Default business cover photo

WA Gambrill Inc

About us

Established and founded in 1945, family owned and operated. We are centrally located in Towson, Maryland and provide quality residential, commercial, and industrial plumbing and heating services to northern Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and their surrounding areas. Since all work is performed by licensed and insured mechanics, you can trust us to provide outstanding, reliable, and dependable service as recognized several years running by Towson Magazine in their annual "Best of Towson" edition. It is our commitment to excellence that separates us from our competitors.

Business highlights

80 years of experience

Services we offer

Water heaters, drain cleaning, kitchen and bathroom remodels., plumbing repairs and replacements, sewer line and water line replacement

Reviews
4.639 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
85%
4
8%
3
0%
2
3%
1
5%
Showing 1-25 of 39 reviews
Cindi D.
Apr 2022
1.0
Unfortunately, our experience with WA Gambrill has been nothing but negative. They replaced the water supply (not the larger waste line) to the house. The area they excavated was roughly 4 x 4. It is customary once the work is done to leave the earth mounded to account for any settle. Unfortunately, they left a 6 x 5 pile of large rocks and rubble 18 inches high. Sorting through it and disposing of the large rocks has been tedious and time consuming. So far there are 3 each 5 gallon buckets and several boxes of rocks ranging in size from 6 to 10 inches across. Of course, they had to be hauled to the dump as the trash collectors do not take this sort of waste. This represents two hours of work plus time to get it to the dump AND the pile still needs about 3 hours of work and then time to the dump. This has to be done to even get to a place where the ground can be readied for seed. While it is reasonable for a homeowner to have to do remedial work, what they left was simply not right. Attempts to get them to do what was right were met with arrogance from all levels of the company. It was a disappointment to say the least. If you are considering them for this sort of work, please see some of the pictures and know you might very well have to deal with something like this yourself. Knowing this beforehand should be factored in to any decision you make and the price you are willing to pay. The picture of the mound is what still needs to be done and as you can see the rocks that have been uncovered are not the pebbles Gambrill would like folks to believe they are. There is nothing quite like paying someone for work and then having to do some of it for them!

Monica B.
Mar 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown

Kent M.
Nov 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I called the company telling them I had a problem and they said no one was available but they'd try to help. They called back within the hour and send their technician to our home with an auger. Fortunately the auger wasn't needed as the blockage was in a drain close to a clean out. He cleared the blockage very quickly and our problem is resolved. This is my second time using this company and I highly recommend them!

Anne H.
Apr 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I have been using this small company for years (even before Angie's List), based on a friend's recommendation. What the consumer receives is courteous, knowledgeable, dependable, and professional service at a fair price.  We never look for the cheapest guy in town; we are happy to pay a fair price for good service.  We've never had to call them back to follow up on a service.  My son-in-law found water in our house due to a broken pipe while we were away in January, 2012. Gambrill's was there within minutes to find the source of the water (behind a wall on the second floor)  and fix it. Among other services they have provided us over the years are : installation of new water heater (maintenance -- no emergency), replace cut-off valve, install new toilet, clean outside drain.  I can't remember all the services. It's been a dependable company for us.

Erica D.
Feb 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$6,700
We had a flood in our basement when the sewer line backed up.  Everything was sitting in raw sewage. The staff at MA Gambrill took all of the moldy items out of the basement.  Items that were plastic, or stored in plastic, were able to be salvaged, the rest were carted away.  The basement was disinfected and power washed, and was very clean afterward.  The only complaint is that the guys did not return to put some of the large plastic bins back into the basement, and my 58 year old husband ended up having to move them back down.

J M.
Aug 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
Gambrill's always responds promply  and does an excellent job repairing plumping problems. We have been customers for
17 or more years and have always been very satisfied with their work.

Sarah S.
Apr 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$185
They were able to fix a broken pipe while I was away from home.  They did a great job.

John K.
Jan 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
Very well. Son of owner knew what he was doing.  No gliches.  a bit expensive but I think it was worth it.  Would use aagain and recommend for others.

Owen W.
Dec 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$283
Our 33-year-old Moen powder room sink faucet was not working properly. I had replaced the cartridge myself a couple of times but that did not correct the problem. I purchased a similar model Moen faucet myself online and engaged Gambill to install it. In theory, this job could be performed by the homeowner. However, given the old faucet's age, I was willing pay a professional involved for the installation. The Gambrill scheduler advised me that the faucet would not be under their warranty (since I purchased it myself) but the work was guaranteed.
That proved to be a good call. The old faucet was most likely original to the house. The pop-up drain connection to the trap had been done improperly by the builder. The nuts holding the faucet to the sink were severely rusted. Some pipe lengths had to be adjusted a bit. Despite this, plumber Rick was able to complete the removal and install the new faucet in about an hour. It would have taken me at least 3 times that long with no doubt a lot of salty language along the way!
The new faucet looks and works great. The connections under the sink were all professionally done and there were no leaks. This is the third time we have used Gambrill for plumbing work and they have been very good every time.

Glen D.
Oct 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$600
The installation went great. I will use WA Gambrill for all my future plumbing needs. Allen scheduled and performed a prompt and accurate estimate, and he scheduled the installation quickly. Mike came out and completed the installation, doing a nice job, making sure the outlet was neat and solidly mounted . He even pointed out and corrected a couple of small plumbing problems that were not part of the installation (installed a shutoff valve on the the gas line to the oven and replaced a defective shutoff valve on the washing machine water supply.

