Fox Plumbing & Heating

Short version: - Extending a gas line 75ft should not cost $4000. - Fox charges for estimates. - If Fox estimates aren't accurate, they won't adjust in your favor. - Work quality is good. - They will give you an invoice that isn't itemized, making it difficult for the customer to evaluate the service, and using obfuscation to hide the fact that they aren't charging you fairly. I was initially told I would have to pay for an estimate and that the technician would expect to do the job that same day, so I should be ready to commit to the work. I thought that was all a bit aggressive but it was a good foreshadowing of how Fox does business. Pressuring the customer is in the Fox Plumbing DNA. The service providers are also the salespeople, so they are incentivized to take advantage of you. The estimate was shocking, but the technician assured me it was a difficult job, and would probably take 1.5 days. He said if it ended up being less work than expected he would adjust the bill accordingly. The job took half that time but the adjustment never happened. Fox called 30 minutes before the work was actually scheduled to be done to cancel and needed to reschedule. Stuff happens but this was inconvenient and wasted my time. Once they finally got here, the job went well and the servicemen who did the work did a great job. I have no problems with the quality of the work and the guys were pleasant to be around. I want to make that clear. If the pricing was even close to fair Fox would be a great choice. But it's not and they aren't. I do believe that Fox is taking advantage of high demand in Seattle where homeowners are finding it more and more difficult to find quality service providers at a reasonable cost. We have another property and they overcharged us there too. We are idiots for using them again but I couldn't find anyone in the time-frame I needed the work done in. Since then, I've had a chance to get other opinions, and the overwhelming response has been that I was grossly overcharged. It's clear that Fox is pushing the envelope on "let's see how much we can charge" and I can't really fault them for trying. They can run a predatory...I mean..."premium" business if they want to. I am just a fool for overpaying. I'm sure they would say that too. Another observation is that the office staff is really defensive and curt (see initial call requesting an estimate example above) suggesting that they are all getting tired of having to deal with unhappy customers. Read the other reviews and choose Fox at your own risk. The word "premium" isn't in their mission by mistake. Update: after 3 years all the joints they used are heavily corroded and will need to be replaced, so not really that premium after all.

Our technician, Wayne, was outstanding. He was professional, punctual, and thorough. He arrived right at the beginning of the appointment window, diagnosed the problem and clearly explained our options and the possible costs. He explained what he was doing throughout the process, which included cutting an opening in an interior wall in order to expose the pipe that needed replacing. His cut was professional and will be very easy to replace, and he worked quickly to solder new pipes into place. He then proceeded to clean up all of the work areas both inside and out. He checked to make sure that there were no leaks, and that water service to the house was completely restored. I thought the whole job would take 3-4 hours and Wayne finished in 2, including a trip to pick up a new faucet assembly. Very impressive. I intend to hire Wayne and Fox Plumbing for our future plumbing needs.

They were very good and I can depend on them. Fast in coming and I use them for years.

It was good and they are fast in responding.

They replaced our two old hot water tanks with one tankless hot water heater and changed out the piping to the second tank upstairs so we didn't need two hot water heaters. Since we live in a 1929 home, installing the tankless system required some creativity and thought by Fox's plumber, Eric. It was an expensive transition, but we determined it would be better than replacement of our old tanks which were way past their replacement due dates. We've been very happy with the decision we made to have a tankless system. We have hired Fox Plumbing many times for home plumbing (both inside and outside) and have always been happy with their work.

On AngieList website, Fox Plumbing says, "$99 service call charge includes first 1/4 hour of actual work. each additional 1/4 hour of labor $48.00. $9.50 each job for small expendable commodities." When I called to schedule replacement of the external hose bib, I confirmed this statement, explained the work and was told I would be charged $99 for first 1/4 hr and $48. for each additional 1/4 hour. However, when the Technician presented the bill to me it was for ½ hr labor $154 plus $450 to replace the hose bib & replace a plastic O-ring (which I provided) in another hose bib. AFTER the work was performed, the Technical told me that it's a flat fee for replacing a hose bib ... even though the two tasks, combined, was only 30 minutes of work.

