Ernie's Plumbing Service Inc

Recently I used Ernie?s Plumbing (EP) to determine a possible sewage leak under the slab of my home consisting of a ?static test? and camera inspection of the entire sewer line. I found EP to be very courteous, professional, punctual, and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, I also found them to be a little pricey for my budget. I understand they are very good at what they do and word-of-mouth confirmed their elite status. However, it pays to shop around. I was able to secure another professional who was able to match EP?s repair bid and also include additional work (what EP proposed would be an additional cost) saving me around $6,000 big ones! I also found communication with EP to be a concern. They never once called to follow up with me to see if I was still interested. Also, my insurance agent had difficulty with EP not returning calls. It was only after I ?conferenced in? both parties on my phone were we able to obtain the necessary information. I will use Ernie?s Plumbing again in the future and I recommend you do the same; just don?t forget to shop around!

This is a rental property so I guess the guy that went out thought I was either rich or in a bind to get the leak fixed, but I'm done being overcharged by this company. The only good thing about this company is that there was no service fee so I had time to tell them NO before I had to pay whatever they decided to charge. NEVER AGAIN.

My toilet had been leaking for months. I had estimates for close to $200. I finally used Angie's List and found Ernie's Plumbing. Fred came out and said he could fix my toilet for NO CHARGE! He realized the packing had come loose so he fixed that for no charge at all!

UPDATE: A Manager, Randy, contacted me after reading the review and offered to make everything right. We agreed to rebate the inspection fee, which he agreed should have been credited against the cost of the work or just replaced with an upfront estimate of the total job. They allowed me to use as a credit to replace the toilet in the master bath with the toilet that we previously purchased from Home Depot. They also swapped out the original toilet they installed with an American Standard model of my choosing. The work was done well and the tech was friendly and professional on both visits. I am very impressed with their prompt response to my issues and willingness to make it right and would use them again after seeing their professionalism in fixing the situation. The tech was prompt and friendly. He continued to be friendly as he was dramatically overcharging me and leading me astray through the whole process. The "free estimate" that is advertised on Angie's List cost me $185 on top of a very expensive toilet install. Upon seeing the toilet of the house we bought recently, which was pushed up too tightly against the wall and sitting slightly askew, causing a small leak at the floor level. He quickly proclaimed that this a specially made toilet to fit the tight space, we would never be able to find a replacement, and gave a long explanation involving how some home builders mistakenly put the piping too close to the wall, and that the only way to fix the issue would be to "offset" the flange to get a standard toilet to fit, which would involve cutting through the flooring and jackhammering the slab to open a bigger hole - a very expensive project. Other solutions he proposed was to try to find a smaller tank for the toilet to allow it to fit, which he was unable to do. It was only after I googled "toilet 10-inch rough-out" (standard toilets are 12") that a plethora of options for a replacement toilet popped up at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. , and I later found that this is actually a pretty common variation in smaller bathrooms. Due to doom and gloom speech that I'd been given (and hadn't realized yet was way overblown), I still didn't know if these would fit (turns out that was not a problem at all). Then the tech was pushing very hard for a toilet brand I'd never heard of (kickback?), and refused to disclose a price of the actual toilet and other minor parts, nor even let me pick out or see the toilet before committing to the outrageous price of $550 to install - PLUS the $185 for a 30-second "inspection" needed to get me a quote - so much for the Angie's List free estimate offer (I hadn't read that until today). Only through some quick searching completely on my own did I get some mild comfort with the brand and find a model that was acceptable. I normally would have refused to go forward, but I was distracted on addressing my A/C compressor that just went out with my A/C guy and warranty company, I was still uncertain about a new toilet fitting due to the stories I'd been told, and I knew I would not be available to get away from work anytime soon to get another plumber out to address this, so I very grudgingly agreed to move forward with the ridiculous scam pricing. Work was done fine (no issues with fit at all despite the stories that I would never be able to find a replacement), toilet looks fine and seems to flush well, it was just $250 overpriced and I feel I was mislead throughout the entire process.

I got a window from 9-1. The person did not show up till almost 3. When he arrived he was rude. He barely looked at the situation then he quoted me a price of $175. That price is way too expensive for a simple clearing of a clog. That along with the horrible punctuality and the rudeness of the plumber that came out. made me realize that i was going to do the work myself. I went to Home Depot and did the work myself. I would not recommend this company to anyone.

Great. Warranty work. Very happy.

We had a loose disposal unit under the kitchen sink that I don't think was ever installed correctly to begin with. It was leaking and very loose. I requested an appointment on the company's website and the appointment was confirmed via email. Very easy. I received a call from the dispatcher letting me know when the plumber would arrive. Plumber arrived on time and was very courteous and professional. He explained everything he was doing and the repair was done with no problems. The only thing I will note, and I think this is probably true with plumbing companies everywhere because they know they can, is they charge too much. That said, I knew I wasn't going to get around to fixing the problem so I paid it and I felt confident that we used the right company.

