Lakewood is one of the best-known planned communities in the country. Roughly 17,500 homes went up between 1950 and 1953, laid out around what became Lakewood Center, and the city incorporated in 1954. Driving through, you can still see the same basic house shapes repeated block after block, even though most have been remodeled since.
That shared history is useful when we do gas leak detection in Lakewood. We know where the meters usually sit, how the original lines typically run to the kitchen and water heater, and where additions tend to tie in. It helps us find leaks faster and open fewer walls.
Lakewood also has a utility detail worth knowing. Most of the city gets gas from SoCalGas, but some homes near the Long Beach border are served by Long Beach Utilities. Check the name on your gas bill so you know which utility to call for an emergency at the meter.
Lakewood at a glance
- ZIP codes
- 90712, 90713, 90715
- Gas utility
- SoCalGas for most homes; some homes near the Long Beach border use Long Beach Utilities
- Water
- Lakewood runs its own water utility for much of the city
- Landmarks
- Lakewood Center, Mayfair Park, Del Valle Park
Where we find leaks in Lakewood homes
Original 1950s fittings
Seventy years of appliance swaps put wear on unions and elbows, especially near the water heater and laundry hookup.
Remodeled kitchens
Ranges moved to islands or new walls sometimes run through extensions that were never pressure tested.
Garage conversions
Converted garages often have heaters or water heaters relocated, with new piping tied into the old system.
Buried lines to detached garages
Some lots run gas across the yard to a detached garage or workshop, and those older buried lines can corrode.
How we help in Lakewood
We start every Lakewood leak call with a gas detector and a pressure test so we are not guessing. Once we find the source, we explain what failed and repair it, then test again before turning your appliances back on.
Strong smell of gas? Leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Then call us for the repair.
Remodeling a Lakewood tract home
Because so many Lakewood homes started from the same plans, remodels here follow familiar patterns: kitchens opened up to the family room, ranges moved to islands, laundry moved from the garage into the house, and garages converted to living space. Each of these moves a gas appliance, and each one means extending or rerouting the original line.
If you are planning one of these projects, bring us in while the walls are open. We can check the condition of the original piping, size the new run for the appliances you are adding and pressure test everything before drywall goes back up. That is far simpler than opening a finished wall to chase a leak later.