Duane Blanton Plumbing, Sewer & Drainage Inc.

Went great. We called Jack and he came to give an estimate within 90 minutes. His crew did the work the next day. A week later we called back for sewer rodding and more work, and he came in 20 minutes and did the work within a week. Most responsive plumber we've ever met, and does great work with a great crew.

We called at 12 PM, and they said they'd be able to fit us in the same day between 2 and 4. At 1:30, they called to let me know Jack Jr was on his way. He arrived about ten minutes later and was able to determine the problem, plunge the sink, and show us how to clean the disposal in the future, in less than 20 minutes. He charged the minimum service charge ($128), and gave us an estimate on work that will need to be done in the future, but assured us that it wasn't anything we had to worry about anytime soon. He was careful to clean up after himself and was very polite and professional.

We got an immediate appointment. Jack Jr. came with an apprentice and looked at the problem and then explained the options. He gave prices before any work was started. As he worked he gave me options to do less work based on the fact that we are thinking of remodeling this bathroom. He also spent time looking at other problems I was worried about at no extra charge. I was extremely pleased with this company. I plan on having him to some additional work in the very near future.

It took a long time to find the clog and replace the pipes. about three hrs.

I was very satisfied. I called, scheduled an appointment for later on in the week. The first guy (I think his name was Matt) showed up and we went over what repairs I wanted. He arrived on time, examined the two different areas and went over the price list. There are different combinations of services, so I picked the one that fit best for my budget. I asked if he could fix both of the problems that same day (which I realize is very little notice). I was surprised because Matt called another worker (I forget his name, but he was a mountain climber, in addition to being a plumber) and he came over and installed the toilet after Matt had finished the leaky sink. These guys were really cool. They didn't hassle me or make me fell pressured into buying or paying for something that I didn't need. They didn't cuss, smoke and were very polite and even wore protective gear to not scratch up the floor. Matt also took a look at a leak that I had upstairs and the other guy did as well after noticing that the smelly toilet may have been leaking as well. The sink has been sealed and no leaks! Disposal is great and best of all no more stinky gross toilet. I had looked at toilets before, and there price for a good toilet was less than at the home depot or lowes or anything on the market. So I was happy with that. Overall it was a great experience and I would use their services again.

Jack and his team were professional, cheerful, and swift. They cleaned up after themselves, including cleaning up the plaster dust from their having to put a hole in our ceiling to do the work. Given all that had to be done, the job was relatively pain free, even pleasant. We definitely would contact Jack again. He understands old homes.

Our major probelm with this repair process was the price. THe assigned plumber, Matt, was very friendly and competent and we want to make it clear that he was not responsible for the price decision. His first visit determined that there was an obstruction in the drainage pipe outside - he attempted to use his pipe snake (suspecting a blockage) and he could not push it beyond about 5 feet. His pipe camera then determined that the pipe outside had disconnected from the joint and was leaking into the ground. He dug around the outside connection and confirmed the diagnosis. THe repair could not be made until the next day. His initial visit, including the attempted pipe cleaning was estimated at approx. $450.00. He was at our house for about 2 hours. He called his boss to determine the estimate for the repair and they quoted a price of $ 2,800.00 including materials. THe next morning, two hispanic workers arrived at our house without any phone call - Matt was, apparently, on another job. Only one of these workers spoke English, and his English was broken. ( I suspect that both of these workers were illegal aliens and I will be checking green cards on these guys if they ever again enter my premises) These guys proceeded to dig up the broken pipe and replace the joint and add a clean-out section. Also, the pipe in question was less than a foot from the surface, so the amount of digging was minimal. They were at our house for approx. 2 hours. Upon their departure, the worker with greater English proficiency (barely) made a comment that the remainder of the pipe should be "snaked" due to his suspicion that there may be an additional blockage from the point of repair to the septic tank. The repair area only involved about one third of the actual drainage pipe - also be aware that this pipe was entirely of PVC constuction. Matt did not return to our property until the following Saturday - he checked the remainder of the pipe and did not find any blockages. We do not fault the actual repair of the drainage pipe - it appears to be functioning properly. Our objection to this repair process was the obscene over-estimation of costs when a repair was necessary in a situation when we were desperate (no operative drainage plumbing). Matt and his associates were only on our property for approx. 4 hours overall and the repair materials were probably no more than $100.00. $2,800.00 is a high price to pay for such a repair, especially in light of the fact that it was PVC pipe, which is cheap and easy to repair. The existence of price inflation, as practiced in the plumbing business, is tantamount to an emergency room tripling their prices after the patient arrives and is diagnosed with a heart attack - Is the patient actually going to shop around for another hospital to save money? Our drainage system was broken and we were not in a position to call out for repair quotes from other plumbers. THe consumer is at the mercy of the repair industry in these situations.

