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Who can repair a gas range in Virginia?

In Virginia, repairing a gas range is gas work, so the person doing it should hold a DPOR licence that covers gas, and on work valued at $1,000 or more the business needs a contractor licence. A home improvement (HIC) licence does not cover gas. Check both licences on DPOR's lookup before the visit.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

This is a job for a licensed pro in Virginia

This page explains what the work involves, the permits, what a licensed pro does and what drives the cost. It does not give step-by-step instructions, because this work needs a licence, a permit or both, and doing it wrong can injure someone. Before you hire, check the licence on Virginia's DPOR record.

In Virginia, a gas range should be repaired by a technician licensed for gas work, working for a business whose contractor licence covers it. A handyman's home improvement licence does not cover gas, and your gas utility is responsible only up to and including its meter, not for the range inside your kitchen.

A freestanding gas range with five burners on top and two ovens stacked below
Photo: Ben Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What Virginia law says

Virginia's Board for Contractors regulations define a gas fitter as a tradesman who performs gas fitting-related work, usually within the HVAC or plumbing trades.[1] That work covers "the installation, repair, improvement, or removal of industrial gas, fuel gas, gaseous hydrogen, liquefied petroleum or natural gas piping, tanks, chimneys and vents, direct vents, equipment, and appliances annexed to real property."[1] A range connected to the house gas line is an appliance in that sense.

The Code of Virginia adds the licence requirement. No individual may engage in work as a liquefied petroleum gas fitter or natural gas fitter provider unless licensed.[2] That covers propane as well as natural gas.

Which business licence covers it

The business needs the right specialty on its contractor licence too:

  • The gas fitting (GFC) specialty covers "the installation, repair, improvement, or removal of gas piping and appliances annexed to real property."[3]
  • The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) specialty covers propane piping and appliances,[3] which matters if your house runs on a tank.
  • The home improvement (HIC) specialty, which many handyman businesses hold, "does not provide for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas fitting functions."[3]

DPOR says that if the work is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia contractor's licence is required for the category in which the contractor works.[5] The technician needs an individual gas licence as well, so ask for both numbers and check them.

What the gas company does

Columbia Gas of Virginia, one of the state's gas utilities, says the property owner is responsible for the piping and equipment inside the home, while the utility handles the service line leading up to and including the gas meter.[4] Its advice is that "For your safety, a qualified professional should perform all work on natural gas lines and equipment inside the home."[4] Other utilities and propane suppliers set their own terms, so ask yours where its responsibility ends.

Electric ranges

An electric range has no gas side, but a new circuit or changed outlet is electrical work, which Virginia also licenses. Gas ranges also have electric parts, so a technician may touch both.

Checking before you book

  • Look the licence up. DPOR's guide warns that a license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid.[5] Search it on DPOR's site, or contact the Board for Contractors at (804) 367-8511.[5] Loclis walks through it in how to check if a contractor is licensed in Virginia.
  • Ask who will work on the gas side and what licence that person holds.
  • Get it in writing. "Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work."[5]
  • Ask about a permit if the range is being replaced rather than repaired. Fairfax County requires a permit for any gas appliance installation or replacement, even like for like,[6] and other localities set their own rules.

When to call a licensed pro

Call one for any repair on a gas range that touches the burner, igniter, gas valve, regulator or connections, and for any oven that will not light. If you smell gas, do not wait for a repair visit: Columbia Gas says to "go outside and call 911 and then call us at 1-800-544-5606 (24/7)."[4]

Read what a technician does to fix a gas oven that will not light and how much oven repair costs in Virginia to know what to expect. If you are installing a new range rather than repairing one, see who can hook up a gas dryer or range in Virginia.

Browse more appliance repair answers or find appliance repair businesses on Loclis. When you are ready, describe the range problem once and licensed local businesses quote it.

Common questions

Can a handyman repair my gas range in Virginia?
Not the gas side, on a home improvement licence alone. Virginia's HIC specialty does not cover gas fitting. A handyman can help with non-gas jobs, but gas repair needs someone licensed for it.
Will the gas company repair my range?
Usually not. Columbia Gas of Virginia, for example, says the property owner is responsible for the piping and equipment inside the home and the utility is responsible up to and including the meter. It recommends a qualified professional for work inside.
Which licence should I look for on DPOR's lookup?
For the person, a gas fitter licence, or a liquefied petroleum gas fitter licence for propane. For the business, a contractor licence whose specialties include gas fitting (GFC) or LPG. An HIC specialty alone does not cover gas work.
Does the manufacturer's service count?
A manufacturer's authorized servicer may be a good choice, but the same rule applies: ask who does the gas work and what licence that person holds.
What if I smell gas?
Leave the house, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. Do not try to find the source yourself.

Sources

  1. [1] 18VAC50-30-10, Definitions (Individual Licensing and Certification Regulations), Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] Va. Code § 54.1-1129, Necessity for licensure, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] 18VAC50-22-30, Definitions of specialty services, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Safe Appliance Installation, Columbia Gas of Virginia. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
  6. [6] Household Appliance (HAPL) permit, Residential, Fairfax County Land Development Services. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.