CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
About us
Proudly providing quality service to State College for 56 years. Customer service has been their number one mission since 1989. As always, they deal with all of their customers on a personal, one-to-one, basis. They listen to their customers' questions, and provide them with the information to make sound decisions. Capparelli Plumbing and Heating stands by their work. If a customer is not satisfied, Capparelli Plumbing and Heating will happily return to the problem and make it right. When you call Capparelli Plumbing and Heating, your call will be answered by a friendly voice from our office. The message will be relayed and you'll receive a phone call to schedule your appointment. They will gladly give you an estimate, before the job is started... NO SURPRISES! They charge by the job, not the hour. That saves you money.
Business highlights
68 years of experience
Services we offer
DRAIN LINE REPLACEMENT, GARBAGE DISPOSALS, GAS LINE INSTALLATION. FAUCET AND TOILET REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT. WATER HEATER SERVICE AND REPLACEMENT. VIDEO CAMERA INSPECTION SYSTEM., INSTALLATION OF BACK FLOW PREVENTION DEVICES, LEAK DETECTION, SEWER & DRAIN CLEANING, WATER LINE REPLACEMENT
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.317 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 65% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 0% |
Showing 1-17 of 17 reviews
Michael S.
Dec 2015
It went great. Exactly what I needed and expected. I've used him before with similar results. He also gave me some pointers on things to do myself.
C S.
Feb 2015
The problem was a fairly simple one: a leaky faucet. However, my house is over 60 years old, and hasn't been treated well in its history as a rental. I want to upgrade the bathroom hardware. Chris was very knowledgeable about the older design that exists, and what it would take to upgrade it. He was able to fix the faucet right then and there. He even showed me how it went bad in the first place so that I know how to avoid it in the future.
The best part was the quick turn around time. From the time I called the company, to the time I had a working tub again, was less than 24 hours.
The best part was the quick turn around time. From the time I called the company, to the time I had a working tub again, was less than 24 hours.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"Glad I could help you. I ordered more parts for your type of faucet if you need them in the future. Let me know when you are ready to upgrade your bathroom."
Chris P.
Oct 2014
The owner was very knowledgable about heaters, and took time to explain differences and what we can get for our money. He also knew about the local situation with other contractors and was very frank about his business and others he had heard of. I felt confident he was being completely truthful, as we are new to the area and had a hard time finding a good plumber. When he came for the installation he was on time and communicative. The install looks perfect, the plumbing and valves were exactly as I wanted and how we had discussed them, and he was clean and left the area as clean as it was before.
A few days later a circuit break for the water heater failed, and he would not come to replace it, as he was primarily a plumber and not an electrician. I found that slightly odd as electric water appliances he deals with clearly sometimes must be serviced by him. So I had to call a different contractor.
A few days later a circuit break for the water heater failed, and he would not come to replace it, as he was primarily a plumber and not an electrician. I found that slightly odd as electric water appliances he deals with clearly sometimes must be serviced by him. So I had to call a different contractor.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"I am glad that you are happy with your installation. I hope to be able to help you again in the future. Thanks for the kind words on your review."
Kimber H.
Jul 2014
Frozen pipes in January, I was out of state, my wife had no water.
I talked with Capparelli; he was very nice, responsive, fixed same day.
We received his bill and were shocked by the $684 charge, especially compared to the $74 bill from the company that came out and actually thawed our pipes. The invoice had a few lines of vague explanation, no specifics- obvious obfuscation. I called for more detail, got his answering service; he called me back.
Enter Mr. Hyde.
Chris angrily told me that he was tired of talking with me about his billing ?
? uh, Chris, we haven?t talked about this invoice, yet. Hmmm, another dissatisfied customer ?
Rather than cool down, he proceeded to lecture me with almost the exact words used in his response to one of the other reviewers. And then he hung up on me!!
He sent another invoice, this one just parts and labor, no detail.
