RUN, DON'T WALK! INVESTORS, LANDLORDS, TENANTS, and HOMEOWNERS BEWARE! We will NEVER recommend All Star Plumbing based on our experience.
We paid for what was represented and billed as a **new** water heater installation. Unfortunately, we feel the project was mishandled from beginning to end.
According to All Star Plumbing's own invoice, the old water heater was removed and the job was completed on June 26, 2025. That wasn't true.
A city inspection on July 3 documented that the work was **not complete** and still required final inspection. Then, another city inspection on September 4 found that the **old water heater was still sitting in the basement**, proving it had never been removed despite us already having been billed for completed work. It took us contacting the property manager (EPM Iowa, LLC - would also NOT RECOMMEND!) pushing for action before All Star finally returned to finish what we had already paid for. Water heater inspection indicates it wasn't completed until September 11.
To make matters worse, we believe the "new" water heater was installed with significant physical damage, including a large dent in the tank and damage around the base (tried deflecting that this is just a cosmetic issue). During a later inspection, city inspectors also observed melted vent rings, raising concerns about the venting installation. All Star suggested that another contractor or tenant caused the damage.
Only after we complained months later were we told the technician "forgot" to schedule the return trip because of conditions in the basement. If that was true, why did the invoice state the old water heater had already been removed and the job completed? Why didn't they communicate that information from the get go - The basement conditions were ok to install, but not ok enough to remove old water heater? Why was payment requested in full then?
The company has repeatedly pointed out that the water heater passed inspection. Passing inspection does **not** change the fact that:
* We were billed for work that wasn't actually completed.
* We were left with a damaged water heater instead of an undamaged new unit.
* The timeline and explanations have only been given after the problems were discovered.
As property owners, we expect honesty, quality workmanship, and accurate billing. Instead, we received incomplete work, a damaged product, and months of excuses.
We WILL NEVER recommend All Star Plumbing based on our experience. If you're a landlord, tenant or homeowner, we strongly recommend documenting everything, requesting photographs before and after the work, and independently verifying that the work has actually been completed before paying the invoice. You be the judge. In our opinion, the extent of the visible damage--including the large dent, bent valve, and damaged base--raises serious concerns about whether the unit may have been compromised during handling and/or installation. They refused to replace. read more