Jl J.

7/23/2023

Seriously they saved my life. Apparently 2 Bros. installed something not up to code and involved my gas line.. It was a hazard and frankly could have been a lawsuit. Nathan with Gene Johnson came and basically explained it all to me. I had not signed anything with Gene Johnson at that point which was impressive. I called the other company with the info and they took care of it and I believe it was because I was able to go into detail thanks to the info provided by Nathan and his coworker. HOWEVER, the next plumbing job (outdoor water faucet) that I had done, I decided to go with Gene Johnson BECAUSE of Nathan. He was honest, kind and respectful of me and the property. Everything was under warranty and basically I felt like he did a quality job. Everything with scheduling and the actual technician visits were professional and they were easy to communicate with. I will be going with Gene Johnson for any future water heater and plumbing issues will be be recommeding them to all the neighbors

Dan K.

5/26/2023

Their pricing is OUTRAGUS. To replace 1 each Hose Bibb with easy crawl space access they charged me over $800, part was only $50. They claimed it was COVID pricing, I told them that the Government has declared that COVID is over so their pricing should go down substantially . I asked the Plumber where is his Mask, he told me COVID is over, however their pricing hasn't gone down. They work on a commission so they will sock it to you.
This is the first time I used them and never again. I will go out of my way to tell my friends not to use Gene Johnson Plumbing. They will get theirs for screwing the customer.

George E.

10/16/2022

Our Hot water tank was not making hot water, made the call to Gene Johnson,
Prompt service, next morning 8:00 am.
Great.
Guys looked at water tank, maybe 10 minutes, went back to truck, tried to get a hold of property owner, could not.
They told me that the 8 year old tank needed to be replaced for $8000.00
and they could not replace the gas valve unit, which cost $350.00, and was at a plumbing supply .5 miles from residence. In stock too.
Well all and all, another company came and installed gas valve unit, total cost $650.00. In these hard times we need to help out one another.

Michael H.

10/13/2021

We used Gene Johnson several years ago when we had issues with our plumbing. I saved their business card, so I gave them a call when we were having issues with our furnace not working properly/heating up the house.

Pros:
- They had same day availability and they were on time.
- Reasonable diagnosis fee ($95)

Cons:
-VERY expensive. The estimate was about 2-3 times I was expecting. I was stunned to see the estimate of nearly $700 plus the $95 diagnosis fee.

-Capacitor part cost $10, time spent to diagnose = 15 minutes; I googled average furnace capacitor repair and the range was $120 - $250. So why charge nearly 3x for a repair that could have been done in 30 minutes?

-Furnace Service & Inspection fee of $253?!? Not sure why this charge was needed, especially when they were charging $379 for a $10 part. Gene Johnson's HVAC tech's repsone was that they need to inspect the furnace, make sure there's no gas, everything's hooked up correctly. Isn't this part of the installation / part fee?

-Gene Johnson's HVAC Tech's response when I questioned them about their high rates and fees: Well we're in the Seattle area, everything is expensive, it's an expensive trade/industry, and a company won't last long if your rates are low.

I didn't proceed with the repair. I told them that their price was at least twice of what I would be willing to pay. And I wasn't comfortable paying $379 for a $10 part and also for the Furnace Service & Inspection fee that I don't even think is a fair charge.

Summary: I'd recommend shopping around for more honest companies that deserve your money.

Oanh N.

7/13/2022

The technician showed up at my door right on time per promised. He is very delighted to work with.
He is very friendly, thorough, well experienced, and hard working.
I am very happy with his performance. And I will definitely recommend this company to my friends and colleagues.

Alyssa G.

04/06/2023 12:00:00 SA

If you want a company to scam you and take your money, choose Gene Johnson. This company took advantage of my situation and ensured me they would fully take care of my leaking water line. I paid $3,500 plus the cost of a leak detection for them to tell me the line is still leaking, so I would have to pay them another $3,500 plus another leak detection to start the process all over again. That, or pay close to $10,000 to replace the entire water line fully. All they care about is taking your money with the fake smile on their face ensuring they'll take care of you. I wouldn't recommend this company to anyone.

karen s.

02/04/2022 12:00:00 SA

Insane pricing. I agree with the other reviews as far as the pricing goes.

When they came in, they also recommended changing the things that didn't need to be changed at all. They take advantage of you.

We called another plumbing company to come in. They came on time, they were professionals, and did the work just fine and the price difference was $1200. They also didn't ask us to change anything else, because we didn't need to.

Definitely get different estimates from different companies and don't get fooled into having them the extra work that is not necessary.

A G.

8/25/2022

A year and a half later, had issues and had to have another company come and fix things Gene Johnson didn't. Cost me lots of money and time. Disappointing.

Angelyn R.

08/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

Based on my experience with multiple appointment cancellations, incomplete/incorrect diagnoses and charging 2-3x that of other experienced plumbing companies, I'd recommend you look elsewhere.

Long version:
I called Gene Johnson because of their great rating on Google. I wish I had checked other review sites before selecting them, as my experience was far from great. My two projects for them were 1) fixing a broken hose bib pipe leading to the outside of the house, and 2) diagnosing and repairing a tankless water heater (inconsistent hot water).

1) They had to cancel on me the first appointment. I think they just didn't have enough people on staff.

2) They cancelled on me a second time. This time was supposedly due to a vehicle breakdown? I wasn't planning on giving them a 3rd shot, but when I called the water heater manufacturer to ask if they have recommendations, Gene Johnson was the first they mentioned, so I decided to give it one more try.

3) The technician provided a quote for the broken hose bib pipe, and it was over $1250 (includes cutting open a wall but not putting it back). I ended up moving forward with it, not realizing it would only take about 2 hours- $600 per hour is WAY too high!

4) The technician de-scaled the water heater and did their service and inspection. It came out to about $500/hr. When asking the technician about this, he actually said that's what they shoot for in the Seattle market. Wow.

5) He said that the check valve needed to be replaced. He said it was located in a space that was hard to reach, requiring removal of several components to access it. He said that it would be a lot of labor to do this, and they wouldn't warranty any of the other components they'd need to remove/replace in order to access the check valve (cost = $3400). He highly recommended replacing the entire water heater (only 6 yrs old) for $7800.

I finally did something smart and decided to get a second opinion. The other company looked at the unit and agreed it was the check valve, but noted that the valve is located in a different area that's very easy to get to. He spend about 3.5 hrs to fix it and charged $600 (instead of $3400), and he said they warranty anything they touch for 1 yr. Also, if they were to replace the unit, it would've been about $4k, almost half of what Gene Johnson quoted.

6) It turns out that part of the cause of our issues was also that the built-in recirculating pump was not setup correctly. This was identified by the second company. The first technician didn't even look at that setting.

I understand the concept of paying more to get more (i.e. service, expertise, etc), but the value was definitely not there for me.

Yvonne C.

11/21/2021

Their prices are absolutely insane. It is disappointing to see them taking advantage of home owners with their pricing.

My sister had a leaking faucet. Gene Johnson came out and for a $55 diagnostic fee, gave her a bid of $924 for a standard faucet replacement. I just replaced the faucet for her. It took me 40 minutes (presumably it would take less time for a professional). The standard faucet they would have installed would be about $100-$150 in materials, so how much is their hourly rate??

I see many other reviewers saying their prices are 3x what others in the area are. My go to plumber charges $200/hour, one hour minimum. I know some of the larger shops in the area charge upwards of $300-$350 an hour. That is still nothing compared to what Gene Johnson is trying to charge.

My sister also got a bid for a gas water heater installation. This was also about $800 higher than what I've seen in the area. Save yourself some time and when you call a plumber, ask what their hourly rate is for time and materials. If they are unable to give you a rate, then it's really time to wonder why they won't.

Marty R.

10/29/2021

There appear to be a few plumbing companies that have this business model, and Gene Johnson Plumbing is one of them:

1) Charge a nominal fee for a call-out. In our case it was $50. We asked to have routine maintenance done on our boiler. The boiler was working fine, mind you, we just wanted it checked before the heating season.

2) When the rep arrives the salesmanship begins. In fact, I call them a rep and not a plumber, because they are more about writing the estimate than doing the work.

3) They hit you with an estimate so high it knocks the wind out of you. Well over $1000, in our case, for routine cleaning and maintenance. Again, there was nothing broken, and the boiler is only 8 years old.

4) When you question the charges, they shrug, pack up and leave, collecting their $50.

Andrew W.

09/02/2021 12:00:00 SA

Last year we paid $150 to service the water heater. They told us booking in advance would ensure a good price and so we booked a year in advance. They showed up this year and did the work and then charged us $500 for about an hour of work. Not worth it.

M S.

06/12/2022 12:00:00 SA

Pro: they were able to do the hot water heater repair right away and seem to have done it correctly.

Con: refused to give an estimate without paying $50 to come out even though I had the exact warranty part in hand. Plumber looked at a list and gave a quote off the list - on site after owing $50. Gene Charged me $579 plus tax for labor only for 40 minute job. I supplied the warranty parts. I Had no hot water and had guests coming so I did it. Be warned, very high price when they get out to your location in my experience.

Evan A.

02/12/2022 12:00:00 SA

Dishonest, aggressive, and rude. I called them out to clear a clogged drain in a common area of a condominium that had been caused by the negligence of another resident but was causing water to back up into my unit. Prior to the date of service, I arranged with a customer service representative in Gene Johnson's office to have the charges billed to the condominium association because the clog was in a common area and had been caused by another resident. However, on the date of service, after the plumbers finished the work, they demanded immediate payment. I went ahead and paid them and, while the association paid me back, it never should have come to that; the company should have honored its agreement. The plumbers did a competent job, but that does not excuse their behavior.

Sara H.

08/04/2021 12:00:00 SA

I'm surprised at the low ratings here. I've used Gene Johnson various times for various things and always had a good experience. This week I had a blocked drain & figured I'd have them do furnace maintenance while they were at it. That's two separate appointments, as it turns out, which is fine. Drain person came out w/ in a few hours & had me fixed up and the HVAC guy came two days later & also did a good job. A little spendy (but everything in Seattle feels spendy these days) but otherwise great!

George M.

05/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

Our water heater sprung a leak. That very first day, Gene Johnson Plumbing from Mukilteo arrived, assessed the water heater and replaced it immediately. They even upgraded our entire system to code. The quality of the product and installation was excellent. We are very pleased with our new water heater. The owner was also very professional and took the time to call us and guarantee that we were happy with their service.
Thank you!
George and Andrea Mack

P K.

02/01/2022 12:00:00 SA

Gene Johnson Plumbing & Heating is THE industry leader. They deliver guaranteed quality of service and attract the very best plumbers because of their commitment to employee success. We give them our highest rating.

Charlotte R.

