PARKS' PLUMBING & SEWER, INC.

Estimate went well.  $7,200 is their estimate for flood control system for a bungalow house in Chicago.
It is close to the amount of another well rated flood control system installed by another company.  Expert Flood Control.  Expert's quote was a little higher at near $7,600.

One of them will get the work.  
 
Both estimates include, digging hole in front yard.  Installing double valve system and pumps.  Connecting to electrical.  Both explain that they have dependable systems.  Both systems will require annual maintenance to ensure quality operation.

UPDATE:  After considering different estimates of the work to be done I decided to go with the system from Expert.

While I choose to go with another company, from my research, the Parks system looks very good and comperable.
 
I choose to go with Expert because, 1.  I have seen their work before and was very satisfied (they installed flood control at a condo building I used to live in), and 2. I spoke with someone who still lives in that condo building and he said there has been NO flooding or drainage issues in the nearly 10 years since the system was installed. 


 

They have always been on time and prompt.  The flood control has worked perfectly. They have done really good work.

This is the second time that I've used Park's Plumbing.  They are courteous, cheerful and go out of their way to make sure that you understand an issue and how to prevent it in the future.  This is the first plumber in 11 years on the Northshore that I find to be perfectly professional.

Parks was recommended by a local plumbing contractor who does not install flood controls. The recommendation was VERY GOOD. The original flood control was installed in 1988 and was badly damaged (dead pump, inoperative check valve, badly cracked concrete floor). Also, the electrical work was no longer up to Park Ridge requirements. Other contractors wanted to install a new flood control; Parks inspected the housing and recommended rebuilding instead of a new installation, thus saving me over $2500. I needed a non-standard cover (one with a gasket in it) because of overland flooding - Parks provided it at no additional charge. The control was rebuilt and tested. Parks will be coming in the spring to finish landscaping around the control. The electrical inspector spoke with me before the inspection and stated that Parks hired an excellent electrical contractor and he didn't expect to see problems. The work was done to the current Park Ridge codes (very stringent). I doubt that I will have any sewer flooding problems. I will be calling Parks' for interior plumbing work.

They were very responsive, quick, and their price was reasonable.

Park's prices are high compared to other companies. I would not use them again, but if you do, here are a few pointers:
1. Try to get your quotes in writing (via email), as they change prices afterwards
2. Ask lots of questions to the field rep, especially regarding additional costs and fees.

From start to finish everyone I dealt with at Parks was friendly, courteous, and helpful. The crew did a great job installing the vault--it's hard to tell that it is there. The price was reasonable compared to other quotes. I signed the contract in mid-April and was told there was about a 4-week wait for installation. So that's what I was expecting. But it was about 8 weeks before the crew came to install the vault and about another 3 weeks before the pump was put in. Fortunately, we had a dry summer.

One caveat: all the companies from which I obtained quotes told me I needed to install a sewer rod out station at an additional cost because it was required by my suburb. You might want to check with your city if you are told that. I did and found there was no such requirement and so opted not to install it.

The salesman was prompt, friendly and informative without a lot of pressure to sign right then & there. The information packet & DVD were very detailed and help us understand the process that would take place. The service man who came to rod & camera the sewers was also on time, very friendly and allowed me to watch the camera process and explained everything to me in detail.  He also let me use his cell phone when I locked myself out of the house.The actual work was started on time, 4 to 6 weeks after the contract was signed as promised.  The workman showed up on time and worked diligently.  The hole for the vault was dug by hand, boards were put down on the lawn to keep it from being destroyed and the work area and materials was kept organized and neat.  The electrician was professional and his work was done quickly and with minimal disturbance to the inside of my home.  He waited until the city inspection came and his part of the job was completed.  I have since used this electrician for another job in my home.  All the permits and inspections were done without any problems.  The job was completed in two days and my front lawn looked as though nothing had happen, the grass that had just been put down last year was put back.  Many neighbors commented that your could not even tell the work had been done.We are extremely pleased with this company and would recommend them to anyone.

Therefore - even though parks was professional, they get an F for price....

We really don't know anything about the mechanics of a flood control system.  Parks arrived promptly at the scheduled time.   In replacing the valve, they had to replace some big pipes in the yard requiring them to dig up a large area of the front lawn.  When the job was completed, they replaced the sod and the lawn looked as though it had never been touched.  The job took most of the day and they were very professional.  We are pleased with the service.

