A homeowner gets a $3,000 bill for plumbing work he didn't order!

When you hire a contractor, you agree to pay for the services they do on your property. But what happens when a neighbor hires a contractor, and the company starts to work on YOUR property without your permission? That’s what local homeowner Casey Boyce encountered. 

A Sinkhole or A Money Pit?

“Well, we’ve got a situation.” That’s what the neighbor’s plumber told Casey. When a sinkhole opened up in his neighbor’s yard, her plumber completed work on an adjoining sewer line between the two homes. And then hit Casey with a $3000 bill to reconnect his sewage line. 

When Casey pushed back on the bill, the plumber threatened to block off the consumer’s sewage line and fill in the pit, leaving him with a much larger problem on his hands. Luckily, Casey reached out to TrustDALE. 

Getting to the Bottom of Things

Our team brought in an expert plumber to evaluate the situation. Our plumber explained that materials represent a very small amount of the expense, and the greater cost is for the labor-intensive excavation process. Turns out the offending plumber was essentially double-dipping by trying to charge both his client and Casey for the excavation work, instead of just charging our consumer a reduced amount for the materials impacting his sewage line. 

Once our team stepped in and contacted the plumber’s corporate office, all charges were waived for our consumer. Lesson learned? Don’t make a repair decision without all the information! Instead, have a contractor you trust evaluate the situation.