ComplaintsforMiller Plumbing and Heating LLC

• Initial Complaint

  05/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  transaction dates - Nov 2021 through May 2022 amount - $1292.57 commitment - relocate existing riser, install new riser and pipe dispute - existing riser relocated (this part is ok). New riser and pipe were installed using unapproved materials and rejected for connection by gas company. Plumbers on the peoples list should know the code and check the requirements before quoting the job, not after their work is rejected by the gas company resolution - offer was for me to pay all material, labor, and test fees over again for Miller to install the correct material. I agreed to only materials. tracking - invoice numbers and emails available. I’m installing People’s Gas to my home. A People’s Gas authorized plumber must be used for this. In November of 2021, I contacted Miller Plumbing & Heating to see if they could install my gas line. in December of 2021, I emailed Miller all the documents received from People’s and provided a section of my left-over pipe and a spare fitting to see if he can use this material for the remaining leg or if he hast purchase other material. Job quoted on March 3, 2022, and down payment of $1170 submitted. Miller’s team arrived and performed the service On April 18, 2022. The final invoice of $122.57 was paid shortly after for a job total of $1292.57. People’s gas arrived two days later to make the final connection but instead, they red-tagged the section Miller installed and said the second leg was incorrect material. I called to discuss the situation. Miller then investigated what material is required to do the job. On May 3, 2022, Miller got back to me with the People’s gas specs showing 90 psi tubing was supposed to be used instead of 60 psi tubing. Miller is on the People’s certified plumbers list and should have known what material was required when the job was quoted. He didn’t check specs until after the work was performed. the refund I seek is for labor cost to complete the job, $585. I’ll cover the material cost.

  Business response

  06/10/2022

  Please consider this letter as a response to the complaint, ID #********, that Mr. ******* issued to the BBB.  Mr. ***** ******* did contract Miller Plumbing & Heating (MP&H) about doing gas line work for ****** ******.  He, ***** *******, provided us with a sample of the pipe he had installed and needed MP&H to re-work as it was installed in a wrong location.  Miller Plumbing & Heating gave Mr. ******* an estimated price (PE041822-1) of $2,336.00 to excavate and back-fill so that the existing gas line could be re-located to the proper location and a gas riser with a remote post and related material installed for the meter supply line (approximately 10’).  The final bill upon completion was $1,292.57; a difference of $1,043.43 part of which was due to customer suppling most of the materials.  Mr. ******* paid a deposit of $1,170 on March 7, 2022.  On April 18, 2022, MP&H went to the job site to perform the work requested.  Upon arrival Mr. ******* informed the plumber that he had all of the materials for the job and that he should install them.  The work was done using the materials supplied by Mr. *******.  Mr. ******* instructed the plumber to fill in part of the gas line ditch and asked him to fill in a hole that was in his driveway.  With the exception of a remote post and a minimum of miscellaneous material, the gas line and risers used were not supplied by MP&H.  Mr. ******* was told via phone message by our dispatcher from our office that we would replace the supply side of the gas line to the meter at no labor cost, but no credit could be given for materials as we did not supply them.  He was told that the $100 gas certified test fee would need to be paid again.
  
  Thank you,
  David *. M*****, Owner
  

  
  

  Customer response

  06/10/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  

  Miller Plumbing brought a 60-psi riser and tube, identical to the components that I had left over from installing the leg of the gas line that goes from the meter to my house. 60-psi components are acceptable for this leg. Upon arrival, I gave the plumber my 60-psi riser to re-install on the leg of the gas line that goes from the meter to my house. This was being done to correct the location problem. The technician instead used his own riser. I then told him to take my riser with him, so it would come off the bill.  This part of the install is ok. 

  
  

  The technician then attempted to install the leg of the gas line that goes from the meter to the curb tap. This is the only service that a People’s certified plumber is needed for. Instead of installing a new tube and riser, he installed the old 60-psi riser and tube that he had just removed from the other leg of the gas line. I argued with him, telling him that this material cannot be used because it was a thermo-formed joint, and per phone conversation with Dave M****** their thermo-forming certificate with Peoples is expired so the joint must be made with compression couplings. He said it was ok because he didn’t actually do the thermo-forming. This is where the technician thought I was insisting on using my own materials. I only supplied one riser, which was to be used on the other leg. Miller was supposed to supply (see quote) approved materials for the leg going from the meter to the curb tap. However, had Miller installed the material they brought; it still would have been rejected for use by People’s because he didn’t check the specs to know the job required 90-psi material until after it was installed and Peoples rejected it. 

  
  

  After a few weeks of emails and calls, Miller identified the correct materials and sent a quote to install the leg from the meter to the curb tap with 90-psi material. He also said the lead time for obtaining the correct materials would be six or more weeks. This shows that he didn’t have the correct materials at the time of install, nor did he review the People’s gas requirements before quoting or doing the job. Also know that in December of 2021, I brought him samples of my leftover material to see it if was correct for use on this job and only after his inspection and his assumption that they were acceptable did he quote the job. I am very disappointed because I hired a People’s certified plumber who should have been familiar with People’s requirements. I also asked Dave to come to the jobsite several times after the install so he could understand what happened and see the work that was done, but to date, he has not been onsite since the job was done. 

   

   

  hi *******, 
  
  attached are some emails i had with Miller Plumbing. I have some texts too, but this should describe the situation. Quick summary:
  
  Nov/Dec 2021: discussed via phone, dropped off sample of pipe and coupling to Miller Plumbing
  12-20-2021: sent info from gas company
  Jan/Feb 2022: discussed via phone, Miller said my extra pipe would work for the job
  03-07-2022: received quote
  04-18-2022: work was performed
  04-20-2022: gas company rejected the install, called Miller
  04-26-2022: received invoice (paid in full after revised invoice was sent)
  05-04-2022: Miller looked into People's gas installation specs & located the correct material for the job. A loose estimate was sent in email with inquiry to proceed. I said I could cover materials, but shouldn't have to pay for the labor on the second install since I already paid once. Miller's response was via phone, saying I had to pay for labor in addition to materials. 
  
  thanks,
  ***** 

   

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

  Business response

  07/14/2022

  In my previous response, I had stated why Mr. *******’s request is without any good reason.  I do not feel or see any good reason to think that Miller Plumbing & Heating is at fault.  I would like to resolve this issue; therefore, I am willing to return $100 (the price of the gas test) and $85 (equal to 1 hour of labor) to ****** ******.  Any other materials and/or labor are still going to be in use with the new gas service.  This return of partial payment is in no way an admission of guilt or wrongdoing on Miller Plumbing & Heating’s part but just an effort to settle this.  I feel we have come to an impasse and any future correspondence would need to go through the legal system.
  
  Thank you for your time, Ms. ******.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  David *. M****** Owner

  Customer response

  07/14/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