Biard & Crockett Plumbing Service

I had an unused under-​the-​sink shutoff valve go bad and it began to slowly leak, so we had a plumber come out to replace the valve. This is something I would normally tackle on my own, however, our domestic water connection supplies two attached units/​neighbors and I did not want to have them go without water for an extended period of time in case I needed to make an extra trip to the parts store during the replacement.
I was out of town during the time of the install and my wife was home during the service. She watched the clock and noted that the job took about 15 minutes start to finish — let’s call it 20 minutes max to be generous/​safe. When I came home, the valve was replaced with a new one and everything appeared to be dry.
Here’s where the issues begin for me. I reviewed the invoice to find that the fee is $ 152.66 for this repair. Wow, that’s awfully steep for a 20minute (max) job. I decide to give the plumber the benefit of the doubt and review the invoice to see where this fee came from — how much time did he say he spent, how much was the part, etc.
While the paper invoice has a dedicated section to «Time Detail», there is no information filled into the boxes about start time, stop time, or time spent. There is no information about the cost of the replacement part. So I called their contact number after hours and left a message requesting a call back.
Cut to the follow-​up. I receive a call back from «Herb» himself. He let’s me know that the new shut-​off valve was about $ 15 plus tax and his labor cost was $ 132. I inquire if they bill by the hour or by the job, to which he responded they do not bill hourly. I let him know that we kept track of his time and that it took about 15 minutes from start to finish, 20 minutes tops. If I extrapolate 20 minutes @ $ 132 (which excludes cost of the part) to an hourly rate, that works out to $ 396/​hr. I plainly told him that 400/​hr is not a reasonable hourly rate and 150 dollar fee for this job was exorbitant. Herb said that I would have been welcome to do the job myself. When I asked if $ 400/​hr is a typical plumber’s billing rate, he said it depends on one’s perspective. He also said that it costs money to drive trucks around. He would not adjust the price in any manner.
Did the job get finished? Yes. Am I aware that companies need to make money and probably have minimum callout fees? Absolutely. Did the paperwork/​documentation of the repair stink? Yes. Was the pricing exorbitant? Herb says no and I say yes. You can decide for yourself.

Just walked out after a rude experience with bob. He couldn’t even take his elbows off the counter and sit up to talk to me. Not good for customer service. Won’t go back.

Ive been using this great company for over 10 years, with no problems. They commit to a time, show up and always do the work in a very professional and timely manner. The prices can’t be beat. I used a second rate outfit once and never again. Biard and Crocket are my plumbers for life.

