Hawthorne Plumbing, Heating and Cooling

I recently had a leaking hot water heater which I noticed at 4:00 PM on a Sunday. I called Benjamin Franklin and received great customer service. They gave me an appointment that evening and Robert the technician arrived at 7:00 PM. As I suspected, my hot water heater was completely shot. Robert did a complete inspection, flush, dropped a camera down in the tank, and showed us all the results. I thought I would be waiting a week or so for a new install. I starting planning my morning shower at a friend's house. Then, Robert told me he could do the work that night! By midnight I had a new water heater and all my stress disappeared. I couldn't have asked for a better experience for something so dreaded. Robert did an excellent job and Kathleen in customer service was great. A plus with this company is no night and weekend call extra charges.

i AM SUPER PLEASED with Hawthorne Plumbing.  They were the ONLY plumber that was able to send a plumber out on the same day.  All of the other plumbers were not available to come out on the day that I needed them.  From the nice lady answering the phone to Nick, the technician sent out, the customer service was outstanding!  Nick was so good about diagnosing the problem quickly, calling me to give me the details and a quote, and then quickly fixing my problem, which was a busted pipe behind the shower wall.  He also gave me some friendly suggestions, as well as a senior citizen's discount, which I truly appreciated as being retired limits my income.  Good Customer Service; Availability; Professionalism; Reasonable Pricing - Hawthorne is now on my quick dial list....Thank you very much Nick and Hawthorne...you made my day!!

We tried these guys to assist with a bathroom remodel when our usual plumber had to take time off for a medical issue. We know there would be problems when they showed up and were unfamiliar with the work they quoted. They estimated one day of work but had to go to the supply store several times- which could have been avoided if they simply knew what the work would require when they quoted the job. They didn't finish that day. They were to come back the next day- a Friday- but did not rescheduling for Monday and leaving us all weekend without water in our remaining bathroom sink which shared plumbing with the remodel. They finally arrived at 11 am on Monday, and again were not able to complete the work they promised. It's not that they ran into unexpected problems and this was a simple job. Third day- we will be there by 8 and done by 1- it's now 3:30 pm.  Still working.....Very dissatisfied overall with this plumber.

Dropped my earring in shower drain, Hawthorne tech came,  didn't have shit in his truck. Tech asked if we were saving the earring. No shit!! husband said yes!! That's why you're here! When I called Hawthorne to explain tech didn't do shit and my earring was probably taken by the tech. bc we saw it in the drain. Dumb scheduler said you can't do much with one earring (The simple minds of small people) and you're accusing our tech? Yes I am bc we saw earring then it disappeared after he took out the gook of hair Moral of the story, watch those people.

We have had a rough couple of days. Ben Franklin came out as scheduled and fixed our water heater, diagnosed our furnace needing some new switches, picked up the parts and installed on the same day. When everything was installed our furnace continued to shut off. Brenden was so patient and tried several options but determined our 20 year old heater was most likely done. Even though it was late he patiently walked us through purchase options and we settled on a new heater. The company applied our money spent on the repair to the purchase of the new unit. Brenden came back the next day and completed the installation. We could not be happier or more warm.

Called a few plumbers when our water heater was spewing water. Hawthorn was the only on that could come that day. They did an excellent job but the price was a bit steep.

It was easy to schedule the appointment . The availability was for the following day which is great. The visit and identification of the problem is $59 which seems affordable.  Once evaluation is done , the inspector will let you know what the problem is and how much it will cost to fix it . To save some money , I like that they honor Groupon deal (pay $24 for $60 ) toward the necessary repairs to be done.
Ken arrived on time for the scheduled appointment.  He is kind , nice and knowlegable. He figured out the puzzle why there were no hot water in the master bathroom shower but available hot water in the bath tub next to it.
Overall , it was a pleasant experince .

We received a postcard in the mail advertising flushing the water heater and inspecting the system for $29. I called and made an appointment. I think the plumbers name is Douglas that showed up with a second guy that I believe he was training. They did the work as advertised. I was expecting them to tell me that my system needed other work so I would have to pay more for this service. Not at all! They went over things with me thoroughly and said they were surprised how good of shape the system was in but did inform me of what to expect in the future.
Two days went by and there were some issues with our hot water. I called and they had the field supervisor, Ken, and Douglas came out that day. One problem was a bathtub faucet wasn't allowing water through at all on the hot side. They took it apart and found a foam piece had gotten through and blocked the valve. Problem solved. We still weren't getting hot water to the other faucets in the house consistently. They went through the system and made sure it was right before they left. Ken went over things with me to make sure I agreed. I've read about some upsetting issues from this company but it appears that they are working hard to eliminate them. They didn't charge anything me for the second trip. I felt relieved to find a company that stands behind their work and values good customer service!

They did the work, but it was almost $300 to sweat in a few inches of 1/2.  The tech tried to pressure me into replacing a little or a lot more for another $300-600.  It felt like upsell to me, so I didn't go for it.  That was a year ago, and it's still fine.