01/11/2023 12:00:00 SA

Unfortunately, this review is to warn others so they do not experience what I experienced. When I woke up to the sound of running water on Christmas Eve, I knew a pipe had burst somewhere when the weather warmed up after a week below freezing. I immediately turned it off at the house and checked the meter to ensure it was not running and my shut off was successful. I called a few companies and Gene Johnson answered (on Christmas Eve!) and scheduled me for the following Wednesday. The technician who came out was wildly unskilled. He did not have customer service communication skills (he informed me the charge would be more than the $60 service call because he had to go buy waders and had to crawl under my house). Is looking for a broken pipe in the crawl space of a house not par for the course with plumbing? After returning from his shopping trip, he (maybe) crawled under the house but eventually came out whining about how hard it would be to get his tools in there, and I would need to hire another company to pump out the standing water (ok, so your plumbing company doesn't do that?) and then produced an $1800 quote with random charge codes and generic language. I kept assuring him that the standing water was not from a leak (the water had been off for days) and was a result of recent heavy rains and ground water behavior. He offered no knowledge or understanding of hydrology or the behavior groundwaters, surface waters, water tables, etc. And his estimate containing random charge codes, included No narrative, no discussion of the standing water, no description of the break, type of pipe, length of pipe, etc. I certainly did not book with this company and was fortunate to get another plumber out on Friday. Wouldn't you know it? The pipe break was in my detached shop; some pvc couplings had cracked. It wasn't even under the house! This company and their technician charged me $343 for a leak detection service they did not provide and produced an $1800 quote for something that wasn't broken! After days of waiting for a call back, I finally got an email from the guy's supervisor saying that he reviewed the notes, and the techs performance wasn't in line with company process and procedure and he would issue the refund. And I still continue to get impersonal and generic marketing outreach from the company owner welcoming me to the family and giving me a $20 gift card to refer others. Never would I refer someone to this company!

Mike R.

10/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

They are way over priced for their service and can't explain properly how the price is calculated. I don't recommend them. There are other honest businesses out there. Call around before using them.

Christine N.

10/15/2020

Don't waste your time.
I have a thermastat that is not working. I called on Saturday to make an appointment for repair and was able to get a window for Monday repair. We were stood up on Monday and rebooked for today, Thursday. Again, the 3 hour window has passed, no tech has arrived and no courtesy call has been made. I just got a sob story on voicemail from one of their reps saying they got too busy - well, perhaps they should do a better job scheduling or inform their customers of being late or perhaps offer a discount for service. Again, don't waste your time. Terrible!

Alan R.

12/02/2021 12:00:00 SA

Our combined heat and hot water boiler went on the fritz the week before Thanksgiving. We had out of town guests arriving Thanksgiving morning. It's tough to be festive with no heat or hot water. Gene Johnson was able to get to us on Tuesday. Uriah was able to diagnose the problem (needed a whole new and more robust boiler), negotiate a warranty refund from the manufacturer, offer us options, and guarantee that he would get the replacement installed before Thanksgiving. He was here until 9 pm Wednesday night, but he got it done and done well.

Heather T.

10/09/2021 12:00:00 SA

My drain pipe for the washer was cracked and it flooded my garage. I was able to get a plumber the very next day day. Miguel was helpful, prompt, and stayed well into the night to make sure that the water didn't back up once he fixed the broken pipe.

I also ended up with a new water heater which was recommended by Miguel. While it was unplanned, he was able to fit in both fixes that same day. I'm so grateful for the thorough service. Now we aren't showering in rust from an outdated water heater.

Tikay T.

04/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

What a rip-off of a business. They claim to be a Navien distributor, but they don't have any of the parts in stock, no gaskets, no seals, nothing. Shady business practices too, they don't break down labor and unit prices in their quotes, and try to weasel in a 300% markup. The tankless heater they quoted me $6k+tax retails for $2k. Forget it Gene Johnson, go scam someone else.

Charlie N.

9/28/2021

I called Gene Johnson Plumbing and Heating yesterday and the lady who answered the phone was proactive, very considerate and inspirational as we have been without water to our house since Friday Evening. She scheduled an appointment for me the next day. But that evening i actually received a cell call from the very licensed plumber who would be coming out the next day.
What a considerate call. He informed me what time he would be there and he gave me encouragement that he will have us up and runing the next day and we were.

Today the Plumber Marcus Rolland arrived at close to 9AM. We met and than we looked together at the area of concern. The shut off valve had failed and because it was 50 years old, he had to go back to a plumbing store and get the right material. Shortly he was back and than he prepared the area and than installed the new valve.
Then he checked the water meter and it was apparent that there was another leak. Marcus had to leave again to get the special parts needed for this 50 year old system.

Close to 4 hours later the job was done. Cleaned up, swept down, dusted of and the work area looked like no one had ever been on site.

I called Gene Johnson because another plumbing company highly recommended them. Pinky plumbing gave me the phone number and I know God was looking out for me. There is no better plumber and the price was right. Marcus was confident and he enabled me to relax, because he was so deliberate. No Panic. We have been out of water for 4 days, and Marcus was a blessing to us because he knew what he was doing and he assured us everything is going to be ok.
I highly recommend this company and ask for Marcus. Even if you have to wait a few days extra for Marcus, it would be worth it.

M

M

Alex D.

04/02/2021 12:00:00 SA

Set up the appointment, waited during the agreed-on time window, and not only did no one show up, but there was no communication from the company about this. I had to call multiple times, and could not get anyone to give a straight answer on when a plumber would arrive. Shoddy planning, low effort scheduling, stay away from this company.

Tiffany O.

1/22/2021

I've had several great experiences with Gene Johnson's over the years, but will never use them again after today. We've had a blocked kitchen drain line since Tuesday. Appointment window was 3-6pm on Friday. At 2:53 I receive a call saying that they don't think they can get a tech to my house before 5pm, and we will have to reschedule for Monday. Never mind that my window was 3-6. If they can't get someone here by 5, they won't come. No effort made to get me in over the weekend. So now I have the privilege of paying emergency prices to get another plumber out on Saturday. Canceling at 3pm on a Friday gave me ZERO chance of rescheduling another plumber during regular hours. I've been washing dishes in my bathtub all week waiting for this appointment. So unhelpful and unprofessional.

Phelps G.

1/14/2021

I had a very simple job that needed only 20 minutes or less for the person with the correct tools. The shut off valve between the toilet and the wall was dripping and needed to be replaced.
They charged me $300 plus parts.
I am astonished, and will not work with this company again.
Yes, he was prompt and professional in every way. But that is a huge price gouge that I will not be able to forget.

Lifu L.

12/16/2019

Should really check some of review here first.
As someone mentioned already, they charge you 2x the cost of others for work (or just for coming and doing nothing).
Our water heater is able to light on but the status light just won't blinking, the guys didn't do any other check and just said we have to replace the whole thing for $3500?? we decide not to do it but still have to pay them $400 for just coming and doing the thing I already did.
That guy also murmuring with bad altitude when we decide not to replacing water heater with them which is the worst experience I ever have.

Xx X.

04/12/2021 12:00:00 SA

My gas water heater is not working. The agent came in and told me to replace the whole igniter system because multiple things could be wrong there. He spent 3 minutes tried the starting process and gave me the conclusion. Any further inspection will cost another $99 on top of the dispatch fee of $49.

To replace the igniter kit, he is very generous to only charge me $506 if I get the parts from the warranty.

Good luck earning money by scamming and up-selling.

Kim R.

07/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

We had an excellent experience with Gene Johnson Plumbing and would gladly hire them for future work. We recently purchased a house that was in need of some general, minor plumbing TLC (flush the hot water tank, install a thermal expansion tank, install piping for a utility sink in our garage, make sure our house wasn't leaking, etc.). Our tech, John, was fantastic: punctual, knowledgeable, not pushy and an all-around kind dude who had a delightful amount of expertise in not only plumbing, but also the Asian exclusive offerings found in American fast food chains based within Asia. Overall, 10 out of 10! Customer service and company communication was on par with the rest of the services.

Tom F.

02/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

I can't speak more highly of our experience with them.

This was an unusual outside sewer problem. Gene Johnson sent Josh, who discussed our options with us and gave us two competitive quotes for different approaches (Repair vs replace.)

We had several other companies come out. We were unimpressed by all of them.

Josh was on-time, professional, kept us informed about his progress, worked efficiently, and did the job well. He cleaned up the worksite.

Don't look any further. GJ is the best! THANKS, Josh!!

Sasha A.

10/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

Stay away! Wouldn't provide me with a ballpark estimate for the cost to install a dishwasher but were going to charge $49 just to come provide a quote. Reading other reviews sounds like they charge double what others do. Glad I trusted my gut and canceled to find someone who could give me an up front price estimate before booking (and cost was super reasonable!).

Joyce W.

7/21/2020

I have an existing water purifier installed under my sink in my apartment. I'm moving to another unit on the same property. I called Gene Johnson to get a price for removal and reinstall. They couldn't provide an estimate or even ball park range over the phone. Rather, they mentioned the technician would do an in home evaluation and provide the quote in person; Oh and be able to do the job then too.
I mentioned to text me upon arrival , due to my overprotective dog- he didn't do it.
Second, he looked very inexperienced and fumbled through his notebook looking for other systems he could install to show me..suggesting, I get a new one..
Mind you, mine is new, the original company was booked up and couldn't provide service when needed.
So, I called Gene Johnsons.
I asked how much it would be to remove and reinstall over in my other apartment..
He again looked confused and said I guess I could take $100. Off from our own product..he first said $1700. Then said oh, I mean $600.00..so, he again said I've never done this before..looking very very inept.
I couldn't get him out of my apartment faster..
I proceeded by calling Jonsons and mentioning how unprofessional it is to not let customers know a ballpark of what to expect prior to wasting my time and theirs. I called back Custom Pure and they made time to get service to me asap..
Half the cost as well; if you want a water purifier go to Custom Pure.

Anne M.

08/12/2020 12:00:00 SA

Excellent service. I sent an email on a Sunday about my water heater and they called me back on Sunday evening, came promptly on Tuesday and had it fixed quickly. Aaron was friendly and nice, respectful and did a great job.

Kathy R.

07/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

At 10pm, my toilet valve started spraying water. I called Gene Johnson and explained I was a single mom who had an emergency, had to give a last minute presentation at work from 9-11, and had been planning on taking my kid on vacation immediately thereafter. The service rep promised to check in between 8-9 and then have a plumber at my house between 11-1. I cleared my calendar between 8-1pm and arranged to have a friend at the house at 1pm-2pm to meet the plumber. At 1pm, no call, no show, so I called. They promised to call me back. At 3pm, they announced that they were too booked to take my request for service and could be out later this week.

In sum, don't trust a single word they say. It's all false promises.

Sonja P.

10/01/2020 12:00:00 SA

No complaints at all! Cory and Matt were professional , informative, and very friendly. They were quick to assess and find the issue. The problem (pipe burst under the flooring) was fixed the same day, Cory came back the next morning to finish up the job (putting the floor back together). They wore their masks and even put up plastic around their work space to help keep the rest of my place safe and clean. I will definitely be calling them back for our plumbing needs.

David G.

04/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

Ridiculous. Signed up for an appointment to get a quote for a whole house water filtration system and was told I would be charged a fee to get the quote. Cancelled appointment. Such a system would probably cost $7,000 to $10,000. I wasn't calling about a leaky faucet. Of course I would be soliciting multiple bids for such a project and the business fails to see the larger picture by stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. So foolish to lose the opportunity to bid for such a project.

Robert F.

09/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

Came to replace a water heater and ended up shutting off the cold water to my washer owing to bungling the connections, and I am leaving the country tomorrow. Incompetent.

Christian H.

10/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

These guys were recommended to me after I had issues finding someone to come out and diagnose an issue with my heating system. They were able to come out same day. Very friendly. Did a great job. Got things working again. Explained it all to me. Had a great chat as well with them. Very friendly. Very happy with the service.

G W.

3/17/2021

Such a rip off for a 15 minute job it cost us $538. Never going to use you guys again.

