B & L Plumbing Service Inc

They seem to know what they were doing and were able to get to repair some aid at the price that they could do it.

I was very pleased with them. I can't remember if they were looking at the sump pump thing or doing the water heater thing. I would highly recommend them. Their promptness and friendliness stood out for me. They got the job done.

They told us they would come out to fix it, but came out and then told us they couldn't do the repair under the warranty. Then they charged us $75 for a travel fee even though they knew they couldn't fix it in the first place.

It was excellent. I have been using them for on and off for a couple of years. They seemed very honest, efficient and does well.

Estimate seemed very high and turned out to be approximately double what the actual repair cost was with another company. We're glad we joined Angie's List to locate another company with better ratings and lower repair cost. Based on referral from a friend we contacted this company for an estimate. Initial technician could not make repair or clean out old drum trap and could not provide an estimate for repairs. An estimator came out later in the day. Initial technician complained about crawl space being too tight and small to work in and advised it would take 2 men to complete the repairs. The estimator came out and said only one person would be required to make the repairs which would take approximately 2-3 hours. After receiving an estimate which we thought was excessive we joined Angie's List to try to locate another plumbing company at which time we learned that this company's ratings were lower than what we would expect.

This service call was related to a previous service call where some other work was done (similar experience). On 10/09 B&L was called back to resolve the issue of hot water not flowing in a shower faucet. Technician stated a part was needed and the office would order it and call back to schedule the repair in a few days. No further follow-up from B&L. Around 11/21 I called them. They did not remember me. Service call got scheduled for 11/25. Long story short (part/tool prices are from Home Depot):|o Repair part - $28|o Special tool to install part - $12 |o Time to install - less than 30 minutes|o B&L Bill - $275.00|o Fault for not checking on-line reviews prior to engaging with them - 100% Mine, but it won't happen again.

Beware of price gouging. Let me say it again, emphasize the word gouging. Gouging - seller prices goods or commodities at a level much higher than is considered reasonable or fair. They tried to charge me $232.50 to replace the fill valve and flapper in a standard toilet. The only reason I got the price down is because I threatened to write review and because the diagnosis on other work in the home was not authorized. Diagnosis $ 62.50 Toilet flapper $ 25.00 Toilet fill valve $145.00 ___________________ $232.50 Tenant contacted me Mon Jan 6th 8AM regarding the main bathroom toilet tank not filling. I called around to several plumbing companies asking prices and availability. Tenant just happened to be at home that day. Other plumbers had cheaper service fees but I chose B&L Plumbing because they told me they had someone who could make it later that day. I explained that the tank won?t fill and asked what something like that might run. They told me it would be $125 service fee but whatever they do is applied to that amount and that it sounded pretty simple. I assumed this is it?s a simple fix there won?t be extravagant extra costs right? Also the tenant said she replaced the flapper herself a few months ago so I?m hoped she just didn't get it seated correctly. So I said let's do it. I arranged for B&L Plumbing to go to fix the toilet. I gave them my tenants?s phone # so they can coordinate with her as well. They tell her they can?t come for 2 more days. This is my first beef with this company. I only chose them because they claimed they had someone available and they just told me they did have someone that afternoon. On Wed a plumber when out to fix. Plumber called me (landlord) on the phone saying he thinks it needs rebuild fill valve and flapper. He did quote me on the phone what the estimate charge would be but I was not understanding how this cost he is quoting correlates to the $125 they say applies to whatever they do while we are there. I had to approve him to do the work or he would have left and I still had to pay the 125 and not gotten the issue resolved. I called the office again to ask her to explain the $125 charge again. She sent me an email explaining it. Email read: ?As you were told on the phone we charge a minimum of $125.00 per service call, of which is applied to whatever we do while we are there. Due to the cost of the parts he decreased the diagnosis fee/labor for you.? Before I even had the chance to see my final total of $232.50, my bank account had already been charged. I?m outraged at the price gouging because I know how much a fill value cost at the hardware store and I know it?s not time consuming to install. The flapper did not even need to be replaced because it was only a few months old but he didn't give me a choice. When I researched on the web, hardware stores sell the fill valve and flapper as a kit all in one for less than $20. Had I known they would gouge I would have chosen any one of the many plumbers I called who weren't available but were cheaper. I understand plumbing companies need to make a profit but this is gouging. I called to discuss these charges and exchanged many emails but I got no resolution. Only told that they would have an office manager contact me. I waited and waited but no contact from an office manager. So I called them again and finally got to speak with Kerri Clayton. After getting very little satisfaction from her, she finally offered to remove only the Diagnosis charge because she claimed he looked at another bathroom the tenant mentioned and it was stopped up. This is true that the plumber did look at another toilet while there, and wanted to snake it, but I told him don't touch it. The tenant did not reported it to me, the landlord, so I will not authorize any work to be done on the other toilet. He didn't mentioned he was already charging me a diagnosis fee for looking at it and determining that it wouldn't flush. To this day the tenant has never mentioned any issues with other toilets in the home. I have to wonder why would a tenant report one toilet but not the other? I found out also that my tenant wasn't actually there that day, they had to work so they had a friend come open the house for the plumber. I wonder if the plumber took advantage of the lack of supervision and just stuck his hand in to fix the flapper then say he did all this work. Neither me or my tenant would know because we don?t inspect the insides of the toilet often enough. B&L Plumbing would not tell me what their labor rate when I asked. Kerri said they don?t have a labor rate. It is my opinion this company gouges big time. I am partly to blame. I should have looked up reviews on Angies List. I should have googled B&L Plumbing reviews on google. When I do a search for reviews for this company, I see 5 star reviews however, those reviewers have written no other reviews except for the one for B&L Plumbing. Be cautious of company reviews by someone who only has one review total.

