Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

2011 - 2012 Recommendations

I rely on BNP recommendations and obtained Tony's name from the list. Tony has fixed a number of problems for us, including a pesky toilet that continued to leak. He replaced the toilet. But that did not repair the problem. Eventually, a year later, he replaced the toilet at no charge because it was still leaking. He called us up to ask about the problem and offered to fix it. This kind of service is rare and commendable. My heartfelt thanks to Tony. Tony Cardenas: plumberooter510@yahoo.com

Plumber to install water pressure valve

I am looking for a plumber to install a water pressure valve at our home in the Berkeley Hills. Can anyone recommend a plumber who has performed this task?

Small family-owned plumber

I'd appreciate recommendations for small family-owned and operated plumbers. I need a sink faucet replaced that will involve removing some marble and would like to find someone who prides him/herself on doing careful work and is skilled at finding good solutions to not-so-straight-forward problems. I am familiar with Albert Nahman and some of the other local reputable plumbing businesses, but I have not been impressed. Thanks for your help with other recommendations. can't wait to have normal water flow

Plumber to replace pipe embedded in wall

We have a 3 inch pipe coming out of the house that needs replaced. The rest of the plumbing has been replaced with four inch. But this section is imbedded in the walls. But what's happening is that this section clogs up every few months and needs snaked. So, replacing it might pay off in a few years. Any plumber recommendations? Stephanie

Anyone knows a reasonable priced gas plumber?

I am remodeling a kitchen/ family room and a gas fireplace and need to upgrade the fireplace with an insert and redirect the gas lines. Does anyone know a plumber specializing in gas lines who is reasonable? Where do you recommend purchasing a fireplace from? On line vs at store? Thanks very much! T.T.

Reliable and cost effective plumber for small job

We need a plumber for a number of small jobs, like fixing a gasket leak under a sink. There are a number recommended from last year. But what about costs? Our experience is that we pay a charge for them to come to the house, and double for the first half hour. It's even worse if the plumber comes from a company. Any advice? Lee

2010 Recommendations

Good general plumber for small jobs ?

Hi, We have a small bungalow in-need of some simple plumbing upgrades such as kitchen/bathroom fixture replacements and perhaps a tankless water heater in the near future. Any suggestions for a licensed professional plumber who will do a quality job start to finish and clean up without a trace? Thanks! Joanne

Ray takes great pride in his work and is a true craftsman. That said, the name Home Depot makes him cringe so be prepared to buy quality parts from local suppliers. Our home is less than a mile from Home Depot, so this was a mind shift for me, but in the end -- the parts are clearly higher quality, customer service is knowledgeable, and cost of parts is the same if not less than HD. Bottom-line, the peace of mind we got from having the job done right was worth it. We will use Triola Plumbing again in the future! Triola Plumbing (510) 848- 6275. Joanne in El Cerrito

I had a very positive experience with Bebbe, who I called about a plumbing problem. He was quickly responsive, came exactly when he said he would, and not only fixed the problem I called him for, but fixed another clog for us, and was very reasonably priced. He was very nice, knew what he was doing and is going to do some other home improvements for us -- build a fence and a gate, etcetera.. Erica

2009 Recommendations

i love mr. rooter of berkeley! yes, they are not the cheapest in the area. however, they are a solid business that treats their employees well and keeps them for a long time. i had them do work ay my house a few times and know many others who have used them. i have never heard anything negative about them. i guess if your only complaint is price, well often you get what you pay for. HAPPY CUSTOMER!

Bill came out in the afternoon, assessed the situation, and then surprised us as he made arrangements for the work to be done that very afternoon. When I first called in the job, due to doctor's appointments that day, we had expected a new hot water tank to be installed the following day. Bill didn't want us without hot water if he could do something about it . . . And he did, with a huge smile on his face and joy for his job in his heart.

Besides that, I've a great deal of trouble with modern fragrances, and he arrived free of petrochemically derived scents. A bonus!!!! MAJOR BONUS for me because in my anxiousness to get water into our home, even just cold water, I forgot to mention how crucial it was to me to have a fragrance-free worker.

