switch back, but you should rest assured that you can convert it back for a fee if you decide that is the way you want to go. Since you have all of the necessary parts from the initial switch, it is a much easier project to handle to convert back to an electric stove.

The service fee for the professional coming out and the minimal amount of labor required should be all that you pay to change things back if you are unhappy with it. Make sure that this is really the decision you want to make as it will likely cost you around $125 to $200 for the service call to make the change. You don’t want to keep going back and forth paying for excessive service calls unnecessarily. 

I've been helping homeowners with appliance repair since 2016. Starting out as an enthusiastic amateur, I've since worked with many Appliance, HVAC, and DIY experts over the last 7+ years. My mission is to help fix your appliances and prevent future issues - saving you stress, time, and money. Visit my author page to learn more! Read more
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