We had to replace our hot water heater in short order before a pending home sale. TEC came out and gave us an accurate estimate, and returned a few days later with the new hot water heater. They were professional, communicative, efficient, and responsive. So when we had another small plumbing problem that emerged prior to move out, they came and fixed it the same day. After that great experience, we had TEC come by and assess our new home's hot water heater, which was prehistoric. It was also resting on a rusted base drainage pan. TEC provided an estimate based on the water heater I wanted given the tight space, and the dimensions of a new drainage pan. They had the pan built, removed our old water heater, installed the drainage pan, and then installed the new hot water heater. In the process, they had to build a support platform for the new pan, which they did in an hour or so. Each time when they were confronted with an installation problem, they adjusted and innovated to find a solution. The price came out exactly as they'd quoted despite the extra challenge. I was very impressed. I will use TEC for all of my plumbing needs! read more

This review is for plumbing, I'll update tomorrow after the HVAC people come. I LOVE this company. I had a leaky bathroom for years. I have many other companies come out and kept pointing me in the wrong direction (once it was the tub, then a leaky toilet) and the problem was never resolved. Then I found Thomas E Clark... The technician that came out was fabulous. After about an hour, he couldn't find the problem, but he assured me that he would find it. He had to cut a few holes in my walls, but sure enough, he resolved the issue and it hasn't leaked since! This was about 5 months ago.. read more

Prompt and professional service! When I got home from work on a hot day and discovered the compressor wasn't turning, I knew we were in for a long night. I picked Thomas E Clark from all of the reviews in part because their hours indicated they were still open. While I got the answering machine, they called me back right away. Although they had no openings for the following day, they asked if I would like to leave my name and number in case someone cancelled. Within an hour, they called back to tell me they would be coming to our house and gave us a time range, which they met. The technician identified the issue right away and got it working again fast. They were very professional, reasonably priced, and courteous. read more

I don't understand some of these reviews. Thomas E. Clark came out to my house to service my AC Condensor that had a fan fail. They were on-time, thorough, and the tech they sent, Hector, was very fair, walked me through the process, even let me stay and chat while he worked. He was very tidy with his work, checked and double checked his work, verified everything was working, and I even got a great price! I highly recommend Thomas E Clark for their AC work because of how punctual, professional, and thorough they are. We need more people like them in the DC area. I WILL be using them again in the future. God bless em! read more

I used to prefer hiring solo practitioners for home repair issues. But now I've changed my mind. We moved into an older house a few years ago, and we've had occasion to call Thomas E. Clark three times in the past year or so, initially for an A/C problem and then twice recently for plumbing issues. I called them the first time because we have an unusual A/C system; the plumbing issues were also significant, not simple toilet or faucet repairs. Each time, Clark was able to send a technician quickly, and that technician was fully competent and efficient. They diagnosed and fixed the problems and charged a fair price. What more could you want? I will not hesitate to call Thomas E. Clark again. read more

I called up T-E-C on Friday late afternoon before Memorial day Weekend with a broken A/C unit and a forecast of 90F through the weekend. I had taken apart the evaporator unit on my A/C and all signs pointed to my system being low on refrigerant. I got a call back within about 2 hours and was offered an emergency visit over the weekend --which I should have taken, but thought it wouldn't be too bad-- or a visit on the next Tuesday (the next business day). They dispatched JJ to my house and called me about 30 minutes before he showed up. He quickly confirmed that the unit was low on refrigerant and it took him about 15 minutes to get everything charged and back to normal. There was one small mixup with the dispatcher - I told them that the condenser was on the roof and that access required an 8/10ft ladder. He informed me that it wouldn't be a problem. When JJ showed up he only had a 6ft ladder and a 30 ft ladder. It looked like it was going to require a second visit but JJ made do with the 6ft ladder - and some good climbing skills. From my experience - I'm happy to recommend these guys. read more