J W.

08/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

We were deeply disappointed and have nothing good to say about our experience with Gene Johnson Plumbing & Heating.

Our tankless water heater which connects to the hydronic radiant floor heating in our house went out last February. We researched and read a number of reviews online and decided to go with Gene Johnson because, although very expensive, we wanted someone professional with experience fixing this complex hydronic radiant floor heating system. I am willing to pay for expertise but instead I got a halfway-done patch job in which they charged around $4,000 for 3 hours of work -- and then came back asking for more money to fix their incomplete job.

A rep came out the first day and charged a $95 diagnostic fee, and then came out again for a $708 basic renovation service that took literally 15 minutes. They claimed to have replaced 2 heat-exchanger seals (probably ten cents each) which did nothing so they decided the whole unit needed to be replaced.

Jason and Chris came a couple days later to replace the whole water heating unit to the radiant floor system. They replaced it in about 2.5 hours and charged us $3,435. Note that the new water heater was 100% covered under warranty so the bill was purely for labor only. We are now $4,143 deep in labor costs but we figured hey it was fixed correctly and the $1,400 water heater was free/covered under warranty. Days go by and the radiant heat is working great but we notice the water heater box and hydronic pumps to the floors were loud and running 24/7 (even when no water was being used and the heat was off) which was not normal.

We call Jason to return to inspect the constant, unending operation, of the units since we supposedly have a 30 day service warranty. Apparently Jason had flipped an on/off switch in the Heating Box that caused the unit to be in constant operation mode. We questioned if that was appropriate, since the manual discourages it, but he said it was a topic of debate among installers and that it was ok. When we called Navien brand company hotline, they instructed us to turn that switch off, which stopped the 24/7 operation but also stopped the hot water reaching our house. Jason told us that this was not covered under the service warranty despite having no former issues before his installation and wanted to charge us an additional $800 to look into this.

At this point we were frustrated and already frazzled by the high costs since we paid $4,143 for 3 hours for purely labor. I would expect things to be professional and working correctly in the first place when we had already paid $1,831/hour. The system was not installed correctly from the beginning, and it looked like we were going to have to keep paying $800 per visit until it was fixed. Maybe it should have just been done right the first time, and if not, repaired at Gene Johnson's expense until it was?

We consulted our neighbor who is a contractor and he solved the issue in about 10 minutes by replacing a check valve ($11 for the piece at Ferguson).

I feel it is important to strongly DISCOURAGE using Gene Johnson as we were highly disappointed in professionalism and the predatory costs. You will not get the experience and professionalism expected from shelling out the big dollars. They won't do it right the first time, and they'll keep coming back to you over and over again to make you pay for their incomplete work.

Mark C.

12/20/2021

To make a long story short...... I needed a new water heater and was given a quote by Cody for the total price parts and labor to be 2800 dollars. I was totally shocked at the price since another company gave me an estimate of $1800. Cody the technician said that I could save some money if I bought the parts at a plumbing supply store because Gene Johnson Plumbing mark up their prices for parts 40%. Gene Johnson Plumbing was going to charge me 324 dollars for an expansion chamber and at Ferguson plumbing supply it costs $43. I said to heck with getting ripped off by Gene Johnson Plumbing .....I will just do it myself. I have had some previous plumbing experience and so I bought a water heater at Lowes for $526 and did some research on you-tube. In two hours I drained and removed by existing tank and installed my new tank. In the process I saved $2200 by doing it myself. That night I took a hot bath and I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt awesome by not getting ripped off.

Moose M.

12/11/2020 12:00:00 SA

Amazingly respectful guy, found our leak quickly and initially a great price at $165.00, incl tax!
But we were getting played! We had called them early in the day or approx 10 AM. He arrived as agreed at 7pm. Then for a fix that required $10.53 in parts and 20 minutes of time, quoted the repair at $1238.05, and was chastised when asked why so expensive? It was after hours!
If i could attach photos, i would to substantiate my points.
I fixed this issue my self for $11.00 and some time. But it has to be noted, that I have the plumbing experience and the basic tools to complete this repair. I was just being lazy and didn't wish to crawl under my house.

Chris E.

5/19/2019

UPDATE 19MAY2019 : Despite a questionable amount of time since the damage was done, along with excess overhead tied to communications (email, phone, coordinating schedules, etc.) - Gene Johnson did follow up with the raw sewage clean up and patching up the damaged bathroom. Moving my rating from 1 star to 5 stars as of this date given the final experience for this project.

Katy C.

05/06/2019 12:00:00 SA

I just had a lot of plumbing updates done by Gene Johnson and they were great to work with.

We had a minor leak under our bathroom sink that they were able to come to look at and provide an estimate for all the work we needed the same day.

Chris was our technician and he was great to work with. He was honest and took the time to explain everything. On the morning he showed up, we had another unexpected leak with our refrigerator and he was able to price out and provide a fix same day.

Gene Johnson is great with communication. They text you a photo and bio of your technician when they are on their way so you know who to expect. They have incredible follow-up to make sure you are satisfied with their work and would recommend them moving forward. We had a great experience and would recommend them to anyone!

Anthony R.

7/17/2018

Probably the worst experience possible, short of something requiring legal action. I had a minor leak under the sink that I didn't have time to look into, so I figured, why not just pay the local plumber? All the plumbing here was pretty new, and I found out later that the leak was due to some improperly applied teflon tape.

They must have been really rough with their tools because they broke one of my bolts during inspection, causing a massive leak that required shutoff to the main valve. They said they aren't responsible for the things they break during inspection, and that the bolt they broke is a specialty piece I would have to custom order from a distant manufacturer. They said I could order the piece and call them back in three weeks once it arrives, or pay $600 to do some major plumbing work and replace several pipes that use common plumbing fittings. They pressured me into the latter option, kindly reminding me that I couldn't use the sink until this was fixed.

I told them I would get a second opinion and they insisted on charging me $60 for the inspection. When I brought the broken bolt to Home Depot, the assistant there found a match and said it's a standard bolt. I replaced the bolt myself and fixed the slow leak by reapplying some Teflon tape.

Matt G.

8/23/2020

I had Kyle out here to clear our drains out. He showed up quickly and got the job done right Very professional and friendly will recommend to others

Nirm S.

1/28/2021

We have several properties in Seattle and have used GJP in the past, they recently replaced a hot water heater for us. They do quality work and associates are friendly but you will pay at least double the cost of other plumbing services in Seattle. And when questioned on prices or comparison to competitors - they say that's our price b/c we are a premier firm. So just be prepared for the bill!

Diana G.

08/06/2020 12:00:00 SA

Wonderful service! They were very prompt; the service tech sent a text with his picture on the way to the call. After the call (it was an easy kitchen water line issue) they called me immediately (I'm the owner of a rental house and don't live there) to give a report, and also sent a text an e-mail of the issue. And charged just the service call, which was very reasonable. Very happy and will use them again!

Maggie A.

01/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

Our toilet started leaking Christmas Day, they were able to come out and remove, go get a new toilet, and install all in a period of two hours. They were quick and efficient how ever I do feel like they are on the extremely high end of cost. We also explicitly asked for the toilet to fit in the existing structure in our bathroom. While the toilet fits the lid does hit the structure when it's up. I feel like for the cost of the toilet and installation (1,300) we should have a perfect set up. I included pictures in my review. Overall a pretty good experience but when we get our other toilets replaced I will be getting other estimates.

Jason H.

10/31/2019

I had a blocked toilet, due to what I suspected was too much toilet paper flushed down (kids + upset stomachs=much flushing)
I attempted to clear the blockage with chemical toilet unblocker and a 3ft toilet auger/snake.
I called Gene Johnson Plumbing & Heating (AKA Zoom Drain) and spoke to an operator. I provided details of the problem and explained than I have tried to unblock using my own auger and what is required is someone with a longer one to remove a blockage of paper.
I asked for an approximate cost. The operator informed me that my area (1 mile from their offices) has a $49.95 call out fee, however he would not be able to provide any costs. This is untrue as the services provided are listed in a fixed price menu (more on this later).
On arrival I went through the issue and again stated that I believe a longer auger that the 3ft one I owned would do the job.
This fell on deaf ears though when they pulled out their laminated menu and went straight to recommending that I should put a camera down there to see what the problem is. Cost of this? $595+tax.
I turned this down. I was then recommended they remove the toilet at a cost of $700+tax.
Frustrated at this point I told them all that is needed is an auger longer than the one I have.
The menu cost of an auger was $190 + tax. I agreed to this and signed authorisation.
They head off to their van to get their auger and come back with a home depot bucket and an auger not that dissimilar to my own $10, 3ft auger.
I did mention that I did not believe that auger would do the job as it was no longer than the one I had already used and I was very surprised that as a professional they did not have something longer/more substantial with them. Apparently there is one, but this is on a different van. Given I had already signed authorisation agreed to give it a go.
They spent about 2 minutes trying to removed the blockage with the auger. Unsurprisingly it did not work.
So, they got the menu out again.
This time they were recommending jetting out the pipes. There were several options ranging from $700-$1795 depending on whether I wanted certain chemical used to clean and clear the pipes. The house is a little over 12 months old. The pipes will not have any sort of build up .
Fed up with the constant upselling I told them I wasn't interested. Paid $209.19 (with tax) for their attempt using their auger.
I was asked if they could email the invoice to me along with a link to write a review. I agreed to both. I got the invoice but not the link to review (I suspect they knew it wouldn't be positive)
When they left I went straight to home deport, purchased a 25ft auger at a cost of $30. They were still parked outside by the time I returned and removed the blockage with it.
I feel these guys will gouge and upsell whilst taking advantage of what for some is an urgent situation. They are not transparent when it comes to costs when you call and ask; I suspect that once you've paid $49.95 call out and have a guy in the house ready to fix your problems it's harder for you to say no and easier for them to sell their service at exhorbitant prices.
Avoid at all costs.

Bleeb Y.

08/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

I call and I make an appointment to install a gas cap on a gas line so gas can be turned on to the house- PSE won't turn on gas unless cap is installed or stove is installed. They would not give me a quote or hourly rates.

They called to see if they could arrive early, which I said yes and also indicated that I'd like a quote for install of gas range since it's there. Guy arrives, I can't understand the guy- poor communication/ language barrier. He informs me that the charge to install a gas cap is 188 plus the service call or 233 to install the stove. I asked why it's so expensive (note the gas cap part is ~$2 at HD- pipe sealant materials ~$5-8) - he indicated because he needs to go get parts and he needs to test the gas line after install and there are warranties. I asked how often the gas line leaks and regarding the warranties - he tells me that it usually leak and it's not happened to him.

I asked him how long it would take - he said 2.5 hours because he would need to get the gas cap part (which I know is available at HD - 10 mins away), install and then test. I expected him to have the part considering that was the primary reason for the appointment.

I asked him how he would test it if the gas line isn't turned on. He said he couldn't. But he would go get the gas line cap part and install it.

In the conversation, I speak in regular paced English. He kept indicating I needed to slow down in my speech.

Note, HD gas stove install is $59. You can find other local licensed and bonded stove installers for $150+/-.

Online research shows that to remove a gas line in Seattle/ Kirkland is roughly $250-$350.

I'm asking to cap a line not even remove a line - screw on the cap add sealant their cost $250 (after tax and service charge).

IMO please do your homework before you use these people. You have been warned.

Erich R.

