Counsil Plumbing

Counsil Plumbing is the best!  Mike came out for a consultation to determine what was wrong with the kitchen sink and within 15-20 minutes he new exactly what was wrong and that it would be an easy fix.  He gave us a very reasonable price quote and worked with us as we saved the money we would need to fix the problem.  As soon as we had the money we called and scheduled the appointment.  I was given a promise that Valerie would call me 30 minutes before he would arrive to make sure someone would be home.  Mike showed up within 5 minutes of the 30 minute time frame given.  Knowing what the problem was he went right to work and didn't leave until the issue was resolved.  He made sure that the clog was clear and even made sure the garbage disposal and dishwasher were working before he cleaned up and left.  Mike took the time to explain everything he was doing and gave us some very interesting advice on how to avoid future plumbing issues.  He is very knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.  I hope that we won't but If we ever have plumbing issues again I will be sure to call Counsil Plumbing.

Counsil Plumbing is the son's small family business and should not be confused with Mike Counsil Plumbing, the father's big high-end company.  Both father and son are named Mike so it is easy to confuse the 2 companies but once you have pleasure of working with Mike (the son) you will never confuse the 2 of them again!

Had a leaky garbage disposal...Mike came out diagnosed and replaced...completely hassle free...excellent service...complete and open communication start to finish...very respectful of environment

It is really hard these days to find reliable and honest plumbers who really care about their clients.  Mike who is the expert plumber and his wife Valerie who manages the office, are those people.  Mike removed a blockage in my kitchen sink that has been an issue for years and not only that found a solution to keep that blockage away if it happens again.  They also have an inspection camera that he can send down into the pipes to find blockages which is so helpful when you have stubborn debris.   He use the inspection camera for my job and had to go through the main drain of our half bath and when he was finished he not only put the toilet back but put a new wax seal and calked around the toilet to make it sit tighter because that toilet was loose and needed to be sealed properly, and that to me shows that Mike takes extra care of his customers when he's at a job site.  I believe in supporting our small businesses and when you find one you can trust you make sure to shout it from the roof tops!  If you need a good plumber Counsil Plumbing is the way to go!

You are unbelievable!  Do you have any idea how long I worked on getting the dirt off that lawn?  No you don't...you have never even been to our property, lady. So for you to comment on how the job was left is ridiculous! The pictures you posted were taken AFTER our new tenants moved in.  The 2nd time Mike went back to our property...not to clean up the mess...but to take pictures.  I worked hard on trying to salvage what lawn we could.  
We have been paying for a gardener to come to the property once a week for YEARS!  We have automatic sprinklers and our lawn was thriving just fine watering it two days a week.

ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS PUT TARP DOWN BEFORE DIGGING!  LAZY!

IF ANYONE WANTS TO GO SEE WHO IS A LIAR...MESSAGE ME...I WILL GIVE YOU THE EXACT ADDRESS AND YOU CAN GO SEE THE 3-5 OF DIRT AND CONCRETE THAT STILL REMAINS ON PARTS OF THE LAWN!  VALERIE IS A LIAR!

I had to move the stepping stones away from where they were left by Counsil Plumbing...IN THE CENTER OF THE LAWN...AS SHOWN IN MY PICTURES!  Why would we have stepping stones in the center of our lawn?  

WE NEVER ASKED YOU GUYS TO REPLACE OUR LAWN!  You are a liar!  We wanted you to come take the dirt and broken concrete that was left COVERING HALF OUR LAWN!

The pictures I posted are true.  Everything I said was true!  We just had the house painted a year ago and the colors are current.  So...again...you are a liar.

Expect everything for little to nothing?  We paid you guys $5000!  We never asked for 1 cent back from you guys...how could we...you never called us back.  That is why I left this review.

For you to make comments about my mother is disgusting.  It is so low.  You have no class and no respect.  Insulting your customers and lying to cover your own poor work is pathetic.

Had a chat with Regina and she got Richard out to help us reset a toilet, it took a bit to get someone out because they were busy and had a guy out sick but once he got here Richard did a really good job solving our problem. It was a warranty repair or I suspect they'd have had someone out sooner but it was within warranty and Richard took care of it for us no problem.