See above. He quickly and inaccurately diagnosed a problem but he wasn't totally wrong. Think he just didn't want to mess with it.

What we learned from this experience is get a reasonable hourly rate. Not a bid by Job. Try and do research prior. Above all else DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, we have not had a horrible experience with this service provider. In fact, in relation to our plumbing leak, I feel that the company did a pretty good job. We bought our house a few months ago and not long after moving in, one of our shower's pipes absolutely burst in our crawl space. Since we have a home warranty, we filed a claim and B&L came out. They were fairly fast, seemed to be knowledgeable, and repaired it well. The plumber even indicated that if the shower valves needed to be replaced, he would install them with the rest of the work needing done (they didn't end up needing replaced). Overall, it was a good experience. We have had them out again to inspect our water heater and indicated it needs replaced. This time, however, there are non-covered expenses we will have to pay for. Those expenses were itemized and do seem a little excessive for the cost of the items (e.g., installation of a thermal expansion tank to bring up to code for $400, when you can buy one of those tanks at Sears for $70). We are exploring a cash out option on that claim, but depending on what our results are, we may still go with B&L to do the work.

I have used this service provider two times, and have been impressed each time. The individuals performing the work have been very professional, thoughtful, courteous, and clean. I am very pleased with their service.

and came back and said he would come. He came and spent the first 30 minutes saying he didn't have time to complete all the work and estimated 6 hours and $1100.00. He hooked up half the kitchen sink and left promising to come back on Sat. Monday at 7:30 and finish. Friday afternoon the dispatcher called to say he couldn't make it on Sat. because he had a family committment he had forgotten about. I was able to get another plumber who came on Sat., charged me $448.00 and finished in less than 3 hours!

I came home after work one afternoon to find raw sewage in my basement. I had a plumber come out and snake my drain but he said this would only be a temporary fix. He stated I had a belly in my line after running a camera down the line. It was obvious this was the case because you could look inot the cleanout in my basement and see the line was holding water. I had to have my sewer line replaced on my home that is only six years old. The problem was caused by improper installation. My yard had to be excavated from the front of my house to about 35-40 foot out in my fornt yard and the trench was about 9 feet deep. My brother has had some work done by this comany and highly recommended them. Dave came out and gave an estimate that was fair, meaning not as cheap as some, but definitely cheaper than others. The other companies that were cheaper could not really guarnatee their price before startign the job. In the end I am glad we chose this company for our repairs. They ran into a few unexpected problems, but who doesn't when excavating an entire front yard. They were honest with both my wife and myself about any issues that arose during the process and I appreciate that. I would definitely recommend this company and I will use them for my future plumbing needs.