I used these guys about 10 years ago for my home in Yorba Linda. I remember they came out when my wife was there (and I was not). They ended up tightening a screw (or something) under the sink — which took the guy about 5 minutes. He came and was gone in 15 minutes. If memory serves me, the bill was something like $ 325. I remember this because the next day I drove down to their office and basically threw the bill on the reception desk saying things like, «WTF??? Fifteen minutes of work for $ 325!!!» The female receptionist (who seemed nice) was a little scared, I guess… although in hindsight it seemed like she may have experienced situations like this before. The guy came out and said he would knock off $ 100, which he did. Even at that, I felt ripped off… and I was.
Fast forward ten years…
I have commercial property. The guy who manages it chose Biard & Crockett to come out for an estimate. They charged $ 65 for coming out (which is fine) and said that if we decided to let them do the job that they would back off this $ 65 from the final bill. Great! It turned out there was a pump valve that needed to be replaced. The estimate was for around $ 500, and we were told that they would back the $ 65 from the estimate off the bill. So, we would be looking at $ 435. My manager okayed the work.
A few days later the Biard & Crockett guy shows up. He replaces the valve pump. He was there for about two hours.
We were charged close to $ 700. WTF!!!
When I saw the bill, I called a trusted plumber. This guy knows his stuff, and is very honest. I told him the make and model of the pump and he looked up the going price for this particular valve pump. It’s right around $ 100.
He said labor should be about 90 minutes, and that if he did this job the bill would have been about $ 250.
Why was Biard & Crockett charging us over $ 400 more than what this plumber would have charged?
Well, let’s do some math:
If Biard & Crockett’s labor fee is $ 100 per hour:
Labor (two hours at $ 100 per hour) = $ 200
Part = $ 100
Subtract $ 65 estimate fee (already paid)
TOTAL: $ 235
Our plumber would have charged $ 250, so maybe this scenario isn’t the best. So…
What if Biard & Crockett’s labor fee is $ 200 per hour:
Labor (two hours at $ 200 per hour) = $ 400
Part = $ 100
Subtract $ 65 estimate fee (already paid)
TOTAL: $ 435
This would be almost $ 200 more than what my plumber would have charged.
Still, though — this $ 435 is still about $ 200 less than what we were charged.
Maybe if we «up» the wages and parts costs a little more?
Okay, what if Biard & Crockett’s labor fee is $ 250 per hour, AND the cost of the part is DOUBLE what my plumber said it is:
Labor (two hours at $ 250 per hour) = $ 500
Part = $ 200
Subtract $ 65 estimate fee (already paid)
TOTAL: $ 635
BINGO! (Although this, still, is a little less than what we were charged!)
So, apparently their M.O. is to charge about $ 250 per hour for labor and mark up the going for retail prices 100%? Excessive? You decide
Now, what would you be thinking if you were on the paying end of a bill so inflated? Would you feel RIPPED OFF? Or, would you be thinking something like, «Hey, I know the price is stratospherically high… but the guy who came out with the estimate was really nice.»
I don’t think so.
No, you would probably wonder how a company that reams its customers is still in business.
Remember, this is the SECOND TIME I’ve been soaked by this company. The first time about 10 years ago, and now. Never again.
Please do yourself (and your wallet) a favor and choose a company whose business philosophy includes customer service and satisfaction. There are many plumbers out there who treat their customers the right way. Over time, they generate more business due to repeat services, and customer referrals. These are the types of companies who earn your business, and trust.
Biard & Crockett? Not so much.
Highly NOT recommended!

My wife and I, our family have been happy patrons for over 20 yrs. The staff is knowledgable, honest, caring about the services they provide. If you want a box store this isnt it. These are professionals that KNOW their trade do it right the first time, period. From the parts replaced to the installations, never have we had a problem. You owe it to yourself to develope a relationship with them, just like you may need a Dr. occassionally, it will save you the stress of worrying about doing it yourself.

I recently purchased the pieces I needed to repair the drain inside of the wall.
The only reason I’m giving them 4 rather than 5 Stars is this: My initial comment to the not so friendly or bright counter person was: «I need something to replace this with». Somehow, Mr Personality translated that as ‘I want to REUSE this’. I’m still scratching my head over how he came away with that, given that I had brought in the leaded in tee, which when cutting it out I had intentionally left nothing on the tee to clamp to so as to maximize what was left behind in the wall. Even with my limited knowledge of plumbing I knew that I’d have to use the large rubber and stainless clamps to reconnect it all, which meant I would need to have something to clamp to.
Seeing that I was getting frustrated, and I suspect knowing that Mr Personality is not the brightest star in the galaxy, another fellow stepped up and said «No, he wants to replace it…». Apparently that was enough to ‘reboot’ him and it was relatively smooth sailing from there on.
I’ll still go back whenever I need pieces for a plumbing job because despite my encounter they are still far more knowledgeable that most of the people you’ll find at the Home Depot or Lowes. Of course there are exceptions to that, but I suppose I could win the lotto too…

