Description

We specialize in the Installation and Repair of Tankless Water Heaters, Traditional Water Heaters, Toilets, Faucets and Gas Appliance Hook-ups. We also Specialize in correcting low or high water pressure issues and Leak Repair or replacement of Water, Natural Gas, Propane, and Sewer Lines.Thunderbird Plumbing Co. also offers rooter services for clogged and slow drains. Our technicians will use integrity while working in your home or place of business, and provide you with a reliable service, always keeping in consideration that our customers are our best asset! With out you we wouldn't be here! Thunderbird Plumbing are experienced in the diagnostic and repair service that can solve your drain problem and get your home or office back in action, Our technicians will quickly determine the nature of your problem and will then advise the best solution to suit your needs. At Thunderbird Plumbing we NEVER recommend unnecessary repairs!

HISTORY

Established in 2006.
Thunderbird Plumbing Co. was established in 2006 by Owner and Master Plumber Jeff Plunkett as an alternative to the larger and higher priced national companies in town. After working for these companies for over a decade Jeff understood that the largest companies didn't always offer a higher level of service.In fact, the opposite was often true.These big companies are in a constant struggle to keep up with a high volume of calls and often times the plumber they send out might not even be properly licensed.So what you end up with is a lower quality of work at a much higher price.At Thunderbird Plumbing ,where good old fashioned service still means something ,you will get High Quality Work at a much lower price.Still today, most of our business comes from repeat customers and folks they refer to us.We do the job right the first time, our business depends on it.

ABOUT BUSINESS OWNER

Jeff began his career in the Plumbing business nearly 20 years ago.He started by pressure washing out the septic pump trucks and digging trenches for water or drainage lines.Basically doing alot of the dirty work that most Plumbers are familiar with.Jeff worked his way up and became highly skilled at installing and repairing water heaters, toilets, faucets,drain, water and sewer lines, and also became highly skilled at isolating and repairing slab leaks in water and drain lines.He Knows what it's like to put in an honest days work.At most of the Plumbing outfits Jeff worked for he was held in high regard for his work ethic and the high quality of his work.He feels that maintaining this quality is vital to keeping his business going for years to come.He thinks long and hard about those he brings on board at Thunderbird Plumbing and makes sure to have plumbers of a higher level along side him.We honestly feel that when you call us you will get more value for the money.

SERVICES

Water Heater Repair, Drain Cleaning, Toilet Repair, Toilet Installation, Faucet Repair, Drain Installation, Faucet Installation, Tankless Water Heater Repa…, Garbage Disposal Installat… , Gas Water Heater Repair , Leak Detection , Electric Water Heater Installation, Hot Water Recirculation Pump Installat…, Sump Pump Repair, Virtual Consultations, Pipe Installation, Sewer Services, Water Heater Installation, Pipe Repair, Sink Repair, Bathtub & Shower Repair, Gas Line Services, Bathtub & Shower Installat…, Electric Water Heater Repa…, Sink Installation, Garbage Disposal Repair , Hot Water Recirculation Pu… , Water Filter Services , Gas Water Heater Installation, Sump Pump Installation, Tankless Water Heater Installation, Water Heater Leak Repair, Septic Tank Services, Solar Water Heater Repair, ,

Reviews

Lauren Y.

4/30/2023

Love Thunderbird Plumbing! Ted is consistent, super helpful, quick to communicate, and reliable. He always gives great advice and does quality work. I recently had to get my water heater replaced and the new water heater is so much better with getting hot water fest with the updates and configurations Ted made. I also really appreciate his suggestions on maintenance as well as the effect of my water softener system on the heater. Ted has also done great work replacing my garbage disposal. New one works like a charm. I highly recommend Thunderbird Plumbing for all plumbing needs!

Jim C.

9/20/2022

tl;dr: great work, good prices, versatile - highly recommended

We had a leak in our garage and water in our water heater pan. Unfortunately they were not related, it turns out we had a leak in our laundry pipes and our 18-year old water heater was giving up the ghost.

We called our regular plumber but he was unavailable, so we called the references he gave us as well as some companies off Yelp like Thunderbird plumbing. Ted from Thunderbird seemed the most knowledgeable and trustworthy (according to Hope, who used to work with a lot of subs as an architect and a construction project manager), and surprisingly enough also had the cheapest estimate. (Some plumbers wouldn't even do all the work we wanted, like installing a pressure relief valve).

A few days later Ted came to do all the work, and it seems to be done really well. He even replaced our main water shutoff valve without charging us more than his original estimate.

All in all, a great experience, well worth a 5-star rating.

Shannon R.

7/17/2022

Had a great experience with Raymond who was prompt & courteous a couple months back. He took time to answer all my questions, going beyond just the basics of his job and gave me great advice to help me care for my tankless water heater and pipes. I'd definitely use them again.

Will S.

04/05/2023 12:00:00 SA

Needed to have a 26KW Briggs and Straton home standby generator installed. After getting a few plumbing quotes Jeff with Thunderbird Plumbing came out on top. His team showed up early and went straight to work despite some rainfall. It was a small workforce there to lay a gas line from the home to the generator. These guys were a digging machine and the entire job was completed in 5 hours. They laid down tarps to capture the soil then carefully cut the sod. They hand dug a 45 foot long, two foot deep trench. They laid the poly pipe, labeled for safety then connected cutoff and pressure controls on each end. Then installed the battery and test ran the generator. Purred like a kitten. They watered in and tamped down the loose soil as they filled the trench. Won't be long until you won't even be able to tell they did anything in the back yard. His team comes highly recommended! Thank you Jeff I know where to go when I need some plumbing assistance.

Steve K.

07/01/2022 12:00:00 SA

Ted installed two hybrid electric water heaters for us. First of all, Ted is just a great dude. Honest, friendly, and stuck to his quote. Very easy to work with and a pleasure to be around.

The two water heaters work great, but the incredible part is how he fit them in the small spaces occupied by the previous water heaters. The old ones were not hybrids and less bulky.

As Arthur C. Clarke's law states... any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Well, Ted does magic.

Sandy N.

10/24/2021

10 plus stars to Ted!
My husband called Thunderbird and Ted reached out the next day and was able to come out. We were amazed how quickly the turnaround was because we've noticed that a lot of these places like gutters, garage doors, and other services just don't care and not responsive.
My Husband worked with Ted and learned so much from him. Not only was Ted really nice and professional but he was HONEST! We had a bathroom we don't use since we've moved in our home because the hot water took 15 minutes to come out. Ted gave valuable pointers and wallah it worked! He also taught my husband some other things as well.
We now know who to call for any plumbing issues. We've already recommended him to our neighbors!
It's not often we find great people like Ted so we are fortunate we did.
Thank you Ted for helping us and teaching my husband a thing or two about plumbing! You are now our go to plumber going forward!!

Casey M.

3/31/2022

After getting some ridiculous quotes through Home Advisors to resolve an intermittent issue with my tankless hot eater heater I found Thunderbird Plumbing on Yelp. They came out that day after giving me a reasonable expectation of the cost range based on the potential problems. They contacted the manufacturer and quickly diagnosed the issue. The plumber located the part in town and was back within the hour. Two hours after initial contact the hot water heater was working great and the bill was 1/3 of what I'd been previously quoted.

Kathleen S.

08/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

Once again Raymond and Thunderbird plumbing gave great service. Raymond came out to check my homeowner's water shutoff valve. He worked in the hot afternoon to first dig up the area to get to the valve and then replaced the 30 year old valve handle and water presssure adjuster. He explained all so I could understand. Great service, peace of mind. Thanks again Thunderbird.

