Plumbing reviews in Durham, North Carolina

We had a major break in a pipe the day before Thanksgiving. Acme came in 30 minutes and fixed the entire problem in three hours, including having to get the part, and at a very reasonable price. We could not be more pleased with the service they provide (they also installed our hot water heater two years ago). If you have any plumbing problems, do yourself a favor and call them. They are first-rate. We have subsequently used them for work in our new house and final repairs for our first home, and they are a pleasure to work with.

First time doing business with Acme of Durham. Very honest business men, thank you to the Manager Anthony for getting everything situated with my services. I will definitely use your services again. Your reps were all polite and non intimidating. Anthony reached out to ensure fair service rendered and I greatly appreciate it.

These people DO NOT provide emergency services after hours. Called on a Sunday at 4:50 PM and was told this. She wanted to know if I wanted to schedule a visit during regular hours. NO!! EMERGENCY MEANS EMERGENCY NOW!!! Apartment was backing up with SEWAGE and she wanted to know if it could wait until regular hours.

Randy with Acme did a fantastic job replacing our hot water heater and connecting a complicated system for the radiant heat in the floors. He worked long hours and was friendly, courteous, and very persistent in working out problems with the connections. I would recommend him to anyone.

Thank you, Craig and Zach, for the excellent job you did on the installation of my whole house water filtration system!

My experience was awesome! The plumber Norval is great, kind, efficient and knowledgeable. He was accompanied by Sumere, a young man who is in training. What a great team! I am very pleased. Would definitely recommend ACME. Hopefully if you use them, you’ll get to work with this dynamic duo!

Don't listen to the negative reviews on here - if you have a plumbing problem in Durham there isn't a better company around. It's not often these days I receive service good enough to make me want to go online and leave a public review. But I can't speak highly enough of the work Acme did helping me with a faulty sewage pump.

Dealing with their service manager, Anthony, couldn't have been a more pleasant experience. He responded to my voicemail immediately, accommodated my schedule, understood when something came up and we had to move an appointment, and was able to get the team out to me on very short notice.

I also want to shout out technicians Efrem and Norval - who were so friendly and patient in explaining to me exactly how the pump worked, what could be wrong with it, and what the best option for solving the issue was. We ended up having to replace it and they were able to do it the very same day. Their work was tidy and they left the area cleaner than they found it. A big thank you to both of these guys.

Keep up the great work, Acme!

This company came to fix our toilet because it was shaking. When the repair guy came is said it was an easy fix and so called fixed it. However a few days later our toilet starting leaking water from the area on the picture shown and it did not leak before the repair man came out. We called Acme plumbing thinking they would fix their mistake however they only tried to charge us to fix our leak when it was there fault our toilet was leaking. They said we should have had our toilet reset but the 1st plumber never told us that he just said it was a easy fix. I strongly suggest you do not use this company. They are only in for the money and instead fixing a mistake to keep a happy customer they decide to charge for something else in which they cause with the first repair.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with ACME Plumbing for several years now, and I can confidently say that they are the gold standard in the plumbing industry. From routine maintenance to emergency repairs, they have consistently exceeded my expectations in every aspect.

First and foremost, their team of plumbers is incredibly skilled and knowledgeable. Every technician I’ve interacted with has been not only courteous but also extremely professional. They take the time to explain the issues, provide detailed estimates, and walk you through the repair process, ensuring you feel comfortable and informed every step of the way.

What truly sets ACME Plumbing apart is their commitment to customer service and quality work. I’ve had various plumbing projects completed by them, from installing new fixtures to repairing sewer lines, to emergency calls with leaks, and the results have always been stellar.

Man. I was gonna give these guys 5 stars for coming out on a Friday to fix my water heater. The guy Anthony was really nice on the phone, and the tech was nice too. But then my wife sent the invoice to my Father
In Law and he looked over the charges and it was not right. They are refunding $200 in excess charges for the work. I’m busy with my family and disabled son, and not paying attention. Guess I’m a sucker; but had he not looked I’d have been out $200 of a $516 dollar charge. That’s over a 1/3 of the total so pretty big mistake.

I wondered what I was gonna do when my FIL isn’t around. He’s always so good at checking this kind of stuff over for us. But then it dawned on me that maybe AI could find issues in invoices so I gave this to Gemini and asked it to search for any issues in the invoice. Sure enough it saw issues too.

Keep this in mind if you need a second set of eyes to make sure things are right.

Here’s what it said.