2/28/2018

The technician was a good guy, easy to deal with and did a good job. Gene Johnson's fees were high in my experience. For example, I was asked to pay $450 to replace my condensate pump. the pump would need to be ordered. These pumps are, a common plug in hardware item these days that costs roughly $50. I bought my own and plugged it in. How hard would it have been for the tech to have one of these in his truck?

Aside from the work, Kimberly (Owner) at Gene Johnson has been spamming my e-mail account for weeks now, requesting feedback because she wants to make sure you feel like family. Sorry Kimberly but my family doesn't relentlessly spam me. Had you simply done the requested work then let me be I would have rated you higher.

Kenji A.

12/28/2019

Leaking Sink/bad insinkerator. Exceptional service and timely. Couldn't ask for a better experience. Price might be ever so higher than other places, but professionalism, competence, and speed is well worth the extra few dollars. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Celeste G.

12/28/2020

My radiant floor heating system pressure dropped, so I set up an appointment. Easy scheduling, clear confirmation process, and the technician, John, showed up on time and followed CDC COVID guidelines. Not only did he repressurize the system, but he taught me how to do so myself, and also how to flush it! Previously, Gene Johnson Plumbing overhauled my pump and rebuilt surrounding piping to a high standard of quality. Every time I've worked with them, they take pride in their work and do a good job.

Kate B.

09/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

They were on time. Sean looked at the two problems and took the screen off the third faucet so the pressure is back on this faucet. He said he had to get a part for the outdoor spigot even though when I booked the appointment I asked if I should go buy a new one. She said, No as they have parts on the truck. He said he would ask around for parts on the other leaking faucet. Haven't heard a word in 10 days and called them Friday and they said they would get back to us. Not a word. I will post another review if this is resolved. Update - they came today and fixed outdoor spigot. One more left to resolve. Feeling more optimistic.

Now it is September and haven't heard back despite sending an email again with the part that I found online.

Jk S.

09/01/2020 12:00:00 SA

Booked a week in advanced-called the day before to confirm since we were driving two hours to be at the house (selling dads house,) Left extra early so we could be there on time for the 10-12 window. Get a call at 11:30 saying they could not make it and we would have to reschedule. Again we kindly told them we drove two hours and time was of an essence with house closing and then Fred got an attitude with us! Totally unprofessional on every level. Should of headed all the other bad reviews.

Marilyn M.

12/23/2020

Jose V.'s evaluation of our basement drain after substantially flooding from the heavy rain fall was appreciated. He spent time diagnosing the problem and explained the next steps we could pursue from a foundation company. Thank you for your dependable and honest service!

Eldon L.

04/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

In February our heat pump quit. RICHARD made a special trip to help look at it. Fluid was leaking everywhere. This last Tuesday and Wednesday, RICHARD and MARIO installed the new heat pump. The base area and new pad were installed very professionally with packed gravel, leveled, and a large one piece concrete pad. The new coils worked with the existing furnace which was a bonus. RICHARD also took the time to show me the old coils and how they were never cleaned and totally blocked. I got a great education on what to do to keep my system functional going forward! Thanks guys for doing such a quick professional job! Absolutely first class.

Eldon & Jelaine Larson.

Lauren G.

06/08/2020 12:00:00 SA

Scheduled an inspection when my furnace died. Waited three days for their tech to come out, then got a call 2.5 hours into the service appointment window stating that they can't work on electric furnaces. Wish they would have told me that on Friday so I could have had another company come out sooner. Definitely avoid these guys unless you want to go without a furnace even longer than you need to!

J G.

01/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

I had Jason come out to give me an estimate on a new air conditioner and water filter for the kitchen.

Jason was on time, very nice, and very knowledgeable. I've had other companies come to the house and in fact, very recently, I had Evergreen come out to check my air conditioner and they got it all screwed up and then charged me for the service call.

I love my new water filtration system and wish I would have bought for my house years ago.

Michael E.

2/21/2019

Terrible. First day they were scheduled to come they just didn't. No call, nothing. Profusely apologized when they called back later and promised to be there the next day. The next day they call 10 mins before their window ends to tell me they are behind and will call again when they are 20 to 30 mins out. Unreliable. Unless you can stay at home all day waiting for their techs, find a different company.

Paul B.

1/30/2019

They are very responsive, but then they charge you 2x the cost of others for work.
I was able to get my Water heater replaced for LESS THAN HALF of the Gene Johnson quote. Everyone I talked to in the process said that This company was the most expensive and hey charge for initial diagnostic versus others who come out for free.
I do not recommend.

Steve M.

7/17/2020

Called at 5 Thursday night about a sewer line plug. Their affiliate, Zoom, arrived at 8 am Friday morning and quickly dispatched the stoppage. They were gone by 8:45 am. Hard to beat that for service and efficiency. Price was up there but not unreasonable. There was the obligatory upsell, suggesting the $700 high pressure water rooter rather than the $275 snake. But the snake option worked just fine. I was very happy.

Susie K.

11/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

I called Gene Johnson because my energy efficient A.O. Smith water heater was leaking. Brandon came out to see if he could fix the problem or give me replacement options.
Brandon showed up on time, was very polite, you could tell immediately he knew what he was talking about in regards to different units. He was thorough and found the pin hole in the bottom of the tank. He spent a full 45 minutes scoping out my options.
The only reason why this review was not a 5 star was because the pricing he gave me on a new 50 gallon hot water heater was quite high. We ended up not going with Gene Johnson because of that, but the experience with all the staff, Brandon and the companies follow up is truly exceptional. If it wasn't for the steep price, I would have definitely gone with them.

Haley H.

01/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

Our furnace starting blowing cold air, right at the beginning of the coldest week of the year. Being an urgent matter didn't seem to matter to the first 8 HVAC companies I tried, but Gene Johnson was quick to reply and had someone to our house within 4 hours of my call!!!

Roderick was our technician. He was very friendly, SUPER helpful and had the work fixed for us in about 1.5hrs. He left us with great feedback of additional items that will likely soon need to be replaced in our 16yr old furnace, and Gene Johnson will definitely be the company we call when the day comes.

Highly recommend.

Lori C.

01/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

We had problems with our tankless water heater a couple days before Christmas. I called Gene Johnson and they said they could get Aaron out on in two days. Aaron was very knowledgeable and thorough. He knew what the problems were and showed my parts that needed replaced as he completed the work. I value Aaron's' integrity and hardwork. I've used Gene Johnson plumbing 2 times prior and have always had a great experience.

Aubrey L.

01/06/2019 12:00:00 SA

Re-did some plumbing under my kitchen sink a few months back. Prompt, professional, and quality work. Very happy to say we haven't had any leaks or other issues since.

Jennifer S.

12/23/2016

I had a very challenging kitchen sink project. Not only did Roderick try hard to find a sink that could work..

The man used what ever I had extra tool wise to make this project happen! Roderick was amazing! I had two other companies look at this and one offered the same pricing and no real fix the problem.

This man deserves a raise because he was a rock star!

Ask for Roderick, he is awesome and the companies pricing overall is equally competitive. Remember you get what you pay for and I got Roderick!!!!!

Jane R.

12/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

I drilled a hole in my ceiling and hit the water pipe (dumb). Gene Johnson was the only plumber available.
They came with an iPad and the band aid price was $630. They left the paneling they had to cut on the floor and I felt ripped off. Their prices are outrageous and I keep getting emails for referrals. Never again.

Meg D.

5/28/2019

We've used Gene Johnson Plumbing for some pretty big remodel plumbing needs this year, most recently to install a tankless gas water heater. We couldn't be happier with the work and level of service. Brandon is amazing!! Wouldn't even consider using any other company or technician.

Jill H.

5/22/2016

Jason came to my rescue and provided outstanding emergency plumbing repair services on a Saturday. He quickly and efficiently identified and fixed the problem. I would definitely recommend him!

Samuel R.

8/24/2015

Two monthes ago when I used them to unplug my kitchen drain I was lured in by the promise of a low price. I made the request, someone showed up, and a short period and $350- later . my drain worked again. fast forward 60 days. My drain is clogged again. it's now worse and on a weekend of course. I call the guys back to see if they have any type of warranty. the person who returned my call advised me that they have a 30 day guarantee on there work, but would try to have someone call me back.

So long story short, they didn't call back until today, I had my drain done thoroughly this time. I used Roto Rooter , the work has a 6 months warranty, and it's in writing. I love shopping local, but this time it screwed me. I will never use these guys again.

Peter G.

7/17/2019

This company gives a 3-hour window for service call. I waited the entire 3 hours and an additional 1/2 hour. After all this time, I receive only a text message from the company asking if i can meet them the next day.
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. Terrible customer service.

sammick d.

08/05/2015 12:00:00 SA

So I called them..they had done some work for the Kidney Center and I thought Woody very personable.

I asked him to install a bathroom sink faucet, fix a leaky toilet, and check out a sluggish drain

I got an estimate. Faucet. $600 plus

Toilet. $350 plus

Drain $225 plus

I sent him home

I fixed the toilet by adjusting the float

I will work on the rest over the weekend

These people are unethical and should be avoided

Rex S.

2/25/2012

If you are considering Gene Johnson, I would strongly encourage you to look elsewhere. I found their pricing and sales tactics to be completely unacceptable.

We had an urgent need to convert a bathroom into a closet and had to get the fixtures removed by this weekend and they were available to appraise and perform the work. There was a $49 or so dollar feee just to bring them out to see the situation which is waved if the work is actually performed. Fine...it was urgent so I didn't mind paying it.

The plumber showed up, took a look and then decided that it would cost $1,700 and would take 2 to 6 hours.

Let's break that down. Best case scenario I pay them $650 per hour of work e.g. two hours. Worst case it would cost $300 an hour. I know doctors and lawyers who don't make that much per hour.

Anyways, they then offered me a deal for $1,500 or something for some program they have. At that point I had stopped listening.

He claimed they do not charge per hour and all their fees come from a book which was interesting because I didn't see him look in any book before coming up with the figure.

Long boring story short, I got a guy on craigslist who did all the work with his buddy in one hour for $250.

If I paid these clowns, I would have paid 6x for the work. Avoid them at all costs.

Len L.

11/06/2017 12:00:00 SA

I would like to give them 00 star. I had schedule appointment with them twice, but always canceled my appointment by the time we had scheduled. If they unable to meet up they shouldn't accept my appointment. OMG. Not really sure how this company do they business and got good feedback hmm. Unbelievable!!!! F....

Drew L.

08/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

What a suspicious, unhelpful company. I called to ask for an estimate. They refused to give me a rough, non-binding estimate or even guess without a $49 inspection. They even refused to give me their hourly rate.

M C.

02/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

Very professional, detail oriented and friendly. Clearly knowledgeable and willing to help solve all kinds of problem I would have no problem reccomending Gene Johnson to any of my friends.

Barbara K.

9/15/2017

My experience with Gene Johnson was unbelievably expensive. It was a very straight forward job with easy access to existing plumbing.
I paid $2500 for a washer /dryer rough-in (not including ventilation or clean up). Despite my requests, they opted for the easiest placement of the set (adjacent to a refrigerator) which interfered with opening the dryer door. I subsequently had to install an electrical outlet in order to move the refrigerator. This was on top of having to hire another individual to install the ventilation.
The estimate they provided for installing a sink ($187) and disposer was $1900. Encouraged by a Home Depot employee, I went on YouTube and did it myself. Administration is great (phone, paperwork).

