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In the last blog post, I talked about a disturbing trend in the industry where homeowners are being lied to about how much tunneling is needed for a repair.

This week I want to discuss a related and also concerning trend.

As I mentioned before, many underslab plumbers in the area are one to two man outfits who hire an outside crew—an excavation company—to dig the tunnel under the house. The outside excavation crew is subcontracted by the plumbing company to dig the tunnel and the plumber goes in and makes the repair.
In this case, the homeowner deals directly and only with the plumbing company. And the plumbing company is responsible for the work done by subcontracted excavation crew.

The plumbing company is the retailer whereas the excavation crew is a wholesaler.

The Trend

But lately I’ve been seeing one of two things happening.

Excavation crews, in an effort to build their own business and to make more money, are going directly to homeowners and selling them tunneling at the retail price. Then they either offer to do the repair themselves—typically without a plumbing license which is not legal in the state of Texas (and if there are any problems with the repair, you have no recourse).

Or they tell the homeowner to hire a plumber to come in and make the repair after they dig the tunnel.
And similarly, homeowners are themselves going out and hiring day laborers to do the excavation and then calling plumbing companies to come out and make the repair.

We’ve been seeing both scenarios more and more as we’ve been getting calls from homeowners letting us know they’ve hired an excavation crew and just need to know the cost of the repair.

Why This Is Bad for the Homeowner aka You

While it might sound like this a good idea or just another way to get a repair done, it’s usually ends up costing more in the long run and can even put you and your home at risk.

Usually the tunneling is not done right and often it has to be dug out more for the plumber to reach the repair. Since the laborers or crew who did the digging were paid to dig the existing tunnel, what happens when a plumber comes out and says, it’s not enough?

You have to pay the excavation company more money to come out and dig additional tunnel. So already you are paying more than you were originally quoted and originally planned.

Next, the plumber was paid to make the repair. So what if something happens to the plumbing work during the backfill process? Who pays to fix that? Not the plumber. The plumber will only cover the work he or she actually did.

So in cases like this, the homeowner has to pay again for everything—the digging, the repair, etc. A plumbing company is only able to warranty work done by the plumber and a crew subcontracted by the company.

Using an Unlicensed “Plumber”

There are so many things that can go wrong in this situation. If someone tells you they can make the repairs but they aren’t licensed to do so, you open yourself up to countless potential problems.

Because they most likely don’t have the experience or the expertise, the work they do might not be in compliance with the current plumbing codes (if they even do any work at all).

You could be sued if they are injured during the repair because they won’t have the proper insurance. Your own homeowner’s insurance will be invalidated if something goes wrong.

If the job takes longer than expected, not done properly, needs to be redone, you are at the mercy of the unlicensed “plumber.”

If something is damaged, the repair makes things worse, the materials are of poor quality, there’s nothing you can do legally.

Here’s a short list of some of the possible problems that can happen:

• Foundation and other structural problems
• Sewer backups/stoppages
• Sewer system not working as it should
• Rodents and insect issues

And depending on the repair, you could be putting you and your family’s health and lives at risk like potentially deadly sewer gas odor issues.

Not to mention the potential danger to the plumbing crew themselves. In December 2017 a plumber in Flower Mound died when a tunnel collapsed while he was in it making a repair proving how dangerous tunneling under a home can be and why not just anyone should do it.

Honestly, the number of things that could go wrong are too many to list here. To be safe and know the job was done right and you are protected, I strongly urge you to always hire a licensed plumber if you need a repair.

Still Want to Directly Hire an Excavation Crew Yourself?

While I maintain that hiring two different companies is a horrible idea, if after reading this post, you still want to—hire one for the digging and one for the plumbing—give us a call here at In-House Plumbing Company.

Our top priority is you, the customer, so we will work to find a solution that works for everybody. AND we’ll make sure it gets done right.

For example, we once worked with a homeowner who had been told by a contractor they needed 25 feet of tunnel. But after our evaluation, turns out the actual amount needed was only three feet. Again, our interest is finding the best solution for everyone involved while looking out for your best interest.

As always if you have any questions, give us a call at 972-494-1750. Or email us at [email protected].

There’s a trend in the underslab plumbing and other related industries that I feel is necessary to address.

The amount of excavation many plumbers are recommending.

As I’ve mentioned before, there are unscrupulous business owners in this industry. Business owners who are more interested in filling their own pockets than serving their customers.

And I feel it’s important to give you, the homeowner, as much information as possible so you can make an educated decision.

Subcontracted Excavation Crews

First off, you should know the majority of plumbing companies in the Dallas area are one or two man operations. Because of this, they have to hire a subcontractor to do the excavation, or tunneling, under a house so that the plumber can make repairs to the pipes under the slab.

