Red Hot Drain

Eric H.

Utterly disappointing and maddening.

Utilizing the free estimate I called these guys first. It is not really free as it is just added into the cost if they fix something for you. What initially was a small job costing me $300 (overcharged on this too) for less than an hour and maybe $15 in supplies ballooned into a $13000 job. Fixed a very minor problem that had I known what it was I could have done myself. Brandon either lacks experience, lacks knowledge or just does not care and I am not sure which of these is worst. They claimed they ran a camera into my sewer line and there was a collapse along the west edge of my home. I said please check the south edge too as that was where water was coming back into my pit. Brandon said it was probably nothing on the south edge that needed repair. Initial verbal estimate for west edge repair was $4500. Unable to secure another estimate in a timely fashion as we were going out of town in 24 hours and more water kept leaking in after dishes, flushing toilets, laundry or showers. We were kind of desperate.
I found out I had a rider in my insurance that would cover up to 10K in sewer line repair. Brandon suggested he could write the estimate high and ""we both could make some money"". At that point I should have never dealt with them but like I just stated we were in a tight spot. SO he proceeds to write a an estimate of $10, 650 for an 80 square foot repair area on the west edge of the house with a clean out that also included the south edge if it needed it. I said I wanted the clean out on the south edge of the house where it would be more hidden and not underneath my entry door. He acknowledged that and said okay. That was a lie.
They only fixed a 6 square foot area on the south edge of my home and did not put the clean out there as instructed. What happened to the west edge??? No idea as he never communicated why it was not fixed. Magically while we were away his crew ""discovered"" that a main line and gutter line were collapsed in my front yard. There was no camera showing the collapses because he couldn't get the camera far enough in because of the repair needed on the west edge. Of course they could pull out root balls and sludge and make it appear like there was some major issue. The price ballooned to $13000...I found out via text message on Yelp while on vacation. And guess where he puts the clean out??? In the front yard which is the worst possible place for our liking. I hate it there. And to top it off they don't clean up the massive dirt pile. He never communicated that the dirt needs to sit. I said I did not want it and would add dirt as needed. I never would have agreed to leave my yard like that and neither should you. He said he would take care of it and another thing I negotiated with him. Brandon never showed and never responded to any communication attempt. Additionally I told him I needed an updated bill of sale stating the work he had completed and how he arrived at the price he did. He was told upwards of 4 times. I need this to file a supplemental claim as my insurance only covered $7600 worth of the job (they said he excessively charged us for what the work that was shown based on what he had written. Essentially they were like he did not do the job as written. He never sent it and again never responded. All I have is a bogus estimate for work he never did and a literal bill of sale just stating $13K owed.

I know he did not pull a permit and it was not inspected by City of Chicago. I verified with my alderman's office no permit was issued. Brandon said he would take care of it. He lied. Fun fact about Chicago. It is the only city in Illinois that PVC is not allowed in the ground for sewer lines. Either Brandon did not know or did not care about that and I again am unsure which is worse. The work they did is not up to code per City of Chicago.

Without the updated bill of sale stating what was actually done I have no warranty for any work. I also have no ability to report what was done when I go to sell the home. I am unable to file a supplemental claim and try to recoup the excess costs. And I have a stupid looking clean out in my front yard. This entire process has caused me way too much anxiety. I have spent way too much time thinking about it and losing sleep. I have learned from this experience though. Get multiple estimates from different companies regardless of your situation. Get everything written down in a contract. They also charge 5% for credit card use which is a joke. But most importantly you just cannot trust Red Hot Drain. They lack common courtesy, respect for customers, have terrible communication skills and deserve to fail. Contacting Better Business Bureau next and then the state Plumbing Commission.

K B.

I reached out and had a call back in less than five minutes. Brandon returned my call, and he couldn't have been nicer and more helpful. They offered a technician who was in my neighborhood with a convenient time. I ended up not having to use them, but based on my initial encounter, I wouldn't hesitate to call them again should a larger issue arise.

Claudia J.

We really appreciate the work you done for us. I was very pleased with your expertise. You was prompt, on time and did a great job. I would recommend you to my family and friends. Your price was affordable, you let me know in advance the price. You were pleasant and we were comfortable with you. You fix the problem you were patient with us. You address all my questions and concerns. Thank you so much

Nikeya L.

Oz, came out and fixed a leak for me in an hour! They were fast, efficient, and reasonably priced! Thanks for the quick response!

Ben G.

They were so responsive, professional and were willing to work with us on price against competition. They were so supportive and engaged with what we needed and went above and beyond

Jeff K.

Oz to estimate and repaired at same time. Also took care of a couple other issues we were having. Price was fair and will use again if needed. Oz was easy to deal with.

Bob ..

It took a while before somebody from Red Hot responded to our Yelp request for estimates to replace our exploded water heater, but we are glad they did. Oz asked for a chance to beat our lowest price, and did. They agreed to match all the services provided and came the next day and worked in cramped cold quarters for several hours. Oz was very polite and understands the principles of good customer service. We are very happy with our new Water heater and the service we got. Oz let me watch over his shoulder and patiently explained various things he was doing. There were no attempts to Upsell or Bait and Switch. The only sour taste we got was when we were told we had to pay 4% surcharge for using a credit card. Had we known in advance, we would have made other arrangements to pay. The website just says ""We accept credit cards."" We totally understand that after sharpening their pencil it cuts even further into their profit margin to pay the processing fees Big Banking inflicts on small businesses.

Candice W.

OMG, the young man entered my home, he was polite and the services were quick and top notch. He cleaned the area up after the job was complete. He did such a great job, I requested an estimate for another project.
Thank you Res Hot Drain, you are a blessing.

Candice

J M.

Remove and replace kitchen faucet.

Red Hot Drain responded very quickly via Yelp.

The faucet was replaced the same day by a very nice young man named Oz.

The cost of the service was comparable to other plumbers.

Vurnell H.

Angelo and Brandon replaced my ejector pump. They found the root cause to the pump failure including toilet issues, bathroom sink flow issue, and hot water heater maintenance.