I was over a barrel because I was out of town and had to do it over the phone.  I feel like they took advantage of me, so I will look elsewhere for my next job.

We had an unusual sewer problem in our 90-year-old cabin at Lake Tahoe.  We called Hawthorne Plumbing to replace our antique system.   Through many set backs, difficulties, and parts hassles, the company remained steadfast and timely in their efforts to complete our job.   David was the absolute best in his persistence, never giving up, and  thinking outside the box to get our job done.   It was an incredible ordeal, but David and Hawthorne Plumbing were right there with us and did not walk away until the job was done.  We are so grateful to the company and to David for taking the time, energy, and commitment to successfully complete our job.   Our unique location requires some imagination, and David was there for us every step of the way.

These guys are the best! I have used other plumbers throughout the years for various jobs, but Benjamin Franklin is hands down the most professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. I received a text that the technicians were on their way (on time) and the text had their photos as well so you know who to expect. The technicians went through what they were going to be doing, they did the work they came for, and also showed me some areas that will potentially need to be addressed in the future, but there was no sales pressure- just information. Great communication, fair prices. I will definitely use them and recommend them.

Called several companies and these guys were the only ones who could check out my broken a/c unit today. Crew arrived and figured out the problem quickly. Had our unit working in well under an hour. Jay and Terry were both professional and personable and the price was very reasonable. We highly recommend this company and will use them again.

While pricey, the timely service and very hard working professional, Tyler, made it worthwhile. I awoke to no hot water and by late afternoon a new, top of the line and larger hot water heater was operational. Highly recommended.

I needed some work done. Nothing crazy. I ended up not getting it down. I felt it was a bit high. I'm giving it 5 stars for customer service, prompt service and their driver Nate. He was very helpful and tried to give us a good price. But it was just too much. Girl on the phone was also very helpful. Thank you for your willing to get someone to our house within an hour

I have had David out twice for two different water issues at my work. He replaced our water heater in record time and our men's room toilet before I even knew the old one was out. He was prompt, the price was right and he's got the best customer service I've seen in the Trade industry. Nik came out and cleared a clogged drain for us, same great customer service and efficiency.

Nathanial has worked on our bathroom several times. He helped us with repairing a sump pump in our basement bathroom that has a hard object that fell into the macerator. We have enjoyed working with them and will do business again

Find someone else. The plumber couldn't fix the simple problem. We had another Plumber come out and fixed the problem in 1 minute...simply checked if the dishwasher air flow was blocked. Yup. Like asking your parents to check if the computer is plugged in before spending time troubleshooting.

On the courtesy walkthrough checking for issues on other faucets, the plumber checked everything. No issues anywhere else, as expected. The next day, the water heater was leaking. Apparently unrelated to the plumber checking it and seeing it was fine the day before. Still leaks.

On pricing, there was a visit charge as normal. Then the plumber charges something else completely even though he didn't address the issue we called about. The company said it was incorrect to charge that and promised to refund us, which was appreciated greatly. Two weeks later and daily calls, we were finally refunded. We requested a supervisor to call and that never happened either.

Find someone else.

Very pleased with the work.  The plumber fixed the problem and was very professional.  He also told me about an annual tune-up they do for customers who are military. Nice!  They're my new go-to plumber!

This company is prompt and complete. A few jobs for plumbing and HVAC.

Reasonably priced and scheduling for prompt.

I had a house closing escrow and needed a licensed plumber for a water heater leak to complete the deal. Hawthorne had great communication and came out the next day at 8am. The tech called when he was onsite and discussed the repair using parts that I had supplied. Work was quick and easy! Reasonable pricing at $232 for top and bottom element and t-stat replacement. Invoice had before and after pictures too!

free estimate is not free so be carefull, they charge us $59 just to check!!!  highly overpriced . its a ripped off!!

so these people used to be ben franklin plumbing.  i had issues with them before the last service call they did.  now they are refusing to cover the 25 year warranty for work they did in 2016.  back to a complaint to the contractors board.  bad enough they screwed up the original work in 2016 and took them over 3 months to finish the job.  several missed appointments, etc....  and would only let one guy at the time, handle finishing up the work.  shameful and disgusting.  complaining to the contractors board.

So apparently the call center doesn't talk to the dispatch who doesn't talk to the technicians.  Called and waited a good 4-5 min on hold before booking the job ( ~8:30 am, not after hours).

To be fair, the appointment was booked for noon of the same day and not an emergency call. They sent a tech, who showed up on time and was a knowledgeable guy. However, during the booking I clearly stated that the drain clean out for the kitchen sink was on the roof and that it's a 1940's house with old plumbing.
 
Technician tells me he didn't know and doesn't have a ladder and even if he had one, it's against OSHA to do it.  Ok, I respect the guy's right to have a safe work environment, again not his fault.  Waived the $89 fee for showing up, but really???

So now starting all over again after a waste of my time and the plumber's...

Got same day service on my heater as we were having some challenges.  Technician was priced fairly and had lots of information to help.