Jesse R.

8/16/2022

Ted recently came out to meet us regarding some tankless water heater concerns that I had. He had performed extra research by calling a Rinnai tech before the visit and provided us with great information. Fortunately, we determined that nothing needed to be done at the time, but I will not hesitate to contact and refer Thunderbird for future plumbing needs!

Kevin L.

6/17/2021

Five stars yet again. A different plumber quoted me for a job, and Jeff saved the day by validating the quote, but came back with quality work at a lower rate, which was incredible and unexpected. Thanks, Jeff! Appreciate you!

Tara H.

9/30/2021

From start to finish, Thunderbird Plumbing is the best! Plumbing pros! We discovered a hot water line leak that was steadily leaking water through the floor, into the house. Ted was responsive and came to check out the issue and give us an estimate the same day I called. He helped us with a short term fix until he could come back and do the full repair. Jeff and Ted returned a week later to complete the job (cap at the leak and reroute the line). They were on time, friendly and worked well together to diagnose the issue and fix it. They were fast and less expensive than another quote I received. We were grateful they were recommended to us! Thanks Thunderbird!

Michael W.

12/27/2021

Ted came out to assess our nonfunctional water heater. Communication was great. Quick service and explained everything as work progressed. A few hours later and hot water has returned. Highly recommended.

Shirley E.

05/03/2022 12:00:00 SA

Had work done and it was good work! However when I text him later for a potential new job, he was very very rude; this killed the deal and future deals!

Cooperdel ..

03/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

Raymond was a huge help in fixing a whole host of issues we had, from toilet replacements to sink fixes to leak repairs. He also quoted a tankless system to replace our old twin water heaters, and we will be taking him up on that in the not too distant future. In addition to getting all the repairs done well and quickly, Raymond was a wealth of knowledge, easy to work with, a good communicator, and totally dependable. I even had to leave him at the house by himself, and he made sure everything was locked down when he left. Admittedly, Thunderbird is pretty busy, so it did take me some time to get on their schedule, but it was well worth the wait. We now have a plumbing service that we can depend on for the foreseeable future.

Ty G.

06/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

Thunderbird Plumbing stands out as an exceptional service and customer oriented company. Thunderbird was one of three plumbing companies recommended by my fantastic realtor and I sought estimates from another five via Yelp.

I needed replacement of the Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) for low water pressure, a hydrostatic leak test of the drain lines, and a basic leak test of the freshwater lines.

Jeff, the owner of Thunderbird, responded same day and was able to provide a detailed estimate the following day (a day sooner than anticipated). We were communicating via Email and his responses to my many questions were timely, detailed and very easy to understand. Thunderbird's estimate was on company work order/invoice letterhead: the only company to do so. And yes, the completed work came in right on the estimate! No surprises!

Of the five companies via Yelp, I received replies ranging from no reply, to asking me why I needed an estimate, to a required $89 service call just for an estimate, to a range of estimate prices. Of these, some were detailed estimates, others were not. Anyway folks, I did my homework!

After scheduling with Thunderbird for the following Monday, I had to move the work back a week. Jeff was able to accommodate the change- no problem! This was a huge relief, considering how busy the skilled trades are in Austin right now (the housing boom).

The PRV replacement involved digging in the front yard and Jeff was amazingly tidy: putting plastic down first, cutting the sod layer separately, and putting all sod and dirt on the plastic. When the PRV was fixed, you could hardly see where any digging was done at all!. The hydrostatic test involved removing one toilet and when the test was done, he put the toilet back with a new wax ring, new retainer bolts, and new caulk! This was great! Jeff provided pictures, for my records, of the water pressure test readings and various phases of all the work.

This was a new home purchase for me, though I've lived in Austin a little over 30 years. I can easily say Thunderbird Plumbing, and the owner Jeff Plunkett, was the best experience I've had with a plumbing contractor! I will use Thunderbird for any and all of my future plumbing needs, guaranteed!

Jacque B.

03/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Jeff is awesome!!! Our water heater died!!! I sent him the pictures. Jeff was patient as we were working with the insurance company and a warranty company. Finally just working with Jeff and the insurance company!!! His quote was very reasonable seeing that he had to bring everything up to code. That evening he texted me to make sure everything was okay. We have a new plumber!!

Brian W.

12/23/2020

We had a problem with our hot water (we have tankless) in our home we just moved into called a cold water sandwich, the water in the shower would start cold (which is normal), then get hot (which is normal), then go ice cold again (NOT normal), then maybe in a while would get hot again.

We hired a DIFFERENT plumber (not Thunderbird Plumbing) to come by, and after poking around for 40 minutes that idiot said I don't see any issues. It takes a while for hot water to travel through the house, you need a hot water recirculator to fix this, which will involve us tearing up drywall throughout your house and cost thousands of dollars - we'll send you a quote.

Before spending those thousands of dollars, we found Thunderbird Plumbing on Yelp looking for at least a second opinion. Their voice mail said they were too busy right now, but we got a call back right away and they agreed to swing by the VERY NEXT DAY to take a look. Jeff walks into our house, listens to my description, goes to the tankless hot water heater AND IN 3 MINUTES says Yeah, that's not right at all, I'm reproducing the issue, and it is displaying an error code. Let me call tech support for this particular unit and we'll work through it.

I sometimes get chills up my spine when the person in front of me fills me with confidence and I realize this is the right guy, right here, right now.

About two hours later, Jeff says ok, I fixed several thing and I think you're good, but call me if it isn't fixed, I guarantee this work. Jeff then explains in great detail, The air intake/exhaust wasn't hooked up right, maybe the wind knocked it at some point, maybe it was never hooked up right, but I fixed that and the error code stopped. Also, you are supposed to replace the water filter into the unit every few years and it really didn't seem like it had ever been replaced and the unit is 7 years old - so I replaced that. Also, I descaled/decalcified the water heater, it was pretty bad, I don't think anybody had ever done that either so I descaled it. I also went around to all your showers and cleaned out the sediment from all the shower heads. It's working great now. Oh yeah, somebody had turned the hot water heater temperature up too high probably to try to fix this incorrectly, I turned it down to the recommended setting. It's not great to have it cranked that high, bad for the unit.

And from that point onward we had no more issues, everything worked the way it is supposed to, it even gets hot first thing in the morning in half the time. No thousands of dollars on a recirculator that would not have solved the problem anyway. No drywall work. One visit by the right guy.

I'm never calling anybody else ever again. Jeff is the plumbing whisperer. He's the right guy. And he doesn't charge NEARLY enough, not even close.

George R.

01/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

We've been on this planet for over seven decades and these guys are the absolute best plumbers we have ever encountered. They do only what's needed and their prices are very fair. They go out of there way to help in every way possible and more. I was trying to light my gas grill and without me asking they helped me get it going. You'll be so glad you called Thunderbird Plumbing!!!!!

Manny F.

10/15/2020

Great service, fair price, on time and quick. Jeff was in and out on a new water heater install and he even replaced a part on the water heater that was plastic to a brass fitting. He's my new go to plumber from now on!

Alexandra G.

1/30/2021

We needed to have one of our water heaters replaced in our new home, because it didn't seem to be working too well. After contacting Thunderbird Plumbing, I got a text message from Jeff and we were able to get the whole thing scheduled. He was able to give me a quote based on pictures I had taken of the attic space and water heater. He was able to schedule it for just a few days later (he even offered to come sooner, but it didn't work for us). Right on time, Jeff and Ted showed up and quickly got to work taking out the old water heater and setting up the new one. They were very careful about my floors too, and put down plastic tarps. While they were here they even flushed out the other water tank I have, to make sure it doesn't collect too much sediment. Jeff answered every question I had, and helped clarify which upgrades were needed to get up to code - something that other companies didn't seem to want to tell me directly. I'm so happy with the work they did, and will definitely call them in the future if I need any plumbing work done around the house. Thanks!