And there are a lot of these independent excavation crews for plumbers to choose from. So while the crews are technically working for the plumbing company, they are not employed by the company.

The Goal of Most Plumbers and Excavation Crews

An overwhelming majority of plumbers and excavation crews want to do AS MUCH tunneling under the house as possible. They do not want to punch a hole in the slab that is closer to the leak.

Why? Because the number one goal for 98% of these businesses— plumbers and excavation companies— is to make the most amount of money as possible. And more tunneling means more money.

But of course, this isn’t how they sell it to you, the customer. Instead they say it’s the best option for you and your home. And they know well and good these things are not true.

“Tunneling is safer for your foundation.” LIE

Too much tunneling — such as tunneling 30 feet to get to leak instead of punching a hole in the slab — is worse for your home’s foundation than creating an access hole through the slab to fix a leak.

Think about it, the ground under your house helps support the foundation. The more you tunnel, the less support there is.

And yes, once the repairs are made, they backfill the hole. But the more tunnel there is, the more difficult it is to fill in properly. Not to mention the changeable nature of North Texas soil. It’s possible once the soil has settled and shifted, with 10, 20, 30 feet of tunnel, you’re could be left with essentially pockets of air under your foundation.

“You don’t want dust everywhere!” LIE

As to the “dust everywhere” myth. There are tricks of the trade, so to speak. When done right with the right tools, there is very little dust to deal with.

We even have a “cleanliness guarantee” where if you are not completely satisfied with our final cleanup, we give you $100 towards having the area professionally cleaned.

We take your home’s cleanliness so seriously, we’ve had jobs where a customer comes back and didn’t even realize we had been there.

In-House Plumbing Goal

Our goal is not to make the most amount of money as possible. Our goal is to do the least amount of tunneling and to do what’s best for the customer.

Because we are more interested in doing the best quality work at a reasonable price, or as we like to say “A” work for a “C” price, we always suggest what is in the customer’s best interest.

For instance, it’s not unheard of for another company to recommend 30 feet of tunnel to repair one leak. Then use scare tactics to sell that tunneling rather than punching a hole through the slab. And that will run you about, $12,000.

And yes, once the repairs are made, they backfill the hole. But the more tunnel there is, the more difficult it is to fill in properly. Not to mention the changeable nature of North Texas soil. It’s possible once the soil has settled and shifted, with 10, 20, 30 feet of tunnel, you’re could be left with essentially pockets of air under your foundation.

“You don’t want dust everywhere!” LIE

As to the “dust everywhere” myth. There are tricks of the trade, so to speak. When done right with the right tools, there is very little dust to deal with.

We even have a “cleanliness guarantee” where if you are not completely satisfied with our final cleanup, we give you $100 towards having the area professionally cleaned.

We take your home’s cleanliness so seriously, we’ve had jobs where a customer comes back and didn’t even realize we had been there.

In-House Plumbing Goal

Our goal is not to make the most amount of money as possible. Our goal is to do the least amount of tunneling and to do what’s best for the customer.

Because we are more interested in doing the best quality work at a reasonable price, or as we like to say “A” work for a “C” price, we always suggest what is in the customer’s best interest.

For instance, it’s not unheard of for another company to recommend 30 feet of tunnel to repair one leak. Then use scare tactics to sell that tunneling rather than punching a hole through the slab. And that will run you about, $12,000.

But we will often suggest, if it’s possible, to punch a hole through the slab closer to the leak therefore needing far less tunneling. Our cost for this same job in this particular example? Around $2500.

Now yes, we don’t put the flooring back once we’ve patched the access hole. But even with replacing that part of the carpet or tile, your end cost is maybe an additional $500 to $1,000. So you’re looking at a total of around $3,000 to $3,500.

$12,000 vs. $3,500.

Keep in mind, though, every home and situation is unique. So yours could be different but generally, the cost with replacing the flooring is around $3,500.

Now full disclosure.

At one point we had a tunneling crew on staff. But in the end, it made better business sense to subcontract with an outside excavation crew. The difference, though, the owner of the excavation company we subcontract with used to be one of our employees before he went on to start his own business.

So he knows and works within our goal to do as little tunneling as possible.

Price Shopping

As I talked about in the last post about pricing in the industry, many customers are shopping around for the best price. We’ll get a call asking how much our leak location test is. And we know other companies are selling the same test for a lower price.

However, that is just another tactic these companies use to get their foot in the door. They sell you a cheap leak location test only to come in and give you an unnecessary high-priced repair once they’re past the door — like our $12,000 vs $3,500 scenario.

I believe it’s important for you to understand the ultimate goal for the majority of these plumbing and excavation companies. You need to know what’s really going on in the industry before you decide what’s best for you and your home.

And as always, if you have any questions or concerns, give us a call at 972-494-1750 or email [email protected].

