TLDR; Audie and Antonio were excellent plumbers who came out same day and resolved several plumbing issues very professionally, but a price-tag of $1,800 for two hose bibs, a shutoff valve, and 3 man-hours of labor seemed a bit exorbitant. Our house was built in 1976 and we bought it about 3 years ago. When we moved in, our inspector told us that the house did not have frost-free hose bibs, and I forgot to put the Styrofoam covers on our backyard faucet during this latest cold streak. When I turned the water on yesterday, it began to leak through the wall and into the garage, likely due to a frozen pipe that burst. Luckily, when I turned off the faucet the leaking stopped, making the situation a non-emergency. I had never used South West Plumbing before, but the previous owners left a magnet on the fridge. I looked them up on Google and saw they had 4.5/5 star rating with over 2k reviews, so I called. I spoke with an employee around 1pm and they said they could have a plumber come out the same day which sounded great. I received a call back at 2:42pm from dispatch stating that their plumbers got booked up and would have to come out the next day, which was an inconvenience, but manageable for a non-emergency situation. Then I received another call at 3:25pm from dispatch stating that one of their plumbers was free and could come out in about an hour. The plumbers showed up around 5pm due to a rush hour trip from Seattle to Everett. My plumbers names were Audie and Antonio. From the time they showed up they were very professional and demonstrated proper mask/social distancing practices. I briefly explained my issue and showed them where the leak happened. They immediately quoted me a price for the faucet, which seemed very high. I then asked them if they could do the front faucet as well since it was just as old and they told me it would be a little cheaper since it was an "add-on". I had purchased my own frost-free hose bibs but they said it would nullify their warranty if they used my hardware, which made sense to me. They showed me a breakdown of the services I had requested along with a price. They said that they could start the work right away, but if I needed to think about it and they needed to come back then they would have to charge me an $89 house call fee. I wanted the work done so I requested they start. When they began the work they found that my water main shutoff valve was leaking and did not shut off all the way. They recommended that I have the main valve replaced and they quoted me a discounted "add-on" price for the work. I was previously aware of the issue and immediately agreed to the price to see the issue resolved completely. They completed both faucet repairs and the main shutoff valve in about an hour and a half. The work looks professional and the hardware is nicer than what I was expecting. All-in-all my wife and I am very pleased with the work that was done. Audie and Antonio were outstanding and professional, and came out to resolve the issue promptly. My only qualm (not against the plumbers) was the price-tag of $1,800 for two hose bibs and a shutoff valve plus 3 man-hours of labor, which seemed a bit exorbitant. If I were to have work done again, I would probably shop around for more competitive quotes. Full disclosure: I agreed to leave this honest and unbiased review in exchange for a 5% discount on my service. read more

The one to AVOID. My hot water tank began leaking water and a replacement is necessary. After spending a couple days updating the warranty - and being without hot water - I finally got the go ahead to contact a plumber of my choice. I called Southwest Plumbing on Friday afternoon and explained in detail my situation. The woman who answered actually said to me, "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. Can you please tell me again what's going on?". Wow. I laughed it off, thinking she was just multi-tasking, is human, etc. I told her I appreciated her honesty and proceeded to repeat myself. She said she'd have someone out to take a look on Saturday between 10-12. Saturday morning I receive a call. They explain that I will have to make payment to them if I choose to have a service done even if it's under warranty, and then later we'd get reimbursed for the cost of the water heater. Ok I say, fine. Then she proceeds to tell me that they don't have enough plumbers to make all the appointments and are asking people to reschedule. I explain that we've been without hot water for going on three days, I have a baby at home that I can't even bathe without boiling water first. I asked that they please prioritize our service call. She said they can't do that, but maybe someone can come tomorrow. Maybe? Isn't this a big company with a lot of "professionals"? I say forget it and call another plumber. The next plumber we called came out the SAME DAY. They were too expensive so we wanted to keep the bid process going (labor isn't covered under our warranty). My husband inadvertently called Southwest Plumbing again and told me he made an appointment for service on Sunday and someone would be out between 8-10am. I said are you sure you called Southwest Plumbing and someone is coming for sure? He said yes. On Sunday morning, we received ANOTHER phone call. "We don't have enough techs and can't get to your house. We'll keep you on the schedule for Monday." By now we're going on five days without hot water and after explaining that we need someone, we're told our situation isn't an emergency and they can't help us. Are you serious? My husband responded that Monday is a work day for him and didn't know his schedule in order to plan for something and said to take him off the schedule. AND THEN THE WOMAN JUST HUNG UP ON MY HUSBAND. He stood there in disbelief at how cavalier they were about our situation. I called them back and asked to speak with a manager or supervisor and was told they aren't in until Monday. I call on Monday, leave a message for someone to speak with me, and while I'm waiting I receive ANOTHER call from Southwest Plumbing saying that they can't help me AT ALL. They don't service the water heater brand I have under warranty. I guess the woman I spoke with on Friday wasn't listening to me the second time I repeated my story. Their blatant disregard for our well-being and business was appalling. This company should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. In fact, consider it done. Stay far away from these bumbling "professionals". They clearly don't have a grip on anything to do with their process, business, time, or people. I wouldn't trust them to do a job correctly or safely. Oh, and by the way, I still haven't heard back from a manager or supervisor about my experience. I won't hold my breath. read more