This review is about Thomas E. Clark's customer service and professionalism. I cannot speak to their actual labor as I never hired them to do the job. My inquiry started with Debbie who was very unpleasant and responded with annoyance to my questions. Originally she told me that there was a $69 technician trip charge and that they would quote me on arrival for the work that needs to be done. Not wanting to pay $69 to have a technician come out and quote me a fee I cannot afford, I asked for more details into the pricing. Since my request for combustion analysis (to check the CO levels in my home) and a NSI 3000 CO Monitor are pretty concrete requests, I assumed there must be a set rate for these and the variable would only be the recommended work that we would need to fix issues. Debbie put me on hold and came back and grumbled off a price. By chance it came up that we are a condo and not a single family home. She said then the technician trip charge would be $99. Curious why there is a $30 difference between a single family home and a condo, I asked. Debbie provided a non-informative "because our rates change based on they type of residence". At that point I realized that Thomas E. Clark is not a company with which I want to do business. When I am potentially paying hundreds of dollars for a service, I expect to have someone answer my questions without an attitude. read more

I purchased a house and had an issue with my ac leaking water from the vent to the floor. I called Thomas e clark hoping to get some sort of help regarding this issue that I had no clue about. Turns out was a condensation/duct issue. They came out, fixed the issue (temporarily) charged me somewhat of a reasonable price, about $100 and left. A few months later I called again, (with the same issue) and was told that the fan on my outdoor unit needed to be replaced which costed me roughly $200.00. Again a temporary fix. Months later I call them again only to speak to a very rude and disrespectful supervisor named George. George talked over me, raised his voice and sounded as if he could care less that I had spent money on the same issue with no resolution. He sent the same tech out who told me I had two options: get a diagnostic for $139 or get a more thorough diagnostic for $400+. I declined because at this point I'd rather confirm that the issue can be fixed versus continuing to shell out cash. On Monday I called to speak to a manager named Mike about the issues that I had (no resolution, and a very rude George.) Mike told me he would speak to Daniel the tech and George and would get back to me within 2 days. Well that did not happen. Over a span of 2 and half to 3 weeks I called and left messages for Mike with no call back. I finally received a call back from Mike who did not apologize for not calling back. He told me wanted to take time to review the issues with Daniel. When I expressed my concerns he interrupted me and told me "no, that's not what happened. Daniel said..." I am absolutely disappointed in this company because they do not care complete the quality service that they advertise. My issue is still not fixed and I have wasted over $400 on the same issue on 3 separate occasions. Not to mention, when I pay for a service I actually expect to be working with a company that knows what they are doing. If you are looking to get your issues fixed, along with great customer service, this company is NOT the one to go with...keep researching! My response:If documentation by your company had been correct, you would be aware that each of my calls were placed for the same reason. Leaking water! I never called and said that the a/c didn't work because it does, my issue is the water that leaks when the a/c is running! Each time your technician came out he found something different to charge me for. Again, no apology from your company even in your comment below. I urge you to thoroughly read reviews that are being posted before responding. I made it clear in the first line of my post that i just purchased the home, so why would your response be if i had maintained the ac this wouldn't have happened??????? After calling 3 times for the same issue, I would think that a company would be more inclined to find out what the reason is for the leaking water. Disappointed by the review or not, I paid for a service and got no results, no apology, and no resolution as I stated before. read more

Best plumbing experience ever! Gene was awesome and very knowledgeable and quick. I called about a possible leak in our ceiling, and he quickly saw the pinhole leak in our pipe and had it fixed in less than an hour. Price was perfect, I highly recommend asking for Gene. read more

Think of the worst customer service you could possibly ask for and that's what you get at Thomas E Clark. We called on a Sunday night w/ a water heater issue and by Thursday still did not have a straight answer about whether / how / if they could fix or replace the tank. And calls went unanswered. Servicemen were dispatched to our house twice (failing to even introduce themselves to us) and when they gave us a rough quote of the cost it was TWICE as expensive as what we ultimately got from another plumber, who did the job in 4 hours. The failure to fix the problem is troubling, but the abhorrent customer service was really the deal breaker. read more

Buyer beware! Hidden fees! I spoke with a rep and asked them fees for sending out a technician to look at an ac unit. We were quote a $69 price, to be waived if we chose the repairs they offered. Although I repeatedly asked, rep did not quote any more fees. After the technician came out, we were charged a $139 diagnostic fee...and the diagnosis was that the technician doesn't know what's wrong and requests a "new motherboard" for the unit which is less than 6 months old! This is the equivalent of taking your car to a repair shop where the mechanics are confused and being told you need a brand new transmission. read more

