The honest comparison, from a business that installs gas for a living
We are gas fitters, so you might expect us to talk you out of induction. We will not. Induction cooktops are fast, precise, easy to clean and safer around kids because the glass stays relatively cool. Plenty of serious cooks who swore by gas have switched and not looked back. Gas still wins on a few fronts: it works with any cookware, it keeps working in a blackout, and many people simply prefer cooking on a flame. Both are legitimate choices, and the right one depends on your kitchen, your switchboard and what else in the house runs on gas.
| Factor | Gas cooktop | Induction cooktop |
|---|---|---|
| Heat response | Instant, visible flame | Instant, very precise control |
| Cookware | Works with everything | Needs magnetic based cookware |
| Cleaning | Trivets and burners to scrub | Flat glass, wipe over |
| Safety | Open flame, combustion products in the kitchen | No flame, surface cooler, needs no ventilation for combustion |
| Blackout cooking | Usually still works | No power, no cooking |
| Install path | Licensed gas fitter, compliance certificate | Electrician for the circuit, gas fitter to cap the old line |
| Typical changeover cost | $260 to $480 plus compliance for like-for-like | Cooktop plus electrical work, plus gas cap off, quoted on inspection |
Staying with gas: what a like-for-like swap costs
If you love cooking on gas, a straight replacement is a simple job. As of 2026 a like-for-like gas cooktop swap typically runs $260 to $480 plus the compliance certificate on the Gold Coast, assuming the existing gas line and cut out suit the new unit. If the new cooktop needs the gas line modified or the bench cut differently, we tell you at quote time, not after the old one is out. Every gas appliance installation in Queensland must be done by a licensed gas fitter and finished with a compliance certificate, which is your proof for insurance and resale.
Switching to induction: the gas side is still licensed work
Here is the part most articles skip. When you swap gas for induction, the old gas line does not just get taped off behind the cabinet. In Queensland, disconnecting and capping a gas line is licensed gas work. We cap the line at the appropriate point, pressure test the system, and certify the work. We quote cap off work on inspection because the right answer depends on where the line runs and what else is on it.
The electrical side belongs to your electrician. Induction cooktops typically need their own dedicated circuit, and on some older Gold Coast switchboards that means an upgrade. Get the electrical quote before you buy the cooktop, because that cost surprises more people than the appliance price does.
If the cooktop is your last gas appliance
Think one step ahead. If the cooktop is the only thing left on gas, you will keep paying the daily supply charge for a service you no longer use. Some owners choose to have the supply disconnected or abolished entirely at that point, which is a separate process through your gas distributor with its own costs and paperwork. If your hot water or heating is still on gas, none of that applies, and capping the cooktop line is the whole job. We talk this through at quote time so you are not paying rental on a dead connection.
Our honest recommendation
If your gas cooktop works fine, keep it. Replacing a healthy appliance rarely stacks up on cost alone. If it is due for replacement anyway, weigh both options with real numbers: the like-for-like swap at $260 to $480 plus compliance against the induction unit plus electrical work plus the gas cap off. Roughly speaking, staying with gas is usually the cheaper changeover and induction is the bigger kitchen upgrade. Either way, the gas work must be licensed, certified and pressure tested, and that is the part we handle.
Sources: Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 (Qld); Queensland gas work licensing requirements, Resources Safety and Health Queensland.
Get a straight quote either way
Whether you want a new gas cooktop installed or the old gas line capped and certified for an induction changeover, we quote it fixed before we start. Call Hills Plumbing & Gas on 0472 657 042 or book through our gas fitting service page. Gas work is carried out under a Queensland gas work licence; plumbing and drainage work is covered by QBCC licence 15243081.