Real Plumbers®

In-office staff: 5
Field staff: 3

I've worked with Real Plumbers for a few years now and generally they are my go-to plumbers. They're usually very reliable and have a few folks on their team who are highly skilled at what they do and have a deep understanding of the trade. Additionally, they have excellent office staff who are always pleasant and fun to talk to. Some of their field staff can be a bit hard to work with and they can sometimes take a bit longer to get to a job than originally expected, hence my lower rating, but I think that just comes with the territory with a field such as this.

We have used Real Plumbers for many years. Most recently, we had a major repair to the pipes running under our floor leading to our radiators for heat (1890 house). They coordinated well with the flooring contractor, and all is working fine. They have also replaced a toilet, replumbed the half bathroom and installed a pedestal sink. We also noted the employee mentioned in other reviews. When we told the manager, we did not want him working in our house, they put a note  in our file. We have had only pleasant interactions with the other employees and are glad they are training apprentices to work on 100+ year-old steam radiator systems.

This company used to be a excellent company, HOWEVER, things have changed. I paid for a service contract $600. They called me endlessly for to make an appointment with them, then when the service person came he looked very unprofessional and untidy to the point were he appeared to be a day laborer. Just awful. They charged me $99 dollars for a diagnosis took pictures of my HVAC system never said they could fix my problem. They never sent me a written diagnosis or invoice. I did call them for those request never heard from them again, money scammers. This company changed hands it is now Warner Super Services DO NOT GIVE THEM BUSINESS.

Due to poor communication inside the company, two employees came who couldn't do the job within the constraints of the condo monthly water shut-off schedule that I explained when making the appt AND in a follow-up call. Wasted my time. Not recommended!

Had another company come to stop a drip in shower apparently they put new valve in incorrectly which had my whole family taking cold showers but real plumbers came and fixed it in under 30 minutes and now we are all happy with our hot showers again.

I got quotes for installing two toilets that needed to be replaced. All of the quotes for the work were pretty close. We chose Real Plumbers since we had used them before for other plumbing jobs & had been satisfied with their work. They did not disappoint. Technicians Jeremy & Justin arrived within the window of time we were given. They were professional, pleasant to have in our home, wore masks for protection, & worked together efficiently. I had envisioned that there would be some level of mess involved with replacing the toilets but they worked neatly, wore shoe covers, covered floors, removed the old toilets, installed the new ones, and cleaned up behind their work. When they left there was no evidence that they had even been here-- except for the beautiful new toilets in place! Thank you Real Plumbers for a job well done -- again!

Real Plumbers sent two of their employees to my home to do an estimate for a piping issue relating to my furnace. One of these individuals as it turns out is a white supremacist and possible white supremacist militia member. Based on the very large tattoos on this mans forearm (three per cent and another Aryan Brotherhood) I did a search of the description of the tattoos being aware of some of these very specific types of markings. I cannot believe Real Plumbers would send these types of people into a customer's home. This is neither professional nor safe situation for customers or potential customers.

These guys were great. Prompt. Skilled. Honest and easy to talk to.  Highly recommended.

We gave them very specific details about what our ongoing issue was. The plumber onsite arrived 45 minutes late and had no idea what the issue was (last name: Jones.) And proposed a solution that had already been tried. When we scheduled the service, we were specifically asking for alternative long-term solutions, because we have been having the issue for months. And other plumbers had already attempted that. Then they sought to overcharge us for the service (more than double the going rate). On top of that despite being deceptive about proposed solutions, they still charged us their service fee.

This review of Real Plumbers does not reflect their technical proficiency, but rather their poor customer service (although I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the former is also far from stellar).

We called the company to fix a leaky kitchen faucet after relying on a review from Best Pick Reports Washington, DC; a publication received for free in the mail (that mistake is on me).  Real Plumbers agreed to come out the next day between 10am and 2pm, a reasonable time frame, and would charge $89 for a service call; also reasonable.  

The next day, the window for the plumber's arrival closed without a peep from the company, nor the plumber.  After calling the company, they informed us he was running behind schedule and would be at our house soon.  When we asked the company if we should reschedule, they told us not to do so and that the plumber would arrive shortly.  That shortly was 90 minutes.  