L W.

11/30/2020

We ended up not using Thunderbird, because we were ultimately forced to go through our new builder's warranty, but I had an excellent experience talking to Thunderbird on the phone. A real plumber called me back real quick, and squeezed us into an appointment the same day. They offered valuable advice and insight over the phone into the reasons why a newly built home would have a clog so soon (within a year), and next steps should something occur. When I had to cancel the appointment because the builder told us we would void the warranty by using a third party, and called Thunderbird back to tell them as such, they were just as helpful. Chad (Jeff?) sounded like a great guy. They also gave me a very competitive quote on fixing the clog and quoted incidental charges as well.

I would 100% hire them as soon as the warranty runs out on the new build.

Please give them a shot, we were kindly dealt with even though we didn't end up giving them business this time around, and had extremely reasonable quotes. They offer camera services into your pipes as well (in case you are starting to doubt your home builder's plumber choice, as I am).

Brittany R.

1/13/2021

I cannot recommend Thunderbird Plumbing, and specifically Jeff enough!! I have a Home Warranty and they sent a plumber out a few months ago who stated there potentially was an issue with the timer so I almost hired an electrician, per his recommendation. Fast forward a few months, and after seeing amazing reviews about Jeff, we reached out and asked him to come over and diagnose our hot water heater. He did a wonderful job explaining the details of my 40 gallon hot water heater and helping me understand what should be expected of this unit. Though we did not do any work at this present time, I literally asked Jeff for for business cards so I could give them to friends. We will only be using Jeff as our plumber and truly cannot recommend him enough!

Theron L.

04/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

Jeff Plunkett from Thunderbird Plumbing did an amazing job replacing our Garbage Disposal and redesigning a plumbing strategy for a much larger, more advanced garbage disposal. Before finding Thunderbird Plumbing a previous company quoted us 500-700$ for a redesign plumbing strategy/install. Thunderbird Plumbing gave us a more efficient plumbing strategy with a price (100 - 130$) much more reasonable for the work being done.

Emilia H.

09/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

Outstanding. Our water heater needed replacement. Jeff and Ted came over and did a fabulous job. They were efficient, very clean, respectful, followed covid guidelines and did the job so quickly I am astounded. They really are exceptional in this day and age and I am already planning to hire them for my other plumbing needs. Thank you Jeff and Ted! I am always a little skeptical of yelp reviews but in this case, everyone was right. Two thumbs up for sure!!

Jonathan H.

09/01/2021 12:00:00 SA

I am a fan! We have complex water heater issues at our home related to the original construction. There was no easy solution. Jeff spent much time problem solving instead of just ripping open walls which would have been much more costly. He came up with a solution that works perfectly. Ted and Jeff fixed other items in our home as well. I'm so thankful to find people that are top notch in their craft, kind, professional, easy to work with and very fairly priced. Thank you again for all the wonderful work!!!

Jaime F.

05/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

Thunderbird installed my new backflow preventer after my old one froze and burst in the winter storm. Showed up on time when promised and did a great job on the repair. Would highly recommend!

Scott M.

11/28/2018

I've had a problem with water pressure at my home for quite some time, but it had gotten worse in the last six months. Running two faucets or flushing a toilet at the same time as running water cut the pressures back immensely. After checking the water pressure at the City connection and at my main shut-off valve, I found my static pressure was about 50 psi - what the manufacturer had set on the PRV - but could go up to as much as 75 psi. Fine - just adjust it? Well...the diaphragm wasn't working correctly.

I called two other service providers and were told the PRV was bad, but neither took the time nor asked the questions that Ted at Thunderbird did. Ted took considerable time checking to see what certain actions with the water faucets did to the pressures at the gauge set on the hose bib. Ted and I agreed that the PRV was set to factory standards - even checked the neighbor and his pressure was like mine. I had decided to just change out the cartridges on my Moen fixtures first and see if that would help - but my specific situation wasn't going to give me the time to have the PRV dug up and replaced if needed.

I went ahead and had Ted replace the PRV and set the pressure up to 75 psi, which the old PRV wouldn't hold. I'm glad I did! All was much better; however, I went and replaced all of the Moen cartridges as well and everything is working much better than I imagined it would (yes, Ted, I decided to pay for the cartridges myself to get the job done!).

Thanks to Ted, his knowledge, his skills and his ability to get the job done in a prompt and efficient manner. A joy to work with and get to know!

Tom C.

02/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

I have been planning to replace my 15 year old hot water tank with some kind of Tankless Water Heater for many years. I have researched many residential and a few commercial water heaters and then read reviews. I also inquired with a number of local and a national plumbing company in Austin and what I got were a lot of excuses and reasons why they didn't think I'd want a tankless water heater!?

Jeff at Thunderbird was the first plumber I have talked to who not only sold the model I wanted and needed, but he also came to my house and gave me a written quote the same morning I contacted his company.

The system he installed (Navien 240-A) is far more advanced than what I had been reading about for years. It's a South Korean brand I have never seen before, yet it was simple to operate and very sophisticated inside. I looked up the technical details, the diagrams, and read reviews, like these here in Yelp. It's rated at 200,000 BTU's max, has a very high flow rate (11 GPM) and still works with my 1/2 inch gas line.

I had planned to have this tank installed outside my house, as they do in many commercial buildings and restaurants around here (like NXNW). However, because this tank is so efficient, the exhaust is more like my drier. It did not need expensive stainless steel vents, which can cost as much as the water heater !

My tankless system provides instant hot water, because it has a recirculation pump built-in, which worked with the existing plumbing in my house. There is no cold/hot/cold water sandwich - just a stead supply of hot water when to turn on the tap, run a shower, or fill up my whirlpool tub (which I could not do with the old 50 gallon tank).

This is a HIGH TECH UPGRADE to my home and an improvement that will reduce the cost of natural gas and wasted water. It's exactly what I wanted and the workmanship is worth showing off. I'm taking pictures and sharing them with everyone.

Kudo's Jeff !

Catherine G.

6/30/2020

They did two repairs for us. Both times they fixed the issue quickly, provided great customer service, and charged reasonable prices. Highly recommend.

Tony Y.

11/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

I can't recommend Jeff and Thunderbird plumbing enough. I had a water heater installed and Jeff's estimate came in under two other bids I had. He was prompt and efficient, and was really nice and communicative throughout.

After the installation, I mentioned some small problems I had in my new home, and he offered to walk through, took a look, and gave me a few tips. I had a leak in the bathroom faucet that I had no idea how to fix and he grabbed a similar faucet valve from his truck and showed me how to fix it.

I can't imagine a better plumber.

Hae Young B.

06/01/2021 12:00:00 SA

Before Covid, we were very satisfied with their services for the plumbing issues. But after Covid, we were not able to schedule with them. We left the messages twice but they never returned our calls.

Will D.

4/29/2020

Thunderbird replaced my old, non-working tank water heater with a new Nav tankless unit. Jeff responded to my late-night inquiry before work hours the next morning. With a couple of pictures and clarifying points, Jeff promptly quoted me a price that was in-line or better than 4 others. No time was wasted on unnecessary visits or trying to upsell parts or systems that weren't needed. Jeff arrived at the time promised and completed the job in an efficient and non-intrusive manner. I appreciated the efficiency and thoroughness off the whole project and can't recommend Thunderbird enough for your tankless water heater conversion.

