# Kerivan-Lane, Inc.

**Trade:** Plumbing · **Address:** 30 Charles St, Needham Heights, MA 02494, USA · **Phone:** (781) 757-2024 · **Website:** https://www.kerivanlane.com/?utm_campaign=GoogleBusinessProfile · **Languages:** English

**Rating: 4.5/5** (high confidence) — from 355 reviews across 6 sources.
96% of sentiment-scored reviews read net-positive. Last 6 months: 19 reviews, 0 negative.

## The honest read

Kerivan-Lane is a family-run plumbing, heating, and HVAC company based in Needham Heights that's been serving the area long enough that one Google reviewer says they've been a customer for over 50 years. It holds an active Massachusetts plumbing license, an A+ accredited rating with the Better Business Bureau, and a 4.8-star average across 817 Google ratings — a track record that runs deep: 355 reviews dating back to 2017, with 19 in just the last six months and none of those recent ones negative.

What comes up again and again is speed under pressure. A recent review describes Kerivan-Lane's team helping navigate a Mass Save rebate despite a few hitches along the way. In a January 2026 review, a customer said a technician diagnosed and corrected a furnace efficiency problem, pushing burner efficiency from 75% up to 83%. Another described a water heater replaced in under 24 hours of the initial call, and in a February 2026 review a technician was credited with restoring heat and hot water within 30 minutes, patiently walking the homeowner through what had gone wrong. A Reddit thread recommending HVAC contractors describes them as a responsive, fairly priced family business used for oil heat, gas heat, plumbing, and HVAC installs over many years.

The written record isn't spotless. A handful of reviews describe billing friction — in a January 2026 review, a customer said a staff member was rude and hung up on them over a disputed bill, though the issue was later resolved by another employee. In a 2025 review, a customer pushed back on the company's account of a botched appointment, saying they were required to pay for a service plan twice before anyone would come out, and that a check valve had been installed inside a wall in a way that caused ongoing problems. Two older reviews, from 2022 and 2023, describe customers feeling abandoned by the company's oil-delivery side when market prices spiked — one report of being left with a nearly-empty tank and only partial refills until a contract ran out. A separate web account describes a boiler installation that never reliably produced more than lukewarm water, paired with an unhelpful office.

For plumbing, heating, and HVAC work — especially anything urgent, from a dead furnace to a burst pipe — the volume and consistency of positive feedback here is real. If you're on an oil contract, it's worth understanding the pricing terms clearly up front, given the handful of billing and contract complaints on record.

**Strengths:**
- Emergency response — restores heat and hot water within the hour
- Long-tenured customers — some report decades of consistent service
- Technician expertise — diagnosed a furnace efficiency issue and fixed it

**Concerns:**
- Billing friction — some customers report rude staff over disputed charges
- Contract pricing disputes — oil customers report friction when prices spike
- Install quality complaint — a customer reported a wall-hidden valve issue

