Description

Are you looking for a real good plumber you can trust? Well you've found us--A Real Good Plumber provides honest solutions to your plumbing, heating and sprinkler problems, with fast response emergency service. We are your plumbing, heating and sprinkler experts serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, providing commercial and residential renovations and repairs. No one wants to wait for service, especially when there's a problem. With our comprehensive service agreements, you'll enjoy prompt, professional service 24 hours a day. Our planned service agreements also cover preventative maintenance to ensure greater efficiency and prolong the life for your system. We test, repair and maintain heating and sprinkler systems for residential and commercial customers. Call us for required inspections, violation corrections and more. We handle everything from leaky pipes and faucets to complete building renovations.

HISTORY

Established in 1980.
Paul arrived in NYC in 1978 armed with a degree in Math and determined to acquire skills to start his own business. He concluded that plumbing is a highly specialized profession, always in demands and cannot be outsourced to computers and Bots. He noticed that many of the buildings in New York City are a century old, with mostly steam heating systems & poor distribution of heat. Paul found a mentor in a plumbing supply store owner, an old timer New Yorker, who gladly shared his knowledge and answered Paul's incessant questions. Paul, forever the student, began reading every book on plumbing and heating he found. Before long, Paul became a licensed plumber and specialized in designing and executing creative solutions to heating, cooling, plumbing, sprinklers and backflow prevention. If you are looking for a thinking, knowledgeable, concerned plumber who will make sure that you get the best solution to your heating, cooling, plumbing issues Paul and his technicians are your men.

ABOUT BUSINESS OWNER

Paul S. started A Real Good Plumber in 1980. For nearly 25 years the company had its offices in the East Village where Paul developed his expertise on heating, conversions to gas, backflow prevention and plumbing. Paul soon developed relationships with a number of property management companies who have hired the company to be their plumber of choice.

Reviews

Cherie M.

11/30/2022

I found A Real Good Plumber after a terrible experience with another plumber. The first great thing is that when you call, a lovely person named Latisha answers the phone and expedites everything. She got the Certificate of Insurance to my building within a few hours! She also immediately put me in touch with Paul, who is a pleasure to work with. Unlike almost everyone I've worked with on solving the issues in my apartment, Paul is straightforward and honest. He is upfront about costs. When things go wrong (there's always something), he gets someone back to the job as soon as he can. I feel I have found my plumber in New York, which is no small feat. I highly recommend A Real Good Plumber.

Paul F.

12/20/2021

Called them on Friday and they came first thing Monday to repair a Leaky pipe at Steam Radiator connection. Paul the Owner and scheduler were always in good communication! As a home owner its great to deal with a tech that responds quickly and shows up when he says. Eldi the tech did a good job in just a few hours. Thanks! Will give them a call next time!

Ruth P.

10/28/2019

After a mis-communication by the office, a plumber came to replace my steam valve. He needed to remove the PTAC to do this, and got a colleague to come over. He also noticed (and the super told him) the steam trap needed to be replaced. Pleasant, efficient. All done in one day even though he had to go out to get a part.

Two things: the office should tell you they charge extra for credit card but no fee for debit. Other is they should ask customer to send a photo so they can see if they need another person before they come out.

Sara L.

07/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

Nothing says plumbing emergency quite like raw sewage pouring from the ceiling. Our small coop's managing agency called them and a crew came within a couple of hours. It was a big and obviously very dirty job, but they finished in just a few hours, and did a great job of cleaning up the mess. I'm pretty sure they'll be taking showers as soon as they get home. Highly recommended.

John W.

09/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

Feels like they're practicing out and out highway robbery. A simple leaking tub faucet. Shower body cartridge needs to be re-replaced as it was replaced end of last year but is obviously faulty. $475 for that job around 6 months ago, and that plumber wouldn't come back as a warranty - its the cartridge, not our work, we'll charge you all over again as if we're walking in for the first time. So I chose to go elsewhere and start fresh.
But THESE guys... after a $150 diagnostic fee they wanted close to $800 for the exact same job!!!
Is there a plumber out there who isn't out to fleece everyone??!
I'm going to order the cartridge and install it myself... after seeing it taken apart and put back together so many times in the past 6 months I've become a pro.
I do NOT recommend this company. Feels to me like they hook you with the $150 look-see and then stab you with the final fee. Almost double what the previous plumber charged and that plumber is known for being way over priced as it is.
I may take a plumbing course and cut out the middle man lol.

Courtney W.

2/22/2018

These guys are prompt and know their craft! Excellent at what they do.
All of them are great- HOWEVER Roosevelt is by far the best Plumber/Heater Technician I've ever met. He is thorough and attentive. I will recommend him ten times over! Keep it up guys!!

