Reviews

Review Details

• Review fromJeff H

  Date: 06/11/2025

  1 star
  PREYING ON AN ELDERLY WIDOW: On 5/15/25 My 90 year old mother saw the Sanders Plumbing truck at the next door neighbors house and asked the technician to address a slowly filling toilet issue in her house. She was told to call the company so a work order could be placed and did so. The lady she spoke to on the phone for the work order told mom that she was eligible for a senior discount. The tech replaced the valve, flapper, and float in what was billed as "Standard Tank Rebuild" and charged her $435.43! When she asked about the senior discount, the tech said that he waived the service fee instead. However, he was already there, so no service fee was required. He did find and removed a piece of plastic debris in the supply line that he claimed came from the hot water heater?!? If mom had asked me to rebuild the toilet I would have spent $20-30 on a total rebuild kit. They charged over 14 times that amount for very little work and have done so in the past as evidenced by a prior Better Business Bureau complaint from June of 2023 (see below).
  "******* *** ***** *
  Date: 06/06/2023
  My elderly handicapped sister called Sanders plumbing to fix a commode that was continually running. They replaced the insides of the tank and charged her $465.99. I could not believe that a company would take advantage of someone like this. It is such a shame and I will be telling everyone I know not to use this company. Shame on you!!!!! I have to leave one star, but they don't deserve one!"
  I attempted to contact the service manager (Blake) 4 times over the next few weeks and he finally returned my call on 6/10/25. He stated that he didn't feel that she was taken advantage of and claimed that the code for Standard Tank Rebuild was the right cost. If they routinely charge $435 for a $30 repair excluding service fee they are ripping off the public. He offered a $50 credit for her next service call! Like we will EVER use this company again. One star is one too many.

  Sanders Plumbing Company, Inc.

  Date: 06/12/2025

  The tech on site waved the service fee which was $89. The senior discount would have been only $44.00. he felt that that was the best thing to do dollar wise. he explained the cost and put it in writing on a tablet before doing any work. She signed approving the job before we did anything. We could only believe from that , that she knew and understood the charges. We would never take advantage of anyone especially the elderly. This is why we give prices and request signatures before we proceed with any work. In fact, our technition replace the valve under the toilet for no additional charge. Plumbing , just like all home services and really everything has skyrocketed in price over the last few years. Thats why our pricing is written on our tablet and not just made up. This is why we explain the cost and seek signature approval before we do anything. I honestly dont know how we could be anymore transparent. I understand your frustration and hope that you will call us again in the future. We will use the discount that my service manager had offered. but I understand if you dont. Again we were transparent in our process and didnt try to trick anybody

• Review fromML S

  Date: 05/08/2024

  5 stars
  The only plumbing company in Knoxville that I trust. I read the previous reviews and that is nothing at all like the experiences I have had with Sanders Plumbing over the years. Some people seem to just enjoy being keyboard warriors and making up stories when they don't get their way. Sanders has been around for more than thirty years. They do everything above board. They tell you about the service fee and what to expect upfront when you book the call. When the tech comes out, he tells you what he found and which options you have to fix it, and what each one will cost. You have to sign the agreement acknowledging the price and giving them authorization before they begin work, that covers their butts. This has been my experience every single time. Call and see for yourself.

• Review fromKaren C

  Date: 09/01/2023

  1 star
  $3000 to replace a new water heater was severely damaged rusty water rusty water in sink, in toilets, also no hot water, poor service, unprofessional attitude. Legal action required.
  Karen ****** ******** Tennessee

  Sanders Plumbing Company, Inc.

  Date: 09/11/2023

  Mrs. ****** called our company to request  us to replace her electric water heater on aug 29th at 8:44 am. We dispatched the technition at 10:45 aug 29th. The heater was in a crawl space so we had to get  a heater that would fit and we went back out there with it on aug. 30th in the morning and installed the heater.  He confirmed at the time that the heater was heating water.  At  4:01  aug. 30th, Mrs ****** called and said the water was not hot. We sent our tech back at 4:15 aug 30th and he found that an old screw in type fuse had blown causing the new heater not to heat. He replaced the fuse, and sat there for over 30 minutes to make sure the water was heating properly, which it was and Mrs. ****** confirmed that at the time. Our tech then left the property at 5:32 that same afternoon. The next morning on aug 31st, Mrs.****** called at 10:35...and told us to come and get the water heater and give her a refund.  She was advised that the service manager would call her soon. She called again at 3:31 demanding to speak to me getting more and more contrite with each call. I called her at 4:27 and got an answering machine so I left a message. She then called me at 4:34 and told me that she had already had the heater replaced and wanted me to come get it and bring her money back. . She didn't give me the chance to do anything to fix the situation. Less than one day. . Then someone she knows posted a google review in which they called me a POS. There are legal requirements to handle something like this and she completely blew those away. I have 3 signed invoices/ work orders confirming her approvals . I have recorded phone calls . I do acknowledge that the new heater was scratched on the outside from us having to drag it into the crawlspace but there was nothing functional wrong with the heater only cosmetics. Plus the package that she bought gave her a lifetime warranty on the heater. ,I have requested the name of her new plumber so that I can discuss this with him and find out what his concerns were but have not been given any information. I don't understand why , if the water heater was working when she confirmed it and we left at 5:32 on the 30th, did she call another plumber. . I would have worked with her to remedy the scratches if given the opportunity. State law requires her to give me written notice of the issues and 10 days after to respond with my intensions. It also requires me to be given a chance to correct the issues. I was not given any of that.

