Rant: My $350 water softener install turned into a disaster

I paid a guy named Hector from a Craigslist ad to install a water softener in my house near Juan Tabo. He said it would be $350 total, but he busted a pipe in my crawlspace and left without fixing it. Now I'm looking at a $900 plumber bill and wondering if anyone has a local company they actually trust for this kind of work.

2 comments

2 Comments

wren8066d ago

Nah, you hired a guy off Craigslist for $350 to install a water softener and now you're shocked it went sideways... that's on you, not him. Hector probably quoted that price knowing full well he didn't have insurance or a license, and you decided that was worth the gamble. Crawlspace work is a nightmare and any legit plumber would've quoted $800 minimum just for the labor alone. You saved $450 upfront and now you're paying the difference with interest to a real plumber who actually knows what they're doing. Craigslist handymen are fine for swapping out a toilet flapper or painting a fence, but for anything that connects to your main water line... that's just asking for trouble.

laura_ross6d ago

Agree to disagree here. There are tons of licensed plumbers who will do a water softener install for $400 or $500 depending on where you live, and they do it the right way with permits and insurance. Not every job needs to cost $800 just because someone says so. The real problem is people not doing their homework before hiring. You can find good workers on Craigslist if you ask the right questions, like checking for a business license or asking for references. It's a shame to just write off every affordable option because of one bad experience.