Plumbing reviews in Madison, Wisconsin

I have called HJ Pertzborn twice for toilet purchases and installation. They have done excellent work both times. They arrive on time, do a thorough job, and clean up afterward. The plumbers have also been happy to answer other plumbing questions while onsite, and have done so with honesty, kindness and respect.

I do property management so use plumbing services quite regularly. I really like Pertzborn Plumbing - they are always competent and trustworthy. I also like that they can usually be scheduled pretty quickly because they have a lot of plumbers. I have recently switched to using them for Roto Rooter services (they have separate crew for this) and the most recent experience was great - they used their specialized camera to identify an unusual problem - that a 3-foot stick was inside the plumbing stack at a point where it has a bend! We suspect a roofer dropped it in from the stack that comes out the roof, I had just had some roofing work done about 3 months prior. It was very helpful to be able to look at the screen to see the footage of what the inside of the stack and see that stick. Never would have figured this one out without a camera!

Plumbing problems are second to only fire damage. You need reliable service, you need it fast and you will get it with this company. Came for same day service the day
of a family funeral and got it done without fuss so we could get on with family funeral.
Second visit months later, came the next morning for a disastrous leak in a toilet. Again fast, but friendly curteous responses to multiple questions. Todd was experiened the an problem solved the trouble point in minutes with no drama. On both visits truely professional service will bring me back time after time. If you find a good company you stick with them.

A++ for H.J.Pertzborn employee Ryan! He arrived as scheduled, examined the problem and when finished, explained exactly how he repaired the gas leak. His work was completed quickly and it allowed time for him to address another household issue. Ryan was patient with my questions and respectful of my property. A true gem! I will use H.J.Pertzborn for future plumbing services and happy to recommend to others.

My overall experience with Pertzborn plumbing was unpleasant and I would not recommend them. While they did return to address a sewer backup after the initial job, the situation could have easily been avoided if they had followed through on their word to check the line was clear to the city hookup the first time. Their oversight led to my yard being dug up again, after landscaping was already completed.

Communication throughout was poor and, at times, unprofessional, particularly when dealing with the project manager. After the second job, they agreed to restore the yard but did so with minimal effort or care for the task. The grading was sloppy, gravel was left behind, and when I voiced concerns, I was met with a rude and dismissive response. I was disappointed that such a reputable company could be so unpleasant.

I have had Anthony work on two different plumbing projects and he has been a amazing! The first one was a massive project under our finished basement with our sewer pipes cracked. What we hoped was a one day project ended up being 4 days because the extent of the problem was so large. Anthony diligently worked all day and explained to us what was going on. I was incredibly impressed with his knowledge, skill, hard work, and customer service. He replaced basically all of our cast iron pipes with PVC. Now, for the first time since we've had the house, we have no issues with our plumbing! The second project was a water fountain that he also throughly worked on and repaired that we thought would never work again. Whatever H.J. Pertzborn is paying him, they should pay him more because he is gem! Grateful to have found a reasonably priced company that we can trust!

Called 5 different plumbing companies. 4 of them were not very friendly. 3 couldn't come out for 3 days and 1 for a week. Called HJ and the guy was very friendly over the phone and said they could come out today. The repair guy was also very friendly.

Had an issue with our dish washer drain system. They did a great job & everything is working perfectly.

I had a basement floor drain back up, which was a stressful situation. But HJ Pertzborn was great from the moment I called until the problem was solved. They were able to get me a same-day appointment, and Jesus and Chuy were incredibly professional. They were on time, explained the problem and the work they were doing, and were fast and friendly. I highly recommend this business.

Julie Hamer was very helpful in making the decision for which direction my project would go. I appreciate the insight she was able to give to move my project forward.

I've been a longtime customer of Pertzborn Plumbing, they had always done good work, but I have been very disappointed with their recent work and refusal to make things right. Next time I need a plumber, I'll try someone else.

Pertzborn helped out with a backed up sewer line when we moved into our new home in 2020. Their plumber said the crabapple tree in our front yard had roots that were clogging the line and recommended we have the sewer line roto-rooted regularly.

We hadn't had any problems in the five years since, but we had Pertzborn out to fix an unrelated plumbing problem (plastic bolt holding toilet to floor broke), and I thought I'd have them also check and clean the sewer line while they were here.

