I called Southport on a Thursday morning (roughly 9:00AM) and asked if they would be able to give me a situation based estimate over the phone. I was nearly positive that my thermostat was broke on my water heater, and just wanted to know how much that repair typically costs. I told the woman on the phone that I understood that it is entirely possible that I could be wrong and the thermostat was the problem, but that I was just trying to get an idea of how much the bill might be. She stated that they couldn't give me an estimate unless they sent an expert to look at it, which cost over $90. She also stated that they couldn't send anyone over until Monday afternoon. I ended up replacing both thermostats myself (a total of $25) the next day and the water heater is working fine now. I just wish they would have been able to provide me with an estimate, as I would have went with them if the estimate came in at less than $150.
more