Quick answer
Both are licensed, established Seattle companies. Gene Johnson has served Seattle since 1976 — a half-century of plumbing heritage, now expanded to heating, cooling, and electrical, with roughly a 4.8★ Google average across 4,100+ reviews (July 2026). Eco, founded 2012, runs the same three trades plus commercial divisions from Seattle, Everett, and Mount Vernon offices, carries 4.9★ across 2,300+ Google reviews, publishes installed pricing online, and is a PSE Trade Ally Network member.
- Gene Johnson's 'since 1976' is one of Seattle's longest plumbing track records — 50 years serving the city from its Greenwood shop (per genejohnsonplumbing.com).
- Both companies now cover plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical; Gene Johnson grew from plumbing outward, Eco was built three-trade from the start.
- Published reviews, July 2026: Gene Johnson ~4.8★ across 4,100+ Google reviews; Eco 4.9★ across 2,300+.
- Gene Johnson publishes upfront-pricing and free-estimate commitments and is now part of the 'Gene Johnson Family of Brands' (their site); Eco is independent with published price ranges online.
- Eco adds commercial plumbing/electrical divisions and a north-sound footprint (Everett and Mount Vernon offices) beyond Gene Johnson's Seattle center of gravity.
Gene Johnson is a genuine Seattle institution — a plumbing company that's been fixing the city's pipes since 1976 and has since grown into heating, cooling, and electrical. If you're choosing between Gene Johnson and Eco, you're choosing between two well-reviewed multi-trade shops with different builds: five decades of plumbing-first heritage versus an energy-first company with published pricing and a wider geographic base. Both belong on a Seattle bid list.
Eco vs Gene Johnson at a glance
| Eco | Gene Johnson | |
|---|---|---|
| Trades covered | Electrical, plumbing, and heating & air — all three trades under one roof | Plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical (per genejohnsonplumbing.com) |
| In business | Founded 2012 (Seattle) | Since 1976 — family-owned and operated (per their site) |
| Home base & offices | Seattle, Everett, and Mount Vernon offices | Greenwood, Seattle; serves Seattle and surrounding areas (per their site) |
| Google reviews (as published) | 4.9★ across 2,300+ Google reviews (Seattle location, as of July 2026) | Approx. 4.8★ across 4,100+ Google reviews (third-party listings, July 2026) |
| Workmanship backing | 100% Satisfaction Guarantee | 'Warranties and guarantees ensure our work long after we leave' — terms on request (their published claim) |
| Pricing transparency | Publishes typical installed price ranges online before you ever call | Upfront quotes they commit to sticking to; free estimates (their published claims); published ranges not a site feature we found |
| Utility rebate posture | PSE Trade Ally Network member; handles utility rebate paperwork on qualifying projects | Not highlighted on their site (as of July 2026) — ask them directly |
| Ownership | Independent local company | Part of the 'Gene Johnson Family of Brands' — a PNW home-services group (per their About page) |
| Commercial work | Commercial plumbing and electrical divisions | Residential emphasis on their site (as of July 2026) |
Services side by side, trade by trade
| Plumbing | Eco | Gene Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs, water heaters, sewers | Yes — incl. published pricing (tankless $6,500–$10,000 typical installed) | Yes — the founding trade, incl. sewer and septic repair (per their site) |
| Emergency plumbing | Real people answer early and late; same-day as scheduling permits | Emergency plumbing featured on their site |
| Commercial plumbing | Yes — dedicated division incl. commercial hydro jetting | Not highlighted on their site (as of July 2026) |
| Heating & Cooling | Eco | Gene Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Furnaces, heat pumps, AC | Yes — Daikin authorized, heat-pump-led | Yes — furnace repair/installation and cooling (per their site) |
| Heat pump utility rebates | PSE Trade Ally Network member; paperwork handled on qualifying projects | Network status not published on their site — ask them (PSE has no public directory) |
| Electrical | Eco | Gene Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Panels, wiring, EV charging | Yes — published panel pricing, SPAN smart panels, EV chargers, commercial | Electrical services listed as part of their expanded lineup (per their site) |
Service lists are from each company's website as of July 2026. 'Not highlighted' means we didn't find it published — it doesn't mean the company can't do it.
Where Gene Johnson stands out
Fifty years of Seattle plumbing
Since 1976, Gene Johnson has worked on the same Wallingford Craftsman stacks and Ballard sewer laterals generation after generation. For plumbing in Seattle's older housing stock specifically, that institutional memory is a real, verifiable strength.
Strong review profile at volume
Roughly 4.8★ across more than 4,100 Google reviews (July 2026) is an excellent record at nearly twice Eco's review count. The consistency of their communication-and-cleanliness praise across recent reviews is easy to verify yourself.
Group-scale resources with a local face
As part of the Gene Johnson Family of Brands, they cite faster service, guaranteed equipment availability, and shared training across a PNW home-services group — scale benefits, presented under the same local name Seattleites know.
