Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing — Local services in Sparks

The high reviews on this plumbing business gave me a lot of hope for my leaking toilet but my interactions with their plumber, Ryan, is one of the worst contractor experiences I've ever experienced. I'll list it out plain and simple below.

Ryan inspected the toilet leak and said he would need to remove the toilet to see the amount of damage. Without asking us, he placed the whole toilet inside our tub, scratching and scraping our newly refinished tub (it had just been done 2 weeks earlier).

He said our wax seal would need to be replaced and quoted us about 400 dollars for the full process. He also tried to sell us a new toilet that he had in the back of his truck for 600 dollars. The average toilet at Home Depot is around 250... We agreed to the wax seal.

He left the sewage pipe open and uncovered which a quick Google search showed me is very dangerous to have the sewage gasses entering your home.

He returned the next day with a flange. I highly doubt it was new since it was already covered in wax and debris. We reminded him that the toilet had been leaking for days and were concerned about the moisture still so he then began to literally hammer and chip at the wood underlayment to check how water logged it was, telling us he would need to remove more of the tile to check how far the leak had gone. He removed probably about 1 square foot of vinyl and then quoted us around 1600 dollars to remove an estimated 3x3 section of the underlayment and subflooring (though we had no way to tell if it had soaked through to the subfloor) and replace it. We were pretty shocked by the price change.

We okayed the job and he said he'd have to run back to the home supply store. He was gone for over an hour and a half and when he returned he had a dog with him which he let loose in our front yard (we have our own dog and he did not consult us at all). I'm still not sure what was even purchased at the store.

He removed the full 3x3 section of vinyl (literally by ripping it up) and said he would need to leave it a few days to let the wood dry but also suggested we call a waste treatment company to check for mold first.

We did call the waste treatment company, luckily the subfloor was not affected but the underlayment would need to be fully removed. By this time though we were over our interactions with Ryan and wanted to contact the company directly to discuss the pricing. We did not call Ryan to return but he began SHOWING UP AT OUR HOUSE UNANNOUNCED, where he left notes. The third time, I confronted him, telling him I did not feel safe having him appearing at our home and that I would be calling his supervisor immediately because of the harassment.

I called the company's direct line and they got a supervisor to our house the next day. They agreed that the quote was too high, agreed that the refinished tub had been damaged, agreed that the flange was not new and would not charge for any of the work done by Ryan.

So in the end, I had my floor ripped up, sewer gasses leaked into my home, my lawn peed on by a strange dog, a used flange and my $500 refinished tub damaged beyond use. I literally lost money due to working with Ira...

I just met with Chad to diagnose my plumbing problem. He recommended replacing a section of the drain pipe under my house.

He was very friendly, knowledgeable, and professional.

I'm looking forward to working with Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing to resolve my issue.

Update:

On 8/20/24, I had Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing replace a section of sewer pipe under my house.

I also had a second company come out to diagnose my problem. They recommended changing out my toilets since they were about 25 years old.

Robyn with Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing has literally spent over an hour speaking with me on the phone assisting me in how best to fix my issue of the toilets not wanting to flush solids, since I received two vastly different diagnoses. She was patient, friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. I received excellent customer service.

While speaking with Robyn, she said it was possible to run a camera so we could actually SEE what was going on. The camera showed some water in my drainage pipe under my house.

Ivan ran the camera and took pictures which were emailed to me.

Chad removed and replaced pipe that had been installed with both toilets sharing the same drainage line. He also made sure the drainage pipe had sufficient slope to completely drain. He was efficient, professional, and left the work area and my home neat and tidy.

While speaking with Chad, I learned all of the technicians, plumbers, etc. employed at Ira Hansen and Sons Plumbing are certified. Absolutely another reason to choose this particular company for your service needs. I highly recommend them.

Unfortunately, having the drain line replaced did not resolve my problem. I did also have to...

They need to be upfront about their flat rate pricing. While they try to spin it as some sort of benefit to customers it is just a complete ripoff for anyone that knows what services should cost. Had a kitchen sink line that was clogged and needed to be snaked. Was informed when the tech arrived that flat rate for this service was going to be $450, as it was 3:30 on a Friday was left with pretty much zero options. Pay the absurd flat rate or be stuck without a kitchen sink for the weekend. 20 mins later the tech was done and on their way, which equates to about $1350 an hr for a plumber. Will not be calling them back and will not be recommending.

Update: The company was in contact after the review and stated there was a billing issue, that the price was only $300 and sent me a partial refund. However, we continued to have an issue with drainage and they sent a new tech out to resolve. Aaron was fantastic to deal with, the clog had not been fully resolved the first time but Aaron took the time and effort to get everything back flowing. I very much appreciate that the company took the feedback and tried to resolve the issue. I also cannot recommend Aaron enough, ask for him by name if...