I sent him another request for itemization, even attaching a spreadsheet, to show him what it could look like.
FIVE requests in all for an itemized bill before he finally sent one, complaining that he was ?tired of jumping through hoops for you!? Uh, he?d told another reviewer on this page that all she had to do was request an itemized bill and he would have gladly sent it. Throughout the process, his language got progressively more abusive and personal.
We eventually figured out that it was convenient for him not to give us an estimate, so we wouldn?t have anything to hold him to. He could have, should have, called with an estimate, once he saw the damage. [He stressed to other reviewers that an estimate is company policy.]
Actually, our experience mirrored most of the complaints about him we see here on Angie?s List, and his efforts at deflecting the criticisms are transparently inaccurate and amateurish.
Chris will no-doubt reinvent this, we see it all over these reviews, but there is a very clear paper trail and it isn?t pretty.
No, we would never use him again, and we will take our 12+ potential customers with us.
I talked with Capparelli; he was very nice, responsive, fixed same day.
We received his bill and were shocked by the $684 charge, especially compared to the $74 bill from the company that came out and actually thawed our pipes. The invoice had a few lines of vague explanation, no specifics- obvious obfuscation. I called for more detail, got his answering service; he called me back.
Enter Mr. Hyde.
Chris angrily told me that he was tired of talking with me about his billing ?
? uh, Chris, we haven?t talked about this invoice, yet. Hmmm, another dissatisfied customer ?
Rather than cool down, he proceeded to lecture me with almost the exact words used in his response to one of the other reviewers. And then he hung up on me!!
He sent another invoice, this one just parts and labor, no detail.
I sent him another request for itemization, even attaching a spreadsheet, to show him what it could look like.
FIVE requests in all for an itemized bill before he finally sent one, complaining that he was ?tired of jumping through hoops for you!? Uh, he?d told another reviewer on this page that all she had to do was request an itemized bill and he would have gladly sent it. Throughout the process, his language got progressively more abusive and personal.
We eventually figured out that it was convenient for him not to give us an estimate, so we wouldn?t have anything to hold him to. He could have, should have, called with an estimate, once he saw the damage. [He stressed to other reviewers that an estimate is company policy.]
Actually, our experience mirrored most of the complaints about him we see here on Angie?s List, and his efforts at deflecting the criticisms are transparently inaccurate and amateurish.
Chris will no-doubt reinvent this, we see it all over these reviews, but there is a very clear paper trail and it isn?t pretty.
No, we would never use him again, and we will take our 12+ potential customers with us.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"I talked with the wife, not her husband, who was out of town, on Jan. 24, 2014. The work was actually completed on Jan. 27, 2014 NOT May 20, 2014. I made multiple trips to the home that day because of the scope of work that was completed. She could not take a day off of work to be there. I was there alone. This was a mistake on my part. Every time the water was turned on to the house, I found more broken water lines due to the extreme cold temperatures. The water lines froze and broke. Up front estimates cannot be given on frozen water lines because you do not know how many of them you will find until the water is turned on to the property. After the necessary work was finished that evening, I contacted the wife. I informed her of the invoice amount and told her I would put it in the mail that evening. She was fine with that. After the husband returned from out of town a few days later, I received a phone call from him. After grilling me about the charges on the invoice on Jan. 31, 2014, he asked for the first breakdown. I agreed and sent him my standard breakdown that is acceptable by all of my clients but this one. I did not receive a reply from the husband after that. When the invoice went overdue (30 days on February 27, 2014) I sent an overdue statement including finance charges in the mail. The husband contacted me AGAIN on March 10, 2014 and said that the breakdown I sent was not good enough for him. Why didn't he contact me sooner?? I then sent him ANOTHER more detailed breakdown on March 11, 2014 so that I could close out the invoice. I informed him at that time that I am done giving breakdowns and "jumping through his hoops". I just wanted to be paid for the work I completed. He had a deadline of March 21, 2014 to pay the invoice including the finance charges. I waited until March 26, 2014 to file the civil complaint with the district magistrate's office. I filed the complaint and it was delivered certified