Deadline Work · No. 4 Oil Ends July 2027
Oil-to-Gas Conversion in Brooklyn & Queens — Before the 2027 Deadline
The clock on No. 4 heating oil is real: Local Law 32 bans it in every NYC building as of July 2027, and DOB already stopped issuing or renewing No. 4 boiler permits back in June 2024. If your building burns No. 4, a conversion is no longer optional — the only open question is whether you do it on your schedule or in the last-minute crunch.
We run conversions end to end — utility application through first fire — as a Licensed Master Plumber shop that has spent decades navigating DOB, Con Edison, and National Grid. This page lays out the whole process honestly: the steps, the timelines, and what actually drives the cost.
The Countdown, Precisely
Two dates define this project. June 30, 2024: DOB stopped issuing and renewing boiler permits for No. 4 oil — the regulatory off-ramp closed. July 2027:Local Law 32's ban takes full effect and No. 4 becomes illegal to burn in any NYC building. Between those dates, every No. 4 building in the city is converting — the only variable is the order of the line.
This is the same deadline dynamic we've watched for years in violation and LL152 work: capacity gets scarce exactly when the deadline arrives. The owners who move in the early window choose their contractor, their price, and their season. The rest take what's left.
The Full Process, Honestly
A conversion is eight steps. Most contractors show you three of them.
- 1
Site walkthrough and fuel assessment.
We inspect the boiler and burner, the chimney, the tank, the meter location, and the piping path — and confirm what your street’s gas infrastructure can support. This is where the honest budget and timeline get set.
- 2
Utility application.
The gas application goes in early because it is the schedule. We prepare and submit it, supply the load information the utility wants, and stay on the file — utility applications don’t move themselves.
- 3
DOB permits.
Conversions involve gas piping and boiler work, which means DOB filings by a Licensed Master Plumber. We file our own permits, so nothing waits on a third-party expediter.
- 4
Chimney liner.
Gas flue products are cooler and wetter than oil’s; most masonry chimneys need a properly sized liner to vent gas equipment safely and to code. Skipping this step is how conversions fail inspections — or worse.
- 5
Boiler or burner work.
Depending on age and condition, the existing boiler takes a gas conversion burner, or the conversion becomes the moment to replace an end-of-life plant with a right-sized gas boiler. We price both paths so the decision is yours, made on numbers.
- 6
Gas piping and meter set.
Building-side piping from the meter to the boiler room, sized for the full connected load, pressure-tested, and inspected. We coordinate the utility’s meter set so the building is ready the day gas is available.
- 7
Tank abandonment or removal.
The oil tank is decommissioned to code — cleaned and filled in place, or removed. Documentation matters here; future buyers’ attorneys ask about tanks.
- 8
First fire and balancing.
Start-up, combustion tuning, safety checks, and heat balancing on the new fuel. You get the closeout package: permits signed off, inspections passed, documentation filed.
Con Edison vs. National Grid: The Part Nobody Explains
Which utility you convert with is set by your address — National Grid in Brooklyn and most of Queens, Con Edison in Manhattan, the Bronx, and parts of Queens — and the two run genuinely different application processes, engineering reviews, and scheduling rhythms. A contractor who has only ever converted in one territory learns the other on your job.
The National Grid story matters most for Brooklyn and Queens owners: after its 2019–2021 moratorium on new connections, the utility resumed processing applications — but it still manages long-term supply carefully. Translation: conversions are very much possible, the queue is real, and the application should be the first thing filed, not the last.
It also shapes design. Where it makes sense, we spec conversions electrification-ready— equipment and piping choices that keep the building's future options open (including heat-pump water heating down the line) instead of betting everything on one fuel's next decade.
What Drives the Cost
Conversions are quoted as a written, itemized scope after the walkthrough — no phone guesses. The five drivers that spread one building's price from another's:
- Burner vs. boiler: converting a sound boiler with a gas burner is a different project than replacing an end-of-life plant.
- The piping run: meter location to boiler room, sized for the full load — distance and routing set the number.
- Chimney condition: most conversions need a liner; a deteriorated stack needs more.
- The tank: abandonment in place is cheaper; removal clears the space and the future questions.
- Utility service: if the building needs a new or upgraded gas service, the utility’s scope joins yours.
Owners still weighing oil bills against conversion costs usually find the math has already been done for them by their last few winters' fuel invoices — bring them to the assessment and we'll put real numbers side by side.
The Alternatives, Acknowledged
Gas isn't the only exit from No. 4. Switching to No. 2 oil keeps you legal with less capital, at higher fuel cost per gallon — a legitimate bridge for buildings that can't fund a full conversion before 2027. And full electrification is the long-run direction for many buildings, especially those staring at Local Law 97's 2030 caps; heat-pump water heating is the practical first step there. See heat-pump water heaters →
Our job in the assessment is to lay those paths side by side for your building — not to sell the one we happen to install. The gas side of any conversion runs through our licensed gas piping practice →
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is No. 2 oil also banned?
No. The July 2027 ban is on No. 4 heating oil (No. 6 was already phased out). Buildings may switch to No. 2 oil instead of gas — it burns cleaner and stays legal. But No. 2 costs more per gallon, and a No. 4-to-No. 2 switch still involves burner work and tank considerations, which is why many owners treat 2027 as the moment to convert fully rather than pay twice.
Can I still get a new gas hookup in Brooklyn or Queens?
Generally yes — National Grid resumed processing new gas connections after its 2019–2021 moratorium. The honest caveat: the utility still manages supply carefully, applications take time, and policies can change. That’s exactly why we design conversions dual-path where it makes sense — equipment and piping chosen so the building isn’t stranded if the fuel landscape shifts again — and why starting the utility application early matters more than anything else on the schedule.
How long does an oil-to-gas conversion take?
Two very different clocks. The on-site mechanical work — burner or boiler replacement, piping, chimney liner, tank work — is typically days to a couple of weeks. The utility side is the long pole: if your street main and service can feed the building, coordination is relatively quick; if the building needs a new or upgraded gas service, utility engineering, permits, and street work can take months. Buildings starting in fall or winter are really scheduling for the following heating season.
What does a conversion cost?
It depends on five drivers: whether the existing boiler can take a gas burner or needs full replacement; the gas piping run from meter to boiler room; chimney condition (most conversions need a liner); what happens to the oil tank (abandonment in place vs. removal); and the utility service situation. We produce a written, itemized scope and price after a site assessment — and we’ll tell you plainly which of those drivers your building can and can’t avoid.
What happens if I do nothing?
After July 2027, operating a No. 4 boiler is a violation exposure, and DOB already won’t renew No. 4 permits — so the regulatory walls are closing regardless. Practically, the bigger risk is the queue: every No. 4 building that waits is converting in the same 12 months, competing for the same contractors and utility appointments. The deadline crunch is a familiar story in our compliance work; the winners are always the owners who moved a year early.
Do you handle the oil tank?
Yes — tank abandonment or removal is part of the scope, done to the applicable codes and coordinated with the rest of the conversion. Which path fits (clean-and-fill in place vs. removal) depends on the tank’s location, condition, and your plans for the space; we lay out both with real trade-offs.
Will a conversion help with Local Law 97?
Often meaningfully — moving off heavy oil reduces a building’s reported emissions, and a conversion is a natural moment to right-size and modernize the plant, which compounds the benefit. If your building is LL97-covered, we fold the conversion into the larger emissions math rather than treating it as a standalone job.
Explore related paths
Convert on Your Schedule, Not the Deadline’s
A conversion assessment tells you what your building needs, what it will cost, and — most importantly — how long the utility side will take. The best time to start was last heating season. The second best time is now.