Benjamin Plumbing

Our water heater decided it was done after ~15 years. Naturally it decided this on a Saturday in terms of after hours billing. Water was leaking, so contacted Benjamin Plumbing after hours early Saturday morning. Jay from Benjamin listened to what was occurring and recommended waiting until Monday for repair/replacement unless the water heater was putting out a lot of water. This saved us probably a couple of thousand dollars toward after hours billing by them and their supplier. They contacted me early Monday morning to set up replacement. Benny from Benjamin Plumbing called ahead to advise he was on his way and he took care of the replacement. He also noticed that the venting tubing for the power vent was now out of code (it changed) and had to be pressure capable, so he brought that up to code too. Very pleasant and knowledgeable.

I was happy with the repair overall, and the technician was polite and capable. My main concern is how pricing was communicated—or more accurately, not communicated. I contacted them regarding an issue with a sump pump that required a replacement part. After some troubleshooting, the technician quickly diagnosed the issue and said the part would need to be ordered. I was told there would be no charge for that visit. When I was later contacted, I was told the part was expensive—around $350—and that they would call once it arrived to schedule the follow-up visit. During that call, I also asked about the cost of the initial visit and was told there was a 30-minute minimum charge. While that differed from what I believed I had been told, I felt that was reasonable. When the part came in, it was installed in just a few minutes. As the technician was leaving, he mentioned that my card on file would be charged. I later received a call only to verify my card number, at which point I was informed the total was $910.06. This charge included a fee for the first visit—despite being told there would be no charge—and it exceeded the 30-minute minimum. The part itself was $452, not the $350 I had been quoted, leaving $458 in labor for a very brief installation. When I tried to discuss the discrepancy, there was no interest in addressing it. I recognize that I should have requested written estimates, and that is a lesson learned. However, it’s unfortunate because everything else went well. The lack of transparency around invoicing is a serious issue. Had I been given accurate pricing upfront, I may have made a different decision about whether to repair or replace the system. Instead, I was given little information and blindsided by the final bill.

I appreciate how a human answered the phone. A very nice lady scheduled a plumber to come to our house within 48 hours. Kevin arrived right on time and very efficiently and expertly repaired our two toilets. He was in and out in no time. I also appreciate how an invoice was sent to me, at a later date, to remit payment. I highly recommend the folks at Benjamin Plumbing.