Horrible experience with Fox Plumbing [*** Link removed ***] and a dishonest plumber named Kit. First charged $55 per 15 minute increments and while on the clock walked aimless outside the house for almost an hour. Said he was looking for materials but job didn't require. When we called him on this obvious running up of the clock and asked for a job quote he said $1200. This was a very basic task of reinstalling toilet and sink. Later he came into the house without knocking after almost an hour away. When reported to company, Fox was not that accommodating. I appreciate plumbing these days is expensive but $1200 for a very basic "dry" installation that could have been done in little more an hour is ridiculous plus job wasn't done that well...

The company responded quickly to my emergency request on a Friday afternoon after Puget Sound Energy assessed that I had a gas leak originating from an underground pipe leading to my gas fireplace. When Josh arrived, he did a thorough inspection of the outdoor pipe, went into my crawl space to examine the pipe and determine where it connected, and then verified the connection to the furnace. Then he explained in detail what he would need to do and gave me an estimate of the materials and labor needed to perform the work. Since he was able to cap off the pipe leading to my furnace, he did not have to be shut off the furnace, which meant I could heat my home for the weekend, we agreed that he would return on Monday to do the work. Josh showed up as promised and set right to work. He removed the old, rotted underground pipe and installed a new above ground pipe to today's code specifications. He also tested the pipe to PSE's requirements to ensure no leaks. Finally, he reconnected the piping to the furnace and all was back to normal. Josh was very careful not to track dirt in my house during this process which was quite the challenge on a very cold rainy day. What little mess he did make, he picked up without being asked to do so. I found him to be knowledgeable and skilled and would definitely hire him again.

We called fox plumbing and heating the next day, and they sent Conrad and Charlie to do the work. They were punctual and very professional. They got the work done in a timely manner, and done correctly. We would be glad to have than come back again when we need plumbing services.

Bottom line: Fox's acted unethically and charged an exorbitant rate without warning. I trusted them to do work on my mother's condo and they took advantage of her. They then rudely argued with me about it on the phone after, and the service manager failed to call me back to discuss it, as I was promised he would. I will never use them again, and neither should you. Details: I had used Fox's some years ago for remodel work on my home. They did great work at a reasonable price. When my mom's bathroom sinks seemed to be leaking, I turned to them because I didn't have time to fix it myself and I trusted them. I now know Fox's billing scheme is to charge $99 for the trip and the first 15 minutes of work. Apparently, they then charge a fee for every 15 minutes after that. It turns out, that fee is quite large. $55/15m (that's $220/hr folks). This seems to be the highest rate in all of Seattle, and note that it is even higher than the out-of-date information listed here in Angie's List. I told my retired, fixed income mother to call Fox's because I trusted them. They showed up. The plumber quickly diagnosed that the "angle stops" (valves) used in my mom's condo were long ago recalled due to... leaks. Eventually they would all fail. He offered to replace them. Mom agreed. Unfortunately, despite what I'm assured is company policy, he DID NOT inform her in any way of what it would cost. He gave her no estimate of the time involved, nor did he inform her of the rate. He did all the work, and then stuck her with a nearly $1000 bill for 2.5 hours of work. Let's not even get into the fact that angle stops cost $6 at Home Depot and they charged $22 a piece. I called the company to investigate. The lady on the phone said she'd surely "put this on the service manager's desk" and he'd call me back tomorrow to discuss it. He did NOT. EVER. What's more though, she proceeded to argue with me for 10 minutes. Clearly she is not trained in speaking with upset customers, because she was terribly rude and unsympathetic. She basically said, in the least caring tone possible, "I'm sorry." No offer to work it out or look into it. No offer to adjust the price. When I told her I felt their rate was incredibly high, she said she "didn't know about that, I've only worked here" and then she said "well it must be working, we've been in business 60 years!" Yeah, lady, ripping people off works for a while, that doesn't make it great. This woman told me she was SURE that the plumbers always inform customers of the rate, both on the phone at scheduling and again in person. Look, I trust my mother over you... you weren't even there. She says she was not told a rate or any kind of estimate and I believe her. She's retirement age, but she's not senile. I suggested maybe he should have given her an estimate. The rude lady said he couldn't be expected to stop every 15m and tell my mom it would be another $55. Note how this is ridiculously not at all what I suggested. Any decent plumber should have been able to estimate how much time it would take and bid a price. If he had, my mom surely would not have agreed to it. If I take my car to get repaired, they legally can't work on it until they call and give me an estimate. Why should any other repair business do differently? If they *really* cared, he could have easily observed that perhaps my mom is old enough to be on a fixed income, and could have suggested maybe fixing some of them now and some of them later as a way to keep the cash cost down. He could have made sure she understood the rate, and likely total bill. But no, he was greedy. He also didn't mention their seniors discount. The lady on the phone assured me they'd refund that, but remember, the service manager was going to do that, and he never bothered to call me. I'm left concluding that this supposedly family owned business has no family values or ethics. They took advantage of *my* family for a quick buck. I will never let them do that again, and neither should you. This behavior to me seems borderline predatory, and apart from a review here, I am seriously considering filing a complaint with the attorney general. Don't be me; don't trust Fox's. They will live up to the reputation of the sly, cunning animal they are named after.

