All reviews for Down's Septic & Drain Inc

Called Downs to get my septic tank pumped out. Total was $550. Nothing additional, just pumped one tank. Guy was nice enough, but the price is twice what others in the area are charging. My leach field is backing up and when I had another company come service it, they asked when I last had it pumped. Told them how much and they laughed and said they are currently charging $275-300. Call someone else.

Back in May we scheduled them to come out and look at a yard drain that was clogged. On the day they were to come out they said they would be there between Noon and 4:00. After waiting on them they called at 4:30 to say they would be unable to make it. I called back to reschedule and they came out on June 8. After trying to clear the drain, the workers informed us that the drain was going to need to be replaced. They took some measurements and told us the owner would get back with us regarding a price to complete the work. After waiting a couple of weeks, I called back to check on it. The gentleman that answered the phone said he would “call me right back”. It is now July 9 and we have not heard from them. Obviously they don’t need or want the business. Customer service is definitely not a priority with them.

We have used Downs for 30 years. The men are always respectful and do a good job. But this will be the last time. Recently they were bought out by Wilson Plumbing and Heating and things changed from a family owned business to more corporate. Unfortunately Gail has an attitude and abrasive nature making it difficult to talk to. They charge way more now. Look for a reputable company with personable staff.

Recently bought by Wilson's. Now I can't get my urgent septic issue addressed for a WEEK. The old Down's never made me wait more than a day or two. NO LONGER DOWNS SEPTIC

I can no longer recommend Downs Septic - I don't know what's happened to your company. Perhaps it's because you've been acquired by Wilson's Heating and Plumbing. It started about a year ago when I asked for a quote with leaking risers. I was told that I needed to put in french drainage and reslope my property. The quote was for $4,100. I had the septic risers fixed for under $600 by another company, and it fixed my issue.

Then, after an inspection by your company, nothing was noted. But I noted large standing water in my septic leach field (far up from my tanks). So I called Downs out to look at it and although I had a maintenance agreement, was charged $100 for them to tell me that it was either a break or a blockage and that it would cost $1,000 to scope it. That was common sense. What a total waste of a visit. After that encounter, I had another company come out and give me sound recommendations (and was not charged).

Now I get a bi-annual visit last week. I am on a current contract and then was billed for a new contract when my contract goes through March 2024. This is a written, public notice to cancel any follow-on services after this current contract expires. I do not want to renew services with your company and for all those reading this review. Take it into heavy consideration before you enter under contract with this company for anything.

Also note that you can leave a message through their website but you can't reply to their email addresses as I tried to send them a copy of my maintenance agreement. You can only call them.

While the plumbing technician was knowledgeable and professional, the pricing for simple services was outrageous. It was double the cost at another company. No estimate provided until the service call. Of course, there was a $89 fee for the service call. This is certainly not the service I received in the past , before it became a Wilson Compnay. So disappointing. I woukd not recommend this company.

**ANOTHER UPDATE: it has been six weeks and they still refuse to issue my refund as promised. They are once again avoiding my calls and making excuses. I have yet to receive any compensation.

**UPDATE! Magically, a moment ago, I received a phone call from the plumbing manager who immediately told me a check for the refund is going in the mail tomorrow. Looking forward to receiving it!

I have debated for a while if I should share my experience with Wilson/Down's Septic and Drain because I wanted to give them a chance to correct themselves first. Since they have been dodging my calls for months, I have decided to share my experience.

In 2022, we discovered some issues with our laundry room plumbing, mostly starting with a laundry sink that wouldn't drain anymore. I hired one small-time guy at first who admitted the project was over his head, and Down's Septic and Drain was a local business in Peninsula with excellent reviews. Long story short, they fixed the issue for us (for several thousand dollars) but it seemed like the perfect fix. They were able to re-route our drain, send it through a new wall, etc ... and for a few months, I was very happy with the repair. I did notice that every time the washer drained, water came back up into the laundry room from a small drain but I was promised that would be fixed when they installed a vent (which they never mentioned before and did not intend to come back and fix unless I said something). Soon after, it turned out the plumbing stack they had re-routed the drain water through couldn't handle it, the fixture had rusted through and never should have been connected to in the first place and our washer was now dumping directly behind the wall in our basement! On top of that, the line they had tapped was not a sewer line but a storm water line that should absolutely not have soapy water dumped through it. We immediately discontinued use of our laundry room and moved our washer into another part of the basement and ran our own water hookups and dump line to an appropriate drain.

Since then, we have had technicians from Down's out several times over the course of the next year to address flooding in the garage (another side effect of the laundry room work they did) and the water dumping behind the wall. They added dye to our water to try and find another hookup, they brought out a camera and a snake, and I've dealt with numerous phone calls from various technicians who cannot find a solution outside of paying them tens of thousands of dollars more to dig randomly around the front yard and "see if they find anything". Their company guarantees their repairs for one year, or they will be made right for the customer. Their repair failed us within a few months.

At this point, they continue to send me monthly text messages and phone calls asking me to hire them for a seasonal promotion, but they can never seem to connect me to any supervisor or manager. I've called several times this year and every time I call, the manager is "in a meeting". I am assured they will call me within the next day, but they never do. I am seeking a refund for service failure and they refuse to contact me.

I am strongly disappointed because their company had excellent reviews on several websites, and the technicians have always been pleasant and helpful. The inspector who came and decided the repairs had failed admitted they never should have been done in the first place, and it was a mistake to tap that line. I hope Down's will come through and make this issue right.

Loved Downs for years, but once Wilson took over the management / scheduling / customer service is one-star at best. No issues with the pumpers / techs, but had to call multiple times to request an appointment, nobody called until 20 minutes prior to arrival to schedule, they marked the job as completed despite NOT completing the work because I couldn’t provide payment with 20 minutes notice while I was off site at work. And not a single call back from their schedulers to try and rectify the situation or notify us the tank wasn’t pumped, despite their automated system stating the job was complete. Will definitely find another provider.