So on all scores, from my experience yesterday with Olivero Plumbing, I can highly recommend that firm. I cannot say the same for two other firms in Berkeley that we had previously used down through the years here. Barb

Experience installing dual-flush toilets

I'm interested in finding a plumber who has had experience installing dual-flush toilets in old Berkeley houses. anon

We highly recommend Bebe Construction. We had an emergency, due to our leaking kitchen faucet. We contacted Bebe and were very lucky he was just around in our neighborhood for another project and was able to come over immediately. We were very happy with the work he did for us. He is very responsive, honest and professional. In additional to plumbing, he also does general construction, home remodeling, and home additions. You can reach him at (510)566- 6685 bebeconstruction@yahoo.com jh

Trustworthy plumber for old house

Hi, does anyone have a recommendation for a really great, hard working, and honest plumber? We have an old house (1915) and need new pipes throughout. We also want to have some small(er) projects done - put in a new energy efficient toilet, attach a water line for the fridge, tankless water heater, etc. We'd like to hire an independent plumber that has a lot of integrity and that we can trust, and who may consider giving us a bit of a deal, or be a bit flexible with the hourly rate, by packaging a lot of small projects into one. If you know of someone we would really appreciate hearing about him (or her)! Thanks for your time. Still living in the 20th century with plumbing

Plumber for small job on a budget

Hello, We have a tiny bathroom that a previous contractor has left with a non-working sink, which needs replacement. Sink is very small in size (as is the bathroom, as is the budget!). In addition. the bathtub needs either ''re-surfacing'' (not sure of the correct term?), or, replacement. Do you have a reliable plumber, with excellent skills and communication, who would do a relatively small job like this, and not charge a fortune? And the reverse: any plumbers you would recommend staying away from? Thanks for your recommendations, advice, referrals. Need a functional bathroom again!

2008 Recommendations

Experience with Mr. Rooter

Based on comments on the BPN website I called Mr. Rooter (aka family owned plumbing business, Mr. Ferguson) for an estimate to install a Toto toilet and investigate a leak in an upstairs bath/shower. Unfortunately, they sent an estimator with very limited knowledge and expertise. He had never heard of Toto, had to look it up in his estimator's manual, and then quoted us $810 for installation! We questioned that perhaps that would include the cost of the toilet (which we already have), but he could not say -- he only could rely on what his manual told him. Also -- he quoted us $200 to investigate the leak but had no insights or ideas how that would be done. In retrospect, the positive comments on BPN seem mystifying. Anon

Reliable plumber for pipe & drain work

We need a good, reliable, dependable, & fairly priced plumber for some pipe & drain work. We hope it won't be a huge job! Must be licensed. Please contact me at: lila

Next was Pipeline Plumbing, who said they would be happy to do the job, and in fact sent me a contract. I asked that it be modified to add on something extra (but small). I kept calling and calling, but when I eventually got hold of the person (Paul) he said they were no longer interested in the job because it was too small ($2500 is too small?). I would have appreciated if they had called me back two weeks earlier while I was expecting to have work done!

I also called Service One Plumbing - they were great, but the estimate was slightly higher than everyone else's.

Last was Albert Nahman Plumbing, who was responsive, professional, and straightforward. They were willing to answer my questions, send an itemized contract, and when there was an issue, the owner of the company even came out to make sure things were ok. I would choose them again over Pipe Arts and Pipeline, even though those people have in the past received good reviews on BPN. Anonymous

Need an independent plumber

We need a good independent electrician and a plumber. When we lived in Washington DC we were horrified to see that 1/2 hour of one of these might cost two hours of company time with overhead, while independents were both cheaper and more reliable. North Berkeley Lee

I had a different experience with the plumber Aaron Ray, who I hired based on this site's recommendation. He took far longer on our project than he said he would, putting in fewer hours per week than he had promised (since he is not licensed and does these projects evenings and weekends on the side). Finally, he just stopped showing up or returning phone calls, with the project unfinished, and without any explanation. Before he disappeared he was asking for more money -- I paid him what I thought covered the work he had already completed, and he accepted this amount without disagreement. Bonnie

Plumber to fix leaking shower

Our shower has a leak. This is not a new problem. We just bought the house, and it was disclosed in the disclosure packet by the previous owner. Can anyone suggest a reliable plumber? Katharine