They fixed the leak around the bathroom toilet but did not go far enough to fix the oder coming out of the shower drain, which was one of our main problems. ?

He was pleasant and performed the work adequately. The price seemed excessive.

In March 2009 B&L was called to look for the source of a small but steady water leak in the basement of our home. The source of the leak was determined and an estimate of the job was given. We scheduled work the day we recieved the estimate ($750 plus the service call of $100). Later that afternoon we recieved a phone call from "a plumber" who claimed he "heard about the work we needed done and could do it for half the estimate". We said no thank you (realizing it was the plumber trying to get work under the table) and reported the issue to B&L. Two days later, at 7am the morning work was to be completed, we recieved a call from Charles with B&L who was at our home saying the original estimate was way too low and it would actually cost us about double the amount ($1400 vs $750). Work had not yet begun and we complained about the issues we'd encountered thus far. They agreed to do the work for $750. Charles reported the problem to us verbally and in a written report: a section of a 2' drain line was dug up and replaced in the yard; the line had been cracked as a result of pressure from a gas line which had been resting on it. In December of 2009 it was necessary to call a plumbing service out for what we thought was a blocked line in our kitchen. After two separate companies snaked the line and assessed the problem both came to the same conclusion. The line was blocked with mud at about 10? from the kitchen drain. This put the block just outside the home in the very same location in the drain line B&L had replaced just 10 months earlier. Both companies passed on completing the work until we had addressed the issue with B&L directly. We contacted B&L in January 2010 to take a look at the line again. The weather and the amount of snow on the ground at the time would not allow for much to be done with an underground pipe. After about 4 more weeks we contacted B&L again at which time someone did come to our home to look at the line. This was March 11th, 2010. The assessment made both over the phone in conversations with B&L and by the B&L plumber who came to the home was that the line had frozen and busted. Work was estimated at minimum of $2500 to dig up the very same line we had replaced just one year earlier for $750. Since we have coverage for damage from feezing pipes, we filed a claim with our insurance company who in turn contacted a 3rd party to come to the home to run a camera in the line and confirm freezing of the pipe. In order to run a camera the entire line had to be free of obstruction so they spent a full work day clearing the line. The result of their work was summarized from a detailed report: the pipe did not freeze, it was completely separated just under the gas line as a result of pressure and settlement, again. Photographs were taken showing that no effort was made to protect the drain line installed by B&L from the weight of the gas line that had caused the initial break. The subsequent settling of the earth (after being dug up and backfilled and going through a season of rain) resulted in the gas line resting on the drain line and causing it to completely separate and fill with mud. In the opinion of every plumber we've spoken with (all of whom turned us away urging us to take the work back to B&L for correction), prudent measures should have been taken by B&L at the time of the original replacement in March 2009 to shore up the drain line and ensure pressure from the gas line would not break it again. Measures such as creating a concrete support structure to protect the line would have been of minimal cost both in time and materials. In addition, B&L should have looked for and noted there was no accessible clean-out present for that drain line and suggested the installation of one while the ground was dug up and the walss of the basement exposed in order to aid in any future drain line problems. B&L's service was poor from the get go and quality of work leaves us feeling as though they intended the work to have to be completed again in the near future. Additionally, they state their warranty is 30 days which in speaking with 4 other area plumbers is ludicrous for this type of work that should be permanent and not commonly fail. We are seeking settlement from B&L for extensive rework that had to be done to correct their negligence, including tear out of our finished basement that was torn out and replaced once already for the original job.

