Allen Plumbing & Heating Inc

Prior to the work being done, response from the office was very efficient. A time was set for the next week - this was not an emergency. Contractor turned up promptly and identified the issue straight away. Was able to purchase new faucet and install immediately within the contracted hour. Made a great judgment call on the new faucet as I couldn't go to the suppliers. Area around and under sink was cleaned and tidied after finishing. Overall a very professional job from start to finish.

We called them 3 times. One time they showed up and were helpful and fixed the issue. The other two times they cancelled at the last minute.

It took a few interactions to actually have them come over. The technician was very nice and professional and explained the scope of work in detail. His initial quote was way off (2.5 times of what I had) but he emailed me later and gave me a more reasonable price since he found out that the existing pipe size is adequate. However, his final quote was till 40% higher than another quote so we decided to go with the cheaper option which worked well. Overall I would recommend them if you don't mind to pay a little extra but get good service.

Not well - the estimate was very high and it broke within hours and they wanted to charge more to fix the broken piece

Came in a timely fashion to fix a clogged drain, did so quickly and efficiently, and in passing noticed a broken bracket supporting a sink-table in the basement. If the table had broken fully, it would've taken the pipes with it and flooded the basement. He told me about it and saved me who knows how much money and hassle because of that warning.

Allen Plumbing always does a great job, but you pay for it. They are definitely at the upper end of the scale when it comes to fees, but they are prompt, professional, friendly, and stand behind their work. In this case you definitely get what you pay for, which is good, because otherwise they'd be off the list due to their pricing.

Besides finding the leak, they also found a dead rabbit in the basement that my cat had killed and brought home. If they hadn't it wouldn't have just been gas I was smelling.

These guys are the best. I've had them out to my condo for emergency and routine maintenance. Their scheduler, Adam, is always friendly and flexible with my busy work schedule. Mike, their plumber, has always been prompt, professional, and you can tell he enjoys the work. Allen plumbing now gets all jobs out of my condo. It's nice to have someone local you can trust to get the job done right and on time.

Phoned and hired Allen Plumbing to replace a leaking gas water heater mostly based on the positive reviews here. They sent one man and it took him under 3 hours to complete the job. He decided to install a new shut-off valve (no explanation given why, since we had one) and they added a surcharge because of difficult basement access I believe (this is at least our 4th hot water heater and no one ever complained before). None of these charges were detailed on the hand-written invoice. They installed an AO Smith 10-year tank, model no. XCYL 40 300. This is the loudest tank I've ever owned, you can hear it ignite and burn in the kitchen above and even on the second floor of the house. Hot water temperature is very uneven, when I do the dishes it goes from hot to cold and hot again for no apparent reason, even if no one else is using water at the same time. Constantly have to fiddle with the hot and cold controls. Never had this problem with a new tank before. I am still kicking myself for picking Allen Plumbing without calling other suppliers, I am sure I could have had my old tank replaced for hundreds less, and maybe I would have gotten a better tank without the noise and uneven water temperature issues. Don't be lulled to sleep by all the positive reviews here (I know it's so tempting) and make sure to do your research before hiring Allen.

They were excellent. They were very courteous and professional. I may be having them back to replace the water heater.

Allen plumbing was very professional. We noticed that our showers were running out of water faster than previously - not making through one shower, never mind two in a row. Adam in the office responded right away and Michael came over to take a look. Our water heater was almost 10 years old so instead of fixing it and putting money into an old one, when there were no guarantees, we decided to replace it with a new one that would have a 6 year warranty. Aaron came back and installed it. He was neat, clean and professional (even covered his shoes or took them off to not track in dirt). I paid and he was on his way. Later that day I took a shower and the problem was still there. Obviously I was very frustrated. I called Adam in the office back and he said he would send someone out to fix it. Aaron came the next day (I wasn't available later that day when they could have come back). He was very thorough and explained what he was doing. It was decided that the problem could be fixed by installing a mixing valve. He installed it and we now have hot water for two showers in a row like we used to and a new water heater with a six year warranty. I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them to others.

Our heating had failed the night before, and we called them in the morning after getting no response from the people who the previous owners had used. They were able to get someone to our house within an hour, and he was friendly and professional, explaining my different options and never pressuring me to spend more money. They followed up right away to make an appointment to "service" our boiler, as promised--we decided not to do so at this time, but I would definitely use them again.

It all went very smoothly. The pump died on a Sunday while I was away, and Mike showed up the next day (Monday). The two main reasons I went with Mike are that 1) he is very professional, and 2) he was able to install the service valves without having to drain the entire system - a technique which the other Angie's List specialists I contacted had never heard of. On the day of work, Mike showed up on time and got straight to work while I went about my day. The only interruption was when he stopped in to tell me he was done. The next time I need work done, Mike will be the first person I call.

Downstairs forced hot water heat did not work. Diagnosed problem was a faulty zone valve. Replaced zone valve. While there, replaced toilet mechanism. Very courteous and professional.

