Questions about stacks and drains
Short answers. Call if yours is not here.
How do I know a plumber is licensed?
Ask for the license number and look it up with the state board. Ours is in the footer of every page.
What do I do now if a drain is backing up into a flat?
Shut the building's water off at the cellar valve, ask tenants to stop using fixtures and call us when the office opens. If sewage is coming into a living space, keep people and pets out of it.
What does a visit cost and include?
We look at the cellar and the chase and run a camera if there is a cleanout. The visit has a fee, and it comes off the price if you hire us. We say the amount on the phone.
Is there an extra charge for nights and weekends?
We do not take night or weekend calls, so there is no night charge. Messages are answered on the next business morning.
Will I get a price before you start?
Yes, in writing, for the job described in it. A change after the wall opens is a written change you approve first.
How long does a stack replacement take?
It depends on the number of floors, how many branches tie in and what is behind the wall. The notice letter gives each flat its own water-off window.
Do you pull permits?
Yes. The permit and the city's plumbing inspection are part of the job, and the permit fee is its own line on the estimate.
Is my problem the stack or the line to the street?
A camera through the cellar cleanout tells you. We look at both before we say which one it is.
What does a camera inspection show?
The inside of the pipe: scale, pitting, cracks, sags and roots. You get a written summary and the clips.
Could my building have lead, galvanized or old cast-iron pipe?
Buildings from before 1986 may have lead solder or lead supply lines as well as cast-iron drains. Your water utility can tell you about the service line. We look at the drain and supply pipes we open and tell you what we see.
What does a repair come with?
A written scope and a warranty statement in your estimate with its terms. Ask to see it before you say yes.
I am a landlord. How do my tenants hear about the work?
Each flat gets a notice letter from us with the day, the hours and our office number. Tenants call us with questions, not you.
Where do you work, and when is the office open?
Worcester and the towns around it, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The list of towns is on the home page.
Still have a question?
Call the office or send the form. We answer on business days.