Able Plumbing Inc

My water heater burst in the evening on 4/6/14 and I originally purchased a water heater and installation from Sears on 4/7/14. Sears was supposed to have the new water heater installed the same day (even though they subcontract the installation to another company). After 3 days of issues with the company providing the installation service and not being satisfied with Sears on resolving the issues, I canceled my order with Sears and called Able Plumbing. I found Able Plumbing on Angie's List and after reading the reviews (good and bad) decided to give them a call. By the way, I called several plumbing companies (some from Angie's List) who gave me quotes over the phone and I had 2 come to my home to give me quotes for a new water heater and installation. First let me say, my initial call to Able Plumbing was on 4/9/14 and it was just to have them install the water heater that I purchased from Sears (at this time I was still waiting on Sears to get someone to install the heater I purchased). The person I spoke to (I believe her name was Valerie) was very pleasant and helpful. After hearing about my experience with Sears she was comforting and understanding in my need to get my water heater replaced immediately. She gave me a quote for installation and haul away of the old heater. She also checked with one of their plumbers (Nelson) to verify the cost to have a gas valve replaced and a water heater shut-off valve installed and I was told they could provide service that same day. This was a relief to hear because it would have taken at least another day or two for the other companies to do it. By that afternoon I canceled my order with Sears and decided to purchase the water heater and installation from Able Plumbing. They were more than accommodating to get the installation done the same day, even going the extra mile to pick up the tank I wanted (a 40 gallon tank with a 10 year warranty) from their distributor. Nelson arrived on schedule to install the water heater. Unfortunately the heater I wanted would not fit in the extremely tight space in my home. The space is very close to the furnace and Nelson would need to navigate the tank around a couple of pipes that blocked the area, however once the tank was past the pipes there was sufficient room for the tank to fit. Nelson assessed the situation and stated that the tank I wanted was 20 inches in diameter and he may need to remove part of the pipes to get the heater installed. He suggested I go with a 6 year warranty tank which is 18 inches in diameter and he happened to have one with him on the truck. The 6 year tank would still be a tight fit past the pipes but may be manageable without cutting my pipes. Needless to say it was not my goal or in my budget to remove my pipes and I was dead set on getting a heater with a 9 - 10 year warranty that would fit into the space. My old heater was 18 inches in diameter and had been installed over 20 years ago without removing any pipes. Nelson was very patient, understanding and sensitive to me not wanting my pipes removed and stated that he would do the best he could. We decided to have him come back the next morning for installation because I personally wanted to call A. O. Smith manufacturing company to find a distributor in my area that had the size I needed with the warranty I wanted. Nelson also wanted to bring an extra person to assist him since it was such a tight space. To my surprise the owner Rob Tickle was also trying to assist me in my search for a water heater that met my requirements and went the extra mile to make phone calls as well. In the end, to get the water heater I wanted would have taken up to an additional 2 weeks to have it delivered from the manufacturer to the distributor. After speaking to Rob early morning on 4/10/14 and again understanding my need to have the heater installed ASAP I decided to go with a 6 year warranty tank. The other issue was the tight space in which the heater would need to go. Rob assured me that they would do their best to get it installed properly without additional cost to me. He wanted to take a look at the space personally and make sure they had enough man power to maneuver the heater into the space. About 1/1/2 hours after hanging up with Rob 4 people showed up at my house. Nelson returned as he said he would with George and Rob showed up with Danilo. All 4 men were pleasant, cooperative, professional and most important successful in replacing my water heater without removing my pipes. Rob stayed on the job to ensure the new water heater was in position while Nelson and George stayed to finish the remaining installation including replacing my gas valve and installing a shut-off valve for the water heater. Nelson and George went over the specifics of my new heater and answered any additional questions I had. It's been a month since my water heater was replaced and I have had no issues. I am very pleased with the service all around from Able Plumbing. From the assistance of ladies in the office, the owner and the men who performed the work I couldn't be more satisfied with their professionalism, responsiveness and patience in dealing with a customer in my position. I was extremely annoyed and a little defensive after dealing with Sears and being without water for 3 days...the guys from Able Plumbing was not put off by my no nonsense attitude. In fact, they were very understanding and assuring by putting me at ease and wanting to end this experience on a good note with me being a satisfied customer. I felt they went above and beyond for me when some of the other companies I spoke with weren't willing to go that extra mile or tried to sell me on replacing things that didn’t need to be replaced. In addition to doing quality work, good customer service, politeness and the ability to relate and empathize with a customer is all part of performing a service and goes a long way in my book. The only issue I had with Able Plumbing was that I had to do some minor clean up after the work was done. One of the guys did ask for a broom and dust pan to clean up some of the residue during the installation but once everyone had left I had to tidy up a bit. This was not a big issue for me since the clean up I did was really minor. Thank you Able Plumbing for meeting my needs and expectations.

