Kramer and Sons Plumbing

After weeks of looking for a plumber who can fix tankless water heater, we finally found them!
They are very professional, and provide good service. A little pricy but their service worth it 100%! Will definitely use them again if any repair was needed.

Given their reviews good online regarding high rise condos, I decided to give them a call. When I spoke to Sadat via telephone, he was super friendly. He answered all of my questions and didn’t make me feel lame for asking ‘dumb’ questions as I know little/​nothing about plumbing. I had them come out and look at my tub overflow plate.
A gentlemen, by the name of Julio, came out. He was super friendly and very thorough. He actually drew me a diagram of how the the drainage is supposed to work and how he would need to access certain areas in order to make the repair. He actually spent about 90 mins with me explaining everything and giving me options of what I could do.
We will be calling them back when we are ready to do the work, as it’s outside of my current budget, so I need to plan for it. It’s definitely a hefty estimate, but only b/​c of the work/​access involved to fix what needs to be done.
Overall, very satisfied with my experience with Sadat and Julio! Kudos to you guys! I will be calling you again when I’m ready!

I had an emergency plumbing situation over the weekend at my condo unit in alexandria. I called a few locally owned plumbing companies. Hollin plumbing recommended Kramer and Sons, and so I called Sadat. Sadat was WONDERFUL. Talk about providing speedy, same-​day service at a reasonable cost AND providing excellent customer service. Now this man is in the right job. He eased all my concerns and resolved the plumbing issue under 3 hours… and on the same day. WOW! I couldn’t be any happier and I will continue to give my service to Kramer and Sons.

I highly recommend Kramer and Sons for service. After my water heater died (pilot kept going out due to the sensor going on the fritz) I called around to a bunch of places for help. Most wouldn’t give me the time of day unless I wanted a full replacement. I was really taken aback by how rude most places were to potential customers. I called Kramer and Sons and Seth answered the phone and was extremely professional and polite. He was upfront and said there would be a service call fee, but from the issue I was describing I might not need a new water heater. He seemed really knowledgeable about plumbing and heating rather than just answering the phones, which is pretty rare these days. I went ahead and scheduled the appointment. The owner, Marty, came out a couple days later and looked at everything and gave some honest advice. He recommended a new heating element (the sensor and element are integrated on my model) and that I could probably get another three years out of the water heater, but I should start saving up for the replacement. We also talked about options for replacement so he wouldn’t need to come back for another service fee when the heater finally goes. He also showed me some tips to help me get the pilot lit so I could keep limping along until the parts arrived.
Sadat, their other office guy, kept me updated through the ordering process for the part and sent Richard out to install everything. They were all really nice and professional, and the heater has been going strong for over a year now. When it comes time to replace it I will definitely give them a call.
Yes, their prices are a bit higher but I think they are honest, and willing to help you look at cheaper options. They seem to be sensitive to your budget and didn’t give me any pushback when I couldn’t drop enough cash on the spot for a new water heater. I really respect that and will reward them with future business. Thanks for the help when I was stuck taking cold showers!

