Work happened in mid-2008 - finally posting now, so forgive the tardiness. This will be long but I believe value is in detail.
We had water appearing through the ceiling below our main bathroom. There's a landing and stairway to the basement below that area, so we pulled down the drywall above and discovered the leak to be around the toilet drain. Yikes.
I called one company which we had used on a prior project (way overpriced we learned later, but emergencies make you feel like you're backed into a corner and their reputation was pretty good - the work was very good but the price was way high) to have a look. The guy just kind of shone a flashlight around from below, had me flush the toilet while he watched the leak happen, took the toilet off the flange to see what could be seen, then headed out to the truck for 10-15min and came back with a quote for $2k to replace what amounted to about 18" of pipe (the toilet is very near the main stack) and a toilet flange - basically a "go away" type of quote. Having a second bathroom this was a non-emergency so we decided to shop.
I found DrainWorks on this site and was happy to give them a call given not only the good rating but the volume of reviews. I also learned that whoever they send is a licensed plumber with a van fully stocked with the supplies necessary to fix most problems on the spot, which I can say is true and very nice. There is a reasonable fee to visit, which in my case was waived since work was eventually done.
Phil arrived and explained how things work. Before anything was done, he walked me through a *price list* so I knew what I was in for. If this, then it costs that. If a more involved solution is needed, then it costs this much, etc. He had me sign my agreement then began diagnosing the problem. It took a little while but the exact problem was identified, rather than a general diagnosis, and a solution devised. (Problem: picture a handyman special where a newer toilet flange is connected to an original toilet flange 4" below (due to a raised floor over an old bathroom - old houses have such charm... :)) with a ton of caulking that eventually dried out gave way. Add to that a hole in the old copper drain piping. Solution: new flange and proper piping from that flange to the stack.) I had no idea from the previous guy that this was the problem - only just planning for a new flange + piping to the stack which was very close.
Work began, and I assisted because I'm interested and the working space was awkward. Phil was fully capable of handling everything himself, I just wanted to make things easier while I watched and learned. While the work was going on, I asked how he ended up at DrainWorks and why he liked it. Having been an independent businessman for many many years, he grew tired of giving free quotes which turned in to no work, and competing against unlicensed people given the time he put into his training and skill development. DrainWorks has a good name and a price list which is clear, they don't jerk their employees around, and standards need to be met, which he agrees is a smart approach worth paying for. (Phil, I'm paraphrasing from memory so correct me if I've misquoted you.)
The work itself was about $500 (diagnosis + new pipe + new flange over 3+ hours of effort) vs the previous $2k quote. I elected to purchase a new toilet as well, which pushed the cost up another $700 - high quality, low flow, dual flush unit which qualified for a City of Toronto eco rebate and solved the problem of having to mate a 1960s unit with a protruding exit to current toilet flange design which expects a fairly flush exit.) I certainly could have gone to my local big box store and scored a cheaper toilet to install myself, but I felt confident that I was getting a good unit and after a year of use with no problems can confirm. Later research proved the quality was indeed high and the price was very reasonable. Also, the unit, one of a few models, was in the van so Phil was able to supply it on the spot versus having to come back another day. Keep in mind the other quote was $2k just for new pipe and no new toilet.
After the work was completed, Phil offered a free inspection of our plumbing which I very much valued given plans for several reno projects and during which he identified a few issues and I asked lots of questions and got a ballpark cost of what I was in for for those projects.
I've since used DrainWorks for another big project (to be reviewed shortly) and will use them tomorrow for a third. If you have any hesitations, remember that after agreeing to the reasonable fee to visit your home (nothing is free, and quality is worth paying for) you will get excellent work at a fair price. Your agreement is required before any further work is done so if you feel uncomfortable, stop and you're done after paying what you've already agreed to.
