John G Webster Company

The Webster Company is A1 in our book. Being new to the DC area they were reccommended by a neighbor and we have used them for multiple needs in our 100 year old home. Our first experience was for moving gas lines in our home during a kitchen remodel followed by addressing plumbing needs that required an unconvential approach. I would have Jimmy D work on our plumbing any day of the week.
We recently had Ralph come to ou r home to evaluate the replacement of a poorly constructed original unit and he was thorough and extremely informative about our situation and our options. The mechanics (Ash and Zack) that installed our new furnace and air conditining unit were consumate professionals. They were very knowlegeable and were able to quickly problem solve any obstacles encountered. It was clear these guys had been well trained when it came to not only their trade but also customer service. I am not your typical consumer and I am a perfectionist that personnally conducts much of my home rennovation on my own and know quality work when I see it. John G. Webster is the real deal.

I’ve used John G. Webster for inspections, maintenance, and repairs to a condo HVAC system since 2005, and inspections + water heater in an old house. Nervous and skeptical as I am, I can only say that they have been professional, prompt, accurate and fair. Just today — a Sunday on Memorial Day weekend — the came for emergency service on an air conditioning compressor: arrived on time, diagnosed in minutes, fixed the problem, and ran extra checks — all in 45 minutes.
They do charge gargantuan markups on parts: something for $ 5 a Home Depot will list as «$ 145» parts. So if you have fuses, thermocouples on hand, you’ll save money. But who has that, and who wants to get a second service call for the installation? I’ve heard that the markup for tiny parts is normal for the industry.
All the service guys have been great. They’re knowledgeable, and willing to answer questions. They take the time to do the job, and don’t get flustered. Edwin has been out a couple of times and is over the top helpful and precise in his work. He arrives right on time, and wastes no time. He deserves special commendation.
For scheduled appointments, ask the dispatcher for the «first in the morning» visits — but NOT on the mornings of staff meetings. Then the arrival «window» gets opened wide. Otherwise, they arrive right on time.
On major jobs in DC, the company will secure permits and even arrange for city inspections. That’s a nice touch, in a town where most of the work, that even home inspectors miss, is done with no permits and no inspections by DCRA.

Stay far, far away from the John G. Webster company. We contracted with them in 2007 to install a $ 11,500 Sanyo ductless multi-​split HVAC system in our home. They did a horrible job with the installation which left us with problems we are still trying to deal with years later. They had to come out multiple times after the installation to fix system leaks, missing filters, the system’s inability to cool or heat effectively, etc. We are now in only the 5^th year and the system has gotten so bad we can only keep one of the four indoor units on at a time. If you turn on any more than that, they either turn themselves off, or they push out unconditioned air. We have had other companies out to fix our system over the last few years, spending thousands of dollars on service calls, and all anyone ever says is it looks like we have major installation problems and they are unable to help us. Nobody can pinpoint the problem. To add insult to injury, I recently contacted Ralph Smith, President of the John G. Webster company, since they did the installation and I figured they might have become smarter with these types of systems since 2007, and could possibly help us finally fix it once and for all, and you know what Ralph told me? He said, and I quote — «We are not willing to serve you now, or at any time in the future, at any price.» Please stay away from this company unless you like to be «had»!