Christopher P.

5/24/2017

Plumbing emergencies are never fun, and there seems to be a shortage of plumbers in the greater Seattle area. My tenants woke to a leaking water heater...after calling several places Gene Johnson was the first available to come by and take a look. Aaron was professional and courteous and knew well what what was needed to get the problem solved. My water heater controls the heat in the house, so this was definitely not a typical repair. Everything was completed quickly and very professionally. My experience with Aaron and Kristen in the office could not have been better. Thank you!

jeff s.

12/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

OUTRAGEOUS PRICE FOR EASY WATER HEATER REPAIR

The pilot light went out and would not re-light on our water heater so I called Gene Johnson to schedule someone to come out for a diagnosis at a cost of $50 (fair price in my opinion for diagnosis). The problem was quickly identified as the thermocouple, which is a $10 part from the hardware store. To change out the part takes 15 minutes, probably less time for a professional.

After telling me what the problem was the repairman showed me a list of service packages from which to choose. The least expensive option was the band aid choice at $495. This is the option where they fix the problem and nothing else. I can appreciate a healthy profit margin for any business but this is ridiculous. The best lawyers in the world charge $1000/hour and these guys are beyond that for a small fix as plumbers.

That being said, the repairman himself was great and he's not the one setting these prices. In my opinion the pricing structure coming from company needs to be re-evaluated to make small repairs reasonably priced.

J D.

11/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

I had our sewer line traced out with their digital camera snake last Aug 2015. Review of the footage revealed poor lighting due to lighting failure in the equipment. I took the attendants word that he could tell that there was not a problem in the sewer line. Well, I have since seen their other YouTube videos of sewer lines and feel slighted! Do not use faulty equipment to do a job.

Mark P.

9/20/2017

These guys are prompt and honest. We had Richard over and he gave us a good overview (what we needed since we are new to the house) of our furnace and thermostat for a reasonable price and got it running. He also explained the electronic air filters to us and how to deal with them. We have another property with a furnace that was leaking and got some good advice to fix it. We will definitely call them again if we need furnace help!

Alissa M.

03/11/2019 12:00:00 SA

They called me an hour into the three hour window to tell me the technician would not be coming because they were stuck at a job from earlier in the morning. Since they already knew it was taking longer it would have been nice to be given some sort of heads up, since I made arrangements to leave work early.

Michael P.

03/06/2017 12:00:00 SA

Confronted with a failing sewer line, I called Gene Johnson plumbing with the expectation that I'd be lucky to get a call back. Within hours I was called back and a service appointment was scheduled. When Gene H arrived he immediately diagnosed the problem and outlined a strategy to get us back in our house. Two days later the repair was made and we moved back in. Gene proved a great problem solver and an amazingly hard worker but perhaps his greatest virtue is his devotion to customer service. He explains his approach in detail, guides you through the vocabulary and demonstrates how the various components go together. His mantra is that he works for you.

Gene Johnson plumbing is not cheap and they have an annoying habit of insisting on obtaining half the estimated amount up front. That said their operation is very well organized and managed.

Sharon F.

9/22/2019

Excellent service. Really enjoyed Rodrick. Very patient (I like to learn how to fix things, and he was gracious enough to tell me what he was doing, and gave me some really great tips) Sharon F. Bothell, WA

Lowell A.

10/29/2015

I can't say enough good about my experience with Gene Johnson Plumbing.
Some tenants complained of a small leak under the kitchen sink. I went over to tackle it myself and ended up making it worse because I couldn't manage to get the nut holding the kitchen sink drainer dislodged. Nothing I did worked.

After a frantic couple of hours, I called my usual plumber but they were booked solid for two weeks! I also tried several other outfits that sent me to confusing online scheduling websites.

Finally, I called Gene Johnson where a person answered and sent a plumber right over. Woody F. looked at my sink; assured me it wouldn't cost much to fix and went to work.

True to his word, the repair was done quickly, professionally and economically and I am beyond thrilled to be able to add Woody's card to my rolodex! He was a joy to work with!

Kristin J.

2/24/2014

I had a leak in my toilet. Woody came and replaced the inside part in the back of my toilet tank. I'm a renter and my landlord lives out of state. My landlord asked me to send him the bill. The cost for about an hour of work and replacing the parts (which cost 19.95 at the hardware store) was $599.00.
My landlord hit the roof and called Gene Johnson to complain. Gene Johnson refunded $350.00. Why was I charged so much to begin with? Perhaps, Woody saw an opportunity to charge a woman almost double what the bill should have been.
Would NEVER recommend Gene Johnson Plumbing.

Ana H.

06/05/2017 12:00:00 SA

Can't say enough how great Brandon's service was. He figured out what was causing our backup right away, came up with a plan to fix it that was reasonable considering the very old plumbing in our house and fixed it quickly and efficiently. He was so helpful and our shower and sink are still working great a month later! Highly recommend using Gene Johnson plumbing for any issues you may have. Trustworthy business that you can depend on to give you an honest estimate and reasonable plan! Thanks Brandon!

Mike J.

10/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

Thank you Gene Johnson Plumbing! After going through couple of other plumbers and simply concluding that working with delays and no-shows were the standard in Seattle, I found GJ. They stuck with us until our problem was solved and always kept their appointments and called ahead. Jason is very knowledgeable and methodically figured it all out and made the repairs.

Richard T.

10/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

Excellent customer service from the office down to the person working on our furnace. Very proficient and detailed in their work and in explaining everything as they go along.

Steve L.

11/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Richard, the technician they sent, was courteous and thorough. What struck me most was his honesty about what work needed to be done, could be done, and what the options were. I half way expected a hard sell for a more expensive service package. Richard, however, laid out what was good, what wasn't so good and what the probable consequences of doing or not doing more service were. He also took the time to evaluate some odd corrosion on the exhaust area of my tankless water heater, make some changes to resolve the issue and make sure that there was a low probability of it indicating a major problem.

Barbara S.

8/15/2019

Gene Johnson Plumbing has a fast response time from the initial phone call to the arrival at your door. Excellent service, they follow through and are very reliable, honest and professional. I highly recommend Gene Johnson Plumbing.

Mj B.

11/19/2018

Awful waste of time and energy! I feel bad for the employee, he tried but had no back up or knowledge of the boiler problem from management. They don't return calls or stand behind their work. Bad experience, bad management. I had another company come out and it took them two hours to reinstall the boiler part correctly.

Lindsay C.

6/14/2019

My original problem was with a few leaky outdoor faucets but John's timing was perfect because I was also having a basement shower tiled and a plumbing issue surfaced. Both of those problems were fixed quickly. The biggest surprise came later as John was wrapping up the shower work. Our water heaters had formed a leak and the expansion tanks had failed. John once again saved the day and was able to replace the expansion tanks with a better solution. Lucky timing he was available to help. What was originally supposed to be a small job turned into an all day event. John was dedicated, patient, extremely knowledgeable and fixed every plumbing issue we had encountered. Would recommend Gene Johnson plumbing and ask for John - he was thorough and a great help!

Christina B.

12/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Great guy with quality info and experience. Will definitely use him again in the future.

Lindee S.

05/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

Updating my review as the owner responded quickly after I called to complain and rectified the situation - agreeing that we had clearly been overcharged for the service provided and provided a refund. He was very polite, open, curious about what happened, and wanted to make things right which I really appreciated.

Samantha S.

03/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

350 to replace a wax ring. That's a 100 more than anywhere else I called, but it was to late, I had the flu and they were on site. Shame on me.

Matt G.

07/08/2012 12:00:00 SA

Way overpriced.

Recent experience: My water heater was leaking and I got 4 quotes to replace it.

3 quotes all came in at approx $1,700.

Gene Johnson was professional, but their quote came in at $3,600...... more than double everyone else... for the same water tank and the same amount of labor.

Need I say more?

Dan L.

04/11/2009 12:00:00 SA

We had a minor issue with our water heater. My landlord hired Mark from GP and he came out the next morning.

He was here first thing at 9am right when he said he would be. No window of time which is great.

Very nice, fixed the leak and was on his way. I can't comment on the price but they stand by their motto- Clean, on-time, and professional.

He also gave me some cards for $25 bucks off for new customers. If anyone wants them, shoot me a quick msg.

Alyssa I.

2/25/2017

I had a plumbing disaster at my house recently and had called Gene Johnson to get a second quote. The quote I received was more straightforward and saved me at least $500 (likely more). Rodrick and everyone else I chatted with from Gene Johnson was super nice and helpful and they really went above and beyond making sure the job was done properly (in my case this meant calling over the gas company to inspect if a gas line was what was causing a blockage).

Brian G.

03/10/2011 12:00:00 SA

I am tempted to give these guys a single star, but I won't not because of anything they did right, but because I want people to actually read what I have to say.

Something about plumbers in particular that prevent them from giving even the most ballpark of estimates (usually what I am looking for here is just: this is going to cost you XXX dollars for the labor per hour, plus materials). This is so they can get the service man (or two), who doubles as a salesman, out on sight where no matter what they tell you, you will be inclined to agree with, because you don't have another 24 hours you want to spend with your problem.

My Specific Experience:
I had a $50 coupon (probably Val-Pak) towards any kind of service from GJP. I had a routine problem with roots in my sewer line that I have had serviced many times over the years. I am familiar with both the procedure, and the market price. Unfortunately, it is also a problem that once it occurs (a sewage backup) you do not want to spend a lot of time with. Of course JGP would tell me *nothing* over the phone, even when I ask: is it in the $100/hr range? $200/hr range? they would offer not the barest of hints. I was told that the service call would be $50 regardless of whether they did anything, which the coupon did not cover, and that should have been my first clue, but I figured that the price would be reasonable and customary, and that the coupon would wash out most or all of the difference.

It took (as with most plumbers) a few hours for them to get to the job site. So by the time they got there, I was desperate for the job to get done. They sent TWO GUYS to do this simplest of plumbing tasks. One guy to hard sell an unneeded service contract for regular maintenance, and one guy to do the actual work. The estimate was easily 2-3 times what the big names like Roto-Rooter charge. Something like $450 + tax *after* taking the $50 coupon off. The alternative was to pay them at least $600+tax for a year long service contract, to fix this problem that I have only once every one to two years. I could get the job done 3 times a year at that price from anybody else.

My only option at that point was to send them away with $50 for Zero work performed, and another 3 hr minimum wait for someone else to pay for the actual work, or pay their extortionist fee for a simple half hour routine job. I was going to get screwed either way, so I let them do the job. This was about 2 years ago, and I am still angry about it.

Check my other ratings to find a plumber who had the key quality of actually letting me know what the fee schedule was *prior* to my committing to them.

Tatiana W.

08/02/2012 12:00:00 SA

It was nice to deal with Gene Johnson Plumbing. Very nice people. Being a homeowner becomes harder and harder. Prices go up. Yes! It is expensive to be a home owner. And it will be worse, because life is getting more and more expensive. I thought their rates are decent. I don't understand why people are so frustrated. If you have not done any updates in the last 8-10 years then everything about home will seems expensive.
I believe Dennis is very honest Plumber who does a good job.
And some things what his plumbers do are very hard work and requires very expensive equipment.
Go get these tools first and then complain how expensive it it. I don't think i will.
Need a plumber and live in a Greenwood area? Call Dennis.

Samarth P.