I have had bad experiences with plumbing companies over the past couple years.  The technician, Anthony, was very good and initially I would have given them 5 stars.  However the base for the water heater was wet from old water heater leak and they offered to rebuild the base for 850$, which is a lot, but i thought I can't expect plumbers to do construction work in a bind without paying a premium.  I later discovered that the 850$ base was board cut out to fit over the existing boards.  This is on top of 1600$ to replace the water heater (excluding water heater).  Be careful with plumbing companies!

Job performed well and on time with quick appointment availability. Slightly difficult to get proper pricing. Offer online quotes but won't actually give a quote without on-site evaluation. Had to call to get price and only service call pricing was provided.~$60 for the call (applied to total price) and $275 for a snake job that took about ten minutes total, not terrible but more than I had expected.

This is the third time we used Hawthorne Plumbing and Heating. Nick came out and performed a yearly heater/furnace check. He was on time, friendly and knowledgable. He was in and out within 30 minutes and gave our heating system a complete checkup. I've never been disappointed with the Hawthorne's work. This is a great company to do business with.

We've been using Hawthorne plumbing since we bought our house. They have always answered the call and come out to our house to fix any issues. The technicians are always on time and very friendly. We get coupons from them in the mail which helps a little. They do the job needed and don't try add additional services we don't need. We are on septic and we have been using their product to put in the drains to help break down sludge for preventative maintenance. Pricing is good for for the work they do and the great service they provide.

The technician they sent out was very nice and did a fine job capping off a water line in my kitchen for me.
However, they are EXTREMELY overpriced. As a licensed electrician, I have been working with plumbers for years, and know what to expect in terms of timing and costs. The quotes they gave me for work are ridiculous, and I will definitely be finding another plumber to do the rest of the work on my house.
It seems like they do fine work, just be prepared to pay three times over what you should for plumbing services if you use them.

To there credit they were prompt in calling to apply pressure 2 Me. $79.00 to tell Me how much it'll cost 2 not use them (est) doesn't sound right  U kiss your $$$ good-bye  2 not accept the bid???

Good customer service. Came out to do a leak detection which was a total waste of money

Forget about 24/7 emergency service. I called about a broken pipe in my water heater and after 10+ minutes on hold was told they could get someone out sometime tomorrow.

We had an outside main leak pop on one of our rentals.  Hawthorne plumbing sent someone to find the leak and charged $750 to look for it and fail to find it.  They proceeded to push us to replace the main, to dig it up, and estimated the cost to be somewhere around $30K.  When I said I'd be looking for another opinion they got very pushy with paying the bill that left a bad taste in my mouth.  BTW the other plumber found the leak and ended fixing it for around $1,500.

Our main line became plugged. We are on the Kingsbury Grade and no local plumbers were available. Hawthorne Plumbing was quick to arrive, expert at what they did, and the office staff and the technician were very courteous. Since they are from Reno they charge a very reasonable travel fee. I couldn't be more pleased!

Yesterday I posted, (or thought I posted -  I can't find it to take it down) a very negative review of this company based on my experience with them and my furnace.  Today, the owner of the company reached out to me and bent over backwards to remedy my situation.  Good customer service is almost extinct and nearly impossible to find these day.  When I encountered this company who actually cares about its customers and reaches out to ensure the satisfaction of said customers, I had to respond with this new review.  I do not normally write company reviews. This is, in fact, only my second review that I have ever posted, but given the situation, I found it necessary to give credit where credit is due.  Kudos to Hawthorne for caring about those they serve.

I previously wrote a glowing review because I had an amazing experience with Anthony of Hawthorne. Ah maze ing. Truly fantastic, couldn't say enough good stuff, five stars.

Well gull dang it, they done graced me with one of the worst experiences I've ever had with a technician when I was in a very sticky situation. I was overseas for a month and my hot water heater went out and I needed a replacement. I attempted to schedule everything I could with a 10 hour time difference and limited access to phone and email.

I needed a quote before I would okay work. I needed confidence that someone competent was going to handle this while I had such limited access. I needed the hot water fixed for my renters.

Lucky for me I had someone who took some time to meet with several plumbers/technicians and I got several quotes. The Hawthorne quote was easily the most ridiculous. They combined four quotes and the replacement quote was fully 100% more expensive than their competition before they added three more quotes to it. I'm talking a low end cheap quote of 6 THOUSAND DOLLARS for a hot water heater replacement.

I don't have time or energy to sort out your bullshit while I'm in the city / state / country. But my patience for an error of this magnitude while overseas was less than none. My only reaction was to hire their competition and regret leaving such a glowing review in the first place.

Likely I won't use them again because the competition did an amazing job at a great price and didn't jerk me around by showing me a lot of sympathy for my situation.

FIFTY/50 - That's your shot at a good experience based on my experience.

Second time in 3 months that I have needed a plumber.  Our PRV started leaking a lot and we had to shut off our water.  Called Hawthorne and they had a great technician, Nate Gutierrez take care of our problem.  Communication and follow up is awesome.  Nate quoted the price up front, had the ball valve break upon start up , had to go pick one up installed it and honored his original quote.  You can't go wrong with Hawthorne and when you call ask for Nate.

