Complaint Review: A1 American Plumbing - virginia beach Virginia

I had been paying a higher water bill the last two billing cycles, and recently discovered a busted water line in my front flower bed. I originally found this water leak and considered it to be my sprinkler system.

It turns out it was my main line coming into the house. I decided to help cut down on the cost I would do some of the labor that was needing to be done. First a bush had to be removed to dig up area of leak.

Then I dug up the area of the leak and exposed a valve that was leaking. I've never needed a plumber before and decided to try A1 since there commercials and ads in the phone are all over the place. I called we can have someone out tomorrow they said I asked what time can't give you that I was told.

Around lunch time the plumber shows up, well we need to shut off your water and pump out the water from out of the hole I dug the day before (Using my electricity mind you). He needed to dig a little more from around the pipe. Says what he's going to do then pulls out this binder which has tabs on it for different categories of repairs (kitchen,baths,etc).

Here it is he says $871.45 now that is the military discount which I'm not. The other price was over a $1,000 dollars. I'm shocked I need it done I agree to have it done (believe me my biggest mistake) he says he needs to go to Home Depot for parts he has none on his truck.

He comes back with 4 elbows and stick of 3/4" copper pipe. I believe the elbows are called shark bites no soldering required. They snap on are designed with an o-ring inside to keep from leaking. he cuts 3 pieces of pipe 5" long.

Cuts the broken valve out of the line and installs the first elbow then the pipe and so on til both ends are connected. We check for leaks small drip on one of the elbows taps it with his hammer leak stops. Better leave the hole open for awhile to dry up the area.

When you do fill it back in use some sand first then fill back in with your top soil. I write the check and away he goes. It bothered me the rest of the day about what I just payed out for this repair. $871.45 for the repairman to be at my house for 1.5 hours and I did most of the labor.

So the next day I stopped at Home Depot to price out these fittings and pipe that he bought. Each elbow was $8.46 ea. and the 3/4" x 5' long pipe was $13.46. that's a total of $47.30 for parts. So I called A1 to ask for a break down of the pricing.

Told me he would need to talk to his employee and read what he wrote and he would call me back today or the next day. Well I ended up calling them back the next day about mid-day says he read his work order and everything was in order.

I said explain to me your pricing and how you came up with it since I told you yesterday that I did alot of the labor and I told you I checked out price on the parts. Sir if you read the back of your repair slip we don't have to tell you. What! I said plus a lot of expletives I'd rather not repeat.

He says "sir" you could have said no to the pricing, I said I needed it done, I blame myself for not saying no to the price but I also don't think your price matches the work and price of parts. Needless to say they will not give me an additional discount and will not ever get my repeat business.