Sorry the the long post but it is a good read. The previous home owner of my home made a shoddy repair on the cold water shutoff valve behind the clothes washer. I switched out the washer a couple years ago and saw the problem then. Recently I ordered a new washer, a large front loader with a pedestal. I know these units are bulkier that the traditional top loaders, so I wanted to replace the shutoff valve before the new one comes. Apparently I'm handy enough to be dangerous. I took a look at it, and figured I could knock it out in a couple minutes. I was wrong!! I had the water shut off to the house, and damaged the shutoff valve beyond repair, it would have to be completely replaced. My "handy" skills were exhausted, and I would need a plumber. Now I have the water shut off, and could not turn it back on due to the damaged shutoff valve. I began making calls to "24/7" plumbing services in the area on Thursday September 10, 2020 at about 7pm. Each of them said they couldn't get out tonight, I felt a little deceived by the 24/7 advertisements. Some of them even said they were two weeks out, I had no water, and I wasn't in a position to wait more than a day. I eventually called South West Plumbing, the woman I spoke to was much more calm and assuring than the other places I called. She explained that they didn't have anyone who could come out immediately, but she could put me on the list for first thing in the morning, because my water needed to be restored ASAP. Dispatch called in the morning saying the team would be checking at 8am, and I would be their first stop. The team arrived at about 9am, they were very polite and professional, Troy presented me a business card and introduced me to Andrew (it could have been Alex... sorry). The shutoff valve was evaluated while we discussed options and prices. I will openly admit I feel like the price for the repair was high, I have never had plumbing services at my house and this is just my opinion. Once they got started they were in and out in less than 15 minutes. They even check my water pressure, and gave me a few pointers to maintain a healthy plumbing system. The guys and I spoke about life for a few minutes, the conversations matched the current events, COVID, social unrest, and the current smoke polluted air. I have been working from home for months now, it was very nice to have some pleasant in-person conversations with people other than my family. I have a long background in customer service including restaurants and retail. As a homeowner this is the kind of service I expect. The initial call was awesome, the team was prompt, and the team was outstanding. I hope that in the future I am not in need of plumbing services but if I am South West Plumbing will be getting my business. Thank you -Hayes Family read more

