Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Charlottesville

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It's a return service because the job was not done the first time. It wasn't the best experience because they were here 4 times with a brand new unit in about a year to try to fix the leak and at those times, the owner finally came out and took care of it. The staff id very friendly and actually, one of their staff told me that the unit that they sold us, none of them were certified to actually work on it and of course there's the warranty that the company can give but that's a little concerning. I would probably not recommend them.

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See above.  Mr Wood asked me what I thought would be fair and when I asked him what he thought would be fair, he said he thought the price was correct.  He offered to give me credit for the work if I wanted them to repair the rest of the pipes in the house which he said were corroded with minerals.  I declined.

These Benjamin Franklin rip-off artists quoted $3,000 to replace a hot-water heater.  We told them "good-bye" and hired a different plumber, who repaired the existing water heater for only $367.  It has worked fine ever since.

This all took place on two visits; one on a Wednesday and the other two Saturdays later. The plumber, Eric, arrived about 5 minutes late and immediately told me I was due a discount because he was late (it's a fixed amount per minute late). Overall, he was professional and articulate. He wore shoe covers and took care not to scratch the floor even though he had to remove the pressure tank to get to the water heater (which was the real problem since it was rusted and leaking) to replace it. When he came back 10 days later to do the bathroom I asked him about scheduling a time to replace the kitchen faucet. Even though it was about 6 pm on Saturday he did it then. These guys are not the most inexpensive around, but they do quality work.

Over a year later, I still have no iron issues.  I love that the plumbers came into our home and put covers on their shoes before they walked in and cleaned up after themselves.  Tim explained everything to us in detail and answered all of our questions. I will definitely use them again.

Paid for services I did not receive - overall, it didn't go!

They did some work before, and they have done a good job, so we choose them again for this job. They are conscientious; they keep us informed on what they were doing and why,  and if they have some kind of variation from their initial estimate, they'll explain it to us beforehand why it was changed, so I felt confident with them, and I am hiring them again for that sort of work.

I called them because i needed two appliances removed and two new ones installed, a dishwasher and microwave.  We had a $100 coupon and rather than use Sears who was charging $300, we thought we would use the $100 coupon and assumed the job would be about $200.  The plumber arrives in a starched white shirt and puts on hospital booties so not to dirty the floors, so good first impression.  He looks at the job, then writes for the next 10 minutes then explains that he is giving us 3 options.  1. remove both appliances and hook up the new ones (he said he would need both my husbands and my help with holding up the microwave) for $1,285.  I thought it was a joke, and asked if that included the new appliances.  It was not a joke. He was dead serious.  Wanted to charge over $400 just to remove the two old appliances.  I asked him if it was a 3 day job, and he said no, about 3 hours.  I said I never heard of a plumber charging $428 an hour, even in NY where I am from.  I didn't give him a top grade for punctuality or responsiveness either because I had booked the appt Friday for Monday afternoon, and they called Monday afternoon and said they couldn't make it, they were backed up, which wasn't a big deal for me but had I taken a day off work it would have also been upsetting.  I would NEVER recommend or go near these people, seriously it was a scary experience which we will be telling for many years to come!  PS We promptly called Sears and they are coming to do the same job for $300, and to think the Sears appliance salesperson thought we could get it done more cheaply by calling someone directly.

We have been Ben Franklin customers for several years and during this time their staff have provided various plumbing services for our home. The array of services includes repairs, a new water heater, a well system pressure tank, a water filtration system to balance the water pH, and a new toilet. The services and projects were completed within a very short time frame, the quality of work was exceptional, and the staff were always professional and courteous. For many years we have wanted to remodel our basement. We had completed various stages, but always got tangled in design and use issues. This summer we were determined to finish the project and Ben Franklin was the first company we contacted. The staff created a beautiful full bathroom, provided the necessary plumbing for our kitchen area, helped us creatively think through various process steps for all stages of the project, and put us in contact with other vendors who could help us meet our goals within the designated time frame. Ben Franklin Plumbing was able to offer us much more than plumbing services. We are thrilled with the final project and it has become the focal point for gatherings with family and friends. Many thanks to the Ben Franklin family. Barry & Jennifer M.

We had no idea initially what the scope of the job would entail.

8 hours at $40/hr; 2 hours at $30/hr; 30 feet of 59 cents/ft of piping, $18; overhead, a generous 100% (almost all businesses haver overheads far less).   Weekend time another 50% for labor.   Total labor and overhead + materials at about a generous $36: $1,176.  Even allowing $2,200, to allow for the 10-year warranty and/or other costs that I could not see at all, I should be receiving at least $3,500 back.   Electrical and phoe lines were not involved.  

The company relies on a trustworthy name.  It also appears to use a smooth-talking approach and customer worry to distract.

The company manager has failed to address my letter, asking for the assignment of the charges to labor, materials, overhead.  He has so far (going on two weeks from the date of initial communication regarding the matter, in which I asked only for his rational in the assignment of the charges) avoided any communication.  If I find the manager responding with his own rationale I shall so report, but in due time I shall otherwise contact the attorney general's office. 

8 hours at $40/hr; 2 hours at $30/hr; 30 feet of 59 cents/ft of piping, $18; overhead, a generous 100% (almost all businesses haver overheads far less).   Weekend time another 50% for labor.   Total labor and overhead + materials at about a generous $36: $1,176.  Even allowing $2,200, to allow for the 10-year warranty and/or other costs that I could not see at all, I should be receiving at least $3,500 back.  

An acquaintance, on hearing the company name,  without knowing myh case, that  they are overpriced.  The reputation builds!