HVAC reviews in Arlington, Virginia

A loud banging noise has been coming from my HVAC/water heater closet, on and off for a few years. I have called numerous technicians, and they have taken the 15-minute cursory look around and said change the water heater or HVAC. Jorge from BL James & Son came and he was immediately committed to figuring out the precise source of the noise - took it on as an investigative challenge. Based on the sound and that it occurs only at certain times of the day, he discounted the water heater theory and checked everything thoroughly. Through his diligence, persistence, and clearly the extensive knowledge he has of HVAC/plumbing, he figured out that the noise was coming from a drain connected to the lower unit of the building. Jorge went beyond expectations.

I've used BL James for a number of HVAC-related jobs and they have always been fantastic. The techs are knowledgeable, helpful, and pleasant!

Aaron and Diego did a great job with my new HVAC install - they were prompt and completed the work (a full system replacement) in 1 day without damaging any drywall (difficult given the tight space). Will certainly use them again.

Very thorough, reasonably priced, and attentive to taking care of my home. Used them for HVAC services and plan to use BL James & Son for plumbing as well.

The semi-annual HVAC service provided by the Tech on November 5, 2025 was excellent. He kept me informed of what he was doing while he was checking my two (2) units and changing the filters. He was honest and trustworthy. I recommend B.L James & Son without hesitation or reservation. In addition, there was an oversight on my previous invoice and as soon as I brought it to the attention of the staff at B.L. James & Sons, it was corrected. This speak volumes about their integrity.

Terrific! They managed to squeeze us in on the day we called. The technician was very quick to do the needed repairs and the price was reasonable. Very pleased

George and DJ were great. Two toilets and a new faucet. they were efficient, careful, and fast. recommend.

Technician was polite and patient to answer questions. Technician explained various options to improve the HVAC (heat pump) system. One complaint is that I paid for the more expensive maintenance plan, but the technician listed various parts as dirty but did not provide any cleaning. I think that should be part of maintenance...

My AC broke in the middle of summer and I had BL james give me a whole new system. They were very fast and reasonably priced compared to competitors in the area. They also talked me through my system when everything was finished. Highly recommend.

Home heat "boiler" (provides hot water for radiators) remove and install new unit
works fine cheerful crew cleaned up the aftermath
shop located convenient to the neighborhood in walking distance
got install done in one day including outside work on chimney to ensure that debris not falling down into boiler exhaust vent

Aaron is Professional, polite and get the job done quick 👍 . I highly recommend.

Few days later we have Michael come in to clean out pipe line and change shower head. Michael was friendly and very professional. Good team 👏

Changing of the Guard = Poor quality workmanship

NOT RECOMMENDED for Plumbing! After years of using (and recommending) this business, I am sad to see the quality of their services drop off a cliff. Now that Billy has largely handed off the business to his son, the workmanship and customer service is gone.

When a simple toilet wax ring repair failed within a week, they stated the issue wasn’t their workmanship but that it was due to the toilet model and recommended replacement of the toilet. Upon calling in a different plumbing co. for a second opinion on my toilet model, we learned the following:
1) BL James had installed two wax rings on top of each other without removing the second one’s flange.
2) BL James did not clean/remove the old hardened wax from the original wax seal before installing the new wax ring.
3) BL James did not change out the supply lines when changing the wax seal.

Any of the above items could *individually* cause a leak when a new wax ring is installed. The issue was not my toilet model, it was the workmanship of the plumber. The new plumbing co. addressed all of BL James missteps, and there has not been an issue with a toilet leaking since then.

Furthermore, when I reached out to the company regarding these discoveries, they did not even respond. I then followed up requesting the charges for their “services” be removed since they did not fix the issue they were called to come fix. No answer. I finally had to call their bookkeeper to explain why I was not paying the bill and ensure my account was not held liable for these charges.

We have had great experiences with BL James. Tim Terrell in particular is an expert, hard working, trustworthy, and very personable. He is meticulous about his work, going beyond the kind of service we usually see.

Jorge and DJ are fantastic! I highly recommend them. They were on time, professional and friendly, did high quality work, and were super fast! They replaced a toilet and snaked two drains all under an hour. The company was super responsive and easy to work with. Call them, you won’t regret it!

The best in the DMV. Excellent service technicians who are responsive and thorough. Gas line installation with valve was very clean and secure providing me with peace of mind. Cannot recommend them enough!

I had a clog in my drain line for my washer and sink. George and DJ came by and fixed it in an hour. They were both great and very professional!

Very competitive price, clean installation, great communication on the provided service (before, during and after), and punctuality to start and finish the work.

BL James & Son -Aaron, Tom, Diego and Alfonso were great. Had a 4 zone boiler replacement the next day after getting an estimate. Work is professional and my house temperature rose from 35 degrees (teens outside) to normal in less than a day….would highly recommend this family owned Arlington based business. And plan to use them for my ac and plumbing needs as well. 😊

Excellent service! Great price on installation of new furnace and Aaron and the whole team worked to provide a seamless, hassle free experience from start to finish! One example: Aaron thought I needed a power switch on the unit instead of just using the breaker box to kill the power so installed it … free of charge!
Highly recommend!!

Tom Terrell of BL James & Son has given me valuable advice on how best to maintain my HVAC system, keep my drains clear, etc. For example, he was the one who pointed out that I was using a too-small filter in my HVAC unit—I had simply used the same size as was in the unit when I bought the house five years earlier! Very grateful to Tom for being proactive.

Mauricio is exactly the kind of guy you want to trust with making things work the way they're built to. Every experience with B.L. James has been a positive one, but Mauricio in particular was a pleasure to work with, the perfect combination of competence and patience. Answered all questions, and gave valuable advice.