Wish I had read the reviews first - (I would have chosen MacGregor). Beware, Ballard's will nickle and dime you and there is no guarantee they will fix the problem. After 3 rescheduled appointments because they were short staffed, the tech finally showed up. He was relatively friendly and informative however I saw on my invoice that I charged for the time he was "educating" me about Plumbing. He replaced 4 valves that were all 3 times the cost of what you can get them for online asserting that it is because their parts are under warranty. The parts are, but the time it takes to replace them will cost you - beware. One of the valves was faulty and when Roy showed up to fix it, he simply pushed a few buttons, turned the thermostat, and claimed it was the fault of the thermostat. And that was it! I was charged $90 for a 15 minute "consultation". Nothing was repaired. This company does not provide any transparency in their pricing at the time of the visit. Read the other Google, Yelp, BBB, and Facebook reviews about them, I am not the only person that they took advantage of in this way. I tried to appeal to Ballard's about the invoice asking if they would consider waiving this invoice in light of the fact they did not fix anything to which they said, "No, it will stay on your account and you will be charged finance charges if it is not paid - upon receipt" They care more about money than customer satisfaction. Avoid them at all costs.
Description of Work: Annual maintenance and repair of furnace
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
3.0
value
1.0
professionalism
2.0
responsiveness
2.0
punctuality
2.0
$700
Response from Ballard's Plumbing and Heating
This is a case where the customer did not take our technicians recommendation to replace the zone valves and chose to rebuild them so he could save some money. Now he claims that he was intimidated and pressured into making repairs, even though he was given options and he chose not to take the technicians recommended repair and decided to take a cheaper fix. Before, we went back, 8 weeks later, the customer was told that if the problem was not related to the parts we replaced he would be billed at our normal service rates. He insisted we return knowing exactly what at the charges would be and the conditions that the charges would apply. The parts that were replaced at the customer'[Member Information Removed] request were working properly when the service tech arrived. The tech was asked to leave immediately after he determined that the valve body was working properly. On January 9th we received a request from a homeowner to clean, inspect, do preventive maintenance on a nine zone boiler system that had a couple of zones that might not be working properly in a house he had just bought. On January 23rd we performed the requested service on the boiler. During this service the tech checked the boiler components and antifreeze, adjusted the aquastat, replaced an air vent, purged the system, and found four zone valves sticking and recommended that the zone valves be replaced. The customer was very concerned about the cost of the service call and asked if there were any less expensive alternatives to replacing the zone valves. The customer was given alternatives and chose to replace the valve body using a valve adapter kit instead of replacing the entire zone valve. When the tech completed the installation of the valve adapter kit he cycled the system through several calls for heat. The system was operating properly. This service call lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes. The invoice sent to the customer totaled $445.51. When the customer received the invoice he called complaining that he was not aware of our $45.00 service call fee when he scheduled the service, that we had to reschedule the call because we had employees that were sick, and that he didn't like price of our parts. We removed the service call fee to satisfy the customer and he paid 405.51. On March 20th, 8 weeks later, the customer called demanding a warranty call because the valves to his children'[Member Information Removed] room were stuck open. We explained that if the parts we installed were causing the problem the call would be covered under warranty, if not, he would be charged our normal rates for the service call. When we arrived we found the valve was operating properly, valve body functioning freely, and there was not a part or workmanship issue. There could be a number of reasons why the children'[Member Information Removed] room zone was so warm. Most of these reasons are related to a faulty zone valve, which is why we recommend replacing zone valves instead of replacing parts in a zone valve. Other reasons could be a bad thermostat, a short in the wiring, a loose connection, or a bad transformer. However when our service tech arrived the system was working properly. We could not troubleshoot determine if there was an intermittent problem because the tech was asked to leave immediately after he determined that the valve body was working properly. This customer elected a repair that was not the most recommended repair insisting he wanted to save money. He knew before we schedule the return visit that he would be charged if it was not a parts or workmanship problem. When we arrived we found the valve was operating properly, valve body functioning freely, and there was not a part or workmanship issue. For these reasons we feel the charges are justified.
Sid H.
09/2018
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac
+ -1 more
Great. Prompt attention, fair price
Description of Work: Ductwork extension
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Shawn C.
03/2018
1.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac
+ -1 more
I recently called Ballard's Plumbing and Heating to come out and fix my boiler. The first technician said he had fixed it, but it still was not working. So, they had to send a second(different) technician out the next day. The second technician got it fixed, and also mentioned the lack of knowledge of the first technician. He had missed a safety mechanism on the boiler that could cause it to explode. All said and done I was charged for both visits. I called asking for a bit more fair bill, but the office lady said no. She refused to provide any other contact information for owner/operator. Had the second technician been sent out first I would have saved money.
Description of Work: Boiler Repaired.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
1.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
$521.81
Stephen A.
05/2017
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
Professional, great installation, no surprises or add one.
Description of Work: Replace furnaces.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Carol K.
02/2017
1.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac
+ -1 more
I thought the quality was good; he explained a lot. He was good and knowledgeable. They were good about responsiveness. They have done a lot of work here before. I walked in there because I wanted to talk to somebody about the boiler, but that individual was not there. I never did go back so that is my fault. They are a reputable company and have had their ups and downs like anybody else with mergers and acquisitions and fall out. Ten or 15 years ago they were really good, topnotch.
Description of Work: They were here last August to give us a quote and we never got it. The quote would have been to help us heat and cool which meant pipes and punching holes in walls. It was going to be pretty expensive.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Mel A.
