Sunkel Plumbing
About us
Sunkel Plumbing has been trusted in McLean County since 1955! We are a locally owned and operated family business specializing residential plumbing, drain cleaning, pipe lining, plumbing repairs, water heaters, sewer systems, gas pipes, garbage disposals, water filtration, kitchen remodeling, and bathroom remodeling.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
70 years of experience
Services we offer
Bloomington Plumber, bathroom remodeling, drain cleaning, garbage disposals, gas pipes, kitchen remodeling, leak repairs, pipe lining, pipe replacement, plumbing company, plumbing contractor, plumbing repairs, residential plumbing, septic tanks, sewer systems, water filtration, water heaters
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.424 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 67% | ||
| 17% | ||
| 8% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 4% |
Showing 1-24 of 24 reviews
Mark Z.
Jul 2016
Contacted Sunkel based on very good Angie's list ratings. The first day they were supposed to show up between 11-1. After 2:00 I wrote them off, then the plumber showed up at 3:15. No call. No explanation. He worked about 1.5 hours, charged $181, then left saying the leak was fixed. Two days later, I the leak reappeared. I called Sunkel back. They came out and said I needed a new faucet, but could not explain how the leak, which he said was fixed, reappeared. I had to go out and purchase a new faucet while he waited. They charged me an addition $200, saying that I received a "break" since he had been their twice. If he would of told me up front this was the only way to fix the leak, I would have got the faucet and avoided the extra cost and inconvenience. Needless to say, we will not use them again.
JACQUES B.
Feb 2015
unknown
Response from Sunkel Plumbing
"Thank you (removed member name). It is a pleasure doing work for you. Let us know if we can help you again. Jason Sunkel"
Michelle W.
Aug 2013
I have used this company a few times and each time they are very helpful, professional, and always extremely friendly. What I really like about the company is the owner is very eager to get there and get the job done but yet he's friendly and courteous. They always wear protective "booties" and make sure my carpet is covered in the special plastic. They clean up after themselves and never leave a mess when they are done. The work is done in a professional and timely manner and they are willing to work with your schedule, regardless of the day or time. I've always scheduled work way in advance (that wasn't urgent) and they KEPT the date and time in their books for over a month prior. This is great and very helpful to me and my busy schedule. Another, and final wonderful thing, is that they guarantee their work and will not charge extra to come back and take a look at something they've already worked on. Some places charge extra just for the call but this place is very considerate. They have also made house calls to check on other things and not charged. It's always good to have a smiling and friendly face do the work as well. The prices are competitive to others as well. A definite company I will continue to come back to. Jason is the owner and he is so wonderful to work with! I am always happy to see his smiling face!
GENE F.
Apr 2013
They came the same day I called, and the work was done to my satisfaction. The representative put the drawers back in the cabinet, knowing that my back was hurting. I was very appreciative of this as well because he didn't have to do that.
Natalie W.
Mar 2013
The first time I used them, I had them replace all the outdated plumbing in a rental home. They did an ok job, however they were not friendly, did not explain what they were doing, and did not appreciate when I asked questions. They came and did the job and left. Since I was paying for work, and not friendliness.... I did not worry much about their UNfriendly attitude.
The second time I used them....was in our own home, when our sump pump died. Called Sunkel to come out and replace it. They did. No problems, if you don't mind gruff, bordering on rude service. They did the work and left. However price was pretty high, now that I know that sump pumps cost around $150, and I was charged $400. But chocked it up to a life lesson. The rudeness is what I struggle with.
The problem came when less than a year later , our new sump pump died, and basement quickly took water. Getting them out there was difficult. I had to really almost beg. Then, the guy was rude and nasty when he did finally get out there. Even before he knew what was wrong, he was just rude and not professional at all!
Then to aggravate him even more, the problem turned out to be-- the pump got clogged and could not drain. Not really the pumps fault, but not my fault either. I did not know that! I have never had a repairman be so rude and unprofessional.. As he left he told us to "call someone else if it broke again!!" What?