mail to the member. He received it on March 28 or 29, 2014. The invoice is now 60 days old. I received, on April 1, 2014, a partial payment on the $684.00 invoice. I only received $581.40. He informed me at this time that he and his wife are senior citizens and deducted the senior discount from my invoice. Don't you think this should have be shared with me in the beginning?? I think that is "shady" to say the least. He also decided on his own to just deduct the finance charges. Obviously, he did not read the fine print on the bottom of my invoice. I decided on April 1, 2014 to accept the payment he sent even though it was not the full amount. However, I would like the members to reimburse me for the court costs I incurred though. I sent the members a letter on April 1, 2014 showing that I paid the court costs and that they cannot be returned. I filed the complaint well after the final deadline for payment was due. The hearing was delayed by the members one time. They were out of town. I was informed by the magistrate's office the hearing would not be delayed again. Approximately three days before the rescheduled hearing date, I received a check from the members reimbursing me the court costs I paid to start the legal process against them. If I would not have filed the civil complaint against the members, I would still be waiting for my payment. Some people just do not like to pay bills, I guess. I did all I could do to satisfy the member. Some people you just can't satisfy. I have learned this being in business over 20 years. The water was on and there were no leaks on the system. All of the service was performed in less than a day. If the 12+ people the members would refer to me for my services are like them, I don't want to work for them anyway."
Janet L.
May 2013
unknown
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"As a business owner, I always enjoy reading about how people CLAIM expensive certain items are. Like this member knows how much labor was charged to the job. Obviously, she has no idea. I know the costs required to run a professional plumbing company. My firm has been in business for over 50 years in this town. I have seen lots of businesses start up and under cut everyone in town to get work, only to run out of business because they can't pay their bills. My company charges a fair price for the service provided. I plan to be in business in the future to provide service to my clients. Charging what everyone else is charging is NOT a good business plan to stay in business."
Tom S.
May 2013
Old outside hose spigot & handle had leaked since I moved into the house a couple years ago. I remembered that when I went to use the hose this Spring. I call Chris and he was out to take a look a day or two later. He replaced the spigot & handle and it's working great.
Robert S.
Apr 2013
Called them in to fix a pressure problem in the drain pipes. I have a sump pump in the basement that expels my washing machine water to the septic tank. When the sump would run the drain traps in all sinks and toilets were sucked dry. The guy could not figure out what was wrong. How would an experienced plumber not know how to fix this problem. Needless to say he did not fix the problem. I put in a call to my uncle who is a contractor and he told me how to fix it over the phone. This jerk tried to charge me $800 and he didn't even FIX THE PROBLEM. I told him I wasn't paying him $800 and we came to an agreement for $600. Do yourself a favor and hire someone else.
He did also install two new outdoor hose hookups, again a job that takes minutes.
He did also install two new outdoor hose hookups, again a job that takes minutes.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"Wow, obviously this member did not need to get personal in his review. If he had such problems with my services, he could have contacted me about it. Again, no need to throw personal accusations at me."
Rich R.
Mar 2013
We placed a call to Capparelli's for no hot water on Sunday and were promptly called back . Chris attempted to troubleshoot the problem over the telephone and recommended several steps to try to get the unit working again. He arrived as promised the next morning and completed the repair quickly. Chris showed us all the defective parts upon completion of the job. The work site was cleaned up and no evidence of the repair was left behind except us getting a nice warm shower again. I will definitely call Capparelli for all my future needs.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"Glad I could help you with your problem. I hope to hear from you in the future for your plumbing needs."
Bob H.
Mar 2013
Work was scheduled very efficiently and the plumber completed the job as promised. The problem was with the bill... $650 for about 2 hours of work! Even worse, the bill was not itemized. There was a single entry for the total amount, with no explanation as to where the amount came from. We believe this is a reaction to the fact that we supplied all of the hardware. All we needed the plumber for was labor.
