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McQuillan Bros

McQuillan Bros

Plumbing Service
Saint Paul, MN 55109

Description


Are you experiencing issues with your plumbing fixtures or HVAC system? If so, you need a reliable plumbing and HVAC contractor on your side. At McQuillan Bros. Plumbing, Heating & AC in St. Paul, MN, you can rely on their knowledgeable team of specialists to provide expert installations and repairs at affordable prices. For over 135 years of experience, this family owned and operated company has been serving the Twin Cities with honest work at competitive prices because they aim to treat their customers like family, building lifelong relationships along the way. Dedicated to customer service and satisfaction, their technicians will tackle jobs quickly and efficiently in order to minimize disruption in your life. Once finished with their work, they will clean their workspace and leave you with a fully functioning system. Residential and commercial clients alike can enjoy the services provided by this plumbing and HVAC contractor. From boiler service to heating and air inspections, there's nothing their staff can't handle. Their commercial and residential services include: Furnace repair and installation Plumbing services A/C replacement, installation, repair 24/7 emergency service The next time you're searching for an HVAC contractor, look no further than McQuillan Bros. Plumbing, Heating & AC. For more information regarding their services, visit their website or call their office today at (651) 292-0124. You can also follow them on Facebook.

HISTORY


Established in 1883.
McQuillan Bros' tradition of plumbing, heating and air-conditioning service and repair goes back five generations to 1883 when McQuillan & Shea first started on the levy in St Paul. Today we continue that tradition of providing quality service for old homes. We specialize in the retrofit and repair of older homes. We offer the highest quality energy efficient products on the market. From water saving plumbing fixtures to ultra high efficient boilers, furnaces, air-conditioners, water heaters and ground source heat pumps.

ABOUT BUSINESS OWNER


John has been a plumber for over 40 years.  The business has been in his family for five generations and is the oldest plumbing firm in the state.  In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, playing with his dogs and raising chickens.  He has four grown children and 10 grand kids (with more on the way).

Reviews


Jim K.
Jim K.
04/03/2021 12:00:00 SA
This company tried to scam my 22 year old daughter into a new water heater, and then a new furnace.   I got a second opinion from a company I trust and both units were not in need of replacement.    Stay away.

Galligan G.
Galligan G.
5/27/2017
Unquestionably a great experience and outstanding service. I totally recommend McQuillan. Came through for me when I needed a new hot water heater pronto - long weekend, guests on town.

Kristen W.
Kristen W.
8/28/2016
Should have called McQuillan Bros first! After waiting 2 days for Roto-Rooter to show up (they never did!), we called McQuillan Bros and received exceptional service on a weekend. The tech was here within an hour of us calling at 9pm on a Saturday evening. He worked until midnight to open our drains, explained everything that needed to be done, and told us up front how much it would cost. He then returned on Sunday morning to finish the job. We highly recommend McQuillan!

Jeremy P.
Jeremy P.
7/28/2022
They will charge you $650 an hour.  They did not use my warranty as the said they would.  Don't fall for the two guys on the trucks and cars as I was told they are absent owners.  Find someone who will be honest and charge you for the work they actually do.

Leppe001 U.
Leppe001 U.
6/21/2021
McQuillan Bros installed a mini-split a/c at my house in late summer 2020. This spring I cleaned the filters on the 3 indoor units, per owner's manual instructions. So doing, I noticed that the McQuillan installers had neglected to assemble and include the 2nd set of air filters required for each unit: they were simply missing. I called the company and spoke to the receptionist. After waiting for several days for a reply I called again, at which time a date was set (10 days hence: anything but fast service) for a tech to come to my house. On the appointed day, the receptionist phoned to say that they would have to reschedule and the earliest available date was another two weeks away. Hence, the service would in the end have taken nearly a full month. I asked to speak to a manager, pointing out that they could simply send me the missing filters and save themselves a trip. I was assured that I'd get a call back. It never came. After a few days I phoned again. Same promise, same result. Then I sent an email to their contact address; no reply. Around a week later another receptionist phoned, and I reexplained the issue; she assured me that she'd get right to the bottom of the problem and call me back later that day. Nothing. To this date, no one has contacted me with actual assistance. The company's motto is we treat you like family! Seriously? I've never had worse service from any other company, ever.

David N.
David N.
5/13/2018
My furnace stopped working this past winter and had them out to take a look.  They were on time which was good, and friendly as well. after inspecting the unit we were told the technician tweaked one thing, and it was now working.  He did recommend a new part should be ordered, as well as a deep cleaning of the unit which was over a thousand dollars.  The next day we noticed the furnace was not working again.  We had them out again to take a look, and this time a different tech came.  Again he was very nice, but after his inspection he found a cracked heat exchange, and was very surprised that the previous tech didn't find that.  That didn't make me feel good, especially since it is a dangerous thing to have happen.  This new tech immediately shut the furnace off and told us it cannot be turned back on.  A salesman then came and offered me options for a new furnace, but they all were extremely expensive.  I realize a new furnace is not cheap, but their prices seemed over the top.  I brought up my issues on the previous visit and the dropped a couple hundred dollars, but with the prices I was being offered it didn't make much of a difference.  I ended up going with a different, much cheaper option.  I gave a follow up review on thier customer feedback survey and never heard back.  Im not sure if it was an isolated issue but the first tech who they sent was certainly not qualified since he did not identify a cracked heat exchange. The techs were pleasant and on time, but it was a bad experience overall.