I call SUPERIOR PLUMBING AND DRAIN from a recommendation posted in here and the plumber was veri friendly, profesional and helpfull really good experience, they call ahead to let you know your plumber is on the way plus fair prices. call them 510.222.7608 gARDENIA

2007 Recommendations

Great Plumber-Eric of Cal Plumbing
I called Eric because he got a great review on BPN. I called him on a Sunday, he came to my house and fixed my plumbing problem that same day. He was professional, on time, friendly, affordable, and fast. I highly recommend his work. He did a great job. thanks Eric! Maybe I'll update my bathroom next! -frank

The recent spat of earthquakes were a reminder to get that gas shutoff valve for our house that I've been putting off for years. I called almost a dozen different plumbers in the area, most of whom had no idea on how to speak to a potential customer, some of whom never called back. I got a hold of Eric at Cal Plumbing right away, and he explained to me in plain English what was involved in installing the earthquake gas shutoff valve. He was very patient and answered all of my questions in a competent manner. He came out the next week, neatly installed the gas shutoff valve, explained to me how it worked, and charged me what he said he'd charge me. Done. Money well spent, and our family feels safer. Call Eric at Cal Plumbing at (510)215-0200 or on his cell at (510)229-8022. Satisfied Customer

If you've been in a plumbing emergency situation you will know how grateful I am to BPN for the referrals. I called several listed plumbers, got three replys, two were booked but within three hours Bart McCoy had given me a very clear assessment of the problem and possible solutions- then he proceded to fix the problem. Emergency situation solved quickly, reasonably and by a man that I would definitely recommend to a friend. Holly

We just finished a long and exhausting kitchen and bath remodel is our Kensington home. I had heard horror stories of flaky subcontractors who overcharge and don't show up on time... While that was certainly the case for our tile guy and our painter (don't even get me started), Aaron the plumber was perfect. He was punctual, reliable, smart, fast, fair priced and overall had a great, easy going personality. Our bathroom project was fairly complex but he did it all flawlessly. (double person shower, steam unit, two shower heads, moved the sinks and toilet to new locations...) Our kitchen project was more straightforwad but was done with great skill and attention to detail.

Anyway, I just wanted to let anyone know who might be looking for an ethical and reliable plumber to give Aaron a call. Sarah

Affordable plumber to install dishwasher

we're looking for an affordable plumber (and actually electrician too!) to install our dishwasher. this would be a new installation for our kitchen. any leads on reliable, affordable folks would be tremendously helpful! vivian

If anyone is in need of a great plumber Jeff Moore is your guy. His number is 510-351-7778 or 510-910-3586. He is very responsive, reasonably priced and, of course, extremely competent. We have used him for any number of jobs/problems (new bathroom and repairs on old plumbing) and he has fixed every one of them quickly. We've had a few different guys from his team and each one has been a pleasure and they are all very kid friendly.
emily

I recommend Superior Plumbing in Pinole 510-222-7608. I learned about them through my insurance company. They are very responsive, polite, responsible and competent with reasonable prices. Last Thanksgiving they saved my dinner party when my garbage disposal broke and water backed up into the bathtub!!! I plan to use them for all my plumbing needs. Susan

Facing a possible water shortage this year, I wanted to do something to make my 1940s-ish house a little more ''green''. I spoke with Eric at Cal Plumbing and he educated me about the efficiency of the Kohler low-flow toilet, telling me I would save thousands of gallons of water a year. I couldn't believe he talked me into letting go of our trusty commode, but he did, and I love our new Kohler! It's fast, efficient, and saves me money (about $10 off our last bill). While he was at my house, he also installed an earthquake shutoff valve to my gas line which qualified me for a discount on my homeowners insurance (and brings me some peace of mind in the event of the next shaker!). Yes, I had to spend a little bit of money, but I feel good about the investment in my home. He's had good reviews on BPN, and don't hesitate to call Eric at (510) 215-0200. Satisfied Customer

Bart McCoy (510-350-7093) is a local plumber who is professional, friendly, and honest. He took the time to come to my house early in the morning, and arrived on time. After diagnosing the problem within 15 minutes, he left to buy parts and returned within half an hour. All in all, I'm a happy camper...would definitely use him again. Tom