I picked Able Plumbing based on their ratings with Angie's List. When I phoned them they said they were booked and I would have to wait a week. I had no problem with that because we just kept the water off because it was an outside line. Their plumber, Brian, arrived on time, diagnosed the problem immediately and repaired it, while I left the house, and my husband stayed with him! The whole week I anticipated their having to cut through the ceiling of a bedroom to get to the pipe but the crack was at the spout. They did have to cut through the wall in my living room which we have to have repaired but did not in any way destroy the drywall so we can reuse it. Absolutely fantastic work, and men and company and I'm thrilled to have found them through Angie's List.

This was one of the most pleasant service calls I have ever had! The customer service was wonderful from the start! Valerie, who helped me make the appointment, was a delight to talk to. She was helpful and was able to find a time for me that fit my schedule. Rob, the serviceman, was very professional and explained both the costs and what needed to be done. He did not mind my watching as he worked. He made sure to only open up my ceiling as much as was needed to make the repair. The two jobs were done in under an hour which amazed me considering he had to go out to his truck a few times, had to cut out the ceiling, and had to cut through copper piping. He did a wonderful job and he knows what he is doing. The cost was also a surprise to me! It was way less than what I expected. I had had a previous repairman from another company do work on another pipe a year ago. He did a lot less work and charged me almost as much. I was very happy to see that Able Plumbing did not try to take advantage of me in the way they charged me for the work! Needless to say I am excited to be able to recommend Able plumbing to anyone of my friends or neighbors!!!! The price was right and the service was fantastic!

We were pleased with the service provided and felt that the price charged for the repair was reasonable. We would recommend this company to others.

It was outstanding! The kitchen sink was slow/backing up. I had removed the elbow and done everything possible but it was still filling up and draining very slow. Able came (2 people) diagnosed the problem, brought in their equipment and snaked the draing all the way through the house. It now drains very quickly and my wife is very happy! great job - men were professional, neat and courteous and the woman who scheduled, called ahead was very well organized, pleasant and professional. Overall - Able is a solid award winner.

I've used the company on several occasions, and I've always had good experiences. They always send the same plumber, and he arrives on time, acts professionally, and does quality work. Ultimately, I have no problems with the company's services.

We had a clogged kitchen sink and were unsuccessful at "snaking" out the clog. I found Able Plumbing on Angies List and called them. Danito and George were at my house w/in 3 hours. They were able to unclog the sink w/in an hour. They were friendly and professional. The only drawback was it cost $353.00 - but I know plumbing is expensive!!! I would use them again.

While Rob was doing the work he noticed my garbage disposal was cracking in half so I had him replace that too. While he was there I asked him to look at my toilet and shower faucet. He also repaired those. He gave me all the paperwork and warranty information for the disposal and I would highly recommend Able Plumbing. They do honest work and they are reliable.

Danilo was terrific! He was able to immediately assess the problem and was very thoughtful in trying to cut as little drywall as possible. After replacing the damaged portion of the pipe, he even vacuumed up the drywall dust. We were very impressed. We also thought the price was very reasonable; especially for work on a Saturday.

They were so good and they have been back since. They are excellent guys. I saw them on Angie's List and they were recommended. So I went with them the first time and they were very competent and very careful. They are also friendly. Everything that you would want in a contractor. They are very professional. They lay down a cloth underneath where they are working so they don;t damage your floor. They clean up completely after they are done. They are a great bunch of guys.