The plumber called when he was 20 minutes out - but ran into traffic. He ended up being 20-30 minutes later than planned. He was very nice; listened intently and understood all the issues. Again, the only one the warranty would pay to fix was the diverter. He set to work and fixed it. It wasn't until 4 days later that while taking a shower I noticed the plate was not sealed to the shower stall. I watched water flow down the wall into the crack. Also, the plate has a screw to attach it. He left the screw on the top rather than the bottom. I called to have him come back out to move the screw and seal his work. I informed they ONLY use plumber's putty where appropriate. They do not seal, silicone or caulk any fixtures - nor does the warranty allow for this anyway. What kind of plumbing company doesn't use a sealant! How absurd! He did say the plate simply twists to put the screw on the bottom - would I like him to come out and twist it? I replied that I would take care of it myself and would hire a reputable plumber in the future! If you're warranty firm calls this company - demand someone else! Otherwise you'll need to complete the job yourself!

ANYBODY is betterthan this DISHONEST company. In re to company response. My issue was not with the warranty company, it was with the plumber who came out and attempted to pad the call with overpriced services that were not required. They don't get paid much from the warranty co for a repair such as this so to make it worth their while they pad the bill and rip off the customer. They see a Lexus in the driveway and assume you are both ignorant and have money to burn.

STAY AWAY. They came out on warranty call and suggested unnecessary repairs!

Shortly after my mother-in-law left tonight, we noticed that we couldn?t flush any toilets without it backing up in our basement. . Scott, the on-call plumber called back within minutes of hanging up. He indicated that he would be here in about half an hour. True to his word, he arrived almost exactly 30 minutes later, at roughly 9:50. He brought his rooter machine inside, got to work and was done and out the door less than 30 minutes later. Scott was, without any doubt, not only the best plumber I?ve ever had, he is so far above the quality that I am used to hiring, it is unfair to even compare. I could not be more thrilled with the quality, speed and friendliness of the service we received tonight. We expected the worst, and yet, our problem is solved in time for a normal bedtime.

He installed the TET and I have had no problems since.

He was very professional and helpful. He explained a way to properly solve a possibly costly plumbing issue I had in my basement. He was honest with me and let me know that it was not an immediate problem that needed to be fixed right away. I really appreciated his honesty.

The plumber was knowledgeable and courteous. He put on booties, which I appreciated, but during the time he was here, I noticed that he walked outside in the booties and walked back into the house, thus defeating their purpose and leaving some tracks on our hardwood floors. This was a slight annoyance, but the tracks cleaned up easily with a damp mop. This is the only reason for not giving an "A" for professionalism. Overall, I was very satisfied with the repairs, and his thorough cleaning of the sump pump well. The sump pump was covered by our home warranty service, except for the $55 deductible. The cost to clean out the nasty well was $105 and worth it, I thought, to avoid a re-occurrence! Also, just FYI, the home warranty requires that equipment be properly maintained in order for coverage to remain in force. The plumber showed me the old sump pump, which was covered with gravel and debris; and although it ran, it did not pump water and needed to be replaced. It was necessary for the plumber to remove the sump pump cover, which was sealed with silicone as part of the radon remediation when we bought the home. He stated that he could not re-seal the cover, but I did not think this was unreasonable, since re-sealing is not a plumbing service. (I don't think the company wants to be liable for potential radon failures that could be caused by improper sealing. Before the repairman arrived and again afterwards, I called the radon installation company, by the way, and they said it was very important to carefully unseal the cover with a sharp knit to get at the pump; then they said to carefully re-seal the cover with silicone -- something we could easily do ourselves to avoid a charge $75 if we wanted them to do it.) We hope to follow the plumber's instructions to unseal the cover every six months and clean out any accumulated gravel, moss growing on the sides, etc, to avoid future problems and prolong the life of the pump.

They came when I asked them to and they fixed everything needed. The price was reasonable and they did a great job. I will use them again. They even called me before they arrived so I could meet them form work.

They diagnosed the problem, and said my home warranty didn't cover it. They quoted me a price, and I thought it was too pricey. I ended up using a different company.