Dun Well Plumbing & Drain

Victoria V.

After having a number of different plumbers, services, experts not able to give me an idea of what was going on with my septic / leach field, a friend recommended Dun Well. I talked to Dave on the phone several times to discuss the issues and sent him photos to review before coming out. He spent a long time with his crew figuring out the problem and gave me a very good price for using his equipment to determine the exact location of the blockage and did not stop until he knew exactly what was going on. I appreciated that the price estimate was not given to me until the problem was clear and I had proof with the camera images and the amount quoted was based on the job, not on hourly rates which can be really problematic with these kind of issues. They solved the problem that many before them were guessing about and in retrospect I wasted time and money! Although they got some bad reviews here, I would definitely give them a second chance as my experience was quite different -- possibly because the company realized that they need to be more professional considering the competition. In my case, the company and the crew were courteous and professional and I will be calling them back if need be.

Marsha C.

Dun-Well had repiped my entire house and had done some other work many years ago. They had done an excellent job so I called them without first checking the Yelp reviews. I asked what the cost would be to simply clear out my kitchen drain. The girl that answered the phone said she couldn't even give me a general idea because they would have to take a look at it first. Based on my prior experience with them and the reasonable price they had previously charged, I scheduled the appointment anyways.

I had scheduled the work to be done on Saturday. I waited all day and they never showed up so I called them. By then it was after hours and the guy who answered the phone said I wasn't on the schedule but that he would come out. He showed me that it was a simple cleanout. He quoted me a price for the drain cleanout which was more than is advertised on the radio by other companies. But he was there and my other choice was to wait until the following weekend to have it take care of, so I agreed.

He then said I needed to have my pipes ""jetted."" I balked and said the cost was too high and that I wasn't sure it really needed to be done. But he stressed how important it was and that since he was already there, it would cost me less than if I have to call someone else. Stupidly, I agreed. The total cost to me that day turned out to be way more than I expected. Their ""forgetting"" to add me to the schedule certainly worked out well for them since I did not want to wait another week to get my kitchen drain cleared and I had no chance to see if the price they quoted for jetting the drain was reasonable. Again, my fault for letting him talk me into it since I didn't want to have to do another appointment.

Beginning after the work was done, I noticed there was an odor coming from the kitchen sink when I would drain the sink after doing dishes. Since there was a one year warranty on the work, I called their office. The same girl who didn't put me on the schedule last time answered. I told her the problem and asked if the problem could be related to the work they did. She became very defensive and rude and said ""well, that was last year when we came out,"" as if I was taking advantage of them. They were out late October and it was February 1st when I called... less than 3 months later. When I pointed that out to her, she said ""oh, well, I will check with one of our guys and call you back. She called back and said they would need to come out to see what the problem is. I never returned her call. I did not want to deal with this company ever again.

Cindy Z.

I have a restaurant and I always have plumbing issues. I don't hesitate to call Dave. In the past I've called other plumbers and have been disappointed. I know now that Dave is the guy to call. He is responsible, thorough and gets the job done right!!

Lindsay W.

Dun-Well accepted a work order from my homeowners insurance for a plumbing issue. After being non-responsive, I contacted them to find out when they would be coming & they said they didn't want to do the work. When I asked why they accepted the orders from my insurance company, they conceded & sent someone to my home at 7pm on 1/7/13. The plumber left, after not completing any work, citing that he needed parts. He was given my cell # & requested that he make arrangements to return before 1:30pm the following day. After no response on 1/8/13, I f/u with Dun-Well & they explained that they were waiting for a faxed/signed approval for the estimate from my company. After spending at least 7hrs facilitating this for them, playing middle man between my insurance & plumber, I obtained their unorthodox, yet requested documents. When plumber finally showed up at my home at 5:30pm on 1/8/13, he asked me to sign & approve a handwritten scope of work, which was different from what they had asked my insurance to approve. When I questioned why all of the approved work was not listed on my copy, the plumber explained that some of the work was not needed and/or did not exist. When I asked why they requested approval for bogus work, the plumber called his supervisor and was instructed to leave my home immediately. When I called the supervisor to ask why they had requested false reimbursement, he became argumentative/belligerent. Dun-Well should be shut down for falsifying claims, business malpractice & negligence.

In addition to the fact that we are 3 days into an active leak in our home with no resolution in sight...I am 9 months pregnant and they put me and my 3 and 4 year old children in an uncomfortable and stressful environment with their bad business practice.

Roc L.

I had worked with Dun-Well several years before and had a good experience. My tub was draining slowly so I thought it was time to get my pipes snaked - $95. Not a great price but not bad either. I didn't have a cleanout so I agreed to have that installed (I had been meaning to get that done as in the past but just hadn't gotten around to it). $650 - again, not fantastic but not unfair. Day 1 ends with hole in my front yard and a promise to complete the job the next day.

