Sil Craft Plumbing & Heating Ltd.

Had these guys do a few small jobs at the recommendation of a neighbour and then a couple of larger ones (new furnace, bathroom rebuild). Work was just OK. They are difficult to get hold of, difficult to pin down an appointment time, they don't always keep appointments, don't follow up with unfinished work. Generally pretty frustrating to deal with if you have a job that involves more than a single simple visit and you don't like to keep taking time off work. Furnace install failed inspection 2 times, discovered that they had also let their Calgary plumbing licence lapse. Eventually called in another plumber to finish bath. Both projects have since raised the eyebrows of other plumbers- everything works OK, but no one else would have done it like that. So I wouldn't recommend them.

These guys do OK work (no problems so far and work was done about a year ago), but are on the pricey side. They installed an 85 gallon hot water tank in my basement last year and removed the two 40 gallon ones. The new tank went exactly where one of the previous ones was so that existing piping could be reused and minimal modifications needed.

From start to finish, the whole job only took about 2.5 hours. I did a bunch of the prep work before which included relieving the pressure and draining both of the tanks, purging the water from the pipes, and making a path out of the basement. I also did the cleanup afterwords which were was mainly rust water, bits of pex/pipe, and solder (I believe some of the pipe was laying on the floor when it was soldered). The entire 2.5 hour job cost me $2730.

I found out later that the hot water tank itself costs about $1000 which means the labour rate was about $700/hour. To be fair, there were 2 people present (1 working, 1 supervising). However, it started to feel expensive when I started comparing.

My lesson learned was to get multiple quotes and not to rush things (which is difficult when the water heater is not working). I relied on word of mouth and also saw a couple of good reviews (there were a limited number) online for this company so I didn't bother with other quotes. Lastly, there are many models of Bradford White water heaters. Based on the price quote I got, I assumed I would be getting a higher end one, but I only got the basic one.

My perception has now changed, and next time I would probably opt for a bigger more reputable company than a mom and pop operation.

I used SilCraft to do furnace inspections on my home and some rental properties and found them efficient and reasonable. I have a good deal of experience contracting these services and they are the best I've seen yet. They are a father and son company and have been in business for many years with an AA BBB rating. I subsequently contracted them to replace 3 water heaters. Their price was competitive and they did a good workmanlike job installing a quality product when promised. They offer an 8 year warranty on the heater plus installation. I will definitely use them again.

I countnt unblock the kitchen sink by conventional mean and this guy was super efficient at getting the think working again. I was unable to get it unblocked with a plunger or by pouring product down the hole but with one quick phonecall and a reasonable price, I was able to use the sink again. Brilliant!

Had Silcraft Plumbing & Heating (Sil and his son) out recently to help me get settled in to my new construction home.
The work involved routing a gas line for my new dual fuel range, a cold water line to my fridge and installing those appliances in addition to a new Bosch dishwasher.

After a scheduling mix up (partly my fault for assuming), SilCraft would be put in a bind to do the work on the day I needed this work completed... they sensed my desperation and made it out to do the work.
Despite the surprise addition to their schedule that day, they spent the time needed to do the work right (in excess of 6 hours). The routing of water and gas lines was done with minimal cutting. They were patient, courteous and very personable.
With exception being handed an invoice at the end of the day, it's like having two friends in your house all day helping you out.

I always prefer getting the person who's company name is riding on the quality of their service and not some fly-by-night employee who just wears the uniform from 9 to 5.
With SilCraft, Sil shows up.

Thanks again guys.

I had a tankless hot water heater installed a year ago by another company. I had found problems with a gas leak that I got these guys out to fix. Within 30 minutes of being here, they found many problems with the installation, from misplaced vents, to inadequate supply lines. They showed me all of the problems with the previous installers work and showed me how we were going to fix it. Today, the job is done and I'm left with a greater feeling of safety about my house.

While they were at it, I had a water softener installed.

These guys are pros, and nice to boot. I'd recommend them any day.

I had these guys out to give me an estimate, after having a few other companys out already. All the other contractors said they would have to cut open the ceiling of my newly renovated basement. Saying it would cost upwards or 12 or 13 thousand dollars. This was not helpful. So I called SilCraft plumbing and heating. Nicholas came out after hours to take a look, and did'nt charge anything for that either. He was calm, professional, and reassuring. He took a completly different approach and did'nt seem to think there would be any need to cut up my ceiling at all! He just used the existing chimney that was already there. When they came back to do the work they did a really great job. I could tell they cared what they were doing. I'd use these guys again and recommend them any day!

Cheers,