My parents are elderly and increasingly I am becoming entwined within the rote daily elements of their lives. Healthcare, finances and keeping the home in good functioning condition. I needed a plumber. "Thumbtack", "Angies List": Why not look at Yelp? So I type, "Yelp/Charlottesville/Plumber". Result = "Best Plumbers in Charlottesville"! Laco is the first entry on that Yelp list. Which made me suspicious. Five Star Rating after thirteen reviews? That's too good to be true. But I plow into the reviews. They don't seem like they were posted by Laco employees pretending to be plumbing consumers with above averages experiences. They read as deft and genuine from an array of people. I added the contact info. of Laco and two other plumbers into my phone and resolve to make some calls. Laco was the first and only plumber to return my call (although I continue to receive messages from local plumbers via Tumbtack two weeks later). Tony, who if I've gleamed this correctly is an owner of the business and one of two guys you will talk to over the phone, the guy who will come out to the site and look things over for the benefit of you both and then give you an idea of how much this project will cost and how much of your life will be inconvenienced therein. He's a bit of a character, stout looking, a little harried as any good contractor would be having many irons in the fire and many things and people to keep track of. Polite and clear and let me emphasize that, articulate in what you need and what will happen. I did not once with Tony or any of his men get the impression that they wanted to do any more work than absolutely necessary. They acted as if they wanted to get in and out ASAP, do the job right and move on, pretty much the perfect scenario if you are in need of a plumber and money/finances are of some concern. Allow me to throw this one aside in real quick before I forget. The job came in under estimate and they did everything that Tony had said they'd end up doing if they didn't run into any other issues that needs addressing. The scene: My parents 50-60 year old brick rancher near downtown. Two 80+yrolds and their middle aged kid. One Middle aged plumber (Bobby) and the "Kid" who was the other man working the job and Tony. The three plumbers show up, Tony gives the guys a quick run-down of the issues and what he expects to be done, salutes us all and rides off to address some other issue somewhere else. For three to four hours these two men wind their way in and out of the house, through each entry, from the basement worksite to the attic to secure a drain vent and keeping it from sliding down through the home and killing someone below (heavy large copper pipes...). They brought a radio to listen to Christmas music, quietly while working. Upstairs the old folks milled about watching television, having lunch. It was a pleasant late morning that stretched until just afternoon. There was the pulling of toilets (2) there were reciprocating saws sawing, there was grunting and ladders and the smell of adhesives. In the end, they walked me through their work, cleaned up after themselves and left. Later in the afternoon, I got and invoice via e-mail then called and paid over the phone. Everything went swimmingly and didn't cost as much as I expected, didn't take as long as I thought and it didn't stress my family out. Really man, that ****ing awesome. Five stars. read more

CJ did such a bad job, we now have water leaking through the ceiling. I cannot believe how bad this plumber was.

Excellent company. l phoned and immediately reached Tony, the owner, who listened to my problem and took time to discuss it. The next morning at 8:30, his team arrived, and within an hour, diagnosed and fixed the problem. They answered my questions and explained pricing, which is less than many plumbing companies in our area. I have used the company several times and always been extremely pleased. I highly recommend them. read more

I found laco to provide excellent and knowledgeable service. I had major behind the wall leaks that were handled expertly. The cost charged was very reasonable. I do not hesitate to recommend Laco plumbers. read more

With the high price that you are charging per hour, If one cannot afford to pay this much, it is no way for someone to disrespect them. Yes you work on toilets... as a nurse myself, I am also taking care patients even as cleaning them up daily. I would never call my patients who can't afford to pay bills cheap. If one can't do business with you, simply walk away. Be understanding and professional, No need to be disrespectful! You might be the best plumber but doesn't mean you can be rude and look down on others. Thank you! read more

10 people scheduled for dinner at 5:30 when, at 3 PM, my kitchen sink backed up. Tony of Laco Plumbing let me know the approximate wait time, and CJ showed up as scheduled. The drain was repaired (actually reconstructed) by 5 when he found that the disposal was leaking. He assured me he could replace it on the spot and at 5:30, he walked out the door, the job completed, and my guests walked in the door. I highly recommend Laco as a responsible, responsive, honest and competent company. read more

If I can rate less than a 1 star I would. Spoke with Tony who seemed good at first but then when I asked about his pricing, he seemed really agitated about it and started to give a fit. When we told him that we are thinking of going a different direction, he called us "too cheap", said "you are not my demographic" and "hope you get what you deserve". This seems very unprofessional from someone that's supposed to be #1 in NextDoor.com, which he brags about so much. I HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS TONY person. read more