I am writing this commendation to thank three people specifically from South West Plumbing who did a fantastic job regarding plumbing and sewer repair on my house. They are Ryan S., JJ G. and Aaron I. I specifically asked for the same plumber who did previous plumbing work for me in the past which is Ryan. He is very knowledgable, kind, polite and a tireless worker. He brought with him a Plumbing Apprentice named "JJ" who is also a tremendous worker who spent long hours doing difficult labor. He too seemed very knowledgeable, kind and had an excellent attitude. Both of these guys did an incredible job and quickly, especially considering the problematic work they had to do. First, they showed up right on time. They began work immediately. Ryan called a sewer specialist named Aaron, who showed up with a camera and immediately diagnosed the problem and gave his recommendations as to what he felt should happen next. I had a three foot section of sewer pipe that disintegrated under my front porch concrete patio. Water was buckling it as well as causing water to backup in my basement. Aaron also diagosed that a section of sewer pipe forty feet further down from my house near where my neighbors' sewer pipe and mine connect underneath the concrete sidewalk had shifted and was close to being compromised. It was a very costly repair but Aaron was very honest in giving me the facts straight up and my options. He never tried pushing one sort of repair over another. He simply told me what would happen if the problem was not addressed and what is would cost later to repair it. I dealt with the billing aspect with Aaron and it was very easy. Ryan and JJ had to dig an eight foot deep hole to get to my sewer pipe which they did in short order. I thought my water would have to be cut off for a couple of days but Ryan and JJ were able to replace the new section of pipe by the end of the day so I was back in operation that night. They also had to dig up the concrete sidewalk to gain access to the "Y" connection of the sewer pipe and replace it with PBC. They also fixed my neighbors' sewer pipe who had the same problem as mine. The work they did was tough and looked very difficult. At one point Ryan was ill with the stomach flu yet, he still stayed, gutted it out and finished the job. Now, that's what I call dedication and exemplary service. Ryan, JJ and Aaron are outstanding employees. They are exactly the type of people you want working on your house and they are truly invaluable assets to Southwest Plumbing. JJ told me he was a plumbing apprentice. I recommend he be made to full plumber. I am extremely satisfied with the work done by Ryan, JJ and Aaron. I highly recommend South West plumbing and specifically these three individuals. I hope they will be recognized for the great work they did. read more

I bought my house almost 4 years ago. I am on sewer but part of my house is below street level. 3 times, the pump in my basement has backed up, causing sewer water to back up into the living area. 3 times, we took out the pump that was there when we bought the house and replaced with a new one. This last time, we were at the end of our rope and called South West Plumbing. I was given a time and my Angels Vincent and Art showed up. They were the kindest most honest Men we've dealt with in years. They took out the pump and explained that the pump we have is just for water, not a grinding pump. We didn't know. We just replaced what was in there already. They ordered the pump and made an appt. for the following day. They showed up, changed it out, left absolutely NO mess and took care of the job. Even corrected a few things we had done wrong free of charge. This was around 5:30 in the evening. Well, I used the bathroom and blue water started bubbling up thru the cover where the pump is. I called SWP and left a message. Vincent called me right back and said they would come back but it would be a couple of hours since they were on another job. They came back around 7:30, checked and the pump was defective. They called and ordered another one and said it would be an hour till they got it. Poor guys hadn't even had lunch so they went to get some fast food. Came back around 8:30, installed the new pump and cleaned it all up. I felt SO bad for them to be working so late. Vincent was planning on taking his Family to Yakima that evening to attend a Family Funeral the next day and now had to wait until the next morning to leave. He was so nice about it. Said he loved his job and this is what they do. I work in Customer service and own my own business and THIS is the RIGHT way to treat your Customers. I have read thru some of the reviews and I have to say, I was pretty shocked at some of the negative ones. I am just SO grateful for you sending the 2 guys that you did. Hopefully I won't be needing their services because they fixed the problem so well, but if I do, I definitely know who I will be calling and I will definitely request Vincent and Art! Thank you SO much! read more

I can not tell you how disappointed I am this company. My hot water tank went out a day ago. Fortunately the water tank was still under warrantee but the labor was not. So I swapped out the old one and picked up the new one. All I needed was a plumbing company to hook it back up. They were backed up all day and were only able to schedule a appointment till 4:30 PM (it was 8:30 am when I called). For speed of service, I was happy that they were able to come out same day. For that I will give them 5 stars. Unfortunately it went down hill from there. When they arrive and saw that most of the work was already done by me (draining old one, moving it out, putting the new one in place) they acted like they didnt want my business. They told me that they didnt know how to price it with it only being an hour's worth of work. So to insult me even more they offered to replace and connect the 2 water lines that had been compromised and to hook up the other 2 (only four connections that go into a water tank) for a grand total of $800!! I told them NO WAY and that was a ridiculous price for 1 hour's worth of work. So we parted as friends. After about 5 mins of them talking it over in the truck outside my house they came back and offered me a 2nd offer of $600!! Please understand how easy this job would have been for professionals that had all of the tools and parts in their truck. Apparently I am in the wrong business. $600 an hour, not a bad living! My Solution: Went to Lowes and talked to their expert plumber. Got all of the parts I needed for about $130 dollars. This job took me (a novice at plumbing at best) 3 hours, including the time at lowes. Unfortunately if someone else didnt have the confidence to do this job or didnt realize how little work this actually required they would have paid the $800 and completely would have been taken for granted. Buyers Beware, these guys are out for blood! read more

