Richard Haviland

Richard and Brian are awesome.  I have never had to hire a plumber on my own before, and I was really worried that I was going to get ripped off or screwed around if I chose the wrong people.  Luckily these guys are definitely the right ones to call:  professional, reliable, friendly, fair, and affordable.  

They quickly fixed the problem that I was having with my shower, despite the fact that it was a weird brand and the manufacturer was not exactly easy to deal with.  Without their persistence and follow up with the company, this probably could have dragged out for weeks or months.  They also kept in good communication with me between their two visits, so I didn't have to guess where they were in the process of obtaining the necessary part.  

It is such a relief to know that there are true professionals out there like the Haviland brothers.  I can't recommend them highly enough!

I've used Richard a couple of times, and he's usually very nice, thorough, and reasonably priced.  But, in January I had a job that really should have been very easy and he just didn't want to do it.  He comes to my apt, looks at the flushometer toilet and says your super should be able to do this.

The problem is, my super sucks.  I know this, which is why I am calling a pro.  The piston in the flushometer completely gives way a week later, water is just running full blast into the bowl, and I had no choice but to call the super.  He puts a new shutoff valve on the toilet, for some reason, and replaces the piston.  I pay him $260.

Problem is, he effed it up.  The action on the flusher was weirdly stiff, and a few weeks later it just stops working.  I call the super and he couldn't give less of a sh*t.  I told you, you probably need a new handle he says. Get the part for me and I'll look at it.  (He had not communicated that to me, and it turns out he was wrong anyway.)

So, I end up calling one of those overpriced retail plumbers.  He shows up, and observes that the super put an unnecessary second gasket in there, which seems to have messed it all up.  About 15 minutes later the job is done, and I'm out another $300.  So I ended up dealing with three different people and spending $560 for an easy job that required a $40 part.

Richard is a great guy for jobs that he wants.  But he really left me in the lurch here when I needed someone to just do the job right.

Richard and Brian always get the job done on time and under budget, so to speak.  They are completely free of greed--they seem committed to completing their work as inexpensively as possible.  They show up reliably 100% of the time.  The best plumber experience I have ever had.

Edited to drop a star.  I'm sorry to harm the average but I feel I have to: Now that I've called Richard a couple more times, I have to say he never actually got his hands wet at our home.  He takes my call or text and even will come over ... then accepts no payment for his time and recommends someone else.  Generous and kind but not what you expect when you contact a plumber.  If his B team were 100% great that would be okay--they're decent, but south of four stars.  Not sure what aspect of plumbing Richard actually does.

Richard Haviland is a rare find. I needed a plumber to do some work in Brooklyn, but I did not have the time or resources to go to Brooklyn to find one. So, of course, I went to the web, Craigslist in particular, wading through a lot of ads and promo-posts that looked suspect at best and downright deceitful at worst.

I was beginning to get worried when something about Richard's post caught my eye. I can't even tell you what it was to this day; it wasn't flashy or bombastic - maybe that's what it was, who knows. But something made me call him - and so far he has turned out to be the best tradesman I have had going into that building on a regular basis.

He investigates the problem, gets in touch with me to review the details, we settle on a cost - always reasonable - and a course of action, and he gets the job done, letting me know the final bill.  Work's done, tenants are happy and all is right with the world. He is a man of his word.

And did I mention that I have yet to meet him face to face? That's right - we've been working together now for almost a year, and he and I have been nothing more than voices on the phone to each other with a little bit of cellphone technology mixed in.

Sure, I have a guy in the building who works as a go-between for the residents and for followups. But Richard and I have been operating on a virtual handshake for almost a year now, and more than once he has shown himself to be not only a very good plumber, but a man with integrity and a compassionate heart.

I am very fortunate to have come across his post in Craigslist. I know exactly What led me to him!  And I just want to make that known to anyone else who needs some plumbing work done in Brooklyn and would like to deal with a real decent human being.  Thanks a lot, Richard!