Had a leak on Sunday and got a guy from another place out on Monday. Won't get into that but was obvious he didn't want to do the job. Called Laco Tuesday morning and spoke with Tony, liked his attitude and he said they could get to me the same afternoon. The guy (I can't remember his name, maybe Ricky?) showed up promptly at 2 and cut the wall, fixed the pipe and was done in just under an hour!! He explained what he was doing, gave me some advice on that d**m quest pipe as well as how to dry out the wood and keep from getting mold. When he was done and I asked how much he said Tony would invoice me. He gave me a ballpark figure which was very reasonable! I think I have found my new go to plumber! My last guy just disappeared so it feels good to know who to call again. Considering the house has Quest pipe I'm sure I'll be seeing them again, hopefully not too soon (no offense guys) read more

I asked friends for a recommendation: a plumber to come and explore why we had just received a huge utility bill. Without hesitation they recommended Laco, saying they had been impressed by Tony's prompt reply, and his concern for his staff (in this current pandemic season) and consideration of their home. So I called them, and Tony was immediately helpful and informative. He phoned this morning to ask if it would be ok to come earlier than the scheduled time! Unheard of in my previous experiences, and I agreed. Ricky just left - and we are so thankful and impressed. Prompt, professional, kind, courteous, and informative. We hope we don't need a plumber again soon - but if we do we will be calling Laco! read more

These guys are great! Came out promptly; replaced our Pressure Regulating Valve quickly; tested the system and cleaned up in under an hour. Highly recommended. read more

We have used Laco twice (outdoor spigot issue and garbage disposal) and we have been very pleased! Polite, timely, professional and quality work. Honest. Highly recommend! read more

These guys are great. I had an appointment scheduled for around lunchtime, and Laco called in the morning, saying that they were ahead of schedule and could come to the house early if that was OK with me. I said "great", and they arrived within 15 minutes. Bucky was my technician, and he was polite, clear with his assessment, and honest. As I had guessed, I needed a valve replaced. I paid for the part and the 1 hour of labor, and the water pressure problem I had was greatly improved, for what I would say is a fair price. The best part of it all, is that Laco took away an old hot water heater (a separate project from this service call) free of charge. I offered to pay something, but they didn't put it on my bill. Also, a manager called me a few days later, to check that everything was still good with the water pressure. Great follow up and attention to detail on Laco's part. I highly recommend Laco for any plumbing issues you may have. read more

Tony answered my call as soon as they opened. They had an early cancellation and asked if a technician could come now. Yes, of course! Bobby came, fixed the problem, and gave me suggestions for things to be aware of in the future. This company is the BEST! read more

One of the only plumbers that I could get to answer or return a call. He couldn't do the work that I needed, but quickly gave me a referral to a company that could. So this isn't a review for any actual work that he did, but I found him to be very helpful and easy to get in touch with. read more

Excellent work - I highly recommend!! Efficient, affordable, knowledgable, courteous, prompt!

Rocksolid every time I use them. Completely dependable. Prompt. So glad we have this business in town.

Laco came out to replace an old sewer lift in my basement. Worked great for six months but then it went into alarm, Tony was very responsive in calling back and sending someone out to fix the issue. I work in commercial construction and this is the type of company you want to do business with: honest, straightforward, and knowledgeable. read more

Highly recommended. I came home mid-morning to find a wet basement. The hot water heater's temperature & pressure valve was leaking badly, and I couldn't completely close the shutoff. I picked these guys since they were on the top of the Yelp list. They got someone here in 15 minutes. They assessed the situation, fully explained their solution, replaced valves and shutoffs, and installed an expansion tank, all in good time at a reasonable rate. BTW, a couple months after this incident, I called Laco again, this time to replace the hot water heater. Again, they were professional and we remain highly satisfied. read more

These guys came on time, worked quickly, were reasonably priced, and have worked w/us on the payments. They also cleaned up after themselves! read more

On time, as promised. Neat, polite, work was completed quickly and was reasonably priced. Twelve month warranty on work. Work looks good. Didn't try to tell me more was wrong than actually was. Save labor costs by prepping as much as you can, eg. drain toilet completely before they arrive. Definitely will use these guys again if I need a plumber. read more

Quick, polite, and efficient! They replaced the kit in 2 toilets in about 45 minutes and explained everything along the way. They were a real pleasure to work with. read more

Tony came last summer to work on a clogged drain in our basement garage. He was honest, forthright and his tech took at least an hour on the phone with our useless home warranty company. His price was reasonable and I'd use him again. read more

When I called Laco I was desperate, we had a burst pipe in our new home which lead to no water, we were moving into the house in 4 days and needed this fixed to live there. Tony came out in a day, gave me an assessment and said he would call me that evening to see what he could move around to get his guys to our house. He had a crew out the very next day! They did such a fantastic job, Bobby and Ricky showed up, fixed all of the issues, explained everything they did and showed us what we should fix in the near future to avoid future problems. I could not be happier. Thank you SO MUCH! Kindest, Sara & Lloyd Senn read more

