Brothers Plumbing Ltd

Plumbing
Toronto ON M6N 2Y8
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Plumbing
Brothers Plumbing Ltd
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66%

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Reviews for Brothers Plumbing Ltd

Average customer rating:
8.1 10 (202 reviews)

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Mark in Toronto
Mark in Toronto
6 reviews Toronto, ON
4/10

Drain clog

We had a drain clog in the middle of winter that required the team to dig up part of our front yard and basement. The work was hard and it was cold. The crew was clean but did make a mess of the flooring in our basement and the new concrete did not line up with the previous work. Overall we were happy accept when I asked about a backflow valve it was dismissed. Timing couldn't have been better to put one in and we wish we did.

Approximate cost of services:
$2,500.00
What could this company do to improve their services?
Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
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Company Response

Thank you for your review. The info provided is limited so we can only speculate.
When we do drain work we always give options to customers and you are correct it would be much easier to add a backwater valve while we were there. However there are certain requirements such as space and depth of drain to consider, making a backwater valve impossible to install inside. We would then recommend placing it outside. We would like more info to reply to your situation. Thank you.

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Toronto, ON
0/10

Terrible company to hire

I am surprised by the reviews this dreadful company is getting here. I have paid thousands of dollars to them over the last 9 years to dig up and replace old clay sanitary pipes running from my property out to city of Toronto's sewer line. Last work was done in spring 2015. I have now just experienced their incompetence with still more water in my basement. I called someone else this time as I know that Brothers only gives a 1 year guarantee on the work they do. At least that is what their employee Kevin told me when I called them back in 2015 for water in my basement. They proceeded to dig up PCV pipes they had already put in themselves and charged me an outrageous amount to redo work that they had not done properly the first time! The man I called this time came recommended by a small family plumber in the area whom I have learned to trust. This drain person inspected my drains with a camera and let me watch as he did. We soon discovered that the very first drain job Brothers had done in my home 9 years ago was botched. They were to have installed PCV pipes from the inside of my home out to where my drains meet the city's. What did we see via the camera? Old clay pipe for several feet leading out of my house! Yes, and tree roots have infiltrated the joint between the old clay pipe and the PCV pipe Brothers installed. This after they had disrupted my home for several days digging up part of my basement floor and they did not bother to replace the old clay pipe. Do not trust these people to do any work for you. Believe me that you will regret it as will your bank account. Not immediately perhaps but once their so-called worthless warranty is up and you have no means of redress.

Approximate cost of services:
$0.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your review. As there is not enough information provided to determine which job this is we can only speculate. Often customers choose to replace only a portion of the drain. We always camera and advise if any further work is needed, but often customers want to take a wait and see approach. We advise that they replace the clay pipe remaining but as the pipe appears clear in the camera they choose to wait or think we are just trying to get more money out of them. As time goes by these clay drains are penetrated by roots and they have a back-up. Most customers call us back and we explain to them that this could have been avoided if we had replaced the drains earlier. Most customers understand but some blame us for not doing a proper job forgetting that we tried to convince them to do the job the first time.

Carole in Toronto
Carole in Toronto
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

Back water valve installed

I heard about Brothers Plumbing from an ad on 1010 Radio. I called and David was sent to my house to explain this service. I agreed and the work was done. The gentlemen doing the job were great workers, removed plants that needed to be moved and in the evenings, covered the hole and left everything neat and SAFE. The hole was filled in and everything put back. Excellent job. Very impressed with the way the front yard was left. Neighbours commented as well. David was very mannerly and answered my questions easily. Good job David, crew and Brothers.

Approximate cost of services:
$3,500.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your review. We are happy to hear that all went well and are happy with the results. We are always trying to improve our work practices so that we get good results as in your case.

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Toronto, ON
8/10

Basement Ceiling Leak

Kitchen Fridge leaking into basement caused water damage through a ruptured plastic tube leading from the sink to the fridge. Brother came and replaced the tube with a copper tube, solving the leak but left garbage and dirt from shoes on the floor.

Approximate cost of services:
$810.00
What could this company do to improve their services?
Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
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Company Response

Thank you for your review. Happy that we fixed the problem, but there could have been a better job done on clean-up. We stress to our servicemen to clean up after themselves, so we will look into what went wrong.

