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Verified record
License not state-verified. We could not confirm a current registration in the state registry. Insurance is self-reported.
- Not rated by the BBB
- 16 work photos
Highlights
- Same-day response — only one of 15-20 companies called who could come
- Fast turnaround — replaced a leaking heater within a day
- Goes beyond the job — fixes issues found along the way
- Fair on price — offered a discount after quoting
Boston Water Heaters is a family plumbing and heating operation out of Melrose, run by Rich Mathews — the reviews are almost all about him personally, not a crew. The Mathews family says its plumbing roots go back to 1928 with Ed Mathews Sr., and it's now run as Rich Mathews & Son Plumbing Inc., three generations in. The through-line across a dozen five-star Google reviews spanning 2021 to 2026 is speed and follow-through on emergency calls. When a carbon-monoxide alarm went off and the gas company shut off the gas, Rich was the one contractor out of 15-20 called who offered same-day help. Another homeowner called on a Sunday morning with a leaking water heater and had it fully replaced by the next day. Reviewers also describe him fixing things beyond the original ask — patching a basement window gap while replacing a water heater, or correcting unsafe wiring he found mid-furnace-install — and one reviewer got a discount after already settling on the original price. The work covers furnaces, steam boilers, and gas, electric, tankless and hybrid water heaters, and reviewers reach for 'plumber' about as often as 'heating guy' to describe him. One thing worth a quick check: the company's own site states differing tenure claims — 'over 30 years' on some pages, 'over 50 years' on another — so ask directly how long Rich Mathews & Son has run under its current name if that matters to you.
What does heating and cooling work cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Boston Water Heaters. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$5,000 – $11,400
Typical HVAC project around $8,200
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