Lincoln Sewerage & Drainage

Joyce C.

I have hired Lincoln Sewerage to install my sump pump and battery backup system three years ago. Lately my tenant has complained that the sump pump may not be working and I asked them to come out and check in the sump pump to ensure it's working. Apparently the worker didn't plug in the sump pump before they left and my basement is now flooded. I called Robert and he refused to take on any accountability and yelled at me over the phone. They were the last persons that touched the sump pump and it was simply ridiculous to argue with me. He said he was coming the next day to check on the damage and he was a no show. It's extremely unprofessional and I'm very disappointed with their service and I will never use them again. Be aware. I would give them zero star.

Lisanne F.

Janet (answering service) said via Yelp that Robert would call. He did (at length, he's overly chatty). Service call: $125. He uses Zoeller. Hired. Said HE'D see me between 9:30-9:45 Monday, except two men showed up instead. Guys (never introduced themselves) said unit required a 2"" pipe; they'd brought a 1 1/2"" M95 unit I requested (not a big deal, water can eject out of 1 1/2"" pipe equally well, just add a 2"" to 1 1/2"" coupler). But Robert said via cell they got the wrong pump. He said I needed an M267; I took him at his word. I asked guys if they were going to drill a weep hole (due diligence!). They asked ME for a drill! (Also I'd drill the PVC pipe before attaching it to the pump but that's just me.) After installation, I asked for the box, which said WASTE MATE but we only pump rain water. Later, when pump went off, it banged so loud, our dog barked (I thought UPS threw a boxed brick against our house). After a record length phone discussion complete with yelling and cursing on his part, Robert said he replaced ""like with like."" I said Why, when the model I chose costs less and performs well? The M267 was $50 more. After he calmed down, he agreed to install a new check valve (should have been replaced when new pump went in) himself and give me advice about flooding control because ""keeping customers satisfied"" is Lincoln's biggest goal after solving flood problems. Where does throwing a foul-mouthed hissy fit belong, goal-wise? We agreed on 9 am Thurs. At 7:10 a.m. Wed. (too early to call customers), Janet left a message saying Robert couldn't ""make it today."" Well, good, because appointment's for Thursday. She says he'll call me back. He does not. Janet calls around 9 a.m. Thurs. to say Robert will arrive at 9:30. Lucky for them I work from home. I connect our garden hose, drag it thru the basement, bad check valve is switched; banging problem solved. I called Janet to request my 5-days ago promised receipt and a copy of the waste pump receipt (3-year warranty) because with a temper/heart problem, Robert likely won't be around in 3 years. I received the receipt via email (can always count on a woman for follow through). Because Robert told me what I owed over the phone (cell phone reception was distorted), I ended up paying $10 more than the receipt total. You could not pay me to deal with Robert Heath ever again.

Service Providers:
1) Never ever yell at clients. Interact politely and without cursing. It doesn't matter what kind of day you're having, remain professional.
2) Don't talk clients to death. Keep calls focused on the project at hand.
3) Don't say ""I will see you at 9:30"" then send two guys in an unmarked truck who have trouble understanding English and don't shake my hand/introduce themselves.
4) Make sure all personnel wear appropriate clothing so clients don't have to look at hairy unattractive butt cracks.
5) Crew should ALWAYS test what they've installed PRIOR to leaving the premises. The guys left without running water into a newly-installed pump. That's sloppy. No previous plumber ever did that.
6) A work receipt should be provided at time of payment. I should not have to call the answering service 5 days later and ask for one.

Clients:
1) Do your research. You have smartphones, it's not hard to read the interesting things customers have to say about products.
2) Ask prior to service what type of payment is expected and ask provider to make sure a receipt is given upon payment.
3) Ask for box appliance came in so you know you got what you requested.
4) Don't let a provider leave without testing the appliance!

Steve I.

Lincoln Sewers has earned my trust after taking care of two major sewer line problems in my two flat. Every time they have done solid work that was not cheap but always a good value. Their guys are upfront with pricing and not afraid of hard work.

When I had water backing up in the basement they came and assessed the problem, and cleaned the catch basin while they were here. The main sewer line to the street was the problem. They would need to run a camera to find the exact problem, then dig it up and make the fix. Estimate $125 to camera, then they could say what and how much. ""At least a few thousand"" depending on how much digging and pipe. I had them do it. They had to replace only one section of pipe and the rest looked good all the way to the street. For a few thousand they did that, installed a clean out, replaced the concrete and replaced the floor drain in the laundry room because it had no trap. I was very satisfied.

Andy K.

Robert and his crew do excellent quality work for a fair price. They are always on time, polite and most importantly they are trustworthy. Over the years we have had them do everything from rodding lines to digging up our yard to replace a broken pipe and have been pleased with their service every time. At this point I won't let anyone else work on our sewers.

