good job came on time and worked efficiently. Thoughtful chatty and yet professional

I am very pleased with the service I got from Kevin today. He showed up when promised, took the lowest-cost approach to fix a problem, and then stayed on to take care of a last-minute add-on faucet renew. Looking at the previous reviews I am somewhat perplexed by the complaint about the front office. I have been a Malcolm customer for several years and have never experienced this. read more

One of the best things about Cambridge and its people is that we will always love and appreciate good old local businesses. Malcolm and sons is an over a hundred year old business that had worked with generation after generation of their customers. They are trustworthy, professional, and do their best. They are there for you when no one else can or wants to take the job. If you have taste and appreciation for neighborhood businesses, you I'll be very happy with them! Thank you WJ Malcolm and sons! read more

If you're hoping for a friendly, kind conversation with your neighborhood plumbers, don't call these folks. The woman running the front office is rude and doesn't seem to use common courtesy. I understand they're busy. But the attitude is off-putting. read more

Very responsive, professional, knows his stuff - old school, non-salesy type. Has office assistant - so you can get someone on the phone (many tradespeople don't.) Fixed a leaking toilet that another well known local plumber charged me $210 (the minimum hourly) to say he couldn't recreate the leak, so didn't do anything. Replace the freaking wax ring!! (I only figured that out months later, after way more damage to the hardwood floor.) Anyway, he jumped right in, fixed it with no issue, done. Nice guy too. read more

I've always had amazing experiences with WJ Malcolm. The woman who answers the phone and schedules appointments will always, always, always make sure you get seen that day- even if they are absolutely booked up. She will also always give you a two hour window (i.e. 2-4pm) instead of the class 9-2 that other plumbers give you. And the Malcolm folks always do a good job- we have had all kinds of work done by them- new hot water heater, broken shut off for our washer fixed, perennially broken toilet, shower heads, leaking radiators. You name it, they've fixed it for us, and they've always done a good job. They are certainly a bit pricey (perhaps pricier than other Cambridge plumbers) but I've found their work to be good, and I've found the plumbers to be responsible and trustworthy. read more

Doesn't want to do the work! We're having some big plumbing issues in my very old home in Cambridge. The water board actually referred us to these guys, and we had them out to our home. They were really nice and helped us to identify the fact that the city needed to do a test. Now, the city has fixed our meter (what needed to be done) and we called these guys to come finish the job. They told us that the job was too large and they didn't want to touch it! So, if you have a big problem to solve, do yourself a favor and don't call these guys. read more

I've seen these dangerous drivers in the neighborhood for some time. Today a Malcolm van almost rear ended me, then went around me to run a red left turn signal while a pedestrian was in the crosswalk. Out of control. Several neighbors and friends will not hire them because of incidents like these and I recommend my clients find other plumbers. read more

We just used this company for the first time and we're very satisfied. They came and fixed a lot of different things for us that have been nagging worries. The plumber's name was Rudy and he was very patient and competent. read more

We called them for a pretty simple fix. They originally stopped by on a Friday and said they should be back Monday with the part to fix it. It took until Friday of that week (4 days later) for them to get the part and come back. They never called me to give me an update, I had to call them each day to ask if they had the part and could fix the problem and each time they said it would probably be the next day. They also charged way more than they ever said they would. They said the job would be 1-2 hours. It was "completed" in one hour, but they forgot a part of it. So they took another half hour to fix the mistake they made. 1.5 hours total in my house. When the bill came, they charged for almost 3 hours of labor. When I called they said the time included what it took to call and get the part and go pick it up. I've never heard of a company charge for that time and this wasn't mentioned to us until we received the bill. read more

Called last night because my furnace stopped working. The receptionist put out a page. This morning I removed the part (a powerpile) that was not working, bought a replacement at a plumbing supply store, and installed it. Now my furnace is working, but I still haven't gotten a call back. read more

I disagree with the previous post. This is their 2nd visit to our place in 2 days, because Dennis didn't finish the job properly the first time. Dennis left a DISASTER in our kitchen, leaving us to clean up everything. I realize it was an "emergency" call, but we expect more. Including someone who is possibly nice to the customers. Today two of them are back and the 2nd one didn't even bother to greet my husband. Yeah, nice to meet you too. My landlord swears by them... but maybe she's never had to deal with Dennis. Either way, we are having a talk with our landlord about NOT hiring them again because the plumbers on-site just simply don't have to be that rude or leave that much of a mess. read more

We called them for a long-term leak under our sink and they came the same day. Fixed it completely and price was very reasonable. They will be our go-to plumbers for sure. read more

We used Malcolm two years ago when our basement flooded from 3 days of CONSTANT rain -- Kenny (I think that was his name) spent 3 hours in cold water changing out our sump pump. He left to take care of another emergency, then came back to finish it up. He essentially rebuilt our sump pump while standing in several inches of freezing water, and he did a great job! Because of all the bad reviews I didn't call them again until a few weeks ago, when our upstairs neighbor discovered there was a gas leak in our basement, and nStar turned off the power to our unit (on the coldest day of the year!) They came out immediately -- having gotten the call at 4:00 pm on a Thursday -- and were back at 8:00 am Friday morning. They spent 5 hours, found 7 leaks, and fixed 'em all. They dealt with the Cambridge inspector and nStar, and by 6:00 pm we were leak-free and had the power turned on. We had called other plumbers in the previous year because we thought we smelled gas, and everyone swore to us there wasn't a problem. Malcolm & Son were the only plumbers who seemed willing to tackle it. I think these guys are terrific, and if they're not always the friendliest and most polite people, who cares? They do messy, difficult jobs and they do 'em great. I really recommend them. They're the only plumbers I've ever used in Cambridge who always show up when they say they will. read more

I have used them at my house and my business as my plumber since 2009. They are professional, friendly, fast and reliable. Last time I used them was when my hot water heater at my home pooped the bed at 2 PM on a Wednesday, and I was expecting to get a new hot water heater hopefully by Friday. They were in by basement 10 minutes after I called had a new one in by 5 PM Wednesday. I don't think any other plumbing company would have gotten the job done that quickly. If you need the job done right and fast, use these guys. read more

We've been happy with Malcom Plumbing. They know a lot about Cambridge building and deal well with old plumbing.

We had a kitchen sink stoppage which we needed to fix as soon as possible. We first called one of the big plumbing companies that advertise everywhere. The plumber was very expensive, seemed more concerned about the money than our problem, and in the end told us to get someone else because this was beyond his abilities (not his exact words, of course). In the end we had Malcom come, their man was very professional and did everything he could to open the pipe, but ultimately he had to replace a section of pipe in the basement which he did in excellent fashion. Price was not cheap, but the billing was explained beforehand (per hour) and the rate was what other firms charge. Very satisfied. read more

I am sad to say I have to update this. The guy we always use is gone. They sent another guy who was surly at and left a bit of a mess. We asked for a quote for another project. The guy said "expensive" and never sent a quote... read more

Don't waste your time with these guys. I called to get an estimate on installing a gas stove. I was told one of the guys would get back to me. A few days later and no call. I called back & was told the same thing. Again, no call. I wound up using Absolute Home Comfort. I highly recommend Absolute. Quick response, eager to work, great attitude, great work & great prices. read more

I can't say how happy we have been with Malcolm and son. We had a major issue with the old plumbing of our building that so many other companies did not want to deal with. Malscolm and son came immediately. They are extremely well equipped and took care of the problem as soon as possible. They are professional, responsible and reliable. I recommand them to anyone looking for excellent service. read more