Amy in Toronto
Amy in Toronto
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

Basement plumbing and waterproofing

So far we've used Brothers to redo all of the plumbing in our basement and waterproof our house. All of the guys have been professional, timely and kept a clean job site. Tony demands excellent workmanship from the guys and fixes anything he is not happy with. Everything Tony said should be done, ended up needing to be done! He is very knowledgeable and great to deal with. The office staff have been on top of helping us get rebates and dealing with the City. Excellent service!

Approximate cost of services:
$40,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your kind words. Good to hear that you were happy with our service.
We are always trying to make changes to improve our service to our customers.

aj in Toronto
aj in Toronto
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

Flood in the basement

I received very prompt service after a flood in my basement. They were very efficient and worked diligently to clean up a very messy area. I called 4 months later for a fitting adjustment and they came very quickly.
Tony and Adam could not of been nicer..... smiling, friendly and professional!!!

Approximate cost of services:
$9,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your review. Customer service is very high on our priority list.
We are constantly looking for ways to better service our customers.

C. from Toronto
C. from Toronto
2 reviews Toronto, ON
8/10

Blocked drain

Recently hired this company to resolve a recurring drainage issue. The service team was punctual, polite and resolved the issue quickly. The office staff member was unfortunately quite rude and sarcastic (but maybe she was having a bad day?). I found it was a bit expensive: $618 to snake a drain and replace a p-pipe so would probably do a cost comparison next time before engaging them again.

Approximate cost of services:
$600.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your review. We are sorry for the bad impression. We are working hard to improve our customer service.

kayzdesigns in
kayzdesigns in
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

Blocked drain

We were very pleased with Brothers Plumbing workmanship and scheduling. They left one job complete before tackling a second job. We found them to be in the price range budgeted. We would hire them again. They kept us informed of the progress. They allowed us to make decisions. No pressure. Just professionalism.

Approximate cost of services:
$10,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your response. Customer service is our highest priority, we are constantly improving. We always answer your questions to help you make informed decisions. Thanks again.

Donald Griffiths from Toronto
Donald Griffiths from Toronto
3 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Clogged kitchen sink, drains & faucet replaced

Excellent service by Dayvid -- knows his stuff, is methodical, great problem-solving. Patient in answering questions. Cleans up thoroughly. A pleasure to work with. Recommended: if you value quality work, and are willing to pay accordingly.

Approximate cost of services:
$1,700.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your review.
We are always training our service people to help them improve their customer service. Happy to hear you were well looked after. Thanks again.

Greg
Greg
7 reviews Toronto, ON
0/10

Un-licenced basement waterproofing

Several months ago I signed a contract with Brothers Plumbing Ltd. to waterproof the exterior north basement wall of my home, approximately 30 linear feet. In order to access the wall a mutual concrete walkway between my house and my neighbour's house had to be removed. Incidentally my neighbour was having her south basement wall waterproofed by Brothers Plumbing at the same time.

Once the waterproofing was finished , the excavation was back-filled and a new concrete walkway was poured with the addition of 3 area drains connected to the weeping tiles evenly spaced along its' length. I complained to Kevin, the project manager, that the concrete work appeared to be of inferior quality; there were no expansion joints or spacers and the finish was uneven and patchy and poorly graded. I questioned the need for the 3 area drains instead of a properly graded walkway but Kevin said that the drains would help to move the surface moisture away more efficiently. in addition, he assured me that should I have any problems, all the work was guaranteed for 25 years by Brothers Plumbing Ltd. Still not entirely convinced but unwilling to cause trouble, I paid the balance of my invoice. Within a few days I received a statement of account from Brothers Plumbing Ltd. marked: 'PAID IN FULL' and 'ALL WORK GUARANTEED FOR 25 YEARS'.

With the very first rainfall water began to seep through my north basement wall. I called Brothers Plumbing and they came and slathered some concrete along a 6 foot length of wall where the water was seeping in. Their patch job didn't entirely stop the water from coming in but at least it was temporarily manageable. At the same time my neighbour was also experiencing flooding in her basement. With the arrival of the spring rains the flooding became more severe. once again I began complaining to Brothers Plumbing.

