R P Holmes Corporation

R P Holmes Corporation is a West Newton plumbing, heating and cooling company that, by its own account, has served the Boston area since 1931 — the kind of shop where "we've used them for 25 years" shows up again and again in its reviews. The business says it's now in its third generation, run by President Susanne M. Holmes, a licensed Master Plumber and Construction Supervisor with 32 years at the firm, continuing what her grandfather Reginald started. The written record backs up that longevity. Reviewers describe a quick turnaround on frozen pipes and a same-day quote honored on a furnace replacement in a Victorian home with tight basement access, and several customers report decades-long relationships — one says they've used the company for boiler and water-heater work across more than 40 years. Its BBB profile carries an A+ grade with 95 years in business (though it isn't BBB accredited), and BuildZoom puts its permit record at 2,361 projects with a 99 score, an unusually deep public paper trail for a residential plumber. Its Massachusetts plumber license is active and verified directly with the state. The record isn't spotless. In a 2022 review, a homeowner described a leak from a repositioned pipe trap after a water heater installation and said the company had to be called back to fix it. In a 2025 BuildZoom review, a customer objected to the company's $350-an-hour emergency rate and a requirement to leave payment card details on file before a next-morning appointment — worth asking about up front if you're calling for anything urgent. A Reddit thread from this past summer still put the company near the top of a shortlist for plumbing and heating work. BuildZoom's directory profile also lists several additional trade credentials for the company — home improvement contractor, refrigeration, sheet metal and EPA renovation registrations among them — that haven't been separately verified against their registries; the plumbing license is the one confirmed directly with the state. For a straightforward plumbing or heating call in an older Newton-area home, R P Holmes has the kind of long track record that's hard to manufacture. Just confirm pricing and scheduling terms up front if you're calling after hours.