RJ S.

2/18/2017

I will add to great reviews. Called Thunderbird Plumbing after business hours and received a call back later that evening by Raymond. My project wasn't a rush, just needed to get a estimate and time of when they can do it. Raymond originally had a full schedule the next day but might be able to rearrange his schedule to fit me in. He contacted me the next day and was able to get me in at noon.

I sent him pictures of what was leaking (back yard faucet) and he was able to get the parts when he arrived. Knocked out both jobs within the hour. Polite and gave his advice and did great work. Would call them again!

Chuck F.

02/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

Piece of advice: if you know your water heater is past it's expected lifetime replace it before it leaks and costs 5x as much in cleanup and repairs, especially if you require carpentry work to fit in the newer bigger government imposed units.

Ted is the best. Completely competent, patient with many questions, did not rush us but made sure we were at ease with a bad situation. I only wish I would have had Ted out even one month sooner. But, somehow he was able to come out withing hours of calling and he mitigated any further damage. Then he was there the next morning with Travis (who was also great) and had a 2 story attic unit replaced within a couple of hours.

Don't bother doing any more research, just call Thunderbird now.

EDIT: Ted is no longer with Thunderbird, but I had them back out a year later to replace the gas value (bad design, not their fault) and they are still great.

Kay A.

8/31/2019

Still a happy customer! I refer Ted to all of my friends. He is honest and fair--always does what he says he will do. I trust him completely.

Trevor L.

12/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

First time using Thunderbird Plumbing on a small job (replacing an protruding water shut-off valve with a recessed one. I realize some places don't care much for small jobs, but Thunderbird treated it with as much professional care as a larger job. Raymond was on time and the cost and duration was what he quoted over the phone. Very reasonable price. Super nice guy as well. I will be calling on them again for future plumbing needs.

Kevin C.

12/01/2020 12:00:00 SA

Jeff and Raymond replaced the water heater in our attic . It was a tricky job. I can't say enough about what a great job they did. On time, professional, and fairly priced. These guys are tops.

Andrew M.

12/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

I had issues with my gas fireplace not lighting. I Called Thunderbird and got a text back within a few minutes. I was happy to pay for them to come out to look at it (with the expectation of being charged a large call out fee). Rather than that, Jeff did a diagnosis over text. Finally suggested I adjust my thermocouple position. I did that and the issue was resolved at no cost. It really does not get any better than this.

Lew K.

02/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

I called Thunderbird Plumbing at recommendation of a neighbor and could not have been more pleased with the service we received. I can see why they have the 5 star rating. Our technician was able to re-light the pilot on my waterheater and gave me some advice on keeping the intakes clear of dust/debris AND how to properly light the pilot (turns out it was I who was not following the correct directions). My biggest surprise came when there was no charge for the service; my expectation being, for any service provider to even cross the threshold of your house, you are getting a minimal service charge. Thunderbird will be my FIRST and ONLY call for my future plumbing needs. The technician (and I very much regret I didn't get his name) was very professional, on time, friendly and knowledgeable. THANKS SO MUCH Thunderbird!

Elizabeth W.

11/17/2019

I was so happy that we picked Thunderbird to install our new water heater. They did an amazing job, did it to code, did it quickly and did it within a week of us asking. The pricing was also very reasonable. As a realtor who has worked with a lot of vendors, I plan on using these guys for all my and my clients projects!

Marshall M.

12/15/2018

Excellent customer service and seemed knowledgeable. Fixed a few issues at my house and provided insight on some questions I had. My 4 year old claims he was the best plumber he's ever met!

Glenna S.

11/30/2018

Of course when my water heater started leaking I wanted a plumber with a 5-star track record, and Thunderbird lived up to it! I emailed them late at night and explained the situation. They called and emailed and texted first thing in the morning and were happy to come right away, even though I knew their business was very busy. They replaced the water heater and cleaned up the water within 3 hours. They quoted the price before the job and stuck with it--and it was a great price! I think I have a new go-to plumber!

Bruce C.

10/12/2018 12:00:00 SA

Great experience. Call him.

We used Thunderbird for a situation where I didn't want to get involved and he came though with flying colors.

Nikos I.

10/23/2018

I am extremely happy with the service provided to me today by Raymond at Thunderbird Plumbing. He showed up exactly on time and did an excellent job replacing my toilet. Even though the installation ended up being more work than he expected (because it is a skirted, one-piece toilet), he still charged me the price he quoted to me on the phone. Excellent and very professional job all around. I will, no doubt, be using his services again.

Bill F.

05/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

Getting small projects done at a reasonable price has always been a nightmare. We acquired a pro-style kitchen faucet and hoped we could get a reasonable install price. Thunderbird's got back to us in under 24 hours, and were able to schedule the install for just 30 minutes later. One hour later we were happy home owners. Doesn't get easier than this.

Jo J.

7/18/2018

Great experience having our water heater replaced. We contacted four companies for estimates and Raymond both had the best price and was the best at communicating. Thanks Raymond!

Lindsay L.

6/15/2020

I have known Aaron for about five years now and feel fortunate to have met him. After being taken advantage of repeatedly by plumbers in the past ( telling me to rip out the last person's work and re-do it etc) , I have never had this experience with Aaron. He is a solid, trustworthy and dependable person who doesn't dismiss smaller jobs for big ones or shirk the unpleasant side of the business. I think he is the patron saint of plumbing! Four halos to him. As an aside, I also really like supporting smaller, local business owners with families. He's a really great guy and a family man on top of it all- that counts with me too. Kudos to him! Thanks for all your hard work Aaron. You are a keeper! :) Lindsay Lewis.

Steve M.

1/29/2018

Hire these guys. Jeff did an amazing job, was responsive, knowledgeable, courteous, clean, and helped me obtain parts through warranty to get the job done. Awesome plumber will absolutely use Jeff again for all my plumbing needs. Thanks for bumping up our water /shower pressure!

Alison N.

05/09/2018 12:00:00 SA

My dad called and asked me to write a review for Ted at Thunderbird Plumbing. He was so impressed to have such a knowledgable, nice and efficient plumber come and fix his broken kitchen sink. Dad is not easily impressed so I felt I should share what a great experience he had. Thanks Ted, for taking such good care of my pops!

Megan M.

9/30/2015

Yelp hits a home run again!

Our hot water heater went kaput over the weekend. It still has a little over half a year on its warranty after being installed in our new build. I was flummoxed, trying to troubleshoot an issue with the pilot light not staying on and the manual, Google, and YouTube failed me. It was Sunday and I called a few folks- I left messages with folks (I still haven't heard back from as of this review), and heard outrageous price quotes from the ones I could get ahold of on the phone.

Deciding to wait until Monday to expand my options, I reached out to Thunderbird via email Sunday afternoon. I explained what I did, what kind of water heater I had, etc. Not even ten minutes later and I get a well-informed response of which part on that water heater was the most-likely culprit and how to go about getting it fixed under warranty. Instead of charging me to come out and diagnose, he mentioned the plumbing warehouse to find the warrantied part and that he would come and install it.

My cost for the part was a small handling fee from the warehouse and the drive across Austin to get it and then the price Jeff quoted to install this new part was exactly on point. There were no hidden fees or crazy charges- just the charge for his repair. Now that's how you play ball!

I wasn't home at the time of service, but my boyfriend was. Jeff set an appointment that worked with us and then called to ask if he could come down early- which was awesome in our book. Jeff was very down to earth and extremely knowledgeable. He fixed up the gas controller on our Bradford White quite nicely and we have been reaping the benefits of our hot water again.