We’re always happy to discuss anything you’ve read here or experienced with other companies.

“So how much is it?”

Anyone selling or buying goods and services is inevitably confronted with this question: What’s the price?

And it’s a reasonable question. You have to know how much something is in order to know if you can buy it.

I get it. Everyone wants a good deal. We want to know we are getting a good value for the dollars we spend. And if you can get it at a lower price, all the better.

However, I must caution, if you’re choosing on price alone— especially when it comes to plumbing and home repairs— it could end up costing you more in the long run.

Motivated by Money Alone

“But he said he replaced all the pipes under the house.”

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone out on a job to hear the homeowner paid another company a lot of money to fix something only to find nothing was done. Not to mention the countless stories homeowners share about being ripped off on the neighborhood app, Nextdoor, and the never-ending stories on the nightly news.

This is what happens when a business owner is motivated purely by money, particularly in the underslab plumbing industry where you, the homeowner, can’t check the work.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, before starting In-House Plumbing Company, I worked for other local plumbers who often ripped off their customers. (In fact, it was the impetus for my wife and I starting this company.) And it’s not only me; several of my employees also have similar stories.

Someone who is motivated by money itself has no qualms telling the customer anything they want to hear knowing they have zero plans to do quality— or any— work.

I’ve personally seen plumbers tunnel to where they thought a leak was, find nothing there, “fix” a fake leak in that location, and then find the real leak charging the customer for both. Or others who tunnel to a leak, don’t find it, then leave saying they fixed it knowing there is still a leak somewhere under the house.

So when searching for someone to do these types of repairs, the price alone shouldn’t be your only deciding factor. In fact, if someone has quoted you far below most other companies, that is a red flag.

You might be dealing with someone who has no intention of doing quality— or any— work at all.

Price vs. Cost

Let’s quickly go over the difference between price and cost. The two terms are often used interchangeably but there is a difference.

What you see as the customer is the price. But what you don’t see is the cost. Coming up with a price is more than just taking the price of the materials and the hours worked.

A business has to take into consideration all the costs of running a business.

Here are just some of the costs factored into the end price:

• Equipment
• Licensing fees
• Transportation to and from jobs
• Advertising
• Labor and wages for in-office and support staff as well as on-site team members
• Office space
• Vehicles and maintenance

Not to mention the specialized knowledge and skill needed to work on your underslab plumbing.

Also the state of Texas is the only state in the union that doesn’t require a business to carry workers’ compensation insurance. However, despite there being no requirement to do so, we carry workers’ comp not only to protect our employees and ourselves, but the homeowner as well.

Most homeowners have home insurance which would more than likely cover the cost of a claim if a worker is injured while on your property. But if the claim is more than your policy covers, you are ultimately responsible for it.

This is another cost of doing business that is part of determining the price of our services. It’s important to us to not only protect ourselves but also our workers and you, our customers.

“A” Work For a “C” Price

There’s a reason the dollar store sells everything for a dollar. It’s not the highest quality item on the market. Sure sometimes they get name brand products for one reason or another. In that case yes, you are getting a good deal. But for the most part, you are getting a cheaply made product.

As I stated earlier, if a company quotes you far below other companies in the area, this is a red flag. It’s impossible to do quality work at such low prices, or what we would call an “F” price.

But we also understand home repairs often leave a big dent in a homeowner’s wallet. This is why we promise to do “A” work for a “C” price.

We aren’t the most expensive underslab plumbing company in Dallas but we also aren’t the cheapest.
Because actually helping our customers matters to us, we try to keep our prices achievable for most budgets without sacrificing the quality of work we do.

Integrity & Honesty

After working with dishonest plumbers, it is important to us to serve our customers with integrity and honesty.

Something I tell many of our customers is we run towards the problem, not away from it. A lot of business owners will dodge your calls if you have a complaint or are unhappy with something.

But not us. Here at In-House Plumbing Company, we will do everything we can— within reason— to remedy any issues you have.

We also pride ourselves on being an honest company. For example, if we tell you you have a leak, tunnel to the location and find there is no leak, we do not charge for any unnecessary work done by us.

Honesty and integrity costs money.

Caring Is Important

We care about our customers, we care about our team, and we care about our work. We want to do the right thing for everyone involved— and that costs money.

If you call around, you’ll find we’re often undercut by other contractors. But you’ll also find many of those contractors happen to be ripping people off everyday. I’ve seen it and so have my employees.
When you choose us, you know you are getting the best possible work from a company that cares about what happens to you and your home.

If you have any question or want to talk about a plumbing issue, give us a call at 972-494-1750.

Bring up Yelp in a room full of business owners and you get a lot of mixed reviews.

It’s not that businesses don’t like reviews. We love reviews, in fact, both the good and the bad. From the bad, we can reach out to and build stronger relationships with unhappy customers by addressing their complaints. From the good, we can celebrate a job well done with our customers.

