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R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

4.8(
82
)
Generator - Install, Electrical Baseboard or Wall Heater - Repair, Central A/C - Install,

About us

For more than 40 years, we have been helping folks throughout the Northern Virginia area enjoy total indoor air comfort in their homes and businesses. Our many satisfied customers tell the story, but for your added peace-of-mind, rest assured that our professional staff has received the most up-to-date training available. So whenever you need us, we’re here for all your heating and cooling concerns — from scheduled maintenance & repairs to installations with a smile, we’re always just a phone call away.

Business highlights

Emergency services offered
50 years of experience

Services we offer

& Air Handlers., Furnaces, Heat Pumps & Air Conditioners, Plumbing

Amenities

Emergency Services

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.882 Reviews
Write a review
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
93%
4
4%
3
0%
2
2%
1
1%
Write a review
Showing 1-25 of 82 reviews
Tana L.
Jun 2022
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,000
We have been with RA Dobson for over 20 years for one reason, their commitment to their clients. This past Sunday night our air conditioner stopped working, notified the 24hr service and by early Monday morning they had a technician out to my house. Sim, who had worked with us for many years ,identified the problem and explained to us in great detail what we needed to have done. He notified the parts department and the search began...a compressor was not available locally, but he did locate one in Richmond. Knowing how desperate we were facing the 4th of July weekend and 90 degree/humid weather and not wanting to depend on possible delivery delays he sent someone to Richmond to pick it up (4 1/2 hours on the road). He promised to call as soon as he had some news....my phone rang at 6:30 AM this morning with him telling me they would be out this morning to install. WOW. This company is very professional but more importantly the "personal touch" they give to their clients is why I am writing this review. A big shout out to Sim and Andy and Carlos
Anne C.
Jan 2019
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
We have used R.A. Dobson for many years and have a contract with them for 2 inspections of our heat and a/c systems each year. When we recently noticed our emergency heat was running constantly, we called and Sam came out to take a look. Unfortunately, he found that a leak in the system had caused all the refrigerant to run out, and repairs would be very expensive. After discussing our options, we decided to purchase a new system since our old one was almost 17 years old. We were very happy to find that they could install our new furnace and heat pump only three days later. Adrian, Jason, and Ron were the installers. They arrived early each of the two mornings and worked late to get everything set up for us. It was a complicated job, and the weather was very cold and blustery when they had to install the outside unit. The inside unit had to be fitted into our rather limited space in the basement utility closet. To my husband's delight, Adrian located the source of a rattling part in the duct work that had been very annoying for several years and he fixed it! There were some last minute problems with broken parts and the men immediately got new ones and replaced them. We were so happy to have our heat turned back on at last! All the R.A. Dobson staff members we have met over the years have been knowledgeable and dedicated professionals and we highly recommend this company.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thanks for taking the time to give us an A review [Member Name Removed]. We appreciate it. I'll make sure to tell Adrian, Jason, and Ron you mentioned them by name in your compliment. Please remember to recommend RA Dobson to your friends and family when they need our services including Plumbing."

Susan B.
Aug 2018
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
My usual go to for help. They always do a pretty good job. They always make sure i'm satisfied before they leave. I would recommend.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thanks for the A Review [Member Name Removed]. We greatly appreciate the time you took to share your RA Dobson experience with others on Angie's List. We appreciate your continued business as well. Please remember to refer us to your family and friends when they need our heating, air conditioning or plumbing services."

Angela P.
May 2018
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I first used R. A. Dobson last year to replace my hot water heater. Mr. Dobson came out to give me an estimate on a tankless water heater. He was very upfront and honest. They installed a water heater and I’ve had no problems. I wanted to get some advice and an estimate on putting in ductwork for another register and return for my HVAC. George came out. He’s a great guy. He was very honest and didn’t try to sell me on something I don’t need. He gave me some great advice. I will definitely be using R. A. Dobson for all my needs.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thanks for the A Review [Member Name Removed]. We greatly appreciate the time you took to share your RA Dobson experience with others on Angie's List. Please remember to refer us to your family and friends when they need our heating, air conditioning or plumbing services."