Nick was great and very knowledgeable, overall was much more painless than I expected!!!

I called around for handymen to install a new sink, and couldn't get anyone to help--so we went the plumber route and I called Ben Franklin. The representative on the phone was extremely helpful and friendly and professional, and was able to dispatch someone to my house in 90 minutes (and it was NOT an emergency)! I got a phone call when the plumber was almost to my house, and then the plumber, Keith, was on time and very nice. He put on shoe covers before entering the house, and removed them when going to his truck, each time--great attention to detail. Keith was friendly, professional, courteous, and neat. Did the job quickly and professionally, asked for my input regarding sink placement (as the granite fabricators made too big a hole for the sink). We're very happy with the work and experience we received. Great customer service throughout the process. Thank you!

Called them out on a water heater flush and tune-up deal through Groupon, and was advised I needed to replace some rod that keeps the minerals from corroding the inside of the water heater.  Decided against it for now due to finances, but asked if he could clear a slow bathroom sink drain.  Took only a few minutes, got all the gunk out, and neither he nor the company would accept additional payment for what they considered a simple, nontechnical service!  Who does this nowadays?  Needless to say, that earned my appreciation and they are now my plumbing service going forward. Thanks, Nate, and thanks Ben Franklin Plumbing!

In all fairness, my review is only about scheduling the appointment, not the service they provided since they never came out.

I called to schedule an appointment for my daughter's house. I was talking to some call center who refused to make the appointment because they couldn't contact her to approve the appointment. I called Easy Rooter Plumbing and talked to a real person in their office and made the appointment.

No service provided since they don't do window units, but the response was quick and to the point (that they don't do them).

Now that I know, this will be my go to place! Heather got me scheduled as soon as possible, and they have a wonderful notification system. They email you to get from your appointment, they will text you to confirm your appointment, and they will text you a picture of the technician that is on his way to your house. I think this is the first time I've ever had such excellent service from any sort of repair company ever.

This was a second visit for a clog sink, the first company did not get it done. Nick came out and got everything in working order. He also let me know about their VIP membership that includes AC and furnace inspection as well as hot water system... I grabbed that right up. Heather gave me a call back so quickly to schedule the next services, and they will be back again in the fall to make sure the furnace system is working.

The technician who came out to see me was Nick, he was the most excellent and efficient. I have to say I appreciate him that much more after my last plumber experience leaving a huge mess in my house.  

Bottom line is, give them a call. The whole experience was amazing, barring the fact that I had to call in the first place for a clogged sink. 100% yes

Great service but WAY OVERPRICED. Fixed a leaky kitchen pipe and removed a under sink water heater for $590.

This  company is a bunch of robbers. Literally came to the house and said we needed all new everything with a invoice of 10,500 to get it fixed.  So had a second opinion come out and plugged in a wire and  magic. It's works now. Trying to take advantage of people should be a crime . I will be visiting them tomorrow at their store

Had a pipe burst in the middle of the night called them early in the morning and they said they could be out within the hour. They sent Nathaniel and all was fixed in a few hours at a very reasonable price!! They are prompt and they keep you informed every step of the way I highly recommend them!! Nathaniel is very professional and does great work!!

These guys were great! We sprung a big leak in our copper piping connected to our hot water heater. They were able to come over after hours and perform an immediate fix. The gentleman that performed the service was professional, efficient and very friendly.

Charged $241.00 to replace a toilet flapper valve. A $20. part.  They quoted me $ 900.00 to replace a standard  toilet

Robert is the best if you need plumbing repair call for him!!!!!!! He did a great job for our company

I've called Hawthorne (was Benjamin Franklin) twice. Two different technicians, both very competent and capable. Once I felt like I was being taken advantage of, and paid way too much for what (in hindsight) was a fairly simple repair. The other time the technician popped in, told me that the toilet I asked him to look at was fine, and popped out, no charge. It's a big company, and I think they're overall pretty good. The switchboard was goofy both times I've called. Nonetheless, I'll likely call them next time I need a plumber.

Josh from Benjamin Franklin came out to my house to do some plumbing work for me.  He was punctual, polite and did terrific work.  Josh was very professional and explained why I did not need a new water heater, but just recommended some necessary work to bring things to an optimum level.  He fixed some things that a different plumbing company had done poorly and also took care of all of the issues that I'd requested when he arrived.  I was expecting to need a new water heater and spend thousands of dollars yesterday.  Josh took care of everything yesterday in one visit and he saved me a ton of money.  It's nice to know that there are still honest people who aren't always trying to sell you something.  Josh even cleaned up after himself when he was finished.  I was very impressed with his demeanor, the work that he did and his integrity.  5 stars to Benjamin Franklin plumbing - but I am always going to request Josh because of the fine work and professionalism.