Karissa O.
Karissa O.
06/08/2020 12:00:00 SA
Bad experience and complete loss of trust. We called McQuillan Bros. for a simple task: move our water pressure tank so we could have drain tile installed in our basement. The technician arrived without the equipment needed to do the job and gave us an estimate for $2000. This is what they wanted to move the tank and then move it back?!? The drain tile company thought the estimate was way off and was kind enough to let us move our install which (was scheduled the next day!) We are so grateful Rite-Way helped us out when this company put us in a really bad position. When the plumber eventually left he gave us an estimate for $18,000 worth of work. We just wanted a tank moved and maybe a new water heater. It was ridiculous. Also a platinum, gold, silver level of service $$$. Very old school sales tactics (We offer financing!) and they essentially wasted our time. I'll update this post when we get a plumber in here prepared to do the job and not try and charge what are horrible almost criminal prices. Do yourself a favor and do not use this company. We wished we didn't.
UPDATE... UPDATE.... UPDATE...
We ended up finding a gentleman to come out and drain, unhook and move the water pressure tank and then come back on another day and put it back and hook it up. He charged us $455. He also came out at the times we need him to. Again. Do you research, get recommendations and find the neighborhood small town plumber. McQuillan Bros. didn't have our best interests in mind.

Catherine S.
Catherine S.
6/18/2016
I called in a panic because of water leaking through our ceiling and everyone was great - the person who answered the call was very professional, promised a same day visit and a return call soon and 20 minutes later she called to say the service technician was on his way! John was great - very friendly, polite, smart and quick to figure out the problem. He gave accurate estimates for 2 different ways to fix the problem and promptly fixed our leak. He also went above and beyond in dealing with the awkward closet space he had to access the pipes through, and helped replace shelves that were too heavy for me to handle myself. We'll definitely be calling John and McQuillan Bros in the future for repairs and our planned remodel - I highly recommend this company!

Michelle P.
Michelle P.
03/12/2022 12:00:00 SA
I'd say the quality of their work is good, but I'd be cautious to trust them with their recommendations and pricing. Spend your money wisely and go elsewhere. I've had a number of services completed with them and suspected that I was paying too much; even after negotiating. My most recent bid for a humidifier replacement was 3x the quotes I received from two other reputable HVAC companies ($1800). Even with a discount (for a part they repaired the week prior that didn't fix the problem), their bid was still 2x as much ($1200). When I asked why their pricing was so high, I was told it was because they'd need a permit, etc. A permit is not necessary based on my other two bids. The other companies quoted me $750-800 for reference. McQuillan techs also recommend a gamut of additional repairs each time they visit. I tried calling back to talk to a manager to discuss my past two visits and was told someone would call me back. This company isn't passing the smell check. My personal opinion is that it's a money grab and all of their technicians are incentivized to tell you things are broken when they are not. Their team seems talented; but management is training them that commission is more important than operating a fair and respectable business.

Update: Three business days later and still no word from their Customer Service/Manager who was supposed to call me back. My humidifier that was turned off by the technician continues to leak water which I discovered today - there's an entire pool of water now in the basement from this leak (did they not know how to properly turn off a water line?). If they weren't going to fix it, they should have at least disconnected the system that wasn't working and ensured the leak was stopped (or told me they couldn't get it to stop). Both visits the technician did not bring me back to the HVAC unit to visually discuss/review what was completed during the visit. I'm beyond irate with McQuillan Bros.

Michala B.
Michala B.
1/19/2023
Do NOT call these guys for anything! I had these guys out for a  quote to unclog my kitchen sink, and they quoted me $673. I eventually went and got Drano and it unclogged my sink for $7.49.

Brian D.
Brian D.
1/24/2017
I had these guys come out to replace my old drum trap, while the tech was here he mentioned i might need to replace my overflow kit on my tub. Have been up all night working i didnt catch what he meant at 1st but he said it would be another $600 if he had to do it. After i slept and went down to inspect the work i found out all he was talking about is a $30 overflow kit at any hardware store. Since he had the drum trap out this repair probably took 15 minutes. So for a 15-20 min job and a $30 kit i could have purchased and he charged me an additional $600. I have not been that furious in years. I blame this on the dishonest tech, i am still going to report him to BBB. The owners did reimburse me and i do give them credit for helping me with the refund because there was no defending what their tech did. I would still recommend them for simple drain cleanings but beware of the quotes for replacement parts.

Jon M.
Jon M.
06/10/2019 12:00:00 SA
If you are looking for a company that will upsell you at every turn, miss almost every commitment they make, overcharge by 20% to the market, and outright lie to you as to what their service covers, then this is the right contractor for you! I

Andy T.
Andy T.
11/03/2021 12:00:00 SA
When the guys finally arrived, they were great. Getting them to my house was an astonishingly painful chain of bungled appointments, rescheduling, and miscommunication. At some point they finally showed up to replace my chimney liner but... didn't bring a new chimney liner! (What?!) That said, the person who did the rescheduling was very nice, and the guys who did the work did a good job. But everything in between was absolutely exhausting and frustrating.

Elyse J.
Elyse J.
4/23/2018
We recently had a significant amount of work done on the boiler system and pipes in our vintage home.  We're a young family that tends to DIY, but we know when it's time to bring in the pros.  McQuillan carries an excellent reputation as a skilled, honest, union shop.

We had an interesting experience working with them that could have turned out very poorly.  We think it's worth singing their praises still, however, because of the manner in which they responded to what could have been a bad situation. It's always good to know that a company will correct an error if it is made.  McQuillan went above and beyond.

Our original bid was done by a very nice gentleman who apparently overpromised and underquoted what was to be done.  Unfortunately, this didn't seem to be the first time this had happened and he was quickly let go.  The short story is that our basement pipes ended up being abated and removed by a subcontractor before McQuillan's install team caught that the correction to our problem would be FAR more expensive and difficult that had been originally discussed.  We were left scared and frustrated with no heat in our home and a toddler.  

Within hours of the situation arising,  the owner of the company was at our home personally to apologize, explain how they were going to handle it.  The project was completely in no time and we were given a very significant discount to remedy the situation.

The installation professionals were thorough, profession, efficient, and friendly.  Care was taken to consult with us on the placement of most every pipe to ensure it fit with our future vision and use of a very disjointed and old basement.

Despite a few hiccups along the way, McQuillan came through and did wonderful work.  We will certainly work with them again when we are in need of their services.

