McCoy Plumbing

There are a number of professional services that I always just cringe a little when I have to deal with them. Auto mechanics, electricians, plumbers… basically they are «experts» in fields about which I have very little knowledge (perhaps that’s what makes them «professionals»). It’s hard to know whether you’re getting ripped off or if the job was done properly.
As a relative rookie to home ownership, I’ve been trying to develop some minimal «handy» skills (my parents were decidedly «un-​handy»), so last summer I installed the ceiling fan in our bedroom on my own (well, I did get a little from a buddy installing the fan-​rated box in the attic), and when we our kitchen sink developed a clog that wouldn’t unstick with Liquid Plumr, I gave it a shot running the hand auger down the drain.
Unfortunately, I discovered (or created) a crack in the old galvanized piping just beyond the P-​trap, so while it appeared that I cleared the clog, we now has a serious leak. When I noticed that the metal bushing at the wall was welded in place, I quickly realized that the relatively simple job of replacing the pipes would be outside my limited plumbing skill comfort zone. Time to call a plumber!
The last plumber I used irritated the hell out of me (they took 5 visits to do a simple job right; didn’t charge us for the last 4 visits, but still irritating), so I asked a pal in the property management biz for a referral and he suggested McCoy Plumbing.
I initially contacted them via their website’s «Contact Us» email form, but go not response by the end of the day, so with a little trepidation I just called them. They were very friendly on the phone, and were able to send someone out to our place the very next day.
Michael arrived within the 1hr time frame they promised, and quickly set about removing the the welded bushing and damaged pipes. I’m told that because all our plumbing is easily accessible (we have no real cabinetry under our kitchen sink) the job went much quicker than it could have. In any case, we have a shiny new set of stainless steel plumbing under the kitchen sink, and he ran a power auger down the pipes to make sure they were clear (turns out I’d done a pretty good job with my hand unit). He even gave us a little advice about the diverter in the faucet (the thing that’s supposed to shut off water to the faucet when you turn on the sprayer).
All in all it was a 2 hr job (@ their standard $ 100/​hr rate), plus the cost of a new bushing, p-​trap, vent waste connector, and tube extender. Remembering what I said in the 1^st paragraph, I have no real clue as to whether I was overcharged, or whether the job should have been completed in less time. But the fact remains, our sink drains well and no longer leaks, and he seemed to be working the whole time… not filling time to get another hour on the invoice.
As I said, McCoy’s Plumbing charges a standard hourly rate of $ 100 — with a minimum charge of 1hr for all jobs. They also have a $ 25 «Truck fee», depending on how far they have to travel to your place — but they told me over the phone that this is negotiable, and they didn’t charge me that fee (never even brought it up).
Another big plus: when the plumber arrives he will assess the situation and if it’s gonna be a big job he will draw up an estimate… for FREE!!! That’s right, if it’s not a simple job, they’ll give you an estimate and let you think it over — you don’t even have to pay for that initial visit! Plus, the estimate is written up by a working plumber, not some dedicated «estimator» who never actually does the work himself.
So the pluses are:
+quick response to my phone call, w/​next day appointment
+no apparent padding of charges
+no attempted up-​sale («you’re minutes away from plumbing disaster!!!»)
+free estimates make it relatively risk-​free
+no hideously disgusting, visible «plumber’s crack» on the guy who did our work
The cons:
–Never responded to my initial email contact
–No info on their website or invoice about whether they warranty their work
Assuming we don’t have problems with the work they performed in the weeks/​months ahead, I’d definitely consider calling McCoy Plumbing the next time we need a plumber.