Description

We specialize in thoughtful, well informed and respectful service. We believe in customer education. We focus on good stewardship of our piece of the environment by helping our customers choose the most energy efficient heating systems, or best water saving fixtures, or just by recycling all possible materials we handle. We do residential plumbing, from repairs to full kitchen and bath renovations. We design and install new hydronic heating systems (hydronic means hot water or steam), including condensing boilers and troubleshoot, service and repair old ones. We provide gas piping for heating boilers, water heaters, stoves and cooktops, fireplaces, firepits and grills. We install generators powered by natural and propane gas. We would be pleased to discuss options for making your domestic hot water, including indirect, on demand and solar, so you can make the choice that is right for the present and plan for the future.

HISTORY

Established in 1993.
Pipelines has always been a woman owned plumbing company. The original founder started Pipelines in 1984. After closing briefly in the early 1990's, the company began again as it is now, with our office in Roslindale, and a small but select staff of well trained and enthusiastic plumbing and heating nerds.

ABOUT BUSINESS OWNER

If Cath were vaporized by a thunderbolt, Pipelines would cease to exist. Her's is the voice you will probably hear when you call us. Among many other duties, she has her hands on the levers that keep us on schedule. She is a woman of almost infinite patience, a master explainer as well as master plumber. Her early training as a carpenter and her encyclopedic knowledge of faucets and fixtures gives us a major advantage in the complex environment that our city's historic housing presents.

Reviews

Nan W.

7/28/2016

I really want to rate this business higher, but I can't get an estimate for work.
The people seem knowledgeable, and respectful, but I was promised by the end of the week, and that was almost two months ago. There's been no response to my requests for an estimate.
If it's hard to get a company to provide the promised estimate, it suggests that the company doesn't value my business. Ok, maybe I'm small potatoes, maybe it's not a good fit.
Is this a forecast of the company's punctuality generally? If so, no go.
I hope to update this review and add stars because I hope that it, unlike my emails and phone calls, will pry an estimate out of the company.

A. David W.

2/26/2012

I have been dealing with Pipelines Plumbers for around 15 years. As a homeowner in Belmont for 29 years, I had dealt with other plumbers. Pipelines is by far the best and I plan to use them forever. They come when they say they will, do fine work, cleanup when they are done, don't charge an arm and a leg and are courteous and not patronizing. I like it that several of their plumbers are female. It was good for my two sons to see that plumbing is both man's work and woman's work. I feel confident in giving Pipelines people a key to my house so they can work when no one is home. They are among the best people in the building trades that I have used.

Aaron D.

12/14/2012

Although I didn't have any service performed by Pipelines, they helped me preempt a service call by working an issue for me over email - for free. I appreciate their honesty in helping me determine whether their services were genuinely needed. A less honest company would probably have charged plumber rates for an issue that didn't warrant a plumber in the first place.

Lauren S.

7/29/2016

I've used Cath and her team for many plumbing issues in my home over the past few years. They respond quickly, always educate me about my plumbing, resolve the issue, and give accurate quotes for the work. I highly recommend this plumbing company.

Christopher A.

9/26/2012

I've called on Kath, Kevin and the Pipelines crew more than a few times, and they really are as good as it gets - they treat me with respect, they know what they're doing, and they're fine with working within a budget. Can't recommend them highly enough on all of that.

Bonus is there are no truck charges or other nonsense to deal with here - the work they do is what they charge for, and the pain-in-the-butt a la carte charges I've gotten from other plumbing companies are nowhere to be seen. No nickels and dimes here, and fine work besides.

I love saying that we have a plumber we can trust - if it were only that easy with some of the other trades!

Elizabeth S.

12/16/2016

After a week of drain issues, waiting around for 'guys', and getting messages saying, the 'guy' is running late and blah blah blah... I connected with Pipelines to fix what the drain guys broke, and have been smiling all day. This was so easy! Chris arrived early, (in a nifty truck), explained the problem w/o being condescending, did the job, showed me the broken part that she replaced and said she'd send us an invoice. This was the antithesis of our usual plumber experience and we will call them when we have future plumbing needs.

I recommend Pipelines with utmost enthusiasm and, while we hope not to need them again very soon, we're keeping 617 327-0044 handy!

Another gem in the community!

Nicole F.

7/14/2014

Today I managed to break part of my toilet while trying to fix a different part of my toilet. In a panic, I called Pipelines, Inc. and left a message. Chris called me back quickly, and had me email her some pictures. When she called again to discuss, she told me, 1) it's not nearly as dire as I thought it was, and 2) that she'd be happy to come and fix it, but that I could probably fix it myself. (note: I'm not that handy, but I passed the phone to my friend, now to be referred to as Wonder Woman, and Chris gave Wonder Woman detailed info on what to do.) Chris could easily have taken advantage of the situation to make some cash, but she didn't. She was very patient, and gave some helpful general advice about replacing my toilet/bathroom reno, in addition to free repair help. The only reason I didn't give five stars was because she didn't actually come to my house to do the repair. Next time I need a plumber, I will be calling Pipelines, Inc!