May L.
May L.
10/09/2016 12:00:00 SA
I really liked that they responded really quickly after I inquired and were able to schedule an appointment for a technician to come out.  BUT after the inspection,  I never received follow up.     Finally 4 days later I called to see what was going on.  The receptionist answered and had no information and stated she would call me back and never did,  so before the day ended I had to call her again.  I finally received an email with my estimate and I was priced at $900+ for air duct cleaning!!!! The only reason im extremely frustrated about this cost is the fact this was not anywhere near the amount they quoted me in our 1st conversion & that there was no further information explaining why it would cost this much.  It was basically a letter with with their letter head,  and the cost they quoted me at. Being a first time home owner and not understanding some of this stuff,  it would have been extremely appreciative of they could have been more detailed in their summaries  and I was not going to chase them down again for that.

K D.
K D.
08/11/2022 12:00:00 SA
I called this company for service after seeing their ads on TV and thought I would give them a try. We scheduled a day for later in the week & I rearranged my work schedule to be home that entire day. The day before they sent a text message to confirm I needed to be there between 8 AM and 4 PM, which I did promptly confirm. On the morning of the appointment, their dispatcher called me at 7:26AM while I was in the shower so unable to take the call. I called back at 7:44AM but they had already sent the technician somewhere else. The dispatcher told me they couldn't guarantee they could get anyone out that day any longer...really??? This company  doesn't give you any kind of reasonable arrival window, as most contractors do. They don't give you any heads up the night before on a specific timeframe.   I wouldn't waste your time hiring this company unless you have oodles of time to sit at home waiting for their arrival. They obviously don't value their customer's time!  I rearranged my whole work schedule to be there the whole day and then they drop the ball. When I expressed my disappointment with the dispatcher on the phone she was unapologetic and didn't seem to care.

After I got off the phone, I called another company who scheduled an actual 2-hr arrival window for the same day. What a mistake to even try McQuillan...GO ELSEWHERE for service!!

Mar N.
Mar N.
07/04/2019 12:00:00 SA
McQuillan just replaced and installed a new AC system in our home. They arrived promptly at 7 am, worked straight through until 2 pm without breaks as far as I could tell.   They were a great group of guys that problem solved a difficult situation and we couldn't be happier.

Keya G.
Keya G.
4/19/2020
I am not one to write reviews of businesses, negative or not, but in this case, I feel I must.  During a polar vortex in Minnesota, when the temperatures dipped to -29 Fahrenheit, our steam boiler unfortunately failed.  McQuillian Bros. came to our house, assessed the situation, and gave us an initial estimate of $60 K (!!!) to replace the boiler, which we were forced to agree to as the temperatures inside the home were already dipping below freezing.  This was later lowered to $50 K, which we are still paying.  In other words, they had us over a barrel.  We had either to sign a contract to pay them this exorbitant amount or risk the pipes freezing and compromising the entire house.  In talking with other HVAC professionals, we learned what we had already suspected, that this was price-gouging and (really) a form of extortion.   Subsequently, our insurance agency also confirmed our suspicions.  When asking McQuillan for the documentation we needed for the insurance company, McQuillan refused to provide detailed receipts for the work, and would not verify what they paid for the boiler they claimed to ship in from Pennsylvania, as well as for other parts.  STAY AWAY FROM MCQUILLAN!  We feel cheated.

Zoe Z.
Zoe Z.
8/29/2016
I am a property manager and saw some good comments on the Yelp and thought I would try their service for once. I have inspected the AC issue and knew what the problem was. All I need is the contractor to fix the problem. The tech Brian arrived before I did. He asked the tenants there how old the furnace. Our tenants told him furnace was brand new. Then he asked why the AC was not replaced. We did not replace the AC because it was working! When he called me on the phone he said the AC was shocked pushing for a new AC. I said it was cooling very well. All I need to fix was the drain water system. He insisted on replacing AC, when I did not agree he hang up on me. Some bad contractors are out there trying to milk more money from innocent homeowners, and unfortunately this is just another one. Some people may not be knowledgeable enough to tell they are ripped off.

Aly S.
Aly S.
6/28/2021
Dunno what their plumbing skills are like, but these guys drive like dicks on the highway. Says a lot about a person's character, so I wouldn't trust them with my home repairs.

Caroline P.
Caroline P.
8/26/2021
Really surprised by the reviews all over the place, we had a great experience with McQuillan Bros. I needed two boilers inspected and certified in my duplex, and after calling for a few quotes, they were the cheapest by far. During the inspection, there was a piece that was broken, and they had the part on them and were able to fix it right away. We didn't need to make a second appointment or deal with any hassle. I would definitely use them again.

Timothy W.
Timothy W.
2/18/2020
After one of the owners,  Matt McQuillan,  unsuccessfully cleared a bathtub clog to the tune of $350.00, he drafted an estimate covering work that was necessary, and two other estimates covering additional work I was considering having done. I contacted McQuillan twice, but no response was forthcoming. While a one-star rating may seem to unfairly asses this business for what little work was done, I rate it this low for not giving me the courtesy of a reply that would have taken all of fifteen seconds. In the interest of fairness, though, this seems to be a practice that cuts across several trades, yet I think it's a shoddy way to do business.

Andrea S.
Andrea S.
12/20/2021
This is a continuation of the same project:  We hired them for a gas line pressure test.  We're $6000 in so far.  They left on Friday without finishing or communicating with us.  I called 4x on Saturday and requested a call back with their answering service, no response.   Monday morning I called at 0806.  I was told my project was on their schedule for this afternoon.  I asked why not first thing this morning as my tenant has been out of hot water since Saturday.  I asked for a manager.  The managers were in a meeting and couldn't talk to me.  Karen said she'd have someone there between 11-1.  Steve and Troy came out.  It's 2:35pm.  I have just been told the crew that came out can't do the work and now it's scheduled for tomorrow. The manager still hasn't called me.  My tenant will be out of hot water and gas for at least 1 more day.  You're gambling if you hire them.  They don't care about their customer service.  They don't care about you.  They'll take your money and won't back up their work or service.

