J&S Plumbing, Inc.

UPDATE: The owner Sean McGrath contacted me after I left my initial Angie's List review. He was very apologetic and wanted to get this resolved. He ordered the part needed for my bathroom and had his plumbers install it at no additional charge. I appreciated his apology and that he followed up with me numerous times, as I was pretty busy during this period and not easy to reach. Initial review: 9/28/13 - I broke my shower handle and called J&S Plumbing. I described the problem to them and was told it was a $98 fee to send someone out. I then told the man the brand of the product - because I'm aware that it's not very common and parts aren't always easy to come by. I told him I was reluctant to pay someone $98 when I wasn't sure they would have the necessary parts to repair it. He told me he was almost certain it wouldn't be an issue. Chris, a plumber, came to my house that day and tried to reassemble my broken handle. He was unable to. He took pictures and sent them to someone at J&S, so they could look for the parts. Chris told me they would follow up with me later that day (a Saturday) or by Monday with a plan and a quote, from which the $98 I'd already paid would be deducted. 10/3 - I called J&S because I hadn't heard anything back. I spoke with Kaz. He told me he felt 'confident' they could find the part and said he would follow up with me. I also asked him to give me a quote for a complete replacement, in the event they couldn't find the part for the brand I currently have. 10/28 - I called J&S because I hadn't heard anything from them (again). I spoke to Beth who was pretty unapologetic when I explained that it had been a month and not once had anyone from J&S contacted me. And I felt I?d basically wasted $98. She told me Kaz would make some calls and follow up with me the following morning, 10/29. Today is 11/1. It's been over a month since the plumber came to my house and not once has this company contacted me to discuss a plan of repairing my shower handle. I cannot recommend a company with this level of responsiveness and lack of professionalism. The only reason I cannot give them an F grade is because Chris was very courteous and helpful when he came to my home on 9/28.

Received Angie's list discount. Came out immediately for emergency service. He let us know what needed to be done to fix the situation, gave us the price and the earliest day he could do the work. Buck was very professional and patient in explaining what had to be done. The work was done in blistering heat. When we called to have parking lot paved they came back out in a very timely manner. Those guys are good!

Company was responsive and very professional. It was apparent that quality of workmanship was of primary importance. We appreciated the Angie's List discount coupon. Would recommend this company.

we have used them before & since we were satisfied we called them back.

I was very satisfied with the service provided. I told the gentleman I was concerned about the mess that would be made when he rodded the pipe and he assured me water would not splatter all over. Some local splatter is unavoidable, but it was very manageable.