In addition, he did not clean up the areas after he was done and he incorrectly connected the hot vs. cold water in one of the bathroom sinks!
This was the second time this plumber was used and this will be the last.
In addition, he did not clean up the areas after he was done and he incorrectly connected the hot vs. cold water in one of the bathroom sinks!
This was the second time this plumber was used and this will be the last.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"Upon receiving my review from this member on March 11, I did not know there were any issues with the work I performed for them. I attempted to contact them on March 11. They have not contacted me yet. I have a breakdown on the work performed and can give that to them. I cannot resolve issues with my clients when they do NOT return my telephone messages. The work was scheduled with me weeks in advance of the completion date. On the completion date, there was a snowstorm and the member could not make it to town. I offered to reschedule the completion date with the member, but they did not want to wait to have work done. Pricing was not discussed because the work was to be completed that day and that day only. Again, I tried to reschedule the completion date, but that was not acceptable by the member. There was more work performed that day for the member than what I charged them for. I left the faucet boxes and papers at the site for future reference by the members. They will need faucet model numbers and part numbers to repair these faucets when they contact the manufacturer for warranty repairs. When dealing with manufacturers, you must have the model number and part number of the faucet that needs repair parts. I could NOT have known that the water lines were crossed when I completed the work because the old faucets and water lines were NOT installed or AT THE SITE. Maybe the members should have rescheduled the work so they could be there with me. I have many clients that trust my work and I stand behind my work and pricing. If it was such an issue with this member, why state it on a website instead of calling me personally to discuss the problems or issues with their installation??? Why pay my invoice in full, (as the members did), BEFORE putting it on this website??? I do NOT understand. I am very approachable and welcome questions or criticisms. I am only a telephone call away. If the members need an explanation, I am waiting for them to call me. I am sorry that they think the installation was not completed to their satisfaction. In the future, it is imperative that they be at the site when work is completed."
Robin G.
Feb 2013
He seemed to do excellent work, and was very thorough. The down side, and only one, is that he was very expensive. We had another contractor do some different plumbing work the following month and he confirmed that we paid a high price.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"My company policy is to give pricing for the work needed before any work is completed. I gave the up-front price for the work needed and got approval from the member before the new faucet was ordered. After waiting three days for the faucet to arrive, I installed the new fixture. The member was satisfied with the work I performed in her home. The faucet I installed has a 10-year warranty. I feel the price I quoted was a fair price for the work performed. The member had ample time to shop for other prices before the work was completed. Why is there an issue almost a year AFTER the work is completed??"
Lindsay K.
Jan 2013
We had been having a plumbing issue in our kitchen, both the drain pipes and faucet were leaking a bit and we finally got an under the sink area filled with water the other day (we had been hoping it would wait a bit until we were ready to redo the whole kitchen). We called a few plumbers earlier in the week and left messages on machines, with people saying to expect a callback, etc but the only person who returned our call was Chris. He came by a few days later as scheduled and fixed both of our problems and was out in about an hour and a half.
He let my fiance go with him into the crawl space, showed him some things down there and under the sink which was great (turns out a lot of what we have is out of code and knowing that will be really helpful in how we prioritize our remodels). It is nice to have someone come into your home to make repairs who is willing to let the homeowner 'tag along' and learn a bit along the way. Chris also just seems like a nice guy, the visit ended with laughter and him and my fiance sharing a story or two.
Thanks!
He let my fiance go with him into the crawl space, showed him some things down there and under the sink which was great (turns out a lot of what we have is out of code and knowing that will be really helpful in how we prioritize our remodels). It is nice to have someone come into your home to make repairs who is willing to let the homeowner 'tag along' and learn a bit along the way. Chris also just seems like a nice guy, the visit ended with laughter and him and my fiance sharing a story or two.
