An earthquake gas shut-off valve sits on your gas line just after the meter and closes on its own when strong shaking hits, so a cracked pipe or a toppled water heater can’t keep feeding gas into the house. Target Plumbers installs seismic and excess flow shut-off valves, handles the permit and inspection, and comes back to reset a valve that has tripped.
A closed valve is doing its job. Turning it back on is the moment that needs care, because whatever shook the valve may also have loosened a fitting somewhere in the house.
| What happened | Who to call first |
|---|---|
| Gas smell, hissing, damage near the meter |
The gas company:
SoCalGas
1-800-427-2200
Long Beach Utilities (562) 570-2140 |
| Valve closed after a quake, no smell | Target Plumbers (844) 941-2727 for a reset, leak check and relight |
| Valve closed with no quake (bumped, pressure surge) | Target Plumbers, so we can find out why it tripped before resetting it |
After a large earthquake, SoCalGas says restoring service can take many days or even weeks, and it charges a fee to reset a valve that closed for a reason other than an earthquake (SoCalGas: Earthquake and Excess Flow Valves).
In the City of Los Angeles, yes, in two common situations. The Department of Building and Safety requires an excess flow shut-off valve (EFSOV) or a seismic gas shut-off valve (SGSOV) on any residential or commercial building with fuel gas piping when:
The valve needs its own permit and is subject to inspection (LADBS Information Bulletin P/GI 2026-002; LADBS: Requirements when selling). If you’re selling, put the valve on your pre-listing list so it doesn’t hold up escrow.
Elsewhere in Los Angeles and Orange County, rules vary by city.
Some homeowners also install one because their insurer asks for it. We check your city’s requirement when we quote.
The valve must be certified. California’s Division of the State Architect (DSA) certifies earthquake-sensitive and excess flow valves for homes under Health and Safety Code sections 19180–19183 and 19200–19204, and keeps the lists of certified models (DSA gas shutoff valve certification). We install only DSA-listed valves.
Los Angeles accepts either one. They protect against different things, so the right choice depends on your gas line and what worries you most.
| Seismic gas shut-off valve (SGSOV) | Excess flow shut-off valve (EFSOV) | |
|---|---|---|
| What closes it | Ground shaking strong enough to trip its sensor | Gas flowing faster than normal, as when a pipe breaks or a connector pulls loose |
| Where it goes | One valve on the house line right after the meter | At the meter outlet, or at individual appliances |
| Closes during a quake with no break? | Yes, gas to the whole house goes off | No, gas keeps flowing unless a line is damaged |
| Catches a broken line with no quake? | No | Yes |
| After it trips | Must be reset by hand, then appliances relit | Reset method depends on the EFSOV model |
| Certification standard | ANSI/ASCE/SEI 25-16, DSA-listed | ASTM F2138, DSA-listed |
| Often chosen when | You want gas off after any strong quake, damaged or not | You’d rather keep gas on through shaking unless something actually breaks |
Not to be confused with the excess flow valve SoCalGas may put on its own underground service line: only SoCalGas or its contractors can install that one (SoCalGas quotes $2,500 to $5,000 or more), and it doesn’t replace the house-side valve the city asks for.
Every valve we fit goes on your side of the meter. SoCalGas removes unauthorized valves attached to its equipment and doesn’t allow them inside curb meter vaults, so a valve bolted straight onto the utility’s piping can fail inspection and be taken off. On the house line, a seismic valve has to sit level or plumb exactly as its maker specifies, be supported so it can’t sway on its own, and stay reachable for a reset. Meters tucked in a narrow side yard or a cabinet sometimes need a short piping change to make room; we’ll tell you at the quote.
Most seismic valves reset with a lever or cap on the valve body, and each brand does it a little differently. The reset itself takes seconds; the safety work around it is what takes time. On a reset visit we:
Valve closed and you’re unsure whether it’s safe? Leave it closed and call.
Spreading the cost over time: 0% financing for up to 48 months, subject to approval.
In the City of Los Angeles you need a seismic or excess flow shut-off valve when you sell the building or take out a building permit valued over $10,000. Other cities set their own rules, and some insurers ask for one. Even where it isn’t required, it stops gas feeding a fire if a line breaks in a quake.
No. Since 2002 SoCalGas hasn’t installed earthquake valves and doesn’t allow customer-owned valves on its equipment. You hire a licensed plumber to install one on the house side of the meter.
First make sure there’s no gas smell and no damage to the line or appliances. The reset itself follows the maker’s steps for your model. Once gas flows, every pilot has to be relit, so SoCalGas recommends having a qualified professional or SoCalGas do it. If you smell gas, leave the valve closed and call the gas company.
The valve, the permit and the labor make up the price, and labor depends on pipe size, meter location and whether the piping has to be changed. We quote a fixed price after seeing your meter.
A seismic valve closes when the ground shakes hard enough, whether or not anything broke. An excess flow valve stays open through shaking and closes only when gas starts flowing too fast, as it does through a broken pipe. Los Angeles accepts either.
Yes. A hard knock against the valve or a loose mount can trip it. SoCalGas charges for resets in that case, so it’s worth finding out why it closed before it happens again.
In Los Angeles, yes: LADBS requires a permit and the installation is inspected. We pull the permit as part of the job.
Before you list, if you can. In the City of Los Angeles the valve is one of the items required at sale, and having the permit already signed off keeps it out of the escrow checklist.
Valve installs and resets are booked through (844) 941-2727 and dispatched from the office closest to you:
Tell us whether you need a new valve (and why: sale, permit, insurer or peace of mind) or a reset, and where your gas meter is. We’ll call back with a time. Smell gas? Leave the house and call the gas company first.