Zell Plumbing & Heating

I called Les at 8:30 this morning, he answered and was friendly asking about our problem and how soon we wanted service. The disposal had been leaking for awhile and so he said the sooner the better, they could be out today. I was shocked. He took my information and said he could have someone here by around noon and that Scott would call ahead of time to tell me he was on the way. We could purchase the unit from them or buy it ourselves. We bought the same one they sold from the truck so we were set. Scott called at 9:30 and said he was on the way, early, that never happens. He came in, we talked about the problem, he took the old one out put the new one in and tested it throughout. He told me what exactly was wrong and a spot to watch going forward. Scott was very nice and knowledgeable, he was in and out in an hour. We couldn't be more pleased. This was our first experience with Angie's List, we are very happy. Thank you Angie and Les and Scott. Will definitely use Zell again.

Mr. Zell showed up right on time. He looked over the work to be done and we discussed some options. The faucet and toilet went very well but we had some issues with the kitchen sink. Because of how the drain was installed 24 years ago we could not rehook the disposal. He gave me some options for putting it back in but they all involed a lot of time and effort so we opted not to do it. Les is very courteous and explained completely all of the problems and possible solutions. We were very satisfied with his work.

He was on time and extremely professional. He even held a science class with my four and five year old daughters. I would suggest his services every day of the week and twice on Sunday's. The leak was fixed and the price was extremely reasonable.

We phoned Zell in the morning (was very pleased to reach a human and not a recording), and within a couple of hours Scott showed up to check things out. He had phoned ahead of time to say when we could expect him and he was very punctual. Scott diagnosed the situation and presented the estimate. The pressure valve on the water heater was leaking water and needed to be replaced. We agreed to the service and he got to work! Only took a short amount of time for it to be completed. Scott explained what had happened to cause our leaky valve problem and showed us the broken valve's inner seal. We told him we also had a coupon (which we had printed directly off of the Zell website, and he said 'great'. No issue with honoring it at all. Overall, a great experience.

I called in the morning and Scott was here in a few hours .Upon arrival I had a warm greeting, was presented a company business card with Scott's name on it. Work started right away. I had lots of questions about this project and future projects and all were answered expertly. I learned alot too! I was very pleased and plan to use Zell for my future projects.

He is honest, does what he is supposed to do. He is very neat and willing to please. Trustworthy, and his prices are reasonable