Vincent M.
Apr 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$144
I can’t say enough great things about this company! I got a new washing machine and the delivery folks could not install completely because I needed some additional plumbing work for the drain out. (Pipes had to be cut; an extension to the washer had to be fashioned) After calling a dozen plumbing outfits and dealing with all the games, “we charge by the job and its $75, $85
or $99 to come out…” I called W.A Gambrill. They came the next day, and took care of it in 45 minutes. The bill….. $144.25! All of the other plumbing outfits said it would probably be at least $350.00 – and they seemed very disinterested in helping
me.
I used W. A. Gambrill a while ago with great results - Don't know why I forgot about them for this project. They are MY PLUMBER NOW!

LEE B.
Mar 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,000
I found out the hard way on a Friday that the sewer line from my house needed to be replaced. I had a big name company come to clean out slow running drains, and they diagnosed it when they ran a camera through it. They quoted me a price and I was concerned about not having a second estimate for something that expensive. My regular plumber suggested that I call Gambrill company for a second estimate.
Despite it being a late Friday afternoon, the receptionist was very helpful and called me back to say that Mike would stop by my house after leaving work since the company is nearby. He was able to give me a price , and even gave me his cell# so that I could think it over and call him back. I chose to go with them because I liked the idea of dealing with a local company.
They arrived promptly on the specified day to begin work and were done by the time I got home. They reseeded the dug up area. There was no property damage. (Compare this to another company that replaced the sewer line at my former house, where those people managed to break the top of a pole lamp and leave my sidewalk listing sideways).
Overall, very happy with the service and willingness to work me in. And the cost was less than the big name company.

John G.
Nov 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,900
10/23/2013 I was just home from surgery and my wife found that our water heater was leaking. I was in a panic! Then I remembered that Allen from W.A. Gambrill,Inc had replaced my other water heater a couple years ago. I gave him a call and explained the situation. He called me back in 30 minutes and told me the water heater I requested was in stock and that he could have someone to my house the following day and would call 1st. I agreed.
10/24/2013 Allen called about 9:30am and said Mike was on his way. Mike and his assistant arrived and replaced the water heater, ball valve and expansion tank in no time. He then ran it through a test cycle and all was well. My worries were over. Thank You W.A.Gambrill !

DEBORAH R.
Jun 2010
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They are pretty good.

Roger L.
Apr 2010
1.0
$850
I called to inquire about pricing. I was told $85/hour. I gave the operator a detailed description of what was wrong - a broken radiator pipe. I gave measurements of the pipe needed. When the plumber and assistant arrived, they had no idea what my problem was. They spent a while looking at it and then left to get parts. They came back, worked a while and left again to get more pipes. ALL OF THIS ON THE CLOCK. When they finished 6 hours later they presented me with a bill for $120/hour. I asked why I was quoted $85 on the phone and he said the assistant cost extra, that w/o the assistant the job would have taken much longer. However, it was not the assistant who made two trips to the supply shop but the main plumber. They used flimsy valves made in China. Two weeks later one of the valves began to leak. I called for follow up. They main plumber came back alone, replaced the valve with a much better one made in America. Why when I was spending over $700 for labor could they not have used the better parts in the first place?

MARC A.
Apr 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,500
well done and very timely

PETER W.
Jun 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
They came the morning after I called, right on time, and took care of everything. He was polite and professional. Excellent experience.

RICHARD F.
Apr 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,500
They were very professional about their work. Another thing that I liked was how punctual that they were. He was very neat and cleaned up after himself after he was done. I would use this company again in the future.

Janet H.
Mar 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I like that they are very good at trouble-shooting and came out on short notice. They were efficient, professional, and thorough. The pricing was also very good. I would recommend them.

Andrzej M.
Feb 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$210
They did another great job.

Richard M.
Sep 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$475
The work was done on time an at the estimated price. I was pleased with the work and the price. Another vendor quoted a price twice the Gambrill one and would have demolished my kitchen in order to do the job that Gambrill did without any damage. I needed a new plumber and believe I have now found one.

JAN L.
Aug 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$38
Overall they did a good job after they replaced the main line they could of leveled out the dirt move when I went to do some landscaping the dirt was kinda piled and not leveled out.

STEPHEN S.
Feb 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
I called and talked to Allen, the President, at some length about the problem. He was very willing to discuss the problem and what they would do to fix the problem. They were able to come out within two business days to look at the problem. After showing the men the problem they quickly got to work. They ruled out any problems with the vent pipe on the roof and went to work on snaking the sewer line from the downstairs toilet to the clean out. After some time they called me to show me the large clump of roots wrapped around the snake. He explained to me the problem with the type of sewer pipe that was used in our older home and how roots got in and would grow back. I was advised that I could have the line snaked every year or so when the problem reoccurred. Or, if we were planning on staying in the house long-term, that it might be worth replacing the sewer line. I appreciated the information and the efficient work they did.

Carol S.
Jan 2008
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$250
Work was fine, but expensive! The running toilet was supposedly fixed, but then it started spontaneously running on and off all day long! Gambrill was extremely responsive, came right away and rectified it for free, not even charging for additional part.

Andrzej M.
Jan 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$120
This was a very good experience. This was our first use of Angie's List. I called the office on a Thursday, and an appointment was made for first thing the following Monday. I was given an estimate of about an hour at $98. per hour. This, of course, needs to include travel time back and forth. The mechanic, Rick came on time. He replaced the worn parts, reassembled the faucets, and now we have a leak-free shower. The estimate was dead-on with $18.50 for parts, and $3 for a fuel/gas charge.
Showing 1-25 of 39

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.

*Contact business to see additional licenses.

FAQ

WA Gambrill Inc is currently rated 4.6 overall out of 5.

No, WA Gambrill Inc does not offer free project estimates.

No, WA Gambrill Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, WA Gambrill Inc does not offer a senior discount.

No, WA Gambrill Inc does not offer emergency services.

No, WA Gambrill Inc does not offer warranties.