Howe Brothers Plumbing

One of my favorite stores in the Willy St. area. My knowledge about plumbing is non-existant, but the staff here is so unbelievably patient and helpful, that you can get almost anything done yourself. No matter what your plumbing project is, you would make a huge mistake if you didn't step in here first.

After getting vacant stares from employees at big box stores, and even an associate at another local vendor asking me why I would want to repair a shower over the phone (I will not mention them by name because I like to think that the employee was new, or completely clueless, or maybe a little of both), I happened upon Howe Brothers online.  I was surprised to know that my wife had been to the shop before for a new shower curtain rod.  Her personal review was glowing, so rather than calling ahead I put all of my chips on the table and drove over with my brother.

We did wait for a while as there was only one employee working with other customers, but the wait proved to be well worth it.  Knowing next to nothing about indoor plumbing on my end was not a problem.  The man behind the counter new exactly what part we were talking about less than a minute in, produced a new one, told us how it worked and how it would fit, and we were on our way.

Customer service at this location is put above everything else.  I cannot put into words the level of satisfaction that I have with this business.  Howe Brothers Pluming on Willy St. is my new go-to, all-things-plumbing source.

You might have to wait a couple minutes because they're explaining something to the person in line ahead of you.  It's worth it though because they take the time to give you the best advise about any plumbing issues.  They have better products than the box stores also.  A toilet flap might cost 3 times as much as at Menards, but it will last 5 times as long.  They have parts for anything that fits right and generally works better.  I've bought from both, and they'll save you time and money in the long run.

Plumbing gods.  Straight shooters with local products and honest answers.  I wish this guy sold everything.

I'm glad for a local plumbing shop (and I have no reason to think that they are great if you know plumbing), but for a place that claims to cater to DIYers, they seem to go out of their way to make one feel incompetent, refusing to sell a simple 75¢ piece of plastic without a detailed explanation of the project. After four trips trying to get this piece I gave up.

Howe plumbing is the best for so many plumbing related things, and Regan is wonderful about giving his time and expertise to the customer, even a one-time customer. Fabulous advice, great knowledge of older as well as more modern plumbing, good prices, parts for the old fixtures, and a free education. Wonderful service! If he is busy with a customer, pay attention and you will learn some things, if not about your plumbing then about old fashioned good business service. He's a second generation master plumber (for all I know, a third.). I've been so pleased with his help a couple times that I came back with a present for him. If you've never been there drop in just to see what you've been missing.

Knowledgeable and personable

Finding a plumber is like finding a doctor.  You get referrals and make a lot of calls. Once you find the professional, you will keep going back to them for years.

Howe Brothers is a gem in Madison.  Good advice, direct, no BS or the feel that they are overcharging you.  I now have a great source for my plumbing needs.

I can't speak highly enough about this place. If you have questions and want reliable answers, look no further.  I have used them many times now and always great service!

The employees at Howe Brothers sure know their plumbing. I went all over town this weekend to find a part for a little DIY project and no one could help me.

I walked into Howe's this afternoon and they knew exactly what I needed to finish my project. Not only that, the man working offered me some great advice on the project and was incredibly knowledgeable.

They might be pricier than your favorite big box store, but their knowledge and service can't be beat!

Regan Howe came through for me again.

I own a 118 year-old building on Williamson Street and Howe Brothers Plumbing is my first stop before starting any plumbing project.

This time it was a clogged tub drain trap.  Regan gave me expert advice and the right parts to do the job myself.

I'm not sure how much money my conversation at this store saved me. I was having trouble finding a plumber in Madison (for every good review there seems to be a horror story). So, after reading the Yelp reviews and having walked by Howe Brothers numberous times I decided to stop in the store to a) see if my plumbing issues were things i could fix myself b) ask for a recommendation - nice guys from the neighborhood, their opinion would be the deciding factor.

I did have to wait a few minutes, the guy was finishing up with another customer. Watching this interaction put me at ease. He took apart a toilet in the store, got the proper tools out and walked the customer through how he would fix it at home.

Then he counseled me through how to diagnose and fix three (!!) plumbinig issues. I just bought a house... people hide things. And the best part, one of the first things he said, You don't need a plumber. You can fix this stuff yourself. Call a plumber when all else fails or when you have a major plumbing problem. I was able to fix everything on my own (I'm just your average person, not much prior plumbing experience- just youtube and this advice).

Howe Brothers always provides good advice for do-it-yourself plumbing repairs. They have parts for non-typical faucets as well. Once I needed a particular part that they suggested I come back with the matching part of the faucet to make sure it worked properly. It was good advice because not all of the replacement parts worked equally well in my old fixture even though they were supposedly identical.  Even the best plumbing departments in a hardware store could not have been that knowledgeable.  Another time I needed a part customized.  They did it overnight with minimal charge.

Hands down the go to place for every plumbing need, as a DIY'r, I have never had to second guess a single thing told or explained to me by the plumbers plumber seated at the helm of this shop in the Willy Street neighborhood.

It's been about a year since my last visit and I am surprised to see I hadn't previously sang praises to Howe Bros.

Late but only bit.