Gas line cost insanity? (Boston, Lexington: 2014, rentals, co-op)

[BostonMike7]

You're easement request is not the same as the typical utility easement. That easement zone from street to house is so companies can run lines from their mains to the home. They don't want anyone putting a pool over a gas line (have seen it done before) or something crazy like that.

Your easement request is different. You are asking the homeowner to allow you to run their line through their property for your benefit. For starters, it may not be even allowed to cross utilities in a perpendicular manner. If the homeowner has an issue with their sewer pipe in the future, they would have your gas hookup line in the way when they call in a company to dig up the yard to replace it.

Don't get your hopes up that this will happen. home #2 has nothing to gain here and if they were to consult with their lawyer, they will be told to decline it.

[trevor0101]

Got it. Thanks @BostonMike7.

[MikePRU]

I think what you're finding out is that this isn't as simple as it seems on the surface. What seems like a simple solution (going through your neighbor's property) is actually quite complicated. There's the matter of an easement, liability, paying to re-landscape any areas disturbed during installation, etc., etc., etc. Also, is the line going to your neighbor's house even sufficient in size to supply gas to your house and theirs? Maybe not.

Getting gas to a house unless it's right in front of the house on the street is often complicated and expensive. As others have said, I'd either get all the neighbors together to split or I'd look for another solution like solar panels/heat pumps or maybe running the whole house on propane.

[gf2020]

Originally Posted by trevor0101

The house is on a cul-de-sac, and the neighboring property about 200' away has service via the intersecting street. I just spoke to Eversource, and they said that I cannot tap into the line on the main street about 400' away, and instead would have to pay $500 per linear foot for a brand new gas main to be put up my street. This seems bananas to me. Did I just get an uninformed agent?

I don't think you got accurate information. I'm not sure if they do engineering site visits but that's what you want to have. Have someone come out and actually look at the project.

We partnered with our neighbors to extend the National Grid gas line on our street 6 years ago and it was not that complicated and it was no where near that expensive either. It did take about 1 year from the initial contact to the project being complete.

Depending on where the gas line actually enters house #2 above, they would just tee off that line and run it to the side of your house. They dig a shallow trench right across the yard and street, whatever is shortest.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by gf2020

Depending on where the gas line actually enters house #2 above, they would just tee off that line and run it to the side of your house.

I don't believe they can do this. What i'm taking away from this is that the line feeding House #2 is an individual service line coming off the main pipe to the house from the street that the home abuts.

While I am no authority is gas piping regulations, I believe each residential zoned house needs it's own individual service line and cannot tap into another individual service line. I also believe they cannot run the individual service line down a public street into the cul-de-sac, hence the desire to install an entire main branch

This is something that only the gas authority can comment on of course.

[robr2]

Tapping off the existing feed line to the other house may not be feasible because the gas line was sized to house. You simply can't expect two houses worth of gas appliances working off a volume designed for one house.

The gas company is responsible for maintaining the line all the way up to the meter. They are looking at the value of that line to feed one house and what it will cost them to maintain it for the next 100 years. If it were worth it to them, they'd pay to install it. Also, cities and towns have funny rules about the opening of streets when it's not an emergency. For years here in town, a street could not be opened for X years after paving for non-emergency work. Now they will allow it along with a major payment to the town.

[OyCrumbler]

Probably cheaper in the long and short run to weatherize your house and go electric for everything.

[Robert5]

A flat rate price pf $500/ft does not seem credible to me. I have observed a couple of gas line replacements, they use a big machine like this to push the pipe (with a spade on the end so it can be steered up down left right). Pushing the pipe does not take that long, most of the time involved is digging and repairing the holes. There may be some unique obstacle you have. I would contract a few gas contractors and see if they are able to give you a quote.

[trevor0101]

Originally Posted by Robert5

A flat rate price pf $500/ft does not seem credible to me. I have observed a couple of gas line replacements, they use a big machine like this to push the pipe (with a spade on the end so it can be steered up down left right). Pushing the pipe does not take that long, most of the time involved is digging and repairing the holes. There may be some unique obstacle you have. I would contract a few gas contractors and see if they are able to give you a quote.

I thought I had to do everything through Eversource?

[Robert5]

Originally Posted by trevor0101

I thought I had to do everything through Eversource?

I am speculating that you can contract the entire install to a gas contractor, and they can interface with Eversourse. That may be wrong, but it will not cost you anything to call the gas contractor and get their input.