I was up most the night using buckets to get rid of water in my basement. I woke up early to call plumbers. Many of the plumbers in my community were booked. After calling Village Plumbing they recommended Parks for flood control. Bob from Parks said he would be at my place at 12:00. Reggie showed up at 10:00. Reggie routed from the outside after I showed him where I had other plumbers had routed before. Reggie did route out some roots and other stuff but after routing for a while said he couldn't get further and needed to go. He said he would give me an estimate and went to his car. He came back and said it was an emergency but that he would be back on Monday and I would need half of the estimate down even though he did not know the estimate because of permits. He said he would bring the estimate later that day. He left claiming the water in my basement should go down slowly on it's own. I did get a quote from Parks on Monday for 9,500.00. I called the city and they said they had thought it was not a problem with the sewer and thought it was probably a blockage. They said if I get another plumber to make sure they use a camera used to determine the problem.

The job required an enormous pit to be dug in the front yard which the crew did by hand and within two days my front lawn looked as if no one had ever touched it. The grass was put back and the camouflage cover masks any trace that the pit exists.  Every person who came out to work on our project was exceptionally professional and courteous.  From working with Al on the quote to dealing with Diane in the office, Parks was a great experience. We had two spots in the basement that needed concrete repair and even though small in scope the crew did a great job getting the floor level and repositioning the drain tiles that had been previously installed.  In one case, the crew went out to get a new, more updated version of the tile material and talked us through why it should be fixed.  All of that smaller project was of no charge to us and really showed how seriously they all take the quality of the overall job.

The experience with them was very good.  It was positive.  There was nothing specific they did that was outstanding.  They did a really good job.  They were professional and timely.  They were a little bit high priced but the quality was good.  I will use them again in the future.

Have used several different companies before (Roto Rooter, Reliance, Bratschi) but none are as thorough and professional as Parks Plumbing. In particular, Fernando is absolutely outstanding. He gave a detailed synopsis of our problem and then kept cleaning, using the camera back and forth until he was completely satisfied the lines were very clear.Other plumber rod the lines until the water flows and just call it a day, and as we learned, did not really do a complete job.We will never use anyone other than Parks in the future. 

So far, so good!  We are dry, and haven’t had any problems.   It is difficult to evaluate the quality of such a thing, other than to say it works as expected.  The expense is pretty big, $7500 is a lot of money, but it is a lot of work.  They also had to run power from the house.  The work was done professionally.

Only two negatives… In terms of timing, it did seem to take longer than originally expected, but not by a lot.  The other issue I had, was that they did a pretty poor job of getting the dirt and sod back into shape on and around the vault door.  I am going to have to re-level the soil and replace some sod.  So just keep that in mind if you have them do this in your yard.

Overall I would recommend them – just be aware of the expense going in.

I called Parks' and scheduled the initial appointment.  Keith came out on time and provided me with a very fair estimate.  I asked what the best and most cost-effective way to perform this job would be, and he provided the answers.  His solution to solving my sewer drain problems helped save a lot of money, and I still got what I needed and wanted, essentially a new sewer line, partially run through the basement, snug up against a wall, and exiting out the foundation.  Parks' crew showed up on the day scheduled, on time once again, and dug a trench, by hand, faster and neater than I've ever seen before.  They trenched, neatly drilled through the basement foundation, ran the pipe, tied my 2 house drains into the new sewer, and filled the trench in one day.  I was (and am) very impressed.  The city inspector was too. The work they did was entirely neat, professional, and solid.  They were systematic in the way they did things, which comes from experience, and their final product showed.  Our neighbors had similar work done, and their lawn still looks like a mess.  Parks' left our lawn looking great.   I would definitely recommend them!

I chose Parks from four estimates based on a complete and competitive bid as well as excellent reports in Angie's List. Also Parks is closest to my home.
First was to completely locate and mark the storm and sewer lines. I was impressed with the service man's professionalism. Luckily the vault would miss my driveway. Then there was quite a delay as Parks had a big back up in business due to flooding. Once the work started it went quickly with minimal disruption to us. One glitch was when they found that the storm pipe was directly over the sewer pipe where the valve was to be, I was told of the problem and the cost to fix. The rerouting cost an extra $945. A cover which holds grass was put over the vault entrance to render it invisible (I hope).