Sharon M.
Feb 2018
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Fabulously. Before the service, I had a laundry list of plumbing questions and issues that I had been saving up. The person at the front desk was so helpful and honest about how to resolve them ourselves and about what needed attention and did not. We wound up needing 3 things taken care of on our list. Doug was our technician. He was just great to work with, as was the front office on scheduling and advice, especially on the pros and cons of the different water heater options available to us. Doug was professional and really cared. Did a fantastic job and will definitely be calling RA Dobson again and will be recommending them to our neighbors. So happy we found a company we can trust! I love that they are a smaller company and family owned because they really care about their work.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thanks for the 5 Star Review [Member Name Removed]. As you can see, 5 Star reviews are what we strive for and expect. We will make sure Doug knows that you specifically complimented him in your great review. We are happy to see that you will be recommending RA Dobson to your family, friends and neighbors when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services. Travis Dobson"

Katherine G.
Aug 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I have been a customer of RA Dobson since 2013 when they did a gas conversion for me and have since had a service contract. Earlier this week, my A/C unit failed. I called and left a message since it was not urgent and after office hours and received a return call before 8 a.m. the next day. I had a service technician at my residence before noon. He quickly diagnosed the problem -- the fan motor -- and advised that it was under warranty. He contacted his service manager, they secured the necessary replacement, and installed it shortly after noon the very same day at zero cost to me! This is an example of the outstanding service I've come to expect from this company. Job well done.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thank you for your A review [Member Name Removed]. A reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services."

Jay A.
Aug 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$11,000
I will continue to use them. They are reasonably priced and professional. They are a smaller company, so it was a little more personalized service than other places.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thanks again for another "A" review [member name removed]. As you know "A" reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services."

Troy D.
Jul 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I could not have been more pleased with the responsiveness and professionalism of everyone at R.A. Dobson. We required a replacement for a failing Water Heater, and within 24 hours had it replaced. The Technician Evan Doug was excellent keeping us updated on the progress, and even noticed that our original builder had poorly installed a drain pipe from our AC/Heating unit, so he took the time to fix this so as to allow for proper flow into the floor drain.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thank you for your "A" review [Member Name Removed]. "A" reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services."

Nancy H.
Mar 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,700
The water heater failed and they came over within one hour and installed a new one.  The technician was courteous, professional and thoroughly qualified.  We have used this company for 20 years with new heating/AC installations and service and installation of a generator and we couldn't be more pleased with their services.  They have become family to us.  It is a family owned business and most of the employees have been employed for many years.  Everyone including the people that answer the phone are friendly, knowledgeable and responsive.  The technicians are all very qualified and helpful.  We are incredibly pleased with this company and recommend them highly to do your work.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thank you for your "A" review [Member Name Removed]. "A" reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services."

Jay A.
Jan 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thank you for your "A" review Jay. "A" reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services."

Suzanne S.
Dec 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
We had a Bradford White water heater that was still performing well, but based on it's age of 12+ years we decided to have a another Bradford White water heater put in. We called at least four other plumbers for quotes. R.A. Dobson's staff was very professional and friendly when I called for a quote. They had the best price and even had a coupon on their website that could be used. They said to expect their team at 8:15 a.m. and they arrived on-time! They took great care in covering all of our flooring. They were very professional, friendly, and detailed oriented. Our county requires many new items to be installed with new water heaters (expansion tank, bracket. and drip pan). Therefore, installation took a bit longer than planned as some modifications had to be made, but the guys kept a great attitude and worked continually to make sure everything was done properly. The county inspector came out today and as expected their work got a great report.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thank you for your "A" review [Member Name Removed]. "A" reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing/water heater services."