I explained the whole backstory to Pertzborn's dispatcher and thought I was fairly clear that we wanted the line checked and cleaned. The crew running the roto-rooter didn't run the camera down the line, they just ran the rooter, hit what they thought was an obstruction or misaligned pipe, but didn't bother getting the camera out, just guessed maybe there was a small lip or misaligned pipe and said we'd probably be fine. I'm not a plumber, so even though I was confused (and a bit pissed) that they didn't use the camera, I took their word for it.

Not even a week later, we had sewage backing up through the floor drain in our basement. This of course happened on a Friday. Called Pertzborn, they said they'd see us Monday.

When the new roto-rooter crew showed up on Monday, they got the camera out and let me watch as they fished it down the sewer line. They determined that the obstruction the first crew just guessed about was a test plug, then pushed through and cleared the line.

Again, I'm not a plumber, but what happened seemed fairly straightforward: first crew misidentified the problem, and left a bunch of debris sitting in or in front of the test plug, which eventually clogged and caused the sewer backup.

When I asked the second crew about this, the plumber gave some wacky explanation that it was our house's low-flow toilets (blame the government regulations!) and that our family of four (with 2 teenagers who enjoy long showers) wasn't flushing enough water down the pipe. Riiiiight. We hadn't had a problem in 5 years with the same low-flow toilets, but it's just an amazing coincidence that we had a sewer backup within a week of the first Pertzborn crew not getting the job done.

Plumber said he'd see what they could do about the bill, but I never heard from anyone at Pertzborn. They just sent me a bill with two separate sewer/drain cleaning charges. When I followed up with them about this over email, they said they didn't like my tone. And that they don't guarantee their work.

So, enjoy your extra $165, Pertzborn. It's the last of my family's money you'll see.

The handle on my shower had a broken part which resulted in my not being able to completely turn it off. After contacting another plumbing company and receiving a quote which seemed very high, I called H.J. Pertzborn. A plumber arrived later the same day and was able to make a temporary repair that allowed me to use the shower until the necessary parts could be ordered. After the new parts arrived, the replacement of the shower faucet/shower head and some necessary corrections to the piping (which dated back to the time when my condo was built) was accomplished quickly. Everyone I dealt with at Pertzborn was courteous, understanding of my dilemma and great to work with. And the best part-the final bill was less than half of what the first plumber quoted. Thank you H.J. Pertzborn!

Had a great experience with H. J. Pertzborn. I had been exploring options for better-performing water heater when my old one started leaking. The phone staff were super helpful in walking me through answering the questions they needed to get me next steps, and they sent Matt out without delay. He was kind, professional, and honest—explained why my preferred option wouldn’t fit, offered solid advice for future upgrades, and still got everything installed the same day. Wonderful communication, spectacular people, great clean up, and an all-around smooth process. Highly recommend!

Serviceman was timely, professional and willing to answer our questions. He was very knowledgeable and efficient. This was our first experience with Pertzborn. We will definitely consider them again.

The work performed was done well. It looks professional and works well.
My only issue was cost. I was shocked at the material cost and upcharge on that. I was also surprised it took 3 hours to install a small stationary tub (But I wasn't there to watch what all was happening).
It was over $800 (excluding the tub/faucet).
The plumber also said he would secure the sink and did not.
I will say that I should have gotten it quoted before I did the work. Lesson learned. But the work was done well.

Fixed water heater under warranty (no cost). Also found leak in faucet and fixed. Great service and they follow up on repairs.

Highly recommend H J Pertzborn.

Fred Groth

Chuck was professional, courteous and did a great job! He turned a plumbing mess into a neat connection to our pressure tank that is stable and much better than what we had. We will definitely call Pertzborn for future services.

Just recently called Pertzborn to unclog a kitchen sink. Matt showed up and had the problem solved in a jiffy. I appreciated that he took the time to explain possible causes of the clog as well as steps to prevent clogs in the future. If you have the pleasure of working with him, ask him to tell you his squirrel story!

Pertzborn replaced my failed water heater and water softener. Their quote was competitive and fair, and they honored it with no surprises. The work was well done and they answered my questions. I'll use them in the future.

Always a good experience with Pertzborn. We've used them for the past 12 years and have had all toilets replaced, water softener and water heater replacement, faucet and garbage disposal replacement, and general repair/maintenance done. They're professional, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly.

Amazing Company! We had a main water pipe break the day before all new tenants moved into the house. Jesse was amazing to work with! He was professional and knowledgeable. His response time was unbelievable! The whole team was hard working and great on the site.
So lucky to have Pertzborn on our team. I would definitely recommend them to solve your big or small plumbing issues.