Harris Plumbing

Dont use these people. Bad information and combined with ridiculous prices. Is this a lack of knowledge or questionable sales tactics?

I called Harris to investigate a leaking kitchen faucet in a rental basement apartment. They sent someone who I thought was a licensed plumber, but later learned that he was an apprentice. He said the faucet was beyond repair and suggested a new one for $ 800.00. Absolutely ridiculous for a basement apartment. I should have sent him home right then but instead I purchased an affordable faucet at Canadian Tire and had him install it. He also found that the main shut off valve was siezed and needed to be replaced and I would have to arrange with the city to turn the water on and off so he could change the valve. The cost for this visit was $ 270.00.

The cost was $ 408.07 plus tax total $ 461.04. He had to have the city come a turn off the water and turn it back on again. The city charges $ 97.70 for this service but it was actually $ 194.40 since he took more than an hour to change the valve and the city charged for two calls. He previously said he could change the valve in an hour but he took longer.

I later checked with the the City of Barrie water department and they were amazed by this. They told me that this is a very common repair that they do on a daily basis and the total charge including turning the water off at the main, supplying and replacing the valve, and turning the water back on is $ 211.75.

So far the total cost to have Harris replace this valve is $ 656.44. This is $ 444.69 more than the City of Barrie would have charged.

When I emailed and sent a registered letter to the President at Harris Plumbing, the service manager replied that faucets do not cost $ 800.00 and he did not believe that any of their employees would do such a thing. He also said that they would have no idea how much the city charges for this service. If the city does this service on a daily basis you would think that a “plumber”, even an apprentice, would know this. They also must see this problem very regularly.

Harris also charged $ 226.71 plus tax (total $ 256.18) to install the faucet. The cost to diagnose and replace the customer supplied faucet now totals $ 1183.00. Unless you think that this is a good price to diagnose and replace a faucet call somebody else.