Big Jim’s Sewer & Drain Cleaning

It was Four /​Five Star service — the caveat and reduction are because Jim — on the phone — promised one price — $ 150 for the main line cleaning with the rooter, and the guy on site the next day charged $ 170. That said, we have an older farmhouse and the downstairs toilet and bathtub started backing up, it was the weekend, so I dumped some Liquid Plumber down, plunged a lot, and told the kids not to flush unless they «had» to. By Sunday evening, things were unchanged, so I called to leave messages at some plumbers, including one I had from Angie’s list in Detroit that had a $ 99 regularly $ 229 main sewer line cleaning, but speed was my primary concern, so after leaving a couple of messages I called Jim’s which is local and got him on the phone — at around dinner time on Sunday. He said he could have someone out the next day around 10:00 am and that he could do it for $ 150, after a brief negotiation and discussion of the fact that there was no «clean out» (that I could find) and I had dug up about 3 feet outside the house of the main line. The young man who came the next morning around 10 was knowledgeable and professional, he explained where our line went (I was surprised that it bent around the house — I thought the sewer ran at the back of the property line) and what it would likely cost, we discussed putting in a «clean out» as this old house doesn’t have one yet, and he found a replaced section of pipe in the basement from which he could access the drain, saving the cost of pulling the toilet. I did discuss that Jim had said it would be $ 150 and request that price but didn’t insist on it because he did what (so far!) was good work and he was otherwise very professional, but I have to reduce the «stars» as one price was negotiated and a slightly higher one was charged. I will certainly consider using them again, but would make sure that the price negotiated is the price charged. That aside, the service was very good.