Where Eco fits best
Energy-led, three-trade projects
Heat pump conversions that touch the panel, water heater swaps that need a circuit — Eco was built for the multi-trade energy project, with PSE Trade Ally Network membership for the rebate-gated work (pse.com, July 2026) and paperwork handled on qualifying projects.
Published pricing you can check first
Eco publishes typical installed ranges online for panels, water heaters, heat pumps, and drain work — benchmark any bid, including ours, before an appointment. A 4.9★ average across 2,300+ Google reviews backs the numbers.
North Sound and commercial reach
Offices in Everett and Mount Vernon (plus Seattle) and dedicated commercial plumbing/electrical divisions give Eco reach that a single-shop Seattle operation doesn't publish. North of the city or managing a business property, that's Eco's lane.
How to choose between Eco and Gene Johnson
Whichever way you lean, this is how we'd advise a friend to run the decision:
- Get written bids from both companies (and ideally a third) for any significant project — equipment model numbers, scope, permits, and warranty terms in writing, line by line.
- Verify any contractor's license, bond, and insurance at the WA L&I contractor lookup (secure.lni.wa.gov/verify) — both companies here are licensed Washington contractors.
- If your project involves a heat pump or heat pump water heater, ask each bidder how utility rebates will be handled and who files the paperwork. PSE requires a Recommended Energy Professional or Trade Ally Network contractor for its heat pump heating rebates (per pse.com, verified July 2026).
- Read recent reviews on Google for the specific service you need — a company can be excellent at one trade and thinner in another.
- For heritage plumbing work in Seattle's older neighborhoods, Gene Johnson's five decades are a fair tiebreaker; for rebate-driven electrification or projects north of Seattle, Eco's specialization and footprint are.
- Ask about ownership if it matters to you: Gene Johnson is part of a multi-brand group (their About page says so plainly); Eco is a single independent company.
Want Eco's bid for the comparison?
Get an upfront written scope and price — equipment, permits, and the rebates you qualify for, before any work begins. Compare it line by line against anyone.
Continue exploring
Common questions
Is Eco or Gene Johnson better?
Both are licensed, established, well-reviewed Seattle companies covering the same trades. Gene Johnson brings 50 years of plumbing heritage and a ~4.8★ average across 4,100+ Google reviews; Eco brings a 4.9★ average across 2,300+ reviews, published pricing, commercial divisions, north-sound offices, and PSE Trade Ally rebate eligibility. Get a bid from each — the better fit will usually be obvious from how they scope your specific job.
Who is cheaper, Eco or Gene Johnson?
It depends on the project. Both companies commit to upfront quotes; Eco additionally publishes typical installed ranges online so you can benchmark before anyone visits. Neither publishes a rate sheet that settles the question in advance — written bids from both is the only honest comparison.
Is Gene Johnson still family-owned?
Gene Johnson describes itself as family-owned and operated since 1976, and its About page also says it is 'proud to be a part of the Gene Johnson Family of Brands,' a group of PNW home-service companies with shared resources (as of July 2026). If independent single-shop ownership matters to your decision, ask them directly how the group works; Eco is an independent local company.
Do both companies handle heat pump rebates?
PSE's heat pump heating rebates require installation by a PSE Recommended Energy Professional or Trade Ally Network contractor (pse.com, July 2026). Eco is a PSE Trade Ally Network member and handles rebate paperwork on qualifying projects. PSE has no public directory, so ask Gene Johnson — or any bidder — about their network status directly.
Last updated: 2026-07-18
Sources & references
Every competitor fact on this page comes from the public sources below, retrieved July 2026. Review counts and ratings change constantly — check each company's live profiles for current figures.
Gene Johnson (their published information)
- 'Since 1976', trades, Seattle service area, upfront pricing and warranty claims — genejohnsonplumbing.com (retrieved July 2026)
- 'Gene Johnson Family of Brands' membership and group benefits — genejohnsonplumbing.com/about-us (retrieved July 2026)
- Google review figures (~4.8★ / 4,100+ reviews) — third-party directory listings (retrieved July 2026)
Eco & program facts
- Eco 4.9★ / 2,300+ Google reviews (Seattle GBP), verified July 2026 — Eco reviews
- PSE heat pump rebates require an REP or Trade Ally Network contractor — pse.com (verified July 2026)
- Verify any WA contractor license and bond — WA L&I contractor lookup
Competitor information on this page comes from public sources — each company's own website and published review profiles — as of July 2026 and may have changed since; verify current details, licensing, and offers directly with each company. Company names are trademarks of their respective owners. Eco Electric, Plumbing, Heating & Air is not affiliated with, and this page is not endorsed by, any company compared here. Any Washington contractor's license and bond status can be verified at the WA Department of Labor & Industries contractor lookup (secure.lni.wa.gov/verify).