• Review fromShirley for Linda H

  Date: 06/06/2023

  1 star
  My elderly handicapped sister called Sanders plumbing to fix a commode that was continually running.
  They replaced the insides of the tank and charged her $465.99.
  I could not believe that a company would take advantage of someone like this. It is such a shame and I will be telling everyone I know not to use this company. Shame on you!!!!! I have to leave one star, but they don't deserve one!

  Sanders Plumbing Company, Inc.

  Date: 06/07/2023

  I understand your concern but we didnt take advantage of anyone. We give a complete written price to the customer before we do anything and we ask that if the customer accepts our price, that they sign the work order agreeing to the job. And Linda did just that. Prices on everything have skyrocketed over the last two plus years and home services has as well. Although it was more money than you feel we should have charged, your sister approved the job and everything was done above board and within the guidelines that I have set for our company. We have a set pricing system That the technition cannot change and cannot take advantage of anyone.

• Review fromGreg J

  Date: 09/21/2022

  1 star
  ON 8/29/22 WAS TOLD ONE PRICE OF 214 AND CHARGED EXTRA WITHOUT EXPLANATION! .CHARGED MY CC 214 AND 624.67 BEFORE THEY DID THE WORK ON 9/2/22 BEWARE!
  Parts were under warranty from Rheem so only labor was involved. The original price plus a 90 extra trip price should have been $304.00. Owner **** S. was met with and he refuses to explain. Currently this has been turned over to the CC fraud company and have filed a formal complaint the the TN STATE ATTORNEY'S office of Consumer Affairs.
  Have had multiple past customers of his reach out and stated the same thing has happened to them... for whatever reason folks especially the elderly are afraid of this company and refuses to do anything about it...

  Sanders Plumbing Company, Inc.

  Date: 09/22/2022

  The charge for $214.00 was for a $89.00 service fee, and an$125.00 extended diagnostic fee. We charged this because we handled the warranty calls for a water heater that we did not install. Tech support told us we needed a certain part that they would send to make the repair. We told the customer that we would charge an additional $302.00 to install the part when it came in. All of this was written on the original invoice that the customer signed on 8/29 . He then presented his cc for payment for that days service call..Later when the part came in we returned to install the part and found that it would not work. Three more calls to tech support and a third trip to his home later, we found out that a second part also had to be installed to repair the heater. We didnt know there was going to be a second part. We didnt price installing it on the first invoice like we did the original part because we didnt know it had to be done. We charged an additional $322.00 because we had to drain the water heater in order to change the additional part. The home owner was there at the time and gave verbal approval. Later he called and complained about the price . I met with my plumber and discussed this with him. He said the actual install went pretty well and I decided to give a refund to customer. Rather than chop up and reprocess the second invoice, I decided that it would be easier on our accounting system to just eliminate the first invoice. This also gave the customer a little bit larger of a refund than would have been given otherwise. I have a signed copy of the invoice approving all of the charges except the additional $322.00 . The customer does as well. . Both of these charges are written out and well defined on the second invoice. The home owner was there the entire time we did the repair .. So he paid us $89.00 service fee, $125.00 additional diagnostic fee, $302.00 for installation of the first part. All of this was agreed upon in writting. we also charged him $322.00 to install the second part. Total paid to us was $ 838.67. we refunded $217.00. Leaving the total amount paid to us $624.67. . He agreed in writting and signed on the first invoice to pay us a total of $ 516.00. That is only a difference of $ 108.67. That he claims we over charged him. If you add in the amount he agreed to pay in this complaint for extra trip fees of $90.00, Then the over payment would only be $ 18.67. That is without charging for the additional part that we had to put in. I can provide documentation for all that I have said.

  Sanders Plumbing Company, Inc.

  Date: 09/27/2022

  This is getting rediculous. All of my customers are charged a service fee. We do not do free estimates and do not send a technician without the customer agreeing to pay the service fee. Just call my office and book an appointment and you will see. This customer is just making stuff up at this point. Believe what you want. I will not be responding further. I invite a representative from the BBB to visit my office. I will present all paperwork and let you question my tech and the apprentices that were there but no more of this.