I simply needed to do laundry and the drain line was clogged. When Jack arrived, he proceeded to explain to me why my clogged drain was part of a much bigger sewer line problem. He said he couldn't fix the sewer line problem that day because he needed to add a "cleanout" to my sewer line. He charged me $550 for less than an hour of time and quoted me $4,500 to add a "cleanout" and clear my sewer line. He then advised me not to use my plumbing fixtures too much because he feared for a sewer backup in my basement until I fixed the problem. After he left, I called RotoRooter and they cleared my sewer line (without hesitation and without insisting on the installation of a cleanout) for a cost of $350. And they were able to use a 3", 4" and 6" blade in my sewer line -- something that Jack said he couldn't do without adding a "cleanout". I don't know why Blanton Plumbing would think that I could or would spend $4,500 on a plumbing job that I don't need or want. Why would anyone want to dig a 6' x 6' hole in their yard to add a connection to the sewer line when the line is already accessible through a catch basin outside the house? I will not be calling Blanton Plumbing in the future. They may fix the immediate problem but they try to sell completely unnecessary and ludicrously expensive work in the process.

They saved me! I had seven guests staying in a guest house, and the day before they arrived, I discovered that the toilet was leaking. They came within one hour of my call, quickly diagnosed the problem, and fixed it properly. On top of that, the man they sent was pleasant, professional, and knew his stuff. I will not hesitate to call them again.

He came over to look at my ejector pump and look at a problem I was having. He recommended I have 2 drains rodded out to take care of the problem. He didn't charge me for the initial visit (which was quick). I went ahead and set up an appt. He said he would arrive anytime after 12:30 PM and actually arrived just a little before that. It was quick and went well, and did take care of my problem. He answered all the questions I had and was very helpful. I would definitely call him again to take care of any plumbing issues. Good to know you can trust someone out there!

As well as could possibly be expected. Good man, great crew, clean and upfront all the way.

We found a little water around the base of the toilet. Talked with Jack on Sunday and arranged a Monday appointment. He came as planned, covered his shoes, tightend the bolts between the toilet tank and the base, changed the flapper and tightened the drain plug attachment under the basin. He also replaced the Moen cartridge in our shower control.

They were very professional and courteous, did the work efficiently, and to my complete satisfaction. However the job required virtually no supplies and truly involved less than 20 minutes of work. The price seemed ridiculous to me.

We have new construction and we were required to have some storm sewer work done. We received several quotes and decided to contract with Duane Blanton Plumbing in Round Lake because of their competitive price and their high recommendation on Angie?s List. Unknown to our general contractor the first set of specs we used were not the finalized plans by the village. Once we signed the contract and per our agreement, Blanton plumbing was required to work with the village and at that time they received the updated approved plans. Since this was a surprise to us, we had several verbal and in-person meetings with the village engineers and the employees from Blanton Plumbing. We even arranged an onsite meeting with the village engineer and the employees from Blanton who were almost an hour late to the scheduled meeting and did not meet with the engineer on that date. Our original contract was for several thousand dollars with a deposit of 50% before work was originated. In good faith we gave them our credit card which was charged immediately. The Blanton crew came in the next week and started digging a 3 ft. trench. We later learned they began this work without a village permit (which was required). About a week later, we received a call that there would be additional work and the cost was double from our original contracted amount. Since this amount was not within our budget range, we decided to stop work until more research could be done and additional conversations could be had to come to an agreement that was acceptable. Since they tried to double their original estimate, our original contract was voided and we asked Blanton Plumbing for our deposit in full. (It is important to note, the only work they did was the beginning of the digging for the trench, which was done without a village permit. They began it on their own.) They refunded us some of our original deposit money and said the rest of the money was for previous labor. They suggested the difference was for their labor and visits with the village, a payment for 4 hours of work to dig a hole was completely unreasonable. We were led to believe that their contacts with the village was included in the quote. Additionally, we had to hire another crew to come back and fill the hole since it was a safety hazard. We appealed our case directly with the President of company and ultimately were refunded some additional money, they gave us a check for a few hundred dollars and they are still charging us $915.00. We would advise that you carefully review any contract with this company if you consider using them.

They showed up on time for the estimate, for the work and completed it in a timely fashion.

The technician arrived when he said he would. He wore protective boot covers in the house without being asked. The technician was able to identify the problem and then clearly explain to me both the cause of the malfunction and the two options that would work best to remedy the situation. He had the parts ready in the truck, so he was able to repair and test the water heater in less than an hour. The company then called about 45 minutes later to make sure the water heater was working properly (that we had enough hot water already) and asked us to rate the technician and the service he provided. They then gave a phone number to call back in case any complications were to occur with the repair.

