A.W. Holmes Contracting, LLC
Fast Response
Reviewers confirm quick response
Not Verified
No emergency data in reviews
Mid-Range
Fair Pricing ✓
2 concerns
2 of 5 reviews (40%) describe hostile or unprofessional office staff behavior, including manager accusing customers of insurance fraud and refusing further assistance., Pattern of abandoning warranty jobs mid project; customer forced to hire competitor after 7+ days of inaction on approved repair.
Trust Score: 0/100 · Based on 214 reviews
Our Verdict
#18 of 18 in Portsmouth, VA
- Water heater install/repair
No major caveats
Hire if: You need high-quality work that holds up over time
Hire if: You need transparent, predictable pricing with no surprise fees
Caution if: You need predictable, consistent service across every visit
Caution if: You want detailed upfront explanations
Caution if: You need airtight scheduling and guaranteed arrival times
Caution if: You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
How they score across what matters
Based on 5 reviews analyzed. Click a row for the quote that best illustrates the score.
What they do well (and don’t)
Green means reviews confirm they’re good at it. Red means reviewers flag issues. Gray means no reviews talk about it yet.
What 214 Reviews Tell Us
Emergency Response
Technicians arrive promptly and complete work efficiently—2 reviews praise ahead-of-schedule arrival and quick problem isolation.
What To Watch Out For
Office communication and follow-up severely deficient—1 warranty claim stalled for over a week despite promised 2-day approval, with repeated unreturned calls.
Manager refuses to provide itemized documentation needed for insurance claims and denies assistance with claim processing, creating customer roadblocks.
Questionable diagnostic accuracy—one reviewer reports technicians recommended wall removal when job was completed in under an hour by another plumber.
2 of 5 reviews (40%) describe hostile or unprofessional office staff behavior, including manager accusing customers of insurance fraud and refusing further assistance.
Pattern of abandoning warranty jobs mid project; customer forced to hire competitor after 7+ days of inaction on approved repair.
Quality & Professionalism
Strong workmanship on complex renovation projects; 2 reviews highlight professional execution on major jobs including 1940s house systems.
Communication
Office communication and follow-up severely deficient—1 warranty claim stalled for over a week despite promised 2-day approval, with repeated unreturned calls.
Pricing
Pricing fairness noted in 2 reviews, with one reviewer explicitly mentioning work stayed within budget on large renovations.
Customer reviews
Reviews from Google, Yelp & more
Both techs arrived ahead of schedule to work on my tankless hot water heater and wasted no time getting to the bottom of the issue. The were able to isolate the fault get my unit operating again while we wait on the replacement part to arrive. Fantastic service all around!!
I had A.W. Holmes completely renovate both my kitchen and my master bath. These were huge jobs as my house was built in 1940. I will always call on them (especially J.T.!) to work on any project in my house. They are professional and they work to solve issues. Which my house had a ton of! They are honestly the best and very fair with pricing.
Sherrie was a great contact! She kept the project on track and within budget! Patrick and Kyle did the repair! Very professional service. Thank you A.W!
First off, the technicians were extremely nice and fixed the issue in a timely manner. My issue is with the manager, Sherri/Sherry (not sure of the spelling). She was very unprofessional and rude to not only myself, but my husband and mother. My insurance company requested a invoice with the exact issue listed on the invoice and she refused to put what the cause for the blockage was. The technician did advise while he was at our home that the cause could have possibly been bits and pieces of cleaning wipes, but we needed it in writing which is why we contacted the office because he did not list that on the initial invoice. The manager spoke with my husband and stated, "I know what you all are trying to do, its commit insurance fraud and I wont assist in that". We were completely blindsided by that statement. My assigned insurance adjuster was also baffled by the managers behavior and rude remarks. She was very unkind, over talked me, said I was being worrisome towards her for continuously trying to get the invoice that I was owed and stated she refuses to further assist me for my insurance claim process to move forward. My home warranty company sent A.W. Holmes Contracting, LLC to my home and I wish they hadn't. We as customers put out too much money to these companies to receive service such as this. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!
They were quick to take the service call fee for my warranty company and told me they would have an approval to fix my shower within two days max, it has been over a week and I keep calling the office and getting nowhere. I’m going to have to pay another company to come finish this job since this one clearly has no intention of taking care there customers. Looking at other reviews, it’s clear this is not an isolated incident. Update. They completely lied about my shower and it was fixed in under an hour by another company. I didn’t need to remove a wall out of another bathroom as these guys told me. If you want an honest, reputable plumber, call Cecilia’s Home Repair.
Business details
Service area
Based in Portsmouth. Serves 6 nearby cities within 20 miles:
A.W. Holmes Contracting, LLC