11/2016
5.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
Service agent was very professional and knowledgeable. Completed work in a timely manner while sharing tips to improve furnace longevity. Price was 1/2 of competition and responded in 3 days vs 2wks for competitors. Only negative was 30min late for appt.
Description of Work: Furnace tune up and rattle in vent analysis
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$125
Carol K.
08/2016
4.0
water heater repair
+ -1 more
Okay, No I went in there I tell you I went in there to go see about about getting maybe something that hooked up to my boiler system and they have units that are made right there in Michigan that they warned that are really insulated and so far I'm just really happy with my new water heater.
Description of Work: I used Ballard's Plumbing and Heating for water heaters.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$550
William M.
05/2016
5.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: Installed new faucet
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
stephanie K.
03/2016
1.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: This company said they could fix my hot water heater, they did not. They said they knew what was wrong with it,and that it could be fixed. I paid them, but did not get my hot water heater running. I got a second opinion, and it was dead.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
Response from Ballard's Plumbing and Heating
“We are sorry that Ballard’s did not have the opportunity to re-evaluate the water heater after the initial repair failed to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, the member did not bring any of these issues to our attention until after we started the collections process for an unpaid bill. We would have loved the opportunity to continue working with this member and solve their issues, but the member chose not notify us of any further problems.”
Audrey L.
10/2015
4.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
Ballard was able to send someone out the same day to snake our clogged sink drain. They were pleasant and professional. However, the person they sent out was a subcontractor (which they didn't tell us) and as a result rather than their normal service fee of around $50 they charged us over $200 for 15 minutes work to snake the drain. When I complained they did lower the fee a bit but I still feel that people should be warned - be very sure to ask if they are sending a subcontractor and, if so, what the price will be as it will not be their usual hourly rate.
Description of Work: Snake a clogged drain
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
2.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
$150
Krissa C.
10/2015
4.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
Ballards contracted the work out to 24-7 plumbing. Both teams were very good however they needed to come out to clear the drain a second time and appears to be holding this time. Overall both had good service but since the work was sub contracted I feel it drove up the price a bit.
Description of Work: Snaked floor drain in laundry room.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
3.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$225
John I.
10/2015
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
unknown
Description of Work: Fixed control panel in HVAC system
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
ROBERT S.
05/2015
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
unknown
Description of Work: A/C check, replace filter
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$100
DeKevin T.
04/2015
4.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
unknown
Description of Work: Replace water heater. Did everything well, was please, but maybe on the expensive side.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
2.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$900
Deanna J.
03/2015
4.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: They repaired the furnace. First they changed the pump but that did not fix the problem. They came again and bled the system. That did not fix the problem. They came again and changed a zone valve. That seemed to fix the problem as it has been ok. It was expensive and aggravating. |I would only use them again if I could not find another service person.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
2.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0
$850
Christine B.
02/2015
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
unknown
Description of Work: problem with furnace. Got part replaced under warranty.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
T N.
01/2015
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
unknown
Description of Work: Replace our boiler, hot water supply, and water supply.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$10,000
Caroline P.
01/2015
5.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: We use Ballards for all our plumbing and heating needs.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
Donald S.
12/2014
5.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
Went very well. Serviceman (Randy) was very courteous and professional. He knew his stuff. Everything old came out and new went back in without a hitch. A pleasure to talk to and deal with.
Description of Work: Removed old water pressure tank and pressure switch and replaced with new. Also replaced an old shut off valve which was leaking.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
Biggs W.
09/2014
5.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: Fixed leaky pressure valve on water heater
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$100
dale N.
09/2013
5.0
plumbing
+ -1 more
well i got up at about 1.30am adn heard a noise in the basement went down there and water everywhere i called all kinds of plumbers amd all the 24 hour services not true but i called ballards hot line i told him what it was doing and he told me to turn off the water i did i told him what kind of water heater it was natural gas he said we have one at the shop i will be there at 3 i said pm he said no 3 am in about a hour people at 4am i had hot water again.
Description of Work: install new water heater
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Lisabeth S.
07/2012
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
The service technician showed up on time, replaced my water conditioning system and performed a "tuneup" on my A/C system. The work was done quickly and the price I paid matched the estimate they gave me. Overall, I was very satisfied with the work they performed.
Description of Work: They provided A/C tuneup services for my A/C and heating system for rental property that we own in Michigan. They have also installed a water conditioning/filter system as our property is served by a well which has very hard water. The service technicians are always very professional, show up on time, and their work is done quickly and competently. Their office staff is also very pleasant to deal with .
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,175
carol N.
05/2012
5.0
heating & air conditioning/hvac, plumbing
+ 0 more
They have nice workers. They are highly trained. They are very friendly and competent to work with. They are pretty good.
Description of Work: I use them for plumbing and heating.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Contact information
2111 E Mitchell Rd, PO Box 259, PETOSKEY, MI 49770
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Plumbing,
Heating and Air Conditioning,
Water Heaters
FAQ
Ballard's Plumbing and Heating is currently rated 4.2 overall out of 5.
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Ballard's Plumbing and Heating accepts the following forms of payment: Check,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
Yes, Ballard's Plumbing and Heating offers free project estimates.
No, Ballard's Plumbing and Heating does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Ballard's Plumbing and Heating does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Ballard's Plumbing and Heating offers emergency services.
No, Ballard's Plumbing and Heating does not offer warranties.
Ballard's Plumbing and Heating offers the following services: Residential & commercial heating, plumbing & air conditioning, duct fabrication & snow melt. 24 Hour Emergency Service
Contact information
2111 E Mitchell Rd, PO Box 259, PETOSKEY, MI 49770