Big B's Plumbing

March 30th, 2022: We hired Big B's Plumbing to repair the toilet in my master bathroom that was leaking toilet water that we could physically see around the toilet and leaking downstairs in our kitchen (our master bathroom sits over a portion of our kitchen). Once the inspections were completed this is what was noted by Big B's Plumbing, "Cost is to cut drywall below bathroom. Once exposed of the sewer line we will cut toilet flange. Rebuild with correct pipe and fittings to the correct height. After this toilet is reset with a new wax seal 1 year of parts and labor". We allowed Big B's Plumbing to do all the suggested repairs and it was stated that we shouldn't need another wax seal repair for about 10 years as that is usually when they start to wear off again, causing it to be replaced again. Well, 14 months after the initial repair and the new wax seal was placed, we noticed the caulking around the toilet had lost its integrity (this due to the buildup of moisture behind the caulk from a failed wax seal) and a buildup of water was being exposed around the toilet. Shocked that we were already experiencing a failed wax seal after only 14 months, I contacted Big B's Plumbing. A technician came out who after seeing the water around the base of the toilet proceeded to state that we would need to pay $300 + for a new wax seal to be placed. I then mentioned to the plumber that after the initial wax seal was placed that it was stated that it should last 10 years or so. He didn't care to listen, and proceeded to state that the parts and labor was only guaranteed for one year. It was at that point that I contacted the owner. Once I explained everything to the owner, the owner stated that wax seals can in fact last only a year, a year plus, not the 10 years as previously stated. He then proceeded to remind me that is work/parts are only guaranteed for one year. It was at this point that I proceeded to advised the owner that I felt compelled to inform others here in Temecula Talk and other community Facebook groups that the idea that a fresh wax seal should last 10 years, is actually false per a professional/ owner of a "successful plumbing business" with years of experience and that the information online is incorrect as-well which states the same, that a fresh wax seal (if done correctly by a professional plumber) should last about 10 years. Once I stated that needed to share this new found knowledge regarding the longevity of a fresh wax seal, that the owner decided to do me a favor and waive the $300 + for the labor and parts for the second wax seal. Well you won't believe this... but here we are 9 months post the second fresh placement of the wax seal and again we noticed the integrity of the caulking around the base of the toilet is losing its integrity and a newfound buildup of toilet water. I contacted Big B's Plumbing yesterday, Friday, March 1st mid afternoon, and spoke to their receptionist named Svetlana. I advised Svetlana of our situation and asked that she have the owner contact me immediately. I have yet to hear back from the owner. I will attach the invoice of the initial work done by Big B's Plumbing and you'll notice that they failed actually failed to complete the sentence stating how long they guarantee the parts and labor, "After this toilet is reset with a new wax seal 1 year of parts and labor". Update: New plumber found that the old flange was never removed (new one was never placed although I was charged for a new flange) and that a flange cap was placed over the old flange, but it was placed flushed to the flooring instead of being 1/4 above the flooring causing a wax seal to not be able to create a good seal in order to prevent future leaks. New claim is currently being filed and these discrepancies reported

TL;DR: I would not recommend this company at all. Needed a gas dryer installed in a hurry as we just moved to our new home. Called up Big B's to come out and do the install. The technician came out and all he needed was to connect the vent and add an adapter for the gas line to the dryer. All that is needed is to connect the hose (which an older one that was frayed and was not able to hang on) and an adapter for the gas line. The cost for this would be around $350. I was told both an adapter and a whole new dryer hose kit were needed. Says he needs to go to Home Depot for parts. Either he can go and I pay for his time, or I go, and he waits and I still pay for his time. If he leaves, I still pay a fee for the estimate (around $60). I work from home and am in meetings for the majority of the day and given that this was an urgent need, and I don’t even know what parts to get, I told him it's best for him to go do it. He charges me $450 which included his travel time. The adapter could not have cost more than $10, so I’m on the hook for nearly $100 just for the back and forth. How come a plumbing company does not have these parts or a new hose kit in their truck? Who knows. I paid a premium for him to drive over 20 minutes away to shop for the necessary parts. He leaves and is gone for over an hour. Comes back and "installs" everything. I assume all is well and he takes off. Even asked for information on our backyard and for other potential jobs. As I go upstairs to move the dryer to review the work, the WHOLE connection comes right apart. It was not held in place, and I find out that he used the old vent kit which was the main problem (i had spent too much time trying to connect this myself before calling them!). As an emergency, I paid for a friend to drive out from Whittier (over 70 miles each way..) and do it right. I gave him $250 for the gas and the fact that he came at a severely inconvenient time. I file a complaint with Big B that same night and the next day, Steve the service manager calls me saying ALL HE COULD DO for me was reimburse me for the money I paid to my friend. WHAT? Steve claims he would have sent another technician out that day 24/7, but I had called that evening to file a complaint and was told a service manager would get back to me in the morning. Nobody offered to come and repair it. They took $450 of my money to not do their job and all their solution was to offer covering the cost for someone else to do it right. This is absolutely horrendous service.