Mike U.

12/04/2012 12:00:00 SA

Had a main line leak in basement fixed. Pipelines showed up within an hour, and were quick to to diagnose and repair. Extremely pleasant experience (all things considered!), and would recommend without reservation. Courteous and friendly.

Shanar R.

11/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

Over the phone it was explained to me by Kath that unless I needed parts during my routine preventative maintenance of my boiler, I could expect my service to cost no more than $325 - $350. The service tech was great, friendly and cleaned up after themselves. I realized after she left that the neutralization media tube was never changed out. Soon after I received an invoice for $375, even no additional parts were needed.

I called Kath about both of these issues. First she made me send in pictures of the still-dirty neutralization tube and later did set up a time for it to be replaced. She unfortunately was a lot less friendly during this phone call than the call I had with her set up service a month prior. She also had no recollection of our discussion on price. I guess it slipped her mind. She explained they bill by the hour. Now I know, don't chit chat with the service tech. We must have chatted for at least 30 minutes of the visit. Pretty pricey conversation if you ask me!

There was a whole lot written on the work ticket, a lot of observing and checking and vacuuming around things, no real service done.

I have no complaints about the technician that came out, but Kath could be a whole lot friendlier and stand by her word, even verbally over the phone. Customers remember this type of treatment when they need another service next year, and the year after and the year after...

They have been around for awhile and probably have plenty of customers, so I guess they are not in the business of keeping any new ones. The search for a good plumber continues...

Felipe P.

1/27/2018

As good as it gets indeed! We had a major leak and an inconvenient time. Pipelines came quickly, we escaped major damage and avoided a weekend without water. They're great!

Craig E.

01/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

This may sound like hyperbole, but I mean it - Pipelines are the best plumbers in Boston. They've fixed a variety of things in my old house (furnace, tub, sink, radiant heat). They ask for pictures, do research, come once and fix everything without leaving one hanging. More than once, they've talked me through a simple repair sans charge. I feel lucky to have found them.

Tiffany C.

05/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

Chris loves what she does and has been plumbing longer than any MAN you know! She knows modern methods but also has the strength of history with the trade. You can have absolute confidence in her skill level and competency. Her grace and insight are unparalleled.

Beth D.

11/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

Jen at Pipelines was recently scheduled to come out to my house to do an annual and much belated check/flush of my heating system. With older Floridians arriving at my home the following week, they understood my need for service and went out of their way to make sure the appointment was scheduled so that my family was comfortable. While my guests were here, their toilet began to leak (doesn't something always happen when guests are in the house?). Once again, it was Pipelines to the rescue - their service is outstanding.

I always count on them to notice the plumbing improvements they know I'll want to make, give me great advice, provide products that are meant to last and stand behind their work. They are smart and thoughtful and understand that plumbing is one of those systems that we civilians always expect will work smoothly - that is, until it doesn't. That's when it affects the way we live, how we function and our personal comfort - I'm happy to trust that responsibility to Pipelines.

Adam F.

2/24/2015

Piplines where great. I highly recommend them. Chris was very responsive and helpful with the burst pipe. She not only explained the issue quickly but provided information on how to solve the problem. I'll definitely be calling them again.

Whitney M.

02/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

Pipelines has been a saving grace for me several times. I have called their on-call number and they have talked me through simple fixes over the phone. I haven't actually had them come to my house yet because they have always been to help stop the problem before it's a true emergency. We will be calling them this spring once all this snow thaws to fix the pipe burst to the outside faucet.

S. W.

02/02/2011 12:00:00 SA

I called Pipelines at the end of July 2010 about getting an estimate done on a couple of sump pumps for the basement (flooding issues in the spring) and for some outdoor faucets being installed to water our garden. Spoke with Chris who said she was going on vacation, but scheduled us for 2 weeks later, August 12th, I believe. We were very excited as we needed to get this done and we had had basement companies come in and quote us 8K - 15K to prevent flooding.

Well, Pipelines did show up, but Chris did not. Our neighbors said to be sure to schedule with Chris, which I did, but she apparently was busy. This is disappointing, but fine. I can't remember the gentleman's name that came out. He was very nice, and helpful, on time, professional, listened to our concerns, agreed to draw up our estimate--then we've never heard from them again. Ever. I would never recommend them.

A R.

01/06/2010 12:00:00 SA

Pipeslines Plumbing and Heating are the best!

Whether you are in need of repair or upgrade: for heating (boilers, solar, radiant, & soon geo-therm), water heating (tank, off-boiler, tankless, solar, etc.), plumbing - household or small biz, kit & baths, they're the ones to call. They do deal with burst pipes, the only thing they do not do is clear drains. And, I think they work pretty much anywhere inside rte 495, def within rte 128.

I have used them many times and always will. They are smart, know their trade, keep current, do a good job, do not sell you anything you don't need, help you learn how to decide what you would want, and they are considerate of kids and pets. You can trust them in your home or small biz. Estimates are accurate. Plus, hold on -- they clean up after themselves! And, if you are a customer, and have an emergency -- they'll give you phone advice; if they need to come over, they do.