And thanks to the internet, there are any number of places a customer can leave a review. Google, Facebook, the Better Business Bureau, to name a few. But Yelp… Yelp is a whole other beast.

How Yelp is Different

When you search for a company’s reviews, like “In-House Plumbing Company reviews,” you’ll find any number of review sites in the results. And if you go to any of these sites except Yelp, you can see a list showing every review.

But Yelp doesn’t do this. They show some reviews and leave others out. The reviews they do show are called “recommended reviews.” And the ones they don’t are hidden below those reviews by a grayed out link. You have to click that link you want to see the reviews that are “not currently recommended.”

Recommended Reviews vs. Not Recommended

A question many business owners and the people who leave reviews have is why are some reviews recommended and some not?

With more and more plumbers relying on sewer cameras, we think it’s important everyone knows what a sewer camera can and can’t find.

Check out the infographic below to find out why a sewer camera cannot be used to find leaks. And you’ll also learn the proper uses of a sewer camera.

Read our blog post about sewer camera inspections for more in depth information.

Make sure you’re armed with all the best information so you don’t get ripped off! And as always, we’re here to answer any questions you have.

Feel free to call us anytime at 972-494-1750.

Recently two homeowners reached out to us for advice after reading our post Why Your Flooring Problem Might Not Be Plumbing Related.

Both homeowners, one in Mesquite and the other in California, had problems with their hardwood floors buckling. And the homeowner in Mesquite also found black spots on a small area near a bathroom.

In-House Plumbing Company Owner Shawn Bucklew spoke with both homeowners on the phone. After they explained what was going on with their floors Shawn’s best guess—not being a hardwood floor expert—was that the most likely cause was either condensation on the slab or the wood didn’t have enough (or any) time to acclimate to the rooms.

Convinced these issues were not plumbing related, they wanted to know what their next steps should be. The homeowner in Mesquite was in a particularly tough situation because the flooring company that installed her floors wouldn’t return her calls.

Is It Worth the Fight?

After trying to get ahold of the flooring company to no avail, the homeowner in Mesquite also had fresh water and sewer leak tests done by another plumbing company. Both tests came back with zero leaks found. With no leaks and no returned calls from the flooring company, she was at a loss as to what to do next.

Shawn spoke with the homeowner for about 30 minutes listening to her struggles and then explained what he thought she should do moving forward.

Knowing there were no leaks, her biggest issue at the time was that the flooring company wouldn’t call her back. Clearly the company was not standing by their work.

So the first question: Is it worth the fight?

What to Look For in a Home Service Provider

If it’s not worth the fight, or if you need a problem fixed ASAP, the first thing to do is find someone to fix your problem.

So how do you do that with so many companies to choose from?

Research.

Of course, you can always ask friends and family for referrals but make sure you check out the companies before calling and setting up an appointment.

Company Website

You can tell a lot about a company and its people from the company website. Check out the homepage. Read the About Us page. Is the site one or two pages with little information? Is there a blog or a resource page for you to read to help you make a more informed decision? What about reviews or testimonials?

Shawn recommends finding someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a sales person. Take for example the blog here on the In-House site. Yes, In-House is a business but we also value arming our customers with valuable information, educating them so they know what is going on with their own plumbing systems and homes.

If a company’s site is only trying to sell you something, look elsewhere.

Google

When you search a company’s name, you should be able to find a lot of information about them.

Check out their Better Business Bureau listing. Look for other online reviews that might not be on their site like Google or Angie’s List.

If they have social media business pages like on Facebook or Twitter, see if people are talking about them there or have left any reviews.

You might also find a YouTube channel for the company like the one we have here for In-House. Again, you’re looking for a company wanting more than just the sale. They also provide information or education.

Trust Your Gut

Don’t overlook your instincts. If something feels off about the company you’re investigating, trust that feeling.

We’re not saying everyone you feel uncomfortable with is going to rip you off or pull a fast one on you. It could be the employee you’re dealing with is inexperienced or isn’t the right fit for the problem you have. (Like a plumbing company for flooring issues.)

Finding a Flooring Company

Most flooring companies tell homeowners to call a plumber with issues like moisture on the floor or wood planks buckling. But as we explained in the flooring post linked above, it is highly unlikely if not impossible these types of issues are caused by plumbing problems.

For the case in Mesquite, Shawn recommended once she found a seemingly reputable flooring company to not tell them she had had the leak tests. Instead have them come out and check out the floors first.
If he then tells her to get a leak test to let him know she already did. If he says the tests were wrong and to get another one, that isn’t the right company and to keep looking. The goal is to find a company who have dealt with similar issues and can offer solutions.

So what if the fight is worth it?

