BALLS OF BARWELL
BackWhen seeking tradespeople for home maintenance and emergencies, finding a company that is both reliable and multi-skilled can be a significant challenge. BALLS OF BARWELL, a business operating from its base on Shilton Road in Leicester, positions itself as a solution by offering a combination of plumbing, heating, and electrical services. This dual-trade capability is one of its most notable features, potentially saving homeowners the difficulty of coordinating between different firms for jobs that require both skill sets, such as a full bathroom renovation or a kitchen appliance installation.
A Family-Run Business with Decades of Experience
Established for over 30 years, BALLS OF BARWELL is a family-run enterprise. This long history often translates into a deep understanding of local housing stock and a commitment to maintaining a strong community reputation. Unlike larger, more anonymous corporations, family businesses frequently offer a more personal level of service, where accountability is high. The company's longevity suggests a sustained period of successful operation and customer satisfaction. Critically, they hold the necessary accreditations that are non-negotiable for safety and compliance. For their heating and gas work, they are Gas Safe registered (No: 195957), which is the legal requirement for any engineer working on gas appliances. For their electrical work, they are designated as NICEIC approved contractors, providing assurance that their work meets the UK's stringent safety standards.
Core Service Offerings: Plumbing and Heating
The company provides a comprehensive range of plumbing services. Based on customer feedback and their own business information, their team is adept at handling urgent situations. They are often called upon for emergency plumber services during their operating hours, addressing issues like burst pipes, severe leaks, and central heating failures. One customer noted how the company came to their mother's rescue to fix a central heating pump on the coldest day of the year, highlighting a capacity for rapid and effective emergency response. Their services in this area include:
- Boiler repair and servicing
- New central heating installation
- Hot water cylinder repairs and installation
- Fixing leaking taps and toilets
- Leak detection and pipe repair
- Clearing blocked drains
- Complete bathroom and shower installations
Core Service Offerings: Electrical Work
Complementing their plumbing expertise, the firm employs qualified electricians capable of handling a wide array of domestic electrical needs. This is a significant advantage for customers. For instance, if a new electric shower is being installed, the same company can manage both the plumbing connections and the required electrical wiring, ensuring seamless project management. Their electrical services are extensive and cover both minor repairs and major projects.
- Full and partial house rewiring
- Consumer unit replacement (upgrading old fuse boxes)
- Installation of new sockets and lighting fixtures
- Electrical fault finding and electrical repairs
- Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) for landlords and homeowners
Analysing the Customer Experience
A deep dive into customer feedback reveals a consistent pattern of positive experiences. The responsiveness of the company is a frequently praised attribute. One client reported calling at 8:15 AM with a heating and lighting issue that was fully resolved just two hours later. This points to an efficient dispatch system and the ability to diagnose and fix problems quickly. Another long-term review commended the company for its excellent communication, noting that the team kept them informed even when running late on a previous job—a level of professionalism that is often lacking in the trade industry.
Trustworthiness is another recurring theme. A customer who hired them for a heating system upgrade and other odd jobs described the difficulty in finding reliable tradespeople and stated that BALLS OF BARWELL are genuinely trustworthy. This sentiment is reinforced by the company's transparent pricing policies, which include offering free quotations and having no call-out charge, allowing potential customers to understand costs upfront without commitment. The mention of work being done at a "good price" suggests they offer competitive value, balancing quality workmanship with fair costs.
Understanding Their Online Reputation
When looking at online ratings, a nuanced picture emerges. On Google, the business holds a respectable rating of 4.1 stars from 18 reviews. While this is a positive score, it is based on a relatively small number of opinions. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of their track record, it is useful to look at trade-specific platforms. On Checkatrade, BALLS OF BARWELL boasts a near-perfect score of 9.98 out of 10, compiled from over 250 reviews. This much larger dataset strongly suggests a consistent history of high-quality service and customer satisfaction. The discrepancy highlights that while the Google score is good, the more extensive feedback available elsewhere paints a picture of excellence.
Points to Consider Before You Call
Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback and strong credentials, there are practical limitations that potential customers should be aware of. The most significant is their operating schedule. The company works from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM from Monday to Friday but is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. While these are extensive weekday hours that accommodate most working schedules, it means they are not an option for a weekend emergency. If your boiler fails on a Saturday morning or a pipe bursts on a Sunday, you will need to find an alternative provider.
Furthermore, as a family-run business, their capacity may be more limited than that of a large, nationwide firm. While this often results in more dedicated and personal service, it could also mean that during exceptionally busy periods or when they are committed to a large-scale project like a full rewire, their availability for smaller, immediate jobs might be constrained. However, reviews praising their ability to fit customers in "pretty quickly" suggest they manage their schedule effectively.
In summary, BALLS OF BARWELL presents itself as a highly competent and reliable option for residents in and around Barwell seeking local plumbers, heating engineers, or electricians. Their key strengths are their dual-trade expertise, over three decades of experience, essential industry accreditations, and a proven track record of excellent customer service, as evidenced by their outstanding Checkatrade score. The primary consideration for any potential client is to ensure their needs align with the company's weekday-only schedule.
