# A R Empire Plumbing & Heating

**Trade:** Plumbing · **Address:** 60 Bob-White Ln, Eastham, MA 02642 · **Phone:** (508) 247-9522 · **Languages:** English

**Rating: 2.7/5** (low confidence) — from 1 reviews across 5 sources. A 0–5 star rating built from what customers and the public say (every review and mention weighted by where it was posted, how old, how detailed and how credible it is, shrunk toward a 3.5★ baseline when evidence is thin) plus what the record shows (Reddit recommendations or warnings, a registry-verified licence, how recently they were reviewed, customer work photos, BBB grade, negative news, a revoked licence). Positive record counts only as far as the reviews have earned it; penalties count in full. Confidence describes how much weighted evidence stands behind the number, never the number itself: low when fewer than about five normal reviews' worth of weight (or mentions only) support it, medium up to about twenty, high beyond that across at least two sources. An operator flag for a suspicious review pattern caps a rating at 3.5★ and marks it low.

## The honest read

A R Empire Plumbing & Heating is a two-person plumbing and heating shop working out of 60 Bob White Ln in Eastham, on the Outer Cape. Better Business Bureau records put the business start at January 2008 and list two employees; BuildZoom names Andrew Rank as the owner, which matches the A. R. in the company name.

The strongest thing on file is the licence. Massachusetts' plumbing registry lists licence 4939-PL-C as active, and the registry's holder of record is A. R. Empire Plumbing & Heating Inc. itself, so the credential belongs to this company rather than to a similarly named one. Permit history backs up that they work across the Lower and Outer Cape: pulled plumbing and gas permits appear in Eastham, Chatham and Provincetown between 2014 and February 2025.

Customer feedback is where this profile thins out badly. Only one written account exists anywhere in the record — an undated Better Business Bureau entry from a customer who would not recommend the company and attributes a costly, avoidable outcome to poor communication. In a 2023 r/CapeCod thread about fixing up an Eastham house, a commenter answering a request for trade recommendations named the company as their plumber, without describing the work. BuildZoom states outright that it has received no reviews for the business, and its BZ Score of 90 is a permit-derived number, not a customer verdict.

Porch shows 4.7 stars from 21 ratings, but says on its own page that the figure is 'based on 21 online reviews' gathered elsewhere, and renders none of them, so there is no way to read what those customers actually said. The two directories also disagree about tenure: Porch claims 26 years in business against the BBB's 2008 start.

They are a reasonable call for straightforward plumbing and heating work on the Outer Cape from a licensed local shop. Before booking, confirm the licence directly with the state, ask how they will keep you updated on scope and cost as a job moves, and ask for two or three recent local references, since almost nothing customers have written about them is readable anywhere.

**Strengths:**
- Verified plumbing licence — state registry lists 4939-PL-C active under the company
- Outer Cape coverage — permits pulled in Eastham, Chatham and Provincetown
- Long tenure — BBB records the business trading since 2008

**Concerns:**
- Communication — an undated BBB reviewer cited a costly, avoidable breakdown
- Unreadable ratings — Porch's 4.7 restates other sites and shows no reviews
- Tenure conflict — Porch claims 26 years against BBB's 2008 start
- No BBB rating — BBB says it lacks information to rate the business

**Where sources disagree:**
- Porch publishes 4.7 stars from 21 ratings but states on the page that this is 'based on 21 online reviews' collected elsewhere, and renders zero review bodies - it is a restatement of other platforms' ratings, not an independent 21-review sample, and must not be read as corroboration of the BBB entry.
- Porch's 'Credentials & Stats: 26 years in business' conflicts with the BBB profile at the same address, which records Business Started 1/1/2008 (18 years).
- BuildZoom lists licence #4939 explicitly flagged 'License Not Verified' with an expiration of May 2026; that directory claim is not a credential. The state registry itself independently shows 4939-PL-C active with A. R. Empire Plumbing & Heating Inc. as holder of record, and only the registry record is stated plainly here.
- BuildZoom's 'BZ SCORE: 90' is permit-derived and BuildZoom states it means only that the company is licensed or registered; it is not customer sentiment and carries no rating weight.
- The platform headline (Porch 4.7 from 21) and the written record (one negative undated BBB review, zero BuildZoom reviews, one brief Reddit name-drop) diverge sharply, and none of the 21 ratings can be read to reconcile them.
- The five homeyou.com Exa listings are generated directory text, not customer accounts.

## Claims & citations

Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication.

