Donald Halcom Plumbing

Don is such a good plumber he doesn't even need to be at your house to fix your problem!

I called and Don answered while I was on my way home from work today and spoke to him about an issue I was having with my kitchen sink. Even though he and all his other employees were spread out on jobs all across the puget sound, he took the time to talk me through what he thought the problem was with my sink, and told me how to try to fix it. I get home, and after about 20 minutes of wrestling with the water hose under the sink, I was able to fix it!

I can only hope that something major will break in my condo needing some sort of plumbing attention. I will happily give Donald Halcomb Plumbing my business in the future.

6 stars
My husband and I bought a 110-year-old craftsman fixer. One of the most fortunate things that happened in this 18-month-long remodel was hiring Don Halcom Plumbing, DHP. We did not know him and found him through reviews online.

We selected Don from the other bids because he was straightforward and told us up-front the potential issue areas. He had experience with old homes. He was able to tell which pipes went where without being able to see where they terminated. Whereas, the other bidders needed scopes to confirm. He cared about his work, and liked interesting projects that challenged him, such as our unconventional old house.

DHP removed the entire old system, redesigned and installed all new systems. To work with the existing structure, they troubleshot through what the plans did not cover. We did not find that DHP overcharged, made excuses or gave us the bad advice. He explained his work, or told us when he didn't know something and had to research it first. One time, when his guys made a mistake, he recognized it and worked on a Sunday to redo the work.

Their work is top quality and conduct professional. Meaning that, they saw us beyond project end, even after receiving the last payment, to provide service and answer questions. When our GC abandoned our remodel for his next project, Don worked directly with us to get the project done- whether that meant picking out a shower head or helping us find a tile contractor.

DHP turned our one bath/ one kitchen fixer into a modern home with four baths, two full kitchens, outdoor water supply and two backup sump pump systems. Remodels are daunting, full of unwelcome surprises. We are glad to have come across Don Halcom Plumbing. We wish we hired him to GC the whole project.

Don and Janice, I chose to use you for the re-pipe of our triplex because Don struck me as an honest guy who cared about doing a good job.  Your bid was $21,400; Repipe Specialists were $34,000 and Ally Plumbing said they'd meet your price.  I started to question my decision a little bit when you asked for the first half of the money about 3 weeks prior to the job.  But, after Janice called and assured me this money was needed early in order for you to order supplies and have everything ready, I reluctantly agreed to get you the first $10k several weeks prior to the job.

It was clear pretty early on that you guys cared about doing a good job and doing things right.  We had a couple of incidents along the way with some heated swearing around the tenants, staying way later than expected and some questions about code requirements.  But, you were great about addressing the issue immediately and making things right. It was also a bonus that I could pay your son some extra money to replace our vinyl floors.  He was great and I ended up paying him an extra $100 as a tip on top of his fee for being great to work with.

Then, you asked if I would be open to paying along the way instead of paying the remainder upon completion.  This put me in a tough spot and once I said I would, Janice invoiced me that night for just over $8k! This was only $4k short of the remainder of the contract and here we were about halfway done!  When I said I wasn't comfortable with this, Janice fired back an immediate email that essentially said, Ok, you can pay $6k but then we're going to have to charge you for $2k more worth of supplies so the total is still $8k.  I had already paid your supply warehouse for the water tanks, showers and supplies and the contract stated 1/2 the $ at the start and the other 1/2 upon completion!!  In the meantime, we also learned that your initial order of our shower 3 weeks prior to the job hadn't occurred.  We had to scramble around now and buy a different shower to minimize delay to the project.  What happened to the $10k I paid 3 weeks ahead of time?

Then, you came to me demanding full payment before the job was done.  When I reminded you about the remaining work, you became quite animated, insulting and threatening me about all of the mad workers I was going to have if I didn't pay now, saying that I wanted your workers and their families to suffer, and complaining that you had bills and a mortgage you had to pay.  You also said if I wasn't going to pay right now that you were going to have to charge me for a lot more.  It was both surprising that adults could act this way, and disappointing because I had been quite happy with the work up until that point.

A couple of your guys agreed previously to mud and tape the drywall following the completion of the initial contract (this was in the contract  to be paid on a time and materials basis).  So this work began and although it went slow, it went alright.  Then came the final bill for mudding and taping.  The $35/hr we agreed on had become $45.50.  You also added in a $100 charge for a dump run, and $100 for replacing a damaged fan switch.  You had been disposing of garbage during the whole project.  Why was I suddenly being billed extra for a dump run when the waste remained from the original re-pipe (it wasn't drywall mudding and taping waste)?  Why was I being charged $100 for a switch/outlet that your guys damaged, given I had already spent a day running back and forth getting it fixed?  It was obvious I was now being re-paid for not giving you as much extra money as you wanted and sticking to the contract by withholding $450 until things were actually completed.