Paul Z.

11/30/2019

I've used Pipelines to handle my plumbing and heating repair and upgrades for decades. Recommend them highly. The company is a pioneer in women-ownership. They are experts in older heating and plumbing systems, and can also install new systems in a renovation or new construction. They are friendly, responsive, and unfailingly honest. It's a pleasure to recommend them.

Pauline D.

06/05/2014 12:00:00 SA

I was very pleased with my service from Pipelines. They had been to my home before for a consult which they did not charge me for, and now returned after I had had a bad experience with another plumber. Within 1/2 hour the issue was resolved and most importantly, explained to me. I truly appreciated that Kath viewed that part of her job was to educate me about the system and what she did to resolve the problem.
The fee was fair and I did not think exorbitant for the professionalism and service.

Simon P.

6/27/2020

Pipelines really helped me out with my leaky, um, pressure thingy in my basement. It started to drip a little bit, but over time it really started to dribble seriously. A quick call to Pipelines and they gave me immediate advice how to stop the flow, immediately easing my panic. I was totally relieved. Then they came by and swapped it out with no fuss and no mess. What's not to love?

Becca R.

12/20/2013

I would give zero stars if possible. This company has been horrible to respond to phone calls. Kath came recommended to me by a friend (who admittedly knew her from circumstances outside having used her as a plumber) and I even dropped the friend's name and still couldn't get a response. I waited several days for a call and then called back myself -- got someone on the phone who said she'd talk to the scheduling person right now and get right back to me -- and it's been 24 hours and still no response.

So we've booked someone else, and had to rearrange our schedule to get the other plumber in before the holiday. That'll teach me to wait on someone when you actually need the service completed in a timely fashion.

Tricia M.

07/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

I had pipelines come over for a 3 minor jobs... kitchen sink water flow, bathtub water flow, clogged sink.
Was given an estimate of $150/hr but no estimate on how long projects would take.
Bathtub needed a new part ($90) - clogged sink not able to be repaired (although I paid for the time of the plumber to tell me this) - by the time he told me we needed new parts for the kitchen sink to flow the water (which I needed to pay for his time to go get the parts, plus pay for the parts with no estimate).. my bill was at $352. I kindly asked the plumber to put it back the way it was. With no estimate, a bill for $352 seems unreasonable to me but, I guess plumbers are expensive.

Eve L.

06/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

DON'T USE THIS BUSINESS.

Their plumbers are very nice people, but the woman who runs the company is a control freak with terrible business practices.

Here's what happened: We got an estimate from a plumber who works for them, but who was too busy to come out and do the work on the side. So we decided in the interest of time we'd go to Pipelines and see if someone else could do the work instead. In the meantime, several other things went wrong that needed a plumber, as happens with old houses.

Plumber came out, but they refused to accept the initial estimate, and wouldn't allow the plumber who was there to do a new estimate. For ANY of the work. Apparently the owner is such a micromanaging control freak she refused to allow him to stay - to do an estimate or the work. So, now they've lost a customer for life. Good going, there. There's plenty of plumbers in this town to choose from, choose someone else.

urbanaite K.

09/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

The folks at pipelines are friendly, prompt, knowledgeable, and overall amazing!!

Heard about them from my neighbor recently, and they came highly recommended. I am in complete agreement, and recommend them unhesitatingly.

I won't be going anywhere else for plumbing needs.

Martha H.

05/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

This winter we had a pipe burst in the wee hours of a frigid morning and Chris came over asap. She was knowledgeable, thorough, professional and pleasant. Chris/Pipelines has a great reputation in our neighborhood and that is why we called her right away. We were fortunate to have her expertise on the job. We will definitely call Pipelines again if/when the need arises!

Steve K.

01/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

Very good. Responsive, reliable, took good care to locate, repair and test our problem leak. Pricing was very reasonable indeed. Highly recommended.

Shaun G.

5/19/2011

We had to replace our toilet because it was so wimpy and Pipelines did a phenomenal job- I would certainly recommend them to anyone who needs work. Seriously, I have already referred friends and people in my condo.

What I love about them:

1) Before we bought the toilet, as we were scheduling the visit, the person on the phone explained what we needed to know before we bought the toilet from Home Depot. She let us know how to tell a good toilet from one that was not worth the money. She also explained how to measure to get the perfect fit.

2) Our plumber not only perfectly punctual and professional, she also took the time to explain how everything works. She pointed out that although our old toilet was a decent fixture, it was not installed properly. In her years of experience she had never seen such an awful install- it's amazing we were not having more problems. She also referred us to a few places we could send our old toilet since it wasn't that toilet's fault it was so bad- and we really wanted the new one installed.

3) Our new toilet works incredibly well. Absolutely no problems and it's been about a year. Not even a clog!

4) Some time later, one of the Pipelines plumbers parted ways with Pipelines. Pipelines was kind enough to send us a strong letter of recommendation for this individual! They were so proud of the work this plumber did for them that they not only wished them the best of luck they also endorsed this person to their customers, in writing. How many companies do you know that take that extra step?

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