When It IS Worth the Fight

If you find yourself in a situation like our homeowner in Mesquite, the original company isn’t responding to your repeated calls and/emails, you do have options.

It’s probably not worth it to take them to small claims court or to sue them. Attorney fees, court fees, these add up and could end up being more than the cost of the work. And even if you win, getting the company to pay is a whole other potentially costly battle.

But sometimes all it takes is the scare of a lawsuit. If you can, try to find a lawyer to send a letter pro bono. The goal is to get the original company to stand by their work. And if the fault is theirs, they need to cover the cost of the repairs. They can do this by either doing the work for free or paying another company to do it.

If they agree to do the work for free, do your research to find someone you trust and offer to pay them to come out and supervise the work. We’ve offered to do so for free in the past when a customer came to us frustrated with another plumbing company.

But if you have to pay them anything at all, don’t. They’ve already proved to be untrustworthy and unreliable. Put your money into someone else.

Another option is to contact your local news stations and newspapers. Which ones? All of them!

Either give them a call or check the websites for a submission form or a place to report “tips” like at NBC 5 Responds or WFAA Investigates.

Know When to Say When

There does come a time, though, when it’s better to cut your losses and move on.
If you’ve done everything you can—or if it’s just not worth the effort—it might be time to chalk it up to a lesson learned. In the end what matters is getting the work done by a company you can trust and peace of mind.

And of course, if you ever have any questions about something you read here or something going on with your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

You can always give us a call at 972-494-1750 or email us at [email protected]. We’re happy to help!

Recently we performed a sewer leak isolation test at a home in Plano. With our test we found two leaks, both in a Jack and Jill bathroom near the front of the house. One leak was at the tub and the other at the toilet. We then gave the homeowner an estimate based on our results.

About a week later we got a call from the homeowner. Turns out he had been paying a small yearly fee to a company that provides a plumbing pipe protection program.

This company is not in any way related or connected to his homeowner’s insurance policy, and it is not insurance. It’s a separate company that offers a plan that covers his under slab pipes kind of like a warranty.

When the homeowner called to find out if the repairs we recommended were covered by his plan, they sent a plumbing company to verify our findings. The plumber performed a sewer camera inspection and said there were no leaks but there were roots in the area where we found the leaks. And because roots in the pipes are a maintenance issue, it is not covered by his plan.

So of course, the homeowner called us back confused and wondering who was telling the truth.

What We Know About Sewer Camera Inspections

If you’ve followed our blog for any amount of time, you know how we feel about sewer camera inspections.

In short, sewer cameras can’t locate leaks.

In fact, we feel so strongly about this, it bears repeating. You cannot use a sewer camera to determine if there is a leak or to locate leaks. The only way to determine if you have a leak is with a hydrostatic sewer leak test. And the only way to find a leak or leaks is with a sewer leak isolation test.

Leak or No Leak?

So the company offering the pipe protection coverage, who gets a nominal yearly fee, sent a plumber out to verify our findings. And the plumber from the other company didn’t find any leaks when we found two.

There could be a few possibilities for this:

1. The plumber from the other plumbing company inaccurately believes (as many do) that a sewer camera inspection is the right way to find sewer leaks
2. Under slab repair is expensive so the coverage company will find any way they can to not have to pay for the repairs
3. Our test was wrong

As to the first two, that’s speculation and we can’t really say.

But consider the fact that the other plumber said there were roots in the line. How would roots from outside of the sewer line get inside the pipe? There would have to be a be a break in the line. And what causes a leak? A break in the line.

In-House Company Values

Regarding the third possibility this is what we can say.

First and foremost, honesty and integrity in everything we do is of the utmost importance. After working for dishonest business owners in the past, Shawn started In-House with a commitment to run an honest company.

Shawn spoke with the homeowner on the phone for about 30 minutes to better understand what happened and discuss the homeowner’s concerns.

After explaining why it’s impossible to find a sewer leak with a camera inspection, Shawn then recommended the homeowner call the coverage company back and request a hydrostatic sewer test. And if they agreed, he offered to send a team member from In-House to be there on the homeowner’s behalf free of charge.

Additionally, Shawn explained that he is so confident in the original test results and his team that if In-House repairs the leaks and it turns out there are no leaks anywhere in the house, we won’t charge the homeowner for any unnecessary work done by In-House Plumbing Company.

You can read more information about our guarantee here.

Shawn also advised the homeowner that if the coverage company does end up covering the cost of repairs done by their approved company, he should get another hydrostatic sewer test done by a company he trusts to verify that ALL the leaks were repaired. It’s an unfortunate truth that many in the industry will go in, fix one leak, and leave.

And if all the leaks are not fixed, the homeowner could end up with potential foundation problems. This translates into, at worst, more money for a bigger repair down the line. And at least, more money for additional excavation and repairs.

Are Plumbing Pipe Protection Plans a Scam?