So....bottom line is: they do ok work; if you don't mind a really, REALLY bad attitude, and horrible support after the sale.
The second time I used them....was in our own home, when our sump pump died. Called Sunkel to come out and replace it. They did. No problems, if you don't mind gruff, bordering on rude service. They did the work and left. However price was pretty high, now that I know that sump pumps cost around $150, and I was charged $400. But chocked it up to a life lesson. The rudeness is what I struggle with.
The problem came when less than a year later , our new sump pump died, and basement quickly took water. Getting them out there was difficult. I had to really almost beg. Then, the guy was rude and nasty when he did finally get out there. Even before he knew what was wrong, he was just rude and not professional at all!
Then to aggravate him even more, the problem turned out to be-- the pump got clogged and could not drain. Not really the pumps fault, but not my fault either. I did not know that! I have never had a repairman be so rude and unprofessional.. As he left he told us to "call someone else if it broke again!!" What?
So....bottom line is: they do ok work; if you don't mind a really, REALLY bad attitude, and horrible support after the sale.
William A.
Jan 2013
Great service , Offered multiple options for the repair so I could decide how much to spend.
Michael J.
Nov 2012
He ran into some problems but was able to overcome them.
George E.
Oct 2012
I had my hot water heater go out on me and we needed a replacement as soon as possible. I used Angies List to find a reliable plumber and chose Sunkel Plumbing. They were able to come out the next day and did an excellent job. I thought their estimate was high but I did not really have the time to get competitive bids (and be without a hot water heater). Their representative was well mannered and polite and did a great job both with his work and by respecting our home. When the work was completed we reviewed the work and all was excellent and done well. I asked if I could have an itemized bill and was told that they cannot do that because they price their work "out of a book". To me, that is a red flag. If you cannot break down how the charges for your work are allocated then there is something fishy with the charges. I have since found out the price of the water heater installed and found that the supplies/labor part of the bill was almost $1,000. That, in my opinion, is too much for a hot water heater installation.
Ronald C.
Aug 2012
We have a downstairs shower that was leaking from the drain area. The tech informed me that it would be 150 dollars to fix. I needed it done, so gave the go ahead. It took him less than one minute to fix by tightening a seal.I checked today and it's leaking again. I tightened it myself this time. I thought the price for a service call was way out of bounds....I should have told him no.
Aaron H.
Jul 2012
I picked Sunkel due to their Angie's List ratings and their Angie's List coupon. I called for an appointment at 8:25 am. I was told someone would be out between 8:30 am and 10:30 am. Jeremy from Sunkel showed up fast. From start to finish Jeremy was polite, courteous, and professional. He answered all my questions confidently and knowledgeably. He quickly and accurately diagnosed both the drain and garbage disposal problems and he had everything running perfectly very fast. He even confirmed my suspicion that the kitchen sink plumbing was probably a DIY project of a previous owner of the house. He replaced a PVC section and a missing rubber seal from the DIY project that could cause problems in the future. When he was checking out the pipes downstairs he noticed some things that could use a closer look, and before he left he suggested the Sunkel Plumbing Family Club Membership to me so that I could get the preventative inspection that comes with the membership. I signed up. Jeremy did a great job and he left the work area cleaner than he found it. I hope his boss reads this because Jeremy deserves a raise immediately.
Sohail M.
Apr 2012
Overall, the service was really good. The guy who came to our house was very nice. I would highly recommend them to others.
Kent W.
Mar 2012
unknown
Eric K.
Feb 2012
I am happy with there service.
George H.
Jan 2012
The work was performed in a very timely and professional manner.
Lennie M.
Dec 2011
Arrived later than scheduled, considered it to be expensive.
Clayton A.
Nov 2011
They were timely, on time, very helpful and he gave me a lot of confidence that he knew what he was doing. They were relatively inexpensive. They gave me options. They were neat and clean.