The plumber arrived, looked at the leaky faucet, and told us that it would cost approximately $300 to fix.  He could not fix it then and there because he did not have the part on this truck and it was too late to get the needed stem.  Here's the great part...he'd also have to charge us another $89 for a service call to come out the next day and install the stem.  We were dumbfounded.  Where is the professionalism? He arrives and hour and a half late and still wants to charge us for a service call the next day?  What?  The $89 is more important than the work?  When we protested, the plumber did not seem bothered, but reminded us that he needed to recoup the costs for , You know, gas. There are better plumbers out there.  They got their $89, we still have a leaky kitchen faucet.  Stay away from these shysters.

This review is in regards to my overall experience with Real Plumbers. I had a new hot water installed by another company around a year ago and was throwing a code on my Honeywell gas valve that something was wrong with my venting for the water heater. After a few failed attempts at the first plumber that came out to my residence, I decided to call the manufacturer (A.O. Smith) to try to get a good plumber from them. They threw a few companies out at me that were factory trained. I did my research and decided to go with Real Plumbers. I called up and one of the technicians came out and I talked through what was wrong with the hot water heater and he wrote up an estimate for new flu piping and a new expansion tank.
I went and called other companies for a few estimates for the expansion tank and came back to Real Plumbers to see if they could do better on the pricing, which they did and I was happy about that. So after all that I decided to get them out and do those 2 things.
After that is when things got messy. The technician arrived on time but it was a different technician. I asked the technician where the other guy was that originally came out and he said he was sick. Okay, not a huge deal but the other guy sounded like he knew exactly what needed to happen to fix my flu piping. So after the technician came in I noticed he was holding a bucket and it had steel piping. Well, that was completely different than the original write up and my specific water heater was only approved for PVC/CPVC piping. The whole reason I went with this company was because they are factory trained for my hot water heater. After some talking (because I was not going to allow steel pipe on my hot water heater because I needed to send pictures to the manufacturer because the first plumber did that and they briefly took away my warranty because of it) the service technician looked at the manual and said I was correct. He then called up one of the other techs to come out to my residence and bring PVC piping. As time passed, he did read the manual so he could install it properly. He did take his time but after he was done my water heater still was not working properly. He then called up the manufacturer at my residence and they wanted me to send pics of the new piping. After he was off the phone he asked me if they stated anything else. I said yes they said something about it going to the outside (which this company did not do). He then went on to proceed and let me know that will be even more money. At this point I was not very happy because I just paid $330 to re-install incorrect piping thinking they will bring it up to manufacturer's specifications, which did not happen. Now, the technician is telling me it will cost a lot of money because I am located on a second floor condo and work needs to be done on the outside. Wish I would have known this beforehand instead of just installing piping to a certain point and then telling me this.
Frustrated with not getting an estimate when I requested one when he was at my residence I went with another plumbing company to extend the piping to the outside. This helped the problem but it is still there so I sent in pictures to the manufacturer and they stated that there are 2 elbows next to one another and that is installed incorrectly (and this was the Real Plumbers work). Now I am really furious because I paid $330 for an incorrect job. At this point, I decided to call Real Plumbers (because it was a few months later) and told them the situation. I was informed that I now have to pay a $89 service call fee, but was told they would re-do the piping if it was found that it was their fault.
I sat on this information for a few days and called back because a new problem propped up and I needed to install a new Honeywell Gas Valve on my hot water heater. I called up saying I had the part and need it put on. Again, I was told an $89 service fee and they need to 'diagnose' the problem. First, it happens intermittently, so the chance it happens when they are here is low. Plus, I tried again getting a quote and they want to come out and the representative would not give me an estimate.
I just find this weird because another company I am dealing with usually charges a service fee too but they said if I have the part and the manufacturer is saying that that is the problem, than they do not need to charge a service fee and are getting me a quote. It seems like it is like pulling teeth with these plumbers. They all were very nice to me (to include the plumbers and the phone reps) and actually seem customer-service oriented in their tone, but if you cannot back up your work and want tons of money to come out then I cannot trust a company like this.
A true professional that stands behind their product should come out with no service fee if they screwed up, not inform the customer that they need to charge because they need to see the set-up and how it was originally done. Will not be recommending them!