Work was scheduled for Friday. Plumber showed up close to 5pm. Said he would need to go to the parts store in the morning and get parts and the water heater(why was this not already on the van?). I had to pay half down before he would come back(company policy if work extends more than one day. Saturday he showed up on time, replaced the water heater, fixed everything to make it up to code and then said the lady at the office would pull a permit Monday. It has been 3 weeks so we called the city to see why they have not come out to inspect the work. The city said a permit has not been pulled for this work. I called today 4/29/14 to let Ernie's know that a permit has not been pulled. This should have been done before the plumber came onsite to that when this job is done the work can be expected. Now we will wait to see when the permit gets pulled and if this up to code. 5/2/14 Thank you for the response. I agree with your response about the stocking of the water heater, had the plumber not already come up weeks before to discuss which water to install. He had the model and everything already discussed and agreed upon. thanks

Fantastic. There is a reason that Ernie's has an A rating on Angies list. First, they offer free estimates. Most services cost $200+ just to show up for an estimate. Second, their plumbers were professional. Third, their management and back-end was superior. They came out in a days notice. They called before they came. They called after they left (to make sure service was good). Then, when we needed the repair quickly, they re-arranged schedules to make sure that the person that made the estimate could come and do our job (since he had already seen the issues and diagnosed the problems). Fantastic customer service. Don't let the poor website fool you - Ernie's plumbing service is the real deal.

Change out my old with the new Water Heater and brought all of the plumbing up to code.

- I had previously used Ernie's and also reviewed them saying I would probably not use them again because of the first service I had. I now know that the first technician was amiss in explaining things very well to me . What they did on previous service did not work as he thought it would, because after a couple of days, I had troubles again. It was a deeper than originally thought. I had already called another plumber for another job I was told I would have to get another plumber to do (which was one of the misunderstandings- Ernie's could do it, that tech who was here could not) and they were scheduled to come out this morning. They were also going to try and fix the toilet, so I would be out money I had already spent with Ernie's trying to do same thing they did previously (I assumed) but was hoping maybe it would fix it for good. It was advised that I needed to tell Ernie that even though what they did was not under warranty, the service performed did not work, it's only been a few days and, he, as a business owner, would want to know. I was rather rattled about it all but called. Ernie sent someone over right away...and Shawn (who they sent) saved the day. He was patient, trustworthy, professional and thorough, explaining everything to me. He eventually did find where it was stopped up. Ernie, through Shawn, made an excellent impression and made very good on what I originally had contacted them about-to fix my toilet and also fixed my faucet that I had called another plumber to do. I will definitely use Ernie's again because I know he does good business. (I will always request Shawn, but I'm sure they have other great techs too.) Bottom line, they care about their customers.

Showed up on time and got parts from Home Depot within 30 minutes then installed within another 30 minutes.

I used Angie's list to find this business. Ernie's employees are professional, friendly, and courteous. While my issues were not an emergency, they were quick to respond and arrived at the time set. The plumber, Curtis, was so nice, respectful and knowledgeable. It is refreshing to find a business where the employees truly care about their customers. Later in the day, Ernie's called to ensure everything went smoothly. It was a pleasure doing business with them.

I called on Saturday and they were booked so couldn't get anyone until Monday from 9-1. They could give me no estimate on price. I asked what a general snaking of toilet would be, they said they couldn't give me that. It kind of ruined my chances of being able to call around and get someone here first thing Monday based on a good price of what I thought needed to be done. Someone who worked for the company did show on time on Monday and looked at it. I was a little concerned because he said he was going to try the hand auguer and it would be $150 to "try" this, but if that didn't work, he'd have to try other things (like getting on the roof) which could cost an upwards of $299 additional or find the clean-out which would cost an additional amount and there was no warranty or guarantee on the hand augering. Also, I am not a plumber and have only had a few backed-up toilets and they always use a drain cable or snake, this didn't look like that and seemed to not go all the way down like a snake would. Anyway, I felt a little trapped, here this badly stopped up toilet and I don't know what's wrong with it so IF the first thing he tries does not work, then I'm going to have to pay every step of the way until he finds the problem. Not comfortable to me. Fortunately, the hand auger worked. It was fast, like 5 minutes. Still would have liked it snaked for the price $150 to make sure there were not things all the way. Also, there is a tiny hair line crack in the toilet from where he was pushing that plastic thing in/out of bottom of toilet. I noticed it a day later so didn't call them, it's small, he said the work was not guaranteed so my point of saying this is, make sure they don't use this tool on your toilet. it should be something with a small, flexible end not a black plastic claw like thing. Lastly, once he had completed, I asked the guy if he would look at a leaky faucet and tell me if it was minor (like gasket replacement) or if he could tell what needed to be done. He said he could not look at it and that I needed to call a repair plumber. I thought this was strange. I've never been told a plumber could not handle leaky faucets.