I want to recommend my plumber for any plumbing job. He just finished a whole house repipe for me in Oakland and did a fantastic job. Off all the plumbers I solicited, he was the only one to spend a lot of time on the estimate, come up with a plan to fix my problems, and give me a price idea on the spot. When he got the job, he started promptly, worked the whole job every day, stayed late to make sure the water was back on each day, cleaned up, and troubleshoot any further problems he found as he worked. He and his crew were super nice, and my son loved them. I had him do a small job a few weeks later and it went just as smoothly. His prices are also great, and they didn't inflate even with small changes after the job began. His references were all as enthusiastic as this one. He is a licensed contractor and his name is Armando Perez, telephone 510-253-8049. Liz

Plumber to upgrade our Concord house

We have a laundry list of things to upgrade around our Concord area house as it is looking like it needs some updating. We need to install new bathroom cabinets, flooring, & replacing the kitchen sink & the entry door. Does anyone have any recent recommendations for a plumber and/or carpenter please? Thanx for your reply in advance! Susan

Plumber near Walnut Creek/Lafayette

Any recommendations for a plumber in the Walnut Creek/Lafayette area? Many thanks, NS

Re: Jim Bustos Plumbing Alameda
First, I want to say that we have no issues with the quality of work they did. We had our main water line replaced. We've had no problems with it. The water line was first looked at by this company and my husband was told that if he dug the trench himself, we'd save $100/hour in labor. We dug the trench. A year later we had him back to discuss the work. He vaguely told my husband it would be ''a few hours at $90/hour'' and wouldn't cost more than $1000 and about $100 in parts. I didn't like the vagueness of this negotiating and called the owner myself, trying to get an estimate in writing. He sweet talked me out of it, adding that he hadn't survived 35 years in this town by cheating people. The employee came to do the work, did it in 2.5 hours, and left the amounts for the parts blank on the bill my husband signed. My husband was home the entire time they did the work. However, the bill my husband signed said ''3 hours at $90'' and my husband figured that included travel time. One month later their copy of the bill came to us in the mail (fortunately they had given us a copy of what we signed). The new bill had ''3'' crossed out, replaced with 3.5, then crossed out and replaced with 4. As for the rate, $90 was crossed out and replaced with $120. ? The parts came out to around $150. Needless to say, we paid 3 hours at $90, played phone tag with the company over the bill and at the end of the day they cashed our check and we've never heard from them again. However, we've since heard similar stories and are truly stunned by this business practice. Based on our story alone, we would never recommend this business. Get it in writing, always

We recently called Bart McCoy to help us with very low water pressure and annoying knocking sounds in the plumbing of our 1907 house. He called us back promptly, and arrived at our house on time the next morning, as promised. Bart was able to analyze the problem, explained the situation in laymanms terms, and although the ultimate long-term solution will be to re-pipe portions of our plumbing, he offered numerous solutions to fix the problem without draining our bank account. He was courteous, professional, reasonably priced, and really seems to know his craft. We highly recommend him, and will certainly call him again. He can be reached at 510-350-7093 (H) or on his cell at 970-361-1165. Joseph & Monika in Oakland

East Bay plumber for older house

Can anyone recommend a good plumber who works in the East Bay? Preferably someone with experience with older houses as well as with tankless water heaters. Thanks! -- need a good plumber

Just another recommendation for Michael Stabile. He recently came to fix a number of small problems at our house, including replacing a washing machine standpipe, and fixing our toilet and a sink drain. All were done efficiently, cleanly, and with a smile. Karen

2006 Recommendations

I can highly recommend Pipe Arts Plumbing. Edgar Amaya is the main plumber and is extremely friendly and efficient. He's definitely not the cheapest but specializes in working on old fixtures. You can contact him at 510-847-2927.
Bernadette

We highly recommend Pelican Plumbers (Raul Delgado). Raul is licensed and very service oriented, has a pleasant disposition and is easy to communicate and work with.

Raul and a co-worker finished all of the plumbing for a major kitchen remodel in a timely and efficient manner and paid attention to all details. The project involved all 1st floor kitchen gas and water lines and the rerouting all of water, drainage and gas lines from a 2nd floor bathroom and furnace (which traversed a kitchen wall that was being removed).

Any surprises that arose (e.g., lmysteryn pipes and vents leading to lunknown destinationsn) were evaluated and dealt with on the spot.