This place came recommended by a picky friend of mine, and I was excited that they seemed so comfortable fitting me in for a same-day appointment, when I called this morning.  They gave me a 12-4pm window, and I called at 3:30pm to make sure I was still on the schedule, and was told that they were running late but would be here.

It is now 5:30pm, and their office is closed.  Can I leave my house to go pick up my kid from daycare or will I miss them?  And even if they do come (at 5:30, at 6?), will they do any more than look at my broken A/C?  It was supposed to be looked at AND fixed today!  

I'll revise this review if any service changes, but this has so far been a very frustrating (and wasteful) experience.  I'm optimistic that they will arrive at some point and the service will be excellent, so I look forward to updating this review in the near future.

The reviews on here are not great so I was hesitant, but this place came recommended by a friend so I figured I'd give it a shot. We had a leaky toilet (figured that due to water damage we found) and they came out the same morning I called.  Dave was our technician and he knew immediately what was wrong and fixed it quickly. He was very friendly and straightforward with the pricing and options. I would definitely call again for any future plumbing problems.

If I could give this company zero stars I would. We used Real Plumbers to install a tankless hot water heater and a larger gas line to accommodate the heater.  Within the first month, we had three gas leaks.  In addition, the initial installation failed inspection by DCRA.  Over the past year, Real Plumbers has to come out again because they improperly installed the ventilation for the heater causing the hot water heater to shutdown.  This evening we had to have Washington Gas come to our home to turn off the gas.  During Washington Gas's inspection, we discovered that instead of using silicone to seal the pipe at the entrance to our home they used old rags.  I strongly recommend that you do not use Real Plumbers.

If you have a tankless water heater, stay away from this company.  They came to my home three times to try and fix my issue, with no success and a high bill.  Since July of 2020, my hot water would go out for hours at a time, everyday.  I called Real plumbers to fix the issue.  They assured me they were familiar with water less tanks, but this was quite the opposite.  Each time they came to my home, they offered a solution that did not fix the problem.  The technician stayed on the phone with a customer service rep from Noritz for hours.  He was not familiar with the system at all.  After the 3rd visit, the next day my hot water was still not working.  They gave me some sort of credit but still paid close to $1000 for an issue that still lingered.  After the 3rd attempt, and 2 months later, I went with another company and it was fixed within one visit; the tech from the new plumbing company knew exactly what the issue was and how to address it.  So yup if you have a water less heater, save your money and do not use Real Plumbers.  I called several times after the fact, asking to speak with the owner about receiving a refund of some sort.  The owner never called back to even discuss the matter.  Not a way to treat your paying customers; even if you didn't want to offer a refund, at least give me the courtesy of calling me back.  I too am in the customer service industry and the way I was treated was unacceptable after spending (wasting) my money during a pandemic when everyone is hurting.

He ruined my cabinet with caulk and water stains, ruined a towel with caulk, didn't clean up, and demanded payment in full although he couldn't repair my pipe.  I offered to pay for the service call and pay the balance if he found the part (he said he's never seen that part before)  but he refused to leave until I paid in full.  That was nine days ago.  I haven't heard from them since.  My sink is unusable.  They haven't returned my phone call or email.  I've been swindled out of $700.

This plumbing services website goes into detail about its hydronic systems work - work which can be done in new construction or in existing homes.  When I called about an estimate for this work, I double-checked on the phone and was assured that they do this work.  I arranged a day and time, took the morning off work, and when they arrived, I was told, no they do not do this work in exisiting homes.  The guy who came out was friendly and offered to give me the name and number of someone who, he assured me, DOES do this work.  And this guy, Jason Diaz, doesn't do it either.  If their website was accurate, if the people booking appointments were knowledgable, or if they actually did the work they say they do, I wouldn't have had my time wasted.  I will not be using them again.

