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Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

4.6(
38
)
Concrete - Sawing or Removal, Sink Installation, Garbage Disposal Installation,

About us

Sembower-Mikesell Inc. is a family owned and operated business serving the Greater Pittsburgh area since 1923. We offer full residential and commercial plumbing, heating and air conditioning services. We are fully insured.

Business highlights

Emergency services offered
102 years of experience

Services we offer

& humidifiers. We are family-owned & run, & hydro-jetting. We offer residential & commercial heating & cooling, We offer residential & commercial plumbing repair & replacement, air cleaners, and our aim is to provide you with quality service by our certified professionals on staff., forced air furnaces, including but not limited to sewer line repair & replacement, sewer camera service, sewer line excavation, which includes hot water & steam boilers

Amenities

Emergency Services

Yes

Free Estimates

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.638 Reviews
Write a review
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
76%
4
16%
3
3%
2
5%
1
0%
Write a review
Showing 1-25 of 38 reviews
Marcia J.
May 2018
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
It went well and the quality of the work was great, though he initially tried doing something that didn't quite work. Not being a plumber myself, it's hard to tell if maybe he should've first done what he ended up doing later, to save time and money.
Phyllis G.
Oct 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
..............................................................................
Jon S.
Nov 2016
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
On both jobs, service was professional and (seems to be, so far) very well done. On the second job, a leak from second floor bathroom sink, he ended up needing to cut through kitchen ceiling (on floor below) to replace the original, rusted-out pipe -- took about 4 hrs total, and charge was about $1300. We didn't get an estimate (spouse was home, not me) before job (but once hole was cut in ceiling, couldn't really say no) and didn't get an itemized invoice/receipt. Two contractors I spoke with subsequently (before kitchen ceiling was repaired) agreed that we should've at least had an itemized invoice, since they also thought the job was closer to $900-$1000.
Jeff R.
Oct 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Excellent work performed. Cleaned up afterward. Professional and quick. Highly recommend!!
Salil S.
Oct 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$350
unknown
Theresa P.
Sep 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
.
Lisa G.
Jun 2016
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$389
Chris came out on the weekend to attempt to open a blocked sewer lateral.  He worked on it with multiple snakes and multiple attempts for about an hour unsuccessfully.  Chris suggested a dig in the yard (6' deep, with inferred gas and water line interference) at $4500 - $5000 to uncover the problem and we scheduled a return on Monday.  The charge for that day's work was $389.  Later that evening, the problem resolved temporarily.

When the problem recurred soon after, and with another opinion of a broken line under the street, Rich and John visited the site and bid $15,900 to open the street and perform a cleaning, evaluation, and spot repair, with the option to rebid additional work as necessary after examining the line.  Additional work could include lining the original sewer pipe at $500 + $150 per linear foot.  A sales rep following up suggested the possibility of a 10% discount for a cash payment.  A 4% discount was offered after review with Rich.  This was the highest bid I received and I did not pursue it further.

Steven P.
Feb 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$775
unknown
Kristin H.
Jan 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
Our AC in our house wasn't working (it was the first time being switched on after buying the house). Multiple other people said they couldn't come out for days or weeks and Mike came right out that day. One other person had come out and quoted us hundreds of dollars more without even knowing what the problem was. Mike immediately did some troubleshooting, figured out that there was a leak in the outdoor unit, and fixed the issue. He charged us for the cost of the refill from the tank as well as the services and I feel he shared us very fairly. My husband wasn't home at the time and he took the time to show me where the leak was, how he was fixing it, and where I could look if we had a similar problem in the future to see if it was the same issue. I would highly recommend him.
Jeanne J.
Oct 2015
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
unknown
Jeanette B.
Aug 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown
Thomas G.
May 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,500
We were very pleased with the work and appreciated the helpful suggestions offered by the gentleman who did the work.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Mr. [member name removed], thank you for the positive review of our work on your plumbing. We appreciate the feedback and hope to be considered again for any other work you may have in the future."

Robert N.
Apr 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,000
They were the second company to come and fix the floor drain in my garage that backed up.  The first company spent 90 minutes and couldn't figure out what the problem was.  Sembower-Mikesell figured it out in about 30 minutes.  They took parts of two days to fix the problem, which was a little long, but I am satisfied with the work that they did.  They basically cut a hole in my garage floor about 4 ft square disconnected the old trap, which had a hole in it  right at the bottom of the "U", replaced and filled in the hole and repaired the concrete floor.  They did an excellent job of cleaning up the mess.  Except for the fresh concrete, I could not tell that they did anything in the garage.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Thank you for positively reviewing our work on your plumbing. We are happy that we were able to fix the issues you were having in your garage drain to your satisfaction. However, we apologize for the unsatisfying time in completion of your floor drain. We hope to be considered for any work you may need in the future."