  Sanders Plumbing Company, Inc.

  Date: 09/23/2022

  . I invite him to publish the first invoice. I had two people in the room with us during the meeting and three in the next room who heard the conversation. I never said the things he accuses me of saying. all I have left to say is this man is absolutely lying.

  Greg J

  Date: 09/23/2022

  I would like to also respond to the Owner about the fee he claims to be 89.00 trip fee and 125.00 diagnostic fee that was charged on the first day. The first day was only to give an estimate on what needs to be done a " courtesy call". Like all other service companies in Knoxville, they do not charge for the estimate. So why was my CC charged on day 1 ? Also, if I had been told that the labor cost to put in 2 small parts would come to 624.67, they would not have been back, I would have called someone else. IF Mr ******* has a invoice with my name signature agreeing to the 624.67 labor costs it is a forgery. He claims that the 125.00 fee was for diagnostics? If this so called diagnostics had been done, they would have found there was no gas coming to the unit. The gas meter had been locked out since.8/26/22 without us being notified..
  Nothing in his response is true .Just trying to twist things and come up with some reason not to admit to CC fraud and unethical business dealings...

  Greg J

  Date: 09/22/2022

  This is incorrect . The Tech on Monday 8/29 came to the residence. He looked at the gas hot water heater and thought the gas control Thermostat and Pilot assembly would be needed to fix it. He called the Rheem company while I was standing there and ordered those 2 parts. Because the water heater was still under warranty, the parts were covered and there was no charge for those. The parts were delivered to my home and I have the email from the Rheem company that can confirm that. The Tech stated that since the parts were covered that the cost to repair would only be 214.00 I agreed and signed for that, but only the 214.00 which also included the service fee when the work was completed but he would not charge for that trip, it was a courtesy call. There was no diagnostics done.
  A box from the Rheem company arrived on Wednesday 8/31. I called the company and asked if the Tech could come out and install the parts since the tenants had been without hot water for several days. They arrived on Thursday afternoon only to find that one of the parts had not arrived. The Tech called Rheem again while I was standing there and asked about the other part. The Rheem company stated that it had been sent. The Tech said since they came out on that Thursday that there would be one extra service call trip added for 89.00 to the original quote of 214.00 making the total bill 303.00 when the job was completed. I agreed, that was fine and I understood. The 2nd part arrived on Friday morning. I called the company on Friday morning 9/2 to see if by chance they could come out and fix it that day, they agreed they could be by that afternoon. They arrived around X:XX- X:XX and installed both parts within 20 mins. I asked the Tech about an invoice for my records and he stated he would have the office email me one and it would be for $303.00. There was no extra parts to be installed as Mr ******* is stating. No diagnostics were run. I was not aware a company charges extra to drain the tank to work on it. Where did the extra cost come in? He states the Tech had to drain the tank but when installing both parts on Friday one of the Techs soaked himself from the water that came out of the tank. I would not have agreed to such inflated prices as Mr. ******* is stating I did before hand, especially when I was told the cost to install both of those parts would be 214.00. My on line banking statement reflects that the CC was charged on 8/29 for 214.00, when I was told it would not be until the work is finished. Then on 9/2 the statement shows a transaction for 624.67 went thru at 9:48 a.m.. The job was not completed until after 5 p.m. on 9/2! The Tech was still not able to get the unit to light when they finished A neighbor came over to inquire about what was going on, when I told her, she asked, was no one notified when a Utility company had hit a gas line across the street and locked out the meters. I was not informed nor was the tenant. This little incident happened on Friday.8/26/22. The Tech then went around and checked the meter and seen that there was in fact a lock on it. The Tech said we would have to contact KUB to come unlock it and light the unit and they left. The kicker about this whole thing is that no one was notified that the gas was off and the Techs, nor myself thought to look. I have no complaint about the service. BUT , If a person representing a company tells a potential customer a price to repair something and it is agreed upon I find it to be a unethical business practice to change or add additional cost without prior consent or authorization from that customer. Mr ******* states I agreed to the 302 and 322 cost to install but that is not the case. If I had been told prior, they would not have done the work. IT was on 9/9 after many attempts to contact Mr *******, with no luck, and inquiring about the bill from the office staff everyday about the 624.67, I was told they would do a reimbursement. Thinking the reimbursement was going to be for the additional 624.67 I find may acct was reimbursed only for the 214.00 I feel This company owes me 324.00..I have all the documentation to support what I have stated to be true. This company can twist this around but the fact is, they charged $816.67 to my acct before the work was done without prior authorization.
  Final note: I found Mr ******* on 9/12 at his place of business after being told he was not in to discuss this situation and his words were to me " it is my prerogative to charge what I want and if and you continue I will charge back that 214.00" My response was "I wish you would" This type of unethical business practice should not be allowed to happen to anyone. .