Goodman Plumbing

Bob S.

$630 to replace a pressure relief valve in 15 minutes is a complete money grab, and as an experienced plumber, he knows this too. Unfortunately, I showed obvious desperation to get a water pressure issue fixed and this consciously factored into the calculation for the repair cost. He was responsive early on and after hours to one email, but the reality is that he took advantage of the situation and I worry that he is doing the same to all of his customers. For this reason, I would recommend always getting a second quote, ask for itemized costs, and run his quote by a trusted family member or friend to get a independent opinion of the price.
The cost of the PRV is $250 max so that means labor was billed at $380. Assuming 45 total minutes from when he arrived, time to go buy the PRV, and complete the install, means his labor rate is at least $500/hour. This wasn't an after-hours repair either, it was at 10am on a Wednesday and 14 days after I made the appointment. Don't tell me it was in a hard spot to access either because we both know it wasn't that tough plus it took only 15 minutes to replace.
The part that bothered me most is that he could not tell me the cost of the PRV (that he bought 25 minutes before) because he ""just charges it with his credit card so he doesn't know."" That is a remarkably shady and outright awful response and that answer alone should make him ashamed of his own business conduct. He could have very easily checked his credit card account, sent it to me later or just knew the cost off the top of his head because he replaces these exact valves all of the time and 100% knows how much it cost. In fact, it is the same exact model PRV that was installed with my house 9 years ago so it is almost impossible that he does not know the cost of it after replacing over 100+ of these in his 25 year career. It's clear he didn't want to tell me because I would end up calculating the labor costs and realize that he overcharged me for the repair. Even if there is a good reason for his response, then he had the opportunity to explain this to me when he was here, but he did not.
Sure, I could have rejected his quote, asked more questions about the price or called other plumbers, but the reality is that the situation was stressful for me and I made the mistake of blindly accepting his quote. However, this situation cannot be disputed as a prime example of someone who took advantage of a customer's anxiety for their own personal gain. For a company that prides themselves in honest prices and service with integrity, I experienced the exact opposite of these values which is very difficult for me to grasp as a customer. As someone who donates to charities, I can only hope that he uses the roughly $250 upcharge by donating it to one of the charities he lists on his website.
The use of flat rate pricing is commonly very consumer friendly, however it can be used to deceive customers into believing that they are getting the better end of the deal when in reality, they end up paying more in the end without ever knowing it vs. T&M (but feeling like they got a good deal). The research and statistics are there to support this and he has made the decision to knowingly use this tactic for his own personal benefit. Flat rate should be used as an amount not to exceed and can be overridden by T&M if it turns out to be less than the flat rate after the repair is finished. That is what countless other companies do with their pricing. Instead, you knowingly inflate the flat rate to give the impression that you are acting in the best interest of the customer but actually squeezing more money out of them. In the end, you charged me $500/hour for labor. Flat rate or not, do you really believe this is a fair way to price your services? Does honesty include charging $380 for a 15 min repair? The hourly rate is probably much higher because the cost of the PRV was likely 30% lower because of the bulk pricing discounts through his distributor. So $600/hour?
Two stars because his wife was nice on the phone and returned my inquiry quickly.

jimmy o.

If you're looking for someone to respond quickly but I have no other needs in this is your plumber! Suffice it to say that I got suckered into spending $850 for one garbage disposal that I found on line at Lowe's for $350. So there was a $500 service charge to install on the same day? No explanation. Just sign here and pay the bill. Never again!

S S.

We recently purchased a six year old home in Woodfin. The water pressure throughout the house was very low. I found Goodman on line and made an inquiry. Chrys was very responsive and she worked with our schedule. Jacob was on time and within 15 minutes fixed our issue and gave us guidance on any future work we might need. I would highly recommend Goodman Plumbing.

Lex B.

Besides being a talented plumber Jacob is honest as they come.After he completed my job there were a couple of plumbing concerns I had .
He could easily have told me to have him fix them but he frankly said he would do them if I wished but that there was really no need.
How rare such honesty in this day and age.
His prices are very reasonable . His secretary is very competent and nice.
I highly recommend !

Daniel G.

Jacob Goodman is everything you could possibly look for in a plumber. He's friendly, extremely knowledgeable, honest, and fair in his pricing. He was was quick and efficient in installing our Toto one-piece toilet, and then spent an extra 15 minutes examining the rough-ins of our other two older toilets which we also plan to upgrade later this year, and to discuss our planned master bathroom remodel with us. He even made a great effort to get along with our little dog, who barked at him all the while he was here -- incredible, when many other plumbers might have just expressed annoyance. His quote came in considerably below that of another local plumbing company, and he took the time, before he left, to get acquainted with us, ask us where we were from, and tell us a little about himself and what brought him to Asheville. We will not hesitate to use him again for our other plumbing work, which we have planned for later this year.

Rachel D.

Great experience! Jacob Goodman is as honest as they come, punctual, reliable, professional, knowledgeable, helpful and a great plumber. He diagnosed my system, replaced my water pump, came back on a Sunday morning (!) for a related issue and didn't charge me anything for that visit, and even checked out and fixed another unrelated problem on the spot, again with no extra charge. Right from the start we felt confident he was the right man for the job, and felt that way all the way to the end Would definitely use his services again, and will wholeheartedly recommend Goodman Plumbing to everyone I know.

Marie H.

Fast thorough honest service! I made the unfortunate mistake of attempting to fix a leak myself but quickly realized that a professional was needed! Jacob was able to come quickly and assess the problem and very soon we were back up with water and all the leaks were fixed. He came highly recommended by a friend and I am happy to likewise recommend him!

Jo Anna R.

I am so grateful for Goodman Plumbing!
I had a leak and my water had to be shut off...I was anxious to have it repaired.
I am thrilled I found Goodman Plumbing.
Chrys was so kind, considerate and clear on the phone. From the first moment she made me feel like I chose the right people!
Jacob was able to be at my house in a few hours...and got right to work.
He explained everything so well...and did a great job.
I appreciate his care and kindness.
If I ever need a plumber again, I will absolutely call Goodman Plumbing!

Toddy S.

Goodman Plumbing is a great family-owned business! Wife Chris ALWAYS answers the phone! I have called them on several occasions and they were able to fit me in that very day! Talk about service with a smile! Jacob is honest and very thorough. I have referred him many times and will continue to personally use him! As a Realtor, I have come across many dishonest plumbers. You will NOT be disappointed with Goodman Plumbing!!

Ronald T.

Did a fantastic job of taking care of my plumbing problem. Was easy to schedule, was able to call and confirm that he could arrive early, and took care of everything at a fair price.