After removing an old toilet in preparation for a new one, I found that the metal toilet flange ring had rusted away and needed to be replaced so I went to my local hardware store and bought one there. Because no one there had any knowledge of plumbing issues, I decided to drive over to Baird & Crockett and ask if the ring would work for my problem and if necessary, to buy the correct part in case it didn’t. When I got there I explained the problem, as well as the fact that I had purchased a replacement part elsewhere and that I wanted to ask for their advice. What I encountered was a rather surly counterperson who apparently had little knowledge and apparently even less interest in helping me. When I explained the story — complete with photos I had taken — he curtly responded that he didn’t know if I had the right parts because he had no idea what I had purchased. I told him what I had purchased but he repeatedly responded he had didn’t know what I had because he hadn’t seen it. I then told him I had the replacement part in my car and went to get it. No sooner I had turned and taken a couple steps toward the door than I heard the counterperson start talking with another counterperson in hushed tones. When I walked back in, they were still talking; when they saw me, they stopped. I showed the counterperson the replacement part I had purchased and then, again in a demeaning tone, he proceeded to tell me he didn’t know if it would work but that it probably wouldn’t. During this exchange, another person called out from the office «you know, we sell parts too…» I said I know but that since the hardware store was next to my house, it was just easier and more convenient. The second person then exited the office, looked at my part, and said «yeah, it’ll work». Although he, too, was somewhat abrupt in his response, he at least was not as rude or as condescending as the first counterperson.
I went to Baird & Crockett with the apparently mistaken assumption that if I had not bought the correct part at the hardware store they would tell me and I that would buy the correct part from them. It became immediately obvious, however, that because they assumed I wasn’t going to buy anything and only had questions, they had no interest in dealing with me. WRONG! If I had not been treated in such a rude, condescending manner, I had also intended to purchase a Toto toilet from them.
I have heard positive things about Baird in the past and this is why I went there. Obviously, however, customer service is not their strong suit. I will not go back, nor will I recommend them to anyone else. The only reason I gave them two stars instead of one was because at least a second salesman intervened and answered my question.

These guys are some of the most helpful people in the plumbing supply business. There a little bit hard to find but well worth it once you find them, I go to them when I can’t find what I’m looking for at your typical Home Depot even if it means I have to drive 10 miles. Keep up the good work.

You get what you pay for — but this time it’s meant in a positive light. These are the kind of businesses that get out out of business because of big chain stores (e.g. Home Depot) or online purchases. Though you will probably find similar items cheaper somewhere else, you will not get the same quality, expertise or customer service.
I went to Home Depot first to buy a faucet, put it in, had to purchase extras because the hoses were too short to save money, and then it was a piece of crap. Talked to my dad afterwards and he sent me here and I bought a new faucet. The selection here was pricier, however the quality is way better. No comparison. Then the one guy even opened up the box and checked everything there for me while I was there since I told him I was installing it myself. He basically walked me through the installation and that’s why it took only about 10mins for me to take out the new piece of crap I bought and install this great faucet.
Go here for great customer service. Go here for good quality. Go here because these are the type of places you want to support instead of big corporates. Thank you for everything.

Had a significant back up in my laundry room sink, and kitchen sink. It overflowed onto the floor with dark water. (Yummy). I got the water to stop flowing but it didn’t recede. Eventually, I got the number of these guys.
The lady on the phone was very nice. Unfortunately, she said they could only get there between 1p and 3p; I was talking to them at 7:30am. So that’s the only reason for the 4 stars. If they would have been there faster it would have been 5.
The guy who came was named John and he was very nice, knowledgeable, and very professional. He had arrived around 245p, so he did get there in the time frame they said he would. But later he ended up telling me I lucked out. Normally, they wouldn’t have been able to come out on the same day.
Regardless of the time issue, they fixed the clog and even shop-​vacked the floor. He also gave me some advice on preventing the same issues. Last but not least the price was great!

The faucets in our master bath were installed about 30 years ago when we did a room addition. The faucet stems began leaking and our plumber told us we’d have to replace the valve body, faucets, handles and spout which, with the plumbing labor and cutting into a wall for access, would cost about $ 1000.
I sent photos and a sketch of the leaking faucets to Jeff Biard and he recognized them ! They were made by a company that went out of business about 25 years ago. Our faucets were made before a design change and fixing the leak only required replacing the stem packing which I was able to do myself.
Certainly glad Jeff had the knowledge and history to point me in the right direction.

The water heater we bought back in 2006 went kaputt, so I’m glad the one we bought came with a 10-​year warranty. They came out and replaced it. Removal of the old unit and installation of the new came with a charge, but the new water heater was covered. We’re up and running again with no problems.