I first called Zell Plumbing and got a quote from Les Zell, over the phone, for the work I wanted to have performed. I wanted to have an outdoor sillcock faucet replaced, as the previous one leaked, and lacked freezeless and anti-siphon features. The cost quoted was $275, and he recommended the Woodford Model 19 faucet. I then scheduled the work for a later date. Les Zell came out and performed the work. He was scheduled to arrive at around 3pm. I got a call from Amanda @ Zell Plumbing at around 3:54 pm stating that he was running late, but would be there in around 30 minutes. Les arrived at 4:23 pm. I guess Les only had my work number, and I was at home waiting for him by the time he called to warn me he'd be late. He then contacted Amanda and had her call me. The delay wasn't that big of a deal, but I must knock the punctuality score because of this. Zell Plumbing works a little differently than most plumbers. Instead of charging an hourly rate, plus parts, they just charge one flat price based upon the work to be done. I appreciate this approach, as I've been burned in the past when other plumbers charged more than I expected for parts (which they rarely quote ahead of time). With Zell Plumbing, you know ahead of time exactly how much you'll be charged. The only problem is, the amount they charge seems a bit high (more on that, later). As previously stated, Les arrived at 4:23 pm. I first discussed a number of projects with him, getting quotes on those projects. Zell normally charges $79 (refundable upon completion of the job) to come out and bid on a project. So, since he was already there, I made sure to get some quotes locked down. He started working on the outdoor faucet at around 4:45 pm. The work he did on this was great, and quick. He installed a Woodford Model 19 external faucet, which has anti-rupture, anti-siphon, and freezeless features. Exactly what I wanted, and his recommendation for a faucet was solid. Before he began the work, he mentioned that he would be cutting out the current faucet and soldering the new faucet on to the existing pipe. I was surprised that he wasn't going to install a screw-on adapter on the pipe, so that the faucet could be more easily replaced in the future. I asked if he would be able to do that (securing the screw-on connection with Teflon tape). He had no problem with doing that, and it didn't change the cost. After Les was done with the faucet, he took a look at another outdoor faucet that I was having problems with, and discovered that the problem was simply a dislodged washer in the anti-siphon port. He was able to fix that for me, in about 5 minutes, with no additional charge. I greatly appreciated that he was willing to take a look at that, and even fix it. A past plumber I had out had only offered to replace it, and in fact, I suspect that past plumber had purposely dislodged that washer so that he would have to replace the whole unit. All work was completed by 5:30 pm. The time spent on replacing the main faucet, plus the time spent fiddling with the other faucet, was about 45 minutes. Why is this important? Well, as you may recall, I was charged $275 for the work. The cost of a Woodford Model 19 is about $60 online. The cost of the replacement piping, Teflon tape, screw-on adapter, etc., wouldn't be over $10 (likely half that). So, let's say $70 for parts. That leaves $205 for labor. Considering the work took 45 minutes, that comes out to an hourly rate of $273/hour ( (($205 / 45 minutes) * 60 minutes) gives you an hourly rate ). That seems awfully high to me. I greatly appreciate the work of Les Zell @ Zell Plumbing. He did fine work, and I would definitely hire him in the future. The cost is definitely higher than other plumbers, but perhaps that is just the cost of good work. One of the advantages of charging a flat rate for the work is that there is no need on the plumber's part to "pad out" the time they spend working. They can quickly do the work and get out of your way. This does have the effect of making the work seem overpriced, though. Whether it is, or not, I'm not sure. The quote from Zell WAS higher than the quote from other plumbers, but they only quoted hourly rates, with only guesses at the time it would take. So, with Zell, you're guaranteed a certain price, while things may be more uncertain with other plumbers. That's the trade-off, I guess. Overall, I'd recommend Zell Plumbing for the quality of their work. Though one should keep in mind that I only had minor work done.

We needed to have our plumbing reconnected and three new faucets installed following our new countertops installation. Les Zell arrived at our home two hours from our initial contact. He was very personable, professional and courteous. He installed a new kitchen faucet and drain, then reconnected our garbage disposal. Next he installed two new faucets and drains in our bathrooms. In all, it was a very positive experience. We very highly recommend this plumbing company and will definitely use them again in the future.

We are impressed with Zell. Practical, down-to-earth, honest people. Pricing is good. Service is excellent. Zell has done plumbing repairs for us 3 times. Will use them in the future. Highly recommend.

He was excellent. He was very nice, and helpful. Their rates were fair.

Les phoned to ask if he could come 15 minutes early for the appointment, which worked wonderfully for us. He quickly assessed the multiple water leaking problems in the upstairs bathroom. He found the quickest and least costly methods to solve the problems. He advised us on how to prevent similar issues in the future. He inspires complete confidence and puts you at ease. We would definitely use Zell again in the future.

Our sump pump was jammed and would not shut off. We could not solve the problem ourselves, so we called Zell Plumbing on a Tuesday afternoon. Zell said they would call the next morning around 8am or later to tell us when they could arrive. At 9:15am Scott said he could arrive at 11am, but later called and said he could make it by 10:30am. He was very prompt and got right to the job. He gave us an estimate for a repair and a replacement which gave us options. After further investigation, it was determined the sump pump could not be saved and he had the replacement in his truck. By 11:45am he had the job done. Scott was very professional and thorough. He kept us well informed of our options. He was a pleasure to work with.

We were very impressed with Scott's punctuality, professionalism, and workmanship. He evaluated our old pump and explained its age and condition. When we decided to replace the old pump, Scott got right to work. He installed the new pump and the back up battery system we had requested. When finished, he had me examine what he had done and answered all my questions. He seemed to take pride in his work and made sure we knew all work was quaranteed. Scott was a very friendly, courteous, and neat worker.

Initially, I was a little put off by the $79 charge to come out and do an estimate (which would be fully deducted from charges for any work I had done). However, after it was all said and done, that was quickly forgotten, as I was very impressed with Scott's work, demeanor, punctuality and professionalism. Would highly recommend.