Raul offered a very reasonable and competitive bid and did not lnickel and dimen us for a few small extras which arose during the project.

To contact Pelican Plumbers: 510-812-1996 www.pelicanplumbers.com, raul[at]pelicanplumbers.com,
Rafi

I want to recommend a plumber (and -- full disclosure -- my brother-in-law), Bart McCoy -- he has done some work on our house including fixing some bad pipe work that was done, realigning a toilet that had been installed sloppily, etc.

He is available for repair jobs, small remodeling jobs, & service (boilers, water heaters). He is a licensed master plumber and looking for extra work on weekends and occasional workdays.

Best way to reach him is 510-350-7093 (home) 970-361-1165 (cell) (phone numbers corrected 2/24/07)
catha

Forbes in Oakland did all the plumbing on our second-storey addition. (510) 452-2844 They installed the usual water, etc and also a radiant heating system that we love. Excellent work and highly recommended.
John

I called Michael Stabile (472-0123)to replace my water pressure regulator. Michael was extremely considerate, worked around my schedule and took the time to explain to me what needed to be done and what he was doing. He had to do some extra work beyond the regular job because of the way the old regulator was installed, but Michael went out of his way to replace the regulator for under the price quoted by other plumbers, and only $25 over his original estimate despite the complications. I recommend him highly! Naomi

I found Michael Stabile on the BPN and would like to highly recommend him to others. He was attentive, prompt, friendly and clearly loves his job. He took the time to show me everything he was doing, even though it was a relatively simple job, and warned me of things to watch for from other plumbers. He lives in Berkeley and even sent a thank you card. We have not had a single problem since he came, and we had to call him because the roto-generic plumber that came first didn't fix it and told us we needed a $1700 outside pipe replacement. Michael works for himself and seems to do the work because he wants to, which is nice. Cynthia

I also used Mike Thomas on BPN referral; We had to have everything he did torn out. After the fact, we found out he is NOT licensed. I am looking for him to take him to court for his bad work. Please contact me if you have any info on him...phone number, address, etc. Amy

I saw the recent recommendation for Eric at Cal Plumbing and realized that I had needed to add my thanks. I had a couple of problems - starting with a water heater that was releasing a lot of water (through the release valve). He was able to squeeze me in to fix the immediate problem, but then let me know I had the same problem that another poster had - a defective diptube and needed to replace the water heater. He came as scheduled and did the work wonderfully. He even cleaned up evidence of an old mouse infestation that was hiding behind the old water heater. He was a pleasure to work with and he couldn't have been nicer. Auban

I wanted to recommend Micheal Stabile, or "Michael Your Plumber." Recently a transplant and new homeowner from San Francisco. We awoke one morning to a very leaky drain. We found Michael on the BPN, called him up, and he was at our house within hours. His prices were very reasonable, and we felt like we got a great deal with him. He's punctual, professional and very personable. We'll definitely call him next time!! - Happy Berkeley Resident

2005 Recommendations

I would like to recommend Michael Stabile, who I hired last week based on reference in an older post on this Network. I was worried that it would be hard to get my leaking kitchen sink pipe repaired during Thanksgiving week. He arrived within an hour of my call, was easy to talk with, patient and clear in explaining the work needed, and gave a fair estimate.

When the project got more involved, he fit in extra time to complete it within a few days, after doing a temporary fix that got my kitchen sink draining again. He left the work area clean, and was a pleasure to do business with... I'm a single female homeowner, and was relieved to find a plumber who would be fair with me. Michael can be reached at 472-0123. Kendall

I wanted to add my recommendation for Michael Stabile (510- 472-0123) for your plumbing needs. He was efficient, reliable, trustworthy, and very reasonably priced. He did a great job for us on several projects. He also was happy to answer endless questions from my curious children! Deb

I find it really hard to believe that Rey LaCayo has gotten negative reviews. My experience with him was professional. His work was excellent, his prices were competitive and his crew always cleaned up after themselves. We used him at 2 different locations with complex plumbing and heating needs in a Victorian house and a new bathroom, heating and plumbing in a Tudor. I have referred several friends to him who still retain his services and would not hesitate to use him again. Deborah, RN

My basement shower drain had become disconneted and all the waste water was plowing directly into the ground below (this was an existing shower that was installed before we bought the house). Another plumber may have not thought of creative solution to get to the drain in cement floored bathroom. The obvious choice would have been to remove the shower stall. That would have meant demolishing the whole bathroom, since the shower stall is too wide to fit out the bathroom door. Rey realized that it would be much less expensive to jack hammer the floor in front of the shower and dig out the earth to get to the shower drain.