This 5 star review is for the office tech (Sadat) and the plumber (Richard) who came out.
Comment: I would agree with the previous reviews that costs are high in general in this area, not just with this company, and that roto rooter may be a better deal, especially for more routine services. But i had the Virginia Dominion Power insurance, so no choice there. (Just make sure you ask Dominion for the plumber’s information/​phone number, and remember – the insurance DOESN’T cover removing and reinstalling a toilet, so hopefully you have an accessible main waste pipe.)
After opening a claim for a waste line blockage with Dominion – basement drains clogged and basically couldn’t use any water in the house – Sadat from Kramer and Sons left me a message about 5 minutes later! It was almost 3pm on Tuesday when i called them back and got Sadat. He apologized that he had no plumber immediately on site/​available, otherwise he would have sent them right over. But he would put me on first call in the morning, between 730 – 830 am. After a couple of additional calls back and forth, i was convinced that Sadat was an exceptional customer service tech – helpful, knowledgable and patient! Having a 1950s home, I’ve become well versed with all types of service providers, and I was impressed.
Wednesday at 730 am, Richard was at the front door! He used shoe coverings (ALWAYS appreciate that, especially when you don’t have to ask someone first)! He showed me his card and we proceeded to figure out where the blockage was. Richard used decent (GASP-​not filthy) drop clothes and covered the complete area. He was very polite and explained what was going on. Once clearing the blockage, he asked if i wanted the toilet reinstalled. I declined after seeing the price tag of about $ 227 (this after i had already removed the toilet, plus i watch Youtube videos to fix a lot of this easier stuff and, generally, you can use all your household water as usual without having to immediately reinstall a toilet – just cover the opening with a wet towel!).
I had also gotten a price from another plumbing company i often use, Kesterson, who charged $ 425 to clear a sewer line, regardless of the time it takes. But such is life in northern VA/​DC. You might consider a move to Ohio!

Our home main sewer line was blocked, which we had insurance for through Virginia Dominion. After filing a claim they arrived the next day. They needed to remove/​reinstall a toilet to access the sewer line which was not covered by the insurance. Their price was $ 305 to do a 20 minute job. Unfortunately, I did not have the time at that point to do it myself, so I grudgingly relented. Their work on the sewer line was fine (wasn’t exactly rocket science), but what a ripoff to remove the toilet. I suppose this is how they make up for the lower insurance payments by gouging the customers. Also, their total price (with no insurance) for the job would have been $ 962 Dollars. I received a quote from Roto Rooter for the same job for $ 679 Dollars.

I was in need of several plumbimg related problems to be fixed. Leaks, clogs, drain issues and a toilet repair.
I called and spoke to Seth who provided me with several dates amd times to choose from.
After the estimate was provided, I shopped around and found they were very reasonable. One company was more expensive and was unavailable for over a week. A couple others were close in price but didnt represent themselves as professionally. I paid a little more for peace of mind and received a perfect outcome.
Also.I like supporting independent companies over huge corporations .
I recommend this company since they took such good care of me.

We recently had a tank water heater go toes, and it was in its eleventh year, so we decided to do the big upgrade to a tankless water heater. Kramer and Sons came out to install it and did a great job. They were there in a couple days and got the job done by 3 p.m. Very happy overall.

Recently I was concerned about my AC unit. It sounds like a giant explosion everytime the outside unit starts up… and the house takes a really long time to reach the set temperature. I also hadn’t had any scheduled maintenance since I bought the house o So I did a search on Unilocal and found Kramer and Sons.
I had them come out to inspect the system on the morning of Sept 10^th. They inspected my AC system and discovered that the head pressure (?) was fluctuating. They recommended that I clean the condenser coil (the outside unit) with a water hose — so I did. Thankfully the technician allowed me to use his water hose (I don’t own one), thus saving me quite a bit of money!

I had a relative plumbing emergency; a faucet was leaking but was rusted and did not budge. The Kramer secretary warned me that it would cost $ 60 just to diagnose the problem. I said ok. The plumber came and sawed through a nut, freeing up the faucet for removal. For that he charged a total of $ 245.
Then he said that to put a new faucet in, he would charge $ 611 after I bought the faucet!
This must have been a «special» price for women. They often don’t know what’s involved and are used to being overcharged.
Fortunately there were better solutions. As others have written, shame on you Kramer.