C D.
C D.
2/13/2017
I had a furnace and air conditioner inspection scheduled.  The technician discovered I needed a new secondary collector box, seals, gaskets (that come with the part),as there was water leaking inside, and new main door switch for furnace.  (Roughly $40 each for the parts online), but the charge was quoted at $706, which I was able to negotiate to $637, not knowing at the time how much those parts were.  (The inspection cost itself was pre-paid). Total time was about an hour or less to inspect and diagnose, then about 20 minutes to install after he got the parts.

About a week later the furnace would not ignite.  I called them back and was told it was a circuit board.  (Roughly $100 part).  Installed for $784.  Later that afternoon, on the same day it was installed, I came home from work and the furnace was not igniting.  They came back the next day and cleaned out the lines (which I had asked about both previous visits), and cleaned the sensors.  I insisted on no charge for this visit.  I felt $1400 was plenty.

Both technicians told me I would need a new furnace either now or next fall for sure, to the tune of approximately $7000.  (The furnace is 14 years old)

After researching the cost of the parts, and considering the amount of time they spent on each visit, I felt I had been way overcharged.  I called and talked to the owner to complain,  He was going to research it and get back to me.  After a week, I called back and talked to a woman whom I believe to be in customer service.  After consulting with the owner, she offered me vouchers!  Are you kidding?  I insisted on at least a $500 refund on my credit card.  They agreed to refund $300 and do $200 in vouchers.  The vouchers never showed up until I called to remind them.  

Since then, I had an issue with the furnace not wanting to ignite.  I decided to call CenterPoint. They came out, cleaned the sensor and charged me $95.  I have now signed up with CenterPoint for Service Plus.  The technician said my furnace is fine, and if I need a new one it would be about half of what I was told it would cost through McQuillan Brothers.  

Bottom line, I felt I was extremely overcharged, and felt they were trying to scare me into buying a new furnace.

Jean B.
Jean B.
07/03/2018 12:00:00 SA
Technician quoted me $905 to replace flow sensor on H2o heater. Called manufacturer who told me this was an unfair price and called to cancel repair and the price was reduced $600. Also offered me a water softener I didn't need for $9310. Don't be fooled by quote.

J A.
J A.
10/11/2021 12:00:00 SA
Second time they have not shown up for a scheduled appt. we're supposed to be here between 7&8 am to repair gas leak & they don't call & it's impossible to get a hold of them. I live about an hour away from the property the work is at, so super inconvenient!

Jeff W.
Jeff W.
08/08/2018 12:00:00 SA
HORRIBLE SALES.

The Plumbers & HVAC service people are great, top notch, and professional.  What really lets this company down is the Sales (who contribute to the devaluation of the word engineer by calling themselves comfort engineers).  Let me count the ways the sales guys were HORRIBLE:
- had outdated sales material
- tried forcing me to fill out a credit application right away
- couldn't answer any technical questions
- badmouthed the previous installation company (very juvenile)
- had ever changing stories oh I wrote 1-stage but that's a 2-stage...
- kept trying to sell me things I didn't need (I already have a wi-fi thermostat, I don't want an air scrubber, etc.)
- Hounded me with up to 5 calls a day
- Used high pressure rhetoric like the offer expires today or this is a special offer for preferred customers
- Had VERY inflated pricing
- Did not put requested details in the formal quote
- Started offering lower efficiency & off brand equipment to barely lower the quote price (yet still included items that I didn't need)

Karen A.
Karen A.
01/10/2022 12:00:00 SA
I called regarding a thermostat. They tried to sell me a new furnace and charged me over 450.00 for a thermostat that sells for 62.00 online. I am a senior and a widow, this is totally taking advantage.

Tina N.
Tina N.
05/05/2022 12:00:00 SA
They are terrible! please save yourselves. they came in and installed a brand new system for air conditioning in our house last year and could not figure out what the issues were as the system leaked and would not work. They had to come out 10 times to try to fix it and at one point when I would call them they stopped returning phone call .we installed a 17000 dollar system and this year its leaking again but I will not have them come back to our house. worst Experience ever, will report them to Better Business Bureau.

Jen H.
Jen H.
04/06/2021 12:00:00 SA
Called with a furnace outage on a Sunday on the coldest day of the year. Promised they'd come by 5pm and they never leave people in a bind and always work Sundays. Never showed. Kept calling up until 10pm. Still said they were coming. Showed up the next day. No apologies. Then they just wanted to sell me a new furnace. Not interested in repairing what you have, just selling new equipment.  Be aware that many furnaces warranty their parts and companies selling furnaces fail to mention. You have to ask.

Karen L.
Karen L.
6/18/2023
This plumbing company has the nicest, caring staff I have ever worked with, responds promptly and stayed in communication every step of the way. When providing the service in my home, the plumber was respectful keeping the mess to a minimum and made sure that the space that he worked in was restored to order and looked like he had never been there! I highly recommend this company.

Andrew M.
Andrew M.
06/04/2016 12:00:00 SA
Had one of the service people come out to inspect a boiler.  It was not working at the time.  Was quoted several parts and $ for replacement totaling $3500.00 in parts and labor.

First part, Temp relief valve $499.00 to replace.  Can buy one at the hardware store for $17.00.

Next part: Flame sensor replacement for $499.00.   Can buy one on-line for $49.00

Next part:Ignitor replacement for $356.00, can buy the kit on-line for $86.95.  

Replace the heat exchanger for $1999.00.  Can buy the part on-line for $800.00 (this one is almost plausible, however all parts bolt on very easily.  

I asked about replacement, he gave an off the cuff quote of between $20,000 and $30,000.  You can buy the same exact unit I own for $3700, three water lines and a gas line to hook up.

Simple Cleaning, $899.00 ( you use mineral oil and burn off the residue with a click of a button on the machine itself, for just this purpose)

Diagnostic $200.00.  This machine gives error codes that you can look up in the manual.  I had the codes and what was wrong before they came out.  

Absolute SCAM.

