Folkes Home Services — Local services in Town of Fishkill

Avoid Folkes Home Services at all costs. My experience with this company was not only dishonest but dangerously negligent.

It’s worth noting that Folkes Home Services was recently purchased by new ownership, and based on my experience, the professionalism and quality of service appear to have declined significantly since that change.

I scheduled a boiler cleaning and tune-up for October 7, 2025, after the system had run flawlessly for 18 months since the previous service. Over the phone, I was quoted $125, but when the technician arrived, the price suddenly jumped to $375 — triple the amount quoted.

During the visit, the technicians did not properly clean or service the boiler. They never opened the breach, brushed the heat exchanger, or vacuumed any soot. Instead, they claimed several components “needed replacement,” quoting $550 for an ignition transformer and $350 for spark prongs, among other inflated items.

That same night, the boiler stopped working completely. Folkes returned on October 9, said the ignition transformer was “bad,” and insisted it was a total coincidence that it failed the same day they serviced it. They “tweaked” it to get the system running again, and it seemed fine for about ten days.

Over that time, my wife and I noticed a faint but persistent oil smell in the house. When I checked the boiler, it had stopped working again.

Folkes sent a different crew, who again blamed the transformer (which I later found out was fine) and claimed the unit would “ignite but not stay lit.” They then tried to sell me an entirely new boiler. I declined and called a trusted family friend who is an experienced boiler technician.

He immediately found that:

• The ignition transformer was perfectly functional.

• The system had barely been cleaned.

• The fuel pump gasket had been improperly cleaned or seated, causing a small but persistent oil drip (remember that smell?).

• The burner and oil settings had been randomized, causing the unit to rattle and spew smoke dangerously on startup.

Left in that condition, if the boiler had called for heat overnight, it could have filled the house with smoke and carbon monoxide, endangering my family’s lives.

After he properly cleaned, adjusted, and tested the system, it has run flawlessly since; no smoke and, most importantly, no safety concerns.

In summary: Folkes misquoted pricing, failed to perform basic service, attempted to upsell unnecessary parts, left an oil leak, and returned the system to service in an unsafe condition. Their work created both a fire and carbon monoxide hazard in my home.

I have reported this incident to the Better Business Bureau and am considering additional action. If you value honesty, safety, and competence, do not use Folkes Home Services for...

We reached out to Folkes on Monday to get an estimate to replace our boiler. It is old and we are looking to be proactive and replace before winter. They sent someone the very next day, which was convenient, and were even able to tailor the 4 hour window to better fit a time when both me and my husband could be home (I thought this was kind of them, hence the 2 stars instead of 1). The gentleman came out, examined our unit, and measured all the baseboard units in linear feet. We sat down to discuss pricing and he ran through his presentation about licensing and their high training standards. When it came time to provide an estimate, he said he had to check boiler prices but it would run us between 25k and 40k. We explained we were looking to do the work sometime in the next 3 months. He said quotes are only good for 30 days. We understood but maintained we were still looking at a three month timeline and were trying to budget appropriately in preparation, hence looking for a more targeted price than a 25k to 40k range. He began to check prices on his phone but then said they weren't showing up in his catalog. He said he'd have to call someone to get the specific price and he "didn't want to bother someone by calling and asking for prices if we weren't going to be doing the work for 3 months." Because of this, he stated he would be unable to provide us with any kind of an estimate. He then wanted to review guarantees, but my husband and I explained there wasn't a need since he couldn't provide us with a price. He then said he never prices boilers in the summer since "it's 100 degrees out" and "boilers don't break in summer" so it is "impossible to give a price." I explained if my boiler broke tomorrow it would have to be replaced because it heats my water. He said "yes, then I'd give you a price because we book for the next available install date which is tomorrow." I said, but you cannot give me one now? He said no. My husband and I politely ended the conversation and thanked him for his time. The gentleman became a bit flustered at this point and claimed he did give us a price. I said a large range of 25 to 40k is hardly a targeted estimate, to which he replied "but then I said 25." He did not and it didn't sit well with me that he was unable to give me a number before but was suddenly able to state it would be 25 when it was apparent we were no longer interested in utilizing services. We continued with our decision to end the meeting and will be seeking another company to complete the work. It's a shame because I have heard good things about this company, but it unfortunately didn't work out...

Really excellent work from Ardi, Chris and Jarrett. They were all so friendly, polite and hardworking. This was not an easy job and they did the work thoughtfully, contentedly and with good humor. Their communication was smooth, and the explanations of equipment clear. They asked my thoughts on placement of equipment and aesthetic decisions and helped me think through aesthetics while keeping in mind the necessary logistical and technical elements. Also, I have never, ever had anyone clean up after a job of this type so well. My stairwell was cleaner than it was before they arrived! This was truly appreciated, and such a kind gesture, especially after a long, tough, cold day of difficult work. Really great group. Highly, highly recommend these three!

I should also add that this issue I mentioned above that the Folkes guys recently fixed was something I'd been dealing with for a couple years. I had a good number of other companies come and give me varying opinions, estimates and levels of attitude/ politeness.

Noah from Folkes Sales, first came to look at the issue at that time (a couple years ago) and was very easygoing, polite. He explained thoroughly and suggested a solution I thought would be the best for me on multiple levels. Out of the four or five other companies, Folkes was the only company that could install that type of system I thought would be best. The estimates from the other companies were all a bit higher, even though they could not do the work I thought best. But at that time, a couple years ago, unfortunately, it was unfeasible for me to actually have the work done.

So fast forward a couple years later when I knew I just had to get it done, Noah from Folkes came to look again with Jason, another very nice Folkes Sales rep. The two of them explained a very similar solution as Noah had a couple years ago and took their time. Jason tried to explain some even more technical elements which was appreciated though, I'm not sure quite landed in my brain. I got the gist. At any rate, they were both great. Jason was very amenable and was always available by text or phone and was super prompt to respond to any questions I had etc.

And finally, the following day after installation two electricians came to finish one last thing (Kenny was the electrician named in the text they sent me) but there was another guy with him and I was rushing to get out the door so didn't catch his name. Even just meeting the two of them quickly was long enough to get an impression of true professionalism and warmth. Thanks...