Thanks!
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"Thank you for the positive feedback about my visit to your home. I am sorry I could not respond quicker to your problem. I appreciate your patience. I will try to be there quicker the next time."
Bob S.
Dec 2012
Every job Chris has done has be top quality. He is also very neat, cleaning his work area before he leaves. He gets my highest recommendation.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"I always enjoy working for you. It's the little "sidebar conversations" we have that makes working at your house a pleasant experience."
Nick P.
Nov 2012
Chris was very knowledgeable and honest. He identified a simple solution to the low water flow problem in our bathroom that otherwise could have cost upwards of $1000 to fix if we would have had to run new pipe from the basement to the bathroom. We also remodeled the kitchen in our 170 yr old house and he did the plumbing for that. We needed the pipes for the sink rerouted and additional input for a new dish washer. He was willing to work with me too find an affordable way to get the job done while still doing quality work.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"I am glad the kitchen remodel turned out the way you wanted, Member. It was a pleasure to help you out on your project. I am glad it was completed to your satisfaction."
Robert M.
Sep 2012
We noticed the pressure reducing valve leaking Wednesday morning. I called Capparelli's that afternoon. Chris called back but left a message. After a couple back and forth messages. a Friday morning appointment was scheduled.
Chris arrived Friday morning. He had all the supplies and equipment with him, even though I never did get to talk with him in detail about what was going on. He took his time and was willing to replace the saddle valves while the water was off. He knew what he was doing and the quality of his work seems excellent.
Chris arrived Friday morning. He had all the supplies and equipment with him, even though I never did get to talk with him in detail about what was going on. He took his time and was willing to replace the saddle valves while the water was off. He knew what he was doing and the quality of his work seems excellent.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"Member, Thanks for the review. I am glad to be able to help you. If you need assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to call me. Thanks again. Chris Capparelli"
S H.
Apr 2012
Working with Chris Capparelli was a real pleasure. I left a message on his machine and received a prompt call back that allowed me to set up a speedy appointment. Chris arrived promptly and provided a fair and honest evaluation of the problem. He was personable and courteous throughout the entire time he worked, and I was very impressed with his knowledge and attention to detail--one of the "old school" tradesmen who really takes pride in doing things the right way. He even cleaned up the work site thoroughly before he left. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing plumbing services.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"Member, I appreciate the nice review. It's nice to work for someone who notices the things I try to do everyday to set my company apart from the others in the area. Thanks again. Chris Capparelli"
Melissa A.
Feb 2012
It took 6 weeks for the "new" toilet to arrive. Then we saw that It was ordered in the wrong color. As cutomers, we are having to return the toilet and have to wait again for the correct color to arrive.
Response from CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING
"This is news to me as of Feb. 27, 2012. I discussed issue with special order toilet with client on December 15, 2011. They were to get back to me after the member was back on her feet after surgery that was supposed to happen in a couple of days. I feel that is it unfair to my company to respond the way she did through your website. I always respond to customer complaints. Thankfully, they are few. I think the Members' forgot to get back to me about this situation. I hope this posting is not public on your website. They also have an overdue invoice from October 31, 2011 for repairs done to a different toilet than the one I replaced. If the work was done so poorly, why did they not contact me sooner than this??"
Ronald S.
Jun 2011
Chris Capperelli arrived on-time as scheduled. He examined the problem area, assessed what was needed and proceeded to fix the problem. He carries all the necessary replacements in his truck and finished the installations quickley and in a professional manner. We have used him before to replace a frost free long valve tap and he also replaced our hot water heater. He offers a senior discount.
Licensing
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FAQ
CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING is currently rated 4.3 overall out of 5.
CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING does not offer free project estimates.
No, CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING does not offer a senior discount.
No, CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING does not offer emergency services.
No, CAPPARELLI PLUMBING & HEATING does not offer warranties.