Cheryl C.
Cheryl C.
4/28/2022
they came to look at  2 pipes one has a small crack still there needed a new toilet got that off and on vales for the sinks and toilet then guy left to get the parts came back said he had the parts  i said that it he said the other one is in the car had to go to work my son was here i came home the pipe with the small crack is still there i called he comes the next day he said he had the wrong part now i have the write but it will be 100 dollers i said no thanks i paid for it called to talk to some one im still waiting

Emily K.
Emily K.
10/25/2020
Everything the bad reviews here say is true. We were charged over $650 to have a man here for two hours to try to fix our sink. That two hours was mostly spent writing a quote for four levels of fixes going ask the way up to redoing our entire house plumbing for 56k. Stop wasting our time. Just fix our sink. Turns out he wasn't able to, but we managed to on our own using nothing more than vinegar. Pay with credit and if you are gouged, dispute the transaction. You'll be happy I warned you.

Leo L.
Leo L.
5/17/2018
Came out to my house on time but their price for the job that they will do was way too expensive so I told them no.

Kevin W.
Kevin W.
04/10/2015 12:00:00 SA
I wouldn't go with them unless you have money to spare and don't mind being gouged.  They gouged me on a water heater repair and I really had to pester them to finally admit it and get any type of refund.

Angie O.
Angie O.
8/22/2017
McQuillan installed a water filter for us.  The tall black cylinder is located in our basement laundry room and does not need to have a filter change for 10 years.  Having this installed is probably the best thing I have ever done in our Mendota Heights home.  The water is good and tastes better than any bottled water.  No more driving to Sam Club and hauling bottled water home plus no more empty plastic bottles.  And showering is better for our skin with chemicals and chlorine removed.  If you are thinking about adding a water filter, do it. I wish I had done this years ago.

Kelsey S.
Kelsey S.
7/20/2021
Absolutely the worst service I have ever experienced. One star for the techs who are patient and trying their best to get their work done.

When we first started having issues we contacted our sales rep, he seemed suprised that things weren't going well and said he'd contact the team to make it right. He promptly stopped responding to our emails and phone calls. When you call in the scheduling manager is always in a meeting and will call you back later today however that never happens. I our experience it takes weeks of calls and explaining what you need before you actually speak with the person in charge and then another week or two before you get an answer or have a tech/sub contractor scheduled.

Bottom line if you have the time and patience to babysit and are willing to wait several months for a job that is complete by most other companies in a couple of days this company is for you. If you want the job done in the time you were quoted and with minimal effort on your end to ensure your project is being completed properly, go with one of your other quotes.

Full story here:
We had an AC install scheduled for mid May, the sales rep told us it would be a 1-2 day job max however at every turn there has been a problem. First the electrician sub contractor didn't show so they couldn't finish our install on the second day as planned (ok not entirely their fault, willing to over look that). They came out again the following week when the electrician was available and discovered that the outdoor unit had a rare part malfunction and the unit couldn't be used. It took a over a month of weekly calls to them to figure out when we could get the part replaced so our AC was functional, once that was finally working they said another sub contractor would need to come to patch and paint the test wholes they drilled into our ceiling for the vents as well as put the attic access trim back together since they had to take it off to get the unit up there. It has been well over 4 weeks calls to them to schedule this. A technician showed up this morning unsure of what he was supposed to do, we explained the situation and showed him what needed to be done. He was here for all of five minutes, took photos and again confirmed a sub contractor would need to be scheduled to complete this. If all they need was photos to clarify what we were asking for we would have been happy to send that to them a month ago. It is now July 21st and not only is this job not complete I foresee another several week of phone calls to actually get the sub contractor out here. Totally unacceptable.

Claudia C.
Claudia C.
2/20/2020
We have an old home (1905), which we've lived in for 16 years. Recently there was a strange odor coming from the boiler. I called McQuillan Bros. The very old boiler needed to be replaced. The whole crew from start to finish, was very courteous and professional. Both Nick and Mike took the time to patiently explain everything. Nothing felt rushed. I was extremely impressed with how they cleaned up after the job was done. Josh also patiently explained how to set up the new thermostat.

Tom B.
Tom B.
05/12/2023 12:00:00 SA
Very  deceptive promtobal pricing. I called  regarding their $69 service call promotion to have a floor drain cleaned out. Their customer service person could not give me a quote -stating their technician had to quote the job.  Keep in mind this is basic 101 work that is done everyday.  The technician quoted me $550 to clean out a floor drain. A job that would take  him less than 30 minutes to complete. I called  Ron the Sewer Rat -they did the job for $210.   Don't waste your time or money. They are banking on the hope that once they get to your house with deceptive $69 service offer-you will reluctantly agree to their their inflated fees.

Louis S.
Louis S.
12/05/2022 12:00:00 SA
I've tried them a couple of times for different things and they are complete scammers.  Each time they try to tell you something additional is wrong and needs replacing.  Each time I got a second and even third opinion only to find they were full of crap.  In the latest example I needed a water heater replaced.  Quoted me a ridiculous price of $4700 for a gas water heater replacement.  I got two other quotes who were both less than half of what these jokers quoted.  Got it done with an even better unit for $2200.  Don't call these guys at all costs!

Tom J.
Tom J.
3/17/2021
They were recommended to me from Home Advisor. Technician came over to repair my toilet, gave me a very expensive quote. I declined but had to pay $90 for a service call. Buyer beware!

David M.
David M.
12/19/2022
McQuillan Bros is a business that has expanded way too quickly and cannot support its entire business. They offer an annual subscription for a maintenance program, but we found that they could not honor the agreements for actually coming out to provide the included maintenance checkups. They had to reschedule our HVAC maintenance/inspection twice, once in the fall, but then again in late December (when they said they could fit us in) due to not having enough people to cover the no-heat service calls. Basically, they don't have separate techs to cover both the urgent calls and regular scheduled business calls. To make matters worse, when we expressed concern about the program and how they could not support it, they said they would take a technician off of a no heat call (in a very guilt trippy tone...So, we moved a technician off of a call for a family without heat to satisfy your appointment) - we immediately asked to cancel the service call and to cancel the subscription, asking to be prorated for the services they could not deliver on. Instead, they said they don't prorate and it was our problem for canceling.