Made a mold mitigation situation worst! 2 years to the day after they "fixed a pipe that had been leaking for 9 months, their poor workmanship caused it to burst. As verified by a reputable plumber in the area who ultimately fixed the problem. I thought mold problems are bad..try flood damage thanks to Laco cutting corners and complete incompetence. read more

Friendly, honest, reliable and reasonable prices. Came out on a weekend to snake out a basement sewer drain I was unable to manually snake - charged a very reasonable price and the owner himself came out as his staff was away for the weekend. Scheduled an appointment with them a week later and in a single day they corrected 4 plumbing issues in our house .. price was very reasonable. read more

Finding a good plumber is right up there with finding a good doctor - Laco is great! They were referred to us by a neighbor when we had our third unexplained leak in three years and they were out at our house within two hours, taking care of the immediate crisis and diagnosing the underlying problem. We ended up contracting them to do a complete re-plumbing of our house, which they did quickly, professionally, and courteously on time and in budget. Most recently, just last week, I got to pass on the good turn done by our neighbor and referred a friend of ours to Laco who was in desperate straights with a major leak and no idea who to call. They were out to her house pronto and Laco has a another satisfied customer. I highly recommend them for all of your plumbing needs. -- Mike C. read more

Great service!! Discovered my hot water heater leaking in my basement around 10 am - called Laco right away. Talked through the issue with them and they gave me an estimate of 'after 1pm' to arrive & install a new heater. They arrived about 10 minutes after 1:00, were professional and personable, and got the job done in ~2 hours (drained & removed old unit, installed new unit, left everything clean & tidy) and for a very reasonable price! I would highly recommend!! read more

After calling other plumbers to replace an outside faucet at my home without getting a return call or not showing up to do the work, I was extremely happy to actually be able to talk with Tony. I was beginning to think the job was too small to get a response. Tony had JD and Ricky out the next morning. Tony gave me a call when they were on their way and they arrived on time. It took about 15 minutes for them to evaluate the job and found the replacement part that would be available in a couple of days. JD told me the work would take about an hour. When they returned it took them about 45 minutes to handle the replacement. Very courteous and very profession. I am spreading the word to friends and neighbors about the great service I got. It seems fit that when finding a good resource you want everyone to know. read more

Another 5-star review from a happy customer. Their customer service is excellent at every step. Laco helped diagnose my problem and ended up sending a specialist in my obscure type of heater and fixing it after reading the manual. Plus I loved that he taught me about the system so I could fix it myself the next time. Last, this HVAC expert jumped my car, just being nice. read more

Laco was on time, provided the information we needed to make our decision, came in below budget, quickly and courteously. They will be our plumbing vendor for life. Thanks Tony for making our experience a pleasant and memorable one enough to share with our neighbors and friends. The Yelp reviews were definitely accurate and all the positive feedback was genuine and made our decision an easy one. read more

Sent Tony a photo of the diverter that was leaking. He ordered the part and his guy replaced it in a few minutes. Efficient, effective and pleasant to work with, and, reasonably priced. Was especially impressed Tony was able to listen to my description of the problem and with a photo, purchase the correct part and do all this in one visit. Will definitely use them again. read more

After a not-so-great experience from another plumber's customer service, I called Laco on a Monday to discuss my issue. They were great at talking me through my options. After I told them I had been without kitchen water for almost a week, they scheduled an appointment for noon the next day. Tuesday morning I got a call saying that they had some changes and could come immediately. When the plumbers (2) arrived, they were polite and continued to discuss the plan with me. An hour and a half later, everything was done and priced as quoted. I would absolutely recommend them and plan to use them for all my future plumbing needs. Thank you Laco!! read more

I was extremely pleased with Tony Laco and his crew. I had a plumbing emergency which resulted in having to dig up the driveway and replace a sewer line. Tony and his team came by right away, when I reported that toilets weren't flushing. They worked diligently at diagnosing the problem, brought in other experts as needed, and then Tony oversaw all aspects of the repair. The workers were great at giving me information to make decisions, providing estimates of the time and expenses involved, and being really pleasant and easy to work with. I am very grateful for their timely service. read more

I called Laco to fix a burst pipe. Michael and Ricky were on time, friendly, and efficient. They were also cooperative with a contractor I had at the house at the same time to assess water damage from the burst pipe. Michael and Ricky let him borrow their ladder to save him a trip back out to his truck. I know it was a little thing, but it showed they were about taking care of me as a customer as efficiently and effectively as possible. The repair was quick and very reasonably priced. I definitely recommend Laco. read more

Called their number at 8:00PM when we had an extensive emergency leak at our front water meter. Fully expected to get an answering service, but Tony answered himself, listened to my description, asked if we had gotten the water off and promised to have someone out first thing in the morning. Their guys showed up promptly, were courteous, knowledgeable and efficient. Problem ended up actually being with our neighbors meter that is in our yard and they were out of town. Tony spoke to them by phone, completed the job quickly and at a price they felt was more than reasonable. We will definitely be calling them for all our plumbing needs! read more