I phoned Kramer & Son because of such good reviews here. We already knew we had a sewer drain obstruction or roots/​break in the line causing our guest bathtub and toilet to back up when water was used to wash clothes, do dishes or to use that bathroom itself. I called on Monday, they set an appointment for Tuesday. They showed up, were polite enough, seemed knowledgeable enough and respectful enough. Until Nick, the service man, proceeded to tell me the fee would be 811. xx to remove the toilet, reset it and snake the drain. He offered a fee for 532. xx if we removed the toilet ourselves. Meaning he was charging almost 200 bucks to remove and reset the toilet. I THINK NOT!!! He made the call to set up the appt. for tomorrow and I overheard him tell the scheduler that this was «a little different» because we would be removing and resetting the toilet and that he thought 2 cables would do it. He charged the 59. xx fee for coming out for his 10 minutes of time to diagnose what I already knew was wrong. And then for some reason thought I would swallow the fact that they wanted to charge us almost 300 bucks to remove and replace the toilet. As soon as he left I phoned someone else in the area. Who quoted me a price of 480. xx + 50.00 for each cable over 1 used. This included toilet removal. SHAME ON YOUR KRAMER & SON. I actually went with Roto Rooter who was at my house within 1 hour after I called them. Charged me NOTHING to give me the estimate. And my total bill no matter how many hours it took would be 540. xx with them putting a camera in as well and a warranty of work. I am completely satisfied with my decision to forget Kramer & Son.

Kramer and Sons gave us three solutions to our ailing HVAC system ranging from limping it along to replacing the whole works. Their analysis was thoughtful and clearly presented with pros and cons. We decided to replace the whole thing. They did the work within four days of our accepting the estimate. Because the unit we had signed up for was out of stock at the dealer, the dealer upgraded it at no extra cost but Kramer still called to make sure we would find the upgrade acceptable (yes, please!). Kramer and Sons explained how they were going to do the job to get us functioning air conditioning in a day, and finish up with the extras on the second day. They showed up right on time both days and were friendly and professional. The job they did with the humidifier and air cleaner on the furnace was practically art work it was so neatly executed. After they finished, they took time to make sure we understood how to work the control panel and how to care for the air cleaner.
Kramer and Sons have helped us twice, once for a smaller job and now for this huge job. We could not have been more pleased.

I asked Kramer and Sons to come because garbage disposal wasn’t working. I thought the Angie’s List award would commend them. They replaced it, with travel fee, for $ 525!!! This is at least $ 200 more than any other place.
I looked it up. In 2011, the average price at my zip code to replace garbage disposal with materials and labor was ($ 269-​$ 352).
Then my dishwasher quit draining so I called a different place. Turns out that when Kramer replaced the disposal, the hose was too long (should have been shortened) so it had a kink in it (as well as was clogged). The 2^nd repairman shortened the hose. He said he would have only charged me $ 250 for the original disposal job (that Kramer had charged $ 525).
Though the company was on time and clean, the price would definitely keep me from recommending them.

I’m always very skeptical when it comes to having people come into my home and repair things (I’m paranoid that since I have no knowledge that the person could rip me off). Anyway, Kramer and Sons was not like that at all. They made the whole process seamless. I made my appointment online (super easy to do), and within two hours they called and confirmed the appointment. I selected the window of «noon to four». The staff at the office was very friendly. I had a potential leak, and sent a picture beforehand. The technician examined the photo before coming out. The office called before they sent the technician and asked if it was a good time to stop by, and that they would arrive in thirty minutes. The technicians arrived on time, and ready to work. They donned their booties to keep everything clean. Both of the technicians were super knowledgeable, and since they were knowledgeable, they didn’t have to do a lot of extra work (which saved me money). They explained everything that they did. I recommend them to anyone and everyone. I believe they have emergency service as well. My guy’s name was Nick Bizzoco.

Kramer and Sons was recommended to me by my realtor and I’m glad they were. The office staff is always friendly and courteous when arranging appointments as well as calling with reminders.
Each time I’ve used them, I damn near fainted when the technicians actually showed up at the precise appointment time. If only the cable company and other service personnel could make that claim…
Anyway, the technicians showed up on time and ready to get to work. They put on shoe covers before entering your home and use drop cloths to ensure neatness while they work. Two of the technicians I have used, Danilo and Brandon, worked quickly and thoroughly to get the job done in the least possible time.
Kramer and Sons’ prices seemed reasonable and I highly recommend their excellent plumbing services.