We did business with Al Coronado Plumbing between 2021-2026. They charged us approx. $7,500 over…read moretime. They seem proud to be one of Tucson's most expensive plumbers--claiming their prices are worth the quality. Here's why we disagree:
In Nov. 2024, their tech Kenny came to check a sluggish shower drain, but did not unscrew the drain cover to look inside. Instead, he sold us their $89 bio-enzyme powder. Numerous nightly treatments did not help. We later opened the drain ourselves and found a 3" thick, 12" long wad of hair and grime. We reported this to the company with images, supporting our concern that the drain was not adequately inspected or treated.
In July 2026, Al Coronado charged us $3,715 to rebuild our main water service line and rear patio plumbing. They originally quoted $1,340, then owner Andrew Coronado called to warn us we needed backflow prevention and other services. Our experience is consistent with other reviews we've since read about this company making upsell recommendations.
The written quote included a line item for "prep work area for home protection and cleanliness of install"--ironic, given what followed. Their website's Home and About pages also promise technicians "lay down drop cloths" and aren't "interested in upselling work you don't need." None of that matched what we experienced. Kenny failed to lay down a drop cloth to protect our new acacia wood walkway next to the main service line. He then shoveled a large pile of rocks, gravel and grit directly on top of our wood tiles, scratching the tiles badly, and causing the walkway to become off balance. We had to order new wood tiles and reinstall 10 square feet of our walkway.
Kenny also shoveled rocks, gravel, and grit atop both in-ground irrigation shutoff boxes--one by our front courtyard walkway, the other on our rear patio. (Home security videos show he also set all his sharp tools and other materials directly onto our rear acacia wood deck, with no drop cloth.) Two weeks later, we discovered the irrigation running continuously 24/7. Our irrigation specialist found loose gravel and debris inside the shutoff valve, which caused the irrigation valve to jam open, preventing it from closing to shut off the timed irrigation schedules. We had to pay $75 for that call, in addition to a sharply inflated water bill from excessive usage.
We provided Mr. Coronado with audio/video documentation from our exterior home surveillance cameras showing what Kenny did on-site, and video/audio footage of the irrigation specialist discovering the jammed irrigation valve and attributing the cause directly to the plumber's work as described. We also shared video documentation showing the walkway damage. He initially offered to reimburse us for the irrigation repair, 10 damaged tiles, and the elevated water bill--contingent upon seeing our water bills from the prior month and same time last year. But then he sent several emotionally charged text messages, asking to come to our home so he could have an in-person meeting with us and give us a gift. When we politely declined, he again insisted, despite our stated preferences. Providing documentation, we reminded him this was the 3rd time we observed issues with inadequate site protection and inspection.
Mr. Coronado's messages read as if he blamed us for declining the meeting and gift. His tone also shifted from solicitous to curt and combative when we provided documentation of the drain incident as a reminder this wasn't just a 1-time lapse in service. He didn't address that issue but instead wrote that our report was "self-injurious" to him "from a psychological perspective." He also copied his email to 8 employees we'd never interacted with during our 5 years of loyalty to his company. To us, that's not transparency: it felt like triangulation intended to involve others in a dispute.
Regardless, what happened, happened--more than once. Won't be surprised if he posts a carefully worded response, blaming us for all. Notably, he asked us for an accurate review. We stand by these well-documented facts.