7/18/2018

I have a ductless mini-split A/C, which no one seems to be able to deal with around here. But Jason and Mason wrangled it into submission, and I can enjoy fresh cool air in this record-breaking heat! I'm glad I found these guys.

Right B.

10/26/2009

Whilst looking for a quote to perform some plumbing work in my house, I'd called 8 places and all except Gene Johnson offered to come and give me an estimate for the job, free of charge.

I cannot speak to the quality of Gene Johnson but I did find it amusing that at the end of the phone call, after I had scheduled the job, the girl who'd answered the call launched into mini history about the company and how it was a family owned business, etc. Oh, and buried in that monologue was the fact that they'd be charging me a call-out fee for the estimate to cover transport expenses.

$50 for an estimate that would have taken a few minutes to size up and about the same to write out in an email? But they did say that if I accepted their bid they'd swallow that fee though - most generous of them, I thought!

No other company had the cohones to charge a fee for an estimate and therefore I have to say, sorry GJ, no job for you!

Keith G.

5/18/2013

I appreciate that they are available on weekends.

When I called they were upfront that there would be a $50 or so estimate or service fee to come out and look at my clogged toilet. It ended up fixing itself when they flushed it.

Unfortunately, Adam wasn't as upfront above notifying me of the estimate before looking at the toilet or fixing the clogged sink. I would have appreciated that.

They put on booties over their shoes before coming in.

Adam tested the toilet by putting toilet paper in it and flushing several times. He explained why they were doing it (if there is anything stuck, the paper will come back but when you use a plunger, the water will just flow past).

He gets five stars for that.

Later I had them look at a clogged sink which they did and fixed.

Then, when it came time for the bill, I was expecting a hundred dollars or so for twenty minutes of their time. I charge my clients X an hour with a one hour minimum.

Instead, the final bill before taxes came to $275.36. After I complained to Dennis, the customer service supervisor, he reduced it to the price I thought was fair which was $100 plus sales tax.

I appreciated that.

I don't know if having an assistant was part of that price but if it was, why should I pay for someone's education?

And on the company portion of the carbon-copied invoice was a notice that you could get an instant discount for writing an online review.

Go hire someone who charges reasonable prices and doesn't buy their online (including Yelp?) reviews?. As a note, Dennis complained to me about this review (as well as stating that Yelpers are price conscious) and stated that they no longer offer discounts for writing reviews.

So I am increasing their stars to three but they are still losing two stars for how they charge people and the owner's political campaign signs that tell people to vote for Gene Johnson Plumber. While I admire his creativeness, I consider it an abuse of the political process. If others hadn't complained about his behavior, I might have given them a break.

Jena E.

10/08/2013 12:00:00 SA

We called Gene Johnson after finding a coupon for a free service call/quote (normally $49) in a Valpak.

They sent Woody to inspect our furnace, which was not receiving a signal from the thermostat. He quickly diagnosed that there was a problem with the wires within the wall. I couldn't have asked for a more professional and friendly technician.

The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because we chose not to utilize Gene Johnson to actually fix the problem. The problem required a new thermostat, and their thermostat distributor wanted to charge $500 for a top-of-the-line wireless thermostat which we could also purchase for $200 online. This is no fault of Gene Johnson's or Woody's, but we would have liked to continue to use them for the purchase and installation if the price had been reasonable.

Jami H.

07/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

Great great service-
Used GJ twice now for major hot water heater issues. Honest-Efficient-Knowledgable. Highly recommend!

Tracy L.

1/25/2018

Had GJ Plumbing confirm and tweak my garbage disposal installation. It requires some tightening of wires, remounting disposal and some other small work. Friendly and very competent team but the charge was over $800. They were there less than 1/2 hour. I did call and voice concern over price and they gave partial refund. I would just suggest getting quote first.

Laura E.

12/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

Brandon and Tommy came to give me an estimate on the cost and work involved for installing a whole-house water filter. They were professional, thorough and efficient. I made a deposit and arranged for the work to be done, and am very happy with my experience!

Andy P.

8/13/2019

They do good work, and are quick to arrive - but it will cost you an unbelievable amount of money. Fischer plumbing installed my dishwasher for a little over $500. I had a leaky sink and called these guys thinking the costs would be in the same range - nope, $900 (aka $450/hour). Afterwards the sink drained slowly and I assumed it was related to the install since my entire sink drain assembly was replaced. I should have looked into the problem myself (definitely kicking myself here) but just assumed that for $900 the whole sink drain was serviced. In retrospect, I now recall that the cost would have been $1300 if the drain was serviced which seemed silly to me at the time, given I was already paying $900 for an entirely new set-up. Anyway, fast forward, I call them to ask about the drain and am told that they will come out, no charge, to inspect. Turns out it was just a clog (again, my stupidity), but no charge means $50 to these guys since it wasn't technically related to the original install. I take responsibility for my stupidity, but really, c'mon.

Greg C.

5/24/2018

Josh and Hugo were professional and took the time to listen to my various questions and explain my options to me. They were on time and installed my new water heater without any issues. The pricing was upfront and they were quick to accept the online coupon I mentioned without any push back. They shared a few tips re: maintenance (draining) with me and explained some new features of my water heater. I'd recommend Josh and Hugo to anyone looking to replace a water heater.

Damon J.

5/21/2018

I give a 9 for now as our new water heater was just installed but really the service by Adam and Mason was outstanding. Two young men wanting to get it right and sometimes that is phony and sometimes its sincere, that is SINCERE, I was very impressed with their knowledge and ability to explain and show me what was going on. I would recommend gene Johnson and Adam and Mason right now anytime, again in two weeks this is a ten I am sure. Thanks for the extra effort to get the kitchen sink water on full capacity a job they just noticed and asked me about if the water pressure was low or always like that, they fixed it and did not charge...fantastic....thanks..

Paula L.

3/13/2017

Website says they service Renton area. Called to schedule getting a quote to run a gas line to kitchen. When called was told they do not service my area. Misleading information on their website. If they are a professional company they need to have correct information. Maybe they are so busy they just don't need the work and are being selective in where they go. Either way poor experience.

Hugh R.

08/05/2014 12:00:00 SA

I posted a review about two weeks ago about their billing practices. They had an estimate which was a sham for $732 for very minor electrical work. I called the infamous owner Dennis about this vague, unsupported estimate.

He said if I didn't like his billing practices I could take my business elsewhere, which I did.

I just had the work done by a registered, honest electrician and the bill was $225.

You be the judge about their estimates and billing practices.

BEWARE of gene Johnson Plumbing!

Joan R.

7/17/2014

BEWARE OF THEIR BILLING PRACTICES!!!!!!!!

I will keep this short because I have just read other reviews that are the same as my experience today.

GJP uses fixed price billing that bears no resemblance to the actual time spent to do the job.

I spoke with Dennis at GJP and he tried to tell me their fixed price was better than getting a bill that details the actual time spent at $ X per hour. I told him to find some other sucker who would fall for his BS.

Dustin H.

1/26/2018

This company is so easy and nice to work with. A few months ago we had our furnace replaced. The installation was done by Josh who was efficient and cordial. A few days ago I got a call from the company who informed me that the furnace they installed has a recall on a part and they wanted to come replace it. It was Josh who came by again and I was reminded and inspired to share how great this company is. I would recommend Gene Johnson Heating and Plumbing to anyone, request Josh to be your technician.

kat c.

3/13/2013

Had a plumbing emergency and put in a call. Adam was dispatched very quickly and efficiently figured out why water was pooling in the basement and solved the problem.

He had a book of prices for any work done and quoted them to me as he worked and more issues came up. I didn't feel pressured and was aware of the costs as work was done. Maybe not the cheapest work, but I feel it was well done and appreciate the speed with which he worked.

I will consider them for work in the future.

Karin B.

12/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

GJ Plumbing is the first company in Seattle we've found whose communication is as good as their plumbing services. Their office staff are outstanding, responding to calls promptly and also letting us know when their plumbers are coming. I've never had to wait and always had a cheery voice at the end of the line. The plumber, Benjamin, worked on our issue over the course of several weeks until it was completely resolved. He was upfront about the cost (which was high), but completely transparent about what that included and ensured that the work was done correctly, keeping me in the loop at every stage. Very impressed.

Kristen M.

10/18/2017

Ever since our panic three years ago, when the furnace broke down in October as the cold wind and rain were full speed ahead, the first relieving thought I now have is....well at least I know we will have our annual furnace review and maintenance check with Richard. He showed up on our doorstep that night, tools in hand and carefully selected those words you don't want to hear. it looks like you need a new furnace he really tried to fix it, but he was very honest about how it wouldn't last. I have trusted Richards care ever since. We have him come back every fall to do a maintenance check on the new furnace and the filters. There is no replacing warmth in the middle of the cold winter. There can also be no replacement for Richard. He is reliable, honest and well informed. I don't worry anymore about staying warm and dry for the winter. Gene Johnson hires quality employees and Richard is the best one they have.

Alec A.

10/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

Jason and Chris were amazing. I highly recommend Gene Johnson. Jason in particular was knowledgeable, friendly and very patient with me. He explained in detail what was wrong with our furnace, what needed to be fixed and what didn't need to be fixed. I could tell that he genuinely cares about what he does and has his customers best interests in mind. I will absolutely be calling them again should we have any heating or plumbing needs.

Patricia M.

10/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

Gene Johnson Plumbing provided quick, excellent and honest assessment & repair of our water heater and toilet. Woody was very informative, walked us through all our repair needs. Absolutely recommend and plan on using them again for other future projects.

Richard J.

10/05/2017 12:00:00 SA

Richard P. and Hugo did excellent work. They were courteous, answered all our questions. We were very pleased and will happily use them again.

Angela B.

02/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

I had a furnace cleaning and check up done on my furnace in a home that I just purchased and the repair man that came out admittedly did not clean or change the filter, because my furnace is old and he recommended that I purchase a $6500 furnace because I would be getting a really good deal and I needed a new one right away according to him. This costed me $141 for his opinion. Gene Johnson is not a company I would ever rely on again for anything, this transaction was very dishonest and I do not think I should have been charged for service that was not provided. PSE came out to check my furnace and informed me it would be fine for another year or so, the cost of that ZERO. Thanks for a horribly expensive lesson learned about crumby con-artist companies Gene Johnson. BEWARE

Seth D.

3/30/2017

Fast and responsive. Found the root case of my problem in just a few minutes. Called and arranged for a leak cleanup within two hours. was extremely helpful and friendly. I thought that the dispatch fee would be wasted but the service the technician gave and the follow through made it worth the fee. Whilst they didn't do any actual work on the issue, they both found the source of the problem and arranged a specialist to quote the solution.

Michael C.

07/03/2014 12:00:00 SA

Didn't actually hire them, because they never showed up.

I'm getting estimates to replace my furnace, get a new heat pump and a new water heater. Every contractor I've called so far gives me an exact time they will show up, or a 1 hour window. I was given a window from 8AM to 11AM. I called at 11:15 to be told that their guy wouldn't be over until 12 at the earliest - he was still in Seattle (I'm on the east side). They never called to tell me they'd be late.

A K.