Price gouging – as so many other customers have noted here! Big B’s Randy and Jesse came out yesterday to swap out an electric tankless water heater. The old heater had died two days earlier - unfortunately, during a California cold spell. That meant ice cold showers. I had the replacement unit on hand. The task simply required to take the old unit off the wall (a small box 16.54 x 4.61 x 14.53 inches) and to hang the new identical model into the same spot on the same screws; a process that took about 15 minutes. I asked to add two isolation valves, to permit descaling in the future. Randy looked at the situation and stated that it would cost $1800 to do this. No rate sheet was provided, no details regarding parts and labor. I was shocked about the high price and hesitated. I explained that I had received another estimate for the same task, plus the additional job of disconnecting and hauling off an old 250-gallon water heater for only $1200 from a different plumber who was presently not available. After a little back and forth, Randy reduced the price to $1500, which I agreed to since I was under time pressure. However, this was a total rip off! Pros: The work appears to be done appropriately and both plumbers appeared competent and polite. Cons: The complete overcharge! Randy grabbed the price out of thin air! It was clear that I was under pressure to get hot water back into the house and he took advantage of the situation. Randy took about 15 minutest to swap out the two units, and Jesse installed the isolation valves, which required cutting two 3’ pipes and replacing them with 2 new ones such that the isolation valves could be added. Two isolation valves cost at Ace Hardware $45. The pipe cutting, reconfiguring, and welding took the longest and was done by Jesse. The job did not require 2 plumbers but it was Jesse’s 2nd day on the job and he had come along for training. The total work time was a bit less than 3 hours, with the men taking turns working. While Jesse was working, Randy was talking to me about an electric descaler that I should add for an additional $1900. He stressed that this was the price only today. If he had to come back to install the descaler, the price would be $2500. Go figure! I declined. I did note that the $600 differential would make a rather high trip charge. Randy stated that this is just how they do it. Calculating the actual cost of the job: A generous $150 for parts: pipes, 2 valves, plus 3 hours of labor for one man (Jesse was there for training only and they took turns working), let’s say at $150 per hour. That totals to $600, and I was overcharged at least $900. That leaves a bitter taste. The owner, Brandon, (Big B), comments here routinely to dissatisfied customers: “. We sincerely apologize that you did not receive the high standard of service we set for ourselves. Please get in touch with us at your earliest convenience, and we'll do everything in our power to set things right.” So, Brandon, I want to let you know that you can make things right by refunding $900 to my credit card. Alternatively, you can have your team come back and haul off the 250G water heater without additional charge. There’s an awful lot of reviews from unhappy customers complaining about price gouging and taking advantage of customers in need, which is immoral. If “customer service is in your DNA” as you state, then make things right. If one looks at yelp’s hidden reviews, and that of other sites, one realizes that the majority of reviews for your company are actually negative for the same reasons as this one. Is that really what you want?

I DO NOT recommend using Big B's Plumbing in Murrieta. I was charged $281 in labor on a 25 minute shower cartridge change out. They will not quote over the phone and require you to pay a $60 fee for an in-person quote if you decide not to do the work. When I questioned the cost to the office manager Steve, he was rude in his tone and told me too bad I am required to pay the $60 if I do not want the service. The next day I did call 3 other licensed, 5 star plumbers for future reference and their cost ranges from $75 to $125 for labor, so $281 was a rip off. I do take full responsibility for not doing my due diligence before hand. Just a heads up for anyone looking for a plumber.

We called Big B’s Plumbing after the plumber our Management company sent a was clearly substandard. The other plumber arrived and said that there was a ‘cartridge’ that could be replaced but they wanted to replace the entire faucet. He said he would install a faucet that was the same except for the finish. When he brought in the replacement it was clear that it was quite inferior and not at all the same design. He had overwhelming after shave fragrance, had earbuds he didn’t remove and his hat on backwards as though he was about to work out: not at all professional. When we insisted on a replacement that was the same, we recommended that our management company try Big B’s which we had heard great things about. The Big B’s plumber was sent to our house and was very professional. Before he arrived, we were texted his name and a photo of him. Then, he arrived and assessed the situation and installed a faucet without a problem that was superior to the one we had. He also offered to flush out our water heater which may have been part of the problem. In all, Big B’s were very professional, efficient and helpful. I would recommend them for any plumbing needs.

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I walked out in my garage after work, only to find the floor was covered in water. I had been referred to Big B's Plumbing by a close friend, who had recently used the company in a remodeling project. The owner, Brandon, answered the phone after hours, and explained to me how to shut the water off so I wouldn't have any further water damage. They also asked me a few questions about my water heater, the type and the size. About an hour later, they arrived at my house with a new water heater on the truck. They showed me the problem, and even offered me financing options. It was convenient enough that they could process my credit card on hand, and didn't have to leave with my information. Once they finished the water heater, and cleaned up all the mess, Brandon offered me a free safety inspection on the rest of my home. I was very happy with there service, and would use them again.