Binion Plumbing

We called Binion Plumbing to clear the main line because our kitchen sink would not drain.  An older gentelman, whose last name is Binion, arrived on June 21st.  He snaked the line and partially cleared the blockage.  However, that night, our clothes washer backed up into the sink and our washer overflowed into our utility room.  We texted Binion that night and called Binion the next day. My wife received a response when she called.  On June 22nd, two younger technicians came out and snaked the line a second time. They also ran the clotheswasher through the drain cycle while they flushed water down the sink. When they were done, our kitchen sink drained faster than you could add water, but they charged an additional $ 78.00 for their time.  

These are the things I felt they did right:  Their scheduling was easy, and they communicated with me on their arrival time.  They cleared the drainage line.  On their second attempt, the sink drained faster than it had in a long time. Overall, the total amount I paid was reasonable.  

What they got wrong: They should have taken the time on their first attempt to make sure that the line was clear.

Overall, I would give this company a C.  Had they taken the time to do it right on the first attempt, I would have given them an A+.  If they hadn't charged me to come out on their second attempt, I would have given them an A.

I had a sump pump replaced.  First the outdoor outlet shorted out because the seal was broken between the house was loose and water seeped into the outlet.  Within a year the sump stopped working.  Roots had grown into the tank because the lid of the tank was cracked where the new pump was installed. Third the wire for new pump was not buried more than 2 deep.  Therefore, lazy and shoddy work.  Never ever use this plumber.

I had several different home plumbing issues and it was amazing to hear him explain the in's and out's of repairing each one. It was like hearing a surgeon who has seen everything explain the possible treatments and outcomes. They worked at a good pace. I believe he is honest and we will call them again.

Had a leak in my garage of unknown origin. Called out Mark and his helper. They diagnosed and fixed the problem quickly. I was very pleased with their quick response and ability to find the source of the leak.

They came out and were rude and overpriced the visit (time here was less than 1/2 hour and they charged over 1 hour).  They also said they couldn't help me.

I needed a shower fixture replaced so I called Binion Plumbing who was referred by a friend.  I bought the fixture at Home Depot that was very similar to the one I wanted replaced.  The plumber showed up with an assistant who looked fairly new to the job and replaced the fixture in about an hour.    I had an easy access point to the plumbing behind the shower and it seemed like a fairly routine job. When he finished he presented me a bill for $340.56.  When I asked why it was so much he just said it was for the service charge and parts.  The service charge was $262.50, $72.11 for parts which included $2 for pipe dope and $1 for grease and tax of $5.95.  I assume the service charge included the labor.
I didn't ask for an estimate but I guess I should have.  I probably would have gotten the standard answer of  we won't know until we get in there and see what we need to do..  Next time I will at least get the cost of the service charge and labor.  Even if it took  two hours,  I was charged $262.50, that's $131.25 an hour.  It seemed to be a one man job but there were two people working  and one of them seemed to be someone who he was training.  I guess they did a satisfactory job but next time I think I'll try one of those on-line services where you can get referrals and a couple of bids.
I initially wasn't going to say much about it but when I was telling the friend who referred Binion she said that was outrageous and I ought to complain about it.