Benjamin Franklin Plumbing

Danae Kozelsky

7 months ago

I called the office at 7:30am with no hot water. They answered and Mickey came to assess my heater by 10am. It was 27 years old Hot water heater from 1998 😳 It was time. He was very professional and helpful. He gave me the quote, I paid 50% and then Scott and Dave came later and installed it in the afternoon. They worked hard since it was an attic unit. The new unit got a dent but should not effect it’s functions. I was glad Benjamin Franklin plumbing were prompt and professional.

Roberto Sanchez

2 months ago

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is the best I’ve used in Austin over the 25 years I’ve owned a home here. I’ve used them several times now and they are courteous, communicative, punctual and do the job correctly at a fair price. Recently, Timothy was fantastic. He diagnosed a complex issue, explained it and made recommendations providing options, then promptly made the repair. Would use again and again.

Justin Denman

4 months ago

We were in a tight situation and needed a plumbing repair on the same day. Fred was exemplary at understanding my need and working to secure me a same day appointment. My plumber, David G, completely exceeded my expectations. His communication, his patience with explaining what is needed and his quick thinking at answering the endless, “Yeah, but what if -”. Although the repair couldn’t be fixed the same day, they are going to be able to fix it the following day after securing a hard-to-find part. I called them at 10:00 am this morning and it’s 3:22 pm and my problem will be rectified fully by tomorrow. I’m an extremely happy customer.

Elena McGinnis

3 months ago

Gimmicks, 4+ hours of work, problem not resolved, plumber consistently correcting my words (snake a drain vs. cable a drain). Charged me extra for 2" drain pipe in an old home. Offered to rip through walls for another $3K plus a membership to their club for $500 which gives you access to more discounts. Another plumber came a few days later to give another estimate and fixed the clogged drain within 10 minutes. This is a slick big franchise company who bought an older Austin business. I called to give them this feedback that someone else was able to fix the problem and the manager never called me back. Do not recommend.

W Z

6 months ago

This company seems much more focused on making money than meeting customer needs. I contacted them to have a licensed plumber check the gas connections for my water heater and HVAC, just to confirm there were no leaks. I didn’t suspect a leak, but wanted professional verification. When scheduling the appointment, I clearly explained my request. However, they refused to provide a quote for the gas leak check. Instead, they said there would be a minimum $99 fee, and that the actual cost couldn’t be determined until the technician assessed the situation onsite. OK, fine. When the plumber arrived, I again explained that I was looking for a simple gas leak check and verification. After a quick 10-minute look at the appliances, he told me the only test he can offer is a pressure test — priced at $1,000. I was shocked. There are many standard, less expensive methods for detecting gas leaks (e.g., visual inspection, soapy water test, electronic gas detectors, gas sniffers), yet they only offered the most expensive option. I asked how long the pressure test would take and was told less than an hour. So essentially, I paid $99 just to get a quote for a $1,000 test that involves no repairs — just using their tools and a plumber's time for an hour. That’s effectively $1,000/hour. Later, I contacted another plumbing company. Their pricing was less than half of Benjamin Franklin’s, and their service included more comprehensive checks and other items. Given this horrible experience, I will not be using Benjamin Franklin Plumbing again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Comment after reading “Response from the owner”] The owner’s response only reinforces my original impression — that this company prioritizes making money over addressing customer needs. They seem to exaggerate every situation to justify selling more expensive services. In my case, I simply wanted a basic gas leak check and verification, with no known issues or suspected leaks. Yet, they offered only one option — a $1,000 pressure test — while dismissing other standard and legitimate methods used across the industry. Their reasoning was, “$1000 would be a small price to pay if it prevented a fire or worse yet the loss of someone’s life.” If that logic applies to everything, then perhaps they should set a $1,000 minimum for all services. For example, if a customer only needs to install a gas shutoff valve, they could insist on a $1,000 pressure test, because, “$1000 would be a small price to pay if it prevented a fire or worse yet the loss of someone’s life." Or if someone wants to install a water shutoff valve, they might recommend a $1,000 water pressure test — since, by their reasoning, “it could prevent water damage that costs tens of thousands to repair.” This kind of approach doesn’t demonstrate care for customer safety — it shows a business model focused on upselling and inflating costs under the guise of safety.