I called for a plumber to diagnose some ceiling damage in a closet below a bathroom. The plumber came out and said the damage was old and there was no active leak. One week later, my plasterer arrived and said he could not fix the damage because the area was soaking wet. He said it was likely a wax ring needed in the toilet upstairs and cut an opening in the ceiling for the plumber to view and diagnose. I called to request a plumber and found the receptionist to be a bit short, aggressive, and rude. She did send a plumber out the same day, which I greatly appreciate. The plumber replaced the wax ring and also the toilet flapper. The charge was $400, which I found to be quite high (service fee was waived). I didn't have the luxury of comparison shopping, but have since found other plumbers who would do the same hour's worth of work at half the cost. read more

Called because I had an issue with my AC. Before the person came I was told the charge would be $104 for the technician to come out, look at the unit and present me with an estimate before moving forward with any repairs. That seemed reasonable. A normal person would assume then that I should expect to pay $104 for the visit, plus any repairs, if I elect to do them. The technician (Daniel) ended up handing me a bill for over $200, because it turns out its $104 for the visit and there's another $100 and change for them to actually LOOK at the unit. That was not at all what was discussed or disclosed with the person on the phone (Warren I believe his name was). I know these things are expensive and have no illusions about the fact that it costs money for people to come out, but they clearly (intentionally or not) omitted a very important piece of the cost (after all, under what plausible scenario would a customer want someone come out to a house and NOT look at a unit - that's clearly the minimum amount of work someone has to do - so to quote someone $104 is just dishonest). Daniel didn't disclose that extra $100 until after he'd looked at the unit, claiming the dispatcher should have told me about that fee. I'm happy to give them the benefit of the doubt, but its pretty shady. Daniel, for what its worth, seemed knowledgeable and honest. -- Update: I called and left a voicemail for the firm about my disappointment. Also left a message with the main office. They didn't call back (but they called super quickly when I left a voicemail asking for service... go figure!). Seeking a 2nd opinion, I called another firm to come look today. They reached the same conclusion as Thomas in terms of whats wrong (so thats the good part), although unlike Thomas they had some low-tech suggestions to solve the issue. Unfortunately those didn't work, but I have to give that other firm credit: they attempted the cheap fix first. As a further point of comparison, this other firms cost for visiting was $129, diagnostics included. Thomas Clarke quoted me $2,600 for a 3 ton R-22 Payne air conditioner (which are generally considered among the most economical units you can get). The other firm quoted me $1,950 and offered to take the $129 that I paid today off. My advice: pass. read more

I can't say enough good things about this company. When you call on the phone you get a person! not a machine. They ask you tons of questions-there is a formal process. The hot water at my apt was out. My landlord was out of town so I offered to deal with it. Carlos R. was my plumber. He was set to arrive between 9-12. He called at 8:45 to say he was on his way and arrived about 9:15. He immediately assessed the problem. The water heater was 18 yrs old and needed to be replaced!!! Since I was already charged the $99 service fee for coming out for the water heater I had him look over the toilet, sinks and shower to assess whether they would need any work in the future to save me a future service fee. He was happy to help, listed some items and gave me estimates for costs. Since we had to wait approval and payment from my landlord he had to come back another day. Again I had a service window of 8:30am-12. He called at 8:45 to say he would be there and arrived at 9:30. He was here for 4hours! I dont know much aboutwater heaters but it seemed complicated. The access to the water heater was difficult so he had to remove boards in the closet and replace them later. The hot water was working before he left. The water heater is under warranty for 6 years and the other parts and labor for 2 years. I don't know about other employees, but I can't say enough good things about Carlos. I absolutely hate being a young woman home alone dealing with repairs. I don't know much about plumbing, appliances etc as I've never been a home owner. So I don't know if I'm being ripped off or not. And I'm alwas nervous inviting strangers into my home. You can never be too careful! But Carlos put me instantly at ease. Polite, professional. He called me Maam and patiently answered all my questions so I could relay everything to my landlord later. I really had confidence he knew what he was talking about and was a real proficient at his trade. My landlord paid, not me, but the price seemed reasonable. I saw some other reviews for other companies charging over $3000! My cost was $1574 and that included the new water heater and labor. Part of that involved an access fee for the time it took to take apart the boarding surrounding the heater to get the old one out and new one in and then put it back together. All in all, as far as repairs go, this was as smooth and pleasant as such a situation could be. My only complant would be that they couldn't come same day I called or the next day. They came two days later. But 1) my situation wasnt an emergency like a leak or flood so maybe they come quicker then Id hope and 2) I think they just do good work and are always busy. Def give them a call! I would use them again. read more