Honestly, it was a real shame because I really did feel like for the most part you did good work (especially before you became upset with your money issues).  That said, I won't be taken advantage of by a contractor who is evidently used to getting their way with threats and attempts at intimidation.
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Don and Chris are great! I needed some galvanized plumbing replaced in my 100+ year old house. The first plumber I got a quote from said it was a tricky job and he needed a day to complete the work. Don and Chris came in, said no problem, we do this stuff all the time, and that it's an easy job that will only take a few hours. Sold!

They arrived to do the work as promised, finished in 3 hours, and everything looks great! The work was done exactly as described, and they cleaned up everything after they were done. I couldn't be happier with their work.

When they came to do the estimate, Don was very honest and didn't upsell me on any unnecessary plumbing work. I also love the fact that they are a father / son team.

I hired Don to install a new toilet three weeks ago. His work is very professional, and the job got done in a timely manner. After the project was completed, the work area was cleaned and was ready for use.
  I called quite a few plumbing companies to compare price quotes regarding this project, and Don's quote were very competitive -- at times, his quote was much lower compared to other companies.  I have had the new toilet for three weeks now, and everything has worked great. Thanks Don.

Recently purchased a home with a reoccurring sewer problem.  I had another local plumber come by to snake the thing out and about a month later the thing backed up again.

This time, I called the plumber with the guy waving to you on the back of a bus to come out and take a peak.  They started giving me quotes about $4000 to dig up my back yard and replace my sewer drain line.  My wife sent them packing.

Slightly dismayed and fearful, I called Don up on chance after reading his Yelp reviews.   I called and talked to Don directly, not some receptionist or desk jockey.  I told him my situation.  He told me he would be out to take a look at it the next day.  

That afternoon I found myself in my back yard digging up the line.  About 2:30 Don calls me up and says he is done with his job early.  He told me he'll be by to take a look.  

About a half hour later, Don pulls up with his son Chris, who is his apprentice.  Chris and Don hop out with a shovels in hand and start digging as well.  An hour later we uncover the problem.  Broken sewer drain.  Don runs down to the hardware store (while Chris uncovers the rest of the pipe) - grabs the necessary parts and has my sewer pipe working by 6:30 that night.  

Don, Chris and I discussed what happened in detail while digging and looking at the problem.  They quickly identified what was going on and gave me educated answers and sound advice.  

The price was more than reasonable.  Believe me, I shop around.  Just think of much, much less than the $4000 for the waving guy.  

They came back the next day and buttoned everything up very nicely.   Even put a clean out where it comes out of the house so we don't have to lift the toilet off to snake it again.  

Wife is happy.  I was happy.  Don and Chris were happy.  Guy with the waving hand - not so happy.

Don is wonderful.  I use him for my rental and he re-plumbed my sister's whole house during their remodel.  This is the go-to-company for all of my plumbing needs.  I appreciate that Don's service is timely and he can assess the problem even before he arrives.  He has gone above and beyond for me a few times when tenants have jammed the garbage disposal. I'm so glad to have found great plumbers in Don and Chris!!

Don and his son did a great job converting my laundry room to support two washers and two dryers. They provided me with money saving options, were efficient, and did a great job cleaning up. They even hooked up the power cord on my new washer. I am very happy with the work they did and the cost was half what two other companies quoted. I will definitely call Don should I need a plumber in the future.

I can't speak highly enough of Don and his son Christopher's work.

Situation: Friday morning 7am, getting ready to go to work. I found out from a courteous neighbor that water was gushing out from our yard onto the sidewalk by the street. Long story short: I learned that the galvanized water supply line to our house was leaking water. I figured out how to shut off the water meter to the house, which stopped the leaking, but left us without any water going to the house. Not a fun way to start the weekend!

I called our regular plumber (who I like) but they were booked up a week. They gave me a few other names, but when I called them, they were also booked for a while. Not good. I went to Yelp to quickly try to find a reputable plumber who might be able to come out sooner to take a look at the situation. Fortunately, Don was one of the first I stumbled on and I would soon be on the path to restored water service.

Don answered just before he was heading out for the day (you get Don, not a receptionist when you call), and stated that while he was pretty booked for the day, he would be in the area and given the urgent situation, he would try to stop by to check it out. He gave me a ring early in the afternoon saying he was on his way, so I headed home to meet him.

He quickly assessed the situation, and said that he could try to patch the galvanized line, but given how old it was, he'd recommend replacing it outright. This advice was consistent with the research I had done in the intervening hours. I was worried that this meant he'd have to come back in a few days or weeks given the magnitude of the job, and that it would cost a ton. But he said they could start right then - given the urgent nature, he ended up calling his next job (with a contractor) to reschedule that. As for cost - it wasn't cheap, but it was several thousand less than I was expecting to pay based on what I had heard, and as will be pretty clear, I think it was extremely fair for the amount of work that Don and Chris did. Excited that I might be on the path to having water again, I gave him the go ahead to start.