- Massachusetts' state plumbing registry lists licence 4939-PL-C as active, with A. R. Empire Plumbing & Heating Inc. as the holder of record. _(confidence: high)_
  - [State License Registry](https://occupationallicensingandpermitting.mass.gov/madol/s/license-search-page) — “MA plumber license 4939-PL-C registry-verified active — registry holder of record: A. R. Empire Plumbing & Heating Inc.”
- The business is based at 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA 02642 and the Better Business Bureau records a business start date of 1 January 2008 with two employees. _(confidence: high)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “BBB profile for A R Empire Plumbing & Heating at 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA: NOT accredited, BBB Rating 'Not Rated' (BBB says it lacks suff…”
- BuildZoom lists Andrew Rank as the owner and shows three sampled permits - plumbing at 905 Herring Brook Rd, Eastham (February 2025), gas at 24 Youngs Farm Ln, Chatham (April 2021) and plumbing at 17 Cottage St, Provincetown (April 2014). _(confidence: high)_
  - [BuildZoom](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc) — “3 project(s) shown on BuildZoom”
  - [BuildZoom](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc) — “BuildZoom profile for A. R. Empire plumbing & Heating Inc, Eastham MA 02642, owner listed as Andrew Rank; BuildZoom states it has received N…”
- Directories categorise the company under plumbing, heating and air conditioning, mechanical and sheet metal work, and list water heater, bathtub and backflow preventer installation among its services. _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “Services offered (Better Business Bureau): Heating and Air Conditioning”
  - [BuildZoom](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc) — “Services offered (BuildZoom): Mechanical Work, HVAC, Sheet Metal Work”
  - [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp) — “Services offered (Porch): Backflow Preventer Installation, Bathtub Installation, Conventional Electric Water Heater Installation, Convention…”
- The only written customer account on file is an undated Better Business Bureau review from someone who would not recommend the company and attributes a costly, avoidable outcome to a lack of communication. _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “I would not recommend this plumber. Lack of communication led to a costly, avoidable situation.”
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “BBB profile for A R Empire Plumbing & Heating at 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA: NOT accredited, BBB Rating 'Not Rated' (BBB says it lacks suff…”
- The Better Business Bureau does not rate the business at all, stating it lacks sufficient information to issue a rating, and the business is not BBB accredited. _(confidence: high)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “BBB profile for A R Empire Plumbing & Heating at 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA: NOT accredited, BBB Rating 'Not Rated' (BBB says it lacks suff…”
- Porch's 4.7-star figure is described on its own page as being based on 21 reviews collected from other sites, and Porch displays none of those review bodies. _(confidence: high)_
  - [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp) — “Porch: 4.7★ from 21 ratings”
  - [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp) — “Porch profile for A R Empire Plumbing & Heating, 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA 02642. It publishes 4.70 stars but states plainly that this is …”
- The directories disagree on how long the business has traded: Porch states 26 years in business while the Better Business Bureau records a 2008 start. _(confidence: high)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “BBB profile for A R Empire Plumbing & Heating at 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA: NOT accredited, BBB Rating 'Not Rated' (BBB says it lacks suff…”
  - [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp) — “Porch profile for A R Empire Plumbing & Heating, 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA 02642. It publishes 4.70 stars but states plainly that this is …”
- In a 2023 r/CapeCod thread, a commenter answering a request for trade recommendations for an Eastham house named the company as their plumber. _(confidence: medium)_
  - [reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/CapeCod/comments/14btvr3/help_with_fixing_up_a_house/joimsvy/) — “r/CapeCod — Our last plumber was ar empire plumbing”
- The read rests on a single undated negative BBB review and one brief 2023 Reddit name-drop; no other customer writing is readable, and the only unambiguously verified fact is the active state plumbing licence. _(confidence: medium)_
  - [reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/CapeCod/comments/14btvr3/help_with_fixing_up_a_house/joimsvy/) — “r/CapeCod — Our last plumber was ar empire plumbing”
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “I would not recommend this plumber. Lack of communication led to a costly, avoidable situation.”
  - [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp) — “Porch profile for A R Empire Plumbing & Heating, 60 Bob White Ln, Eastham MA 02642. It publishes 4.70 stars but states plainly that this is …”
  - [State License Registry](https://occupationallicensingandpermitting.mass.gov/madol/s/license-search-page) — “MA plumber license 4939-PL-C registry-verified active — registry holder of record: A. R. Empire Plumbing & Heating Inc.”
- Specializes in Plumbing _(confidence: high)_
  - [reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/CapeCod/comments/14btvr3/help_with_fixing_up_a_house/joimsvy/) — “r/CapeCod — Our last plumber was ar empire plumbing”
  - [BuildZoom](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc) — “BuildZoom profile for A. R. Empire plumbing & Heating Inc, Eastham MA 02642, owner listed as Andrew Rank; BuildZoom states it has received N…”
  - [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp) — “Services offered (Porch): Backflow Preventer Installation, Bathtub Installation, Conventional Electric Water Heater Installation, Convention…”
  - [State License Registry](https://occupationallicensingandpermitting.mass.gov/madol/s/license-search-page) — “MA plumber license 4939-PL-C registry-verified active — registry holder of record: A. R. Empire Plumbing & Heating Inc.”
- Also offers HVAC / Heating & Cooling _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302) — “Services offered (Better Business Bureau): Heating and Air Conditioning”
  - [BuildZoom](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc) — “Services offered (BuildZoom): Mechanical Work, HVAC, Sheet Metal Work”

## License

Status: **active** (#4939-PL-C, plumber) — verified against the official MA state registry on 2026-08-20, never self-reported.
Re-check at the official registry: https://occupationallicensingandpermitting.mass.gov/madol/s/license-search-page

## Sources

- [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=A%20R%20Empire%20Plumbing%20%26%20Heating&query_place_id=ChIJP5Wx-S5m-4kRvLFlipZ-N4k): Listed on this source
- [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/eastham/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-0021-508302): Listed on this source
- [Yelp](https://www.yelp.com/biz/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating-eastham): Listed on this source
- [Exa](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc): 0 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source)
- [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp): 4.7★ from 21 ratings
- [Porch](https://pro.porch.com/eastham-ma/plumbers/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating/pp): Listed on this source
- [BuildZoom](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc): Listed on this source
- [BuildZoom](https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-heating-inc): Listed on this source

## Mentions

Unverified third-party mentions found on the open web — relay with attribution ("a Reddit commenter said…"), never as Tavlee's own finding.

- “Our last plumber was ar empire plumbing” — u/Calliesdad20 in r/CapeCod (2023-06-17) — https://www.reddit.com/r/CapeCod/comments/14btvr3/help_with_fixing_up_a_house/joimsvy/

## Recent reviews

- **Better Business Bureau · Susan L**: I would not recommend this plumber. Lack of communication led to a costly, avoidable situation.

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Data freshness: last scanned 2026-08-20T06:09:39.549Z.
Cite as: A R Empire Plumbing & Heating — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating-eastham)
Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/a-r-empire-plumbing-and-heating-eastham