Nelson arrived at the expected time, gave me a quick estimate, and started the work when approved. He was profession, courteous, on time and completed the work as expected.

Brian and Kevin arrived promptly and did the job within a half an hour. They left the kitchen clean. Better than I would of left it. I also had a coupon the cost was much smaller than the estimate Mary and Valerie quoted me. Yes I will used Able Plumbing in the future.

I realize the man was trying to do his job. But he really wanted to sell me a new (expensive) toilet. When I gawked at the price, a second suggestion was made to replace all the inner hardware (also expensive). I wasn't ready to take that 'plunge' just yet. I regretted that I hadn't waited a little longer. It's now a couple months later...we have the same toilet and the problem corrected itself. It pays to wait awhile if your problem isn't 'urgent.' I'm out $77 with absolutely nothing to show for it. What ever happened to 'snaking' toilets. It seems that might have been a good idea.

Very dissatisfied inn the attention to details. Rings around the pipes were not replaced when the pipes were. Toilet was installed crocked. Painter straightened when he painted. Utility sink was installed arelessly. Blocks of wood and pipes are slapped up with no attention to what it looks like. the sink is not stablilzed. I have called several times with no response. Another indication of the don't care attitude.

Work went well and did good job. Very professional. Issue is the after the fact. Have a kohler shower and they had to order part to fix. I have called 3 times since appt to see when can install part so can use our shower. First time we waited 1 week thinking someone would call, but no one did. So we called and they told us we will get back to you. Waited three more days no call, called again was told will get back to me. Waited another week nothing. Called again spoke to plumber was told will get back to me not sure why part was not in. Now two weeks later no call back. I am done with it. So if you have kohler or a part that requires to be ordered or a follow up do not use. If need something done you supply parts probably ok.

We had Able plumbing out to fix a leak in a water pipe near our furnace. We also needed a leak in a pipe that services the furnace. I was extremely pleased with the responsiveness and care our plumber (Bryan) took with the job. The pipes were fixed and I immediately scheduled him to fix an issue with the water in our bathtub/shower. Bryan took it upon himself to reschedule us after a snowstorm, even though the company had called and said to contact them about rescheduling. Which, with three young kids, I didn't get to that day, so Bryan's thoughtfulness was much appreciated. Bottom line from our experience - you get quality work, at a decent price. In a world of "have to have it right now" these folks aren't going to give you that (unless its an emergency), BUT they will get to you as soon as they can. They will assess the situation and devise a fix and follow through with that fix (as neatly and cleanly as possible). In the end, I would much rather have that attention to detail when they are here rather than someone speeding through a job to move on to the next person. Glad to have found Able plumbing. We will continue to ask for Bryan for sure!

I just moved into a new home and was having issues with the water connections to the washing machine which had been shut off due to the home standing vacant for awhile. I contacted Able Plumbing via Angie's List and was able to set up an appointment on a weekend when I was off from work to come look at it. He moved the stacked washer & dryer out of the closet so he could get at the connection, determined that the faucets were actually plumbed in reverse (i.e. the hot tap was the cold water, and vice versa). He replaced the rubber hoses (of unknown age) with new steel braided ones since I don't want to be responsible if those failed and flooded my downstairs neighbor. I decided not to open up the wall to correct the taps at this time because shutting off water to the building requires two weeks notice. He also did a visual inspection of all my plumbing and explained where the shut off valves are and other important things for me to know - like one of the faucets uses a filter and when it starts acting stiff it will be time to replace the filter. He demonstrated and explained everything in clear laymans terms and I appreciated the information. Yes, the home inspector had gone over some of this info, but there were so many things to remember that day it was good to get a refresher on this information, plus he added a number of things the home inspector hadn't mentioned. So while my plumbing wasn't an emergency he gave me great tips to prevent ever NEEDING to make that emergency call. He was friendly, professional, and explained everything clearly. I will use this company again if I ever need plumbing work done.