Do not go with this company. It's overpriced (they recently moved to a new charge sheet that is pretty crazy, double other companies) and not worth the slick new vans and TV commercials.

Derek J.
Derek J.
10/19/2022
Less than 1 star. These people charged me 2k to tell my furnace is not replaceable and ghosted me for replacement after they took the rest of money. Robbed me and left me with a cold house. Showed up a day late also

Doreen E.
Doreen E.
05/08/2023 12:00:00 SA
Rating this as neutral because they never showed up to give me an estimate on work to be done. They were recommended by Angi and called Monday night after I picked an appointment time and confirmed time that friday between 1-4. Day of the appointment they called at 8:15 to see if they could come within an hour. I was at work so that wouldn't work. I got home early and called them at 10:30 to say I was home and ready. They called back at 2:30 and said the technician was running late and it was going to be after 4 but not sure exactly when he was going to be there. At 4:10 I called back to get an update on the time of arrival and was transferred to dispatch who didn't answer so I l called back and canceled. Feel like I dodged a bullet after reading the crummy service this company provides.

Heidi W.
Heidi W.
11/30/2016
The guy was very friendly and nice I have no complaints about that.  I was in need of a new furnace so I was interested in getting a quote.  I know very little about this type of thing but even as a women I know what I am being scammed!  For a new furnace I was quoted $10,000 to almost $12,000 for this to be done.  And in a town home it seemed just plain crazy.  So I had a couple more quotes from different company's and they couldnt believe the quotes I was give.  the other company's quotes were in the range of $6000 to $7200.  Is because they didnt think I would know better?  I am not sure if I should be offended that they thought I would think thats a reasonable price?  Its plain crazy to try to take advantage of people hard earned money..

Don O.
Don O.
8/25/2022
We noticed our air conditioner was not blowing out cold air so so we contacted Mcquillin Bros.  They informed us a technician would be out the following day between 8 AM and 4 PM.
I left my ringer on and sure enough I got a phone call 8:10am the next morning the tech was on his way now I normally sleep in before work, but I got up, got dressed, and headed upstairs only to get a text message telling me my technician would now be delayed.
So I waited and waited and waited and I finally called, got put on hold, got a voicemail, left a message and then was finally called back at 10:40  The technician finally showed up a little while later, a very nice young man who informed me there was a leak and my coolant had leaked out.  He gave me options ranging from $1500 to almost $4000  And of course the obligatory program for a $144 a year that will save me 10%. Once again I don't blame the young technician hes a nice guy he knew what he was doing, his bosses wanted to upell I'm sure.  I paid the diagnostic fee and told him we would let him know.
After getting a second opinion, We ended up going a different route that only cost us $750 for the same work.
Sorry, cannot recommend Mcquillin Bros.

Selma S.
Selma S.
2/26/2019
I needed emergency service for my sewer that backed up into my house. The technician arrived promptly, and was knowledgeable and efficient. He was respectful  of my home and even wore paper booties over his shoes. I will definitely use them again and highly recommend.

Sue T.
Sue T.
12/05/2018 12:00:00 SA
Not a decent company which you can trust. I enrolled their home care program during summer when our AC was broken, their only suggestion was to replace the AC because it's old. Later our friend helped us replacing one part and the AC was working fine. As our furnace was also old so I asked for their furnace safety check service, and nightmare started. The technician put a red tag to our furnace because there was a fine cracking which could leak CO and my husband was warned to not turning on the furnace, if turning on, we took our own responsibility. It's fine, it's 20-30F outside and we have a baby and elders in the house, also we installed several CO detectors so we have to turn on the furnace. Then we found the thermo stat lost the temp control, our furnace kept heating to near 80F unless we set up the temp to be 73. We called and complained and the company kept to claim that by law this furnace has to be shut down, and the solution they can provide is either fix it ($5000) or replace it ($7000). We were screwed-up by them after their visit, the problem is not the fine cracking, the problem is that the technician did not put back some wires in their correct positions and we lost the thermo stat control! At least our thermo stat should work as before if they did their job. How they do the business is to sell their units and trying hard to not fix it but to replace it. I am done with this company and if you have old units running perfect at home, stop calling this company to do any test, which they want is just big project not helping you solve your issues.

Jane P.
Jane P.
10/03/2021 12:00:00 SA
A zero star review would be more fair, because no work was ever done.  I made an appointment a about a week out.  it is busy in all service areas, so I was fine with this timing.  I took the afternoon off from work, to be home for their appointment.  About half an hour before the visit, the scheduler called and told me that the service person had a family emergency.  We re-rescheduled in  a few days.  

On the second day, I again was able to take the afternoon off.  Again, a short while before the appointment,  I received a call about the technician's family emergency.  This seemed a bit fishy, because if it was the same emergency, wouldn't they have known it was continuing?

Well, I was desperate by now, to get the problem fixed.  Yes, it happened a THIRD time.  Shame on me for allowing it.  

Clearly, this was an excuse that people like me would believe.  I refused a fourth appointment, and changed to another company.

Eric J.
Eric J.
02/01/2023 12:00:00 SA
Kitchen sink clogged.  Didn't do anything after I told him what I had done.  Told me either $650 to snake it which isn't guaranteed or guarantee with water and $919.  This was for a job that would take less than two hours.  He was here for 5 min and I had to pay $69 service charge for an outrageous quote.  Insane.

Laura B.
Laura B.
11/12/2022 12:00:00 SA
We asked McQuillian to come out and explore options to provide a 240V power supply to our garage for a new electric car charger. We started the process in July and (hopefully) have finished having to call them (it's November). The staff were very unprofessional, speaking very differently to my spouse and I depending on our gender. We could not get any managers to call us back when requested. Their work did not pass inspection THREE times. We worked mostly with the inspector and Xcel to apply pressure to get them to complete the work the way they should have in the first place. In the process, they attempted to instead a new meter to two other different areas, drilling holes in our stucco, only to remove them again to a third place (the spot I Xcel specified in the first place). The final breaker they installed was done poorly, and they had to come out to replace it only 2 weeks later because it wasn't secure enough to keep rain out (it's an outdoor breaker). We rarely received apologies, instead numerous attempts to place the blame on the inspector and Xcel (for their apparently too high of standards for electrical work). It was such a nightmare, so many days we had to reschedule or take off from work. We always had to be the proactive ones, connecting with Xcel and the Inspector for them. The Inspector had similar communication issues. They would never follow through without at least one to three reminders. I hope we never have to call them again. It was not worth the incredible stress it placed on us and still the fear that the work is done terribly lingers. It also sounds like so many people have been quitting and, from one of the workers, things are getting worse and worse at the company -- look for a different company with more stability and more knowledgeable staff.