Hired to run a new sewer line, which obviously involved breaking the floor in basement etc.
Committed to job, started job, then bailed out, passing the job on to another plumber, leaving home with a week's delay in the work continuing.

Everyone likes an easy project which can pay as much as harder work--but don't commit to a a job until something better/easier comes along.

Talked the talk - then walked!

I called Richard for a small plumbing job that I expected would take less than an hour. He asked a couple of questions and was happy to give me a quote over the phone. Rather than the exorbitant fee I'd feared having worked with other local plumbers, he gave me a fair price.
Richard arrived on time, and despite complications that caused the job to take two hours, he honored his original quote.
Dealing with Richard was easy and hassle free, and he'll be my first call next time I need a job doing.

More praise for Richard and Brian!

They fixed my leak quickly and efficiently; had excellent, frequent communication between visits; were willing to come on a weekend and after business hours to suit my schedule; and charged a fair price.

Honest professionals with excellent integrity. Came by to look into a shower plumbing issue I was having on short notice. Arrived early and worked very efficiently. Communication was excellent throughout. Would highly recommend.

These guys are outstanding.  They showed up when Richard said they would and fixed the leaky pipes under my kitchen sink very quickly.  He charged a very fair price.  I would not hesitate to use them for a bigger and more complicated job.  It is not often that you see a tradesman who consistently gets five stars from all the customers who post, but now I understand how Richard and his brother have managed it.

They did a great job with two of my problematic bathroom fixtures. On top of that, they stayed in contact via text, confirmed our appointment the day before, and arrived for the job on time. I would definitely use their services again and recommend them to anyone looking for quality plumbers.

I also had to join yelp just to review Richard and Brian.  These guys are absolutely amazing!!  They are dependable, trustworthy, and spend as much time as they need to get the job done right, every time.  They often suggest creative solutions and work with you throughout the entire process to achieve your goals and stay within your budget (for everything from installing a complicated plumbing situation for a washer/dryer to simply unclogging a basic drain).

I feel very lucky to have come across Richard and Brian via yelp and wanted to add one more shout out for these guys.  Do yourself a favor and give them a call!

Richard and Brian were right on time, thorough in their investigation of our problem, and didn't even try to charge us for their tome when they realized the problem wasn't what we thought. Would highly recommend them.

Reliable, trustworthy and fair pricing!!!!!!!!!!! Where do you find that today?  I needed a plumber, but had some bad experiences in the past, a friend told me about the plumbers she used in the past, she gave me Richard Haviland,s info.  I contacted him and set up a meeting, he showed up on time, assessed the problem quickly, gave me a fair price.  He and Brian were prompt, courteous and pleasant to work with.  I would not hesitate to call Richard and Brian again for any plumbing problem.
Highly recommended.

I have to agree with the other reviewers....Richard and Brian are plumbers you can trust. Honest and dependable, always return calls and happy to explain the details, options, and costs. Always on-time as scheduled. You can't leave your home's plumbing to just anybody. I live in Staten Island and they came out here promptly and was glad they did. And over the last few months we've done all sorts of different jobs...from snaking main lines, cutting copper, installing my dishwasher, and installing new steam radiators and vents. They do it all....highly recommended.

We love Richard and Brian! They have helped us time and time again - everything from bigger jobs like putting in a bathtub, to troubleshooting longstanding problems that no one else could fix, to coming to us at the last minute when we had a burst pipe and a flooded basement. Even when I was out of state and had to rely on them without physically being there - they were great. They are honest, reliable, responsive, reasonably priced and know everything. There isn't a problem they can't fix. It is rare to be able to trust someone so thoroughly - they treat our house as if it's theirs. Plus they are just really good people. Can't say enough good things.

nice guys!  prompt return of my call, came to my house within a few hours, fixed the faucet leak and checked other plumbing for possible problems.  decent price.

Rich and Brian just installed a new hot water heater. They were prompt and courteous and had the job done in no time. Good service at a fair price from nice people. It doesn't get any better.

Fantastic service, reasonable price, very responsive. Ideal personalized service. Came when they said and fixed the problem. Now why can't they all be like that?