We discovered water pooling around kitchen counter on a Saturday morning. Traced it to pipe feeding kitchen sink. Looked like it was coming from around wall -- not good! This was a Saturday on a three-day holiday weekend, and it had been bitterly cold around DC for days, so we were hoping all the good plumbers would not be booked up fixing freeze-damaged pipes. Picked three highly rated plumbers from Angie's List. First two said they couldn't come until Tuesday morning; so we tried the third on our list, Able Plumbing, and were told they could stop by that afternoon. Got a call back a half hour later, about 10 a.m., and said they had a cancelation and would be over by 10:30, which they were. Plumber contorted his body under the kitchen cabinet to get a look -- sink is in a terrible location for accessibility -- and needed only a few seconds to say "bad news, leak is in the wall," and would need to replace rotted pipe in there. Would thus be a pretty big job. Said repair would be about $700 to $800, and they would need to come in through the living room side of the adjoining wall. They needed to get supplies for the job, and said they would be back first thing Monday morning, and they were. I think it took the plumber and his helper 3-4 hours to do the job. A week or so later we hired Evans Home Repair to patch the drywall (see my review under "handymen"). My wife took advantage of the situation to buy a new faucet for kitchen sink, which they also installed. Looking at bill, it lists about $130 in parts (not counting faucet, which we bought ourselves), and $689 for labor (including the faucet install). Overall, we are quite pleased with the plumbers' work, their excellent responsiveness and fair price. Was not an easy repair! Would use them again. Interesting note: when my wife said she wanted to also get a new faucet installed, I told her I would run up to Home Depot and buy one. The plumber (sorry, can't recall his name -- tall guy) strongly urged us to get a quality faucet, and suggested a plumbing supply and fixtures shop called Ferguson (I think in Alexandria), which is where my wife bought the faucet. I thought this was interesting, because you might think a plumber would be happy to see you buy a cheap faucet, hence possibly a sooner repair job for them down the road. But they instead urged us to spend a bit more and get something that would last longer. I like that attitude!

Excellent job. They provided quick service (about an hour after calling) for a problem that needed resolving immediately since our kitchen sink was backed up. They even repositioned the dishwasher drain hose at no additional cost.

I was able to get an appointment very quickly. I was given a window of 8 -10 am, but was told mine would be the first call because of proximity. On the date of the appointment I arrived at the unoccupied empty house (we haven't moved in yet) just before 8 am with something to occupy myself for a bit. At 10 after 8 I called the office to be sure they had the correct number to contact me, and to check on the arrival time. I was told that the plumber would be on his way after a meeting, in about 45 minutes! That was a surprise. I received a call at 8:30 saying he was on his way and would arrive shortly, which turned out to be 9 am. I would have liked an extra hour of sleep. The young man was polite, spoke knowledgeably when I asked questions, and was able to give me rough estimates for possible future work. The service call fee was $97, and I had my Angie's List first time customer $20 discount. The job took 15 minutes and it was worth the $82 I was charged. My only complaint was the waiting time.

I had a leak under the kitchen sink, and called Able Plumbing. They were able to set up an early appointment for Saturday morning at no extra charge the weekend. Bryan C. came on time and found the source of the leak. The faucet plumbing had deteriorated, and he was able install a new German-made faucet (I do not buy Chinese unless I absolutely have to, so I was very pleased). It has worked well. Bryan was very pleasant and professional.

Was very smooth, very professional. They even put on disposable "booties" over their shoes so they did not get my carpet dirty. They were fast, and since plumbers work by the hour that is appreciated, the over cost was very good.

They did a good job. A little pricey though.

They were great -- so responsive from the time I called for an estimate until the day they showed up for the work. They were honest and only gave us the services we needed, I never felt like they inflated issues or created extra work for themselves. They showed up on time and worked quickly. In addition to laying down protective coverings over our carpet, they completely cleaned up after themselves. Their work was fantastic and they gave us recommendations to help us save money. I would highly recommend them and plan on using them again in the future.

For the shower valve, they did a good job and for the toilet I wish they had replaced the handle. Scheduling was adequate. The plumbers were very friendly and good with customer relations. The prices seemed in-line with other plumbers.