TL;DR:
DO NOT hire Chris Ripp (Ripp Sewer & Drain Cleaning)
DO NOT hire Mick Karls (Karls Plumbing)
DO NOT purchase HomeServe insurance/coverage
The full story:
About 11 years ago, I bought a house in Madison (built in 1938). Knowing the sewer line was likely original cast iron, I signed up for sewer line insurance through Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA), later bought by HomeServe -- about $7/month. I'm not really sure of the relationship, but the city of Madison actually promoted Service Line Warranties of America. I'm not sure why they promoted this company over another but it seems a little suspect.
For years, whenever I had a small basement floor drain backup, SLWA sent out Roto-Rooter (or similar service) to clear it. No big deal. But three years ago, backups became more frequent. HomeServe had their subcontractor Chris Ripp (Ripp Sewer & Drain Cleaning) inspect it. He confirmed the exterior line needed replacement but didn't do that work himself -- he recommended Mick Karls (Karls Plumbing).
At first, HomeServe wanted me to use their "approved" contractors, but neither would directly do the work (they subcontracted it out). I pushed to get Karls approved instead -- a decision I deeply regret.
What went wrong:
Poor communication from Karls delayed everything.
HomeServe dragged their feet approving the job.
Karls did the exterior line replacement while I was on vacation in June 2023 -- completely trashed my yard and garden leaving compacted clay soil on surface that is unsuitable for growing grass or plants
I spent $2,900 repairing the yard and garden.
Karls backfilled without using rock, causing settling and sinking of the new topsoil and sod.
Drain backups continued
Later, I had Pertzborn replace the interior line (they were fantastic), but backups still happened.
Chris Ripp "camera'd" the line again but gave me vague comments, not admitting the real issue was the work that Karls did.
Finally, Pertzborn camera-ed the line properly -- and found that Karls installed the brand new sewer line with a BACK PITCH toward the house! There was standing water in the new line -- a total failure.
More problems:
Excavation showed Karls didn't place rock under the pipe causing the soil to settle and the sewer line to fail.
Karls only replaced up to the sidewalk instead of the terrace, making it hard to get the right slope.
Lazy, basic mistakes that even YouTube videos explain how to avoid.
In August 2024, Pertzborn properly replaced the whole exterior line -- with rock bedding and correct slope from the house to the terrace. Finally, no more backups!
Dealing with HomeServe was a nightmare:
Dozens of calls and emails.
They finally reimbursed me for part of the sewer line cost, but not the landscaping damage.
Legal threats were necessary just to even get them to pay what they owed.
Dealing with Karls was worse:
He verbally agreed to reimburse for landscaping that had to be completely redone ($2900)
Then ghosted me completely.
Final advice:
DO NOT hire Chris Ripp / Ripp Sewer & Drain Cleaning -- dishonest assessments, bad recommendations.
DO NOT hire Mick Karls / Karls Plumbing -- unprofessional, poor communication, faulty work.
DO NOT use HomeServe for sewer insurance -- slow approvals, difficult reimbursement.
DO use Pertzborn Plumbing -- great communication, reasonable pricing, quality work.
DO look into adding sewer line insurance through your homeowner's policy instead.
Hope this helps another Madison homeowner avoid the nightmare I went through.
UPDATE: When I told Chris Ripp I was going to post this review and why, he told me it was "extortion" read more