Marjorie J.
Jul 2011
I called Sunkel because of the good reports from Angie's list. The secretary was very friendly and courteous on the phone and set up at date for the following week. She called me back two days later and asked if they could come three days earlier. SURE, I said! Especially since I had been without a kitchen sink for a week.
The day of the appointment I called to make sure I had the time correct and she asked if the plumber could come a couple hours earlier! Wow, even better.
The young man that worked on my sink was very friendly, told me everything he was was doing and why. He felt bad that he couldn't repair my sink because of the type of wand I had. (Delta with the combo faucet wand system. The hose had cracked and the coupling wasn't standard, probably a Delta thing.) He told me that I could contact Delta because the style of faucet I had was warrantied for life. But, frankly, the pull out wand is a great idea but, in my opinion, isn't very practical because it constantly gets tangled up in the hardware under the sink. I was sick and tired of freeing the stupid hose (especially in the middle of washing a Chihuahua). So he showed me what he had on the truck and I told him to go ahead and replace the entire sink ensemble.
The over the stove pot filler needed new rubber gaskets. This is only a temporary fix, I am afraid I will have to eventually purchase a new one.
So all in all the experience was fantastic. I would highly recommend this company to anyone in need of a professional, honest, friendly and helpful company.
The day of the appointment I called to make sure I had the time correct and she asked if the plumber could come a couple hours earlier! Wow, even better.
The young man that worked on my sink was very friendly, told me everything he was was doing and why. He felt bad that he couldn't repair my sink because of the type of wand I had. (Delta with the combo faucet wand system. The hose had cracked and the coupling wasn't standard, probably a Delta thing.) He told me that I could contact Delta because the style of faucet I had was warrantied for life. But, frankly, the pull out wand is a great idea but, in my opinion, isn't very practical because it constantly gets tangled up in the hardware under the sink. I was sick and tired of freeing the stupid hose (especially in the middle of washing a Chihuahua). So he showed me what he had on the truck and I told him to go ahead and replace the entire sink ensemble.
The over the stove pot filler needed new rubber gaskets. This is only a temporary fix, I am afraid I will have to eventually purchase a new one.
So all in all the experience was fantastic. I would highly recommend this company to anyone in need of a professional, honest, friendly and helpful company.
Lee P.
May 2011
I had to call them to come back because they initially did a sloppy job, but when they came back they fixed the problem and provided a more adequate service.
Nancy A.
Jan 2011
We couldn't be happier. We live in a rural area and have well water; we built this house ten years ago and were using a rental system from Culligan. The rental system was okay, but required monthly service from them(at a price), untold number of filters (not cheap) that always seemed to need changing, and we still had to use reverse osmosis filters to get drinking water we were happy with. In short, lots of hassle. Sunkel did research to recommend a system that would do a better job that required less work from us, no monthly service, and better quality water. They have been very helpful and responsive and honest about what is feasible and what is not.
George H.
Oct 2010
It took approximately 6 weeks from the time Sunkel Plumbing started the job to the time they completed the project. Based upon previously remodeling a kitchen, we had anticipated it would take 5 to 6 weeks so they were on time. We are extremely pleased with the quality of the workmanship and the end product. Based upon our experience, we would recommend Sunkel Plumbing for consideration of a kitchen remodeling project.
Jenna K.
Sep 2010
I scheduled the appointment about three weeks ago. The plumber was supposed to arrive between 8 and 10am. I called at 9:30am because I hadn't heard anything yet and needed to be at work at 11am. The guy showed up at 9:57am. He took a look at the garbage disposal and got it running. He said that it was a quick fix but the odds of it continuing to work were slim to none and it should be replaced. We discussed options on having it replaced. He'd said if I replaced it today, I could avoid having to pay the fee to have him come out and tell me what was wrong. I opted to save some money and had him replace it then. He showed me a list of various models and while he sang the praises of the top model, he kept telling me that no one ever really buys it. We settled on a model that wouldn't rust and cause the problem my old one had. I had to leave for work but thankfully someone else came home to sign the paperwork and hand him the check I wrote. He left a receipt with a very detailed note and the place was probably cleaner than when he got there. He was in and out in under an hour once I told him to go ahead with the replacement. Even though they showed up at the last possible minute, they were worth the wait.