As soon as I gave him the go, Don and Chris started to work middle of Friday afternoon, digging up a three foot deep trench in my yard. He concurrently called the city water team to come in and replace their old connection line as well (which the city likes to do and will do for free if a plumber is replacing the homeowner portion of the line). They worked non-stop, minus a quick dinner break and a trip to Home Depot, in 95F weather for about six hours till about 8:30pm. The digging was slower than they anticipated due to the dry/rocky soil. They had most of the trench dug but didn't yet dig underneath to connect to the house. But, they were able to create a temporary water line by connecting the new PEX line as an intake into our outdoor hose faucet, which I had no idea you could do, but it meant that, except for the short period of time the following morning when they finalized the job, we now had restored water service!

Don and Chris came back early the next day (8am on Seafair Saturday). Over the next five hours, they finished digging the trench, and drilled underneath our sidewalk into our house to have a new copper line connect from our main water inlet to the new PEX water main. At that point, the job was pretty much finished, except he left the trench open over the weekend and called the city to come in for an inspection on Monday (not required, but a nice thing to do). After the city OK'd the work, Don and Chris came back late on Monday afternoon to fill in the hole. Job done!

I knew the work had gone over the original estimate Don had given, but he stuck to his original price. I topped it off a few hundred because I was grateful that they took on this work despite having a very full schedule and worked overtime to get it done quickly. Throughout the entire process, Don was taking great care to make sure he was doing the job right, and doing it without being disruptive to our house. The only leftover work we had was to mud up the drywall that was cut out to do the inside pipe connection work, but that was very easy since the piece that Don had cut off was cleanly cut/replaced. I chatted with Don a bit throughout the project, and you could tell based on how he selected materials and how he approached jobs that he took a lot of pride in his work and didn't cut corners (and you could see him instilling that discipline in Chris!).

So, within 36 hours, on a Friday during the heart of busy plumbing season, we went from having a leaking water main line (and the threat of no water, or a high water bill) to having a brand new PEX water line replacement, and a new city connection as well. If you're looking for a hard working, honest, professional, friendly, highly skilled plumber for a reasonable price, you'd be hard pressed to beat Don and Chris. He'll be the first I turn to in the future if I have a plumbing problem.

Don came out a couple of times to address issues in our home and troubleshoot. I found him to be timely, professional, and friendly. I'd recommend him any day.

Don and his son Chris are a fantastic team. Don was very responsive by phone and came out to help find a leak in my incoming water line.  He and Chris repaired the leak quickly and efficiently and did a great job.  You can tell they are committed to quality and that they take great pride in their work.  I highly recommend them.

Don and his son Chris did a great job on plumbing in our kitchen. I like supporting family business. They are responsible and hardworking. I had an inspector coming over today and he said the work was done great. ...And did i mention that Chris is a very courteous young man with good manners :-)

Don went out of his way to help us when we were out of options for our clogged kitchen sink in our new home (and by now mountains of dirty dishes everywhere).  He came out the same day, and was very quick to fix the problem.  He helped explain what he was doing, as well as what to do to help prevent this issue again.

I would 100% recommend Don and his apprentice, Chris, for any plumbing issues you may have.  They are personable, knowledgeable, and passionate about their customers.  Best customer service we have experienced!

Thanks Don and Chris
You guys did a great job, fast and at a fair price
We will use you again

Lee

Don has done a great job for us on our bathroom remodeling project.  Excellent work at a reasonable price and good to work with.  Highly recommended!

Bruce D.

Had Don and Chris comes and do some work on an outdoor bibb and just like my first experience, this one was great.  They talked through the best solution with me, were quick to do the work, did a very nice job, and were reasonably priced.

Awesome work by this plumber. Don seemed very knowledgeable and was able to give me multiple options on how to fix my sewage pipe. He wasn't able to come do the work himself so he sent two licensed plumbers who did a great job. They came on time, educated me, and fixed the problem and did all the little details. The work came out slightly more than I had hoped, but still in the top end of Don's estimate (which I do not fault him for, since the estimate was given over the phone without seeing the issue first). The only thing holding me back from 5 stars is that Don was hard to get a hold of and it took a long time to schedule something. But the work itself was great, I am definitely using Don again if I ever have a plumbing problem.

People who do what they say they will do in a competent, workmanlike manner at a reasonable price!!!!!  These people Excel in this rare attribute as too many contractors in the Seattle area do not!  AND this is a nice, family business you feel like you can trust and who is pleasant, courteous and polite. AND they tell the truth. You will not be sorry.

Don was great in every regard.  He was able to work with me to figure out the best course of action on a laundry room plumbing project as well as bringing a new water main into the house.  He was friendly, punctual, worked well with my contractor and completed the jobs timely manner.  His work turned out great and I would highly recommend him to anyone with a plumbing project.

I have hired Donald Halcom Plumbing five or six times over the past year to work on rental properties and my own home.  They have repeatedly provided top rate service with honesty, integrity, accountability and most importantly good communication.  Their quality of work is top notch and I have found their pricing to be fair.  I have told many friends and family to call them when needing plumbing work done and strongly suggest anybody with a plumbing situation to call them.

Recently had Don do some work re-plumbing so we could move our laundry room.  Was great to work with.  Very courteous, prompt, professional.  He did outstanding work and had great suggestions.  Went above a beyond.  Overall great experience and would highly recommend.