I exchanged several phone calls and emails with Lisa, their office manager. I sent her descriptions and photos of what we were experiencing and just how severe the problem had become. After several weeks of stalling, Lisa finally agreed to send Tony, an employee and master plumber at Brothers Plumbing to survey the situation. It was on this visit that I managed to convince Tony that the area drains were the cause of the basement flooding. The very next day Tony sent a crew to cap and plug the drain holes with concrete and agreed that the walkway was not properly graded and needed to be replaced.

Once again I began calling and emailing Lisa the office manager to set up a start date to replace the sub-standard walkway. Again after weeks of delays and excuses Lisa confirmed to me by email that the work would begin on August 15th 2016. On August 15th, nobody showed up. After several more weeks of calls, emails, promises, delays and excuses, Lisa once again confirmed to me by email that the work would begin on November 21st, 2016 and again no one showed up. Convinced that I had done everything in my power to persuade Brothers Plumbing to honour their '25 YEAR GUARANTEE', I decided to file a formal complaint with "Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards".

As a result of the investigation, it was determined that Brothers Plumbing Ltd. was not licensed to do waterproofing or to lay area drains as specified in our contract. Instead they could only sub-contract this work to a licensed renovator or contractor. Brothers Plumbing sub-contracted this work to "Vito Construction and Plumbing" also not licensed to do waterproofing or to lay drains. Because of this Brothers Plumbing was found to be in violation of Municipal Code Chapter 545-441A. The only reason they were not formally charged was because the six month 'Statute of Limitations" had run out. Instead, Brothers Plumbing Ltd. and Vito Construction and Plumbing each received a 'caution letter' from Municipal Licensing and Standards. I have a summary letter of the investigation as well as copies of the caution letters as issued by Municipal licensing and Standards as proof of these claims.

When I entered into a contract with Brothers Plumbing to waterproof my north basement wall, I was not informed that they were not licensed to do this work themselves. Nor was I informed that the work would be sub-contracted to another company. I feel that Brothers Plumbing had misrepresented themselves and had they been transparent with me at the begin, I probably would not have hired them. Instead I wound up paying a premium price for substandard work. if you're still thinking about hiring these guys please think again! The very last thing Brothers Plumbing cares about is customer service!!

IN RESPONSE TO BROTHERS PLUMBING: The fact that this contract was signed 18 months ago is irrelevant. There were problems from day '1' and the problems have been ongoing. In fact, I spent the better part of 2016 trying my best to cooperate with Lisa, your office manager, in order to get you to honour your "25 year guarantee".

The concrete walkway that you installed has continued to be a problem. Rain water does not drain away especially since you capped and plugged the faulty area drains installed by your "unskilled employee". In some places it pools to over an inch in depth and as a result the moisture is beginning to erode the parging on my neighbours foundation wall. In addition, the concrete is beginning to crack in several places because you neglected to install expansion joints.

Since you now admit that 'some' of the problems (read all of the problems,) that I was experienceing were caused by "...mistakes made by an unskilled employee..." then tell me why am I paying for your negligence? Any reputable company would have dealt with this months ago. Instead Brothers Plumbing has chosen to walk away, money in hand, without correcting its mistakes. While you say that you "did your absolute best to remedy the situation" both you and I know that you most certainly did not! I challenge you Brothers Plumbing, do the right thing and honour your "25 YEAR GUARANTEE."

Approximate cost of services:
$6,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

We accepted this contract 18 months ago and very soon after the work was completed we engaged with the homeowner to help resolve his issues. Some of the comments are fact and resulted from mistakes made by an unskilled employee who we did dismiss as a result. We are very sorry for the negative experience this homeowner had. We also did our absolute best to remedy the situation with the homeowner. It has been an excellent lesson for us in making better hiring and partnership affiliation choices.

The reviews on this page are the subjective opinion of the Author and not of HomeStars Inc.

More about Brothers Plumbing Ltd

Brothers Plumbing- Plumbing Contractors You Can Trust Since 1963, Brothers Plumbing has been a reliable one-stop source for a complete range of services to both residential and commercial customers. Nothing beats experience. With great rates and a consistent record of performance for over 40 years, you can trust our plumbing ...
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