Based on some of the good reviews I saw on Yelp, I wanted to give this business a chance since I felt I was already being priced gauged my current plumber. I called Armando and he answered right away and was able to promptly come out. He seemed professional and was on time.
My plumbing problem was that the water pressure is likely too high and water is dripping out where the pressure regulator is. Obviously, the regulator needs to be replaced. After we've barely exchanged pleasantries, Armando looks at the regulator for about 3 seconds and says it's going to cost $2080 to replace. Fortunately, I already had a quote (which I knew was already too high at $820).
I told Armando there's no way I can afford that. At first he said that's the price the office has and that he would have speak with someone to get any reduction. I said flat out that I'm not going to be able to pay that. Without blinking, he then reduces the price to $900. At this point, I'm already feeling this was a massive red flag. How did it go from over $2000 to $900 in less than 90 seconds? I told him I had a quote for $820, but I knew that was already on the high end. Again, without any hesitation, he said Fine, we'll do $820. Armando did not do much inspection and didn't even check the water pressure. I let him know that I will pass, but thanked him for his time.
About 1 hour later, I received a call from Armando asking what I thought about the price. I was honest and said I felt put off by the fact he basically tried to charge me nearly 3 times the previous quote. He told me again that these are simply the prices that the office has (even though, he appears to be listed as the owner on the Yelp page!). He gave me a final offer of $675 to replace the regulator and the release valve. However, both had already been replaced within the last 2 years. I got a quote from another plumber and they said I only needed the regulator replaced for a total of $275 - 9 times what Armando originally charged me!
Overall, it felt a very shady practice. I would certainly say to any potential customers to use with caution and do their due-diligence in researching market pricing for typical plumbing issues.