Coastal Plumbing and Heating

When a water heater dies, people call Ken. That is the shape of Coastal Plumbing and Heating's history almost from top to bottom: a Georgetown father-and-son operation — Ken and Ken Jr. get named over and over — that turns up fast, quotes a number that doesn't move, and has the tank swapped the same day or the next. A customer writing in December 2023 lost their heater on the weekend two days before Christmas, couldn't find anyone, and had Coastal out within the hour with no extra charge for the emergency. The volume behind that is real. HomeAdvisor carries 4.9 stars across 233 ratings; Google sits at 4.2 across 23. Price comes up about as often as speed. A 2025 reviewer said competing quotes ran nearly double. Another in December 2023 said Coastal was the only company that didn't charge for an estimate — and that the estimate didn't change. In an August 2025 review, a homeowner who had collected seven referrals picked Coastal because Ken explained on the phone how water heaters actually work before quoting a price. The recent months read the same way: a June 2026 customer had a new heater in within two hours, cleanup included. The work runs past tanks — gas boilers, gas piping, leaks, shut-off valves, a water filter installed for a customer writing in July 2024 — and the company advertises no weekend surcharge, which a September 2025 reviewer was surprised to find was true. Scheduling is the thing to know, and it comes from the minority who were unhappy rather than from the work itself. A December 2023 reviewer hired Ken to replace condo water shut-offs, confirmed the appointment by both text and phone, then was told he'd be late and had to chase him for an update. A January 2023 customer, complimentary otherwise, took a star off for an hour's lateness and later appended an update about trying to reach the company again. A November 2022 reviewer described an $1,800 quote to move a toilet to the other side of a bathroom. Google, where those accounts live, runs nearly a full point below HomeAdvisor. On licensing: the site advertises direct contact with a licensed master plumber and lists Massachusetts licence 16825 for Kenneth B. Popielski. That is the company's own statement rather than a confirmed credential, so ask for the number and check it yourself, as you would with any plumber. BBB grades the business A+ but has not accredited it, and its file, opened in 2020, shows nothing either way from customers. For an emergency tank swap or a straightforward gas job at a fair price, this is one of the better-documented small shops in the area. Confirm the appointment the day before, and get the licence number when you book.