04/03/2013 12:00:00 SA

I called at 3:00 in the afternoon about a leaky faucet, and somebody came by the same day. Definitely cost more than I expected, but hey, I didn't have to worry about flooding the house. Plus, they also fixed the faucet handle that was constantly falling off, and cleaned out the drain. They were polite and friendly, and came multiple times to bring the right screw for the faucet handle.
I didn't really like the push for their service partner plan, or whatever it was...I'm not that interested in paying $70 a month to save $50-ish. And I'm definitely not interested in the included annual house inspection that will most likely just tell me I need to give them more money. This is the main reason I'm giving four stars instead of five.
Overall, I recommend them and will probably call them again for those little plumbing issues that always seem to crop up.

Ben G.

2/20/2016

My beef is about the prices. I paid $100 to find out that my furnace wasn't turning on because of a dirty something or other and another $180 to blow the dust out of my furnace. My plumber, Aaron, who was very nice BTW, threw a price sheet in front of me for such dust removal that ranged from the $280 (with a 30 day guarantee the the dust was indeed removed) to over $700. (I didn't read the description, but for that price it should include weekly counseling to get over the post traumatic stress of having had dust.) For giggles and because I didn't actually know, I asked how much a new furnace would cost. He showed me another price sheet that ranged from $6000 to $17000. That's totally insane. On Google, the most expensive gas furnace I could find was about $2500 and most were well under $2k. Sheesh.

Bert J.

7/18/2017

Rodrick the technician came out two different occasions for emergency plumbing situations. I cannot say enough about the whole experience. Very knowledgeable, very professional. Got the job done. I highly recommend him. Five star. I would recommend him for all your plumbing needs.

Dolores F.

02/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

Ridiculously overpriced (yes, I should have read reviews more carefully before calling them).
They quoted 150 for a leaky faucet and 190 for a clogged WC. My local plumber, who I found through my local hardware store, charged me $140 for both.

Ian S.

12/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

Their pricing is truly abysmal.
Their standard price is $275.34 for a simple clogged sink snaking.

As an apartment building manager, I have plumbers out fairly frequently for the same sorts of services, and Gene Johnson's prices are 60-90% higher than every other service I've used in the last year in Seattle.

The people I've talked to have been friendly, but the pricing is horrendous.

Stay away

Michael A.

04/02/2019 12:00:00 SA

I wish I could give stars for the technician and the entire experience separately, but unfortunately the stars go to the overall experience (Josh the technician is the only reason this is not 1 star). I had an appointment from 2-4. Called at 3pm to check on status and they couldn't guarantee someone before 4pm. I rescheduled for the next available early morning (8-10am) and nobody showed by 10am and nobody called to let me know. I called the office because I had a leak that needed to be fixed so I agreed to have them call me when the tech was 20-30 minutes away. This call finally happened around 2pm. Josh assessed the leak and fixed it. He was courteous and explained what he was fixing. ~$250 to replace a tub downspout seems excessive, but it was fixed. Second part, I was supposed to get an estimate to have our sewer line fixed/replaced. I had to call because this didn't happen and the office scheduled their sister company Zoom Drain for an 8-10am slot. I received an email confirmation of the appointment and a reminder email the day before. Unfortunately, once again I waited at home for 2 hours for a no-show, no-call. I mean seriously. If I charged Gene Johnson Plumbing for the 4 hours of my time they wasted, they would not be happy. Pretty sure a sewer replacement is a pretty hefty bill. I will not be using Gene Johnson Plumbing.

Richard J.

11/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Had a service call from Gene Johnson Plumbing on November 2nd. The plumber was Richard Packer. He was on time, professional, and very knowledgeable. I would not hesitate to use them again, and would specifically ask for Richard.

Carmen A.

3/17/2015

I was super pleased with the plumbing service I received from Gene's Plumbing. This company was recommended to me by a Edmonds Water department city worker. I had a water leak on my property, however I couldn't find it. Richard was able to locate the leaking pipe (where my irrigation crew tapped into my main water supply) dug down about 3 feet, fixed the pipe, replaced with a thick gauge plastic pipe containing a webbing to prevent any further issues. Richard could tell I was frazzeled. He walked me through what he was going to do, how long it would take, parts & price estimate. I was pleased with the service. Really pleased.

Erin D.

11/14/2012

I've used these folks for business and at two homes. I'm sure when they read this they will know immediately who I am. I feel like a fool. Don't use them. They charge so much, and they truly do not give you the service you deserve. I recommend using ANYONE else. Anyone. Don't use them.

Laura M.

2/28/2017

We've had Gene Johnson out twice to our home for different reasons in the last month - all the guys are good to work with and their work is well done and efficiently finished. No wasted time, but they still answer questions and explain as they go. We'll have them back again if we need to but hope it won't be so soon!

Rebecca N.

10/26/2012

I've been using Gene Johnson Plumbing for 4 years. I have always been very satisfied with the customer service I have received. Everyone I come in contact with - from Kristen the receptionist/scheduler, to the various plumbers that have performed the work, to Dennis the owner of the company - are very pleasant, helpful, and professional.

I am however, always quite astounded when they give me the bill. I wish they weren't so expensive.

Jessica H.

12/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

Gene Johnson Plumbing/Heating is a great company that I would highly recommend in the future. Our in-floor heating pump was low on water and they did a quick diagnostic work up, along with recommendations for future work. Our landlord did not choose to move forward with the more costly recommendations, but even so Brandon and James were helpful and informative along the way. Plus, scheduling a same day service over the phone with Kristin was a breeze - if only scheduling all repair services was that easy. And the helpful call notification when Brandon was on his way helped me save time in my own busy schedule.

Claudia D.

11/16/2016

We recently had some of our pipes replaced and rerouted in two of our bathrooms. Jason and his assistant (can't remember the name) were professional, courteous and did a great job. They showed up on time, cleaned up when they were done, and best of all, the price was right. Two days later we had a minor issue not related to the repair work, but having to do with the water line - and Gene Johnson sent out a plumber right away to fix it. Great service. I have no complaints and will use them again.

Kelli C.

11/14/2016

I had a plumbing issue and called Gene Johnson after reading their Yelp reviews. I can see why they have such great ratings! Woody was very knowledgeable, professional and friendly. I would recommend him 100%!

K D.

4/26/2016

Jason from GJP plumbing was honest, super nice and professional. He did not try to suggest any unnecessary services. I would not hesitate to call him again. The reason for only 4 stars is that you can't get an estimate over the phone for maintenance services; you have to have someone come out for $50. This is the company policy, and does not reflect on the technicians.

Ryan S.

09/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

Nothing to complain about. Work was done quickly and professionally, and the price seemed decent. I had a new garbage disposal and faucet installed in our kitchen. Only have had to wait two days to get an appointment and they showed up right on time. I would recommend Gene Johnson Plumbing to others.

kerry h.

09/09/2010 12:00:00 SA

We had Darrell and Thomas out to replace our entire kitchen drain line. We have an old house, and the previous repairs, not done by a licensed plumber, were causing problems. The guys worked so hard and did an amazing job making sure everything worked perfectly. Darrell is highly skilled, knowledgeable, and clearly cares that the work is done right.
Plumbing work is definitely expensive - but if you want the work done right, you have to go with the pros. Skill and expertise are worth a lot! I would recommend these guys in a heartbeat.

Chris B.

9/21/2016

After committing to meet me in the afternoon (only was able to commit to a 4 hour window), they called an 90 minutes into that window to tell me they weren't going to make it which was unfortunately too late in the day for me to get another plumber out. They might be fine if you have flexibility in your schedule to wait for them but unfortunately that was not my situation.

Sirisha D.

4/27/2017

The technicians are always very nice which is why I'll give them three stars, but the pricing is ridiculous. There's no hourly fee, they have tiers of prices for fixes regardless of what the issue is. I first had them out for a water heater fix, where they charged a $99 dispatch fee and then $527 to fix a basic leak (regardless of what the leak was, this is was the minimum price and it went up from there). They applied the $99 to the total cost. Then I had them come out to look at my garbage disposal, where they charged a $50 dispatch fee. They said the $50 fee wouldn't be applied to the cost of fixes if I chose to move forward with it...which I argued with them about because I didn't understand why the policy would be different. The guy comes out and says the cheapest option for a garbage disposal replacement is $589 (why this is more than a water heater fix is beyond me) but what is annoying is that they have this booklet that they go through with base prices for every fix they do, so the receptionist could feasibly tell you what they're going to charge you in the first place, but they sucker you into paying the dispatch fee. To replace all the plumbing was $1600...I live in a townhome. It's tiny. There are not that many pipes going on under the sink. A garbage disposal costs maybe $40 at home depot...how they come up with these costs is beyond me. I chose to move forward with someone else.

Lisa V.

11/13/2012

I hired Gene Johnson to run a new gas line for my kitchen. They showed up on time, were very professional, and answered all of my questions. I love their service partner concept. Brilliant am happy to pay a small amount every month to ensure a discount in the future as I have an old house and have plumbers on speed dial!

They came recommended to me from a real estate agent and I will refer them on to all of my friends.

They were less expensive than my usual plumber for this particular job.

K B.

12/19/2014

My story starts with Roto Rooter. Upon discovery that my sewer clean out was backing up, I called Roto Rooter. He was here less than an hour, could only get 20 feet, handed me a stack of estimates if I want further work done and charged me $569.00 (don't call them). I began the process of getting bids for a spot repair. Gene Johnson pluming bought my request from A+ Sewer Technologies and scheduled a time. Once here (remember, I was only looking for estimates), the tech Phil SWORE he could clear the line, was ADAMENT that he could clear the line, 97% sure he could clear the line. He got as far as Roto Rooter and succeeded in breaking off the bit at the end of the snake...so now that's in the line to, charging me $300.00. He felt bad, so he came out the next day to mark the line and discovered another potential problem at the clean out five feet from the sidewalk. He thought maybe I was on septic and called the city....really. He sent me an open ended bid for 5 foot spot repair $2300.00 escalating if any further issues were found. I then got two more bids from NW Sewer and Drain Pro Pluming. Out $300.00 for no reason....

Jamie L.

1/29/2016

Ryan from Gene Johnson is A+!! He arrived exactly on time, took off his shoes before coming in and was very knowledgeable and efficient. He answered all of my questions and showed me what my options were for fixing my plumbing issues. He did not try to push me into an expensive fix and told me what things were OK to leave as is and what I should fix now.

brigitte p.

5/13/2013

I have used gene Johnson for 30 years. They re-plumbed my home and lined the Sewer pipe to the street. They were always prompt, polite, efficient, friendly and helpful.
Yes, they may be a bit more expensive (I really have not checked around) but I can trust them to do it right. They also get the relevant permits from the city and do things according to code. Priceless! They also closed holes in the wall, which needed to be opened, which very few Companies do.

I would certainly recommend them .

John P.

01/06/2011 12:00:00 SA

These guys are responsive, thorough and honest. And they show up when they say they will. I've hauled them out to my home for plumbing problems a couple of times, and they've been terrific.

They're super respectful of the surroundings (including booties on the hardwoods) and quite patiently explained my options. And they were completely fair about what they did and didn't charge me for.

No one likes to be in a position to need a plumber, but these are the guys if you do. I wish all the other service contractors I deal with were such stand-up guys.

Jeannie G.

7/22/2010

I've had a short list of plumbing un-done's that I wasn't sure would be worth a plumber's time to come out and take of. Not the case! Dennis at Gene Johnson Plumbing assured me they'd be happy to cross those items off my list. Woody showed up, put his carpet protectors on over his boots as soon as he walked into the house, and is taking care of the list as we speak.