So what happened?

The homeowner followed Shawn’s recommendations and pushed back. The coverage company then asked to speak with someone from In-House.

They said the plumber they sent out should have done a hydrostatic sewer leak test and they don’t know why he didn’t. They called the other plumbing company who agreed to have another plumber come out to the house to do a hydrostatic leak test. And we agreed to come out for the test as promised.

They scheduled the test between 9 AM and noon. One of our team members, the plumber who did the original testing, got to the house a little before 9 AM to wait with the homeowner for the other company’s plumber.

Someone showed up a little before noon, a different plumber than the one who did the sewer camera inspection. He asked our guy what happened who told him about our original tests and the results.

The other plumber said OK, well if that’s what you found (two leaks) then that’s what we’ll tell the coverage company. He didn’t do the hydrostatic sewer leak test or even run another sewer camera in the line. He went back with our original results.

As you can imagine, this left us baffled and with questions. What would have happened if we hadn’t been there? Would he have done the test? And would he have been honest about it? Or did he and the coverage company know they had been “caught” so to speak?

But What About the Repairs?

The actual repairs themselves also turned out to be more difficult and confusing than they needed to be. Long story short, the plumbing company sent to do the repairs tunneled in from the outside of the house and found the leak at the tub but said the leak at the toilet was in a concrete beam.

He recommended work which cost well beyond what the protection plan provided and also lied to the homeowner about needing a permit from the city.

Before agreeing to the work, the homeowner called us and we discovered (by calling the city and asking) there was no need for a permit. We also went out to the house and found there was no leak in the beam but there was one a little further out from the toilet.

So we repaired the leak at the tub and also dug to the second leak and repaired it. We tested for leaks again and found there were no more leaks.

We told the homeowner to call the other plumbing company back and let them know they just needed to backfill the tunnel. The other company said they wouldn’t backfill the hole without an inspection and permit from the city and even then would only backfill what they dug. Meaning the little that we dug they would leave.

However, if they had done that, there would be no way to get to the part that we dug leaving a hole under the house. Or they would backfill to where we dug and leave. We would then have to go and backfill the small portion we dug. And then the other company would have to come back and backfill the rest. In either case, the homeowner is left greatly inconvenienced.

The homeowner called us again so we decided to just backfill the entire tunnel.

So in the end, we have to wonder about the companies offering these “protection plans” and the plumbing companies working with them.

What would have happened if we hadn’t been involved?

Would the homeowner still have leaks? If the plumber had found leaks, would the homeowner have been charged for unnecessary work?

Without our help in this case, the coverage company and possibly the other plumbing company come out winners and the homeowner the loser.

Is this a case of ineptitude? Or is the whole thing a scam?

What do you think? Do you have a coverage plan for your pipes? And has it worked out for you? Let us know in the comments. We want to know!

You can also call us at 972-494-1750 or fill out the contact form on the Contact Us page.

 

 

We often get calls from homeowners asking for an estimate to repair issues found by another plumbing company. Sometimes the homeowner has a sewer camera video. And other times they have sewer leak test or leak isolation results from the other company.

If the homeowner provides us with enough information when describing what the other company proposed—amount of tunneling, number of leaks, a diagram, etc.—we can give a ballpark estimate.

In some cases when there isn’t enough information, we will go out to the house to get a better idea of their particular situation before giving an estimate.

(The only information we don’t want is the other company’s pricing or estimate. The best way for you to know we are giving you an honest and fair price is by leaving out the pricing details given by another company.)

However, with each estimate, we include the cost for us to verify the other company’s test results by performing our own investigations.

Sometimes, though, homeowners worry this is just a money grab by us. And we can completely understand why a customer might think this.

But as anyone who knows us and has worked with us will tell you, this is far from the case.

There are a couple reasons why we do this.

The Problem With Sewer Cameras

First of all, many plumbing companies use sewer cameras to find leaks. But as we’ve said before, it is impossible for a sewer camera to determine if you have a leak and to find them.

Additionally, because a sewer camera significantly magnifies the images it captures, it’s easy to misinterpret the images on the screen. In fact the image is so magnified, sometimes what looks like tree roots in the line turns out to be a single strand of hair.

In either situation, it could be the case of an unscrupulous plumber or just sheer lack of experience.
But because we know sewer cameras can’t find leaks and that videos are sometimes misinterpreted, it is necessary for us to verify the problems.

In-House Plumbing Company Guarantee

Second of all, we guarantee every In-House Plumbing Company customer never pays for any unnecessary work that we told them was needed.

So let’s say we come out and determine from one of our own sewer leak tests, you have a leak. We then come out and do a a sewer leak isolation test. Based on those results, we go under the slab to repair the leaks.

