Your plumbing is not often exciting. It will go on for years, faithfully filling, flowing, and flushing. As a pipe leaks water through your kitchen ceiling, however, the excitement may be more than you can stand. You need a plumber. There are firms out there that will soak you, but we’ve found dozens that do top-quality work at a good price.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Boston Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Plumbers

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Plumbers Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Plumbers.

• Subscriber from CONCORD, MA wrote Another Plumber: Excellent plumbing. Exorbitant prices........
• Subscriber from ACTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: The plumber spent 45 mins trying to fix a leaky faucet but couldn't fix it...........
• Subscriber from WESTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Would use them again - great job and reasonable cost.......
• Subscriber from LOWELL, MA wrote Another Plumber: They mis-diagnosed a fairly simple problem and wanted to charge me $400 for a job..........
• Subscriber from BROOKLINE, MA wrote Another Plumber: WE had a somewhat catastrophic water leak that flooded part of our first floor and..........
• Subscriber from WESTWOOD, MA wrote Another Plumber: prompt, owner returned call on a Saturday.......
• Subscriber from SHARON, MA wrote Another Plumber: One of the parts he installed proved defective. But the work he himself has performed..........
• Subscriber from WALTHAM, MA wrote Another Plumber: Since I found them, I have stuck with them.......
• Subscriber from NEWTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: I called Mike Torchio just to repair a shower head. The job was not big..........
• Subscriber from LEXINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: This plumbing service is extremely expensive for emergency repair. They shut the water off to..........
• Subscriber from BELMONT, MA wrote Another Plumber: Exceeded expectations in all respects, on gas conversion and boiler/hot water replacement. Truly an outstanding..........
• Subscriber from WELLESLEY, MA wrote Another Plumber: "fixed" my toiet so that it flushed twice with every flush. Then argued with me..........
• Subscriber from LEXINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Used twice now. Would use again........
• Subscriber from SOMERVILLE, MA wrote Another Plumber: Exorbitant cost. They charge by the job not by time worked, which would be fine,..........
• Subscriber from LEXINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Recommended........
• Subscriber from CAMBRIDGE, MA wrote Another Plumber: They are very professional and courteous on the phone. They arrived on time and the..........
• Subscriber from ANDOVER, MA wrote Another Plumber: I replumbed my entire house - very big job. These guys were outstanding - competent,..........
• Subscriber from NORWOOD, MA wrote Another Plumber: We had a great experience with Frank and his team. Frank helped us renovate our..........
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: We've used Stephen Porter for several jobs and have been pleased by their promptness, courtesy,..........
• Subscriber from STOW, MA wrote Another Plumber: Very attentive to job and what needed to be done - went out of way..........
• Subscriber from TEWKSBURY, MA wrote Another Plumber: I was charged $260 for a job that was quoted to take 1 hour with..........
• Subscriber from LEXINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Unacceptable level of communication regarding continuing heating system malfunction. Left without heat for 2 days,..........
• Subscriber from DORCHESTER, MA wrote Another Plumber: Firm would not provide an estimate of work over the phone. Customer tried to speak..........
• Subscriber from SHARON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Great guys. prompt and reliable for two visits........
• Subscriber from NEWTON CENTER, MA wrote Another Plumber: Next time I'd look for a less expensive plumber........
• Subscriber from CAMBRIDGE, MA wrote Another Plumber: Not cheap, but faultless work done on time........
• Subscriber from BOSTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Didn't do it right the first time. Needed help to do it right the second..........
• Subscriber from REVERE, MA wrote Another Plumber: Dependable. Good explanations of needed work. Reasonable prices........
• Subscriber from WELLESLEY, MA wrote Another Plumber: Overall excellent plumber.......
• Subscriber from LITTLETON, MA wrote Another Plumber: One of the worst experiences I ever had........
• Subscriber from STOW, MA wrote Another Plumber: Snaked out a kitchen sink drain and now it runs fast and without any problems...........
• Subscriber from LEXINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: he took out a sink and never put in a new one, even though it..........
• Subscriber from BOSTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: have used them for years -- always come out when I need them -- pay..........
• Subscriber from WATERTOWN, MA wrote Another Plumber: Too expensive for the little work done........
• Subscriber from NEEDHAM, MA wrote Another Plumber: Recently had an emergency (bathtub faucet wouldn't shut off), called them blind and they came..........
• Subscriber from FRAMINGHAM, MA wrote Another Plumber: I CHOSE THIS PLUMBER BASED ON CONSUMERS’ CHECKBOOK’S HIGH RATINGS FOR WORK & PRICE ($75/HR)...........
• Subscriber from NEEDHAM, MA wrote Another Plumber: Calls back within 5 minutes, always. Very professional and polite. Always shows up in a..........
• Subscriber from SUDBURY, MA wrote Another Plumber: It took three tries to get the toilet fixed, one try resulted in an inch..........
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: We called Winters and two other plumbers for advice on a water heater problem. Their..........
• Subscriber from LEXINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Plumber arrived promptly and was able to fix the problem to my satisfaction........
• Subscriber from NORWOOD, MA wrote Another Plumber: Excellent service. The first thing that impressed me was that someone was there to answer..........
• Subscriber from NEWTON CENTER, MA wrote Another Plumber: Very prompt response and very neat work. They gave the impression that they really want..........
• Subscriber from NEWTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Verry happy with his work.......
• Subscriber from WELLESLEY, MA wrote Another Plumber: We've used Wellesley Plumbing for several years. Their service is usually excellent and has never..........
• Subscriber from ARLINGTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Excellent, timely service. Quickly identified the problem, and recognized that it would be a quick..........
• Subscriber from WAYLAND, MA wrote Another Plumber: 1. Two days after a washing machine shut off valve was installed by a Salemme..........
• Subscriber from HOLLISTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: Both Lenny and Wayne have done outstanding work at a reasonable price. They are a..........
• Subscriber from NEWTON, MA wrote Another Plumber: The work was very neat and they appeared promptly. However, there was a leak in..........
• Subscriber from CHARLESTOWN, MA wrote Another Plumber: Expensive.......
• Subscriber from WELLESLEY, MA wrote Another Plumber: Eric came to our home with an apprentice. The cost was $140 per hour for..........