Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of North Austin

Baptiste C.

Absolutely overpriced.
My water heater started leaking after the TX winter storm of 2021, got this plumbing company info from the manufacturer website.
They called me at 7:45am on the appointment day asking for my CC info because they charge a $120 service fee!
I call it shady practice because they never mentioned that (overpriced) fee before, they called me before competitors open I am sure to minimize the chances I get someone else.
Guy comes over I show him where the leak was, he did not even bother looking and goes straight to "I suggest you replace the entire unit" along with a 9k replacement quote.

They seem a lot more concerned on getting your money than fixing your problem.

Leslie C.

Well....we had used these guys before and I'm not sure if they hiked the pricing up because we didn't contest last time or what. I don't know that much about plumbing but I have asked around about this last bill and all I am getting is....that just doesn't add up. Seems outlandish, etc. $2,512. Yikes. We had a leak in the wall and we knew something was up but wow. Seems "Isolating lines" is quite expensive....around $400-$500 each line? What does "isolating" mean anyway? I had three of those services performed btw...or so the bill says. This was all done is a small area of our house where the laundry, 1/2 bath, and laundry sink are all located so I grant you, lots of lines but again....$2512????. I am attaching a portion of the bill and if anyone can make me feel better by explaining why it was so astronomical ....I would so appreciate it.
In closing, I am NOT saying they didn't do good work....I am only two days into it but it seems like we handled their payroll for September!

Kimberley M.

So happy to report that Benjamin Franklin plumbing exceeded expectations. I called at 3pm plumber was here by 415. Clogged bathroom sink was in working order within the hour. Plumber also answered questions about long term maintenance of our pipes. Dylan was easy going, professional, and capable. Very happy with the outcome and service.

Mary L.

Pretty overpriced. Over $400 to replace a wax ring on the toilet and replace the valve. I pass

Kelle H.

Ben Franklin Plumbing came out for my emergent water line break. Dylan fully assessed the water pipe and really worked hard to fix, taking most of the day. Dylan took the time to explain all the costs thoroughly beforehand. I will definitely use them again, I fully recommend this company. They also stated there is a two yr guarantee with the work that is done.

Brandon C.

Ben Franklin Plumbing is one of the service gems of Austin for plumbing work. I've known and worked with Fred for a few months on some projects. He and his team do what they say, at the price they say, and at the time they say it - exactly what I want when I'm looking for a plumber. For emergency plumbing work or fixing a slow leaking toilet - and everything in between - they handle it professionally, on time, and at budget. Keep up the great work, Ben Franklin!

Lauren H.

These guys are crooks! My toilet was running even after it filled up. They came out and offered me three options. $297 for a minor toilet rebuild. $402 for a major toilet rebuild or $339 to install a new toilet (not including toilet). I almost chose an option because I wanted it handled. My husband finally had time and went to lowe's. The employee was super nice and said there were only three possible parts that needed to be replaced. He sold us a kit that cost $15 and my husband installed it in 10 minutes. I told the manager I wanted him to remove the trip charge for $59 but Fred Oldenkamp said no that I would pay the $59 dollars because I agreed to pay it. Never use these guys. I received another quote for $85 to install. Please don't use their services. I don't see how they stay in business. They are probably a front for drug laundering business or something like that. Certainly nobody is stupid enough to fall for this!

Dan G.

Abusively priced. Leaking supply water line to water heater required one solder joint and a new flex line. I was not available, so they dealt with my wife. Cost was 50% of a complete new water heater. Same job by other plumber on a different house was hundreds of dollars less than Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. Unfortunately, other plumber was not available, and I had to get on a plane. They were on time and nice people. Quality of repair is fine. I needed to be there to baby sit apparently.

Nancy D.

My experience with Ben Franklin Plumbing was positive. I noticed my guest bathroom tub faucet was leaking on Thanksgiving. I used Angie's List to find a good plumber. I reached out to several, but a Ben Franklin rep contacted me within minutes and set up a "stand-by" (no charge) service appointment the following day. Dave Lambert, a Senior Service Plumber, was right on time. He gave me an honest assessment of what was going on, as well as making recommendations and offering options. He was professional and very considerate. I will definitely consider having BF do the job when the time comes.

Tammy C.

WHOA!! We have a regular plumbing company we use, unfortunately they were unavailable today. So, we tried Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. But... had we KNOWN how EXORBITANT the cost would be, we would have happily waited until tomorrow when our regular plumbing company would be available.

$79 + $58 is AUTOMATICALLY charged. $79 is the "trip charge" AND $58 is a "membership fee." So, be prepared to pay $137 BEFORE anything is done. This "membership fee" gives you 15% off your services... today and in the future. So... that means, with our 15% discount today (remember, it cost us $58) we saved $101.

Let me just point out that our regular plumbing company does not charge a "trip fee" or any other "fee" for driving to our home (BTW, we live about 2 miles out of Cedar Park and today's plumber with Benjamin Franklin was coming from Cedar Park). $79 buys a whole lot of gas.....

In the last 10 years, we have used the same plumbing company, but at least 4 different times we needed to use someone else because our regular plumbing company was unavailable. Those companies did not charge exorbitant prices like this! Today, we had a broken pipe on an outside faucet. The plumber needed to remove 2 bricks in order to access the pipe to fix it. All of the work was expected... the plumber did not do anything we thought was odd. The workmanship seems good. The plumber left here about 40 minutes ago and all seems to be fine, the outside faucet is not leaking.

BUT, just this summer, we had a different plumber come out (because our regular company was not available) to fix a leak on a different outside faucet. He removed 6-8 bricks to replace a leaking pipe that was further up inside the wall. So, today's services were very similar in complexity and time needed to fix. Although, added services today were including the new faucet and valve. So, sure. I'll even add another $100 for these VERY standard plumbing items. An appropriate price would have been $400 for today's services.

Our advice to anyone considering using Benjamin Franklin Plumbing... DO NOT unless you simply can not find ANYONE else. The quality seems good. Again, no complaints about the actual craftsmanship of fixing a broken pipe on an outside faucet. But the pricing for their services are DOUBLE (did I mention that they are DOUBLE?) what you can find with other local plumbing services. So, shop around before you commit to this company, because you'll be on the hook for way more than is appropriate for the services provided.

Wholly crap ---- even more!!!! I just read all the reviews on here and on Yelp! They've been GOUGING people for YEARS. I did not read any of those reviews before writing this one. Unfortunately, my older parents do not understand the value of reading reviews before contracting services. I agree with one of the previous reviewers that said, "I'M OUTRAGED" with these charges --- and I LOVE the review on Yelp that really said it like it is - they called Benjamin Franklin Plumbing "THIEVES". That hits the nail on the head.