Based on reviews, I expected a positive experience, but unfortunately, it was not. I had a water…read moremain break in front of my house. Harris Water Main gave me a cheaper quote than the other nationally recognized company I called, so I went with Harris. I paid 50% of the quoted amount and the crew came the next day to install a new pipe. As they left, they told me they had to return later to move a valve and replace some concrete they had to tear up in my basement, which was now a big patch of dirt. Fine, no problem.
The next day, the accounting department called to ask me to pay the remaining 50%. During that conversation, I asked when the remaining work would be done, saying it made me nervous to pay 100% without the work being complete. The man immediately said "So you're not going to pay?" That was not my intention at all and I did finalize the payment shortly thereafter, but he got very aggressive with me for simply asking about the timeline. He said they actually were incentivized to complete the work even after receiving my money because by law they had to maintain the work for three years, but as you'll see, that doesn't seem to be a priority, and my fear of paying and not having the remaining work done has come true.
I emailed the project manager following this exchange and was told that the guys would finalize the plumbing work "early next week" with the concrete restoration a "few days after." That time came... and went. I followed up with the project manager again (no reply), plus the accounting person (no reply), plus the main "info" email address (no reply). I called the main office, and they finally got someone out for the plumbing part at the very end of the week, but once there, that person was unable to do the work and they said they'd send someone else. I followed up again the next week after not hearing back, and they said they'd send someone on Friday (now over two weeks after the original job) for both the plumbing and concrete.
The following Friday came, and the concrete person didn't show up. The plumbers did their work and left... and an hour or so later, water started coming out of the ceiling in that room. I called, and Harris Water Main transferred me to Harris Plumbing. The woman at Harris Plumbing told me they have nothing to do with this, it's a separate company, I'm not in their system, why am I even calling them... very hostile. I said I didn't call you, Harris Water Main transferred me to you to help with this emergency of water coming out of my ceiling after the Harris guys left. I called Harris Water Main back and they said it doesn't have anything to do with them.
I called another plumber to come over immediately, and his assessment was that when Harris turned my water back on, it was likely done in such a way that the pressure from the water blew something else open. At the very least, you would hope for something better than "not our problem" and hostility from the receptionist.
On the concrete, Harris still has not restored it as promised, after well over three weeks. I called three times this week to follow up, and each time spoke with a different person (part of an "offsite reception team," I was told) who said the company would call me back, but nobody has.
This is exactly what I was worried about. I completed the payment, and the company seems to have forgotten I exist. I now see reviews from other people who had this same issue. Some were smarter than I was and negotiated to hold some money back until everything was done. I wish I had just gone with the more expensive quote I had received from the nationally recognized brand, because in addition to the other plumber I had to hire, I'm going to have to hire yet another person to complete the concrete work Harris said they were by law required to do and maintain. Right now, it's still a big patch of dirt in my basement.
Cheaper than the next company, and quick to get a crew out there to fix the initial problem? Yes, but get ready for a real headache if there's anything more to be done once they've received your money.