I lost heat on my 2nd floor (the rest of the house was fine), and knew it had to be either the thermostat or the recirculating pump. Service techs arrived on time, and changed shoes so as not to track in ice/salt etc. The two men went through their diagnostic procedure, turning heat up and down in all 4 heating zones, and came to the conclusion that it was the recirculating pump. They then left to get a replacement pump and one tech returned, installed the pump and bled the system. It took him 1/2 hour. The pump costs $268 at Home Depot, and there was 2 man-hours work (should have been less) The bill was over $750!! That works out to be a 100% markup on the part, and $125/hr (which I guess is standard).

I had a gas furnace that wouldn't light. They came within a couple hours (on a holiday) and got the furnace working. If I have another problem with plumbing or heating, they will be the first company I call.

I called the company's emergency line because we had returned from a midwinter trip and the gas had been turned off for 2 weeks. Our heater wasn't responding at all. I talked to Mark, who called back in 10 minutes, and walked me through he re-start procedure on the phone. It took another 10 minutes. They didn't charge me, and were kind, courteous, and knowledgeable. I plan to call these folks again any time we have any problem with our heater or A/C. They are great.

We had a serviceman from Allen Plumbing come out to replace a pump and so some annual maintenence work. They had done a great job replacing the thermocoupler a week or so before so this was a follow up visit. They arrived on time and did the work in just over an hour. The issue came when we got a call four days later from our tenant saying the heat was not working. We called Allen Plumbing and said that they had just done service and now the furnace was not kicking on. The emergency weekend serviceman responded within 2 hours and fixed the problem. Apparently the initial serviceman did not clean the air out of the lines after the pump replacement. They were very nice and fixed the problem on a Sunday free of charge, but the issue never should have happened in the first place. We will use them in the future because their follow up was so good.

Scheduling was easy, the appointment was on time, and they didn't try to sell me anything I didn't need. Fantastic.

I called Allen Plumbing and Heating on Monday morning and spoke with Michael who answered the phone. My situation was somewhat urgent since there was no heat in the house. I also wanted the furnace serviced and the thermostat replaced. By the end of the day, Michael had visited the house and diagnosed the problem, a faulty thermostat wire. We agreed to run a new wire from the thermostat back to the furnace for which Michael called in an electrician to work on Tuesday. By early Wednesday morning, Michael had finished the job, got the furnace running and tuned up, and had the new thermostat installed. It was pleasure dealing with Michael who took the service call and performed the work. (I didn't meet him; we only spoke on the phone.) I also spoke with Adam who is an office manager/administrator. Both men were very professional, polite, and well spoken. The service I got was prompt and the communications with me, the customer, was clear and timely. However, they do seem rather expensive. I would have given them a C on price, but they got a B, because you get what you pay for, and I paid for and received top-notch work.

I had read good reviews, and this was a local company, so I thought I'd give them a try. The experience was great right from the start: quick call back from a professional person who described how their services work and did the scheduling, reminder call the day before, and a call to tell me when the technician was on his way. Aaron, the plumber, arrived in a big truck with, it seemed, a store-full of equipment available. He was professional, friendly, and most importantly for me (a lay-person who knows NOTHING) non-condescending. He explained how the estimate would work, explained what he was doing all along and how much each step would cost, gave me options and double checked on what I wanted, and even answered questions about unrelated items (i asked about bath tub refinishing in passing). It was one stop shopping for everything I listed above. I got all this done in one morning, am set for the heating season, and have a place I will feel secure in calling in case of emergency. Thank you Allen Plumbing and Aaron!

We scheduled an annual maintenance on our furnace, and we are more than pleased with our experience with Allen Plumbing. When we called to make the appointment, the person with whom we spoke (Adam) was professional, friendly and efficient with scheduling. Our first choice for the day of the appointment wasn't available, but Adam made a note to check with the technician on that day to see if he had a cancellation. Adam called first on that day to see if we were still interested in the earlier appointment and then called the technician to see if he would be able to fit us in. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time, and Adam called us back promptly to let us know that we would have to stick with the appointment as-scheduled. The day of the appointment, Adam called to let us know the technician would be arriving within 2 hours, which he did. Our technician (Aaron) was also professional and friendly, and I found him to be quite knowledgeable, as well. Aaron was patient answering all of my questions and stuck around a little longer to fix an additional problem that I had forgot to mention when making the appointment. He also provided a free quote for a third job that we were considering. Several reviews have commented that the price is high. We would agree with that, but we believe that it reflects the quality of the service being delivered. We'll use Allen Plumbing again despite the higher than average cost because their customer service and quality of work are better than average. It's nice to work with someone you trust!

The hinges on the toilet seat of one of the toilets they installed are peeling, which seems to me to be a structural defect. However, when I called them to see about replacing these hinges they accused me of using some kind of cleaning agent that caused the damage. Since I use Trader Joe's all natural, mild cleanser, this makes no sense at all. In any case, they initially said I had no recourse and weren't responsible. Since then, they called me back and went back to the manufacturer and installed a replacement toilet seat at no additional charge.