I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY Recommend J&S Plumbing. I was AMAZED how quickly they responded. I initially called on a Wednesday afternoon because my ejector pump was not working. The Dispatcher who answered said he could have someone at my house around 6 pm that evening, THAT EVENING!!, I was impressed and shocked at the same time. Keith, the plummer arrived promptly at 6, came in to evaluate what was going on. He was such a Pleasant, Professional, Respectful and Courteous Person. I knew right away, this was a TOP NOTCH Company. He crawled into the crawl space, evaluated what was going on. Within minutes He knew it was the ejector pump was bad. He promptly provided me a quote and said he could start right away. I Could not believe what I was hearing. The last time the ejector pump went out, the previous company took 3 days to replace it. I agreed on the quote and he promptly began to work. (This was an extremely messy job, Hats off to him for surviving it). Anyway it took a couple of hours. The new ejector pump is so quiet I dont even hear it when it runs. AMAZING! While he was in the crawl space, he noticed a few abnormalities with the piping that he pointed out. The Cast Iron pipe that was the main pipe from the upper floors had a crack in it and it was leaking into the crawl space. I asked him to give me a quote on the cost, and to also include the costs to clean up the piping in there that was not correct. Additionally I had him look at the sump pump. That area under the laundry sink was a mess as well where the sump pump is located. He wrote up the estimate for everything. I about fell off the chair when he provided the quote. I couldn't believe it was so reasonable. I asked when they could do the job, he said tomorrow (the next day) WOW, Again, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I asked him to come back on Friday (2 days later) as I had a commitment on Thursday. Keith again, arrived promptly around 4pm and started to work. Again very Professional, Very Respectful, Very Pleasant and Very Courteous. He worked from 4 pm through to 1 am. The job took a bit longer then he expected. He did not even charge me extra for the time spent. While working on the Sump Pump area, he discovered another issue where the original sump was not hooked up correctly and consequently was the problem for my flooding. I asked what could be done to fix it to make it right. He suggested to hook the sump pump up to the pipe that went out the wall into the yard which was the correct way to connect the sump pump, so he did. The next day (Saturday) we had a storm come through and I was able to see the new sump pump in action. As the sump pump kicked off, the pump was so powerful ejecting the water out of the sump basin in seconds ( my previous one would take 2-3 minutes to eject the water out) anyway, as the new pump was ejecting the water out through the pipe that went into the yard, it could not keep up and started to backup the water into my Laundry sink. Monday morning I called J&S to see if Keith could also check the sump pump on tuesday as he was already schedule to come back to on Tuesday as a follow up, to check on the new piping that was installed/ J&S offered to get him out that same day, I declined and said Tuesday is fine, no special trip needed. Keith promptly arrived on Tuesday, evaluated the situation and confirmed the original pipe that went out the wall, was not working. He suspected this was the case when he put in the new sump pump, which we discussed at the time he installed the sump pump. I elected to have him connect it up the way it was. Now we had confirmation the pipe that went out the wall was not working, I asked what is the options were to fix it. He proceeded to draw up an estimate, giving me 3 different options, which included a diagram for each. WOW! The original sump pump had been a thorn in my side for years, backing up every time we have a down pour. I elected to go all new piping out of the house and into the yard. I scheduled with Keith to have that done today (Friday 10/11). Julie needed to be called (which they arranged). Julie showed up on Friday Morning, marking all the underground utilities. Keith promptly arrived early afternoon with 2 other helpers and they all started to work. This was also a big job to dig up a path from the side of the house and go 30 feet out from it. While 2 guys worked outside, Keith worked inside on the new pipes for the Sump Pump, running it up around a cabinet and out through the wall, all while working with and guiding the helpers who were digging the trench and installing the pipe outside. I've dealt with several plumbing companies over the years and I have to say, I have NEVER had the Positive experience that I have received from J&S. The other companies I've dealt with were rude, didn't take the time to explain what was going to happen before they started, as they worked and ran into problems, added more "costs" to the bill, and most of all DIDN'T Clean up after themselves. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the work J&S performed. Everyone one I've dealt with at J&S is so Customer Friendly, Very Respectful of the home and Extremely Courteous Professionals. With J&S, Not only were they Professional, they cleaned up everything after they were done. There were NO "hidden" costs, the estimate I received is what I paid. Even when the job took a bit longer then expected, they could have easily added costs, but they didn't. My experience with J&S was so Positive, actually beyond Positive. I Highly recommend them to anyone needing any plumbing work. If you are lucky enough to get Keith, he works second shift. He is a GEM!!! You will NOT be disappointed. However, Everyone I encountered from J&S were AWESOME!!!! There were others who helped Keith who were Just as Professional as Keith. I will definitely be using J&S for any future Plumbing needs. I will be recommending them to all my family and friends who may need any work done. For the amount of work that was performed, I felt the pricing for each of the activities were more then fair. I had been given quotes in the past for some of the same items (cast iron pipe replacement) which were 3 times the amount then what J&S charged AND J&S did a much cleaner, better job! Overall A++++++++ Thanks again J&S (now Give Keith that much needed raise) He deserves it for what he went through here :-)

We had 3 separate service calls with J & S plumbing, and 3 different plumbers came to our house. First call: The first plumber replaced a flush valve on one toilet. The plumber came the same day we called, arrived on time, was polite and courteous, and we thought he had done a good job, until a few weeks later.... Second call: A few weeks later, a toilet handle broke on a different toilet. I called J & S plumbing and gave them the information on the type/model toilet we have. On the same day that I called, a plumber came to fix the handle but he didn't have the part! While this plumber was at the house, I had him check the flush valve on that toilet and he said it needed to be replaced. He looked at the first toilet and told me the first plumber installed the wrong part! I asked this plumber to fix both flush valves. Of course one of the toilets still couldn't be used because the handle was broken! I ordered the toilet handle on line and repaired it myself. Less than a week later, we heard a loud *bang* from the toilet and discovered that the flush valve had popped up and slammed into the top of the tank! Obviously the flush valve had not been installed properly. Third call (to fix the improperly installed flush valve): Similar to the first two calls, a J & S plumber came to the house the same day that I called. This plumber (the third plumber from this company) arrived on time and was polite. He also told me he often gets called back to customer's homes to fix shoddy work performed by the second plumber. He fixed the toilet at no charge and made sure the flush valve was installed correctly on both toilets. He also looked at a third toilet and told me that it required repairs too...he said he would order the part and call me in a few days to schedule the install. It's been 2 weeks and I haven't heard from him. While we appreciate how responsive, punctual and courteous this company is, we are extremely dissatisfied with the quality of their work and will not use them again. ******** Update 11/9/13: A few days after my review was posted, the owner of the company, Scott, called me to apologize and ask how he could 'make things right". I appreciated that he called me personally and didn't make any excuses; I have a lot of respect for him. He offered to have a plumber come and fix our third toilet at no charge, and I accepted the offer. A fourth plumber from J & S plumbing fixed the toilet - he replaced nearly every part in it until I was completely satisfied. The plumber also looked at our kitchen sink and offered to replace part of the faucet at no charge. Scott has followed-up with me to ensure my satisfaction. The company went "the extra mile" to make amends which I greatly appreciate.

