The plumber who attended was polite, professional, and clearly knowledgeable, and I appreciated his attitude and willingness to explain what he was doing.
Prior to the visit, I had already opened the pit and spent about two hours investigating the issue myself. I showed the plumbers exactly where I suspected the clog was located, and it turned out to be precisely where I indicated. Access was easy and fully prepared when they arrived. The work itself took approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, and the clog was located about 14 feet down the line and removed without complication using a machine auger.
Unfortunately, the reason for the 2-star rating is the final cost. The invoice came to $675.54, which feels excessive for a single, short-run clog removal with no excavation, no pipe replacement and no difficult access. Comparable jobs are typically in the $300 + tax range (I called competition in the area and described the scope of the work done, and I gathered it would be about $300 plus tax on average. Additionally, while the plumber did all of the work, the helper spent much of the time standing by on his phone, which made the pricing feel even harder to justify.
I don’t doubt the skill of the plumber, but the pricing for what was done feels extremely aggressive and not reflective of the actual scope or difficulty of the job. At that cost, I could have purchased my own machine auger and inspection camera and completed the work myself. I would not have minded paying a fair rate, but this invoice was far beyond what I consider reasonable for the service provided.
If the plumber wasn't so kind, I would have given one star.
Cheers.