Tom G

I generally use Hawthorne plumbing for all plumbing needs as they are fast and are able to get the job done. The last problem that I had was that my water pressure was low and they had someone here within an hour who diagnosed that my water heater was dying so they flushed it and got the water pressure up to a decent level and warned me that their fix would likely not hold as my water heater was 15 years old. The total cost for this was nothing as I had used them a lot in the past and was due some free maintenance work. (The technician recorded the job as a free water heater flush but diagnosing the problem was definitely worth something!)

Note that it was non trivial to diagnose the low water pressure as they had to bypass the water heater to show that the water heater was the source of the problem. So free was a good price for this!

A couple months later, my water pressure got low again so I used Hawthorne for the replacement as their price quote was a couple hundred less than another vendor who has 4 and a half stars on Yelp. Note that I picked the water heater option with the shortest warranty as they charged a lot for the longer warranty options. I'd give Hawthorne 5 stars if they didn't push these expensive options which I don't think are worth it as they can increase the price by as much as three times and everyone installs the same brand water heater (Bradford White).

Another tricky job that Hawthorne did for me is that I had water pooling in my living room and the source of the leak was not obvious as it was a very slow leak that didn't even register on the water meter. Hawthorne was able to determine that a pipe under my stairs was leaking. The tricky part being that the only way they could even get to the pipe was to cut a hole in my living room's closet's wall. I now have an access door in my living room closet to get to these pipes in case they ever leak again.

I do appreciate how fast that Hawthorne is able to show up as some vendors can be really slow. And they have never failed to diagnose a problem.

I was recently at my vacation home in reno, I can say with the upmost confidence that Daniel is the best plumber in the west. He fixed my toilet and snaked my sewer line. Very professional, courteous, on time, knowledgeable, the list goes on. Do your self a favor and ask for Daniel!

We had a great experience. They were flexible, friendly and professional, available on short notice, and charged a very fair price. We needed someone to come out ASAP to help fix what we thought was a leaky pipe in our wall. The office staff was very helpful and they were able to send someone the next day. It turned out to be an issue with old grout in our shower that had nothing to do with the plumbing, but the technician they sent was extremely friendly and stayed for a long time to help us test a few things and ensure it was only the grout in the shower and not a plumbing issue. He even took the time to answer questions we had about our water heater and other unrelated issues we were worried about. Hawthorne only charged us for the diagnostic and not for the technician's time. Ultimately, it was a good experience and we will use them again if we ever have an actual plumbing issue.

**BUYER BEWARE**
I just have to say, if you ever need a plumber, don't go to to Benjamin Franklin. This is scamming at its finest... unbelievable. I needed my plumbing reattached under the sink after getting granite done and all I can say is this guy tried to up-sale me everything under the sun but the kitchen sink! Absolutely nothing was wrong with my disposal and I don't even have a hole in my granite for a soap dispenser, yet this guy tried to sell me both, on top of other stuff for a grand total of $1,998!! That's only 600$ less than it cost me for all four Slabs of granite and install in my kitchen, is he crazy!? Not to mention; did he think he was drilling a hole in my brand new granite for the non existent soap dispenser?? I think not!!! Got it done right by Gibson Plumbing who replaced only the parts I needed and put my sink together for 300$. What gets me is you know some little granny somewhere is getting ripped off by this company because she's none the wiser. Unbelievable. If I could give them no stars I would.

We had a plumbing emergency, and Hawthorne Plumbing came to the rescue. Daniel diagnosed the problem immediately, and fixed it. We thoroughly recommend this company for any plumbing problem.

SUPER quick response. They were at my house in less than 2 hours. Knowledgeable staff and honest, upfront price information. Thanks for coming Hawthorne Plumbing

Don't need to ever call another plumbing and heating company. After waiting 4 days for an estimate from another company Nick showed up this morning at 9 and at noon the work was done.  Very pleasant and professional. Left no trace of mess behind. He also determined that he could finance and bid less than another air conditioning company to adapt a furnace for air conditioning. It was also scheduled for a much earlier date than other company who had come out a week prior. No reason not to call Hawthorne for service.

Request Nick! We had an emergency situation where our top unit was leaking so bad, water was pouring from the ceiling to the unit below .. they sent someone out first thing next day and Nick called to let me know he was on his way, fixed the problem in no time, called another company to come out and check out the drywall damage (came same day), and I had him check out a few other things in our bottom studio. He offered maintenance checks on our water heater and furnace, and then we got to talking about going to tankless. He gave me a reasonable quote, best quality tankless, went back to Reno to grab materials and came back the same day! He did the most beautiful install and worked till late to make sure it was done right. He also answered my texts when other questions came up.  Super knowledgeable and kind. Hawthorn has a gem of a worker! Never lose that guy! Thanks again Nick!