Mike H.
Jan 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,500
It was excellent all around.  They were great.  The price was good.  The guys that I talked to were very straightforward.  They didn't try to up-sell.  They gave me a realistic idea and talked me through options.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Thank you for your positive review of our work. We are happy that we were able to complete your drain pipe installation and excavation to your satisfaction. Sembower-Mikesell strives to be forthcoming in the process of completing any work we are given. We hope to service you with any other work you may need in the future."

Tom J.
May 2014
2.0
$754
I did not have a good experience with Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating. He had gone out to make the invoice when he was done. He came in the house to give me the invoice at around 3:31, and he had charged me for the half hour from 3:30 to 4:00. When I looked at the bill, I saw that they charged a huge amount of money for materials. I just felt like I was really over-billed. He had an interesting way of solving it. He told me he'd forget about the extra charges if I made a charitable donation in that amount. But I wondered if they had to do that a lot, if they ran into the same situation when people really looked into their bills. I was still not happy about how the whole thing was handled. When I first started asking about the bill, they were saying, "Well, other plumbers charge $400.00 an hour," and I didn't think that had anything to do with me having a question about their bill. I really got the feeling that overbilling was a common practice of theirs and that they were used to sitting in their trucks to write the invoice and waiting there longer, to be able to bill more. They said it was just going to take a couple hours and it took a lot longer than that. The work was fine. Then when I looked into the materials, I paid $190.00 for $10.00 worth of materials. It was crazy. They had initially had a very competitive rate, but they ended up taking a long time to do the job. It took them about five hours to put in two fixtures that we had already purchased.
JAMES G.
Apr 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Thank you for your positive review. We are glad that you were satisfied with our installation of your kitchen faucet and hope you consider our services in the future."

HARRY S.
Mar 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
I replaced the faucet on a pedestal sink, but when I tried to install a new pop up drain, the old drain broke off coming out of the wall. This happened on a Friday after lunch. I found Sembower Mikesell on Angie's List and called their office. A plumber arrived late that afternoon. He said he would need to take the entire sink apart to correctly install the drain from underneath. He said if would take several hours and couldn't do the work that day, but set up a time to come back early Monday. I later talked to a friend who does some plumbing work and confirmed what needed to be done; he said he doesn't attempt to work on this type of sink. The plumber from Sembower arrived at 8:30 am on Monday. He installed a new gooseneck coming out of the wall and a new pop up drain and shut off valves. He had the work completed by 11:00, including caulking around the sink and cleaning up. The work was done very well and in a professional manner. I would definitely use the company again.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"We are happy that you had such a good experience with our services and the manner in which they were done. Thank you for taking time to complete this review and we hope to service you with any work you may need in the future."

Nina F.
Feb 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Very polite, very professional. There were some issues with my dryer in obtaining a different receptacle. I would use them again.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Plumbing, heating, air conditioning and all things related – that’s our specialty. We are glad to have helped with your appliance hook up when you had moved. As you settle in your new place, we hope to service other areas of your home."

Stephanie C.
Feb 2014
2.0
$700
.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"[member name removed], there are companies called flat-rate companies who charge you a ridiculously inflated price for a job. Sembower-Mikesell, Inc. is not one of them. We almost wish you would have experienced service by a flat-rate company so that you can see how honest we are with our pricing. For our service work, our price structure is simple: we charge for time and materials. We do not tolerate our workers wasting time running in and out because it does not help us or you. What appeared as wasting time running in and out was our guys getting the parts that you need for your particular brand and model of bathroom sink. There are hundreds, or rather thousands, of different parts for all the different lavatory faucets and quite frankly, it would be impossible to stock all these parts on our trucks and even in our warehouse. We hope this explains your perception of the workers running in and out. Regarding your comment about debating the bill with the owner, we would just like to clarify that there was no “debating” the bill. The bill is what it is – a charge for time and material. There was no overcharge or mistakes on the bill. As a courtesy, we reduced your bill because you were so extremely dissatisfied, not because you were overcharged. If we should make a mistake and/or overcharge, we take care of it. Sembower-Mikesell has been a family-owned and operated business serving Pittsburgh since 1923. We have survived as a service company by providing professional, quality service, and it’s unfortunate that you do not see us in this light."

