Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Bowden Plumbing & Heating. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
— water heater replaced within 90 minutes of first call
After-hours reachability — answered a late-night water heater emergency
Plain-language explanations — customers cite no scare tactics or upselling
Fair pricing — quoted below larger companies one homeowner contacted
Heating work too — radiators and heating faults fixed alongside plumbing
Spigot replacement complaint — two valves leaked, May 2026 review
Appointment windows — one customer reported arrival over an hour late
Call Bowden about a water heater that dies at 10:30 at night and, by one homeowner's account, you get an answer that night. The customer who wrote it was catching a flight the next morning; they came home to photo updates through the job and a space heater someone had thought to switch off. That is the shape of most of what people say here — a small plumbing and heating outfit built around the call-now jobs.
The plumber who shows up in nearly every review is Rick, written as Rich or Richard by a couple of customers. Google carries 4.9 stars across 21 ratings, and the 18 written reviews behind it run from October 2025 into July 2026, so the written history is short but current. The work described is the everyday kind: a failed water heater, a leaking radiator, two shower valve cartridges, a kitchen faucet swapped on the spot from stock in the truck, a Navien tankless unit installed and, on another visit, maintained.
Speed is the through-line. One homeowner had a dead water heater replaced within 90 minutes of the first phone call, and a second fault on the heating system diagnosed and repaired the same afternoon after a parts run. The other recurring note is teaching: a February 2026 customer described being walked through several problems in plain language and said the extras never felt like scare tactics or upselling. Pricing draws the same word repeatedly — fair — and one reviewer put it below the larger companies they had also called.
The dissent is worth reading before booking. In May 2026 a customer rated the company two stars over a garden spigot replacement: arrival more than an hour past an 8–10am window, then two replacement valves that leaked because, they wrote, only the upstream side was pressure tested each time. One complaint against seventeen five-star reviews, but it is recent, and it is about the work rather than the manner.
The right call for a homeowner who needs a plumber who picks up — water heaters, radiators, valves, faucets. There is no website on file, so confirm the licence, insurance and the arrival window on the phone, and ask for the finished fixture to be run under load before the truck leaves.
Read the comments
Most recent comments
5.0Jul 17, 2026
Rick was fantastic to work with. He was professional, knowledgeable, and took time to thoroughly diagnose the source of my leak. He explained everything clearly, arrived on time, and completed the work with great attention to detail. His pricing was fair and much more reasonable than some of the larger companies I contacted. I really appreciated his honesty and quality workmanship. I highly recommend Bowden plumbing to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy plumber.
Rich arrived within 90 minutes after our first phone call to replace a failed water heater. During the repair, I alerted him to another small issue with the heating system of which he was able to diagnose and repair as well, even after having to run to the store for parts. All completed within several hours after I first reached out. He was/is as professional and courteous as they come. Five stars, would recommend
Will not work with them again. Replacement for garden spigot/hose bibb. He was more than an hour late for an 8-10am window. When he installed the first replacement, he only pressure tested the upstream side of the valve, without testing if the spigot actually functioned. Within a minute of using it the first time, it leaked. It took me a full day to convince him it was leaking and schedule another appointment to replace it again. Evidently, the first replacement was cracked, so he replaced it again. Again, he only pressure tested the upstream side, and the new valve leaked as well. When I contacted him, his response was "I'm not sure what you'd like me to do." I feel like installing a valve that doesn't leak isn't too much to ask, considering I hired them to replace a leaking valve. It took several days for him to finally acknowledge that the valve was leaking. Once we figured out it was leaking from the vacuum breaker relief, he wanted to do expensive testing/equipment install--or install a different type of valve that may or may not have met the building code. He refused to check the vacuum breaker itself. I ended up spending my own time and money to check the vacuum breaker, track down the correct part, and replace it. Now it works just fine, after fixing it myself. It would've taken him 5 minutes and a part he probably already had in the truck to fix the problem.
Rick is a true professional. He is responsive, knowledgeable, and reliable, and I have been very happy with the quality of both his work and his communication. I highly recommend him!