CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
About us
Family owned and operated since 1957. With more than 35 years of experience, Cardinal Plumbing & Leak Detection Services offers professional plumbing services to Houston and the surrounding communities. From Residential & Commercial repair to commercial new construction, we do it all at prices you can afford. Feel free to contact our plumbing company to find out more.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
68 years of experience
Services we offer
Leak Detection & Leak Isolation | Under Foundation Repairs Sewer Drain Cleaning, Sewer Line Repair & Replacement | Water Service Repairs & Replacements | Toilet Repairs & Replacements | Disposals Replacements | Water Heater Repair & Replacement| Complete Bathroom Remodeling | Shower Pan & Complete Tile Replacement and Custom Tile Work
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.519 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 74% | ||
| 11% | ||
| 11% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 5% |
Showing 1-19 of 19 reviews
David M.
Sep 2020
Called and scheduled a time to have the sewer system inspected, but no call, no show. Repeated calls and messages have gone unanswered or unreturned.
Judy B.
Feb 2018
I have been impressed with this company. I have used them twice, one for an underground leak and then for a stopped up kitchen sink. I have noticed that large plumbing companies often use come on prices that are low to get people to make an appointment and then if you read the reviews it seems that they then find problems that end up costing so much. Cardinal Plumbing never did this. They actually repaired the problem that was reported to them and repaired it correctly. The second time that I called them my son stayed home from work to be there (he lives in the house but I own it) and they did not show up. When I called the next morning the lady was very apologetic and explained that the scheduled job before mine was not finished until late that night I do understand that it is not always easy to know how long a job would take but I was concerned that my son would have to miss an additional day of work. Cardinal plumbing then scheduled a time in the evening when my son could be there without missing work. I call this GREAT customer service. I certainly will be a loyal customer in the future and appreciate their helpfulness.
Patti L.
Sep 2016
Each job was excellent and I will continue to use them for my plumbing needs.
Response from CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
"Mrs [Member Name Removed], thank you very much. We very much appreciate your business. Sincerly, Terry"
Mary E.
Jul 2016
Cardinal was chosen by my Home Warranty company. I contacted them on a Tuesday morning and they were to come out on Thursday. Thursday morning I contacted them to find out what time they would be at my house. They could not provide a time. Contacted again Thursday afternoon, guy asked me if I get home around 6:30pm and that he would be there by then. 7pm on Thursday, I contacted them again and the guy told me he would call back in 20 minutes. Never called back. I contacted the home warranty company and the contacted them. Now they advised that they would be at my house the following Tuesday... Today is Tuesday, 7:45pm. Not even a phone call. I contacted my own plumber and the job was done quickly and thoroughly. I also notified the home warranty company that they need to do a better job screening these companies.
Response from CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
"Member, I have just recently come across your complaint on Angie's List and wanted to say how very sorry about the lack of customer service you received. The dispatcher I had at the time of you service was not doing her job. I really am sorry about the added stress this added to your day. Terry Donalson President/Owner."
Shawn S.
Dec 2015
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John R.
Jun 2015
unknown
Caroline B.
Aug 2014
It took two weeks to schedule the initial appointment. Once I was finally able to get someone out for the test he ran a camera through the pipes near the garage to find the leak. Nothing was leaking however he discovered a hole next to the garage that we think is allowing rain water to leak in. I paid for the test and was told that someone would be sending me an estimate for filling in the foll and repairing the pipes. Five days later I still had no estimate so I called the office and was told it would be sent right over. I never received it so I called again the next day and left a message from the machine. That was 5 days ago and I never heard anything back. Since I am getting ready to sell my house I had to go with another plumber which is too bad because I have used Cardinal for several years and they normally do an excellent job.
Response from CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
"Mrs [Member Name Removed], as we discussed at the time that your service was scheduled, we were very short staffed and would get to the job as soon as we could. I'm sorry about the inconvenience. Terry Donalson President/Owner"
Amanda K.
Jul 2014
I had water standing in my guest room, garage, and utility room. It was urgent that someone come out quickly before any more damage occurred as I had no idea of the source of the leak. Called Monday morning and spoke with a woman who said that someone would come out that afternoon to give an estimate. The cost of the estimate was explained and asked if it was okay. I agreed to the price and she said that she would call me when the plumber was on his way. I took off from work so that I wouldn't miss them, however I never heard back. Do NOT use this company, apparently they have more than enough business and aren't interested in new customers.