And let’s say once we get under the slab we find the leak is not where we said it was but is instead three feet from there. In this case, we have to dig an additional three feet. But because the leak wasn’t where we originally said it was, you don’t pay for the extra leak location or for the extra three feet of digging.

Even if the leak is 20 feet from where we originally said, you will not pay for any unneeded work.

Or in the extremely rare situation that there is no leak at all: We went under the slab to repair the leak we said was there and it isn’t. And then after a whole house test if we find there are no leaks anywhere, you won’t pay for any of the work we did to get under the slab or the excavations. And we refund the money for the leak isolation test. So in this situation, you only pay for the original sewer leak test.

Of course, every house and every case is different. So it’s impossible to lay out every possible variable in a blog post. Just give us a call at 972-494-1750 and we’re happy to discuss your specific situation with you.

Essentially, we guarantee you will not pay for any work we do based on our own investigations and recommendations.

Because we guarantee this—we put our own money on the line—we won’t make that guarantee with another company’s results.

Dishonest Plumbing Companies

It’s an unfortunate truth there are a lot of dishonest plumbing companies out there. We have firsthand knowledge of this as everyone from the owner to the team members worked for other companies before In-House.

Before starting In-House in 2001, Shawn worked at a company where they would break through the slab, excavate to the leak only to find it wasn’t there. When this happened, the owner told his team to cut a piece of the pipe and “repair” a made-up leak. Then he had them find the actual leak and charge the customer for both the real and made-up leak repair.

So we won’t gamble our own money on a potentially dishonest company’s work.

It is our opinion that anyone who accesses pipes through the slab is responsible for the problem being as it was presented whether they presented it or not. So we won’t do that unless we presented the information in the first place. This is for our customer’s protection as well as ours.

And we can’t stress this enough: You should never let anyone access under a slab (by either going through the slab or tunneling under the slab) unless you trust that person. You must feel confident the person you hire will tell you the truth about what they find and never charge you for any unnecessary work if those findings are inaccurate.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to us anytime. Call 972-494-1750 or send us an email at [email protected].

Nobody wants to think about a sewer backup. It’s gross and messy and can potentially cause a lot of damage to your home and your health.

 

If you have a simple clog, it’s easy to pull out the plunger or yank out that clump of hair from the tub drain. But when you find the tub overflowing because you flushed the toilet; or the kitchen sink won’t drain no matter how many time you run the disposal or clean the trap, you might be dealing with a more serious problem.

This might be a case of a serious sewer stoppage problem.

Causes of Recurring Sewer Backup

There are a few common causes of these backups that keep happening over and over again.

Tree and Shrub Roots

Tree and shrub roots crave water and will make their way toward any moisture. So even the smallest crack in a sewer line will attract roots.

And as trees and shrubs continue to grow, so do the roots causing a potential blockage and possibly creating more cracks and holes. The roots can also grow around and crush a sewer pipe.

And don’t think just because you don’t have any trees near or in your yard means this can’t happen. Roots can reach your lines from your neighbor’s yard or even from surrounding city land creating undesired sewer backups.

Sewer Clogs

Sewer systems are designed to handle a lot of crap. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care with what goes into those pipes.

Here are a few main culprits that could be causing serious clogging in your sewer pipes:

• Fats, oils, grease – Never pour these into your kitchen sink. Even if you run really hot water with it, these substances still stick to your pipes and solidify. Aside from building up on their own, there’s the added bonus of catching any other debris and food stuffs that might make it into your pipes creating very stubborn clogs.
• “Flushable” wipes – Just because you can flush these wipes down the toilet doesn’t mean you should. Utility companies around the world are finding these wipes congealing with other debris creating “superknots.” And testing by Consumer Reports have found some of these wipes don’t break down as advertised.
• Paper and feminine hygiene products – These are just not meant to be flushed. They don’t break down like toilet paper. Toss them in the trash instead.

Broken or Sagging Sewer Lines

Cracks and holes left unrepaired lead to broken sewer pipes. A broken sewer pipe leads to backups. Older homes constructed with cast iron or clay pipes are more susceptible to breaks.

And a sagging—or bellied sewer pipe—create recurring backups, too. Because a sewer line is designed to use the power of gravity, if a pipe is sagging, it can’t drain leaving water and debris to settle in the sag causing backups.

Determining the Cause of Your Sewer Backups

One thing you don’t want to do when you have a sewer backup is reach for the Drano or some other liquid drain cleaner. The chemicals in these products can cause more damage to your pipes creating an even more expensive problem.

Instead, call a licensed professional plumber to diagnose your sewer stoppage problem. As we’ve explained in a previous post, a sewer leak cannot be found with a sewer camera inspection but sewer stoppages can.

Once the cause of your problem has been found, a plumber will then lay out the best course of action.