Please be cautious of this company.  This review is regarding replacement of faucet and hose for my kitchen sink.  I ordered the part from Moen and called Real Plumbers to install the part for back in November 2016.  I chose them over Michael & Son because of pricing and the fact that I have used this company in the past.  However, I stopped because they started charging for service call backs.  The plumber installed the new faucet, but shortly there after I noticed that it was leaking.  Real Plumbers sent out a new plumber who looked at the faucet (mind you Real Plumbers wanted to charge me for this visit even though they installed it).  A new plumber said that the part needed to reorder.  However, two weeks later another plumber came and said the faucet did not need to be replaced, just tightened; so he tightened.  May 2017, the faucet is leaking lots of work that I had to turn it off.  So I call Real Plumbers back, they will send someone but there will be a charge; REALLY.  I am reminded that I stopped using them for a reason, but I was giving them another chance. To charge me for a problem that I identified with a service call the first TWO times, and to charge me a THIRD time for defective service is unacceptable to me. I called Michael & Sons.

I just had a busted pipe which is a disaster. Real plumbers acted as professional advisors on what I could do immediately on my own and have them come out the next day during normal business hours. Saved me hundreds of dollars. Kevin arrived next day, diagnosed problem in an efficient manner and fixed the problem. During a water / flooding emergency, you want professional advise - I got it. Would recommend real plumbers to my Mom! Doesn't get better than that.

I had a small pinhole leak in a supply line going to a shower. The real plummer applied some solder, and without checking to see if the problem had been fixed,  (by simply turning on the water) abruptly packed up his tools and headed out. He didn't care enough to see if it was still leaking. After running the water for less than 4 minutes, the leak reappeared before the repairman left, as he did not completely cover the hole. He reluctantly said he would give it another shot, and ended up fixing the problem. The guy was so eager to get my money, it was obvious that he didn't care about the workmanship. Very shady company in my opinion. I will never hire them again.

Real Plumbers has cancelled on me three times in a row.  The first time, I had a scheduled appointment for preventative maintenance and they called and said the technician was given the day off and they did not have a back up.  The second time, which was a reschedule, they cancelled 15 minutes into the four hour window because the inch of snow that had fallen was apparently too dangerous to drive in.  The third time, which was the second reschedule, they just didn't show up at all.  If I could give zero stars, I would.

I attempted to hire these guys to complete some warranty work.  Instead they took the opportunity to make up issues and suggest I needed to completely reinstall a hot water heater for $2100.  One guy even suggested to me issues that did not exist and for which he had no personal knowledge since he didn't even see the unit.  Completely unethical.  I would avoid them entirely as not to be trusted.

They should change their name to Real Shysters.  I bought a brand new GE water heater from Home Depot and had it professionally installed, but it didn't work.  So I called GE and they said that they need to send one of their GE certified companies to my house to take a look.  They said the closest company to my house is a company called Real Plumbers so they sent the service request to them.  When I called Real Plumbers to schedule it, the guy over the phone was trying to tell me that GE is not going to pay for anything if the installation was done wrong and that they would charge me for the visit.  I told him that we don't know what the problem is yet with the water heater but without even seeing it and not knowing what the problem is he kept on insisting that the installation was done wrong and that I need to agree to a $129 diagnosis fee.  I then put him on hold and called GE on the other line.  GE told me to get him on the line and they told him directly not to charge me anything and that they would pay for the visit.   Then when their technician came to diagnose the water heater, he kept on telling me that I need to give him a check for the visit and that GE would not cover it.  I told him that I will call GE again to make sure but he told me not to call them because it's a waste of time and that they're not going to pay for anything.  So I called GE anyway and again they agreed to pay for the visit and anything that's wrong with the water heater.  By now both the guy over the phone and the tech that came out were relentlessly trying to get me to pay them directly for the visit.  So moving on the tech claimed that I need two heating elements and said that he has the parts in his truck so I told him to go ahead and replace them.  He told me that it would cost over $300 and that I need to pay for it because GE will not cover the parts and labor.  And again I called GE and again they said that they would in fact pay for it and I passed the phone over to the tech so they can tell him directly.