Nicholas S.
Nicholas S.
10/02/2019 12:00:00 SA
Last fall as I prepared to deploy to the Middle East with the Minnesota National Guard, we decided to replace our boiler. The main impetus to getting our boiler replaced and spending extra on the model which also acted as the hot water heater was so my wife wouldn't have any added stress while I was gone. The opposite occurred.
Shortly after I left, the boiler and hot water system was installed. That went fine though they left a big hole in the floor when they removed the old boiler.   Shortly after being installed, the new boiler began having problems losing pressure and my wife thought she smelled gas. When the pressure drops below a certain level the furnace shuts off, so the house gets cold and there is no hot water.  My wife called McQuillan and they came out and looked at the system. They determined that the expansion tank had failed and replaced it.  They said the gas smell was just old pipes.
Things worked for a bit, but then the system started losing pressure and shutting off again. Again McQuillian came out added water fiddled around and the system came back on. A week or so later, no pressure, no heat or hot water. McQuillan comes out again looks around and determines the expansion tank had failed again.  It gets replaced, water added, the system is back on.  They showed my wife how to add water to keep the pressure up
In asking about the problem, McQuillan kept telling us its an old house, and you have leaky radiators. We looked around and a couple of radiators had a little rust line from the valves, but no water and the pipes were dry when our carpenter touched them with a Kleenex to check for leaks or moisture. Through out most of the winter, this keeps going on with my wife having to regularly go down in the basement to add water and she keeps looking for any sign of water leaks around all the radiators and heating pipes. It is frustrating and stressful.
One weekend in late February or early March, after being gone for the weekend, she came home and the boiler was out and the house near freezing. McQuillan came out and put in an automatic fill valve to add water whenever the pressure dropped. Still insisting that the pressure loss had to be because of leaky radiator valves.  When I heard about this from my wife I asked if they had done a pressure test on the system to try to determine where the leak was occurring. McQullan said no, that isn't standard procedure. (In talking with other boiler installers about this they said it is the standard to do so). While we hadn't been able to find any water leaks from any of the radiators or pipes we could see, I didn't want to just unknowingly keep pumping water in, afraid that the leak might be hidden somewhere. So I had my wife turn it off unless she was going to be gone for more than a day.  The pressure loss kept happening and my wife got increasingly frustrated.
With the gas smell still there, my wife called the gas company to come out and check. They found not one but two leaks in the gas connection creating a danger significant enough that the gas company immediately turned off our gas in the middle of the winter.
At this point McQuillan had been out to the house 6-8 times and things were still not right. We tell them the system isn't working and they need to start over.  McQullan comes out goes through the system again and fixes the gas leak. They determined that the expansion tank was actually too small for our system and replaced it with a bigger one.  Shortly thereafter, again no pressure.  Not being able to find any leaks throughout the house, but unable to account for the pressure loss, we start to consider replacing some the valves that showed a little rust. But not convinced that was the problem as we weren't seeing any water, we continued to push to have them reinstall the system.  Finally after about the tenth or so visit to the house, McQuillan arranged to have the local rep from the boiler manufacture come out to look at the system. At some point during this process they finally decide to do a pressure test on the system. When the boiler was isolated and a pressure test was done, it was discovered that there was a crack inside the boiler. This was after he had been here no more than 45 minutes. The water leaking to create the pressure drop was running from the crack inside the boiler through the condensation hose to the laundry sink--which is why there was never any water on the floor.
So at this point they replace the system and four radiator valves that showed some rust.  We will see how this winter goes.
Overall I am extremely disappointed in McQuillan. Regardless of whether or not it is your standard protocol to pressure test at the time you install a boiler, at about the second time you were called out because of a loss of pressure it would have been the prudent thing to do.  We still have a hole in the floor.

Joe B.
Joe B.
04/02/2019 12:00:00 SA
Never in 1000 years would I ever hire McQuillian again. Realistically, freezing to death in a Minnesota winter is preferable to working with this company.

I originally hired this company because I had three units in an apartment I own that were too cold. My request was very straight forward - I need these units to be a live-able, reasonable temperature.

First off, they never showed up when they said they would. I had to call in EVERY MORNING FOR TWO WEEKS to ensure they showed up. Then, they would leave before they completed the work requested of them.

They send out comfort engineers to perform heat loss calculations which is a complete joke - those people don't have a clue what they are doing.

In one unit, they though the issue was the existing baseboard, so they replaced it; the heat issue didn't improve. Then they claimed it needed more baseboard so they installed more; the heat issue didn't improve. They also put a thermostat in this unit. Now - had they done any real work, they would have figured out that this loop was part of a run that heats the hallways in the building. They didn't do this work, and instead installed a thermostat which caused the rest of the hallways in the building to not call for heat, and causes the pipes to burst. This ended up costing me about $15k to repair the water damage and $5k to fix the heat issue. (The actual heat issue was that the run was simply too long, and the unit needed a dedicated run. My GC, who isn't even an HVAC specialist, figured that out on his own and the issue has been fixed).

In another apartment unit, they thought the baseboard needed to be replaced so they replaced it, and then were dumbfounded when the heat didn't work. Eventually, when a tenant described to me what was happening, it was extremely obvious that the issue was simply that the thermostat (a $50 part) didn't work. I told McQuillian, they installed a new thermostat and guess what, THAT WAS THE ISSUE ALL ALONG.