Nancy A.
Jul 2010
Very well. Because the water heater company wouldn't deliver to a residential address, they let us ship to their address and then brought it to our home. Overall above and beyond what you might expect. Very easy to work with. Only reason grade is not straight A's would be that based on the good experience we had we asked for bids on some other work and didn't hear back.
Sue G.
Mar 2010
It was a terrible experience. They consistently assured me they would find the crack in the sump pump line outside my home and dug up a considerable amount of dirt in my yard to locate it, while at the same time doubling my original estimate. After they had left my home (and cashed my check) they informed me that they were not able to locate he crack. The dirt was not replaced properly to the holes they dug and I am now forced to hire a landscaper to repair the damage in my yard.
Response from Sunkel Plumbing
"On Sun March 14th we received an emergency phone call that the member's sump pump wasn't working and basement was flooding. Even though it was a Sunday night and I was spending time with family, I went out to customer's home and proceeded to diagnose what the problem was. I disconnected the pump and tested flow of discharge and it was flowing perfectly. I temporarily redirected the flow and pumped water to a floor drain to get water out of the customer's basement. It was apparent at this time that there was an obstruction in the buried discharge line. She wanted the line repaired and asked for an estimate to do the work. I told her that it was an unknown and exploratory, but if we could find the leak directly on the other side of the wall where pipe was going that it should cost in the $300-400 range. Again, this was an estimate only. She gave the go ahead with the exploratory excavation with the hope that we could find it quickly and repair the pipe. The next morning we came out to perform the above described work. We were aware as the day progressed of the escalation of work. The member was also aware and permission was given to proceed BEFORE work progressed at 2 separate times. The first when the range of $400-600 was given and the second when a range of $600-800 was given. I also went out personally to the job site to assist after the range of $400-600 was given. At the end of the day when it was evident that problem with pipe was not in that area and appeared to be heading under garage floor, the member declined going any further with job. At that time we connected a temporary sump discharge outside and cleaned up job and put excavated dirt back. She was well informed of process and price increases throughout whole operation. There was never a time that the member didn't know what was happening. Also, when she couldn't be there she was contacted by phone. Her daughter and father were there at different times during the day and were also well informed. We worked very hard and performed a professional service to the member and were as honest and upfront as anyone could be. It is unfortunate when jobs go beyond what is planned for. But in this member's case it was exploratory in nature and if we could have found the problem in a better way we would have. Even in hindsight, there wasn't anything that we could have done different or better that would have given her a better result. A couple of days later we found that she had stopped the check for the emergency service that pulled me away from family, WHILE WE WERE WORKING the next day! When asked about this later she said, "I had no intention of paying you." We have 55 years of EXCELLENT service and THOUSANDS of satisfied, repeat customers. It is a shame when someone like this, does this to your business. BTW, we also refunded her $600 just to please her. I wish there was an Angie's List to rate customers to prevent this from happening to other companies! Alias: Sue Ryan."
Nancy A.
May 2009
They did a great job and were very easy to work with. We purchased a commercial grade water heater from a cooperative utility company; the manufacturer would not deliver to our home. Sunkels agreed to let the firm ship the water heater to their address and delivered it to our home and installed it with no problems. Excellent customer service.
Licensing
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FAQ
Sunkel Plumbing is currently rated 4.4 overall out of 5.
Sunkel Plumbing accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, Sunkel Plumbing does not offer free project estimates.
No, Sunkel Plumbing does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Sunkel Plumbing does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Sunkel Plumbing offers emergency services.
No, Sunkel Plumbing does not offer warranties.