When Rey can find a way to save the client (me) money he does, when that is not possible he is upfront on the cost of a job and lets me know there is no way around the cost. Rey always does a professional job without cutting corners, he is very polite, and easy to talk to. I highly recommend him and in fact my friends now call Rey when they need a plumber. His # is 415.726.8549 (cell) or 510.336.3497 lapuls

I want to highly recommend Michael Stabile (510) 472-0123, of Michael, Your Plumber. A friend found his name on the BPN and was more than happy with his work. He came out on a Sunday to fix a leaky toilet, showed up exactly when he said he would, did a great job and cleaned up afterward. He not only did not charge extra for the weekend, he charged below the going rate for week day service. He also threw in some smaller jobs for free and came back the next day with a part he needed to fix a leak in the basement for free as well. He was also a really great guy to talk to and thoroughly answered all questions. Beth G

I am following up on a June posting about Cal Plumbing. I just had an (Emergency!!) need for a plumbing expert, and when I called Eric McIntosh, he immediately came over and fixed my (pouring water) faucet! This is the same faucet two other plumbers have never been able to actually fix permanently (hence, the ongoing problem). He was obviously very prompt, courteous and professional. Most importantly, skilled. I would recommend giving him a call, although he says his new business is going very well, indeed. Number is 510.215.0200. Janice

We hired Rey Lacayo to replace our hot water heater. He pushed for the tankless heater which we were a little nervous about. He quoted a price which was supposed to have a circulating pump, this ended up to not be included. He knew we had old pipes and low water pressure. This does not work with a tankless - you need high water pressure. On top of this, he did not install it correctly and we were without hot water for a couple of weeks, before we contacted the heater manufacturers to troubleshoot. I would not recommend Rey for any plumbing work. unsatisfied

Family-friendly Plumber

I just want to reiterate the good reviews of Eric at Cal Plumbing (510/215-0200) because he just started the business and I'm sure he can use more good referrals (plus his wife just gave birth to their second child 2 weeks ago!). I called him about my leaky water heater and he came out within hours to check it out and fix it. He was also very nice to my 6-year old son who had a thousand questions for him. Thanks again, Eric! Sherilyn

Good, trustworthy plumbers are hard to find, and I found one who just started his own business so he's anxious to please for the RIGHT price! Call Eric at Cal Plumbing (510/215-0200). I own some rental property and had always used one of the BPN-recommended plumbers, but I noticed the quality of their work went way down unless Eric did the work for me. He's worked in the area for a long time so knows the ins and outs of the older homes...he has repaired and replaced fixtures, water heaters, gas lines, and quake-safe shutoff valves for me. He also installed a great water filtration system, tankless water heater, and repiped my own house at prices way below the other estimates I received. And, I was comfortable with him doing the work when no one was at home. Give Eric at Cal Plumbing a call: 510/215-0200. ksf

Rey Lacayo

I recently saw a few people follow up with negative reviews of Rey LaCayo and I wanted to add our experience as well. He was very well-reviewed on BPN so we used him without talking to anyone else (I know, stupid, but we had babies on the way and were anxious to get the work done). He installed a hot water on demand system for us, and while the system works fine, I now know that he overcharged us by quite a bit. The crew also left a huge mess, broke a closet door, and did a shoddy job of repairing a leaky faucet. When I asked him to come back to deal with it all, he was very put out. I hope these negative reviews go up on the site soon because I'd hate for someone to trust him blindly based on the reviews, as we did.

