1st Response Plumbing has a strong base of satisfied customers who consistently praise responsiveness, same-day availability, and courteous service — particularly from named technicians like Jared, Derek, and Mac. However, the review set contains multiple serious negative reviews that significantly temper each dimension: no-shows and failure to return calls directly undermine professionalism and p...
Read more Score Narrative
1st Response Plumbing has a strong base of satisfied customers who consistently praise responsiveness, same-day availability, and courteous service — particularly from named technicians like Jared, Derek, and Mac. However, the review set contains multiple serious negative reviews that significantly temper each dimension: no-shows and failure to return calls directly undermine professionalism and project completion scores, while several reviewers explicitly called out overcharging, hidden fees, and prices far above competitor quotes on pricing. Experience is similarly mixed, with glowing praise for diagnostic skill in some reviews directly contradicted by others describing substandard workmanship, improperly installed toilets, sloppy pipe routing, and work that required correction by other contractors. The most severe negative review alleges theft of $1,000, installation of a used water heater sold as new, and a police report being filed, which is a significant red flag for both experience and project completion. Taken together, the score reflects a contractor with genuine strengths in responsiveness but meaningful and documented weaknesses across all four dimensions.
Flags & Warnings
• SERIOUS ALLEGATION: One reviewer (2022-08-19) alleges the company took $1,000, left the job incomplete, installed a used water heater represented as new, caused $3,000 in additional damage, and that a police report was filed. This is unverified but materially impacts project completion and experience scores.
• SERIOUS ALLEGATION: One reviewer (2019-02-01) alleges the owner did incomplete and dangerous work on a furnace after a house fire, abandoned the job, and that a subsequent inspector found the partial work nearly caused another fire. Note: this review references a furnace, which may be outside the plumber's scope, but the abandonment and safety concern are noted.
• NO-SHOW / RESPONSIVENESS FAILURES: At least two reviews (2023-12-01 and 2023-06-10) explicitly describe the contractor failing to show up at scheduled times or failing to return calls entirely, including during an emergency. This directly and negatively impacts professionalism and project completion scores.
• PRICING COMPLAINTS: Multiple reviews flag pricing concerns — one reviewer (2018-06-11) was charged $217.60 for under 40 minutes of labor and found two competitors quoted $75–$100 for the same work. Another reviewer (2016-04-23) alleges being quoted five times the price charged to a neighbor for the same system, and describes charges for a branded collar as deceptive. Another (2014-03-13) reports being charged $70 over the quoted estimate with the contractor denying the quote was ever given.
• WORKMANSHIP COMPLAINTS: Two reviews (2015-06-12 and 2014-09-22) — which appear to be near-identical in content and may represent the same reviewer posting twice — describe poor pipe routing, lack of craftsmanship, and work that required a second contractor to fix. Even if treated as one unique complaint, the substance is credible and specific.
• POSSIBLE DUPLICATE REVIEW: The reviews dated 2015-06-12 and 2014-09-22 contain nearly identical text describing the same pipe-routing and vent stack complaint. These may be the same reviewer posting on two platforms or at two times. Counted as one unique negative data point for scoring purposes.
• BLANK REVIEWS: Eight reviews contain no text (only a star rating of 5.0). These were excluded from dimension scoring as they provide no usable evidence per Rule 1 and Rule 2. They may inflate the visible star average without contributing meaningful information.
• RECENCY NOTE: The majority of negative reviews with serious allegations are from 2014–2022. The most recent reviews (2024) are positive. However, the 2023 no-show and non-response complaints are recent enough to remain relevant. Positive trend in recency is noted but does not override the weight of documented serious complaints.
• POSSIBLE FAKE REVIEW PATTERN: Several reviews (particularly from 2013) are generic, lack specific detail, and read as promotional (e.g., 'Best plumber around,' 'They will be the last plumber you will need to call'). These are treated with reduced confidence and weighted conservatively.
Reliability Statement
This WW Score is based on 44 reviews with usable content spanning approximately 11 years and carries HIGH confidence in its directional accuracy, but prospective customers should weigh the serious unresolved allegations of theft, job abandonment, and dangerous workmanship before engaging this contractor.
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