Response from CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
"Member, I have just recently come across your complaint on Angie's List and wanted to say how very sorry about the lack of customer service you received. The dispatcher I had at the time of you service was not doing her job. I really am sorry about the added stress this added to your day. Terry Donalson President/Owner."
Shawn S.
Jun 2014
The day before Memorial Weekend, the worst thing that could happen happened! I had invited 30 people for the long weekend and had so much to cook and prep that the pipes under the Kitchen sink started to leak and flooded the kitchen floor. Out of 4 companies that I called for an emergency repair, Cardinal Plumbing was the only one who answered the phone. They were very professional and showed up at my door step in less than an hour. Surprisingly, their prices were very reasonable and they did an outstanding job. I have their number on the refrigerator door for any plumbing needs in future:)
Patrick V.
Apr 2014
It was very good. I was very pleased and I've always been pleased with them. They are not the cheapest but you get what you pay for with them.
Carol L.
Mar 2014
They did give us the choice of digging up the driveway, but we are not sure if that would of helped the situation.
Steve V.
Sep 2013
Do not use or even contact this company.
I developed a leak where the water from the city goes into my home while I was out of town.
My neighbor called me to inform me there was water all over the front yard and into his driveway and the street.
I looked on Angie’s list, Yelp, and Google and selected this company to call (mistake 1)
1) Called this company at about 9 am, spoke to a lady.
2) She told me a service man would be out between 1 pm and 3 pm.
3) I got home at 12 pm and called her again just to inform her I was at the house, and was informed the techs eta
was still 1 pm until 3pm
4) By 4:30 no one had called or came. Called the company at (713) 665-5890(713) 665-5890713-665-5890 and there was
no answer and no voice mail.
5) To this day no one has called or came over.
I developed a leak where the water from the city goes into my home while I was out of town.
My neighbor called me to inform me there was water all over the front yard and into his driveway and the street.
I looked on Angie’s list, Yelp, and Google and selected this company to call (mistake 1)
1) Called this company at about 9 am, spoke to a lady.
2) She told me a service man would be out between 1 pm and 3 pm.
3) I got home at 12 pm and called her again just to inform her I was at the house, and was informed the techs eta
was still 1 pm until 3pm
4) By 4:30 no one had called or came. Called the company at (713) 665-5890(713) 665-5890713-665-5890 and there was
no answer and no voice mail.
5) To this day no one has called or came over.
Response from CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
"Member, I have just recently come across your complaint on Angie's List and wanted to say how very sorry about the lack of customer service you received. The dispatcher I had at the time of you service was not doing her job. I really am sorry about the added stress this added to your day. Terry Donalson President/Owner."
Cathy M.
Aug 2013
EXCELLENT!!! I called the main number (based on a referral from another Angie's List provider who did not perform hydrostatic testing), left a message with the person who answered the phone (midday), but didn't hear anything back. She did inform me that the owner of the company had been in an accident over the weekend, so people were helping out with other jobs to make sure everything was done as scheduled before his accident. Saw other reviews that it's a family-run business, and I definitely appreciate that accidents happen. I called again (not realizing it was already after 5 pm) and Mario answered the phone. I explained what I was looking for and he could not have been nicer. He asked when I wanted him to come out to conduct the test (not when it fit into their schedule). I asked if he was available the following day and he said he would be, so to name what time was most convenient for me. WOW -- I wish other businesses did this!!!!!
I scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and he arrived right on time (came from across town). Professional, uniform, shook my hand. I walked him through the house to see the plumbing layout and we had to stop midway so he could say hello to my cat. Very friendly demeanor. He made reference to his brother-in-law who was in an accident over the weekend, and I asked if that was the owner of the company, and it was. I offered my condolences and he briefly told me about the incident and that all would be fine with his recovery.
He confirmed which access gate to use and got right to work. Was quick, professional, and provided me a written report on the receipt to satisfy the foundation company.
Best plumbing experience I've had and would strongly recommend this hardworking company.
I scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and he arrived right on time (came from across town). Professional, uniform, shook my hand. I walked him through the house to see the plumbing layout and we had to stop midway so he could say hello to my cat. Very friendly demeanor. He made reference to his brother-in-law who was in an accident over the weekend, and I asked if that was the owner of the company, and it was. I offered my condolences and he briefly told me about the incident and that all would be fine with his recovery.