Our two first-floor bedrooms currently have HVAC vents but for several reasons our system is insufficient to heat the rooms. Adam from Allen plumbing contacted me the same day by e-mail. I replied with my phone number so we could discuss possible options, and he called me the following day. Adam was very helpful and responsive to our needs due to the unique set up of our house. My husband and I are interested in radiant electric heat in the floors since the bedrooms are on a slab foundation and located on the opposite side of where the gas comes into our condo but were also open to alternative suggestions. We discussed possible heating alternatives. In the end, we concluded I should contact an electrician about the radiant heat, as the alternative heating solutions weren't viable or didn't meet our needs. He also said he would check with his boss to see if he knew of any one in the area who is experienced installing electric radiant heat. Given my experience with Adam, I would definitely contact Allen plumbing in the future for plumbing and hot water heater related needs. I was very impressed with their knowledge and responsiveness.

I gave an F for overall experience because this is the worst situation I have encountered with a contractor of any kind.I gave an F for Price because Allen Plumbing makes the prices up as they go - they have no hourly rate or menu of services.I gave a C for quality. They fixed the problem which is what I expected - they snapped the zone valve on with average quality.I gave a C for responsiveness because their response time was average. I gave a C for punctuality. They gave a window of time when they would arrive and they arrived at the end of that window.I gave an F for professionalism because the owner lied about his position with the company - denied being the owner. Before they come to your house they will give you a MINIMUM cost for the visit in order to diagnose the problem.. You will assume that this is part of the total cost of the job. For example, job is $75, you pay $150. It seems that they add $150 to whatever they decide to charge you. When they come to your house they will give you a MAXIMUM cost for the job. This is before they even look at your situation. You will assume that they have an hourly rate like most plumbers, or a menu of services (example: $50 for a leaky faucet). And you'll assume that there could be parts involved. You also expect that the final price will be justified like an auto repair shop that shows number of hours, labor charge, cost for parts, etc. They WILL NOT provide any of this. We didn't ask. you should. They will have you sign a service "agreement". The agreement includes the maximum price but has no cost breakdown. You think - if this is major it won't cost more than this. What people don't generally think is "if this is minor they will to take advantage of the customer" They do this before they diagnose When you question the bill they will tell you that the price is "how much this job costs". You will ask how much the hourly rate is and they WILL NOT tell you. You might ask to see a menu of their services and they will tell you they DO NOT HAVE ONE. You might even ask exactly how they arrived at the price and they will tell you that the agreement, before they diagnosed anything, indicated a maximum price. When you ask how they arrived at the agreement price they will not be able to tell you. But the price of labor only with no parts is $225 per hour. Since they replaced the faulty valve from my system with another valve from my system there was no cost for parts. They spent 1 hour and 45 minutes to replace a valve which most plumbers could do in 30 minutes, especially since this valve is modular and literally snaps on and off in seconds. I cancelled the check after speaking with the owner (who claimed not to be the owner) and called a couple of other people in the plumbing trade for an estimate of the work. Both gave a price LESS THAN HALF of Allen Plumbing's final price. I offered to pay them half of their bill - the rate that reputable plumbers charge. They refused. I called the attorney general and they suggested mediation - where a reasonable person gives a fair determination of the cost for the work. Allen Plumbing refused to work with a mediator. They prefer to go to small claims court where they will lose. I prefer to pay an attorney rather than pay them. Compare - you go to a hospital because you have stomach pain. You ask how much it could cost. They tell you, depending on what your diagnosis is, that it could be up to $300,000. You understand that if this requires major surgery that it could be very expensive. You are told that, at a minimum, the visit will cost you $1,000. You are admitted and, after 2 hours, it is determined that you have gas pains. You are released to go home, very happy that it is not more serious. When you receive the bill (assume you have no medical insurance) you have been charged $150,000. It is more than the minimum and less than the maximum quoted. Later you find that the hospital and doctor have no prices for their services. It was a slow day and you showed up. Allen Plumbing will respond to this post. They will tell you how professional they are. They will tell you how few complaint's they have on Angie's list. But look down the list and see the comments of the people with bad experiences. The THEME of the negative posts is the same - deceptive billing practices. Maybe they don't do this to everyone, just new customers. Maybe most people, unlike you, don't use Angie's list. I didn't. guess that's why you use Angie's list - to check on contractors you haven't done business with before. They will claim that, over the years, their customers have asked them to price things this way because those customers prefer an up front estimate of cost. But it isn't an estimate - it is a range that they can manipulate in any manner they choose and it is up to you to dispute it. What they won't tell you is their COST PER HOUR or what they CHARGE FOR SPECIFIC SERVICES. They will not tell you any basis whatsoever for their billing. Mr. Allen, what is your hourly rate and would you please post your charge for replacing a zone valve in a heating system? If you answer, your answer will not be direct and it will include some sort of complication that makes it seem that my heating system is much more difficult to work on than anyone else's. This is another THEME that appears in your responses on Angies's list. And in NONE of your responses have you ever indicated an hourly charge or any basis at all for your billing. Why is that? I invite you to discredit this post by disclosing your hourly rate. And please, for the readers, keep it simple and direct.