Water heater pilot wouldn't stay lit - probably bad thermocouple. Called Mike Diamond. They told me a house call is $76.41. Problem is, that's just to drive over. They wanted $325.25 to replace the thermocouple, plus the $76.41 for the house call -- about $400 total. Also said the water heater was over 10 years old, should be replaced. Their price for replacement is around $3,000.

On the plus side -- they got out promptly, the guy was friendly and helpful. Didn't check to see if he smelled good per their advertisement.

On the negative side - their prices are a complete gouge. The cost of a replacement thermocouple is about $15, and the time to replace it is about 10 minutes start to finish. This is NOT a $400 job. Likewise, replacing a water heater is not a $3000 job. New water heaters run from $250 to around $1,000. Labor should not exceed $2,000 to replace it.

The moral of this story: If you have NO OTHER CHOICE and have a lot of money to burn, then call Mike Diamond. Otherwise, shop around - there are definitely better choices. Might take a little longer, but you won't break the bank paying for over-priced services.