I would stay far away from these guys. We were initially quoted $4k to replace clay pipes that were blocked. After digging one hole we were told the entire line is full of roots and needs replacing to the street. We were told 3 FULL days of work was needed and 2 more holes needed to be dug. It was explained that each hole was $4k and the estimate jumped to $12k! I am inexperienced and had no idea what the job entailed but after they made it sound like such a massive job and clearly we needed to flush our toilet we agreed. No more holes were dug and it was 2 half days of work! I believe they played off my inexperience and having no knowledge of to what this should have cost. After speaking to multiple people after the fact everyone said it should, have been a $4-$5 k job which initially was quoted. After asking for an itemized bill, one of the charges is $2,600 to fill the hole! I believe we were fully ripped off!
- Approximate cost of services:
- $12,000.00
- Company Response
Amanda,
I'm sorry that you feel like you were taken advantage of, I can assure you that this is not what happened. As this is the first interaction you've had with us, I understand it may be difficult to build trust on first sight. Our main business growth comes from word of mouth referrals and years of trusting relationships as you can see from our reviews.
Just so you and anyone else reading this can understand the process, I would like to explain how these kind of jobs generally work. Every blocked drain call begins with a camera inspection where we locate the immediate problem, and the client is given a price for a "spot repair" to correct the blockage. Once the hole is dug and the entire drain line is now open and dry for inspection we perform another scope to look for any additional problems. In old drain systems it seems that there a 50 - 60% chance of multiple issues. The homeowner or representative is present and can see the roots or other issues on the screen for themselves. Next steps required and possible solutions are discussed with the homeowner which may include more excavation. At every stage of this process, we discuss pricing beforehand and only start work with the homeowners approval. We do not engage in high pressure sales tactics, however any work that is postponed would obviously become more costly once the crew, tools and equipment are no longer on the jobsite.
Most of our plumbing work is broken down as "time and materials" however, drain digs are unique and the industry as a whole only works on flat rate pricing. Based on our experience and feedback received from our customers, we are still very competitive in this market.
I hope this helps.
Jonathan Miljure