Blackburn & Davis Inc

When we bought our house in J-Town nearly 4 years ago we found out that the addition (added in '2000) had radiant heat. I was, like, AWESOME, because while fan-forced heat is the norm, bare feet on a heated floor is a pretty cool thing, especially in the cooler months.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when Jim (that's me!) noticed that the floor wasn't warm, even though I'd turned the radiant heat on. Checking the circulation pumps I noticed the one for our bedroom was really but not circulating hot water. This makes for unhappy Jim, because the sole reason I go barefoot in the bedroom (did ya catch that pun?) is that I likes the warm on the feets.

As realization set it, I decided that as much as I could *try* to replace the circulation pumps myself (Jim is a pretty handy guy), but I didn't want to run into something that would have ended up costing me more to fix and if I'd have called an expert in the first place.

To the yellow pages I go (that's purely a figure of speech any more...seriously) to see abut getting the pumps replaced. I started w/Drexler (who replaced our HVAC system a couple years ago). -- They don't do radiant (or, as I've come to learn, Hydronic) heat.

I called Jarboe's -- Nope.
I called Maeser -- Nope.

After a few disappointing phone calls that weren't getting me any closer to warming my feet, I tried a different approach. Instead of calling and trying my luck, I called the local plumbing supply business and asked the question Who in the area services residential hydronic heating?. They had one answer.

Blackburn and Davis was that answer.

I called to see if I could get someone out to fix my cold feet problem and they said they'd give me a call on Monday morning to see when someone would be out. Monday morning I got a phone call and was told they'd be out that morning. Less than an hour later they were at my front door.

I let them in and told them what the problem was and he started to diagnose the issue. In less then 10 minutes he had figured it out, said he had the parts he needed on the truck, and gave me an estimate. A quick call to the wife to let her know what was going on, and they went right to work.

As I watched (I'm an observer, not the hover over a guy and ask a bunch of questions to slow him down kinda guy.) I could tell that he was experienced at replacing these pumps and knew what he was doing.

Remember when I said I thought about buying the pumps and doing it myself? I was about 2/3 of the way correct. One of the bolts from the old pump wouldn't come off, so he had to use a nifty little round electrical hand-held saw to for that part (Jim doesn't have one of those). There were also a couple other parts that were needed that Jim probably didn't have, either.

About 90 minutes later the pumps were replaced, the work area was cleaned up, and Jim's feet were warm again.

I definitely made the right choice in calling Blackburn and Davis.

I had a GREAT experience with Blackburn & Davis. They truly went above and beyond for me.... they (Daryl) came in and were able to fix what another company had royally messed up on a disastrous install (literally installed backwards) and get my AC up and running within the hour. I would highly recommend Blackburn & Davis!

Blackburn and Davis is a rip off. I called them to check out my a/c because the fan motor stopped working and before the tech even made it to the basement he said I'll bet the heat exchanger is cracked. He pulled the motor out and said yep it's cracked. He said it will cost $6700.00 to replace it. I told him to put it back together, I was going to get another opinion. Later that day, the other company came. The first thing he said is who the hell has been working on this furnace the fan is not on the track and there's no bolts it in, very dangerous. He put it back together and replaced the capacitor and it was fixed, no cracked heat exchanger. I called twice to speak with the owner or manager at Blackburn and Davis but he wouldn't speak with me. They charged me $112.00 and won't refund my money.

Not happy. Came out to give estimate on plumbing prob and was charged $178 for the 15 min. visit! The estimate was way higher than others, so they did not do the work.

local company.. very helpful timely and good at working on older houses in this neighborhood. good plumbers. they've replaced my A/C and my furnace and I trust enough to leave a house key. But they don't work weekends. they do the work, leave and send you a bill ina couple days...

Very pleased with the professionalism, execution, and service.

I have used Blackburn & Davis for 30 years for all my plumbing and HVAC needs. I recently had Daryl out to get my A/C working. Per usual, the repair was made in a timely manner and at what I feel to be a reasonable cost. For me, a good Plumbing/HVAC company is as important as a good auto mechanic, electrician and carpenter. Blackburn & Davis is the ONLY one I need to call. Thanks guys!!