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I called them up, they came out, and did the job. It was good. They checked it out to figure out what was wrong with it. I tried repairing it, and it kept leaking. I couldn't find the part. I even tried making it, but it didn't work out. They did a real good job. The price was pretty good. The quality was good. They had to find a hole in the wall, and that was something I didn't want to do. They're responsiveness was good. They didn't have to come right out, but they came out within a few days. They had to come look at it, then go out and get the part, and come back. They did a professional job. They were right on time; early in fact. Their professionalism was good; we even chatted for awhile. I have a service contract with them, so I get a discount.

I like them. Their price is a little on the high side, but they do quality work, so I don't mind paying a little bit. Most people get here early if I ever have anything done. I checked it out, because it was making some noise, to see if I could do it myself. In order to find the part for me to do it was really hard, so I ended up calling them to come out and fix it. The motor had to go through a parts house that I couldn't get to. I could've got it for the same price. I called them up and they got out within a couple of days. They are really professional. I have a service contract with them for a lot of my equipment.

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They messed up my first appointment so I had to redo the appointment but accidents happen. Otherwise, A along the line.

Great service! Plumber provided a courtesy call notifying us he would be a little late due to traffic. Promptly arrived at new time and completed the work quickly with video camera views of before and after clearing the drain. The plumber, Eric, was professional and very nice. He cleaned the bathroom after the work was completed and the cost was lower than initially estimated. I highly recommend Fox!

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unknown

Fox Plumbing is very good. So, actually they were very good to deal with. Mine cost $3,000. I?ve had them out for other jobs and I?ve never had a complaint. I would give them 10 out of 10 for that one. Definitely an ?A? for that job, they were really good. As I said, when they had to replace the one all the way to the park, that?s several hundred feet, so it was a very, very big job. I was sort of cowering in the house thinking, ?oh my god, how much is this going to cost?? When they told me the cost, it was just so reasonable. They were the only ones at the time that had this particular machine, it bores through the earth, but it also pulls the pipe with it, the new stuff. 

So, if you are ever stuck like that, they?ll come out. Other times when have burst or gone wrong, it?s an older house; they have been out there for me, they just come. I would say it was very fair pricing, and they gave me a voucher for $20 off the next time, if anything goes wrong and we will come out and fix it for you. He took it from the kitchen out to the garage where it needed to be and that was a neat job. It took a couple of them to do it. So, they?ve done some good work for us. The quality was good. We don?t use anybody else because they don?t have that equipment and these people have come out ever since we?ve been in the house.  

unknown

It was supposed to be a quick job and over the phone Bobby told me It should be no more than $300. I was charged for 2 hours and I was also charged for the flare fittings for a grand total of $750. I called Bobby and left a message but haven't heard back.

They did fine. The workers were fine. They were good enough. They could take it to the next level of professionalism, like they weren’t quite on time, but were less than 15 minutes late. Punctuality was acceptable, but not extraordinary. Their preparation was acceptable, but not extraordinary, like the guy had to go out and buy a part and bring it back. I understand that you can’t always have every part that you need in stock, so it was like acceptable, but no above and beyond. It was okay.

The shower problem was solved almost instantaneously; the washer which sits at the base of the shower head extender had blocked the water flow. Strangely enough, the leaky faucet remained unfixed, despite over an hour of driving to a parts store in Seattle in an attempt to locate spare parts. My faucet was deemed "alien". I would have had the faucet replaced on the spot, but the technician didn't have any on his truck.

Professional. I do not have any complaints. I think I have had them do other repairs too. They did not leave a mess behind on things.