Thunderbird will be our go-to for professional plumbing needs for sure!

George O.

04/09/2018 12:00:00 SA

Jeff and Ted installed a new tank water heater and hot water recirculation system for me. When done, they gave me a walkthrough on the installation. Very classy and thorough work and the cost was very reasonable. I don't think you will find better in the Austin area.

Cyndi J.

8/27/2015

I am SUCH a fan, and thank you Yelp, for once again delivering the goods.

Ted phoned within 24 hours of my message and was so polite and soft spoken, I wondered if he was really in a trade. He arrived promptly, was super courteous and I never felt uncomfortable (not for nothing, I focus on this as a woman at home alone. This is huge)

We had recently moved into an older home and had several annoying issues. Toilets that weren't shutting off after flushing, a shower that didn't have good pressure. It turned out that the toilet handle was loose and getting stuck on the flapper, keeping the shut off from working. Additionally, instead of suggesting that I pull out all sorts of fixtures, one shower head replacement fixed a pressure issue.

When it came time to present the bill, it was for a $95 base trip fee (much lower than the norm) because it was just all so easy. In short, he could have made all sorts of coin by telling me my problems were bigger, but he didn't. Class act, and definitely my plumbers, going forward,

Jennifer M.

12/14/2017

So glad I found Thunderbird Plumbing. I had a specialty bathroom sink faucet that needed repair. Raymond came out and gave an estimate for free. The parts were not standard and had to be ordered through the manufacturer. When the parts arrived - they had sent the wrong ones! We ended up having him come out 3x. Raymond came out each time with no hassle or extra charges and always with a positive attitude. AND I was coordinating this repair for someone else and had to meet him at specific times. Super responsive to calls and text and he was ALWAYS on time! Thanks so much. Will definitely be using Thunderbird for any plumbing needs moving forward.

Cris G.

6/26/2017

I've had Raymond from Thunderbird come out twice now. First he helped with my propane stove connection when Sears didn't know what they were doing. I asked him to check out my water heater and we discussed it but I thought I would wait. A few weeks later it was leaking very obviously, but was probably busted when we checked it out the first time. Raymond did a great job and worked with me while I attempted to repair the floor under it. I'm calling them now to fix the garbage disposal and faucet.

Lee M.

6/27/2011

If a contractor misses an appt. or does not return phone calls - then I refuse to do business with them.

This looks especially bad after two calls over 4 days.
It is a little thing folks used to call 'common courtesy'.....try it some time.

At least a quick call/message of Hey Lee, this is Jim-bob. I'm really busy swamped over here (...did you see what I did there?) - so you might want to try to call someone else if this is an emergency. OK, Thanks. Good Bye.

It is a handly little thing folks call voicemail.....it works just that easy. No instructions necessary.

Andrea G.

10/25/2017

Jeff is not only an experienced plumber but he's also trustworthy and reliable. He's been able to solve several issues that other plumbers couldn't figure out and I've been more than happy with the quality of work each time.

Audrey G.

2/24/2017

The water heater finally kicked the bucket. We knew it was on its last leg when the popping began to become louder and louder.

Thunderbird assisted with the removal of our old water heater. We upgraded from a 50 gal to 55 gal.

Great service.

Nicole H.

6/14/2015

After several months, I wanna finally write my review.

I needed a shower valve soldered in. I called a bunch of other companies (some never returned my phone calls. Guess they already got enough business). Many of them quoted me $200 - $400 just for the solder (the wall was already open).

Thunderbird Plumbing charged me less than $200 do to the job. They worked with my work schedule and Raymond called to confirm the appointment. He did an excellent job, even took the time to explain how to correctly measure and cut the tub spout after finishing my tile job (which I did myself).

I highly recommend Thunderbird Plumbing when it comes to quality, cost and courtesy.

Marina M.

08/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

Jeff was wonderful to work with, prompt, and got the (big) job done in less than a day for a fair price. I highly recommend giving this company a call for any plumbing work you need done!

Gail H.

07/03/2019 12:00:00 SA

I had a blockage in my bathroom drain line; my bathtub and sink were talking to each other in some gurgle language. I'd already had a plumber come out and try to snake the line. He told me I'd had a rat stuck (yucky and super smelly when he finished) but he also told me my old cast iron pipe was collapsing and needed to be replaced because he couldn't get his snake all the way through the line. Quote: $5900. So then I had some other plumbers come out to give me quotes. They were all in about the same price range (except the one that wanted to charge me $9800!) but something about them just didn't fill me with confidence. Still searching for someone to give me a good, I called Thunderbird. The plumber came out and suggested that we try to snake the line again. No one else had suggested that, so I thought that I'd give it a try for $130 bucks before I spent nearly $6000. Guess what? I don't need to spend $6K any time soon! Thunderbird has just become my plumber of choice :-)

Diane H.

11/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

Thunderbird is an authorized Bradford White service provider and they fixed my Bradford White water heater which was still under warranty. Jeff offered me with the option of picking up the parts in Round Rock to save me money and time. I was able to email and text back and forth with Jeff rather than wait by the phone. The price for the repair was hundreds less than a highly rated competitor that I had used previously and was done in 48 hours.

Rose C.

07/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

We really appreciate this plumbing group, once again we needed them and they came out and resolved an issue in a timely manner and gave us a good faucet tip as well-thank you Raymond and Ted!

T K.

05/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

I called 5 different 5-star companies on Yelp to get a quote for a toilet re-set after my new master bath tile install was completed. Thunderbird was the cheapest and had the soonest availability. They called to confirm the morning of, and showed up promptly 30 minutes later.

Plumber was friendly, courteous, explained the process to me, showed me potential issues (but didn't force me to fix them), and quickly finished the job. No extra, hidden charges. No crazy upsells. Just a simple price that was the same as quoted on the phone.

Given, this is pretty simple task, but it was completed perfectly. He also was great with my dog! :) (It's the little things)

Would definitely give them my business again!

Jake K.

12/09/2014 12:00:00 SA

I frequently use Yelp to find the best rated services out there. Unfortunately, I rarely come back to write reviews. That being said, when the service is either exceptional or just downright terrible, I'll try to find my way here to write something up.

I needed to get a Pressure Regulator Valve either installed or replaced -- I didn't know which, because I couldn't find the damn thing anywhere -- but I knew that I needed one of those things (I had dangerously high water pressure that was causing lots of problems).

So, I called a few plumbers -- one from a neighbor's referral and a couple more from Yelp. Jeff spent a decent amount of time on the phone with me while I described the situation and asked questions (as I had attempted with the other guys). He was very helpful, knowledgable, and friendly. He even mentioned a few things about this repair/install that I had come to learn were necessary by doing my own research -- things that the other plumbers didn't even mention. So, while I was busy being impressed by the experience so far, he gave me a quote that was over $150 lower than any of the other plumbers I'd called, and that included the extra but necessary items that the other guys had failed to mention (maybe they planned on mentioning it later for a further charge?).

When Jeff showed up, he was just as friendly as he had been on the phone, and he had no problem with me looking over his shoulder and asking questions while he did the majority of the work. When all was said and done, he charged me exactly what we had agreed upon on the phone.

So, what did I get? I got my problems resolved quickly by a very cool dude who was both professional and friendly at a price that I know was better than reasonable. And, to boot, I got a schooling on how certain aspects of the plumbing work on my 20+ year old home. Awesome. A guilt-free five stars for sure.

Kate B.