If you have any questions about sewer backups, give us a call at 972-494-1750. We are happy to discuss any issues you’re having, and always keep your specific needs and budget in mind.

It should come as no surprise that we feel pretty passionate about water conservation here at In-House Plumbing.

Of course, taking measures to save water saves you money by lowering your water bills. But when you also consider water is a finite resource—meaning we can run out of it—it only makes sense to conserve water in as many ways as we can.

The earth is 70% water. But 97% of that is salt water—undrinkable and mostly unusable. And 2% of the remaining 3% is locked in ice caps and glaciers leaving us with only 1% of water for all our needs: farming, livestock, manufacturing, community, and personal daily consumption.

Fun water fact: The earth has the same amount of water now as it did when it was first formed.

The average American uses up to 100 gallons of water a day. Multiply that by the number of people living in your home and that’s a lot of water.

But don’t worry. We’re not suggesting you stop showering and letting your lawn turn to dust.

7 Water Saving Tips

Here are 7 simple tips to help you save water.

Check Pipes and Faucets for Leaks

Fixing a leaky faucet is one of the easiest ways to conserve water.

A single drip from a dripping faucet may seem inconsequential. But add those drips up and we are wasting gallons of water and dollars every day.

Check out this drip calculator on the United State Geological Survey site to determine how much water you are losing thanks to a leaky faucet.

And if you have a leak in your fresh water pipes, it’s like leaving the water on all day long making it incredibly important you get those leaks fixed as soon as possible.

If you think you have a fresh water leak, Call us now or fill out our contact form and we can help determine if that’s the case.

Is Your Toilet Running?

If so, you could be wasting thousands of gallons of water a year.

A few possible culprits in this situation is the flapper is warped or stuck and won’t close, a bad flush valve, or the chain is too long, too short, or tangled.

Don’t Flush Trash

Ever throw a tissue or some other small bit of trash in the toilet and flushed? Older toilets use up to 7 gallons per flush, and low flow toilets use about 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF).

That’s like using one and a half milk jugs to get rid of one small piece of trash. Throw your trash in the trash instead.

Composting

Instead of running a garbage disposal, look into composting your food waste.

Even if you don’t have a backyard, there are small composting bins you can keep on a balcony or patio. There are even countertop composting containers.

Choose the Dishwasher

Dishwashers today are much more efficient than hand washing. It might seem counterintuitive but it’s true.

The average kitchen faucet uses about 2 to 3 gallons of water a minute. So if you leave the water running for 10 minutes to hand wash your dishes, you’ve used about 8 to 10 gallons of water. A dishwasher uses 6 gallons of water per load and Energy-star rated dishwashers use 4 per load.

You’d have to be pretty fast at hand washing to beat that, and that includes the time it takes for your water to heat up.

Of course, we’re talking about a full load and no pre-rinsing which can actually decrease the effectiveness of your dishwasher. If you don’t have enough for a full load, you can always use the rinse and hold cycle. This still uses less water than pre-rinsing or hand washing.

However, if you insist on hand washing, consider filling one side of the sink with hot soapy water and turning off the faucet while you wash the dishes instead of leaving it running.

Bonus tip: Use a bucket to collect the cold water that runs while you wait for it to heat up. Then use this to water your plants.

Bonus tip #2: You can do this with shower water, too.

Turn Off Faucet When Brushing Your Teeth

Do you keep the water running when you brush your teeth? With the faucet using 2 to 3 gallons a minute, you’re letting good water (and money) run down the drain if you aren’t turning off the tap when you brush.

Wet your toothbrush and then don’t run the water again until you need it. It might seem strange at first but after some practice, it’ll be second nature.

This is a good practice to build when you wash your hands, too.

Drip Irrigation

We love our lawns. But keeping the grass green and the flowers blooming costs a lot of water. Some estimates claim automatic water sprinklers waste 40% to 50% of the water used.

A water-saving alternative to a sprinkler system is drip irrigation, the delivery of slow-moving water from drip lines/pipes directly in the soil. You don’t lose water to overflow runoff or evaporation with this method.

An added plus, drip irrigation is exempt from Dallas water restrictions.

Turn Off the Hose

Don’t use a water hose to clean off driveways and sidewalks. Use a broom or a leaf blower instead.

And if you wash your car in the driveway, turn off the hose when you’re not using it. Fill a bucket with soap and water, wet your car quickly, and then leave the hose off until it’s time to rinse.

Why Water Conservation Matters

With safe, clean water at our fingertips, it might not seem like we need to worry about saving water.

But with a fast-growing population and no change in water consumption rates, it is important to take steps to conserve water now before it’s too late—especially when you consider we can’t live without it.

2014 Government Accountability Report found “40 of 50 state water managers expected shortages in some portion of their states under average conditions in the next 10 years.”

Let us know what you think in the comments below! And as always, feel free to give us a call.