We were out of town and there was sewer backing up on one of our duplexes.  Usually we have someone to take care of this or use our home warranty.  To simplify, I asked the tenant to just find someone and call us for payment.  They take my card up front for the service fee of $59.  Once on site, the tech calls me and says:  we charge $350 to clear the main line and another $350 to pull a toilet.  I can't remember what came out of my mouth but it wasn't ladylike.  He says yeah, we're an expensive company. I told him to go home.  Now in after hours territory, I called another company who did it for $140 inclusive of service fee and after hours surcharge.  I wrote a smaller negative review about the price gouge on Yelp and received a call from the manager the next day.  He says the technicians been reprimanded and acted (incorrectly) of his own accord.  They actually have a $99 special to do the job we needed!   He told me they would refund me the $59 service fee and to call him direct in the future.  I greatly appreciate the concern and gestures taken to smooth things over.  Plumbing issues never go away so I will need help in the future and would offer them another shot; dealing direct with the manager.  
This is just another consumer beware lesson; try to get multiple bids if at all possible (simply to educate yourself).

I usually write a review for the benefit of the consumer. However, today I am writing this review for the benefit of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Company itself.

We scheduled maintenance with your company as we have always had a great experience. I was happy to see we got Ken and Dennis again (although we haven't had a bad experience yet).  If I were you, I would not let him go!!  He is punctual, professional, never has to go back and get supplies, and from what I can tell a very honest guy.  

We have been here 5 years now and maybe, we have had, at most 2 honest, hard working, dependable people like Ken help us out (and we have had a lot of contractors) from lawn and garden to auto mechanics, painters, carpet cleaners, roofers . . . you name it, we have needed something fixed, installed, and/or overhauled.  

As long as Ken is around, we will be a BFP Customer!!!!!!  You can be sure I will refer this company to my neighbors as we all like to share and review contractors.

From start to finish Terry did an excellent job installing our new heater and AC.  He kept us informed on what he was doing and why.  He was here on time and got the project done in 1 day.  I would highly recommend Hawthorne and Terry.

Every time we flushed the toilet or used the shower in one of our bathrooms, we'd get this groaning, foghorn sound in the walls. I knew the toilet would explode at any moment so we called these guys. Tom (I think) came out and inspected and discovered that under the house there were two pipes rubbing together and causing the sound and eventually, serious corrosion. He described what he thought we needed and quoted a price. He also talked us through their yearly maintenance program, (a steal at $100/year!). We signed up for the maintenance program and scheduled the work.
Kyle came out and remedied the pipe situation but in the meantime discovered that we needed a valve replaced on said toilet. We were not charged for that unexpected work as Kyle wanted to honor the price originally quoted. Big point in their favor! When Kyle inspected our water heater he advised that it should really be replaced. This wasn't the kind of Oh, by the way you also need all these extra things done so that we can get a bazillion extra dollars from you. - Our water heater was 19 years old. He showed me pictures of all the rust, leakage, corrosion, damage etc. He gave us three different options, multiple reasonable finance plan options, explained the work that was involved, the type of water heaters they use, the maintenance and guarantees that are included completely aside of the yearly maintenance program we signed up for...he was informative to a fault! Honestly, I know more about water heaters now than I ever cared to!
He said it was about a 6 hour job - they got started at 9 and were done at 12:30! We didn't have any scheduling or timing issues. Everyone we dealt with was courteous, professional and informative. We'll have to see how it all wears over time of course but with all their guarantees and maintenance, I'm not too worried. We've had a top-notch experience with this business so far!

Worst Service on Earth,
I asked for two new regular toilets  
They installed two very low level water saver toilets for 800.00
the toilets had so little water flow that my sewer became clogged.
They did nothing to help me just charged me a few more hundred
dollars to put something on my sink pipe a little box cost 200.00 with and snaked one toilet for one minute, charged me another 200.00 for nothing they did not event taking the toilet off or try to do the job right.
So after paying Hawthorne Plumbing 1200.00 I payed for two bad toilets
Before Hawthorne Plumbing I had no plumbing problems at my house after Hawthorne Plumbing all my pipes started clogging up from the toilets.
I called (  JET PLUMBING  ) they got me two new toilets they un clogged my pipes, sold me two great toilets they are very nice very intelligent great company my pluming is working wonderful again. (  JET PLUMBING ) is great.

Calamity struck just as my wife and I were leaving town.  Late Friday morning, we called the dispatcher for Hawthorne Plumbing in Reno to deal with a leaking (failed) water heater in my home in Lake Tahoe.  A local friend had previous experience with them and said they were good people.  

  We described our hot water heater (dimensions, size), indicated it was leaking and called a local friend to meet the technician who would arrive 1.5 hours later.  Mind you, this is a Friday.  The tech sent was an amazing young man named NATE.  He brought the needed replacement hot water heater, drained and pulled the existing water heater and installed the replacement heater after quoting a price to me over the phone.  He worked from mid afternoon to 8:30 PM.

  It was a fair price and a life saver for me.  I can't say enough about the service provided.  In this day and age, they are to be commended and recognized for providing extraordinary service.