I needed a new install of a toilet flapper.  I already had the part.  I called this company, and they sent a team (Cody and Jerry) to my house within 2 hours.  It was a quick fix, and a very reasonable price.  They were quick, efficient and pleasant.  I am happy to give them the highest rating.

I was in my family room and heard a tap tap tap sound and looked up and there was water dripping from the ceiling.  Called Mike and he came right over and used an inspection camera to look at the problem.  He found a pipe that was leaking in the ceiling.  Then he removed sheetrock around the leak and fixed the pipe.  Did a great job and cleaned up everything perfectly.  I would recommend him to anybody.

We received excellent service from this plumber.  Kevin  did the work efficiently at a fair rate.  He was knowledgeable and professional.  He explained the process and offered good advise concerning additional service options.
Thank You.

I live in my boyfriend's condo and when we had plumbing issues we had to reach out to a plumber to get it fixed.  You're on your own! No landlord!

I used the third party screening service Service Magic (free) and they directed me to Counsil Plumbing along with 2 other plumbers that serviced the South SJ area.

I made an appointment for later in the week where I was able to work from home.  The appointment was for 8-10am.  They didn't show up until 2pm. :/  The technician Mike had car troubles so I understand that happens but I wished they communicated with me better versus me having to call them to check up.

Our issues were:
-  Kitchen sink did not have any hot water, very weak
- Shower did not get hot enough

He fixed both of those issues in 15 minutes and charged us $20 which was awesome!

They probably would have gotten a 5 from me if they didn't come late.  I recommend.

Mike came highly recommended by a friend, and I can definitely see why.  Both Mike, and Valerie, who scheduled the appointment, were quite nice and very helpful.  Mike arrived within the scheduled time frame, and I got a heads up 10 minutes before he arrived.  My kitchen sink had backed up, and the air gap to the dishwasher was leaking.  He quickly fixed the problem, and when he noticed that the swivel on the faucet had become tight, he fixed that too.  He also consulted with me on an issue we've been having with one of our toilets and confirmed my belief that it is something I can fix myself without much trouble.  Mike will definitely be getting my business next time I have a plumbing problem or need new fixtures installed.

Excellent Service!  They called me 30 minutes before the appointment time to confirm.  Then when Mike came, it ended up just being a small broken part in my shower.  Another plumbing company had told me it was going to be a large job costing $1000!  Thank you for really checking out what was wrong!  I would highly recommend Counsil Plumbing to everyone.

I need to update my review based on owner's response.  

To Counsil Plumbing:

Please do not lie.  Your technician and you NEVER explain anything  When Aaron came to estimate he said come in the morning and will be done 12 noon  so I expected to finish by 2 or 3pm but it was near 6pm when they finished.  When he came that day, he did not say any words, didn't explain anything. In the middle of his work, I asked him how's going?  He didn't say what time would be finish.  The replacement was only outside the house (front yard area) so it made sense to finish in 3-4 hours.  But I was never upset or anything.  

When water came back and our new two toilets never worked, I checked the toilets tanks,  it was FULL of dirt, mud, gravel, etc... I was really shocked to see them.  ANY toilets would be broken from so much mud/gravel no wonder our new two toilets were broken.  It is so obvious that: 1) He did not inform us anything - he should have tell us to close toilet water lines  2) He wasn't careful not to put so much dirt inside the pipes.   BUT I never complained to him.  After that I replaced our RO (reverse osmosis) filters which was only two months old, but worried it may be broken later.  

He failed to inform us necessary procedures AND wasn't careful and put so much dirt inside pipes.  All your fault, you were blame us and our toilets parts.   Any handyman and entry level plumber can fix in 10 minutes with new $10 part.   He failed to fix twice!!  Who want to pay someone who failed to fix TWICE.  It was because he didn't buy $10 part to replace in the first place that's why it didn't work.  The parts were damaged because of so much dirt.  

If it was revised - You installed our toilets and replaced pipes was different plumber and toilets were broken.  You WOULD NOT fix our toilets even within warranted.  You WOULD blame plumber who replace pipe LIKE YOU WERE DOING TO US.