Marie W.
Oct 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,050
They came in and I asked questions about what they were using and I was trying to compare them to some other people I found in the Angie's List site and so they explained why it's better to have a battery back up because with a water back up, I have to pour the water in so I should remember to do it. If I don't then it doesn't kick on when I need it. The battery back up costs more but I'm not going to worry about when I have a storm, it will automatically kick in so my basement won'tt flood. I asked a lot of questions and they knew all the solutions, and provided a lot of stuff for me, and that's why I ended up going with them. I have a higher end unit and some of the other ones on the Angie's List site were cheaper but they weren't battery back up, they were water back up or they were just a sump pump so I thought it was fair. If it wasn't for the 10% discount, it's normally $1550 so it was like $1500 plus I got a 10% deal by going with the Big Deal. When I did the research, other people had no name brands that had smaller motors. This is a high end brand with a bigger motor. When I kind of looked around that and the installation cost, I think it was at the realm of reasonable. I called them before they got here and I said I'm going to add some other thing. I called them beforehand and negotiated the price so when they showed up, I knew exactly how much because I already paid the Big Deal with a credit card but I just gave a check for another $550 for the other work. They were very responsive. I called them and explained about the Big Deal. The owner had been away for a day but I got a hold of someone else, and we set it up. It took them one day to order the part, and we set it for this Friday. I contacted them on Tuesday so it was really fast. They showed up exactly on time. What time he said he would be here, he was, Johnny-on-the-spot. They explained what they found when they put the sump pump down. They explained that they were putting a frost free hose bib outside. They explained that for the faucet that I needed, they needed to shave down the top of this wooden top of the sink. They were really professional. They didn't say they were going to do it then walked out the door. He was very forthcoming with information. There are some other things that I need to get done so I'm going to reach out to them again.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thank you for taking the time to write an "A" review [Member Name Removed]. "A" reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services."

Pat V.
Oct 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I've been relying on RA Dobson for my heating/cooling needs over 15 years. The specific service I'm writing about here involves some work they did on my rental house. The cooling system failed during a particularly hot period and the tenants were obviously upset. Dobson was able to get a tech out there later the same day to diagnose the problem. (It pays to purchase their service contract for priority service!) It turned out to be kind of a complicated warranty issue, but Travis (Dobson) got involved and worked with the manufacturer on my behalf to get it resolved. I've known Travis from the beginning and I can't say enough good things about him. Everyone at RA Dobson is friendly and helpful, but if you need anything out of the ordinary or have a tricky issue, he will take the time to understand what you need and do everything possible to get it resolved. I highly recommend them.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Thank you for your "A" review [Member Name Removed]. "A" reviews are what we strive for and expect on Angie's List. Please make sure to refer R.A. Dobson to your family and friends if and when they need our heating, air conditioning, or plumbing services. We appreciate your continued business for the past 15 years."

Jackie F.
Sep 2016
1.0
$2,500
It's one of those places where you have come out look at it for ninety five dollars and then they find a million things that are wrong you give them the money to fix that and oh that wasn't it so lets try something else and it turned out they were horrible. The first time they charge us two hundred and fifty dollars  or two ninety five for a consultation or see what they felt the problem was and then when they came they said we had too much free on and they couldn't check the system until after all free on was out or the level was down so they did that and then they came back out another day and that was another two hundred and ninety five dollars and then they said we needed seventeen hundred dollars worth of stuff done to it and from the second to the third visit it was two hundred dollars and from the third to the forth visit when they came back out to because we were still having the problem he goes well I guess it wasn't that it was probably something else and if you need a new motor because it was a try loader or something you need a new motor well my son goes look I know something about motors and that motor works great so he was able to by pass something and he got it working but it probably needs a new board because the unit is only a year and a half old and whoever installed it took off see we don't know if it's maybe he might have installed it wrong. They were just trying to rip us off and I would never use them again and I never recommend them. They did call back and they did answer their phone. And I'm also a realtor and I would make sure that anybody I knew who asked about them I would tell them no don't use them.
Response from R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

