Mike Pinel is a stand-up professional.
We met Mike through random circumstance as he was servicing our neighbor's property just as we encountered an unrelated problem of our own.
Part of me assumed that my neighbor did his due diligence, research and price comparisons that led him to Pinel Plumbing, so I felt a certain level of comfort not going in blindly finding a service provider for my plumbing issue. With that we inquired directly with him in person.
He took the time, assessed my situation, gave an estimate, and allowed us to do our own research and make our own decision, no high pressure sales nor scare tactics to inspire immediate action. He followed up with a call inquiring if we needed his services. At that point, we did call others, we had one person come over and inspect the problem and provided a quote of "over double" what Pinel told us, and rambled on about how it would take at least 8 hrs, which was a falacy based upon how long it took Pinel to do the job. We had another quote us an $80/hr rate but he's a handyman contractor, without a specialization in plumbing nor is not licensed or bonded nor insured, so that felt like it could end up being a "you get what you pay for" situation, and a risk we were unwilling to take. So, we decided to go with Mike Pinel.
Pinel Plumbing is Bonded and Insured, just as it reads on their truck! After the job completion, Mike reiterated his guarantee and backed up the quality of his work letting me know if I had an problems, to let him know. So, it's good to know there's a workmanship warranty and if the problem wasn't resolved or fixed properly, he has great follow through plans at no additional cost.
We had issues with our main control water valve and had to shut off the water from the main source and then do a series of pipe cutting, connecting, soldering and adding valves and levers, etc. - - you know, plumber lingo and jaron.
Based on the amount of time and comments, our issue wasn't as cut and dry as it may have appeared, so they continued relentlessly to not figure out a solution, but troubleshoot to provide the best and right solution. I felt they took their time, in a good way. I got a sense that Mike works the way that I do, which is less about "hourly" time clock watching, but more "task oriented" by the project. Mike took this assignment, provided a professional estimate which ended up being a quote and although it was a bit more to it than anticipated, Mike honored the price quoted without any mention of upcharges or trying to get more money. That speaks volumes of Mike's business integrity.
He also does "gas" lines too, and I was a peripheral witness to a series of random peer competitor service providers at my neighbor's residence who, from what I hear or understand, had broken a gas line and needed a quick emergency repair. Well, those other companies came and went, maybe with too high an estimate for repair, or unqualified to fix the problem. At the end of the day, from what I understand Pinel was hired to fixed the problem and did a good job.
Mike's associate (I didn't catch his name) was hard at work through the entire process, so it was a two-man team assigned to my plumbing project, and I got the man himself el jefe, Mike Pinel coming over to work on my problem. They arrived on time, stayed as long as it took to get the job done. They are both excellent communicators, who explain what they're doing and how they're solving the problem.
My price quote was all-in, so no typical upcharges like for "parts" or adding in any hidden fees or tacking on any sales tax. He doesn't accept credit cards but will accept personal checks, and I'm sure of course cash for payment.
In one breath, I hope I never see Pinel Plubming again :) only in that, it would mean that I have a plumbing problem... However, if I ever have any issues with plumbing or gas, I look forward to calling Mike Pinel and see if he can help me out again!
I highly recommend PINEL PLUMBING, at minimum, call 'em up and talk with Mike to get an evaluation or estimation, he's worthy of putting his name in the proverbial hat to earn your business.
I'd called 3 of the top ranked (all either 5 star or 4 1/2 star avg ranked on Yelp, plumbers in the south bay) local plumbers, many were busy so could not take an emergency "same day" service call, others simply never picked up the phone nor returned the call, and/or were too expensive. Pinel Plumbing is located in Garden Grove, the OC, but will service the South Bay Beach Cities. read more