Very punctual and professional and had the work done in no time at all.

Answered Angie's List message in less than 24 hours.

Large blockage of tree roots were found on the pipe leading almost to the connection of the pipes to the outside drainage. Plumber was very professional and thorough. Plumber suggested a good products to help with root blockage (RootX), which I found on the internet and used. Unlike other plumbers I have used, I expect to use these companies' services in the future.

They had to dig up the front of the yard with a backhoe and redo this for me. It was a major job and they did really good work.

. I am not impressed with their pricing and I spent several hours yesterday (Sunday) trying to clear a seriously clogged kitchen drain starting with Drano and ending with a 15ft snake. When I was unable to even reach the clog, I looked at Angie's list to try and find a plumber that I could schedule for today. I reviewed several and found that J&S had a high rating and even works on Sunday. The negative I found in the reviews and concur with is that they are probably high priced. I called the answering service and a tech/dispatcher called me back within 20 minutes. I explained the scenario that I could not reach the clog with a 15ft snake and specifically asked what their charges were. He was vague "probably $179 to $220" and he could have someone out in 30-35 minutes. The tech arrived shortly after the designated time. I did not catch his name - he had an accent and I have a hearing impairment - but I will give the tech high points for courtesy, professionalism, cleanliness and taking the time to exp[lain what he was doing. I had the sink cabinet cleared and the trap open and drained so he was not required to do any prep work. We reviewed the sink piping in the basement and he noted that there was not any inclination in piping toward the sewer - this he said can cause gunk to not be washed away by gravity and accumulate. It took most or all of his 100 ft snake but he cleared the clog in less than 45 minutes. He also replaced the connector from the sink to the drain which had a slight leak gratis. He explained that re-puttying the connector could leak and he did not want to make a callback. The bill was $98 for the service charge and a set price of $265 for the clog clearing - $363. Total time 1 1/4 hours on premise. This did not gibe with the "estimate" of $179 to $220 given over the phone. If this is a set price , why did the dispatcher not mention the real charges when I specifically asked what the service charges were. One reason I picked them was the 10% coupon which brought the bill down to $238. I am not impressed with their pricing - but I have not checked another plumber for comparison and did not appreciate the evasion on pricing but the plumber was great and I did tip him. UPDATE: This is an addendum to my original review dated September 22 where I started my review with ". I am not impressed with their pricing...." My only complaint being that the price quoted to me on the phone was much higher than the price charged at the time of service. Since then Sean McGrath the owner was in contact with me by phone to apologize for the issue of the price discrepancy and has sent me a written apology in addition to a refund of $50 bringing the charges in line with the quotes. As I said in my original review I was impressed with service and I am impressed with how they handled my displeasure.

One evening, after 38 years of no problems, our kitchen drain suddenly stopped draining. I rodded it out three times, but it still didn't drain, so I went through Angie's list and at 11 PM I called J&S Plumbing of Elk Grove. I thought I would leave a message or get a recording, but a person answered! I told her my problem and she said a technician would call back within 10 minutes! In about 5 minutes someone did call back and after hearing my problem, they said they were full for their first appointments the next day, but could get me in at 10 AM. The next morning, they called at 8 AM saying they had a cancellation and could come earlier at 9 AM! Shane arrived a few minutes early, about 8:50 AM. He was very personable and listened carefully to my story, thoughts, and suggestions on the problem. He tried 3 times to rod the line out (as I had but his auger was electric), but nothing worked. Finally we agreed he should cut open the line in the basement ceiling. It was packed with grease and egg shells and who knows what! Apparently the rodding just pushed the muck aside, and then when the line was removed the muck just reformed a blockage. Shane and I then agreed that he should replace the line, and gave me a fixed price for the entire visit. The replacement went well and he also substituted a long radius elbow where I had a short radius elbow, which should improve the flow. Shane was with us from about 8:50 AM to about noon, and completely solved the problem. He was a real pleasure to work with! I would call J&S again if I had a plumbing problem!

Service person arrived on time. I explained the problem and he started working on it. Since the faucet had to be remounted, it was very difficult for him to work on it due to the tight squeeze caused by the garbage disposal. He fixed it. He also took the time to tighten all the joints under the sink. After he finished with the faucet, he tested the water for hardness. He was very profession from start to finish. I certainly will use this company again if the need arises.