1/26/2017

I wish I could give 10 stars. The fellas at Thunderbird Plumbing are awesome. They're professional, quick, know their stuff and are reasonably priced. They will be saved in my phone for future plumbing needs! I really appreciate working with great people like them. Highly recommend!

Jeff D.

02/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

I had/have a leaking supply line, first brought to my attention by an OMG! water bill from the City of Austin last week. We use American Home Shield, so are kind of forced to use who they send out. That's not what I prefer, but for potentially large i$$ues, I'm definitely going to get the home warranty folks involved.

AHS sent out a company, who after three separate visits, could not find the leak. They left, and AHS scheduled another company, who are rated pretty poorly here on Yelp, so I was concerned. I contacted Jeff via Yelp message at first, then regular text, then actually via phone. He gave me a ton of information, and pencilled me in for a visit this week, if the AHS assigned plumbers could not come through for us. I really appreciated him spending time with me on a Saturday and Sunday, for a concern that he might have been getting paid to fix, but also might not have.

The second plumber AHS sent out this morning was able to find the leak, (outside, so much cheaper than under the slab), so I won't end up using Jeff after all, but I wanted to tip my hat for the hand holding and info he provided!

Bec N.

03/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

Jeff came out and looked at the many problems we were having with the water heater in the attic. Water has poured from the ceiling twice with 2 different water heaters. Work was able to start quickly, as we had no hot water at all. He was knowledgeable about how to improve our situations and what products we could use to increase efficiency. The reviews are true with Thunderbird. They are really great guys. They moved the water heater from the attic to the garage(didn't know it was possible) and put a recirculating pump to get hot water to the other side of the house. They also removed and hauled away the 3 dead water heaters from the attic. They were fast, clean, and friendly. The water heater is actually pretty and the pipes are covered nicely. Can't believe how fast we get hot water now. Trust these guys, they know what they are doing and their pricing is very fair.

Stephen N.

01/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

Had 9k worth of work done and these guys nailed it. Professional and had it done quickly. They even retrieved my kids toy when he tossed it down in the trench.

Angie V.

05/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

This company is simply fantastic. I had gone through 4 plumbers since early February and had spent over $1,000 without a remedy for the lack of hot water in my Grohe shower system. I had shown all the other plumbers the Grohe product literature that had instructions on how it's done, but I was ignored. One plumbing company sent me a salesman instead of a plumber to push for a complete new system. Raymond came today and looked at the instructions and voila I have hot water again. He was also a very pleasant person and he saved me a bunch of
money since I don't need to replace the whole system.

Ken B.

11/19/2016

Justin was as professional as a professional should be. He was late, probably for the same reason, as he might have been late for the next person. He evaluated what was wrong with the waterline valve that feeds the ice maker on the refrigerator and gave me some options.

Since I was the last appointment of the day/evening, he asked if he could come back the next morning right away. I said, sure! Justin made sure I was set, even in the event something prevented him from getting back right away--like a flat tire.

He came right away the next morning; he attended to every detail and wanted to be sure that he didn't overlook anything. I'd say that's a small price to pay for a little inconvenience.

I don't want any more plumbing problems. Nobody does, but I won't hesitate to call Thunderbird again. The first time was to fix leaky toilets and showers when we first moved in. 5 star service--customer and technical.

Paige F.

8/25/2016

Agree with all other positive reviews. I emailed the business after hours needing a quick fix (massive leak required the water to be turned off), I received a return call the next morning, broken pipe/valve fixed in the afternoon, and I had water flowing again for a reasonable price. I don't understand the negative review where the business did not promptly return a call. As a business owner myself, I understand that emergent issues from clients tend to come in waves, and sometimes I cannot respond to everyone timely even if that person wants to give me [a lot of] money. This business owner appears to properly triage incoming calls while also working hard to maintain previously made non-emergency appointments since people take off work for such appointments. That's exactly what a consumer should expect from a responsible business.

David C.

1/21/2019

Loved using these guys, they are fast, professional and explain the issues you have whenever you use them. I highly recommend Thunderbird because they are great at communication, work to earn your business and take pride in the work that they do.

Liz H.

7/22/2014

Now I see why Thunderbird Plumbing consistently gets 5 star reviews. Because Ted is awesome and priced fairly.

We had various annoying plumbing issues that we have tolerated for awhile: slow drains, toilets that ran, and other irritations. We called Ted who came out today and checked out all of the problems. Fast forward 2 hours later and every single plumbing problem has been fixed.

Ted is cheerful, straightforward, honest, and priced very fairly for the incredible service he offers. If you need a plumber, call Thunderbird. We have already put Thunderbird on speed dial!

Jamie E.

09/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

I've hired Thunderbird Plumbing for a couple of jobs now and was really happy with the outcome of both. One was relatively small and easy - putting a drip pan beneath a hot water heater. The other was gigantic and heinous - leaking pipes beneath my foundation, which took 2 or 3 days to completely repair. In both cases, Jeff was great to work with and extremely patient and thorough. For the latter job in particular, I was very impressed. They had to go through my garage floor, dig out a mound of dirt and store it in the driveway until the job was done, fix the multiple leaks, then back fill all of the dirt and cement in the hole in the garage floor. When they were done, I honestly couldn't tell that anything had been out of sorts. They left the place exactly as they found it; no small task considering the size and nature of the job.

I've used a lot of plumbers in south Austin over the last 9 years, but these guys are now my go-to plumbing people.

E T.

1/15/2019

Raymond came out to troubleshoot our Navien condensing tankless water heater. It was a little bit tricky to troubleshoot because it was not heating consistently at low flow rates. The temperature would fluctuate up and down but never reach the setpoint. Raymond was patient and found how to reproduce the problem, and after a quick call to Navien tech-support he replaced the diverter valve (he had one in his bag already) and it was fixed. This is my first experience with Thunderbird plumbing and it was great!

Michael S.

06/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

Responded to my voicemail quickly and came the next day for a non-emergency toilet repair. Carefully examined the understood the problem. Made repair quickly cleanly and efficiently. Wonderful experience.

Todd S.

06/11/2019 12:00:00 SA

Could not recommend them enough. I was buying a house and put them on the schedule two weeks in advance. They quoted a fantastic price, showed up on time and finished all the work. Super nice, easy to talk to and very insightful. Hope i never have to call them again but will in an instant if there are any issues.

Jeremy S.

11/26/2018

10 years ago someone removed all the gas appliances from our house. The gas lines had corroded and weren't where we needed them. The gas company had removed their meter from the house and we needed all new everything to hook up our new Gas Furnace. We needed new gas lines run in the house. Most of the plumbers I called wouldn't even return my call or they just weren't willing to do the job. The few that came out gave me outrageous quotes to run a couple of gas lines under a house with a pier and beam foundation. Tad with Thunderbird came out and was extremely professional. We talked about our requirements and he gave me some options that would cut down on the complexity and price of the job. They got me a proposal that was very reasonable. They got the job done in a day and we passed the city inspection without an issue. Today, the gas company installed their meter and we finally have gas service. I couldn't be happier with the service I got from the folks at Thunderbird Plumbing.

Michael A.

10/18/2018

There's a reason Thunderbird has stellar reviews. The quality of work is top-notch. Their response to my inquiry was timely and the price was fair. To boot, Master Plumber Jeff Plunkett is a nice guy while being extremely competent at what he does. I found a great company for my plumbing needs.

Kara C.

10/09/2018 12:00:00 SA

Thunderbird is incredible! They are quick to respond and so nice to work with. I can't recommend them enough.

Lisa W.