Theresa A.

9/20/2019

Paul Shay and his staff were magnificent. They helped our building through a gas crisis and helped us at every turn in dealing with con edison and getting through until our gas could be restored. They were quick to respond to any problems we experienced. Paul C. and his team were unfailingly kind and sensitive to everyone's anxiety . I give them all my highest recommendation. Dr T.A.

Kerry A.

5/28/2014

AVOID
Had a clogged drain that I had already tried to snake in our Manhattan apt. They came out and spent 2 hours doing what we had already tried (snake) and didn't fix (maybe ok), but they didn't tighten the sink pipes and instead left them seemingly connected only for us to discover after 1 gal of water flowed to the floor that they never tightened. Sloppy! Did leave big bill however.

After several calls they finally came back out and spent 4 hours trying to troubleshoot (the drain later somehow fixed itself). The only real work they did was replace the pipe under one sink (new in 2009) but left several parts, seals, putty, debris, and other mess strewn across the floor and under the sink (took us 1 hour to clean up), a disconnected sink plunger, and a STILL leaking sink! BUT they did figure out how to leave us with over $1K bill! Replacing a sink p trap pipe is a weekend handyman job and a so called professional plumber couldn't even do that. Not to mention the poor professionalism and sloppy work. After 10 days they did finally come back out to fix the still unfixed mess (they were kind enough to offer this part no charge - seriously?!)

If you need a real plumber there are so many better choices.

Allan G.

10/10/2018 12:00:00 SA

I first met Paul the owner at a conference on heating systems. After discussing the issues I had, he came up with master venting the steam pipes. I have to say the heat comes up 25% faster with the new venting in place. I have since used him to replace gas piping with is not a job for most plumbers. They got the permits, approvals and sign offs in record time. I would recommend them to any property management company.

Bobbie J.

8/15/2015

Paul Shay (da boss) and his men are amazing. I think they are the best plumbers in the city. They have come day and night (I'm serious, any time of night) and have never disappointed. Paul and his crew are pros and know what's up. I'm bummed that I know them so well (chronic prob in my building), but I challenge you to find a better plumber in this town. Booya.

Ubu R.

9/28/2018

Our building recently had a lot of work done by this plumber, which cost us many thousands of dollars. Unfortunately the work that was done caused more problems than it fixed. Yet, the worst part of our interaction with this plumber was their either non-responsive or belligerent customer service... So our building's problems remain unresolved and we are searching for another plumber. I would advise you to do the same!

T P.

1/29/2018

Great service from Paul C. He called to confirm the appointment, and was prompt, thorough, and efficient.

Emily C.

10/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

Paul and Greg did an amazing job! They replaced my toilet which had a crack in the tank very quickly, and when the original toilet was out of stock at Home Depot thy upgraded me to a high efficiency model at no additional cost. Quick, effective, nice and did a great job - what more can you ask for?

Ms O.

06/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

I called them to get an estimate for some HVAC work at our apartment - two nice men came and took a look at our systems and promised to provide an estimate. All fine... except that they never followed up. I called them twice and both times someone would promise to call back.. then NOTHING. What a waste of time.

UPDATED: They came back online since my original review and have been super responsible and professional. Their crew is very courteous and prompt. I am happy with their service!

Mike H.

4/28/2017

A Real Good Plumber built an entire new bathroom in our apartment, and installed a new kitchen, and washer/dryer. The work required installing new pipes through the walls and doing all build in accordance with New York City code. They did an outstanding job, the plumbers and support crew were of the highest professional caliber, they always arrived on time, worked all day and cleaned up at the end of the day. Their fees are very competitive and you always know whom to call if you have a question. I recommend them with no reservations.

Bonnie R.

09/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

I had a leak that could not be located. It came from my floor and leaked into the bathroom below me. Roosevelt, from A Real Good Plumber, came to my rescue. It took a half a day to locate the leak which was under tile and concrete. I have a tenant in the space where the work needed to be done. Roosevelt was diplomatic, kind, and so incredibly professional. He went beyond what most plumbers do...He wanted me to understand the problem, how it happen, what the scope of the work would be a how long it would take. He also gave me an estimate of the costs that was very close to what it actually cost. What could have been an absolute nightmare was eased by Roosevelt's professionalism.

Roy R.

10/24/2006

He is a good plumber.
Came with in an hour and did a good job.
A little bit expensive.

Thomas A.

11/25/2011

Was quickly asked for a $90 fee for initial evaluation of the work. Repeatedly had to call to get follow-up to try to get a bid. Finally got a HUGE apology for the delay to respond with seemingly good excuses but then again could not get in touch with the guy who was supposed to offer me an official bid. Nice woman who answers the phone actually scheduled a date for me but even when that time came, I still didn't have a bid. 2 1/2 weeks after my original contact, I received the bid to repair an active leak. Needless to say I had to look elsewhere. I hope they spend that $90 well cause I feel like I was swindled.