John Powell
City of Louisville
Chief Mechanical Inspector - Retired

Sept 2022 - Another quality installation!!!

They won’t show up on time and blame you for it. They’ll do the bare minimum and you’ll have to go back and do the majority of the work. Just keep looking for another contractor.

We called Blackburn Davis to help install a smart toilet, upon arrival the two men stated they had never installed a toilet like that and did not like fancy toilets, they spent over an hour on the telephone (mostly on hold) with the manufacturer. I was eventually handed the phone to explain the issue and was told parts were missing. Granted missing parts were not Blackburns' fault and ultimately the toilet was sent back and replaced and we installed it personally (all handled by ourselves, not them). However, we were charged $220.00 for a phone call (I did most of the explaining). I called owner/manager and was told the charge was the charge and it did not matter if they did anything; the meer fact they were dispatched was the reasoning. I offered half the service charge as a consult/estimate a very average charge for other services but was told it was unacceptable. We will NEVER use them again and will not recommend them either.

Blackburn and Davis was recommended to us when our steam shower stopped working. They went above in beyond from start to finish - properly diagnosing the problem, working with the manufacturer’s warranty department to receive a replacement part, and installing the new piece. We did not even realize it was under warranty and really appreciate the extra effort they put into it.
So, when we needed a plumber for our water heater we again contacted Blackburn and Davis. They were again polite, professional, and knowledgeable. They promptly and correctly diagnosed the problem and performed the necessary repairs. I appreciate that they took the time to answer my questions while they were here.
We would absolutely recommend Blackburn and Davis without reservation.

Very bad company. Took advantage of the elderly. Seems to be proud of it. As you can tell by other reviews you really need to stay clear of companies that borderline criminal and are definitely unethical. Owner seriously lacks any moral fiber.

I am so dissatisfied with a recent visit. They repaired an AC. 2 days later it went out again. I ended up using another company to replace entire unit which would have been the best option to start with. At no time did anyone from Blackburn call to suggest replacing the unit. Now I am stuck with a $400 repair fee for two days of cool air. I called today to discuss the bill and would not budge on the expense. I would have replaced the unit if they had originally told me that was the best option.

Just got done readings 5 posts in this company.
15 total . This is a response to over 4,200 jobs this company did last year. Not bad for a 15-18 employee company. No company is perfect. Never will be. 104 years in business says something. Company had worked on 3-5 million dollar remodels around Louisville in recent years. Breweries, boilers, etc. Some guys with the company have 30-45 years exp. NO ONE WORKS ON COMMISION. Generally consider the source!!

*Updated* I just recently got off the phone with the people at Blackburn & Davis. They are doing away with my bill. I'm changing my review from 1 star to 4 on the basis that they helped me out in a difficult situation with my bill. They were also incredibly polite and the two men who came to my house were good guys.

This place is a rip-off. I do not recommend their services. They had us waiting weeks for a replacement part we didn't even need. Then WAY overcharged. Terrible way to run a business. Avoid at all costs.

Blackburn & Davis are rip off artists that take advantage of elderly property owners and give their customers nothing but the run around.
They installed a VERY loud switch in my bedroom and WILL NOT come back to fix it. I managed to talk to the owner Bob once and he was very short and snippy with me and said he was right on top of it and would call me the minute [he] had any news on finding a new switch to install. I have called their office almost every day since for over a week and left messages for the OWNER Bob to call me back and he refuses to call me. He told my landlord the work was all done so she would pay him after he told me they were going to come back and fix it. Every time I call he is out of the office and the secretary doesn't know why he hasn't called [me] yet, she left all the messages right on his desk.
READ THE OTHER REVIEWS! DO NOT USE BLACKBURN AND DAVIS FOR ANYTHING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Very reckless and careless. Will cost you hundreds! Do not recommend. Poor quality and results.

Replaced my leaking fan coil.

Two men came out to inspect and reinstall a Numi toilet. First they said they had no experience with that type of toilet and took longer than expected to finish. The bill stated that they made all wiring connections for toilet features but it only needed to be plugged in, which I can do! The bill was $325.83 which is higher than any plumbing bill we've ever received for anything! I called the company to speak with the owner/manager to see if they could make an adjustment. The receptionist took the call and said she would have Bob' get back to me. He never returned the call. I called again and still no response.

