Franco Belli Plumbing & Heating & Sons

Kellyn L.

Manny and Evan came to the rescue! The heat stopped working yesterday afternoon and they came over first thing in the morning to fix it, fitting us into their already packed schedule. They had quite a job to do as the boiler was flooded with water, but Manny analyzed the situation and figured out how to fix everything. He was patient and kind and explained everything he was doing so I could understand what was going on. He and Evan problem-solved and stuck it out until everything was in working order, even waiting through a few cycles to make sure. Manny also made up a follow-up appointment for maintenance to ensure everything is still running properly. Another reviewer called Manny a boiler magician and indeed, he is! If you need help with your plumbing and heating, definitely call Manny and Evan from Franco Belli!

Susie S.

Manny is indeed the boiler magician, as his assistant calls him. He came to fix my boiler after a plumber a few days earlier couldn't do it. He patiently and professionally analyzed the various problems and replaced parts that weren't working correctly. He also stayed after finishing to make sure it properly worked through a few cycles. The man is a genius and both him and his helper were so pleasant and professional. Highly recommend.

Michael W.

Manny came by to fix a problem with our boiler a few weeks ago. He was efficient and neat throughout the whole process. Unlike others I have called in the past, he was pleasant and honest with me. I will definitely call and recommend Manny for future projects.

j c.

Yes, I agree with Belle M. -- DON'T USE THESE PEOPLE FOR ""SMALL"" JOBS -- they send the ""hacks"" out to do them. I had a small simple job (installing a mini radiator), they hire poorly trained people for these jobs -- the first attempt at install was totally screwed up, plus ""hustling"" behavior for the guy they sent out, then they charged me $500 for it. It's like they're using YOU for on-the-job training for their entry-level employees.

In general -- you're going to get screwed in the plumbing business because it's a licensed business that restricts competition. But at least for $500 you should expect a simple job to be done right and professionally -- but don't expect that here.

Andrea C.

Manny was amazing! We had a leak in our boiler room for our 8 unit coop and 4 other plumbers told us we needed to replace the whole thing... we got bids as high as $19,000! Then Manny came by and suggested we look closer to see if its fixable- he discovered the problem was actually a gasket that was rotted and not a cracked section of the boiler as everyone else told us. It was a day of work to replace it, but in the end we saved thousands of dollars and huge hassles of dealing with the DOB etc. Manny is the man!

Kevin O.

Can't say enough about Manny and the good people at Franco Belli. They answered all my questions, did the job, and found ways to save me money by not breaking tile. Also, at no charge, Manny gave me suggestions on a type of faucet to buy, and THEN took my call when I was at the plumbing supply store. When the plumbing supply store sold me the wrong thing, two plumbers from Franco Belli negotiated the return. They were wonderful, knowledgeable, and kind.

E U.

Amazing plumbers!!! I first met them when they fixed an emergency gas pipe leak and I couldn't thank them enough -- beautiful professional job. I should have called them 6 weeks ago when my boiler wouldn't start. I did the mistake in calling Arnica plumbers who installed my boiler in 1998. Arnica's plumber said a part that I needed for my boiler wasn't being made anymore -- so after a patch up job and an 800 dollar bill my boiler only worked for 6 weeks. He tried to push a new boiler on me. So last night my boiler stopped working I called Arnica and an appointment wouldn't be available for a full day. I'm flying tomorrow noon for Thanksgiving holiday and they wouldn't make an exception. I called Franco Belli and that part that Anika said wasn't made anymore Franco Belli found it in a heart beat. I love these guys in two hours I had heat again. They know the trade and they don't rip you off!!! Amazing workers -- thank you so much for being honest and reliable!!!

Clare S.

After experiencing some initial frustrations with the company and posting a negative Yelp review Franco Belli promptly and graciously corrected the issues we were experiencing at no charge.

Belle M.

Update: This company is now harassing me on Yelp. Screenshot uploaded.