"Hello Mrs. (removed), I have looked in our records and in 41 years of business, I do not see your name and have never visited your address. I'm thinking this may not be us (RA Dobson). Would you please respond with your phone number or reach out to me directly so we may confirm this service? We take great pride in being a company anyone can count on. I do hope you take the time to respond to me. Travis Dobson 703-481-3700 Angie's List members, We have tried numerous times to contact this review author. We have left messages and emails that have not been returned. This persons name and address are not in our system. The prices referenced do not match our rates. Angie's List will not delete this illegitimate review. Please research our 74 "A" reviews here on Angie's List or our 5 Star Reviews on Facebook. RA Dobson strives to make you our next A or 5 Star customer. Travis Dobson 703-481-3700"

Laura B.
Aug 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
R. A. Dobson did an outstanding job. Prior to having the unit replaced, I got quotes from 3 companies. I chose this company because of its reputation and the willingness of the owner, Travis, to explain the process and estimate to me in depth. He juggled things around to get the install done quickly and so it fit into my schedule. It was an incredibly hot day, especially to replace an attic unit. Five guys and three trucks showed up. They worked hard, were cheerful and answered all of my questions. Trevor, the team leader, did an excellent job. One of my neighbors even commented on what a great job they had done. I highly recommend them and will continue to use their services for my heating and air conditioning needs.
Jamie D.
Aug 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
The house we bought had one wraps on the previous owners had and they honored that one visit and we just kept using them because we like them.
Jamie D.
Aug 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
.
Laura B.
Jul 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
R. A. Dobson did an outstanding job. Prior to having the unit replaced, I got quotes from 3 companies. I chose this company because of its reputation and the willingness of the owner, Travis, to explain the process and estimate to me in depth. He juggled things around to get the install done quickly and so it fit into my schedule. It was an incredibly hot day, especially to replace an attic unit. Five guys and three trucks showed up. They worked hard, were cheerful and answered all of my questions. Trevor, the team leader, did an excellent job. One of my neighbors even commented on what a great job they had done. I highly recommend them and will continue to use their services for my heating and air conditioning needs.
Lawrence C.
Jul 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,000
R A Dobson, Inc was professional and courteous and I highly recommend them. They came in when we were doing our home and showed up on time, gave us a quote and stuck to it to replace the entire ductwork through out the house. They also pointed out several items with the HVAC (lacked a double walled flu) and a few minor items that were not up to code. They came back when the pump for the HVAC drain failed prematurely fixed it, fixed the damage it caused and didn't charge. They stand by their work and I've had them doing all maintenance on the HVAC since this work was done.
Fredia H.
Apr 2016
5.0
unknown
Mark R.
Apr 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
unknown
William P.
Mar 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$320

I called early one morning to get on the schedule and was told the work could be done the same day. Around 1:30pm Doug and Evan arrived. They wore uniforms and were neat and clean, introduced themselves, reviewed what was to be done, gave me an estimate for the cost and began work. They worked quickly and professionally, did an excellent job and  cleaned up when finished. We were very pleased and would certainly choose this company again.


Mark L.
Mar 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$350

I called in the morning saying that the hose faucet in the front of the house was leaking, but that there was no urgency in getting it repaired.  (It only leaked when I turned it on.)  The office said Doug and Evan would be there sometime during that afternoon.  They showed up on time and it took about an hour to remove the old faucet and put a new one in.  A nice professional job.  Kudos!   


William S.
Feb 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
/
Adam P.
Feb 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$198
Jesse did a great job diagnosing the issue with the air handler.  He was very thorough tracing the issue, testing, and confirming there we no other issues.  That kind of attention to detail / quality goes a long way from a customer satisfaction perspective.  This was my first time using RA Dobson, but I'll plan to use them again based on this positive first experience.
Showing 1-25 of 82

Licensing

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FAQ

R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing does not offer free project estimates.
No, R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing offers emergency services.
No, R A Dobson, Inc. | Heating, Cooling & Plumbing does not offer warranties.

Contact Information

22875 Bryant Ct, Sterling, VA 20166

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