Gold Medal Service

He did an excellent job, but I think a little too expensive. He showed up on time and was a perfect gentleman. Everything was good except the price.

A vent on one of my steam radiators started spewing steam, turning one room into a virtual sauna and leaving the rest of the house chilly. This is normally a DIY repair, but I have trouble with these things due to tendonitis and I also wanted someone to take a look at a leaking valve on another radiator. I called Water Works - I remembered using them years ago, I vaguely recalled that they were kind of pricey but other than that didn't remember anything "bad". They were very polite and pleasant when they took my call and scheduled someone to come out the following day between noon and 5 P.M. They called when the technician was on his way and he arrived around 4 or 4:30 P.M. The technician was polite and neat, and wore little booties to keep from dirtying my floors. I showed him the problem radiators - he also took a look at my heating system and pointed out a safety issue - a cutoff valve that wasn't working. So far so good. He then gave me a written estimate of the work - over $200 to essentially replace a $15 part. Kind of steep for such a trivial task, but I agreed because I couldn't stand another day of the steam/cold. The work was performed very neatly and up until that point I was fairly happy. Then came the up-sell. He pointed out steam escaping from the new valve and tried to convince me that 1) he couldn't warranty the valve because of that and 2) that this was happening because "water wasn't returning to the burner" probably because the "return pipes were clogged and needed snaking" to the tune of about another $400. He also said he "couldn't guarantee that would fix the problem." Hmmm... Here's the thing: steam heat valves DO emit steam normally. They emit a lot of steam and/or water if the system gets overfilled (which can happen with a faulty cutoff mechanism, which I had). And in a single pipe steam heat system like mine, there are no "return pipes" - what goes up comes down the same pipe. Furthermore, the pipes in my system are ANCIENT, with ancient insulation - disturbing that insulation poses a considerable health and safety hazard. Very scary that he was prepared to start messing with it right then and there! Playing along, I said I needed to think about it and would let them know. He made another comment about it "needing to be done" (although earlier he couldn't guarantee it would do anything?). Despite the neatness, punctuality and quality work replacing the vent, I rated this company D for professionalism, because to me, trying to peddle unnecessary services in an attempt to inflate prices is very unprofessional.

We got off on a rocky start because the estimate required two visits from two different technicians. Neither of the techs communicated with each other so each visit seemed like starting from scratch. We were given an estimate verbally by Luis. I was able to secure a written estimate from Shawn, a service manager (thank you). Shawn even helped by reducing the initial estimate. After voicing my concerns about the work and the professionalism of the technicians, Shawn sent Frank and Alex. Frank and Alex were a pleasure to have in our home. They were professional, courteous, clean and thorough. Frank and Alex went above and beyond what was necessary. They were able to do what seemed impossible, fish PEX through my ceiling and wall and still make only small holes in our drywall to do so. They saved the cut out drywall pieces for me and the holes were small enough that I patched it myself. We are grateful for having heat again and the excellent job that Water Works performed. A big thank you for Frank and Alex.

The cost was exorbitant. Their work was sloppy. They were a half hour late.

Kevin Nolan was my service technician. He was very knowledgeable, courteous and quick. He set expectations and exceeded them. He also alerted me to the fact that my boiler needed replacement as well and gave me a ballpark estimate for that, too.

Perfect every time, no matter how big or small the job.

They were very good. The guy we had was very knowledgeable. He took his time and explained everything. He cleaned up everything and was very friendly. Their price was a little high.

I called and with an hour someone was here. The estimate was right where I hoped it would be. Ken, the man they sent, was pleasant and respectful of my time and home. The work was done quickly and he cleaned up after himself.

The person who answered the phone was very responsive and professional, the technician who came out to the site - a rental site occupied by tenants - was courteous to the tenants, fixed the small issue and informed them about the second issue as not being fixable.

They were pretty good in responding to my call. They gave me an estimate and they were highly priced. They were very professional in the estimate process, but they did not act like that when they did the work. They were not on time and they did not do the job like they said they would.

They gave me a quote which was little less than I had gotten from other companies I checked out. They had uniforms on, so I could tell they were professional. I felt very comfortable. It was raining that day, so he had covers on his shoes he could take off so he didn't track mud in my house. They went the extra mile and I'm happy.

The technician, Sal, came on time, maybe even a few minutes early. He told me that he had serviced the house in 2005. I looked back in my files, and found that yes, he had made the same repair almost exactly 3 years ago. He made the repair very quickly. When settling on the cost, he took into account that he had made the repair 3 years before and was able to give me a lower price.

They promptly sent someone who gave a detailed written proposal. That was fine, but then it got difficult. There was pricing with a 'plan' and without. That's annoying, as I was forced to listen to the sales pitch to understand the pricing. Pricing was 2-3 time more expensive than competitors quotes. Not to exaggerate, I was quoted $3,700(with out plan) that I got two competing quotes for about $1,300. It was the same thing for the other items. The worst part - I kept getting calls from the office staff asking if we had any questions about the pricing or the plan, and after the first two calls, called and asked when we would be able to give them an answer. Needless to say, I chose one of the other plumbers who I felt more comfortable with. Estimated cost was $5,000.