They also, for some reason, changed the programming on the boiler, which causes complete failure and total loss of heat for the entire building. I had to call in an emergency HVAC tech (from another company that actually knew what they were doing) in order to restore heat.

I am currently drafting a law suit in order to recover money lost - do yourself a favor and HIRE SOMEONE ELSE. Literally anyone else - it's not possible for another company on the planet to be these incompetent.

Positives: they have cool looking trucks / vans. Whoever painted them did a good job.

Song Y.
Song Y.
03/03/2023 12:00:00 SA
We had a McQuillan plumber come out today for a quote to get a main drain snaked & cleaned. They could not give me a flat rate over the phone. They stated there will be no trip charge if we decide not to proceed with the quote. We were looking for our main pipe to be snaked only (less than the 100ft). The last time we did this was 3 1/2 years ago and this is due to normal build up that happens with garbage disposal and washing machine. They gave me a quite around $590 and reduced it down a $100 with a coupon. The price was still higher than the other competitors. We decided to use another plumber that was local and smaller outfit. Their pricing was more reasonable and a flat rate. Recommendation to McQuillan Bros - build in some flat rates to your service model and you can up charge if needed. I do know sometimes you need to see the work before the quote. Just be more transparent with your customers and don't get too big so that your pricing is not competitive.  (You wasted my time today) You come across as a family company, but your pricing is like corporate America. This is my 2-cent feedback!   That is why I gave you a one star.  I don't recommend this company for plumbing.

Martin H.
Martin H.
05/08/2022 12:00:00 SA
The technician that came out was nice. He spent about 45 minutes showing me pictures of fish he caught. The job I had to have done wasn't too incredibly complicated, just put a T valve in. He quoted me a price of $375.00 I almost fell off my couch! I had a handyman service do it for $75.00 Nice guy, just a bit rich for my pocketbook. He said the price was that high because he didn't have the part that he needed and would have to run to Menards and buy it. Um, sir that's not really my problem and I don't feel I should pay for you to go shopping for a part that you said yourself that you should have in your van.

Rani A.
Rani A.
01/04/2021 12:00:00 SA
Their service guy came to do a boiler tune-up check and the quote to fix it was so high that I decided to get a new one.  Their salesman happened to be close by, so he came ASAP and sat me down with a fancy brochure.  

The quote was insultingly high.  It really was.  I was baffled - I am still baffled.  The very nice salesman said that they may not be the cheapest because they did an extra fine job, explained some technical stuff that he implied was unique to their service as well as the fact that they will put drop clothes down, clean up after themselves, etc.  But all of the companies I'd talked to do all of this.  It's pretty standard.  

I told the salesman the price was too high and. . .  I was in luck - something or other had been missed and there was now a slight price reduction.  

I went with another company and the company I went with was scratching their head about the McQuillan quote as well.  If you want reasonable pricing - go somewhere else.

Steve R.
Steve R.
5/23/2023
Very disappointing experience, i was having outlet issues in my basement and the breaker didn't trip. so i called for a quote. They said they have a special right now where there is no fee for estimate on electrical inspection. the technicians arrived looked around and said we fixed your problem. i said what? they said it was a breaker on a switch itself. they then proceeded to tell me that it would cost $212. i figured it was going to cost something but $212 dollars was a lot for pressing a button on an outlet is ridiculous especially when i didn't agree to the fixing during the free inspection. then the tech tried to convince me to sign up for a monthly subscription ($12 a month required $144 total) and this $212 fee would be waived. i declined and he handed me an iPad and told me to sign even though i insisted that this was suppose to be a free inspection and i recall the person (Angel) that I spoke to on the phone said i could decline service for no charge. he said nope that was not the case its $212. with no other option i signed.

being frusterated I called the number again and spoke to Angel, and asked her why what she told me on the phone was not accurate to my experience. she said you signed the agreement. even though i was told by tech there was no other option. she then transferred me to someone named Tim. and he said the same thing you signed, i pushed a little further for trying to understand why pushing a light switch would cost $212. he said things like the $212 was because i was paying for his experience and its the way that it is. all to no avail.

Bottom line for me is I DO NOT RECOMMEND THEIR SERVICE and don't believe their specials and expect for them to try to bamboozle you. i learned many lessons today but i hope whoever reads this thinks twice about using their services.

Doug G.
Doug G.
3/27/2023
Had a leaking water heater. They quoted me on 4 different units. Prices ranged from $7,344 - $2,890. The quote sheet they handed me referred to the $2,890 model as the Band Aid. Now what did they actually mean by that? Will, being that ours was leaking I didn't want to push it and get 2 more estimates. Now I know standard water heaters are about $1000, so the $1890 was to remove the old one and install the new. They were here for about 4 hours, which figures out to $472/hour. Must be to cover there goofy TV adds.

Jane M.
Jane M.
6/29/2021
We purchased a new AC unit and paid cash. It was installed, and within three weeks, we noticed the unit was not working well, and then not at all. We call for service and waited. When the Technician arrived, we were told it had a defective part and that all of our coolant and oil had drained out. They said it could be a while for the new part. This was a brand new unit and should have been replaced. After a week, no one had called to say when the new part would arrive. I had to repeatedly call and then when they did call back, they said they could not get out to install the new coil for another week. I had to tell them to fix it by the next day or return it all together to get them to come out.  The unit has not been working well, hard starts, slowing down, tripped a circuit. I called over the weekend for service and they said a manager would get back to me Monday. They never called, and did not call Tuesday. I have another call into them and still waiting.  I have had more problems with this unit in 6 weeks than I did with my other one for over 25 years. Worst service in my life!

Mark A.
Mark A.
3/30/2018
Good service...but $549.00 to install a kitchen faucet I supplied? Their guy was here 1.5 hours total. Thirty minutes of that was sampling my water and trying to upsell me. When he quoted me the $549 price I asked why so much and he said it's just the company's standard fee. Not negotiable. He knew our faucet was broken, we were in a rush (non-emergency) so I just feel McQuillan totally took advantage of my situation. Will not use or recommend them again. Make sure you get some idea how much they'll charge before you're responsible for the non-refundable $69 visit fee.

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