Very shady.  My 72 year old mother had a leaking water heater.  She called different businesses but somehow still got connected to Benjamin Franklin.  She was told by the plumber she had to purchase and install a new one.  She had that done (very expensive) and then they wanted her to purchase a warranty for the new water heater.  She didn't want to, being as they wanted to charge her an additional $2,500 for the warranty.  She said no, but the tech persisted.  Again she said she would think about it, but continued to be pressured.  Basically, the man didn't want to leave without her purchasing the $2,500 warranty.  After much pressure, she gave in because she wanted the tech to leave her house.  Being as she is on a fixed income, she couldn't really afford it.  She has called the company to perhaps reverse the warranty, but they will not give her the money back.  My husband and cousin have also called on behalf of my mother, but the company claims they never received any calls regarding this situation, and do nothing to resolve this rip-off.

This company is fabulous. Kim in the office took time out of your weekend to respond to my concerns. The technician arrived promptly and was very helpful. The pricing was fair. I highly recommend this company to everyone

Not sure who dropped the ball the first time, Lowes or these guys, but the install date came and went without so much as a peep from either one. The next date, they did arrive (anytime between 12-5, and they were at the tail end of that), the install was uneventful, the installer was fine, but at the end, he said he tested it, and when we asked him to show us how it works he said he can't because he doesn't know. So how did he test it to ensure it works? We are 5 washing cycles in, following the directions step by step and still haven't gotten it work right. Seems to me they should ensure that the product they are installing WORKS!

David came out from Hawthorne plumbing to give me an estimate on fixing  a broken pipe connection from my kitchen sink where it connects to my sewer line in my crawl space. He was very professional , wore a mask , and gave me a reasonable bid for the job after he had gone down in my crawl space to assess what was needed. I didn't end up going with his company this time as got a lower bid from another plumbing company that I ended up using instead. That doesn't mean I would not use this company in the future if the need arose again.

I have needed someone out to scope my lateral sewer line for root damage and determine if it needed replacing. They were able to come out the same day I called and perform the work. Additionally, the communication from this company is great--and the focus is on safety. I received a text message when the plumber was on the way with a picture of what he looks like. This is such a great feature and immediately made me feel better knowing exactly who to expect at my door.

The plumber was very respectful and showed up wearing a mask, even though the work was being performed outside. He explained to me how the camera on the snake worked and also used another device  to map out exactly where my sewer line is. Once he determined there are still roots in my sewer line (and thus is punctured and needing replacement), he also provided a quote to have that work done.  This was a great experience, and I'll definitely keep Hawthorne Plumbing in mind for my future plumbing needs.

What equals a good rating for a plumber? On time, clean gets the job done. I'll give Benjamin Franklin Plumbing a great rating for going the extra mile.
I had a heater with a slow gas leak preventing the power and gas from being turned on in my new building.
I needed it done by the end of the day and it was 2 pm when I called. They arrived quickly, replaced the leaky valve along with all the pipes leading to the leak. He even waited until the power company returned to get the power turned on. Great service, reasonable price and wonderful people on the phone and the service tech.

UPDATE: After a very long and very productive conversation between my father in law and Hawthorne plumbing, Hawthorne agreed to coming out and fixing everything (with the help of my father in law where carpentry needed to be done and when an extra pair of hands was needed). They got to my place bright and early and got everything done by 1:30ish, which was AMAZING. There is a lot to be said for a company that is willing to fix their mistakes and make sure everyone agrees on the quality of work being done, which changes this Two Star to a Four Star. Thank you, Hawthorne, for your integrity--while I wish none of this happened, I'm just happy be able to shower again!

Long story short: a $4500 one day job becomes a 5 day job that ends unfinished and costs me an extra day (at
Least) and $300 to fix.

Here's the thing: Hawthorne has come out more than once to my place and generally is able to fix what they need to. The people they send are usually nice, courteous, what have you. This time, however, was different. About a year ago I had a leak in my bathroom that they came out to fix and they let us know that eventually the whole bathroom would need to be redone because of the pipes. No problem. So back in November of 2020 the leak starts up again and is getting worse fast, so we call Hawthorne out to set up something more permanent. They come out, do not fix the leak, and sign me up for a $4500 remodel of our tub and shower. Why didn't they fix the leak? Who knows but a few weeks later it's no longer a leak, the hot water won't shut off at all and there is a risk of my bathroom flooding--call Hawthorne again and they come out and fix it in less than an hour. The tech again explains that an entire remodel needs to be done, I agree and say I already set up financing, bada bing bada boom.

We finally get someone out last Friday to do at max a day and a half to get everything done. Not ideal, but no worries, as long as I have a working shower as soon as possible! So day one comes to an end (all the while I'm in the next room hearing the tech go this is a nightmare that's not going to work and calling someone to come help him because I've never done this before--I'll give
you the job, just please come help me this is too much for me man) and the tech--who is very nice, just unprepared--tells me that it isn't done. Why? Because the replacement tub insert that he brought (which, by the way, I have never seen or approved previous to the installation, which I should have checked on granted, but also you'd think that a professional would have made sure it was approved BEFORE installation) doesn't fit so he had to TEAR APART MY CEILING in order to fit it. Oh but they don't do drywall, so I'll have to call another contractor that they work with all the time to fix it.