Patrick K.

After moving into our new (to us) home, our new neighbor stopped by to let us know we were spilling sewage into their side yard.

Phil came out and spent a few hours trying to clear the line, but ultimately couldn't get through the blockage.

He did, however, make it far enough to determine it was the city's problem to resolve. He then coordinated with the city inspector to come out and confirm this and get us on the city's schedule to resolve the problem.

All this while my wife and I were in Japan.

Phil, Jan and the rest of the Lincoln team get my highest recommendation.

Beth P.

We had an emergency Saturday morning and I called Lincoln and they were out in less than 30 minutes! Jan the office manager was great to work with and Phil is so nice and was able to figure out our issue very quickly. They moved some appointments around to accommodate our situation and charged a very fair price to make some repairs. They then got us on the schedule first thing Monday morning (a holiday at that) and not only showed up on time but 30 minutes early! They charge very affordable rates, are reliable and hard-working. I will only use Lincoln from here on out (and we've used a lot of plumbers and contractors in our homeownership days!)!

Cathy B.

Courteous office staff who immediately got someone to follow up with me when she found up they hadn't returned my call from yesterday. Phil the owner explained that catch basins for single family homes don't have to be pumped out. Just need to scoop clean the sediment and solids out and rod the line every 2-3 years. PHIL and his assistant were able to do this afternoon for $225. Another bigger sewer plumbing outfit told me I had to have my catch basin pumped and rodded and quoted me $950. I appreciate Phil's honesty and affordable capable response. I will definitely be calling Lincoln Sewer again to take care of my catch basin.

Nancy V.

I am perplexed because I used this service once before and I don't recall any problems. Perhaps ownership or management has changed. I needed service for a plugged kitchen sink. They sent 2 workers who were unable to solve the problem; the office told me later that they aren't licensed plumbers. I asked if someone more qualified could come take a look. After a couple more phone calls Robert finally called; he didn't sound very interested but said he would come out this morning between 9:30 and 10. I said I would call the tenant and make sure he could be there then, and would get back to him. I was able to confirm the tenant's availability and within minutes of my conversation with Robert I both texted and called him to let him know, but he didn't respond. He didn't show up this morning, nor did he call. I realize it is a Sunday and a holiday weekend, but not showing up without notice or explanation is totally unprofessional.

Mary T.

Problems with sewage not leaving your house in a prompt manner must be right up there on the scary problems list. I had our sewer line hydro-jetted by a company that said they would also need to dig up the front yard to replace the main line. After the shock of their quote to do that wore off I called them to ask them to explain what I was getting for my money. But they never called me back.

I found Lincoln on yelp. Janet on the phone was calm and reassuring and promised a call back. And they did call me back! Robert was out the next day to give me a quote and explained what needed to be done. So we got it all squared away the next day on a cold, snowy Saturday in December. They treated us with respect, valued our time, told us what they were going to do, did it and - bonus - only charged a partial arm, not an arm and a leg.

L M.

I've now used Lincoln for two major plumbing/sewerage projects (at 2 different locations) and wanted to update my first review to say I am still thrilled with their service and work and wouldn't trust anyone else with these types of issues.

I have a new home - but still vintage like my prior home - that they worked on recently. It is 3 stories with a bathroom on every floor. I had water that was starting to pool and collect in my first floor tub whenever I used the second floor tub/toilet, suggesting a clog. I called another plumber at first thinking it was just a simple unclogging/rotor service that was needed. Well, after 6 hours and hundreds of dollars with this plumber, it became clear that the issue was much more serious. At this point I called Lincoln because I don't trust anyone else with serious issues like this. Phil, the owner, came out and spent half a day with his guys just trying to diagnose the issue and a solution. I paid a pretty small charge for this - which was primarily a charge for various attempts they made to unclog my pipes and locate the point of the clog. The clog ended up being in my pipes below my house (eek!!!), but luckily the clog point was under my concrete driveway versus my house so they didn't have to rip into my basement floor. It still sounded pretty scary and no one wants any part of their home ripped up - and frankly, there is never a 100 percent guarantee that what they propose will resolve the issue. But what else could I do? So I said let's do it and 36 hours later they were back to perform the work.

Im happy to report that they were right and their fix worked! They cut into the concrete, removed the pipe that was clogged, removed a ton of debris (a mature tree roots caused much of the issue), replaced the pipe, and re-cemented the driveway. I haven't had any issues over the past couple of months since the work was performed.

Again, these guys know what they are doing. Phil has been doing this work forever. Sewage and plumbing issues are terrifying (I think) because of the massive damage they can do to your home. I trust Lincoln to respond promptly, give me honest and accurate advice, quote me a fair price for the work, and to execute skillfully.