ACP, Inc. plumbing services

I would like to thank whomever it was that recommended ACP, Inc. Plumbing services. They were terrific and I would also like to recommend them to others. They were prompt, courteous, friendly, efficient and they knew what they were doing. They can be reached at 237-8888 or 547-2578. a satisfied customer

2004 Recommendations

Hi, we are finally beginning to investigate replacing our refrigerator, which is 20+ years old(!)... we wanted to get one that has a built-in ice cube/water dispenser and, therefore, need to have the plumbing line installed from our sink. Sears and Best Buy said that their install could include a plumber coming to do the water line which "in most cases, is ~$95." I decided to have some other plumbing work done, so I asked 3 different contractors to quote the refrigerator job, too, and they all (ALL!!) quoted more like $200-$225. The refrigerator would be only ~4-5 feet (if even that) away from the sink; you just have to go through some cabinets, with one 90 degree turn. So, are the Sears/Best Buy salespeople speaking nonsense, or are the plumbing contractors (including Albert Nahman and Rey Lecayo) really over-priced? anonymous

I recently had some plumbing done by Abante Rooter Plumbing and Remodeling Services. They did a great job at a reasonable price. I strongly recommend them. Paul

I would like to recommend Keith Oppelt of Associated Contractors Plumbing, Inc. We found Keith through other recommendations on Berkeley Parents network. Keith and his crew completely re-plumbed our 1920 house in Berkeley including replacing all of the inside plumbing as well as running new copper pipe from the main under a sidewalk and up a thirty foot hill to our house. His was the lowest bid for the job among several plumbers and he and his crew completed all of the work flawlessly and timely. He was very pleasant to work with and completed various additional plumbing jobs within a couple of days each time we called him. Keith can be reached at 510-234-1777 William

Guillermo Lewis can be reached at _____ *. He lives in San Leandro and will accept work from Hayward to Richmond. He has done the following jobs for me: fixed a leaky kitchen sink; put a new drain in my bathtub; installed a new toilet in our rental unit; and repaired my gas fireplace. He advised me on grouting and caulking my bathtub (which I successfully did myself) and on parts and supplies to buy for some of the aforementioned jobs (I preferred to purchase them myself, though of course he can provide them in the course of his work). I recommend him highly. Jenny

* [editor] 1/16/2005: per email from Paul, the phone number is no longer valid.

This is a follow-up to earlier posts about plumbers/heating contractors. After many ''adventures'' with other contractors, I'm happy to be able to recommend this one!

We found Rey (Reynaldo) Lacayo of Lacayo-Colt Plumbing from a posting here about a year ago, and have had him do some major work on our 1920's Albany house since then. We've been very pleased with the quality of his work, how nice he is to work with, and his very reasonable prices. I've heard him mention that he also does house calls for smaller repair jobs, but I haven't needed that yet.

For some major work (replaced leaky gas lines, ancient water/sewer lines, venting work) we interviewed & got estimates from several other major local companies, and each had elements of bids we considered really overpriced (example, $1,100 to replace simple water heater vent pipe, which should be about $150). Rey did a lot of work, worked quickly & carefully, was responsive when we had questions, and even threw in some minor repairs for free. We chose to replace our faucets the weekend after he did all of this work, and he even called to make sure that was going well.

We replaced our furnace last month, again got several estimates, and again chose Rey. This was a conversion from a central floor furnace to registers in each room, and his work was beautiful (a concern since I love our hardwood floors) and surprisingly fast. Also came with a warranty (parts & labor, in addition to manufacturer's warranty for furnace). Again we're really pleased...and wish other contractors had been this easy & thorough!

Thank you, whoever posted the recommendations for him last year - worked out really well for us. The numbers for Rey Lacayo, Lacayo Colt Plumbing are office (510) 336-3497, and his cell (415) 726-8549.

Happy Customer Rebecca

2003 & Earlier Recommendations

Alas, plumbing is never inexpensive but we highly recommend Paul and his crew at Pipeline Plumbing...reliable & professional Phone: (510) 540-0837 Moniz

I would like to make a recommendation for a plumbing heating and cooling contractor to break concrete and install toilet plumbing. His name is Rey LaCayo of LaCayo-Colt Plumbing and Heating. He has done extensive work for us a two locations with excellent results. The work ranged from complete heating/cooling system, new bathroom including sewer line, sheetrocking, fixtures and tiling. Rey has excellent communciation skills and genuinely seems to enjoy his work. His rates are competitive and although based in Oakland will travel throughout the greater Bay Area. He can be reached at 336-3497 or by cell at (415) 726-8549. Feel free to contact me by E-mail if you have any questions. Best of luck Deborah

