The Plumbing Dr

Beth P.

Our water heater burst at 10:00 on a Sunday night. We called the plumbing dr, and they came out within the hour. On Monday, Larry came out and installed a new water heater. He was very professional and explained everything. He cleaned up all of the mess, and we now have a new water heater. The price was very competitive. We definitely will use them again.

Kathy G.

I've been using The Plumbing Dr for all of my needs for several years and they have not disappointed! Most recently, I had a clog in a 2"" side drain pipe with no available clean out access. Talel came out and was friendly and professional. He listened as I explained how the washing machine drain water would back up into the utility sink. He asked a few questions to narrow down the exact location of the problem. Then he went to work. He installed a handy clean-out access above the pipe and proceeded to snake out the pipe not once, but TWICE. Once to get the main clog out, then again with a larger diameter tool to clean the insides of the pipe. He explained everything he had done, and then gave me some easy to follow advice to help prevent the same issue in the future (use a lint trap, and do a large ""flush"" using the utility sink about once a week after doing laundry).

Thanks The Plumbing Dr for another job well done!

Robert R.

I'm very handy around the house, so on a Friday evening after work, I decided to replace a leaky cartridge in our shower faucet. I've done many of these without a hitch. This time was different....part of the cartridge broke off in the pipe when I was trying to remove it. I tried for over an hour to remove it.....impossible. The main water supply had to be shut off to do this repair, so now I was in a real pickle. I knew I needed a plumber quick....called 3 of the ""big boys"" in the area who advertised 24 hour emergency service. None of them could send anyone until Sunday! I frantically searched the internet and stumbled upon The Plumbing Doctor. Manning, who answered the call, could not have been more helpful. As I described what happened, he quickly diagnosed what was wrong and even gave me tips to try to fix it myself. I couldn't fix it and Dr. Matt arrived on the scene in an hour. He had it fixed in 45 minutes!!!! These guys are the best in my book. I now have a new plumber for life....thanks, Doc!!!!

Matt C.

Dr. Matt came and quickly found and resolved our plumbing issue.

Bonnie N.

I have had Dr. Charlie come to my home to help me with plumbing repairs for years. Each and every time, he is absolutely great!!! He is smart, thorough and makes sure that I am comfortable with each repair - by not only showing me what was wrong, but how he fixed it and how to best maintain it. I would recommend Dr. Charlie without hesitation to everyone! He's simply the best!

Amy L.

Drs. Matt and Francisco did a fabulous job saving our basement from the leaking water heater. I appreciated getting understandable advice on how to proceed with the replacement process. They are efficient and left no trace of their work at the end of the day.

Philip D.

Dr. Charlie repaired our outdoor rear faucet. He did an excellent job and the price was reasonable.

Louis L.

I have employed the plumbing doctor over the period of many years. In the past couple of weeks, I have had a very negative experience, and have not as yet decided whether to file a formal complaint with the Commonwealth Attorney General.

I had a 10 year old American Standard pressure assisted toilet that began to run. I called the Plumbing Dr and called the company, explained my problem, and scheduled an appointment for a plumber. An individual named Matt arrived, said I should replace the toilet, that the Plumbing Dr only installs Gerber toilets. He said he would install an equivalent toilet that was the highest consumer rated. Since the toilet to be replaced was a grey colored toilet, he would have to special order it.

When Matt arrived two weeks later, I let him in and he replaced the toilet. However, when I inspected it, it was a completely different model, a gravity toilet, though it was grey. Matt claimed that all the pressure assisted toilets had been recalled.

After he left, I researched online and discovered that all manufacturers still offer pressure assisted toilets, that only some units had been recalled. I also discovered that all I needed to have done was have the Flushmate unit in the tank replaced. Replacing the toilet itself was entirely unnecessary.

I called the Plumbing Dr and was told by someone other than Matt that, yes, they were available but not in grey. In fact, I was told that colored toilets are no longer sold.

The unit installed is called by Gerber a Viper, and the particular version is discontinued. The one I had expected is a model called Ultra Flush, which is pressure assisted and at one time was rated by Consumer Reports as it's highest rated, though it no longer is. The Viper is list priced at $243, about half that of the Ultra Flush. The Plumbing Dr charged me $1,422.90 in total, which is $1,179.90 for installation. However, there is nothing special about the bathroom in which it is installed. I was not pre-informed of the switch, and the amount I was charged was not altered even though the cost of the toilet was different.

Further research shows that colored toilets are still sold, though the options are now more limited. Kohler offers a whole line of grey toilets.

I checked the Plumbing Dr website, and I discovered that Matt is not a licensed plumber. He is listed as a ""plumber's helper"". The Commonwealth Board of Contractors requires a professional plumber to hold a Class C license to perform work of the value I was charged.

Therefore, Matt is just a handyman, and everything he told me, and I was told over the phone by the company's representative, is incorrect, insofar as I can determine. On the ticket Matt wrote, he signed his name ""Dr. Matt"". Throughout, i was led to believe Matt is an experienced licensed plumber. Had I known he wasn't licensed, I would not have allowed him onto the premises in the first place.

The Plumbing Dr has a high reputation, and is an established firm. However, in this case, the Plumbing Dr is guilty of malpractice. The company removed a toilet rather than repairing it, replaced it with an inferior unit, charged an exorbitant fee for installation, and used an installer who is not a licensed plumber.

I have not decided as yet how best to proceed. Putting the ""Dr"" marketing usage aside, the company appears to be a family run business. And, I am a long time customer. In fact, the proprietor, William Bennett, performed work on the toilet that was replaced almost ten years ago. I never had any reason to question the integrity or business ethics of the company before. You wouldn't think the company would want to cheat its long time customers.

If I file a complaint, it will certainly not help the firm's business. It may not accomplish anything. Or, it may ruin the company. I don't really know. However, I feel I should do something. After all, the company now appears to be engaged in highly questionable business practices. Consumers should be advised. So, here I am writing a review.

Caveat emptor.

Apple M.

Update: The business manager called me and apologize for what had happened and offered a full refund. I think the specific plumber we dealt with had gone rogue. I'm glad these people care about their business and i'll consider them next time, a second chance.

I called them for our leaking water heater and was told that there will be $68 diagnostic cost no matter what. I accepted and they sent their guy. He was in our place for less than an hour and his assessment was that the heater should be replaced. He said it will cost about $5k. We asked for a breakdown cost of material and labor and he wasn't willing to provide that. We looked online and noticed that we can get a 5 star heater for around $600, so his price was really over the board and we decided to go with someone else.
He asked us for $130 for just this diagnosis. Outrageous!

Elizabeth J.

I had service over the Memorial Day weekend and was very pleased.

From my initial call to when the job was completed I was given great customer service.

The technician, Manny, outlined all of my options and associated costs. He was professional, knowledeable and customer service oriented. And, Bill handling the emergency service number, was informative and patient. I would definitely use this company for future plumbing needs.