The service was outstanding from start to finish. The receptionist who took my call was very friendly and helpful; she was able to put me on the schedule within a week of my call. On the day of the appointment, Les called to let me know when he would be arriving. He took the time to check out each of my concerns and then explained in details what he would recommend. Fortunately,only one of them required repair work. He gave me some excellent advice about water conservation. I feel that, because of this one-time visit, I was able to forestall many more serious problems in the future.

The service done by them was a very minor thing; so the price wasn’t much.

Les Zell has been my plumber for nearly 20 years. He is always a delight to work with. Prompt, courteous, personable and 100% reliable. His prices are very reasonable. Can't rate him highly enough.

Overall, everything went extremely well. Scheduling was easy and the installation by Scott was outstanding. He did his work professionally and gave us information on how to best use the product. I'm impressed by the employees of Zell and look forward to using them in the future for any plumbing needs.

Went well - quick response, only performed work that was necessary. Up front about costs.

He was very honest and dependable. I had just remodeled my kitchen, and two months later I came home from work to find that there was a leak from the upstairs bathroom. I had to rip the kitchen apart again. The dining room ceiling had to be completely replaced. The plumber came out after they had already closed for the day. He could have charged me a huge amount of money for it, but he ended up just harging half of what the original estimate was. He could not have been better with the whole thing. He was very neat. He is one of the people I would not mind giving a key to while I was at work.

A very good experience from talking to Amanda on the phone to Scott replacing the water heater. Both were very professional, knowledgable, and patient in addressing all of my questions/concerns. Their price was a little higher than a competitor, but they matched it and were on site so they got the business. I would definitely recommend and use this company in the future!

Zell accommodated my schedule when I set up the initial appointment and again when I had to reschedule. Les arrived on time, worked quickly and did good work. He answered my questions and explained my options. We have already hired him again for some additional work.

Les Zell called to say that he could arrive earlier than scheduled. I then called the water company ( just before 11:00) to have the water shut off. The water technician arrived shortly after Les did but had difficulty shutting the water off. LZ said that Zell's diagnostic fee was $179 but would be applied to the job costing $975. (The word "estimate" was written on the form but I was told that it was a flat fee.) He asked for $149 up front and left to go to another job. Within minutes, the water was shut off and I called to let him know. He came back after finishing at the other job. There were two runs for parts. Everything appeared to be going smoothly other than some waiting for the technician to succeed in shutting the water off. The work was completed and inspected before 3:00. A few days later, I called to ask for an explanation of how the charge was figured. LZ called me back and said that he had given me a break, that the charge should have been $1200, that the job was more complicated than expected, and that there was $137 in parts. He said that I had questioned their work once in the past, and they would take me off their "list." He said that the only reason they even came was that one of my neighbors was a good customer of theirs and they liked to accommodate good customers. He really thought I shouldn't call them again. Stunned, I agreed with that and thanked him for the explanation. (What had happened in the past was that a very nice rep of Zell had recommended and installed a new toilet in my bathroom. However, there was a 4 1/2 -inch gap between the wall and the tank, and only 15 inches of space between the front of the bowl and the sink cabinet, neither of which had been a problem with the old toilet. I called to question it, and Les came out and graciously said that if I could find a more suitable toilet he would put it in for free. I did find one that would reduce the gap behind the tank but would probably not change the tight space in front, and I decided not to ask Zell to go to anymore trouble. Instead, I wrote them a thank you note for their willlingness to respond to my concerns and said that I would recommend them to others. Needless to say, having been "fired" by them, I have now changed my mind.)

I tried to install the outlet box myself over a weekend and failed. That left me without any water as I had to shut it off to do the job. I called Zell Monday morning and they sent someone out right away that morning. Just a great experience overall. The next time I have a need for plumbing help I will definitely use Zell Plumbing.

I noticed that our toilet wasn't working the day we were to have overnight guests arrive. I called Zell Plumbing from work and the office coordinator arranged for a plumber to meet me at the house in 15 minutes. He arrived on time, was very neat, explained the problem and options to fix and prevent future problems. He worked very quickly which allowed me to get back to work in less than an hour. He offered a discount on the bill because we were repeat customers. This was our 3rd experience with Zell and we would use them again.