He confirmed which access gate to use and got right to work. Was quick, professional, and provided me a written report on the receipt to satisfy the foundation company.
Best plumbing experience I've had and would strongly recommend this hardworking company.
M S.
Aug 2012
To make dirt clean up easier, I put down my own strand board on which to pile dirt.
Arrived on time and worked quickly.
I was never without gas overnight. I specified a Thursday start because of a Wednesday evening outing.I should have specified a start earlier in the week to avoid weekend wait for city inspection before cover up.
Arrived on time and worked quickly.
I was never without gas overnight. I specified a Thursday start because of a Wednesday evening outing.I should have specified a start earlier in the week to avoid weekend wait for city inspection before cover up.
Caroline B.
Aug 2012
I have used this company twice. The first time was in January 2011 when I had water backing up from under my toilet. They came out the same day I called and fixed the problem by replacing the wax ring on my toilet. The second time was in March 2012, on a Sunday morning I discovered water gushing out of my meter box. I first called the City of Houston who sent someone out that afternoon and informed me that the leak was on my side of the meter. I called Cardiaal and spoke to Terry, he assured me that someone would be out that evening as soon as he was finished with his current call. Within an hour he was at my house inspecting the problem. He determined that not only did I have a leak at the meter connection, but the lines from the house to the meter were corroded and needed to be replaced. He told me that a crew would be at the house at 8:30 the next morning and they were there at 8:30. They even called in extra people at lunch when the process took longer than expected so that I would have water that night. They came back the next day and filled in the holes and relaid the grass, you could not tell that any work had been done.
On this visit they also had to reset my toilet. It was done wihtiin a couple hours but we were unable to teset it due to the water lines being replaced outside. The only negative about this visit was that someone was supposed to come inside and check the toilet before they left for the day and that did not happen. I had to call Cardinal the next day and arrange for someone to come out that afternoon between 2 and 4. No one showed up so at 5 I called the office again and was told they would check and get back to me. No one called back that evening, and when I called the office I just got a machine. The next morning they called me apologizing for the mixup the day before, and they had someone come out that evening (after normal business hours) to finish the toilet repair so that I didn't have to take any more time off of work. that is why I gave them a 'C'' for punctuality.
On this visit they also had to reset my toilet. It was done wihtiin a couple hours but we were unable to teset it due to the water lines being replaced outside. The only negative about this visit was that someone was supposed to come inside and check the toilet before they left for the day and that did not happen. I had to call Cardinal the next day and arrange for someone to come out that afternoon between 2 and 4. No one showed up so at 5 I called the office again and was told they would check and get back to me. No one called back that evening, and when I called the office I just got a machine. The next morning they called me apologizing for the mixup the day before, and they had someone come out that evening (after normal business hours) to finish the toilet repair so that I didn't have to take any more time off of work. that is why I gave them a 'C'' for punctuality.
Mark Z.
Aug 2012
This is my second job with Cardinal Plumbing, simple for leak detection. Mario performed the work. He arrived to the property about an hour later than expected, but did got to work. The hard part was finding the clean out for the test. We had to use a camera to look for the clean out from the roof. The camera has a toner on it and he uses an amplifier on to locate the toner, which is where the clean was found, 5 inches under dirt. That took longer than the test. Mario tested the pipes by filling the drains of the house with water, and then measuring any drops. It was a good sign that we filled the drain lines, without water bouncing and it filled quickly. once filled we notice the water not lowering in the clean out. 20 minutes later still no discernible water loss, yeah. no leaks.
I am completely happy with the company and service provided. I plan to use them for other plumbing jobs as well.
I am completely happy with the company and service provided. I plan to use them for other plumbing jobs as well.
Robert E.
Aug 2012
I called and asked the women that answered the phone to give me an idea of the cost of replacing a cartridge in an American Standard bathroom faucet (a simple straight forward job) and that I had the part. She insisted that someone had to come out to the house and give me an estimate. I further asked her to explain how they structure thier pricing...is it by the job or hour...is there a trip charge etc. and she would not answer. I continued to press on and said that if you can't even get me a basic idea of how your company prices jobs, then maybe I should look for a company that is more forthcoming about their costs. Her reply was "I think you should". I then asked to speak to the owner and she replied that she was the owner.