On 9/7/2013 J & S Plumbing came to my house to check it out for a possible sewer line leak. I must preface this by saying I have used J & S Plumbing in the past for very extensive and expensive plumbing work and getting a straight answer out of them is always a challenge. The smell we get comes out of nowhere and permeates the entire house. It then dissipates within an hour or two. J & S provided a thorough check including a "smoke bomb " to try to find some leak and none was found. At this point the plumber gave me his cell number and told me to call when the smell reappears and he'd come right over to check it out. This morning the smell appeared. I called his cell number and got no answer. I then called J & S Plumbing's direct line. The man said he would contact the plumber and call me back in a "couple of minutes." I did explain to the man that this would dissipate soon so let me know whether you can get him. Twenty minutes later I called back and the man said "I'm still trying to reach him." I called back 15 minutes after that to hear "Oh, I told his assistant. He'll be here in 5 minutes and will call you." Fifteen minutes later I called back and asked him to just level with me as to his schedule because I needed to call someone else. He strung me along saying he would check into it right away. At this point I called Bishop Plumbing and explained my dilemma. They sent out not a plumber but the Vice President within 10 minutes. He spent much time with me analyzing the problem and giving me helpful advice. At the end of this I gave him my credit card and was told "no charge, just use us in the future." WOW!!! I have never had anyone do that before and I will not only use them but recommend them to everyone I know. J & S has lost a good customer. UPDATE: I have worked with this company in the past on extensive plumbing work and it was excellent. After my posting on Angie's list I was contacted by the company. Apparently there was a mistake made at the dispatch level. The company gave me a full refund and I did not ask for one. I understand that occasionally bad things happen in all businesses and will continue to use J & S.

One person came and inspected the job, then provided an estimate, which seemed fair. Two plumbers came the next day right on time and completed the job pretty quickly. The final result was very professionally done, and the cost was exactly as estimated.

We discovered our sewer line was root-clogged on a Sunday morning. Luis from J & S was out that afternoon to take care of it. He was friendly and professional, and got everything flowing pretty quickly. We paid a competative flat rate, with no extra charge for a Sunday call-out. I was very happy with the service, and I would recommend this company to anyone. I'll be using them myself on an annual basis from now on so that I don't end up in this position again!

When they first came out they were not able to find a problem that had caused a 1 time sewer back up, so they charged me the minimum fee and said if it happened again within 30 days they would come back and deduct what I had paid from the cost of the second visit. 19 days later it backed up again- on a Saturday- and another guy came out same day and rodded the line. They were very prompt and it appears the problem has been fixed. They deducted my first payment and did not charge extra for a Saturday call.

First off I like that when I called someone picked up the phone right away. This other handy man company I called they never picked up the phone so I always had to play phone tag with them. I was able to get someone out to my house in two days, what a nice plus!! John came from J&S plumbing . I thought that for about 45 minutes of work the price was kind of high, BUT John was very good he is knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. I also helped me out and placed so new pipe under my kitchen sink.I would most definitely would use this company again!! In fact I was hoping to do some kitchen renovations in the future and I will definitely keep this company in mind.

Repairs were done quickly. Plumber answered all my questions

It went great. I called J&S Plumbing on Sunday. They offered to come out the same day for no additional charge but we decided to have them come out on Monday. John, from J&S Plumbing, came out on time, was polite, listened to our problem, and was friendly with our dog. He told me what he planned to do and answered all my questions. He kept the kitchen clean and taught me about different things to do to maintain open kitchen pipes.

Gasper came out and was polite, professional and knowledgeable. He understood our concern, educated us on potential issues and looked everywhere possible for a problem. It was determined that perhaps the water table our house sits on was now dry and that the house had settled, as no issues were recovered. There were a few suggestions made in regards to lengthening the pipe to our sump pump pit and burying the line and we are having J & S come back out to complete this work, as their quote was significantly less than two previous companies we had out to check for issues.

Every situation is unique and if an individual doesn't take time to look at a problem then there is no way I would feel comfortable contracting them.

From the time I called on Sunday afternoon until the time they finished on Friday they were great. I have not dealt with a firm so completely customer focused in many years. A broken sewer line in a big deal to a home owner and they took the worry and concern out of the entire process from my initial contact to the job completion. Daniel Cortez and his crew performed the work as if they were doing it on their own homes. They painstakingly dug a hole in a very narrow opening around the pipe by hand rather than bring in power equipment and tear up the sidewalk. Everything was explained and carefully calculated for the least amount of landscape damage. The Company ethic is based on customer focus, not talk but action. If you need professional plumbing services save yourself time and concern and call J & S they are the best I have ever used.

Immediate response to my phone call and had someone to my house that afternoon. Called when they were on their way. John was here nearly 3 hours trying to find a solution to a problem another contractor had created by chipping away at the collar of the sewer pipe connected to our bathroom toilet. He came up with a solution and fixed the problem, which could have been much more costly to try to fix without his perseverance to find a solution. Cleaned up everything and was very professional.