Clark's Plumbing

If I could leave zero stars, I would. We trusted Clark's to do some repairs at a rental property, and even though it was expensive, we decided to take a chance because they promised to work quickly. We needed to replace an insinkerator (which required a plumber to replumb it at our expense) and fix a leak. While working on the job, the plumber suggested that we change the piping in the house from the old grey PBT to PEX, as the old pipes would eventually fail. We agreed and paid upfront for the materials.

However, there were several instances where the plumber didn't show up as promised. Eventually, he did arrive and started destroying the ceiling in an attempt to locate and replace the old pipes. Unfortunately, after removing several areas of the ceiling, we discovered that there was nothing behind them. This resulted in a $1500 bill for drywall repairs.

They finally finished the job on a Friday evening and immediately demanded payment, threatening to increase the price by 30% if we didn't pay right away. We informed them that we would pay on Saturday after inspecting the work, and now we understand why. The pipes were not properly secured and the old piping was left on the floor. Even the fridge water was disconnected, and overall, the job was done very poorly.

They did come back to clean the pipe runs to an acceptable level, and we reluctantly paid. However, since then, we have experienced more leaks, and Clark's has been unresponsive to our calls. Consider yourself warned. If anyone wants to see pictures as evidence, I have plenty.

Mr. Clark came to my house on October 4th, 2022 to give me a free estimate. After some back-and-forth, I decided to accept his quote on October 9th. I paid a deposit of $1,801.64, and Mr. Clark said he was getting the materials ready to start the job. Originally, he was supposed to begin work on Monday, October 24th, but he had to reschedule for the next day due to an emergency call he received the night before. However, by Tuesday afternoon, we still hadn't heard from him. I also realized that I hadn't received any permit notification from New Castle County, which is necessary for the work to be done legally. When I asked Mr. Clark about the permit, he said he didn't get one because we hadn't discussed it. We also asked him for a copy of his insurance declarations page, but he didn't provide it. Later, my wife and I discovered that he had changed the name of his company because of negative reviews about the quality of his work and a low rating from the ComplaintsBoard.com. We also found out that he isn't licensed to do plumbing work in Delaware, even though his website claims he is a "Professional Plumber in Middletown, DE". We agreed to the quoted price under the assumption that he was being truthful about his qualifications, but it turns out he isn't licensed. When we confronted Mr. Clark about these issues, he said that if he were to obtain a permit, it would cost an additional $1000. However, he can't even get a permit because he isn't licensed. He then suggested that a homeowner could get the permit and he could do the work, but the county website clearly states that this is not allowed, which I showed him. On Tuesday, October 25th, I told him that I no longer wanted his services, to which he replied, "After I return all the materials I already bought to start today, I will refund you within a maximum of 2 days." It has now been 17 days, and I still haven't received a refund.

If you're dealing with Clark's Plumbing LLC, make sure you ask for the total cost upfront. I had a bad experience with them in Middletown, DE. They charged me almost $1600 for replacing a faucet and fixing a leak, which Fletcher Plumbing would have done for $350. Clark's Plumbing didn't disclose the cost beforehand and only revealed it after the job was done. They didn't give us any estimate or a chance to decline the high price. When I asked about the huge difference in cost, they couldn't provide a valid reason and just rambled on. I'm really disappointed and feel like they took advantage of us. Be cautious and consider the negative reviews online.