This plumber was chosen primarily because of the excellent rating from Angie's List. They were very responsive for getting out to give an estimate and schedule the actual work, however, I am a bit torn because I don't feel that after spending $1500 the problem is resolved. There was an enormous hole in the basement floor. There was a sump pump in the hole to control flooding; obviously not a correct set-up for a sump pump but it was like that when I moved into the property 3 weeks ago. The hole was a hazard and they did a wonderful job filling the hole with gravel and concrete but the sump pump was removed so there is nothing to prevent flooding which was ultimately the main concern. I was told that they rodded out about 100 ft of the sewer pipe from the house but a blockage prevented them from rodding all the way through to the main sewer. Additionally, I was told that to do so would require additional work from the outside of the house and another $2200-$3000. So at this point the probability for a sewer back-up and basement flooding is very high. Also, although the guys who came out to do the work were extremely personable and conscience to cover their feet so as not to track in dirt/mud, they were a little sloppy with respect to caulking my bathroom sink. There was caulk smeared on the new vanity top and sink bowl. I was also a little disappointed that they would not haul away my old toilet even though they installed my new one. I was told that since they didn't supply the new toilet they don't haul the old one away. They also left behind the old sewer caps that they replaced in the basement. At the end of the day, Jack and his crew were extremely nice and prompt but I still have a flooding basement issue that will have to be addressed. I will certainly get several estimates from multiple plumbers for the next work to be performed and also get detailed explanations for their clean-up/haul away policies.

I will definitely call this company again the next time we need plumbing repair. The plumber arrived on time and was polite and friendly. Quality of the repair was excellent. Cleaned up well after job was finished. Answered my questions regarding kitchen faucet and offered useful advice on this.

Excellent. I've had plenty of lousy plumbers, I'm elated to find one as good as these guys.

I called Blanton at aobu 9AM and the gentleman arrived to do the work just a couple hours later. He was finished in less than 30 minutes and was very courteous and used fresh boot covers to avoid tracking any slush into the house on a very snowy day. The gentleman initially quoted $247 for the work and I expressed dissatifaction that the price was that high, but I really wanted to get the work done. After he went to his truck to get his tools, he said they would offer a discount and do the work for $165. (good thing, I was already back on Angies list to compare prices with other outfits and with some previous Blanton work). I appreciated the 90 day warranty and he also re-assembled the draing plug assembly which I had taken apart. All things considered, a very good experience.

The procedure was painless. I used their website to register my issue, and they called me within an hour. Later that afternoon a gentleman popped over (when I was available) and got me all taken care of. Thankfully, since they were so busy they waived the weekend service fees.

They came out twice. I am very happy with their work. Overall, my experience with them has been good. They were professional

We discovered the drain backing up at about 11:00 am on a Saturday. We called the plumber we have used for years and left a message, but decided we needed a quicker response. We tried Angie's list for the first time and found Jack. The customer service representative was friendly, reassuring, and professional. She told us Jack would be out to the house by 2:00 and he was there before 2. He was friendly, professional, and his price was very reasonable. We were so impressed by the concern he and his staff showed us in our dilema. We would definitely use him again!

Jack Blanton, Jr Plumbing is great! Have had them do several different things at various times in the past (pre Angie's List) including toilet replacement/installation, laundry sink replacement, installing rodding access in front yard, removing old "wet bar" plumbing from basement. This time they did rodding in the front, rodded the line from the basement toilet and catch basin. Completed work promptly and cleaned up/disposed of anything yucky for us. Went very smoothly. They are very professional, start to finish. Phones always answered professionally (Kyle usually answers) and they listen to clients like me that don't know technical terms, trying to describe our problem! They schedule promptly and call when they're on the way. They were VERY understanding when I was running late and did as much work as they could outside (got the front rodded) until I returned, when they jumped right in on the interior work. They explain everything they are doing and provide accurate estimates. Their pricing is fair and reasonable. They are clean. They are friendly and trustworthy and they do a SUPER job. I never feel like they are selling something we don't need to do! They explain everything and what your options are, with no pressure, but if something is potentially a problem, they outline it all for you so you can make an educated decision. We have an old house and they understand the issues that come with that, too. They follow up after the fact to thank you for your business. Did I mention they're great? Jack, his son and the entire staff we've ever dealt with have all been top-notch. They do an amazing job and we're very happy to have contractors like this that we trust to work with and that are good businessmen/women. We recommend Jack Blanton, Jr. Plumbing every time we're asked!

The experience was great with them. They were reliable, knowledgeable and able to take care of the problems on the same day.