Response from CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
"Member, I will look in to the your unprofessional experience you had with our company. Our pricing is all upfront and in must cases we do not even charge for estimates. We have been doing business since 1957 and only want to be honest and upfront with our clients. Terry Donalson Owner"
Lisa M.
May 2012
I spoke with someone on Thursday and set up an appointment for Friday at 4pm. I waited for them to show up and when they didn't I called and left my name and number. As of today I have not received a call from them. I was pleased with the price because I had consulted with a couple of other companies and thought that this company was more reasonable.
Cancel M.
Feb 2012
They did a great job.
Michael V.
Oct 2011
just out for a quote
James S.
Sep 2011
Cardinal couldn't have screwed up the first engagement anymore if they tried. I called on a Friday and was told they would call me Monday morning. I called Monday afternoon (no Call From Cardinal) and they said they would call me right back Monday afternoon. Surprisingly- no call. I called Tuesday morning and they apologized for screwing up again and would have somebody over ASAP. More surprisingly they did at exactly 10:00 am Mario showed up as planned.
I explained to Mario what I was looking to do and asked if any additional info was required- and quot;no you've explained everything very welland quot; was the response. Part of the explanation included the fact that no additional business beyond the leak detection work would be granted to minimize any conflict of interest.
I also explained that I just needed a simple validation of leaking pipes before I commenced work on repiping as there was plenty of supporting evidence that leaks existed. His bid which went way beyond a simple hydrostatic was of course 4x what anyone else was recommending. (3 other service providers were asked to provide estimates). No ability to prove but one could surely come to the conclusion that this bid was excessive and not intended to address my need but that of Cardinal's income statement.
Since they are very close to my neighborhood, they would have been an excellent choice for all my plumbing needs of the future. Now I don't even understand how they are in business , much less be on this list.
I explained to Mario what I was looking to do and asked if any additional info was required- and quot;no you've explained everything very welland quot; was the response. Part of the explanation included the fact that no additional business beyond the leak detection work would be granted to minimize any conflict of interest.
I also explained that I just needed a simple validation of leaking pipes before I commenced work on repiping as there was plenty of supporting evidence that leaks existed. His bid which went way beyond a simple hydrostatic was of course 4x what anyone else was recommending. (3 other service providers were asked to provide estimates). No ability to prove but one could surely come to the conclusion that this bid was excessive and not intended to address my need but that of Cardinal's income statement.
Since they are very close to my neighborhood, they would have been an excellent choice for all my plumbing needs of the future. Now I don't even understand how they are in business , much less be on this list.
Response from CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES
"Yes we did foul up the original call from the Member and for that we are truly sorry. Unfortunately the Member was already upset with our company and had every right to be but he was not planning on using our services after the initial foul up. Our pricing is in line with our market or we would not be in business. We have been in business since 1957 and we learn from our mistakes. We do appreciate our clients and do not want to inconvenience anyone. I am very sorry that this happened to the Member and I am taking steps to improve our scheduling so no one falls through the cracks. Terry Donalson Owner"
Patrick V.
Sep 2011
I had two interactions with them. The first one was pretty good over here at my mom's house. I was satisfied with the work. The second one I thought was little expensive for what was done. However, other than that they were prompt and courteous. I would work with them again in the future.
Marianne M.
Aug 2011
I needed leaky pipes fixed and Cardinal Plumbing troubleshooted the problem and fixed it. I have called them on other jobs and they do great work.
Linda E.
Jul 2011
When I had a serious leak the company owner, Terry, came to fix it. While he was there I decided to put in new hardware inthe bathroom fixtures. He not only stayed longer to put in the fixtures, he even when to Lowes and bought them.These guys are the best.
SHARON B.
Aug 2006
The men who performed the actual work were outstanding. They were careful to keep dirt out of the house, were efficient and finished quickly. However, our original bid included a new hot water heater, which was not provided. After asking about why this was not done, we decided against installing a new one. We also asked for an estimate for installing a new sink, before they started work and a second time while the work was going on, but we did not receive one until after the tunnels under the house were already filled in. If we had received the estimate before they filled the tunnel, the price would have been a few thousand dollars lower. We did not have them perform the work on the sink. The problems appear to be poor communication between the office and the field.
Licensing
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FAQ
CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES is currently rated 4.5 overall out of 5.
CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES offers free project estimates.
No, CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES offers emergency services.
No, CARDINAL LEAK DETECTION & PLUMBING SERVICES does not offer warranties.