09/12/2018 12:00:00 SA

I've used these guys twice in the last couple of months. They are responsive, efficient, professional, friendly and their pricing is very reasonable. Highly recommended.

Tiffany S.

04/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

Great service! Right on time, great communication, quick service! Will use them again!

Erin J.

8/19/2017

Jeff, Thunderbird Plumbing, is Awesome! He fit us into his busy schedule, and got our hot water heater fixed in under an hour. Super nice Guy, Very Professional, and Honest. We will always call Thunderbird and you should too.

Sharon O.

03/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

VERY happy that we called Thunderbird! Quickly restored our hot water, and now doing an estimate for some additional work. Very pleasant and fairly priced. We will definitely be repeat customers. Thank you!

Roberto E.

02/12/2014 12:00:00 SA

What can I say? Thunderbird is awesome and we've found our new plumber.

Long story short: we have two tankless water heaters that two other plumbers had been unable to fix, actually they ended up causing major issues.

I called Thunderbird and they came out pretty much the same day. I was quoted $500 to fix the issues, $150 later and Thunderbird fixed BOTH our water heaters.

I cannot recommend this company enough. Having plumbing problems? Call the professionals at Thunderbird. They'll fix you fast.

Thank you so much!!

Nedra L.

5/23/2019

Just excellent! Got a next-day appointment to check water pressure in the house with Ted, who arrived early, diagnosed it - yes, new prv needed - gave fair estimate and did the work with minimal fuss and no destruction of landscaping. Doesn't really get better than that.

Brandie H.

9/13/2015

I did end up using Thunderbird for my repair, and they were great. The job came in on time and on budget. I was kept apprised of the progress as they went along. Ted was on top of it all the way through. After having my kitchen drain clog up every 2 weeks, it's been a relief to have a usable sink again! I would definitely use Thunderbird again.

Sean G.

9/20/2015

Jeff did a great job with a new tankless water heater and 2 wall-mounted faucets. Highly recommended.

Josh C.

11/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

I have used Jeff twice at Thunderbird plumbing and he was great!

He did not even mention yelp or ask me to submit a review. I called him because he was physically close to me (one block over). The first incident was we were selling our house and the home inspector for the buyer said we had insanely high pressure in the house and needed to have a pressure regulator installed.

I called 5 plumbers. 4 of the 5 wanted to charge me over the range of 500 to 800 dollars to either install a pressure regulator or some other code thing that we are probably missing and needed to be installed. The house was built in 2005 by a top notch builder so I questioned that there was no regulator or other contraption that needed.

Jeff came out last minute, checked our pressure which was well within normal ranges and wrote us a note for the buyer stating that the pressure was fine. He didn't try to over charge us other plumbing companies.

The second job I had him come out for was to install new drains under our sink. He ended up charging me LESS than what he quoted me on the phone. He was incredibly reasonable. He was a little bit late due to an emergency call he went out to early morning and didn't realize how long it would take. He still called and explained the situation which I was ok with. I am willing to be reasonable as long as they are open with me.

Jeff is a great honest plumber and had two opportunities to swindle me but he didn't. Both times he was open and honest and charged a reasonable rate for his work. He is my plumber now and I will not hesitate to use him again if I need a good plumber.

Susan F.

8/29/2015

If I could rate more than 5 stars, I would! Ted and his team are rock stars!!

I was referred to Thunderbird Plumbing about two years ago and Ted has always done a great job at my Austin property - shows up on time, is smart, professional, and personable.

I didn't think their service area included Dripping Springs, so after trying to get three other local companies to help with a drainage issue for a property there, I casually mentioned my frustration to Ted while he was doing some repairs in Austin. He said he'd come take a look.

Well, yesterday morning he not only showed up ahead of schedule, he brought a whole crew so that if we agreed on the price they could make the repairs. I was thrilled that I wouldn't have to wait any longer to be able to use the shower! The team, Don & Son Plumbing, worked tirelessly, were very polite, and even cleaned up afterwards.

I really appreciate Ted's personal and proactive approach to his work. I usually call for one specific thing and then remember 12 others while he's here and he just takes it all in stride and gets it done.

Thunderbird is the only plumber I'll ever use!

Lauren C.

07/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

Once Jeff caught wind of this review, he apologized and gave me 10% back to help make it right. He'd been out of town during this debacle and wasn't aware of my issues, but was genuinely concerned. He closed the loop on how they don't usually take on jobs as big as mine and offered a referral with another trusted guy. I'd already had the leak fixed and thankfully, the Thunderbird warranty wasn't voided when I had the other plumber come out.

Rob B.

9/21/2015

I called a few companies, thunderbird was not the lowest, but close. They recommended the Bradford White unit as a good brand, which is what we replaced and has served us very well. Mostly I was having the install done because my heater didn't have a drip pan, and my heater was old.

Back to the install, so very professional. He replaced all the lines with new color coded lines, installed the pan and drain, and of course the heater. Way more professional than my original install. And could not ask for a nicer guy to talk to during the install, very patient with my questions.

Brian F.

3/14/2011

I called Thunderbird to see whether they could rescue me from a rapidly devolving situation with another plumber. (I'll call them plumber AAA.) Long story short, we had a sewer line clog and old fiber conduit pipes (aka Orangeburg) that had to be replaced.

Ted from Thunderbird fought rush hour traffic on MOPAC to come over and assess the problem, and quickly stepped up with an estimate nearly 30% less than what plumber AAA wanted. This was based on replacing up to 35 feet of Orangeburg with modern PVC.

When it turned out that AAA had underestimated the scope of the job by almost 50% (We needed closer to 60 feet replaced) Thunderbird only charged me for the extra work that the dig crew had to do. In the end, after my 10% Yelp discount, Thunderbird was still 20% cheaper than the original estimate from AAA.

I should've gone with Thunderbird from the outset, but I thought the larger company would get to my place faster and have more clearly defined rates. I was wrong, I never should've doubted Yelp, and I will be using Thunderbird Plumbing from now on.

Edit/update: I just have to respond to the zip code upcharge conspiracy review, which would be laughable if it weren't so insulting. First, I live in a pretty nice central Austin neighborhood called Crestview, and Thunderbird gave me a far better price than any other plumber offered. Second, I write my own reviews and no one from Thunderbird pressured, finessed, or even suggested that I give them a positive review here.

Mary C.

8/31/2015

Jeff is the best plumber in Austin!! He's nice, helpful, knowledgeable and affordable. Don't waste your time looking for any other plumber!

Therese K.

2/17/2011

I called Thunderbird because they have a 5 star rating, and now I'm adding yet another 5 stars. Ted was very pleasant over the phone and even though I know he was busy, he took time to let me explain the issue I was having. He gave me a rough idea of what he thought it might cost then, about a half hour later, he was here working on my water heater. His estimate was right on and it didn't take him much time at all to get everything fixed.

And, as a much appreciated bonus, he was neat and clean - not a dirty, saggy pants, plumber! Thanks so much, Ted!

Bill R.

8/17/2018

I can't say enough about Raymond and Ted who replaced a water heater for us. Second floor....old house....not easy but they got it done. Raymond also responded to my service request within a day while the other plumber I had called finally called me back three days later after the job was done. I highly recommend Thunderbird.

Debbie C.

8/24/2015

Our water heater was leaking. I called Jeff and he was able schedule a time to come out that week. He was extremely efficient, professional, and affordable.

Mike K.