Plumber arrived in less than two hours after we called. The office called to confirm Kevin was on his way and should arrive within 30 minutes. Kevin arrived on schedule and was very courteous. After a brief discussion of the shower backup; Kevin unloaded his equipment and ran the main sewer line from the two outside clean outs to the street and back into the house. He saw a noticeable blockage while running the line to the street but successfully cleared it. We ran water in all of the baths and they all drained well. Total job time was less than 20 minutes. My only compliant was the cost; $170 to run a main sewer line seemed expensive to me. I asked what they charge to snake the main sewer line when I called but they couldn't give me an estimate. Apparently this is standard practice for the industry.

Mike arrived on time, was professional and efficient. He checked our plumbing for leaks in the sewer line. Luckily we did not have any. Thanks for the great service!

I used their web site to set up the appointment. Received an email response and phone call confirming the appointment. Bryan called ahead and showed up at the agreed time. The work took over an hour and was very professionally done. The price seemed pretty high. But looking at my other plumbing work and the time and multiple trips to the hardware store it wasn't that bad. Plus the wife is happy! Would recommend Ernie's Plumbing to my friends.

The service was great. We like using them and I would recommend them. He came to give an estimate and he came back the next day with the toilets and parts to do the job in one day. He was nice to work with.

Water leaked from corroded 50 year old drain pipe located inside wall behind bathroom sink. The plumber, Craig, was able to access defective pipe and replace it by cutting a small access hole in the wall area under sink. After replacement he opened sluggest drain line and then verified there were no leaks from the repair. All in all an excellent job.

I was satisfied with the work provided by Ernie's Plumbing and how knowledgeable and experienced the technicians were. Journeyman level workmanship. I don't often call on plumbers so I don't know if the price was a good value or not, but I trust the work that they did. The office was very helpful and patient with us as it took a while to settle the bill. Overall it was a big job (slab leak repair) I felt calling Ernie's was the right call.

I filled out the request contact information online a couple of weeks ago. I am in the market to get some of the old plumbing updated in my home. They called me back a couple of days later during the work hours and I explained that it wasn't a good time for me because I was working, they lady said she would email me what I had asked for, which was never received. I can't imagine that if during the initial communication (or lack there of) that they would be responsive about actual work. I would not use.

From the first call I felt comfortable with Ernie's. When they gave me the estimate I thought it was kind of expensive. They ended up making a mistake on the quote and made the correction which lowered the price enough for us to start the project. They not only did what the said but also cleaned up very well.

I had an issue with a water leak, I could hear water running in my pipes inside my house but there was no trace of where the leak was. I had Nations Home Warranty and they sent out a plumber that came out and advised me that the leak had to be somehwere in the yard and they would charge me approx $500 just to dig the line up to see where the leak was. I decided to save some money I would dig the line up myself and in the proceess hit the line placing a small hole in it. At this time I decided since this was not going to be covered under my warranty to hire my own plumber. I saw Ernies had great ratings decided to give them a call. The plumber got there around 12:00 pm and did not leave until 7:00 PM. He explained to me the other company should have first put a shut off valve at the house to determine if in fact the leak was in the line or somewhere under the house. Turns out there was no leak in the line at all it was under the house a small copper pipe broke with the shifting of the ground. He could not find the leak and took him many hours but was determined to find it. He was very proffessional and explained everything that he was doing and his findings. The price was very fair for him to replace the whole line and fix the leak only cost me approx $800. I will use them in the future for any plumbing issues that may come up and highly reccomend Ernies Plumbing.

I called on 4/9, and they were able to get someone out within the hour. He explained what he thought the problem was and then wrote up an estrimate. Once I agreed, he proceeded with the repairs. It took less than an hour. In the process he slao educated me on water faucets and simple maintenance I can do to prevent the issue we had and future probelms. I was VERY pleased with the service.

DO NOT EVER USE ERNIE'S PLUMBING SERVICES!! This is why....for a cartridge that took less than FOUR minutes to replace in a faucet handle and to replace a garbage disposal that SHOULD HAVE taken fifteen minutes (maybe 20) max we were charged an unbelievable $670.00. The cartridge for the faucet was a $73.05 part online (Moen) and a good Whirlpool disposal with a five star rating and with quick lock-in mounting installation was $109.00 at Home Depot, with the same length warranty (1 yr). So, $182.05 for two parts......and $487.95 for labor that was layman worthy and that should have taken a half an hour at the max, we'll give it forty five minutes though. *NOTE - the reason we used a Prof Plumbing Service and didn't do it ourselves is that we sold our house and these two things were found deficient, which requires receipt from a professional service provider* The tech first misdiagnosed the disposal problem and replaced a small section of the piping, but when that didn't solve the problem he replaced the disposal. We sent the receipts to our realtor to forward to the buyers' realtor and the first thing she asked when she called was 'what'd you do, have the whole house re-plumbed?' She also said that she would forward to all her Realtors for them to suggest to their clients NOT to use Ernie's (luckily her voice is of authority as she's a Regional Manager). All in all --- F minus.