What happens if I dig into the buried gas line for my fire pit while landscaping later — and how do I protect or mark it?

If you hit it

If a shovel, auger, or tiller nicks a gas line, you'll usually hear hissing or smell gas. Treat it seriously: get everyone away from the area, don't flip any switches, don't start a vehicle or mower, and don't try to fix it yourself. From a safe distance, call 911 and call us at (828) 545-0525.

The same rule holds for a small scrape you think you sealed — a compromised line needs a licensed contractor to inspect and pressure-test before it's used again.

How we protect it when we install

A properly run outdoor line is built to be found and left alone. We use outdoor-rated pipe buried at the correct depth, run tracer wire alongside it so a locator can pick it up, and lay warning tape above it as a shovel-stopper. Where the line crosses under a patio slab or driveway, we sleeve it. And we add a dedicated shutoff so the feed can be isolated in seconds.

On our rocky, root-bound mountain lots we route carefully around obstacles, and we'll give you a sense of where the line runs so you're not guessing later.

Before you dig again

The habit that prevents almost every strike is free: call 811 a few business days before any digging — new beds, a fence, a tree, a pool — and a locator will mark the utilities, including your gas line, at no charge. Keep our as-built or a photo of the run, and mark your bed edges so a crew knows where not to trench. Call (828) 545-0525 with any questions on your line.