Took the day off work to get an estimate for a big job. Not only did they not show up for the original scheduled appointment, but they didn't show up when they rescheduled for later the same day. It's not a major weather event, they have no excuse for this sort of rude behavior. Will never use them again. read more

James was my technician. Overall, I had a good experience. My A/C wasn't working. I called first thing in the morning and they came out within a couple of hours. James was professional and very nice. He was able to resolve the problem quickly. I live in a condo building and the issue was the breaker on the unit on the roof had tripped. He only had to flip a switch to get it working again. However, the flip of that switch was pretty expensive. They charge $99 just to come out. That's fine with me. But $55 to turn a switch?!! That's ridiculous. So beware. Good service but expensive. read more

Within 24 hours I had a bathtub faucet break AND my boiler died. I called Thos E Clark because I'd had a representative out a few weeks earlier to talk through potential bathroom remodels (George) and thought the service was good without being overly pushy. I thought Thos E Clark really delivered good service. First, they split the service charge ($69) between the plumber and the boiler guys, which was appreciated. Second, the President himself (Mike Hartman) got involved when the cause of the boiler breakdown was elusive. He knew I was frustrated that we didn't exactly figure out what was going on (we think the pipes froze because I'd had the temp down when I was out of town, but we don't know if that was the cause or the result of the failure) and he really did his best to take on the matter personally. He also offered a discount on some follow up maintenance recommended by the technician AND he called a week later to check in and make sure everything was okay. While we didn't 100% figure out the problem (apparently boilers are an art not a science), I think Thos E Clark did everything that they could and delivered caring customer service. I have two bathrooms to remodel in the near future and will definitely give them a call for a bid. read more

I called Thomas E. Clark to take a look at my furnace which had stopped pumping warm air into the system. The furnace was working but not sending warm air throughout the system. The tech took a look and the wand used by the furnace to know when to turn on needed to be replaced. Tech told me it would be $199.00 for the service plus $70.00 for the service call. Total $268.00. I researched the part online and it can be purchased for $12.00 to $20.00. Total time the tech was in my home, 45 minutes. The part took roughly 15 minutes to replace. The tech also quoted me another service at $199.00 as well. I guess all services start at $199.00 and go up from there. I understand the need to charge a service call fee in case nothing is wrong or they cannot fix the problem but to tack on the charge in addition to the service is just unreasonable. I will not be using them again for any services in the future. read more

Called for routine maintenance on two AC units. No quote on the phone, other than the $69 service call. Both units less than 5 years old, so nothing broken. Quote at the house- $369, plus the service fee. $400+ for this work is outrageous. I should have sent him away, but I already took time off work to meet him. Will use All-Pro Services or Polar Bear AC next time. They've charged about $90 per unit in the past. read more

We have had a very bad experience with Thomas E. Clark. We had used them a year ago to solve a plumbing problem and called them back . They came back twice, never fixed the problem, complained about the work that had been done the year before without realizing they had done it, never tried to find the cause of our problem and even replaced our toilet in such a way that it leaked and we needed to call another plumber to come back to fix that leak. What is the worst part of this tale is that we wrote them a 3 page letter, sent them a message on the contact the owners on the website and also talked with the Live Associate Chat on line through the website. They have never contacted us back about our concerns. read more