The service technician that came to my unit (Rigo) gets 100 stars, but the pricing structure and inability to quote prior to arrival brings the star rating down. Rigo and his partner arrived 20min before their appointment time (I was called to confirm this was OK and was very happy about how prompt they were). Once they arrived, they quickly quoted the work from their price book (only supervisors and techs have access to price books, so you must pay at least $49 for a visit to see how much your job will cost). Rigo began my approved work quickly, completed the job excellently and made sure I had ALL the info, didn't have any further questions, and really was EXTREMELY pleasant and thorough during the entire visit. I would hire them again in an instant if I wasn't so cost-conscious. All because of Rigo and their service. If you want your job done on-time, correctly, and have a several jobs to get done at the same time, I'd say it would be worth the money. Their costs are per job, not by the hour. So it was $460+tax to change out two small bathroom valves = approx 1hr. Their pricing is slightly discounted if you have more than one job done. I had to accept the high price since it's extremely complicated to coordinate turning my water main off (a condo building). Addl selling points: *They carry everything from small fittings to toilets & water heaters on their trucks, so no extra hrs for acquiring parts. *The service technicians are able to completely finish their jobs in an extremely thorough manner before being assigned the next job, this insures they are not late or in a rush. *Extremely easy to contact, schedule same day service at no extra charge and cancel/reschedule if needed. I'd say this company has a VERY solid, long-lasting business model, but I am extremely cost-conscious and cannot often afford their high level of service. read more

This is probably my fifth time using SWP and there is a reason I keep coming back. Yes, they are expensive, but you get what you pay for. Cheap companies= cheap work and parts and no guarantees. Last year when they made a mistake after installing a 30k new sewer line after mine failed (previous home owner had altered pipes and the house plans did not reflect it), they came out and fixed it no charge and even replaced my basement floor. The technicians are always kind and if you ask, they will try and find a way to give you a discount even if you don't have a coupon. And if the problem is bigger than anticipated, at the very least they knock off the cost of the service call ($49). And they're never creepy. Other reviewers have complained that you can't get a quote before they come out, but how can you quote something you haven't seen? I needed toilets replaced and don't trust my husband to do it himself, so I called them. Abel and his partner Ricardo came out an hour earlier than scheduled (they called first to make sure it was okay). When the task wasn't as easy or cheap as I hoped, they had options and helped me figure out an affordable option. They didn't mind when my annoying cat tried to help or that my dogs barked constantly. The best part? Even though they had to do some drilling, they didn't make a ton of noise and my 10 month old napped right through it. Apparently you can request service techs/ plumbers, so if you need someone ask for Abel P. I know I would want him back to fix issues at my house in the future. And a note about my sewer line- I live in a 100 year-old house in Seattle and the sewer was clay pipes. It's pretty common for these to fail. After replacing my line I now have a service guarantee and warranty on the sewer line for the life of my house. That piece of mind is worth it. read more

I've had three great experiences with Southwest for both plumbing and HVAC. My overall take is that they are real experts, they follow up, and they do high quality work. This probably isn't the least expensive option but I'm pretty convinced it's a very high quality option. The first thing they had to do was replace a sewer line from my house to the street. This was a big, unforeseen, frustrating project as such things tend to be. SW surged people to this -- removed landscaping, put in the new sewer, put the landscaping back perfectly, showed me videos from the scope they used -- it was done in 4 days and only for a few hours on two days did the water need to be off. A second project was that the kitchen faucet, which prior owners had acquired from England and which my spouse adores, needed repair and specialized parts. I got a quote for a perfectly serviceable replacement faucet, and for ordering the parts to fix what was there. The fix was more expensive but it was what we wanted, and they got the parts in and got it fixed -- I felt like most people would have thrown up their hands and not tried to fix it. Finally, the compressor on a small environmental control unit for a wine closet died. Another company wanted to just replace it (and re-insulate the closet at the same time) for over $20k, which was just ludicrous. The SW HVAC tech had the old unit working in 15 minutes, replaced several parts, and it's in great shape today -- saved me thousands of dollars, again because they knew what the problem was and weren't just there to sell me new stuff. I would call SW for any plumbing or HVAC issue. I don't think 'talent is evenly distributed' in this industry and companies that can have a real career path for the best people have a huge advantage. read more