I originally asked the company to assess the sump pump and the sewer trap. They came back with several things that I needed to fix and by doing it with them, I would not have to pay their review fee. I called several times and the office does not have their act together. They would not call me back then call me to ask for payment of the review fee. Finally when they did schedule the work, the fee was still not waived. The work is not bad but the office management of the work is pretty shoddy. I am not sure if I would use them again.

 I've been looking at different modes of protection from sewer back-up including overhead sewers, lift station and check valve systems. My neighbor just installed the Parks' system so I thought I'd f ind out more about their product. The estimator arrived on time and was very professional and very knowledgeable about the product and other types of systems. The type of system they have is a dual check valve system, which seems like it will probably work teriffic until something gets caught in the valve and it gets stuck in an open position. That's just my opinion. Their system is $7500. A lift station, which is a bit more complex than the check valve system is also $7500 and offers more protection since it disconnects the house from the sewer (at least that is what I've been told). I can't understand why the check valve system is so expensive given its simplicty. In the end, I decided to go with a different product--not because the Parks' system is bad, but because I simply prefer a different type of system for the money. If you choose a check valve system though, I don't think you can go wrong with this one. I checked off that I wouldn't use them again only because I wouldn't need to if I'm  using a different system. The date of service is approximate.

I liked the system that they were actually going to install and the guarantees that they offered with the work they were going to offer. I had to wait a little while to get the second estimate, but I know they were very busy and that they have a lot of work that they are doing. I had to call them a couple of times. I received other estimates too. I am just trying to make a final decision about who I am going to go with. I would consider using them again in the future.

The company answers the phone and, when needed, returns calls promptly.  They put in a reasonable bid.  They came out about a month later than originally indicated to us, also this is related to the weather, and we had not told them of any real deadline. There were two workmen who were polite and cleaned up neatly after themselves.  The job appears to have done properly.

Parks Plumbing gave me an estimate for a flood control system.  I had to correct this review because it was originally transcribed from a telephone interview and it made no sense. It was a free estimate.  I liked that their presentation was very professional.  The person who came out seemed very knowledgeable.  He was very personable and did a good job with his presentation.  The materials they provided concerning their services were very professionally done.  They were very clear and concise.  I understood what it was that they wanted to do with the system.  They also offered different kinds of systems.  What I didn’t like was that someone has to pay for those professionally done pamphlets and that person is obviously the customer.  The estimate for the flood control system was very high.They were very expensive.  They were not as expensive as another well known company, but they were definitely on the higher side compared to the other estimates I received.  There was a 10 week waiting period for a job that I thought they were charging about $2000 more than everybody else.  There were good and bad points, but their presentation was excellent.  Their price was too high.  I would consider them for a similar type of estimate in the future. They get a lot of business and apparently they do it well.  As a result, there is a premium for using this company. Perhaps there was a recent flood premium in the estimate as well.  Who knows? They put on a great presentation and the person giving the estimate was very knowledgeable.

Update, I ended up going with Park's after being burned by my ex-plumber.    I guess you get what you pay for with this company because they did such an excellent job that I am convinced of that fact.

This is a company who did not receive any Better Business Bureau Complaints for last year and got an award from them.  That says a lot to me.  I mean, for a company that does flood control systems to get no complaints? 

Hats off to Park's.  They did the job on time and did it quite well I must say and the quality of the work was exceptional.

You can barely see the vault cover in my lawn.

We chose Park's over a few other plumbing services because we were impressed with their analysis of what was needed after we had a basement flooded with 3 to 4 feet of sewer water despite a working sump pump.  They installed a new, much more powerful pump and larger pipes to clear the water much more efficiently. They also checked the sewer for problems and we were happy they found none.

The service person called ahead, arrived on time and worked efficiently to replace the pump even though he had to work during a light rain shower. 

They have a good reputation.  We’ve used them in the past.  We decided not to go with them this time just based on the pricing.  They are good.  The quote was between $10000 and $12000 I guess.  They have an excellent reputation and they have done good work for us in the past.  I cannot say specifically because it’s been five to ten years now.  They have done good work and they have the reputation for doing that work.  The man who came out was very knowledgeable and competent.  I don’t recall his name though.  People can expect quality work from them and they’ll pay for that.  They were fine and responsive.  They were on time.  They were professional.  I will use their services again in the future.