What should have been a simple gas line installation turned into a months-long dispute involving a…read moredisconnected asbestos-wrapped HVAC duct, unauthorized access through my garage, gas being restored without notifying anyone in the house while pilot lights remained out, lien threats, and ultimately me having to hire another contractor to finish the project, costing us extra thousands of dollars.
I hired Soo Hipp Plumbing to install a gas line in our backyard. Eddie was friendly and knowledgeable, but my experience changed once the work began. During the project, a section of HVAC ductwork in our crawlspace became disconnected. We were not informed of the damage when the technicians requested payment and left the property. Luckily, I refused to pay until I inspected the work, which is when I discovered the damage.
Because the duct insulation tested positive for asbestos, what should have been a simple repair became a much larger issue involving environmental testing, a Procedure 5 cleanup plan, and thousands of dollars in unexpected remediation costs. While the company initially acknowledged the disconnected duct and indicated it would be addressed, they later denied responsibility and claimed the condition was entirely pre-existing.
I was also extremely concerned by the way the work was performed. The gas service was turned back on without notifying anyone in the house that the appliance pilot lights needed to be relit. When I returned home from work, there was a strong smell of gas throughout the house. Thankfully, my family is fine, but in my opinion, they demonstrated a surprising disregard for the safety of their customers.
I was equally troubled to learn that the technicians accessed my garage through unauthorized means and climbed over our personal property to manually open the garage door despite being told that I was available to open it remotely if it was needed.
The handling of the dispute was even more frustrating. The company initially indicated that the disconnected duct would be addressed, but later denied responsibility. They then threatened a mechanic's lien and repeatedly demanded full payment for a project that was clearly not complete. At one point, they demanded the full contract amount in order to coordinate an inspection, despite previously requesting only an 80% progress payment for the rough piping phase.
Ultimately, I coordinated the city inspection myself. The rough piping work thankfully passed inspection, and after months of back-and-forth the company accepted the original 80% progress payment they had previously requested, marked the invoice paid in full, and waived the remaining balance.
I was still left paying for the asbestos testing, environmental consulting, cleanup planning, and repair of the damaged ductwork, and I had to hire another contractor to complete the project.
My opinion is that a contractor's character is revealed when something goes wrong. Based on my experience, Soo Hipp Plumbing did not stand behind the consequences of problems that arose during the project, did not address my safety concerns appropriately, and chose to respond to a legitimate dispute with lien threats and demands for payment beyond the stage of work that had actually been completed.
I would never hire this company again, and I would strongly encourage anyone to think twice before signing a contract with them.
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