Smell gas? Get out, then call 911 and Atmos.
Leave the house without flipping switches, using a phone or opening the garage door. When you’re a safe distance away, call 911 and Atmos Energy at 866-322-8667, 24 hours a day. Atmos inspects the leak without charge and shuts off the meter if the leak is past it. Then call us at (682) 284-0966.
Fort Worth was the birthplace of Texas’s long-distance gas pipelines. Lone Star Gas incorporated in Fort Worth in 1909 and in 1910 finished a pipeline from the Petrolia field in Clay County, the first long natural gas line in the state. Its 1929 Lone Star Gas Company Building still stands downtown. A century later, Fort Worth’s gas piping spans every era: the city grew from 177,662 residents in 1940 to 278,778 in 1950 and from 447,619 in 1990 to 918,915 in 2020.
Adding a gas line for a grill, pool heater or generator? See our gas line services. For other plumbing, see plumbing services in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth’s housing: a split between old and new
U.S. Census (American Community Survey 2020–2024) data counts about 374,000 homes in Fort Worth, and the median dates from 1994. The split is wide: about 34% were built before 1980, while about 44% date from 2000 or later. About 65% are single-family detached houses, and about 30% of occupied homes heat with utility gas. Many others still use gas for water heaters, ranges, dryers or outdoor appliances.
Fort Worth gas piping by era
Historic neighborhoods
About 10% of homes, in areas like Fairmount, Mistletoe Heights, the North Side and Arlington Heights, which developed after Camp Bowie closed in 1919. Gas piping has usually been added to and rerouted many times.
Postwar south and east
About 24% of homes. Fort Worth added 100,000 residents in the 1940s, and new neighborhoods grew on the south and east sides. Buried steel yard lines from this period are 45 to 75 years old.
Steady growth
About 23% of homes. Alliance Airport opened in 1989 and growth turned north along I-35W. Steel pipe was still common; CSST came into use in 1990.
Far north and southwest
About 44% of homes, as the city added nearly 400,000 residents from 2000 to 2020. CSST is common in these houses, and it must be bonded.
Where Atmos’s responsibility ends in Fort Worth
Atmos Energy serves Fort Worth. The main, service line and meter are Atmos’s. The property owner owns the piping downstream of the meter: the yard line, everything inside, and any line to a detached garage, workshop, pool heater, grill or generator.
- Older yard lines. Under federal rule 49 CFR 192.16, Atmos tells customers to have buried piping checked periodically for leaks and corrosion. That matters most in Fort Worth’s pre-1980 neighborhoods.
- Added appliances. Lines run later for outdoor kitchens or generators are customer piping too.
- 811 doesn’t mark private lines. Have your own buried gas lines located before you dig.
Signs of a gas leak
- A rotten-egg smell inside or outdoors. Atmos notes the odor can fade as gas passes through soil.
- A hissing or whistling sound near a meter, a joint or an appliance.
- A line of dead grass or plants, bubbling puddles, or soil blowing up from the ground.
- Burners that are weak or slow to light.
- A gas bill that climbs while your use stays the same.
A carbon monoxide alarm can’t detect natural gas. It senses CO from burning fuel. If it goes off, get out and call 911.
How a Fort Worth gas leak repair works
Atmos responds
Atmos checks the leak and turns off the meter if it’s in your piping.
Locate it
We pressure-test and isolate sections, then find the leak with a gas detector.
Price, permit, repair
You sign off on a written flat-rate price. We pull a City of Fort Worth plumbing permit and repair the leak to the 2021 Fuel Gas Code as the city amended it.
Inspect and release
The system goes under test on a diaphragm gauge for the city’s gas inspection, followed by the gas release inspection. Atmos (888-286-6700) then restores service.
What Fort Worth’s gas inspector checks
City of Fort Worth inspection 415 – plumbing gas
- Permit card on site and gas piping sized to the Fuel Gas Code, with approved materials installed to the manufacturer’s instructions and properly supported.
- Sediment tees installed after the shutoff at furnaces and water heaters.
- Flexible connectors correctly sized and approved, and a separate shutoff valve for each appliance.
- Valves in attics and on roofs rated for temperatures above 145°F.
- The system under test on a diaphragm gauge. The gas release (inspection 485) follows.
Fort Worth enforces the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code with local amendments. Staggs Plumbing is registered with the City of Fort Worth and pulls the plumbing permit itself. Permit help: Development Services, 817-392-2222. Inspections are scheduled through the city’s 24-hour line, 817-392-6370.
Problems we find in Fort Worth homes
| What we find | What usually fixes it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Missing sediment trap at the furnace or water heater | Add a sediment tee after the shutoff | Fort Worth’s gas inspection checks for it |
| Appliance without its own shutoff | Install a separate shutoff valve | Required for each appliance |
| Attic valve not rated for heat | Replace it with a valve rated above 145°F | Attics in Texas summers get very hot |
| Corroded buried yard line | Replace and test the run | Common in pre-1980 neighborhoods |
| CSST that isn’t bonded | Bond it to code | Required for flexible gas tubing |
Smell gas in your Fort Worth home? Start here.
Step by step:
- Get everyone out, pets too.
- Avoid sparks: leave switches, phones, lighters and the garage door alone.
- At a safe distance, call 911 and Atmos at 866-322-8667.
- Don’t go back in until responders say it’s safe.
- Call us at (682) 284-0966. We find the leak, repair it under a Fort Worth permit, and set up the gas inspection and release.
Fort Worth neighborhoods we serve
We serve Fort Worth across the ZIP codes on our Fort Worth service page, from 76102 downtown to 76137 and 76140: historic Fairmount, Mistletoe Heights, Riverside, the North Side and the Eastside, the postwar south and east sides, and newer neighborhoods on the far north and southwest sides.
Fort Worth gas leak FAQ
What should I do if I smell gas in Fort Worth?
Get out without creating a spark. Well away from the house, call 911 and Atmos Energy at 866-322-8667. Atmos investigates for free. Once the gas is off, a licensed plumber finds and repairs the leak.
Who is responsible for the gas line at my Fort Worth home?
Atmos owns the main, the service line and the meter. The piping past the meter is the property owner’s, including the yard line and lines to garages, pool heaters, grills and generators.
Does a gas leak repair in Fort Worth need a permit?
Yes. The repair is made under a City of Fort Worth plumbing permit and inspected: inspection 415 for the gas piping and test, then 485 for the gas release, before Atmos restores service.
What does Fort Worth’s gas inspector look for?
Correct pipe sizing and materials, proper support, sediment tees at furnaces and water heaters, approved flexible connectors, a separate shutoff for each appliance, heat-rated valves in attics and on roofs, and the system under test on a diaphragm gauge.
What gas code does Fort Worth use?
The 2021 International Fuel Gas Code with local amendments. The city typically adopts new codes every other three-year cycle.
Will a carbon monoxide detector warn me about a gas leak?
No. CO detectors sense carbon monoxide, not natural gas. Both are emergencies: leave and call 911.
