South East Total Service
Plumber · Chattanooga, TN · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
South East Total Service holds 4.6★ on 235 Google reviews but reviewConsistency is only 0.43 — 17 of 100 analyzed are 1-star, with 3 poor_workmanship tags and 4 expensive flags alongside strong holiday-weekend emergency response praised by multiple reviewers.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #15 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in Chattanooga, TN · compare all →
Our opinion, based on the 100 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
Lists 24-hour service on its Google profile — and reviewers describe after-hours calls.
What reviewers praise
Holiday-weekend emergency pipeline burst — only company that responded when every competitor refused; Gino and Robert located and repaired the leak the same evening for an office complex of businesses
1 cited review
“When a pipe burst in our parking lot over a holiday weekend, it shut down our entire office complex of businesses and restaurants. We were in a true emergency, and every other plumbing company we called was either unavailable or unwilling to help—except South East Total Service.”
Long-term customers cite septic system replacements, main drain repipes, and sewer clears over years of repeat use — 9g0ol3ldAazecrU8lOOv references multi-project history at fair pricing
1 cited review
“AWESOME!!! I have used South East Total Service for years. They have replaced the line to my septic system and put a new top on it and they had to replace a main drain pipe for my house, among other things in between. They work hard and do a great job. They're also honest and are priced fair. 5 STARS”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 1 cited review not excerpted here.
What reviewers report — the concerns
Other directories bury these. We think you should read them before you call. Every concern below comes from the reviews it cites.
Red flag
3 poor_workmanship tags in 100 reviews — one Yelp account describes a tech who made lewd remarks, smoked in a van, over-charged, and left the leak unresolved; utility company was furious at the repair quality
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
1-star pattern: 17 of 100 reviews are 1-star — reviewConsistency of 0.43 is the lowest in this batch; negative reviews span unresolved calls, pricing disputes, and workmanship failures
“They wanted $1300.00 for putting in a 50 gallon Hot water heater!!!! Wanted to do extra on a 100 year old home! Rediculous!!! Another put it in in 1 hour for $400.00 Plumber was telling us what had to be done which was not true!!!”
Cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Scheduling reliability mixed: 1-star review describes a no-show despite same-day confirmation call, with after-hours tech unable to resolve — 2 slow_response tags across 100 analyzed reviews
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Pricing complaints in 4 of 100 analyzed reviews — $1,300 quote for a 50-gallon water heater install (installed by another plumber for $400) and one Yelp reviewer paid $200+ for 1 hour of work with a $15 part marked up to $79
“They wanted $1300.00 for putting in a 50 gallon Hot water heater!!!! Wanted to do extra on a 100 year old home! Rediculous!!! Another put it in in 1 hour for $400.00 Plumber was telling us what had to be done which was not true!!!”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 5 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“My landlord ordered a hot water heater and I was contacted to schedule installation. I was scheduled for a slot of 1-4 p on Thursday 1/8. I receive a call day of as expected to let me know the tech was finishing up his job in Dalton and would be headed to me, reaching me by 3:30. Well , that time came and passed. I waited until 4:30,to call. I was told by the lady he would be here in 30, as he got caught in traffic …”
“I had a plumbing emergency and my regular plumber was not available. Pete was sent to my house. He took extreme measures that were not necessary, was in his van most of the time, sexually harassed me multiple times, was intoxicated, and charged me for a job that was incomplete. It was horrible. My neighbor was present the entire time, so this is not just my version of the story. I tried to speak to the owner of …”
“Terrible service Ryan 2-9-2018 gave us an estimate and was to return on 2-26-2018 to do the repairs. Come 2-26-18 @08.50 no Ryan no call. We called the office and were told we were not on the schedule . So we rescheduled to Thurs 3-1 -18. When he got here he found reasons not to replace the studor vents, fix the tub drain , fix the tub spout and leaky tub faucet items that he had quoted us 371.00 to repair . He …”
Positive
“My water heater had gone bad and I went to Home Depot to get one and they set up everything and scheduled South East (total service) everything plumbing. They sent a young man to my house by the name of Cody. He called me when he was in route. I told him that I was at Home Depot but I should get there a few minutes after him. It was 5 minutes later, but he said not a problem. He arrived at my home at 8:30, and I …”
“Jeremy was our tech. I had an unusual plumbing problem at my house. (meaning I had a clogged drain somewhere ,in my 3 story house meaning someone possibly had dropped a washcloth, as well as black fabric cloth into a toilet).Another plumber came twice to take care of the problem, I paid them each time ,however, the problem continued. meaning I had a lower level sink that clogged again, yes sink clogged,"stuff was …”
Quotes are reproduced verbatim from public reviews on the platforms shown; we select which to feature, and selection reflects our editorial judgment. Report a quote that doesn't match its source ↗
The rating picture
Our sample skews heavily toward critical reviews — it disagrees with the Google average shown above.
Newest review in our sample: Jan 2026.
Across platforms
3 Yelp 1-star reviews surface conduct/workmanship failures and pricing disputes not visible in the Google 5-star majority — worth weighing both platforms before booking.
Should you hire South East Total Service?
Hire if
- You need fast same-day or after-hours response
- You need clear communication and upfront explanations
Think twice if
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need airtight scheduling and guaranteed arrival times
Look elsewhere if
- You're highly price-sensitive
- You need this for a complex or high-stakes install
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own South East Total Service?
You can respond to our analysis, correct business facts, or dispute the accuracy of a quoted review. Responses that check out get published on this page, and factual errors get corrected — see our corrections policy. We don't remove accurate quotes, but we'll re-run your assessment as your reviews change.
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