This plumbing supply store and showroom probably has all the hard to find parts a do-​it-​yourselfer needs, and has actual people to talk to that actually know their stuff! I shopped for hard-​to-​find faucet washers (68 cents) for the old, leaking price pfister faucets in my house. HD and «L» doesn’t carry them. Another time I got Toro spinkler head inserts that the other store didn’t have. This is a place that when I’m in the area, I’ll stop in. The experience from each staff member makes your shopping a whole lot easier, rather that from the big box store — where you have doubts as you walk away!

The best in the business. I can’t praise Greg, Jeff and Randy enough. Always very helpful whenever I need a question answered. If it’s parts, service or repairs, you’ll never find a more qualified outfit for your plumbing needs.

We had a leaking water heater, and for years had always used Biard & Crockett for parts & a plumbing issues, & even had them do a plumbing issue at my aunt’s house a couple of months ago, so they were the first to call for a quote on a new water heater. The sales rep (Brad) i talked to was, very rude, and had very much an attitude.
I have a slight hearing problem, so when i asked him to repeat pricing, he was put out,
& at the end when he gave me pricing, he told me this was ball park, & asked me in a very snarky attitude (you do know what ball park is). Their customer service attitude has changed from courteous to rude, and being a third generation Orange resident, i’ve always liked giving hometown businesses my patronage, but will no longer give Biard & Crockett mine nor refer them anymore. I used Water Heater Man, who is also in Orange, and everyone from their sales rep, to their installers, were courteous, efficient, very helpful, & prices are lower, and they give senior discounts, which saved us money, as opposed to what Biard & Crockett wanted. Biard & Crockett needs to revamp their customer service attitude, and just because they’ve been there for a
long time, doesn’t mean you’ll stay relevant. You lost me as a customer after so many years, and there may be more if your customer service attitude doesn’t change, & can refrain from talking down to customers.

Great plumbers. Honest. Thorough. Kind. I would highly recommend them.

The owner of this store is rude and he belittles his customers. I bought a tool that I was told would remove the drain from my bath tub. The guy that sold me the tool was very helpful. Unfortunately the tool I bought was defective and when I went to return it, Mr. Biard laughed at me and told me there was nothing wrong with the tool it was my error that I didn’t know how to use it. I explained to him that I had my neighbor who is a plumber try to use it and he also said it was defective to return it. Mr. Biard refused to return or even exchange the tool and said good luck trying to get my money back. He did offer to send one of his plumbers out to my house at a fee to show me how to use the tool. I have gone to that store on many occasions and I even work right down the street from them and have referred many customers. I will never go there again and any time I hear someone talk about them, I will share my story. No wonder these mom and pop stores go out of business, they don’t care about their customers

I went here in search of a faucet adapter so I could hook up our water filtration device. The fellow that helped me made a sarcastic comment at first but apologized immediately after he saw the look on my face in reaction to his comment. Since I had been to Lowe’s Home Depot and the other plumbing store down the street already, I was in no mood for a sarcastic comment. In the end, this fellow was thorough I had brought both the faucet attachment and the part from the existing faucet so he could fit them both. Within 5 minutes and just $ 3 later, I left a happy camper. When I got home and installed the adapter, it fit perfectly and now I can drink yummy water. So I like this place. I’d go back for any other plumbing needs.

Larry C and Patrick Y’s reviews are right on the money IMO.
B & C is a retail store and they provide plumbing services. I’ve used both.
It’s the place to go when you can’t figure it out, or find it at Home Depot or Lowe’s.
The store has a parts counter — the guys are skilled tradesmen, and are very helpful to the DIY’er. I’ve seen the same guys working there for years.
I go in with questions, drawings or concepts — «here’s what I want to do» and they have given great advice on what I need, and how to do it.
I contracted with their service department to replace all of the gas pipe in my backyard with fused PVC gas lines. It was done a few years ago and everything works great. The work was done on schedule, had no problems at all.
They allowed me (and my day laborer) to dig the trenches for the pipes, saving me a bunch of money.
Why not 5 stars? Pricing in the store is higher than HD & Lowe’s.
Sometimes their part is easier to use — or of higher quality. Yes, a few times over the years I have went in for advice — then went across the street to HD to check the price.
What usually happens is I end up getting the readily available parts at HD and the specialty connectors at B & C.
I value the quality parts and service they provide — pay for it once and get it done right!