Get matched with top solar panel installers in Alexandria, VA

"On time. Helpful advice on selecting faucet and garbage disposal. Very experienced plumber, worked methodically and efficiently. Came well-prepared with tools and parts. Took care to protect floor, countertop, and cabinets. The under-sink area, valves and drains are cleanly installed and a big improvement over the mess that was replaced."

"I will preface this review by saying that I work as a general contractor (with regular interaction with mechanical contractors), work in the service and sales industry (as a personal trainer), and am a business owner (yes, three separate jobs in three separate industries). I say the above because I have the credibility to be able to write a review like this. On 10/3/23 I discovered that my AC (an Amana 3 ton, 36,000 BTU, R410a split system) was not blowing cool enough air to meet thermostat settings. As the original installation of the system was performed by Snell Heating & Air Conditioning [on 1/6/12], I decided to use them for the service call.  The technician (Franco) arrived on 10/4/23 within his scheduled time slot. Franco was transparent and clearly explained the process. Within minutes he was able to identify the source of the problem (the evaporator coil within the indoor air handling unit had frozen indicating a refrigerant leak). He presented me with three options: 1) refill the refrigerant at $715 per four gallons; 2) do a leak check to identify the source of the leak and replace the component from which the leak is originating (i.e. the coils at the outdoor condensing unit, the evaporator coil at the indoor air handling unit, or the line sets) for ~$7,000 and possibly higher; or 3) replace the entire system at anywhere from $18,000-$35,000. This is when I realized the 'sales pitch' was going to start. You see review readers, companies like Snell and others (that have been gobbled up by private equity firms and/or larger companies) no longer operate as a 'small local family business' where integrity, honesty, and doing what is best for the customer is the priority. Snell (which was acquired by Horizon in 2020) now operates as a giant selling machine. These types of businesses have large overhead, extensive marketing costs, training costs, fleet costs, insurance costs, uniform costs, IT costs, and much more that all need to be accounted for in their pricing. They simply cannot operate as such a large business if these expenses are not passed down to the consumer...and frankly, most consumers will happily pay it (as is evidenced by the hundreds of positive reviews). However, an educated consumer can be dangerous for these types of companies. Let me expand on what I mean here. For example, R-410a refrigerant costs <$400 for 25 lbs or <$15/lb (Snell is charging close to $200 per pound). An Amana evaporator coil costs ~$600 (Snell is charging close to $7,000). I won't even begin to tell you how much of a markup they are putting on a brand new HVAC system (it is astronomical). It is understood that their prices include installation, travel, warranty, and all of the aforementioned overhead costs, however, within minutes of their departure I found several small residential HVAC contractors that quoted the same items for fractions of the cost of Snell. Let me be clear, Franco was professional, courteous, and patient. He was an ideal employee for this type of business (a commission-based business where sales are the priority). However, the bottom line is this, Snell is part of the new wave of larger residential HVAC contractors where maximizing profit is the most important thing...and, you know what, I get it. As the old saying goes, "don't hate the player, hate the game". This is where we are in America - products/appliances/gadgets/devices becoming obsolete and having shorter and shorter life spans and businesses caring less and less. I am not some disgruntled 'Harry Homeowner' It is simply inexplicable to me that a system that was installed by Snell only 11 years ago (and just out of the ten year warranty period) must already be replaced. My hats off to David Snell and their entire team - they run a well oiled machine but I simply will not pay the type of costs they are charging."

"Great job. Technician was solid, professional & friendly. Resolved the issue efficiently."

"They charged $98 to come give me an estimate for swapping our a shower valve cartridge, which was fine, but the pricing they provided was completely unreasonable, $1,000. They were unwilling to provide any detail for the price. I ended up buy the part myself for $30 and replaced it in 30 minutes."

"American Home Contractors and Hugo in particular were great to work with. We had multiple jobs done which required several trips and Hugo kept us informed and worked around several weather delays. He relocated and installed a new attic fan, hooked up the bathroom fan to a new roof vent, insulated a pipe in the attic, installed apron flashing on four windows, painted the flue vent, reconnected some lose siding and replaced three pieces of rotted trim and painted it. The work appears to be top notch and we appreciate the hard work and long hours Hugo put in! I would definitely recommend this company and most certainly Hugo to everyone. We also had American Home Contractors replace our gutters and install gutter guards. They did an excellent job with that as well."