Bob Hamilton Plumbing Heating & AC

Wow, this company did a great job one one occasion and quoted so high on the other two jobs, it was just ridiculous. For example, their quote was over $ 2,000 and another company cleared the sewer line for $ 121.50!!!
Here is the learning, Have Bob Hamilton do a job which as they advertise for $ 99. Since they will be too high on other work.
The work and the bids were in Kansas City location.

I wish I had filmed the service call. It would have made an amusing YouTube video. I called these guys because in the middle of a simple faucet repair (replacing a cartridge), I was unable to remove the bonnet nut from my kitchen faucet. Every time I turned the nut, the entire handle would turn. I need different tools or a different technique. I figured I was better off calling a professional than spending the rest of my Saturday trying to figure things out. The technician arrived a couple of hours after my call. I was happy he came so quickly on a Saturday, because my family had plans for the day. I figured the repair would take about an hour and then he’d be on his way. I tried to explain to him what went wrong, and encouraged him to remove the faucet handle so he could see the source of my problem. This would have taken possible 10 – 15 seconds, depending on his skill with an allen wrench. He wouldn’t do it. Instead, he said he could rebuild the faucet for $ 450 (plus the $ 49
dispatch fee”) or install a new faucet for $ 900. I was surprised to hear I might need a new faucet as the house is fairly new. I asked whether he could take a closer look to tell me if a new faucet was really necessary. Again, he refused. He said if he touched the faucet, it was $ 450 for the rebuild. I asked him what «rebuild» entailed, since I only needed to remove a but and replace a cartridge (which I already had and which cost perhaps $ 30 at Home Depot). He just repeated his price and urged me to go with the new faucet, since it came with new connectors and a guarantee. I asked him to at least look at the problem, so he could help me decide what to do. He refused for a third time, and reiterated that my choice was $ 450 rebuild or $ 900 new faucet. I didn’t think I needed either of these things, and since he was unwilling to explain to me otherwise, I paid the «dispatch fee» and sent him on his way. It was clear to me I called a (bad) salesman rather than a professional plumber. I wouldn’t recommend these guys to anyone. The funny thing is, I probably would have paid him every nickel he asked for if he just looked at the faucet and explained what he was going to do and why it was necessary.

Made an appointment for Saturday service. BH called and said they would not be out until Monday, leaving us with no kitchen plumbing. Called another plumbing company and they were here in 2 hours. Don’t know about BH quality, since they would not keep the appointment they made.

I have actually had Bob Hamilton do a lot of work for me in the past, but the last few jobs I have really been gouged. I understand that they are not the cheapest, but you think if you are a loyal customer who has paid them 10s of thousands of dollars over the years, that they would treat you better. When I complained about the amount I was charged (over $ 400 per man hour) for the actual work that was done (after they reduced it from over $ 600 per man hour), I got the story about how well their people get paid and how great their benefits are. That makes me feel better.