In response to Heating system repair company wanted. I would like to recommend Reynaldo Lacayo of Colt-LaCayo Plumbing and Heating. (510)336-3497, his cell# is (415)726- 8549. He was recommended from the UCB Parents Recommendations for Commercial Services http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/services/plumber.html. (fourth down from the top) He did both plumbing and heating work for us and was great! He is easy to work with, nice and friendly, really went that extra mile for us. We were very very happy with his work. barbara

I recently had the majority of my plumbing converted to copper, a substantial and lengthy job. The guys (Anis and Smiley) at Associated Plumbing Contractors (510-234-1777) did an excellent job. I felt very comfortable with them in my home. They were neat, conscientious and easy to work with. Most importantly, both the City Inspector and my father-in-law commented on the high quality of their work (high praise in my book!). Erin

In the last newsletter several people were looking for handyman,electricians, and plumbers, so I thought I would post Javier Gonzonlez again. I have this fabulous handyman that does all of the above, including childproofing (installs gates and door guards, etc) and painting. He is extremely reliable, hard working, exacting in his work, affordable, honest and on time! He really does great work. My whole neighborhood uses (Claremont Hills) him and you can call me and I can pass you on to get other reccommendations for him. Or contact him directly: Javier Gonzolez (510) 599 0272

I would like to recommend an excellent plumbing, heating and cooling contractor who does bathroom remodels as well. His name is Rey LaCayo of LaCayo-Colt Plumbing and Heating. He has done extensive work for us a two locations with excellent results in an aging Victorian and a Tudor. The work ranged from complete heating/cooling system, new bathroom including sewer line, sheetrocking, fixtures and tiling. He has remodeled a bathroom in a small space for a co-worker with great results. Rey is easy to communicate with and genuinely seems to enjoy his work. His rates are competitive and although based in Oakland will travel throughout the greater Bay Area. He can be reached at 336-3497 or by cell at (415) 726-8549. Feel free to contact me by E-mail if you have any questions about specifics. Best of luck Deborah

Walker's Plumbing Services is located in Richmond. They are a small company, really busy, but well worth it. 510 237-7457. Tina

Whenever we need a plumber, the first place we call now is Olsson Plumbing in Alameda (510/522-2442). About a year ago on a 3-day weekend in winter, we were removing a bird feeder pole from the middle of our backyard. After breaking the pole off at ground level, we learned it had a live gas pipe running up the middle. After PG&E turned off the gas -they told us we needed to have a plumber seal off the pipe. PG&E cautioned that not all plumbers will turn the gas back on, so we'd need to call PG&E for an appointment for the following week. After calling a dozen ''24-hour'' plumbers with answering machines, we called Olsson. Not only did they send a plumber right over (to San Leandro), but the guy they sent was great. He tapped off the pipe under the house, turned on the gas so we'd have heat for the weekend, and re-lit all the pilot lights. We later had Olsson install a new hot water heater and toilet. They were always responsive, thorough, and definitely knew what they were doing.

Has someone had experience with Ted Denney / Helping Hand Home Repair and Maintenance (they are changing their name to Aapex Maintenance) ? We moved into a small in-law apartment in Berkeley which needs to be painted and has several things that need to be fixed/replaced, including a kitchen sink food waste disposer, a patio door, front door lock, and cabinet doors. Thank you !

Albert Nahman is a decent plumber, honest and reliable. Don't have his number, but he's in Berkeley Toby

Mark 9/99

I recommend Reid Miller, in Berkeley at 704-0779. He prefers keeping old systems running to new construction.

I have used Ehret Plumbing in Berkeley based on the recommendations of several friends. They connected water to a fridge/icemaker, put in a gas line for my dryer, and serviced my furnace. They are excellent. But at $72/hour, you may want to get a handyman to repair minor drips! Ginger (7/98)

Leigh-Marymor (531-7721) in Oakland is great. I don't know what their full service area is, but they do cover Berkeley. They set a *specific* appointment and keep it (like 2:00 Tuesday, not sometime Tuesday), the woman who takes the call knows plumbing well enough herself to ask questions that help her estimate the time for the work & send the plumber ready to do the work. The plumbers themselves are nice, respect your house, and do good work and don't try to extend it. I suspect they're a bit more than some other places, but just the ability to make a specific appointment makes them worth it in my opinion.