Our first interaction was great. They made a speedy appointment and had great reviews. Plumber and his assistant arrived within the window and were very nice. I needed a shower leak sealed, a running and clogging toilet fixed, and another shower head installed. First he insisted there was nothing wrong with my toilet. He said he put paper in, flushed it and it's fine. (This toilet clogs literally every day. The previous tenants had the same problem. I know it's not right.) But he just did an unclogging (which it didn't really need) and went on his way. Then onto the showers, including silicon for the leak -- which I told him I'd already done myself, but sure. Overall they were there for two hours, a third of which was spent sitting on my toilet seat talking to me. Just talking. About contractors and how showers are installed because they recommended I call one about the shower. Despite multiple attempts to end the conversation by saying, ""Ok. I got it. Thanks for coming!"" it just went on and on. I know he was being nice. And it would have been a lovely gesture had they not included this chat session in the hourly rate and made me pay for it. But I didn't complain because, again, he was a nice guy and I mistakenly assumed they'd done a good job. No need to get the guy in trouble.

Fast forward a week. I have to call them AGAIN because the toilet has clogged up at least half a dozen times and it's back to running again despite the first plumber's insistence that it was fine. Another plumber arrives and tests it with toilet paper. He said that while at first there was no clogging, he realized he wasn't using the amount of paper a person normally would -- a common mistake, he says. The minute he used a slightly larger amount, instant clog. He suggests that it's the toilet paper. I tell him this is the fourth variety we've used and it doesn't block the toilet upstairs. He says, ""Oh. Then it's the toilet. You'll need to replace it."" I'm fine with this. I tell him to have his company send me a quote. He checks the leaky shower one last time and confirms it needs a contractor -- I wanted a second opinion after the first guy appeared to be wrong about everything else. He mentions knowing the plumber in question and admits he does get rather chatty. He was here for maybe 15 minutes, I signed the paperwork, and he left.

A little later I get the phone call telling me they're charging me approximately $200 for this visit -- a visit that was only necessary because they failed to properly do the job first time. I tell them absolutely not. The first plumber refused to believe there was a problem with the toilet, didn't properly inspect it, and in 1/8 of the time the other guy identified the problem and told me it needs to be replaced. Why am I paying you for the same job twice? Now at this point I'm talking to the owner, who proceeds to fight me for nearly a half hour. Here are some of the winning things he said:

- So you've just been without a toilet for a week? (No. I've just been doing your job and unclogging it repeatedly.)
- Why did I just believe him when he said it needs to be replaced? (Why did I believe YOUR plumber? I don't know. Reasonable expectation that he knows how to do his job?)
- He thinks I'm ""too excited"". (Really? Are you going to call me ""hysterical"" next?)
- They did their job. It's not their fault it didn't work. (Great work ethic.)
- Why didn't I refuse to sign the invoice or tell the first guy I wouldn't pay him because he talked so much instead of complaining to the owner? (Mind you, I wasn't asking for a refund for those services. Just stating that maybe after all that, charging me $200 for 15 minutes to fix your own work wasn't the best idea.)

Finally, he starts to understand that I'm not trying to rob him blind, and when I tell him I refuse to use him moving forward and to send just me my invoice, he starts trying to ""make it better"". My favorite was when he told me he's not going to charge me so he ""can sleep at night,"" like he's doing me this huge favor by being a reasonable human being and treating his customer with some amount of consideration. He apologized for ""upsetting me"" but after 30 minutes of having EVERYTHING I said be refuted and questioned and essentially having him insinuate that I was trying to put one over on them, I wanted none of it. I wanted my invoice and our business would be done.

Then, as the cherry on the sundae, I get the invoice from them -- the one that I asked include what the plumber said about replacing the toilet and the estimate for it so I can give it to my landlord -- and it just says that the toilet paper is the problem. ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME. The incompetence is astounding.

I still need to get this toilet replaced but I will absolutely be going elsewhere to do it.

Kate P.

We were out of town and my tenant had a plumbing emergency and found Franco Belli on Yelp
It was right before Xmas and it was hard to get anyone to come so quickly. They did an excellent job for a very fair price.
So when his apt. had another issue we called them and they spent 3.5hrs and did a fantastic job. This was the first time we had direct experience with them.
They solved a very complex blockage problem between the washing machine in the bathroom and the kitchen drain in the next room. They really kept at it until they figured the root cause and then they fixed it.
I cannot recommend Larry and his partner highly enough. Trustworthy, competent and experienced. They also cleared up very well.