Ronald P R.
Jan 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
Sembower has done work for me on four different occasions. They are easy to reach and always call back quickly. On time and did a great job at a fair price.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"We thank you for hiring us on several occasions. We are much obliged to repeat customers such as yourself, and we never underestimate the importance of repeat business. We know this is one of the key reasons we have been serving Pittsburgh for 91 years."

Brian F.
Jan 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$314
Bought a new toilet to install myself.  When removing the old toilet I was unable to locate the flange or replace the toilet bolts.  Put new wax ring down and reset toilet but the toilet was leaking around the seal.  Toilet valve was not shutting off properly either.  Called Sembower a little after 8am, woman answering the phone said they would have someone out the same day.  Chris called thirty minutes prior to arriving at my residence the same afternoon.  Did an excellent job fixing everything that was an issue.  He explained everything that was going on.  Cleaned the floor where he was working.  Very happy with the results.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"We are happy that you called us for help after running into some toilet-related issues. Chris is one of our most knowledgeable master plumbers. We are so pleased that he did an excellent job and fixed everything that was an issue."

John M.
Jan 2014
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$648
Very efficient and price was competitive.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Thank you for your compliments on our work including our competitive pricing and efficiency. We are grateful that you were pleased with our service of your furnace, and hope to be considered for any future work you may need."

Paolo F.
Dec 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,550
The main water line coming from the street into my house, through the basement floor, started to leak right where the pipe comes out from the floor. Because of this unfortunate location, the pinhole could not be plugged with something like a rubber band and a clamp. I called 3 plumbers to get their opinions and estimates. Sembower-Mikesell was very professional and transparent from the very beginning, providing 2 detailed estimates: one for the removal and replacement of just a short section of the line (~$1,550), and another for the replacement of the whole line (~20ft) from the water meter inside the house to where it connects with the city line (~$4,000). Both estimates clearly indicated what the plumber would have done, item by item, which made me comfortable to end up paying exactly what was in the estimate. The other plumbers had provided estimates for jobs that would have led to the same results, that is the replacement of a short section of the line around the pinhole, or of the whole line. However, although for the former repair the estimate was about $300 lower than that by Sembower-Mikesell, I decided to go with Sembower-Mikesell just because of the level of detail of their estimate. The day of the appointment, they showed up at the scheduled time and started to work right away. They dug a 1 ft deep, 2ftx2ft wide hole in the basement concrete floor, to expose the leaking pipe. They cut and remove a ~3ft long section around the pinhole, upstream the water meter. They replaced it with a new copper pipe. They also replaced the main valve and the pressure reducer with new ones. To comply with code, they installed an anti-backflow check valve downstream of the water meter and, since with that the circuit would have become a closed one, they had also to install an expansion tank at the water heater (which was also listed in the estimate). At the end, they filled the hole in the floor with sand and covered with an inch of concrete, to bring the floor as it was originally. The whole job took them about 6 hours. I was very happy with their professionalism, and for their availability in answering questions I had. I would certainly consider Sembower-Mikesell in the future, should I need plumbing work again.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Thank you for choosing us to serve your plumbing needs. We also thank you for submitting this review and nominating Sembower-Mikesell, Inc. for the Page of Happiness. We are glad that the detail included in our estimate proved useful to you. And we are happy to answer your questions – we believe that the more you know, the better for all of us. We want transparency in every job so that we are always on the same page as our customers. We thank you for your time, and we sincerely thank you for your business."

Richard G.
Nov 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Thank you for your business, and thank you for taking the time to submit this review. We're glad you had your furnace serviced just in time to beat the Pittsburgh cold."

Jenny E.
Sep 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
Although it wasn't easy, Rich and his son removed the clog successfully.  They did the job as quickly and they could and cleaned up afterward.  While waiting for it to drain, Rich even took the time to give us a few tips on preparing our boiler for the winter.  My husband and I were quite impressed with not only their service in taking care of the clog, but the fact that they came over within an hour of speaking with them at 9 pm on a Saturday night.  Sembower will be our plumbers from here on out.
Response from Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating

"Thank you for not only taking the time to submit this review, but also for the Page of Happiness Nominee. Our goal is to always deliver “A” service whether it is during regular business hours or emergency hours. We appreciate your business and your time, and we look forward to working with you again."

Showing 1-25 of 38

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

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FAQ

Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating is currently rated 4.6 overall out of 5.
Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating offers free project estimates.
No, Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating offers emergency services.
No, Sembower-Mikesell Inc. Plumbing and Heating does not offer warranties.

Contact Information

1711 Douglas Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15221

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