I've interacted with GJP over the past three years in matters unrelated to plumbing, and have found the office staff and the field guys to be consistently personable and professional. I've confidently recommended them to friends and other businesses, and am glad I have them to turn to for things like slow drains and a broken toilet handle!

Linda B.

3/19/2016

I am writing this review because I have a new respect for this business as once they found out that I was not a happy customer they immediately refunded my money and acknowledged their mistake. Last year I went on line researching for a plumber and selected Gene Plumbing, as I like supporting local businesses. They came out and diagnosed the problem. $1800. As a trusting senior citizen I believed them and the problem continued 3 more times until I got another plumber and they immediately diagnosed the problem correctly and it cost me a further $12,000 to fix it. I did not contact Gene Plumbing and complain of their misdiagnosis because I had little faith in them doing anything about their mistake, I chalked it up to experience. Then recently they contacted me and asked for a review or recommendation. I decided to write them and explain why I would never recommend them. The owner of the company apologized and wished I had contacted them to resolve the issue and without me asking she offered to refund my money. This is what being an honorable company is about, customer service and acknowledging a mistake and making it right. Thank you Gene Plumbing, you restored my faith in your company and I will recommend you. Linda B

Jennifer W.

6/26/2010

4 Stars is as good as it gets for plumbers as far as I'm concerned. The only way to get a five is for the price to come down and I don't think that's reality, just based on market conditions. When you need a plumber, you need a plumber, let's face it. I do recommend Gene Johnson and we would use them again. I have a point of comparison as well, because our story starts 3 months ago when we had a water main from the street start leaking. We got 3 bids, GJ was one. We liked the professionalism, straight forward and detailed proposal, the promptness of coming out, but went with another plumber, because he claimed a trenchless process (um beware of these claims), he had great online reviews, and he was cheaper. Well, you get what you pay for as it turned out. I should do a different review on the other plumber someplace else, because it was quite negative, and the basis for our choosing him was the online reviews mainly, so I am trying to be very responsible in my review here. Back to Gene Johnson. Because we remembered so clearly the good impression (on a gut level too) from Dennis who came out from GJ, we called this time when the repair didn't hold from the last guy. They responded to email and phone calls promptly. Sent Darryl out first thing, got the work scheduled, gave us detailed information on what the situation was, and kept us updated as the work progressed and they found the illegal work done by the other guy. I can't remember the other GJ employee who came out and did all the ditch digging, but he was a young fellow and I was impressed at his professionalism. They remind me a bit of the Les Schwab experience. Clean, professional, not bargain basement, but solid work and product. Our job ended up more work than they anticipated (I'm pretty sure), but they were pleasant, communicative, and did the job and showed us and explainted the work as it progressed. In the end we would have saved about $1k if we had just gone with them in the beginning. I would definitely call them again. Plumbing isn't cheap, it's just the way it is, like it or not, and if you are getting someone quoting you a discount price, I would think twice. If you want discount plumbing, I suppose the best thing to do is learn to do it yourself, as professionals in the industry who are working are going to charge the going rate.

Cristy D.

11/19/2012

I called this outfit to check out a reported toilet leak in my rental condo. We were given a quote of ~$400 to fix the issue and ~$900 to replace the toilet. $900 to replace a toilet??? Are you kidding me. We declined and decided to do the replacement ourselves. Turns out it wasn't even a leaky toilet. It was the condensation from the toilet take dripping onto the floor. Easy fix with a $35 insulation kit. DO NOT TRUST THIS BUSINESS!!! They are unethical and seriously overcharge.

One R.

01/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

asked a simple quote price.. they pushed they would if you pay $49.00 fee that they have to dispatch someone.. all i was asking is if they could give me a super rough estimate on something they do every day... just a ball park estimate... very scary that they could not give me a super rough estimate.. I do understand things can pop up issues and all but they could not event offer an hourly rate.. nothing.. if you have plumbing issues beware if you call them.. ...

Eileen M.

3/25/2012

Well, let me tell you...a friend of mine called in Gene Johnson Plumbing to do a simple water line hookup to a new refrigerator. Part way through the work she called me to come over and talk to them. NOTE: the water line (1/4 tubing) was already in place before they showed up. Granted, the tubing came up from the basement, through the wall an ended in without a shutoff (there was one at the other end in the basement). Gene Johnson had given a figure (out of their book) for $500. The book said to install 3/4 copper pipe from the supply line in the basement to a box that they would install in the wall of the kitchen with a shutoff valve and a 1/4 tubing connection to the new fridge. When I questioned the need to run an entire new line (3/4, no less) up to the kitchen AND cut a 8X8 hole in the wall to install a recessed box with shutoff I was give the book story about how they did things. Well, I said can you just install an in-line shutoff on the existing 1/4 tubing and continue that onto the fridge I got some grumbles and he finally agreed to do it (for a fee of $100). Now, considering it would take a total amateur (like myself) about 15 minutes to perform the same trick (if you didn't count the 20 minute trip to the hardware store to purchase the $5 shutoff valve and a few feet of copper tubing), WHY did it take TWO plumbers well over an hour to do the same thing (oh, and the 45 seconds it took them to go out to their truck to get the shutoff valve?

Unfortunately, I had previously used them to replace two seals (between the tank and base) on two toilets. The first quote they gave me was for something like $3500 -- FOR TWO NEW TOILETS!!!! When I told them the toilets were just fine and they just needed to have the tanks removed and the rubber seals replaced they gave me an estimate that made my hair stand on end. I finally relented, and it turned out they ended up NOT ONLY replacing the $10 seals, but the ENTIRE INNARDS of the two toilets for something close to $2000!!!!! When I complained, they again referred me to their holy BOOK!

No matter WHAT you call them out for they will refer to the book for the price, and that price specifies work that (although legally it could be interpreted as appropriate) is WAY MORE than is needed to fix whatever problem you have. Their book always specifies the MOST EXPENSIVE PROCEDURE POSSIBLE.

Why these guys are still in business I don't know--oh yes I do--they aren't actually doing anything ILLEGAL, but they are certainly pushing the limits.

rita s.

4/25/2012

Very responsive and professional, but $500 for a leaky faucet and $7,500 for a furnace were just not worth the professionalism. I am using Collier's Plumbing now.

William G.

11/05/2012 12:00:00 SA

I called Gene Johnson Plumbing and was able to set an appointment right away and Adam was right on time. He assessed the problem and quickly got me a quote. I gave him the OK and he got the water heater, returned and installed it same day. He even fixed another problem with a faucet for no further charges. Timing and service were excellent.

Jody B.

10/17/2015

Had a plugged bathroom drain...I had done the usual home remedies..finally called plumber...who showed on schedule and gave a $300 estimate for only clearing the drain. I was so stunned at the cost...but in an eye exam with dilated eyes...and so frustrated by a week of trying to resolve the problem myself...I said ok...I was told next time dial direct to plumber and save $75...which I assume is a placement fee. Will NEVER call Gene Johnson again. Robbery. Shame on me. Next time ill ask fees up front and I'll purchase my own snake ...I was just worried about breaking older pipes...the plumber did give me $25 off since he only had to ho about 8' to the main. Last plumber I had here charged an hourly rate and fixed my problem and asked if I had anything else...since he was still on his hour. Such a difference. Office should tell you their actual fees...Especially the $75...I could have made a lot of my own phone calls for that $. The gentleman plumber was good...my beef is against the pimping fee.

Nola D.

6/24/2013

I recently called Gene Johnson for a plumbing issue and Woody came out to do the work. He arrived promptly when the office person told me he would. In fact, there was great communication with the office in terms of sending him out and time frame (with the exception of perhaps that I filled out the online form on a Saturday and did not hear from them until Monday but it was not a emergency and if it had been, I would have called!)
Woody assessed the situation and determined that the problem was PROBABLY simply that the toilet had been stuck running constantly and that was what caused our basement flood. He suggested that probably simply fiddling with the toilet tank innards would solve the problem and it would never happen again.
Since I was about to put in a new floor in that room, and I did not want to risk a repeat, no matter how unlikely, I elected to have him go into the pipe with a camera to ensure there were no blockages. He did not pressure me to spend the extra money for that service ($250) and he also didn't make me feel like a paranoid lunatic for insisting it be done! I also had him do another small repair of an outdoor pipe while he was over and that was accomplished quickly and with full disclosure of price. In all, he did a great job and I would call Gene Johnson again if I have a plumbing need.

Chris D.

6/13/2012

Another great experience with Gene Johnson plumbing. Same day appt made for a kitchen faucet leak. Crew showed up on time with a Pre arrival phone call, got right to business and had faucet fixed in 20 minutes. Fast, friendly and highly competent.

John R.

10/29/2012

I've used GJ twice in the last two months -- both times, their plumbers were on time, explained their pricing up front, and finished the job in a timely manner. It can be tough to find a plumber you can trust and, after 18 years in my house and more service people than I can count, I've finally found someone I'm willing to use time and again.

Roger G.

3/14/2013

I'm in the process of selling my home and the buyer asked for some work to be done. I called a few companies to come and quote the work but it was like solving a mystery as to the direction where my septic was going. The guys who came to my home for a quote were very good and determined to figure it out before they quoted the work. Their quote came in lower than the others and if the work has to be done I would definitely give them the work. I'm surprised to see the low rating for these guys as I felt like they gave me A+ service and they went the extra mile with me.

Carol G.

11/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

I called them because I needed a new kitchen faucet hooked up and my disposer, after getting a new sink in the kitchen. The plumber (Aaron) came over and looked at everything and showed me their level of service choices I had to pick from. The choices ranged from Gold level of service, ($2,000.00); to Silver (around $1,300.00), to Bronze (around 1,000.00), down to band-aid at $489.00---which he said I couldn't use this lowest level of service. He said I'd need new connecter hoses even though I had the old ones from my previous faucet and new ones with my new faucet----he said they probably weren't long enough. He added I'd need a new disposer and the electrical component that has to be installed on the disposer, the warranty, etc. I thought that the price quote (somewhere between 1,000 and $2,000) was WAY too much when I just needed things hooked back up. He said the job involved several hours of work. I said thank you and paid the $50.00 for him to come out and called around to other places. I got Aurora Plumbing and Electric to come out, do the job (without saying I needed new connector hoses (I guess they were long enough), or electrical component installed to my new disposer) and such. The job by Aurora Plumbing took 1 1/2 hours and I was charged a grand total of $440.00. I guess Gene Johnson figured I'd be a pushover for some reason. I also think their level of service pricing is both odd and extremely overpriced. My recommendation would be to steer clear of them unless you have lots of $$$$ to throw around without wanted to know what EXACTLY you're paying for.

Joe H.

11/06/2013 12:00:00 SA

I had a pretty complicated sump pump job (the waste water from the entire house goes to a sump, where the waste is pumped 200 feet to the sewer system on the next street). The old pump blew, meaning the entire house was shut down -- no toilets, no showers, no laundry, nothing. Carlos and crew came in and analyzed the problem, which involved defects in the pump, the sump, the plumbing connections, and the electrical wiring -- frankly, it was a mess. Carlos and crew vastly improved all aspects of the system, and had the house in good working order, so I could stop sneaking out and peeing in the bushes. The cost of the project was expensive, but that was the nature of the beast because the work required was extensive. These guys are good and clearly superior to the plumbers who fixed my sump about four years ago. Thanks Carlos.

peter b.

10/21/2010

top notch work, professional customer service. Great value. They did work in my utility room at my Greenwood condo.