Also please do not lie that I was upset.  You were the one upset and didn't listen my story.  I never upset you or Aaron.  I was very patient.  All I asked was fix our new toilets which could do it in 1-15 min.  Maybe I was too patient so you started to blames us.  

I'm sure Aaron did work hard to install pipes.  Why couldn't he get $10 part and replace it??  It would take only 10 minuets.  Why it was so hard to do???   I didn't have to take time to write bad reviews and you and we would been happy.   This is very unfortunate that you left our new, perfectly working toilet broken.

Joe Salazsar come to the house and was very professional and did a great job. Had slight scheduling problem  but was taken care of.  Will use Mike Councel Plumbing in the

We had some Bathroom Fixtures changed out in the last few weeks and as usual, the Quality

of work was exceptional.  The Technicians Victor Flores and Joshua Henry are really good

at what they do. We have had Counsil Plumbing  do numerous jobs for us, always done

the first time !!

Wow, these guys are amazing. I called for a problem and interesting, what I got was advice, sound advice!! They didn't ask for any payment.
Great guys to work with!

It's been more than a year and a half since we hired Counsil Plumbing.  Here is why they've earned five stars from us:
They did what they said they would do.
We have had no problems w/ the work they did since hiring them.
R.J. himself was a top-notch lead plumber for this project, taking care of all of our concerns and kept the household running with working plumbing so that we were able to live in our house despite a complete rework of our plumbing.  We appreciated the water and sewer working at almost all times!  We appreciated his notes left for us detailing what had been accomplished that day, and what would happen the next day.  We are very grateful for their exemplary service, despite our delayed praise.

I had my house re-piped recently by Counsil Plumbing and their work was impressive from many standpoints including price, quality of workmanship and attitude.  The company, owned by Mike and Valerie Counsil, is located at  1127 Somerset Avenue, San Jose 95132.  Their phone number is  408-272- 2272.  (There's a plumbing company with a similar name, so make sure you call the number above.)  

As a senior citizen, I was very impressed by Mike when he gave me the estimate and then said that he'd like to meet a family member just to explain everything that he would be doing.  It was obvious that he is straightforward and wants to make sure that the family is aware of the project and how it will be carried out.  (A neighbor who has done extensive plumbing work sat in on our meeting and was impressed by Mike.)

Several factors made Mike's estimate the most appealing one.  The price was right.  The work would be completed in one day and he has an experienced crew of men who have done many re-piping jobs as a  team. Other estimates for this project specified that the work would be done in 3 to six days which were not very appealing options. One company wanted payment in cash and did not want to get a permit.  Those were warning signs to me.  

The crew arrived on time and each worker had a specific area that he started on immediately.  As promised, they completed the job in one day.  Not only does Mike run an efficient, operation but he and his wife are also very pleasant people to deal with.  I highly recommend Counsil Plumbing.  

Anita Goldwasser

Very pleased with Counsil Plumbing.

When a different plumber wanted to charge us $3000 to dig up our driveway and replace the sewer main, Mike showed us how the other plumber had mis-diagnosed the problem, and that work wasn't needed at all.  He saved us $3000 and didn't charge us.

Later, we had Mike return to install two toilets.  On his recommendation, we had ordered the toilets ourselves directly from the retailer to save on the price; one of them turned out to have been damaged in shipping, and Mike took it and had it exchanged without charging us for his trouble.

The work was done well and professionally, and Mike is a pleasure to deal with.

Counsil Plumbing is the son's small family business. Five stars. Mike Counsil Plumbing is the father's high end outfit. Zero stars.

The receptionist at Mike Counsil Plumbing, knowing that I had an appointment with Counsil Plumbing, took advantage of my confusion to hurry over a technician from Mike Counsil Plumbing. The technician, in my emergency situation, quoted $487 for six simple solder joints on a dry pipe! That included a discount because I provided the pipe and fittings. It takes a lot of green to keep those green trucks moving.

Fortunately, Mike Junior arrived right on time and fixed the pipe using Pro Press fittings in 10 minutes for a small fraction of the price. Check out Counsil Plumbing.