## Claims & citations

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

- Holds a Massachusetts plumbing license verified active by the state registry _(confidence: high)_
  - [State License Registry](https://occupationallicensingandpermitting.mass.gov/madol/s/license-search-page) — “MA plumber license 4260-PL-C verified active”
- Is an accredited BBB business with an A+ rating _(confidence: high)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/needham/profile/fuel-oil/kerivan-lane-inc-0021-6238) — “Better Business Bureau grade: A+”
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/needham/profile/fuel-oil/kerivan-lane-inc-0021-6238) — “Better Business Bureau: accredited / certified / member”
- A Reddit thread recommending HVAC contractors described the company as a responsive, fairly priced family business used for years across oil heat, gas heat, plumbing, and HVAC work _(confidence: medium)_
  - [reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/newtonma/comments/1uitf35/hvac_recommendations/ouidcga/) — “r/newtonma — I've used Kerivan-Lane for years. Family business, very responsive, fair pricing, good service. We've used them for oil heat, g…”
- In a January 2026 review, a technician diagnosed and corrected a furnace soot buildup issue, raising burner efficiency from 75% to 83% _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2xWT1NubFNia2xXZWtGa2JFMWhVa3RXY21GUGJtYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOlVOSnlSbklWekFkbE1hUktWcmFPbmc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Sean identified and corrected an ongoing issue with my furnace that was causing a build up of soot and low efficiency. Upon his tune up a…”
- In a February 2026 review, a technician restored heat and hot water within 30 minutes and explained the issue to the homeowner _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT201a2JISlVUMnhPY3pWQ1JrWlhNbFJYTmxwcGJsRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOm5kbHJUT2xOczVCRkZXMlRXNlppblE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Rob G. from Kerivan Lane was outstanding!  He arrived promptly and with a smile on his face and ready to bring our heat/hot water back. H…”
- In a January 2026 review, a customer said a water heater was replaced within 24 hours of the initial call _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2pBelEydHZYMW80Y2pOTU9XVjVaSFJyVVc5Q2QyYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOjAzQ2tvX1o4cjNMOWV5ZHRrUW9Cd2c%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ The response time was fantastic. I had my water heater replaced in less that 24 hrs after notifying them. The service and install was als…”
- A recent review said the company helped facilitate a Mass Save rebate despite some hitches with the program _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2pCZlJreGlkbU5RZEdsMlRFaHpWVEJEZWtwcFExRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOjBfRkxidmNQdGl2TEhzVTBDekppQ1E%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ I have used them for two projects. The second one had a hitch with the heat pump company but it was reconciled by KL and they have helped…”
- In a January 2026 review, a customer said a staff member (named Meghan Lane) was rude and hung up on them during a billing dispute, though a company representative later resolved it _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT21scFRtRllMVUZJWVROR05ESmhPVkJOWXkxNWVsRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOmlpTmFYLUFIYTNGNDJhOVBNYy15elE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “3★ Double bills (paper and email several weeks after delivery even if initial bill was paid). Meghan Lane is extremely rude and unprofession…”
- In a 2025 review, a customer disputed the company's account of a service issue, saying they had to pay for a service plan twice before dispatch and that a check valve was installed inside a wall in a way that caused ongoing problems _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2tGRU0wbFdWVFZ6T1dSWVRWUnphRGQzYkhod1FuYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOkFEM0lWVTVzOWRYTVRzaDd3bHhwQnc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “1★ **Update to the owners response:
Your company didn't get a fair chance to fix that? That's the biggest joke/lie I have heard lately!
1. I…”
- In 2022 and 2023 reviews, customers described the company's oil-delivery side leaving a tank nearly empty and providing only partial refills when market prices rose during their contract term _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSUNocVptZ0lREAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIChqZmgIQ%7C%7C?hl=en) — “1★ Don’t rely solely on these ratings like I did, you’ll regret it. If you want to pay a high premium for an mediocre service, then the rati…”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSUMydTdxZXh3RRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIC2u7qexwE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “1★ I agree with one of the reviewers that this company is run as a sales company, not service. I have an oil price agreement that will expir…”
- A web mention described a boiler installation that never reliably produced more than lukewarm water, along with an unhelpful office and rude technicians _(confidence: medium)_
  - [complaintinfo.com](https://complaintinfo.com/k-complaints/kerivan-lane-complaints.html) — “complaintinfo.com — Kerivan-Lane was a nightmare to work with for delivery of oil and basic service of a boiler. They never resolved the iss…”
- Specializes in Plumbing _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSUR1ejVyNVhREAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIDuz5r5XQ%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Hands down, without a doubt, the best plumbers ever!  Any problem, any time, these folks are here for us.  They are our personal plumbers…”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2s1UGJreFFhMVl3YVZsdFl6bFdiemhDYnpCR1JIYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOk5PbkxQa1YwaVltYzlWbzhCbzBGRHc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ I have been a Kerivan-Lane plumbing customer for over 20 years and they consistently deliver excellent work.  Every interaction I've had …”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT201UGVYZDJWbTFmV1dsWGQxbDNRVFJVTVdoM1gwRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOm5PeXd2Vm1fWWlXd1l3QTRUMWh3X0E%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ I've used Kerivan Lane for heating oil and heating maintenance for the last 10 years or so. Not the cheapest supplier by far, but they've…”
  - [State License Registry](https://occupationallicensingandpermitting.mass.gov/madol/s/license-search-page) — “MA plumber license 4260-PL-C verified active”
- Specializes in HVAC / Heating & Cooling _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURBaHNTU1p3EAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIDAhsSSZw%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Just installed a new a/c unit, Rob, Andrew and Brandon did an excellent job on a very hot day.  Thank you guys.”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2xWT1NubFNia2xXZWtGa2JFMWhVa3RXY21GUGJtYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOlVOSnlSbklWekFkbE1hUktWcmFPbmc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Sean identified and corrected an ongoing issue with my furnace that was causing a build up of soot and low efficiency. Upon his tune up a…”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2pnNVRYVlVlVTlUVEhCVFdXVkxWRmg1TTBWMGIwRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOjg5TXVUeU9TTHBTWWVLVFh5M0V0b0E%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ When it was time to upgrade our 12-year-old mini split, we didn’t hesitate to call the professionals at Kerivan-Lane.  Rob, their experie…”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT21OVE5YcENjbm93UjJoa2VqQk5VRFp0UzAxaldtYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5bdb63fa8c474404!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOmNTNXpCcnowR2hkejBNUDZtS01jWmc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Kerivan-Lane has recently installed new air conditioning/heating equipment for us, and it has been a completely positive experience.  A t…”
  - [reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/newtonma/comments/1uitf35/hvac_recommendations/ouidcga/) — “r/newtonma — I've used Kerivan-Lane for years. Family business, very responsive, fair pricing, good service. We've used them for oil heat, g…”