A week before Christmas I discovered that the one remaining (15-20 foot) section of cast iron waste main in my basement was rotting and sewer gases were freely entering. I called Monday and requested Ryan who had done a previous job for me. He came Tuesday AM with a helper and diagnosed a major hole in the main (see pix), suggesting a temporary fix immediately but to return Friday to reroute the permanent fix around perimeter of basement (as described above). This was something we had wanted to do, and I assumed it would cost more but Ryan insisted it was actually easier. That day, they replaced the rotten section with PVC temporarily in the same configuration, just to close up the system. They returned Friday (while a separate team from same company was working on my boiler, see separate review) for permanent reconfiguration, which included all the remaining work described above. Ryan and his helpers Gus (Tuesday) and Juan (Friday) did great work. No more smashed heads or sewer smell!

This company has done good plumbing for me so they were my first choice for the boiler. Of 3 estimates I got from different companies, theirs was highest where other 2 were identical to each other. I don't love to haggle over price, but when I asked for a reconsideration of estimate to "get in the ball park" because I really wanted them to do the work, supervisor/estimator brought the price down enough that I was happy to give them the job. Time from agreement to performance was three days. They obtained all permits and arranged for delivery of new equipment, cheerfully navigated my horribly icy and snowy driveway, manhandled everything in and out neatly and carefully, and weren't bothered by my hanging out with them all day to watch. I must add this work was done cheerfully, professionally, and four days before Christmas! Pipe work for new second-floor zone was done same day; new thermostats and wiring was done a week later. Our house is so comfortable now with the zones!

Evaluated the situation, gave an estimate. Good work.

Ryan V. came out on a Saturday to try snaking our one and only tub drain; this did not succeed (as we expected) so he returned on Tuesday morning to replace the section of waste line. Appt was for 8 am; he did not arrive til 9:30 but had been delayed by an emergency call, and brought supervisor Bob with him instead to speed the job. There were no problems removing the old pipe or installing the new. The job was completed within the time I needed it done, about 3 hours, so I was well able to use the bath when I needed to and get to work on time. Wore booties and took many precautions to prevent mess, even cleaned my bathtub when the job was done. Friendly and professional!

I had used this company once before. When I called, the person saw my name and address on file, asked me what the problem was and said she could send someone out to check it within the hour. She wouldn't give me a price--said the mechanic would tell me after he had checked everything. The repair person arrived just 25 minutes after that, very polite man who put on little booties before stepping into the house. He first checked the downstairs inside unit then went outside and did electric tests on the outside unit (while I watched). When he found the faulty part, he removed it, showed it to me, and said that's what needed to be fixed and explained what had happened. He went back to his truck, wrote up the repair order, came back and showed it to me. The price was higher than I expected--he told me I could reduce the price and arrange for spring/fall turn-on/turn off of the air/heating systems by taking their yearly service plan. I did, and he did the repair. The unit worked fine.

It went ok. Had to cut open the Sheetrock ceiling at the foyer and kitchen and it was found that the leak was originating from the bathroom on the third level. The wall right beneath the sink was cut open too. The fix is good so far. The first 2 appointments were canceled because of delay. The person showed up the third time. He was professional. The first visit was to provide estimate and it was around $300 for diagnosis. Then on the second visit he did the diagnosis. He then provided another quote to fix it (another $300) on the same day. I think it was a rip off but had to go with it because of time constraints.

Ken was on time, worked neatly and did a great job.

They were great! They were on time and friendly and they have done other work for us as well.

The plumber was excellent. He was prompt, skilled and courteous. He was able to repair my problem in about a 1/2 hour. The cap was partially covered by the new driveway. He dug out the cap, and then spent time removing the access cap top which was caked shut with driveway sealer. Once the access top was removed, he replaced the cap at the appropriate level and set it with concrete. I was very pleased. I even called the inexperienced driveway contractor and explained how to raise a cap in case he came across another one in the future.

Called faucet company and they sent me the parts. Job was too much for me and I called Water Works to help me. Tech was there promptly on a Saturday. Was there about 40 minutes. Did a very nice job. Put booties on his feet. Price was a little high even though he did a fine job. When he left there were oil slicks all over the driveway. Called and complained. Service was fine but the oil was what ticked me off.

I called and complained to the service manager who apologized and said he would mail my check back. The tech Luis also called to say sorry and not to get him in trouble, he has a family to care for. After a week of NOT getting my check back, I called again and Bob the service manager delivered my check in person after I said I would call my lawyer. I would NOT use this company for the fact they are a RIP off and dishonest. I called another company who put freon in for $19 a pound and I don't need new units!!! There was no reason for all the drama.

Overall we have had a great experience with Water Works Plumbing & Heating. They come regularly with out having to call each time. Water Works always calls us before they come to make sure it's convenient for us. Their quality of work is very high as is also the case with their professionalism, courteousness, and cleanliness. We can always depend on them.