Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Garabedian Plumbing & Heating Inc.. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Same-day water heaters — reviewers describe leaking tanks replaced the same day
Emergency response — Sunday and after-hours callbacks described within minutes
Named technicians — Caleb, Eric, Rick and Alec praised across years
Upfront pricing — reviewers say costs were explained before work started
Heating and cooling too — furnaces, boilers and AC serviced alongside plumbing
Office and billing conduct — several reviewers describe rude calls and disputed invoices
Hourly rate clarity — a 2022 reviewer said hours billed doubled the quoted rate
One flooding report — a 2024 reviewer said a plumber flooded their home
Missed appointment — a 2025 reviewer reported a no-call, no-show
Small jobs — a 2021 reviewer said theirs was declined as too small
Garabedian Plumbing & Heating works out of 208 Austin Street in Worcester and is hired for both halves of its name: plumbing repairs and installations, and the heating and cooling equipment that sits beside them. The Better Business Bureau lists it under plumbing, heating and air conditioning, drainage and heating-system repair, and has it accredited with an A+ grade since November 2020. The Massachusetts license registry shows an active plumber license, 1538-PL-C, recorded under the name Peter Garabedian Plumb & Htng Inc.
The work customers describe most is water heaters. A July 2026 reviewer said Caleb replaced a leaking tank the same day and went on to find and address the underlying cause rather than the symptom. A May 2025 reviewer said a leaking heater was diagnosed on the first visit and a new one installed within a few hours. A July 2022 reviewer laid out an hour-by-hour timeline for a basement failure, including new exhaust piping to meet current code and a City of Worcester permit and inspection.
Speed under pressure is the other recurring theme. A December 2021 reviewer whose boiler quit at 22 degrees on a Sunday evening said Rick called back within minutes and talked him through the restart over video. Reviewers in July 2026 describe same-day dispatch for a drainage problem and for an emergency answered by two technicians. Individual names recur across years of separate visits: Caleb, Eric, Rick, Alec and Connor. Several reviewers say the cost was explained before anything was touched, and Google's own average sits at 4.3 stars across 219 ratings.
The complaints are consistent enough to raise at booking, and they cluster away from the wrench. A 2024 reviewer waited four months for a manager to return a call about an invoice and described the eventual conversation as rude; a 2022 reviewer described a phone exchange with office staff as a yell-fest. A September 2022 reviewer said the hourly charge worked out to roughly double the $150 rate quoted and that the office stood behind it, and a June 2022 reviewer who paid $200 for an initial visit felt the diagnosis was guesswork and wanted to know whether the person billing by the hour was a licensed plumber or an apprentice. A February 2024 reviewer said a plumber started work without shutting the water off and flooded the home, and a November 2025 reviewer reported a no-call, no-show.
For an emergency water heater, boiler or blocked drain around Worcester, this is a firm reviewers say turns up quickly and explains what it is doing. Before booking, get the hourly rate, any trip or diagnostic fee and who will be doing the work in writing, and confirm the plumber license directly with the Commonwealth.
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Most recent comments
5.0Aug 19, 2026
I have been using Garabedian for all my plumbing, air conditioning and heating for the past nine years. These guys are always prompt, clean and efficient. They always resolve the problem and give helpful advice and guidance. The technicians are always knowledgeable, polite and professional. They do a great job!
Our oil burner began leaking, so we attempted to DIY with replacing the value & unfortunately it did not work.
Called up Garabedian & was able to schedule a visit very quickly. In came Connor. He is not shy to tell you just how much of a heating nerd he is, but honestly, as a non heating nerd myself, his patience and ability to explain everything in a way that I could comprend was amazing.
He returned today for a deep cleaning, filter exchange & to change out one more valve, and it was again a great service. Very clean & thorough, which is a much different experience than I have had in the past.
Thank you Connor & Garabedian for your quick, thorough & educational service. I will be recommending you to everyone.
this is the 2nd time using Garabedian Plumbing. The 1st time was for an emergency plumbing issue. Their company is one of few that actually answer your call and book reasonable appointment times. The work I had done was finished in a very professional manner . Everything was explained to me clearly with a decent and affordable price. I will be using them for another plumbing project that I need done.
Caleb did a fantastic job replacing my leaking water tank. He not only installed the new tank the same day but also identified and addressed the root cause to prevent future issues. He thoroughly assessed my heating and plumbing system, offered honest recommendations for future improvements, and never tried to upsell - just made sure I was well informed. During the service call it was clear that he not only cares about the quality of his work but also customer satisfaction. Excellent Service...
Our kitchen faucet had a leak. Eric showed up promptly and immediately detected the loose connection which is the source of the leak. He carefully explained the issue in detail and showed me how to prevent this from happening again. Eric was very courteous, friendly, and efficient. Overall, beginning to end, he was here for less than 10 minutes!
