MENOTOMY PLUMBING & HEATING

A homeowner with a tricky exterior ball valve wrote in May 2026 that Paul Stites was the only one who did not immediately quote replacing the whole assembly — he took the time to replace the defective valve instead, and it worked. Menotomy Plumbing & Heating is a small family-run Arlington shop that says it has more than 20 years behind it, with a self-listed service area of fifteen towns from Belmont and Cambridge out to Newton and Reading. In practice it is Paul: most of the reviews name him, and the work runs from faucets and fill valves to water heaters, backflow preventers, dishwashers and a gas stove. The accounts are specific. In June 2025, a customer whose hot water heater sprung a leak said he helped them choose the replacement and was there within 24 hours, straightening out some awkward pipe runs with copper he had with him. A July 2025 backflow preventer replacement ended with the area left cleaner than he found it. In November 2025, a bathroom faucet swap turned out far more complicated than anticipated, with corroded pipes that had to be cut out with a saw. A September 2025 customer described fill and supply valves on two toilets in a third-floor condo, explained as he went. Price comes up almost as often as the work. A July 2026 customer said the quote beat what other sources had given them; a business owner in April 2026 called the pricing fair; another April 2026 reviewer called him competitively priced. One June 2025 customer had known Paul since he worked for one of the large plumbing companies in the area. One thing to sort out before booking: the Massachusetts plumbing licence held in the company's name, 2876-PL-C, is expired on the state registry, and BuildZoom shows the same number as inactive with a 2012 expiration. Angi and HomeAdvisor each list a different Massachusetts trade licence number for the business. Ask Paul which licence he works under, get the number, and ask for the certificate of insurance while you have him on the phone. For a leaky faucet, a failing water heater, a backflow preventer or an appliance hookup around Arlington, this is a strong call — one plumber who turns up, explains the options and prices them in front of you. Settle the licence question first.