04/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

I previously had another plumber give me estimate to unclog/repair a utility sink drain. The plumber charged me $225 just to use camera to diagnose drain clog! and a MANUAL rooter that did NOT work. Plumber advised repair will entail trenching 20' underground and break concrete floor to fix alleged broken pipe clogged by roots for approx. $5-7k! Then plumber also replaced a bad bathtub valve for $199 he said would fix a low hoth water bathtub problem which did NOTHING to help water pressure! Both problems were NOT fixed after this visit!!!
Next day, I called Thunderbird Plumbing to see if they could fix these issues. Ted from Thunderbird Plumbing unclogged my utility drain with an ELECTRIC rooter in 5 minutes! and confirmed there
was no broken pipe!!! Ted also fixed the bathtub low hot water pressure by cleaning debris from hot water supply that proved valve replacement was NOT required from the first plumber. Ted finished both jobs in 90 minutes! Both problems were fixed at a very reasonable price!!! Highly recommend Thunderbird Plumbing and Ted!!!

Amanda D.

1/31/2014

I'm going to program Thunderbird Plumbing into my phone, maybe even speed dial!

Jeff has been out to our new home twice. Both times I've been THRILLED at his thoughtful service and honest work. We needed a gas line to our dryer and he made time to install it the same day as the estimate so we could have our washer & dryer ready to go when we moved in.

When we had a plumbing emergency he was able to check out everything quickly and reassure me that we didn't need any additional work (the city had done some work previously).

I would recommend Jeff & Thunderbird Plumbing to anyone that needs gas or plumbing work. He is careful, truthful and a genuinely nice guy.

Benjamin C.

05/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

Was at my house inspecting my water heater within an hour of when I called to see if i could get someone out. We both agreed it was due to be replaced due to age of unit & cost of repair to just try and eek a few more months out of it. Jeff ran to get a new unit from his shop & started installing it while i ran back to work. Jeff did a great job installing the unit and gave me a more than fair price. He even pointed me to a rebate I might be eligible for to reduce my out of pocket cost. Very pleased with service & friendliness from Thunderbird, definitely calling them the next time we have any sort of plumbing issue.

Chris M.

2/27/2013

The five star reviews are not a joke. Since you have now found Thunderbird Plumbing Co. you literally do not have to look any further.

I determined I had a slab leak on the hot water line. Spent a good portion of my day internet stalking and calling around different plumbing companies. A few didn't have time in the schedule for at least a week and a few didn't do slab leak jobs but made some referrals. This is how I found Thunderbird, another company suggested I call them.

Called them up and got Ted on the phone. He gave me a quote over the phone but said his earliest availability was next week as well...bummer. He answered all my questions, talked me off the ledge of a whole house re-pipe and I felt pretty comfortable with going with them given the Yelp reviews, if only they could get it done sooner. Not less than 10 mins after getting off the phone with Ted he called me back and said they can come out the next day and get it taken care of. Score!

Long story short, these guys came in, found the issue, stayed on the job a really long time as mine was one of the trickiest they had seen, let me hang around and learn some of the tips and tricks they use on a day to day basis, and after all that and after the sun had gone down for a couple of hours they gave me an invoice that matched the phone quote from the day before ( I wanted to pay more after seeing what they went through ..if you can believe that?) and for a kicker came with a 1yr parts and labor warranty.

In my eyes the job looked to be a total pain but Ted and Jeff just kept rolling with the punches and figured out the puzzle that my crazy bathroom and plumbing presented.

They are coming back ( if this first job didn't scare them off ) when I do said bathroom's remodel.

Thank you Jeff & Ted. Keep up the good fight!

Jeffrey F.

4/28/2015

DON'T BOTHER.

I've called them twice now and each time I have reached a voice mail message saying that their schedule is completely full for either the entire week or the next week-and-a-half. Looks like they are a victim of their own success. Who needs a plumber than is never actually available to perform work for you? They don't return calls either.

Wendy G.

05/03/2012 12:00:00 SA

I love these guys. They have come to rescue me several times. They show up on time, give accurate estimates and clean up after themselves. I always get a call back in a timely manner. I find great communication that goes above and beyond.

I had a leak in my hot water heater - under the house and they came in and fixed it with minimum fuss and destruction to my home. Thankfully.

When we had to break into a wall to fix some plumbing in a bathroom, I was asked great questions of things I wanted in the bathroom. (since the wall was open anyway) He came up with a super inexpensive solution so I could have a regular shower head and a handheld one. I thought it would be hundreds of dollars but it was really inexpensive.

The important part is that they do great work - and do it with kindness and respect.

Dan L.

12/22/2017

Jeff Plunkett came out and fixed a copper pipe leak next to my Taco recirculation pump. Jeff did a great job! I highly recommend him. I have never written a review before. I was so impressed with his service and reasonable prices that I had to write this review. He is a Master Plumber who knows what he is doing. He spent a lot of time with me to discuss and help me resolve other plumbing related issues I had. He also rerouted some plumbing for me while he was here. His prices are reasonable, his work is excellent. If you need a plumber call Jeff. I met Jeff for the first time today so this review is only based on the great work he did for me today. Thanks, Jeff!

Maez T.

10/25/2017

Jeff just fixed my water heater and i am absolutely delighted with his service and craftsmanship. Our other water heater had gone out a while back and the other service company had left a total mess. Jeff was on time, explained everything he was doing and cleaned up after himself. Will be calling Thunderbird again if we ever have an issue I can't fix myself.

Lisa G.

10/26/2017

Jeff installed our new tankless water heater & was fantastic - quick, professional, friendly, and VERY knowledgeable. A++, would recommend & will use again if we have new plumbing issues.

Blush Skincare A.

12/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

If I could give 10 stars I could. I have had a lot of different repairs done on my home in the past two years. Jeff was definitely the most prompt and professional contractor that I have ever worked with. From start to finish, he was in constant communication about what would be done and when. He got my bid to me promptly and the job was done quickly. He and his crew did not leave me without water for long periods of time. I know this might not always be the case but communicating about when my water would be turned off and making sure I had access to water overnight was amazing. I thought for sure I would be without water the entire time they were fixing the crack in my pipe. One day my yard was completely dug up and the next day it looked like nothing happened. They took such care in restoring my yard and driveway to its original condition. Prompt, professional, and reasonably priced. Thank you Jeff and your amazing crew.

Katy V.

02/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

WOW, this company is certainly a rarity nowadays. Fabulous communication (emailed with me right away and through an evening after hours.) (explained everything to me, even drew a pic to illustrate problem, and I know zero about this stuff) fabulous workmanship.(did a nice job with repair and cleaned up after himself actually making the area cleaner than it was before) and fair prices. Will absolutely use in the future and highly recommend. Certainly lives up yelp ratings. Would give more than 5 stars if I could. : )

Jessica Q.

1/28/2011

These guys were great! They are thorough and dependable and have very competitive pricing. After reading all the reviews on Yelp, I gave them a call. They came to my house the same day to give me an estimate. I appreciated the fact that they didn't try to wrangle me into business by forcing me to pay a service fee up front for an estimate (unlike many of the other companies around town). They replaced 2 tubs in my house in a day, they came back a week or so later after the tile work was done to fit the faucets and made sure the job was done right.

Additionally, they are really nice! It is a bonus when having your house torn up to have nice people working there:). I would use them again and again- can't say enough great things about Thunderbird Plumbing!

Nigel R.

06/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

Worth five stars at least for Ted's explanation over the phone of what the problem was and why his bid was 80% lower than another company's -- they would only fix what needed fixing, not dig up half our carport and redo the entire sewer pipe to the street. They did a great job, or at least I assume they did, as it was all done while I was at work one afternoon, and they had the concrete relaid and everything cleared up before I got back. So I never actually met the guys or saw them work.

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