GENERAL PLUMBING & HEATING CO

They were very clean and exceptional service.

The drain for our only shower got clogged on a Saturday morning. Figuring we could make it through the weekend, we made arrangements for a Monday morning appointment so that it wouldn't be "emergency" work. They were scheduled to arrive between 8 A.M. and 10 A.M. but did not end up coming until after noon. When we explained our problem and asked them about pricing on the phone they indicated that there was an $85 charge to come out and evaluate the issue. We figured there would be an hourly charge on top of that. After arriving (very late) they explained that there was actually a flat fee of $375 to fix clogged drains (why didn't they tell us this on the phone?). We had to choose whether to lose the $85 visit fee and find someone more reasonably priced (and take more time off work!), or just go forward. We were desperately in need of showers by then, could not afford to take more time off from work, and just wanted it fixed, so we forked over the $375. It took the guy less than 20 minutes to unclog the drain. We called the owner of the company the next day to express concern about what we perceived as a "bait and switch" and to try to work out a more reasonable price, but he was not helpful at all.

I do not like this contractor. First off, the company that showed up was Presidential Plumbing out of Stoneham and not General Plumbing. Due to schedule demands and difficulty of getting contractors in the Boston area I reluctantly hired General Plumbing. Essentially the plumber (very young man, not sure if he has a license and helper ) was at my home and General Plumbing was on the phone and asking to help them out by giving the guys some work. They installed my Jacuzzi tub incorrectly with no support AND THEY DIDN'T plug in the motor before wedging the tub in. I had to plug in the motor because it wasn't their problem all of a sudden. In order to get them to come back I agreed to fix the problem myself. (No support under the tub as required by the manufacturer). When they came back, they pulled the tub and just sat there while I fixed. They also promised to pull a permit for the job as the person that did that was "on vacation". I will most likely be suing.

The plumber was here a total of 5-6 hours over several days. He had to leave twice because he said he broke his tools, and once because he said that he had a doctor's appointment. The fixtures he replaced were those he provided, and when I checked the prices on the internet, they were the cheapest of the cheap, and would not exceed $150 total. The plumber knocked a huge hole in the shower tile to replace the shower control valve. The plumber bill, which was in excess of $1200, indicates his labor rate was nearly $200 per hour. He did a shoddy job too. Now that I'm getting bids to replace the rest of the tile in the shower, the contractors who have been here have commented on the poor quality of the plumbers work.

This is the first plumber I have personally hired, but I was surprised at how expensive it was to replace the inside of the tank of an old toilet. The job took about 30 minutes. We haven't had any problems since, and the person who came to the house was very polite and professional. So, I really have no complaints about the services performed. The total price would included an extra $50 for the 'house call', but when I questioned the fairness of adding a $50 surcharge on top of a bill covering services rendered, they agreed to remove that $50. So, the total was $278.

THEY RECCOMEND YOU USE THEM BECAUSE THEY WORK WITH A PUBLIC INSURANCE ADJUSTER, WHO CAN USUALLY GET YOU ALL THE MONEY BACK THAT YOU SPENT ON THE JOB. HOWEVER, THEIR PRICES ARE VERY HIGH, EVEN IF YOU DO GET THE MONEY BACK THROUGH INSURANCE. IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GET A BETTER PLUMBER TO DO THE WORK CHEAPLY, AND FILE AN INSURANCE CLAIM ON YOUR OWN. I DID GET REIMBURSED MORE THAN THE FULL AMOUNT I PAID FOR THE WORK (NOT INCLUDING CARPENTRY WORK TO FIX THE HOLES IN MY NEIGHBOR'S CABINETS), ALLOWING ME TO BREAK ABOUT EVEN IN THE END.