I would look elsewhere. Swindled or bad timing?... regardless this is one very unhappy customer.

Yen H.

8/14/2016

I renovated two bathrooms. My contractor's regular plumbing guys couldn't do the job so we used these guys. Service was lousy. Problems: 1) They delayed the project by waiting until the last minute to pull the permit. Before and after the pulled the permit, they came late on multiple occasions. Whatever day they were supposed to come - they ended up coming 3-5 days after that day. 2) on the day before we were suppose to move back in, they finally showed up to hookup the plumbing but the guy walked off after missing the proper installation nut. My contractor had to beg him to come back and complete a partial installation so that we had a working toilet and tub for the weekend. 3) The washing machine malfunctioned because they mislaid a small water sensor for electronic shutoff. They finally came back three weeks later to replace the missing part. 4) Finally, they poorly welded some of the piping since one of the bathrooms has really low water pressure flow. This was not a problem before the renovation so it was a post renovation issue. There was more but at this point, I've blocked it from my memory. We were otherwise pleased with our contractor and electrician, but the plumber was the cause of much of the renovation project issues.

Peter O.

2/28/2012

I've been a property manager in Manhattan for nearly 30 years, both commercial and residential, and on several occasions I've used the services of this company. They're prompt and fair. They charge a modest fee to come and assess your problem, and if you accept their proposal (which has always been reasonable in my opinion) they do the work right away and credit the service call charge money toward the work. The work has always been good in my experience.

Peter O.
NYC

Batatinha P.

09/12/2012 12:00:00 SA

So im writing this comment, and its not the view of the place i work for tied to them, just something i experienced.
I would NOT recommend their services to family, friends really anyone.
I was working for a place as a secretary, and was called by Paul, the boss? so says his secretary, who asked to talk to one of the people in charge here at my work. So i transferred them. This happened another time and another, mainly because the man who he tried to get in contact isnt always in or meets with people all day and usually gets things done closer to the end of the day.
Not the point, anyway, upon calling again he asked me who i was. I told him and apologized but explained the situation, i thought there was no harm done and happy to try and help him to the best of my ability.
He then got mad with me, and threatened me and the place i work with, saying oh i would hate to come down there and take out the things we worked on because this is dragging out. Never in my entire life of work have i ever been threatened by someone. I work hard and think its absurd, that even though as we speak we are still in normal business hours, but to bully someones secretary and threaten them is EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL and UNACCEPTABLE!

I did get the information he needed and called back, to which i was put on hold, and eventually picked up and told that he wasnt available. i then called back again, to which he wasnt available. and finally he called me back (i think the desperation he had earlier in the day to get the information had decreased) and i gave him the information. He did say something about the ugliness of the conversation, but it shouldnt happen ever in the first place. He is a business owner. anyway

if you need plumbing services i would look elsewhere....there ARE courteous people around!

just not here

Jason S.

7/24/2014

Greg and Juan located and fixed a massive, hard to reach leak in my kitchen ceiling that was causing huge damage in my apartment. This was not easy and they did it all effectively and efficiently and quickly, and couldn't have been more polite and more honest and more straightforward about through the whole process. Easy to communicate with. I asked them to write up a page description of the damage for my insurance claim and they didn't hesitate for a second -- went above and beyond the call of duty. Good guys.

Olga P.

07/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

When my shower fixture broke I called A Real Good Plumber right away because I had used them before when I renovated my apartment and I knew they would be good. They came promptly and fixed it a few times but warned me it that the part that was broken was no longer manufactured and that I would have to replace the whole unit soon. Finally, I had to get a whole new fixture but because it was an emergency (I had to shower at a neighbor's) there was no time to wait for a special order. The plumber who came, Roosevelt, went out of his way to get the closest thing to what I wanted. Although it's not ideal I can shower now, and later on they told me I can just replace the outside parts when I find something that I like better. I am grateful to all the other workers too including Steve, Jeronimo, Ernesto, Barry and a few others whose names I can't remember who were very knowledgeable and competent professionals.

Stephanie B.

11/30/2011

These people rip you off, are impossible to get in touch with and answers from, and lie lie lie. They gave me an estimate, then charged me virtually double. And what's worse is quality of work is NOT what you pay for - mediocre at best. Look elsewhere. I don't see any pro's to using them.

Stephen N.

4/30/2014

they came quickly, they worked efficiently to fix the problem, and the bill wasn't terrible. what more can i ask for?

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