## License

Status: **active** (#4260-PL-C, plumber) — verified against the official MA state registry on 2026-07-01, 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=Kerivan-Lane%2C%20Inc.&query_place_id=ChIJ_4ko1iaC44kRBERHjPpj21s): 4.8★ from 817 ratings
- [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kerivan-Lane%2C%20Inc.&query_place_id=ChIJ_4ko1iaC44kRBERHjPpj21s): Listed on this source
- [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/needham/profile/fuel-oil/kerivan-lane-inc-0021-6238): Listed on this source
- [Official Website](https://www.kerivanlane.com): 104 yrs in business · Self-reported profile and service details
- [Angi](https://www.angi.com/companylist/us/ma/needham/kerivanlane-inc-reviews-51558319.htm): 5.0★ from 4 ratings
- [Exa](https://www.checkbook.org/ma/needham/air-conditioning-and-heating-contractors/kerivan-lane/sdco3): 5 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source)

## Mentions

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

- “I've used Kerivan-Lane for years. Family business, very responsive, fair pricing, good service. We've used them for oil heat, gas heat, plumbing, servicing an old HVAC system, and more recently instal…” — u/high_gravity in r/newtonma (2026-06-29) — https://www.reddit.com/r/newtonma/comments/1uitf35/hvac_recommendations/ouidcga/
- “Comparatively, I'd gotten quotes from Kerivan Lane ($44K) and another smaller contractor that I don't recall ($32K).” — u/WillyTRibbs in r/boston (2024-07-25) — https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/1ebxugr/20_heat_pump_quotes_north_of_boston_in_the_middle/lew6s0l/
- “Kerivan-Lane was a nightmare to work with for delivery of oil and basic service of a boiler. They never resolved the issue of why the boiler they installed could not keep water beyond a lukewarm tempe…” — complaintinfo.com — https://complaintinfo.com/k-complaints/kerivan-lane-complaints.html

## Recent reviews

- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Bill Eicholz · 2026-07-01**: Excellent service quality workmanship Five Stars for Kerivan-Lane Excellent Service & Quality Workmanship .
I've been a  customer  for 20 years, relying on them for both my heating oil delivery and all my plumbing needs, and I can honestly say their service has been consistently excellent. From the …
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Paul Nelson · 2026-06-28**: I have used them for two projects. The second one had a hitch with the heat pump company but it was reconciled by KL and they have helped me facilitate my rebate despite a few hitches with Mass Save.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Martin Spielmann · 2026-06-26**: George was terrific for our maintenance visit, letting us know his arrival time and completing the work in a timely fashion.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Ted Cannie · 2026-06-25**: Rob did a great job. He was friendly and professional, and knows his stuff. I would recommend him to anyone.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Saturnin Tomeho · 2026-06-23**: Ponctual and professional
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Thomas Cunningham · 2026-06-22**: He seemed to do a great job. Professional and prompt.
Thanks!
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Ty · 2026-06-12**: I was on a job today at a home where Karivan Lane were also working.  I noticed their professional approach and attention to detail while I was there.  Moreover, Rob went above and beyond to lend me a hand for a few minutes when he could have easily declined.  I would recommend them!
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Stephen Alter · 2026-06-09**: Nice job
Informative and efficient
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Betty Maxwe · 2026-06-08**: Just installed a new a/c unit, Rob, Andrew and Brandon did an excellent job on a very hot day.  Thank you guys.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Mary Liz Van Dyck · 2026-05-20**: We have always received outstanding service from Kerivan-Lane and today’s service from Titi was no exception. Tito was courteous and knowledgeable, and answered all our questions. Kerivan-Lane is fortunate to have him on their team.

---

Data freshness: last scanned 2026-07-01T19:55:34.509Z.
Cite as: Kerivan-Lane, Inc. — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/kerivan-lane-inc-needham-heights)
Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/kerivan-lane-inc-needham-heights