Day 2: Once they had the hole dug, they ran a camera and convinced me I needed a new line installed between the cleanout and the property line. $3,660. I should have said no but I said go ahead. When you're sitting with your front yard dug up, your plumbing completely out of commission and someone telling you that you've got big problems, you feel really vulnerable. While I was out running errands, they hit the gas line (!) and didn't bother to tell me until AFTER they called the gas company AND let the gas company rep leave. Since they didn't have access to my house, I was without plumbing and gas overnight - in the middle of a very cold January night.

Day 3: They identify further root damage beyond the property line and offer three options: one at $20K, one at $5K and one at $1K. I decline all three. The final option was to hydrojet the pipes - for $1,000. One. Thousand. Dollars. No thanks. They offer a ""deal"" at $600. I foolishly agree. The finally finish the work and leave. I spend over $4,200. That was last week.

Today, I got an Angie's List ad .... ""hydrojetting your sewer line - regularly $575 - we'll do it for $199"". REGULARLY $575! And these guys gave me a ""deal"" at $600. What does that mean for the rest of the work???

They said their work includes a 25 year guarantee - materials and labor. That had better be worth something. Because these people are not getting another cent out of me.

Terry J.

The owner, Dave is great. Our sewage line was impacted today and he came in and took care of it right away. His prices are very reasonable and you can bet your bottom dollar that he will do the job right the first time. His staff is very knowledgeable and polite.

He is our plumber for life.

Charlie F.

hired this company in April-May 2009 to replace water pipes, drain pipes, sewer lines, water heaters, and gas line in a duplex. After paying them in full (more than $ 21,000.00), I discovered that the work was incomplete (i.e. did not brace water lines, gas line, did not brace water heaters). I ended up calling them on multiple occasions and had to write at least 5 certified letters to get them to come in to fix problems (i.e. the holes that they had dug to install new sewer lines kept sinking). Ultimately in October 2009 and based on advice of another plumber I asked them for the approved City's permit (City of Glendora). Initially, they claimed that the job did not require permit; however, after checking with building department, I informed them that the job required permit. They then kept saying they will get the permit but they kept dragging and ignoring my calls until I retained an attorney which wrote to them demanding the approved permit. Even after that, they initially obtained a permit for some of the work and ended up obtaining a second permit on the day of inspection in February 2010 almost one year after they started the work. Eventually had to take them to court (L.A. County Superior Court case# 10J01757) with the court issuing a judgement against Dun-wll Plumbing.

Katheryn M.

Within a month of purchasing our home, the sewer line was impacted. I secured the documents handed over with the purchase and discovered that Dun-Well was responsible for connecting the sewer line less than three years ago. I contacted the owner and he said that if the blockage was before the lateral-line, the company would take care of it.

The technician arrived and there was a charge for every small step he took. He cabled the line for a charge of $150. When he inserted a camera, it was obvious that the line was packed with tree roots. The technician insisted that the impaction was in the street, somewhere in the lateral-line. He told me that I would have to pay an extra $175 to use a device (i.e., a fancy metal detector) to show where the camera stopped. He said that this step had to be done because the only way to fix the problem was to expose the line and put a sleeve in it. I balked at this expense and said that I would take it up with the owner. I talked to the owner and he agreed to hold the check until we could learn more; the check was cashed shortly after that.

The owner is not honoring his word. The device showed that the blockage was at the sidewalk; however, the owner is stating otherwise. The employee and the owner said that the lateral-line went into our property and that it was at a junction in the lateral-line. Blue-prints acquired from a trip to city hall showed that the blockage is at the connection. I was informed by others that the lateral-line should have been examined before making the connection. The technician that connected the line is no longer with the company (they had 12 employees then and they are now down to 3); however, the owner said that he probably notified the home owners. There is no mention of this on the paperwork and there is no limit to the warranty. We are willing to pay an equitable amount for the repair- but all amount the owner quoted to dig up the line and sleeve it is $4,100. This seems exorbitant.

Factoring our experience in with the other reviews leads me to conclude that this company is a decent choice if you want a simple repair that may not lead to complications; however, if you need someone to handle a significant plumbing job, you might want to choose a more reputable company.

Amy A.

I had an unexpected leaky pipe at my garage and I searched here for someone near me. All the reviews were right on! Dave arrived quickly and fixed the problem with ease and an excellent price! Unfortunately, I have an older house so we had a little hiccup with the pressure after he left, he came right back again quicly and fixed the issue with no further worries. He's very honest and will definitley call for any future plumbing issues and have told my friends how great his service was!

Monique L.

It is so hard to know who to trust with contractors but these guys will put your mind at ease. They gave me a free estimate. They were on time for both the estimate appointment and the work appointment. Every one of their employees was so nice and professional. They were able to replace our main water line without destroying my lawn or cutting into my driveway. They did a great job at a fair price and I will definitely be using them any time I need a plumber in the future.