Verified record
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Welch Brothers Company Inc. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$290 – $710
Typical plumbing job around $500
Ask around Lowell about who still understands steam heat, and Welch Brothers comes up by name — a recent Reddit thread singled them out specifically for steam-boiler knowledge, contrasting them with another contractor's vague, sky-high quote. That kind of specialty knowledge tracks with the company's own history: a Tanner Street plumbing and heating shop that says it's served Greater Lowell and the Merrimack Valley since 1904. The reviews on file are few but specific. In a 2022 review, a customer described a Saturday boiler emergency where the regular techs were all out on other jobs — the owner drove out himself, diagnosed the problem, and rigged a temporary fix to get the household through the weekend until parts arrived. Another 2022 review describes a full master bathroom renovation, naming technicians Kyle and Gary for professional, friendly work. BBB lists the company at just one employee, which is worth keeping in mind against the 24/7 emergency service the company advertises — a small shop can mean more personal attention, but also fewer hands if more than one emergency comes in at once. Its Massachusetts plumber license is verified active on the state registry. For a steam or older-boiler system that other plumbers shy away from, or routine plumbing and heating work in the Lowell/Chelmsford area, this looks like a well-regarded, long-established call — just ask directly about response time if your own service call isn't the only one on the board that day.
“$30K is an I don't want the job, don't know how to do the job or will sub it out pricing. Garbage. If they are throwing out that pricing, there's a chance they didn't even properly service your boiler. I'm on board with the person that said Welch Bros. They know steam and will properly pipe it. They replaced one of mine and service both that install and the old one in my 2-family. I'm sure some of the others noted are good as well, but just make sure they really know steam, as it's not just swapping out a FHA furnace.”
“Welch Bro. on Tanner St.”
“She was retired from Welch Brothers Company as secretary-bookkeeper after 46 years.”
Great team, easy to work with, always save the day.
Great guys who do quality work at a fair price. These guys fixed a leak, and modified my setup to prevent the leak from happening again. The office was also great with helping me setup the visit in addition to getting a insurance cert needed for my condo association.
Really reliable, great company. Came home to water in the basement from the boiler and a continuous stream coming from a pipe out of the boiler. We were filling up buckets and shop-vac'd the water. Called the company that normally services our home and they had an emergency line to leave a message but they did not call us back last night or this morning. Our neighbor told us about Welch Bros and that they helped them in a pinch in the past. I left a message and hoped someone was checking. Derek from Welch Bros called me shortly after and walked us through what to look for to find the right lever to turn off the water to the boiler. He then called me the next morning at 8am to confirm we were available to have someone come right over, and they came right over. They replaced the pressure tank for us in under an hour and the issue was resolved. I really appreciated the quick call back after leaving a message last night and the ability to get someone over first thing in the morning. They will be my new go-to for any kind of service. They called back when we had an emergency and calmly helped us fix the issue for the time being. Thank you Derek!
A friend referred us to them and they are really good.
I've used Welch Brothers twice. They are on time and professional. They came promptly once was an emergency situation. I honestly can not say enough good about them.
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Certified attributes are verified against the public registry. Others are the business's own statement.
1 change recorded — last scanned Aug 16, 2026.
Fast emergency response5.0
Prompt emergency repairs4.7
Fast on no-heat calls4.7
Furnace, boiler and water-heater work3.8
100 years in business2.9