Day two comes and he and another tech finish what they need to do, check for leaks (they found one and presumably fix it) and leave. My husband and I call my father in law who was a contractor (mostly carpentry but also plumbing and landscaping) for 40 years comes to fix
our drywall so we have a working shower. He's PISSED. Apparently the tub was put in incorrectly, which led to a 1.5 inch gap between the tub and the tile, which he estimates will cost 200-400 to fix since we have to go buy new tile to fill the gap. They also cut through the fire wall between our unit and the one next to us and installed the faucet and spout incorrectly, which may lead to rust problems. He calls them, talks to the supervisor who agrees to send out his guys again, and that brings us to today. After talking together they agree with my
Father in law to fix the problems (which he also agrees to help them with) and he leaves to go get supplies. The tech then comes to me and says Just kidding, we aren't doing anything and now I have to go to another job. I then confronted the tech about how this was all caused by a lack of him communicating with me, which he agreed to, but did not fix.

This is just unacceptable. I feel like they took advantage of my lack of technical knowledge and then refused accountability when confronted. Now my father in law is fixing it himself (we would have had him do it the first
time but he just had back surgery) and I have to pay another $200-$400 for fixing my tile. What a wa

We had called to get a QUOTE  to have the pipe that connects to your hose outside fixed. This is a rental home and we explained that to the company. We asked them to call us when they were on the way because we didn't know if the renters would be there or not. We never got a call from Cathy that morning and found out from the neighbor (our parents) that the plumber was at the house. We rushed over to the home and when we got there the the work was already done... Without our approval. Keith the plumber was very nice but the bill was double what we expected. This was why we asked for a quote. We called the company and asked to talk to a manager who did change the cost to a better price at what we expected it to be and also gave us some $90 membership thing for free where they come check the pipes and drain the hot water heater once a year. Overall, they made it right but the whole thing was handled incorrectly to begin with. One last thing is that I originally called a different company and I think these people get outsourced because they transferred my call to them. This bothers me too as I prefer to know who I am getting.

Requested to have my water heater checked out and as I thought I needed a new one. I asked how long? and Ken said today. Worked for me. Ken was very professional and explained everything in detail. Ken had it installed and ready to go in a couple of hours. I highly recommend Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.

We called Hawthorne Plumbing to install a recirculation pump due to slow hot water on our  second story faucets.  Dave Sterling, a Hawthorne Supervisor, responded the SAME DAY.  He inspected our system and immediately advised us that WE ALREADY HAD A RECIRCULATION PUMP that had been unplugged from the electrical box.  Dave plugged in the pump and we immediately had hot water on our second story.  Since I know nothing about plumbing, Dave could have smoked us for more work on our hot water system that we would have likely authorized. Instead Dave showed the kind of integrity that is hard to find today.  Thank you Dave and Hawthorne Plumbing.  We only were charged for a service call - and very reasonable at that.  
GREAT JOB and Great integrity.  Hawthorne is now our go to Plumbing etc. company.  
Jim Wulfsberg
Montreux
Reno, Nevada

Prompt, friendly service. Hawthorne was able to send someone out to us within hours. The tech was knowledgeable and friendly. Rates were reasonable.

I just have to say that I was extremely satisfied with Hawthorne. The office staff were helpful, responsive, and professional. And the technician, Shane, was one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I got so much confidence out of his experience and guidance--not to mention, he was personable and genuine. Shane has made a lifetime customer out of us. We will absolutely call Hawthorn again and again.

Called these wonderful gents to fix the old water heater in an old house, and they were prompt, efficient,clean workers, and had the problem solved in no time flat. Could not have been happier.  A 91 year old lady was flabbergasted at the fact that they accepted a trivial amount for their services, as I had received a card in the mail, and did not think that it was correct. Two gentlemen could not have been more efficient! Call them at Hawthorne Plumbing, Ken Gabbard, tel. 775 589-2601.  You will thank me.
Great job, guys!!!
D. Gates

Suoer fast to show up and super fast to get the work done. Prices are very competitive with the others. Especially for what the others charge just to show up. Really pleasant staff in the office too.

Beyond impressed from my first inquiry to the finished job. My Grandpa always said get three estimates & normally pick the middle one. Cheapest, ya get what ya pay for & most expensive, What, am I made of money? I can still hear his voice.

They immediately sent out Nick for the free estimate. He was kind, courteous & very professional. He listened to my needs & did his stuff & produced an estimate on the spot!!!

They were the cheapest. They did an excellent job & exceeded all my expectations.

I was told they'd arrive between 8 - 9am. Job start by 8:30. I was told 4 - 6 hours & it was done in 4.5.

Nick & his helper we're knowledgeable & worked efficiently. The job was done & my home was left in a good way.

I highly recommend Hawthorne Plumbing

These guys are awesome. I called to have a reception area toilet repaired in our medical clinic and Ken was there in no time. He not only got the issue sorted out but he also replaced a valve so that it will not keep happening! We will be using them every time we have any plumbing needs. Thank you Ken!