I used this company in the past, and was very happy with the work. This time I needed the main drain inspected, as we have a house from 1890 equipped with a building trap, which are prone to fail. The company representative was very friendly, appeared competent, and very responsive. The problem: he advised me to open up the whole basement in order to replace 32 feet of drain pipe (PVC to replace clay), and this for three reasons: (1) connection from new PVC pipe to old clay pipe (made by previous owner when finishing the basement) is not great. (2) some roots in main drain (from a tree that was removed by the city including stump three years ago). (3) you cannot go from 6 inch to 4 inch back to 6 inch in diameter (old clay pipe is 6 inch, and the installation of the back-water valve required use of 4 inch pipe to be put in place once building trap is removed). Overall estimated cost: $6000 plus HST plus all the costs resulting from re-doing part of the basement. I had a hard time believing that this advise is more in my interest and less in the interest of the plumbing company the person represented who gave me that advise). Since camera inspections are costly, I wondered if one is expected to pay two or three company each $300 in order to satisfy the principle of competition among companies for the job in question and to make sure the person's advise is sound. Public plumbing also advised me against hiring another company to do a camera inspection (since the issue with the drain are so obvious that everyone would come to the same conclusion); but offered that I use the report he left me stating the condition of our drain pipe with other companies when soliciting more estimates. I decided to hire another company to perform a camera inspection (someone who does not do plumbing but only camera inspection). That person contradicted everyone Public Plumbing's representative stated. That is: (1) the PVC to clay connection is what is the norm (it is often not the case that the connection is great due to the differences in material (clay versus PVC, resulting is some moving and thus part mismatch). (2) roots can be monitored and if necessary snaked. (3) it is possible to go from 6 inch to 4 inch to 6 inch. That person advised me, however, to take out the trap, since they are prone to fail and cannot be monitored (the camera cannot go into the building trap. That is why I did. I found a company to replace the trap exactly the way I was advised it was possible. Overall costs: $2373, including the installation of an outside backwater valve (with $1250 to be reimbursed from the City of Toronto as it passed inspection). That means, actual cost: $1123. In conclusion: I don't think those should inspect your main drain who benefit from poor (even if well intended (who doesn't prefer the best possible main drain in the universe)) advise resulting from the inspection. Every home improvement decision home owners have to make is a compromise, and Public Plumbing did not help me in making the most reasonable decision.
