Plumber recommendations

Over the past four years, I have worked with five different plumbers across various projects: Gateway, Alladin, Vigilante, Park Set & John Hlad.

The different contractors I used over time reflects a maturity process I went through as a homeowner...over time you learn that you should probably pay for the peace of mind, and not cut corners on things like plumbing, if you can afford it. In that vein, I would use Gateway if you have the money.

I first worked with John Hlad because I liked the idea of working with a veteran and a family operation. He didn't do a bad job, but the process of getting him to come was too cumbersome and it wasn't the most professional experience. But the work held up...no complaints about the work.

I then worked with Viglante and, again, had no problems with their work, but had to use them in an emergency and was resentful about the pricing...they do have a good Sudden Service.

I had to do a oil to gas conversion, as well as fix some plumbing and gas violations. For this job, I got estimates from Gateway, Park Set & Alladin. I ended up using Gateway for this and they did an outstanding job. They were very professional, came on time, finished on time, and followed up,and the piping to/from the furnace is a work of art. You get what you pay for with Gateway. Also, Master Plvmber (aka Gateway) will engage in email correspondence to answer you questions...this came in very helpful when I was buying a Runtal radiator and wanted advice on how to buy/things to think about before buying.

Alladin came in and did some minor work in my tenant's apartment. I didn't use Gateway b/c I needed it right away and Alladin was the only place that could come in a hurry, besides Vigilante. That work was eventually corrected by Gateway a few months later when it broke again....it was not great workmanship.

Lastly, as part of our kitchen renovation, our contractor introduced us to Park Set Plumbing as a subcontractor.

So far, they've done great work, very reasonable pricing. This could be a good mid-price range alternative to Gateway. I ended up using Park Set to replace our sewer line when the rains came this spring and we discovered a crack in the sewer pipe.

So...all in, I would definately use Gateway if you have the money, and can pay for the peace of mind. Otherwise, Park Set has done some good work for us, at good prices through our contractor, and I've no reason to complain about them or their work.

Based on my experiences, I would not use Alladin or John Hlad going forward.

Posted by: spintoto at May 29, 2009 12:40 PM