Their website says they're open 24/7. I called them on 2 occasions, both after hours, and both times were emergencies. All I got was an answering machine that says We're closed for the day. Leave a message and we'll call you tomorrow. I had to get other people to address the emergency.
When I have used Blackburn and Davis (during business hours) I was satisfied with their work. But they are NOT available after hours, regardless of what their advertising says.

Unbelievably expensive. Love working with small business and would even pay a little more to do it. However, I was recently sent an invoice for $513.50 to check for a gas leak on a furnace.

Told me they had to wait for the utilitity company for 3-4hrs and it was 94/hr to wait.

I am clearly in the wrong business if plumbers get 94/hr when they aren’t working. Never again, guess big business is the only option these days.

I work for a non-profit and we used them to replace a ac unit. The unit they installed had issues from day 1, and they would charge us to fix the unit they installed. The finishing straw was when they quoted us $3k to replace an hvac line that wasn't broken (second opinion confirmed that). Stay away from these guys.

When i called to set up a tech the lady was a little rude when i told her i needed a tech later in the day. But when the 2 techs got to my house they were super friendly and got the issue fixed no problem. I will use them again.

If I could give Blackburn & Davis a 0 star rating I would... let me start off by saying, that I'd never been straight-up *kicked out* of an office until today. The condo association of my building unfortunately depends on Blackburn, and I had recently called them about our drip pan in our a/c unit overflowing - supposedly, the problem was coming from the lines to our building's chiller, which Blackburn denied. They looked under a couple'a ceiling tiles, took a few pictures, and left without actually doing or even touching anything.

A day ago, I received a xerox copy of the bill from the condo association, marked that the bill was 'Past Due' (this was the only communication from them I had even received), and the bill total came out to $114 - $94 being a Labor charge... for labor that was actually not even done.

Needless to say, I was livid over a bogus charge for a guy to come in and take pictures and leave, so I attempted TODAY to go to Blackburn & Davis' office on Frankfort Ave to negotiate the matter. The older gentleman there, wouldn't even hear me out - nor even let me speak - as he kept interrupting me, then abruptly, he opened the office door leading out onto the street, and told me to get my a** out of his office; he also said, Don't you EVER call us again!, then called me a son of a b**ch as a I walked out.

Such an unprofessional attitude, an unwillingness to hear customers out, and a VERY shady practice... DON'T deal with Blackburn & Davis ever! They'll scam you by cutting corners (or,, by not actually even doing any work), then they'll charge outlandish fees for their sucky service. Good Riddance, B&D.

We were having new countertops and a sink installed. I needed a plumber to disconnect disposal, drain line, water supplies to faucet and dishwasher drain then return to hook everything backup after sink installation. Being new to the community and wanting to use someone close I contacted Blackburn and Davis. The quality of their work was excellant however I thought their bill of $752 for labor was very excessive for the amount of time they were here. I definitely will contact someone else the next time I need a plumber.

One of the technicians used my restroom, left his deodorant on my sink, used my towel and clogged my sink with grey sludge. He never asked to use my bathroom. I have no idea what else he might have used in there. Totally unprofessional and creepy.

Excellent service, quick response, experienced staff

The best.

Woke up this morning to no hot water!
Called B&D on a Saturday morning, and got a recorded message, wondering if I faced two days of no hot water!

I called another well-known plumbing company and scheduled and estimate visit. Meanwhile, I received a return call from a B&D technician in less than fifteen minutes! The technician was at the house, preparing the removal of the old leaking unit less the 30 minutes later. He and a helper came back with a new 50 gal, gas Lochinvar, and had it installed and working in about 3 hrs from my initial call!

To be honest, we have used Blackburn & Davis for many years for plumbing & HVAC, as had my mother-in-law. I shouldn't have worried when I got the standard office recording, as the owner checks the machine every morning, I was told.

I would recommend Blackburn & Davis for any plumbing or HVAC needs!