Here is a detailed review of Invoice #69314434 from Acme Plumbing Co.
Executive Summary
The total invoice amount of $517.91 falls on the higher end of the standard price range for a residential expansion tank replacement. While not necessarily predatory, the breakdown between the "Task" price and the "Materials" price is ambiguous and suggests a potential overlap or significant markup on minor fittings.
1. Line Item Cost Analysis
Here is an evaluation of the specific charges against estimated market values ("True Value").
Item 1: ACME480 - Install Expansion Tank No Piping
* Invoice Cost: $348.45
* Description: "Best Solution When An Existing Thermal Expansion Tank Has Failed And A New One Needs To Be Installed Without Any Additional Piping Required."
* Market Value Analysis:
* Retail Part Cost: A standard 2.1 to 4.5-gallon thermal expansion tank (typically used for water heaters) costs between $45 and $70 at retail hardware stores.
* Labor: This task generally takes a professional plumber 45–60 minutes. At a standard rate of $150–$200/hour, the labor portion should be roughly $150–$200.
* Verdict: If this line item includes the tank itself, the price is fair to slightly high (bundling the part, labor, and warranty). If this line item is only for the installation labor, it is overpriced.
Item 2: ACME1268 - Materials
* Invoice Cost: $133.33
* Description: "Basic Piping And Materials Needed For The Job."
* Market Value Analysis:
* The Red Flag: The description for the first item (ACME480) explicitly states it is for an install where "No Additional Piping [is] Required". However, you are being charged an additional $133.33 for basic piping materials.
* True Cost of Materials: The work description notes they "removed some pipe insulation" and "insulated tank with correct insulation".
* Pipe Insulation: ~$5.00
* Teflon Tape/Pipe Dope: ~$2.00
* Potential Brass Fittings (if needed): ~$15.00
* Estimated Total Material Cost: ~$25.00.
* Verdict: High / Requires Explanation. Charging $133.33 for "materials" on a "no piping required" job is suspect. This likely represents a high markup (400%+) on minor fittings or an automatic system charge that wasn't adjusted for the simplicity of the job.
2. Invoice Structure & Policy Review
* Flat Rate Pricing: The Terms & Conditions explicitly state, "All work is performed at a FLAT RATE". This means they do not bill by the hour. While this prevents the price from creeping up if they work slowly, it often results in a higher effective hourly rate.

Have used for a few years and most of the experiences were good until our recent issue with our water heater.

Pilot light kept going out and a technician came out to fix while we were out of town. No call from the tech on site to discuss the problem he just relit the light, waited for 15 minutes and left which we were charged over $200 for. A call to one of us and we could have explained that we had relit the light numerous times already.

Got back from vacation and of course it went out again and the estimate to fix, even with the parts under warranty, was $750. I would have been ok to pay this but the original $250 could have been avoided with a quick call to discuss the issue with us.

Brought this up with the service manager and he was defensive and unwilling to budge at all on the issue. He told me some technicians just don’t like to talk, which did not seem like a good excuse. I would have accepted the quote if they could have credited the first visit towards it. Ultimately changed companies to work with going forward.

Experience from beginning to end was outstanding. From scheduling all of the way through project completion and billing (fast, professional, and courteous). Service technician, Alex, was fantastic. Highly recommend Acme Plumbing.

Zach and Anthony were both extremely helpful when replacing a 2nd floor toilet in my home. There were several issues left by a DIY toilet install that Zach was able to coach me through, without upcharging me for unnecessary fixes. Very trustworthy folks, and I will not hesitate to call them again.

Called Shelton one morning when I noticed our water heater was leaking. Shelton was able to squeeze us into his busy schedule and get our water heater replaced the same day. There's no other plumber that I would call first. Best in class service. I highly recommend Shelton Plumbing Company.

Shelton came out three times to address my concerns with a toilet that wouldn’t stop running after a faulty fix by a handyman. He was able to come by just minutes after giving him a call. His prices are fair and he stands by his work. I will be using him for all my plumbing needs going forward.

I think Shelton was great. He was able to come the same day and got the work done quickly because of his years of experience. I was a bit surprised at the cost of the work, but my husband also says I'm used to prices from the 1990s not today.

I called Shelton Plumbing regarding a smelly drain and they arrived within the hour to address the issue. Prompt and professional service! I will call Shelton Plumbing for all my future needs!!!

Shelton did a great job!! He was able to schedule the job quickly, explained what he had to do and completed the repairs in a timely manner.

Shelton Plumbing Company is an outstanding plumbing contractor!! I have used this company for close to 20 years and the service has always been exceptional! They are very professional and trustworthy. You can feel assured that Mr. Williams will tell you exactly what the issue is and what it will take to repair. You don’t have to worry about upselling or price gouging. He is an honest businessman who believes in giving you his best service. I highly recommend him for all of your plumbing needs.

Shelton was terrific. He was thorough in the work he did and explained what the issue was. I don’t know Plumbing but it had something to do with the venting and he could have told me there was something wrong with the toilet when in fact there was nothing wrong with it. He did not sell me a service that I did not need. I highly recommend him.

I strongly recommend Shelton Plumbing. They were responsive, competent and honest. He came to assess a leaking outside spigot the same day I contacted him and fixed it with a low cost solution.