Had to get the kitchen sink pipe snaked. They told me all my options and how much each would cost. I'll be honest I didn't know much about what was going, but the staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. The plumber who came out explained everything he did to alleviate the problem. Loved the service and will definitely continue to use them for my plumbing need. Highly recommend. read more

This company did wonderful work for us with plumbing repairs and the installation of a new wall mounted combi-boiler. Finally happened across TEC after trying a few other plumbing companies that could not solve our problems. By far the most professional administrative and plumbing staff that I have found. Couldn't recommend their plumbing division more highly! read more

Matt, one of Thomas E. Clark's employees, is great! He has been to our house on two separate service calls and has been beyond professional each time. He is knowledgeable and is willing to explain what he's doing and why. Overall, our experience with Thomas E. Clark has been very good and we will definitely use them again in the future, but I wanted to especially give kudos to Matt! read more

Wonderful experience. Found out I had a service line gas leak in my kitchen mid-morning Friday. Washington Gas came out by late morning and turned off gas to the whole house and said I'd need to find my own repairman to fix the leak then they could turn the gas back on. I saw my whole day being taken up by this emergency. Called a number of other companies who said they couldn't come until after 4 or until Sat and that I'd be charged overtime rates. Called Thomas E Clark and they said they would get someone over within 4 hours. Sure enough, the guy showed up an hour after I called, fixed the problem within 30 mins, turned my gas back on, checked all the pilots on the other appliances in my house and I was good to go. The whole thing cost less than $150, they guaranteed the fix for a year and now I have my afternoon back again. (Rafal, the plumber, also gave me some other maintenance tips while he was here which I really appreciated) read more

Scheduled them to come do an assessment of two thru-wall air conditioning units that I told them needed replaced. I stressed that I wanted an estimate done to replace the units, as one was broken completely and the other needed several repairs. A technician came, told me I had two bad units, and needed to replace them (thanks so much), then provided me with a bill for $100 and said they'd contact me with an estimate and to schedule the replacement. Never heard from them again...enjoy your $100. read more

On time. Prepared. Knowledgeable. Not the cheapest but totally reasonable. I'll use them again for sure.

I recently called Thomas E Clark due to a sewage issue at my house. I couldn't have been happier with the service. Though I know less than nothing about plumbing the plumber from Thomas Clark was very fair and honest with me. I felt like he fixed my issue without overcharging me. Less than a month later I had an issue with my hot water heater. I again used Thomas E Clark and again was very satisfied. They fixed the issue, did not try to up sell me and charged me a more than fair price. I highly recommend Thomas E Clark and will be using them for any future plumbing issues. read more

Showed up quickly on a Sunday afternoon to handle an HVAC issue. The technician took the time to explain the issue to us and make sure we knew what to do in the future. We'll use them anytime we have an HVAC issue. read more

I decided to get a contract with this company to maintain my HVAC system. Carlos is extremely professional and takes time to explain to you everything. I will use them again and again. I saw some negative reviews here but even with booking an appointment is very professional and smooth. read more

I am having the worst possible customer service experience with this company. Called Sunday evening with broken water heater; as of Thursday night I had neither a fixed water heater nor any information about when they might return. They do not return phone calls after 4:30 p.m., plumbers who have arrived at our house have been unfriendly and apparently unable to diagnose or repair the water heater. I spoke with an owner of the company and still got lousy results. Pretty sure if I had begun somewhere else four days ago there would be hot water here now. read more

We have used Thomas Clark since we bought our house 15 years ago, but no more. They came in March of '10 and charged us over $600 to ream out the drain out of our house. In August of '10 the same problem recurred. My husband called a different plumber, who came and did the same thing, for another $600. But they ALSO put a camera down the drain to find the real source of the problem, which is tree roots on our neighbors' property. Very disappointed in the non-response I got from Thomas Clark when I asked them why THEY didn't put a camera down the drain and find the real problem -- which was to offer a free estimate to replace our whole sewer. No thanks! read more

requested an estimate for leaking pipe gave a 2500.00 quote had job done for 1100.00 had less expensive quote but went with the 1100.00 company because they were ready to do repair that day clark is very expensive get another estimate before going with this company read more