The next morning I still didn't have any hot water.  I called Real Plumbers and the guy over the phone was extremely rude and told me to call GE and that it wasn't their problem.  He said as long as the water is warm, they did their job and they didn't care if the water is not even hot enough to take a shower.  Basically when they realized that they couldn't rip me off, they decided not to help me out anymore.

I want to thank Real Plumbers for the reponse, but I would like to point out a few things to help people in a similar situation: 1) The leak in my water heater was because of the defective unit still under warranty at that time, NOT because of the workmanship from the previous installer like Real Plumbers mentioned. Please don't be quick to blame other people. 2) All options Real Plumbers offered me was to replace the whole unit (still under warranty) instead of to fix only the broken parts.  3) As a true professional, you should look for ways to save customers money and do only necessary work to fix it.  You already make money via your service calls, labor costs, and parts.  Instead, you take full advantage of your customers in emergency situations.

I had a leaking pipe leading into my house, requiring a fairly extensive and complex fix.  Dave and gang accurately diagnosed the problem, dug up my yard, threaded the new pipe, and then put everything back in order.  I barely lost a shrub, and they kept everything scrupulously clean.  They arranged everything with the DC inspectors too. I believe at some point they encountered some problems that were going to make the project more extensive and expensive, but they were able to work around this and kept to the original budget.  Everything was on time, and just as promised.

I had Real Plumbers install a new HVAC and replace my food disposal. The team came out on time and completed all work in one day. I had a few issues with the finished product, and I brought them up with the supervision team. David, the owner, responded and took care of all the outstanding issues in a professional and timely manner. David is a true professional and runs a tight shop to ensure the team delivers the work as promised. I would highly recommend Real Plumbers as they will go above and beyond to provide the highest level of customer service! Job well done!!!

Kevin of Real Plumbers is currently upstairs fixing an ongoing plumbing problem.  Our condensate line has clogged and the AC is therefore not draining.  He has attempted all the easy solutions, and is installing a condensate pump.

I could not be happier with the service he's given.  Throughout the process he's given me verbal and written estimates, attempted cheaper solutions, and of course waited for the go ahead for pump.  Further, he's professional, knowledgeable, and downright friendly.

My hot water heater is on the verge of going, and I will definitely use Real Plumbers to have it replaced.

I should have read the reviews before calling.  The manufacturer of the water heater, Apollo Hydro Heat, recommended them as the factory authorized and trained service.  Called them, was quoted a $59 service call fee, which I agreed to.  Their guy came, looked at the water heater for a few minutes, said everything was ok and charged $150 for 'diagnosis.'  Unfortunately I wasn't there and my tenant paid.  After calling management they agreed to refund the difference back to $59

In July 2014, I called Real Plumbers b/c my air didn't feel as cold as I thought it should be. The guy replaced the freon and that was it. Literally, a month later, my unit isn't working and has frozen. I paid the $59 service charge for him to come out, tell me it was frozen and that it had to thaw so they would come back the next day. The next day, the plumber says he's unable to find the leak and replaces the freon again - without my consent - and it wasn't clear it was needed. He told me that in order to find the problem, they'd have to perform a deeper diagnostic, and it would cost about $1200. So $260, they've put a bandaid on what is a clear problem. I won't be using them again. I don't trust them.

Somehow the meaning of the estimate I was provided just kept changing and more was to be paid and this is so even though construing the statement of work in the manner the vendor would wish would have been an impossibility.  However, more and more was demanded and in the process I was sent on fools' errands to search for parts that the vendor had on hand.   Ultimately it was my sense that the vendor was aware that I had no choice but to use them to finish the work they began under the terms which exceeded what they had predicted.  Having no choice is a very bad spot to be in.  Every time I called I got a different story.  I hope I never ever need a plumber again.

They are a bunch of scam artists. They totally quote one price, start the work, and then give you a final price which is ten times higher than the original price. It was already too late to ask for another contractor to come out and start the work and they even threatened to stop the work, I had to succumb and let them finish the work and pay them the money. It was a total scam. Don't use these folks.