MOISTURETEK IRRIGATION SYSTEMS INC

l had contacted Moisturetek, prior to the appointment, to determine what the labor cost was, and was told that it would be $90 an hour, for a technician. However, on the date of the appointment, the company decided to send two guys: a technician, and a laborer. The technician that came out was great, and had some good suggestions about which sprinkler heads needed to be moved to obtain the best water coverage. They told me upfront that they did not have much time that day, but that we could go through the system, and set up a date to move the sprinkler heads. We went around the yard, and I pointed out the sprinklers that I knew had issues, and the technician also found a few others that needed replacing. As we progressed, when a bad sprinkler head was identified, the technician asked if I wanted it replaced, and of course, I did. There was an electrical issue that he looked at, for a few minutes, but after some discussion, I decided not to pursue the issue. When I got the invoice, it was for $540, including four hours of labor, totaling $300 (two men for two hours each; one @ $90 an hour, and one at $60 an hour), and $240 for eight sprinkler heads (at $30 each, the price that I had been quoted). I thought $540 was excessive. It didn't take the guys 4 man hours to change out the 8 heads, although both men were here for two hours each. At best, the actual labor had been maybe one hour. As such, it seemed like the other three hours labor had gone towards the estimate for future work. When I called the company and expressed that opinion, they agreed to remove the 2 hours of labor, at $60 an hour, although that was the rate for the fellow who actually did the labor. The fairer thing to do, I think, would have been to remove the 2 hours at $90 an hour, for the technician, not the lesser amount, for the person who actually did the labor. When I got the estimate to move several heads, add one head, re-route a hose, attached to a spigot, that had become entangled in a tree root, and replace some smaller heads, it was for $1025, including 2 men, for three hours each. I emailed the company and told them to hold off on the scheduled service call. Almost immediately, I got an email from the company asking if I had any questions, and telling me that the "actual cost may be much less than estimated". What? I called another company, and the owner came out, and walked through the whole system with me again. Of course, there was no issue with the 8 heads that had been replaced, but we went through all 9 zones anyway. When we were finished, I was given an estimate of $200 to add one head, move the other heads, re-route a hose, attached to a spigot, that had become entangled in a tree root, and add some smaller heads. I was told that it would take about one and a half hours, of labor, by one man, and about $65 in parts. When I called Moisturetek to express my concern over the disparity in estimates, $1025 vs $200, I was asked if the competitor had been in business 31 years, as Moisturetek had been. Oh well. Then I was told that there had been an error in the number of fittings that had been included in my estimate, and that the correct estimate was $675, not $1025. Now we're talking $675 vs $200. Then I was also told that it might not take the combined six hours of labor included in the estimate, and if so, I would only be billed for the time they were here. Given the cost for the first visit, plus the fact that they had been here for two hours to work up the estimate, I was somewhat skeptical that the final price would be less. The work was completed, by the competitor, in one and one half hours. This included a twenty-five minute round trip to pick up a part that he had forgotten.

unknown

They did not do a good job because one sprinkler head froze and cracked. They will not come an fix it for 3 weeks. Very unresponsive to service needs.

They did a good job.

came on time and did work as promised

They are very prompt and they are very professional. They may have to go thru your house but they took off their shoes. They explained what needed to be done.