Technician came out on Saturday $104 "trip charge". Problem was bad thermocouple on boiler ($15 part). They wanted $275 to replace. It took about 5 mins. When I questioned they agreed to charge "only" $200 + $104 trip charge. Owner said this was due to the expertise and the skill to diagnose the problem. By my calculation this technician's company made about $3190/hour on this job. Not too shabby, but I'd go to jail if I tried to charge that much. Maybe Thomas E Clark should be jailed too?! read more

The customer service was impeccable. Everyone was friendly and professional. They were extremely responsive and were able to show up within 24 hours of my initial call. They even showed up on time a few days after a snow storm when the roads were difficult to navigate. Their work was excellent. The experience would have been perfect, but the price was outrageous. They ended up charging $320 per hour for repairs that were more or less routine. (Their mantra is we charge by the job not by the hour, which means they completely overcharge) A+ on quality and service. Complete fail on price. read more

Had a good experience with this company. Technicians arrived on time, diagnosed issues quickly, had the parts required on the truck and set to work making repairs. Things were a bit hectic for me when they finished and I signed the invoice and proffered my credit card. It wasn't until I had a chance to review it later that it occurred to me that it was a bit pricey to charge the same parts & labor fee for each of three valves that were installed at the same time. Included with the invoice was a feedback card with an attached lengthy explanation of why charges might seem high - no doubt an attempt to counter the knock on this outfit in reviews for its seemingly high prices. I duly filled it out and included my comments regarding the pricing I had an issue with in my case. A couple of days later I got a call from the owner, Michael Hartman, saying that I was correct and that there should have been a discount on 2 of the 3 valves, for which he would send me a refund check. Said check arrived a couple of days later. read more

Very disappointing. Called this company because a neighbor recommended them. They came for initial visit, and then planned to have 2 new toilets installed. Trying to get information about a different toilet all week. Phone calls, emails, and this is what I know - regular height toilet $500, comfort height $700 by email. Emailed back with a question about why so much more because I looked up the brand of toilets online, no apparent reason for a $200 difference. Called again this morning, all I got was the same numbers reiterated. Asked to speak to supervisor, he's on vacation. Was told to wait for the plumber who has more information. Plumber arrived, what info did he have? Regular height toilet $500, comfort height $700. Couldn't tell me model numbers or any specifics, just that it costs them more for taller toilets. Told me to call the office, the same office that told me to talk to the plumber. May try one more round, but why is it so hard to get information? read more

Called Clark Plumbing on Monday morning and arranged service call for Tues afternoon between noon and four. Explained urgent circumstances of 94 yr old man living alone with clogged pipe plumbing issue. He is attended from noon to four by an in home health nurse Was told there was a $69 charge for plumber. Fine, expected that. Was called Tuesday afternoon at four advising it'd be five for the plumber to arrive...they were running behind. Explained I cannot keep the health nurse after her scheduled four o'clock departure, so had to re-schedule for following day again between noon and four. STRIKE ONE. Plumber arrived as planned shortly after one on Wednesday. Housekeeper called (I could not be there) and informed me the charge was to be $292.00. I recoiled at that having a fair knowledge of what was needed to correct the clogged pipe issue, but begrudgingly agreed as George (the 94 yr old owner had been without water for 3 or 4 days). I could have denied the cost, had the Clark plumber go away after having paid the $69 service fee and tried to re-schedule another firm know it's likely be two or three more days before the new plumber could come out to fix the problem. Clark had me over a barrel. So I spent $292 for a snake job to clear the clog, the work took less than an hour total and included no new parts. An hour's work for $292. Outrageous! STRIKE TWO. Called and talked to plumbing supervisor about charge and was informed that Clark does not charge by the hour but rather by a list of services. Work done included removal of trap and snaking main drain. I had removed the trap myself so the work was started before he began his effort. Was told the normal cost of the service provided was actually $ 50 or so more than I was charged. Bottom line, little satisfaction with talking to the supervisor. STRIKE THREE. I believe the charges were excessively high because the plumber was dealing with a vulnerable pair of customers (a health nurse with limited English capability and an infirmed 94 yrs old man). I will not use Clark again and recommend any future customer to be aware and cautious in contracting them. read more