Mike is very knowledgeable and patient with customer's questions. I had a leaky shower that two other plumbers had no idea how to fix. When Mike came in, he diagnosed the problem right away, ordered the correct parts, and installed them nicely as soon as they came in. The supplies that he orders are top notch quality. Mike even came back to our house three days in a row, to get the job done. He's a perfectionist, which is what you want when it comes to fixing things in your own home. We're going to call Mike whenever we have any plumbing issues for sure, and we'd certainly recommend him to our friends and relatives.

A band of guardian angels landed on my doorstep late Friday afternoon. Their names were Jesse, Luis and Charles. This plumbing trio fixed a worn out valve, explained everything there were doing without talking down to me and finished up the job quickly. And the price they quoted to me was affordable. My worst fears were soothed and the water was back running into the house for the weekend and the upcoming holidays. What's more, this heavenly trio showed me what I need to do in the upcoming months to make make sure the plumbing is running smoothly and efficiently. Thank you. Now I have a preferred plumbing company and a preferred plumbing team.

Counsil Plumbing was the first to respond to a request I made on Service Magic.  Literally within 10 minutes of my submitting my request, they were on the phone to set up the appointment.

The problem that I saw was easily remedied, but in addition the testing of the new installation (tub drain) , they found what my gut told me was the major problem - a clogged drain.  The spent the rest of the afternoon making sure that my drain was functioning before they left for the day - and returned the next day to fix the questionable drain installation, and also rebuild my kitchen faucet.

A week later, the toilet was also showing signs of leakage - so I contacted them immediately, and they came out the next week and replaced the wax seal - and assured me that the floor had not been damaged; also rebuilt my 18 year old kitchen faucet - and also came and upgraded my mothers 1958 shower pipe so I can put modern (and available!) fixtures - allowng my handicapped mother to have a shower when she wishes.

I can highly recommend this company, and will call them first for plumbing, heating, any plumbing-related need.

And in addtion, the main recommendation for me is that they are not only not allergic to cats - they actually like cats!

Diana

Our sewer line was blocked, but who to call?  

Looked for plumbers on a few sites, went to the Yellow Pages, and called Counsil Plumbing. Explained the problem to Valerie who was very receptive to our plight, and we made an appointment for that afternoon. Mike arrived as promised, saw the clean-outs, and told us that it was our street clean-out where the problem was. So I called the SJ Emergency Public Works number and told them about my sewer backup. They came out that afternoon and fixed the problem.

Thank you, Mike (and Valerie)!! Always refreshing to find a professional who will take the time to tell it straight, and that gets a recommended review from me! Here's my 4 star vote for Counsil Plumbing and who will be my first call next time, for any of his services. Your card is now in our phone book, so we don't have to search for a source next time.  Read the other reviews like we did!

I own a condo and my tenants reported a leak in the shower... they live upstairs, and the unit downstairs was starting to see evidence of water instrusion. Mike made me feel so much better after explaining what the problem was and the true extent of the damage - which wasn't nearly as frightening as I had imagined! He came back two days in a row to ensure the problem got fixed and was extremely nice. I was completely confident in his skills. He made me feel completely at ease.

Thank you, Mike! And thank you, Valerie for listening to all my frantic calls and making sure things got sorted out.

There ARE good people in the world :-)

Got a recommendation and it proved pretty bad. Did things half way, installed the toilet on our remodel and said he'd come back to caulk it, never showed. At the same time he put in the tub and the super nice faucet needed a washer, he ordered it and it was on my invoice, didn't bring that back either. This guy and his wife are struggling and she, I'm sure takes a lot of the heat when people call back. Forget this guy, and find a plumber who is in it for plumbing not to prove something to his father.

They did a good job replacing my Sewer line and adding two drain outs in 2013. Ever since, I have referred them to at-least 3 friends and all of them are happy with the service.

Mike was direct, efficient and did the job well

Our hot water heater was leaking, Mike replaced it and hauled off the old one as well.  Would never know he was ever here,except for the new hot water heater; he did a great job.  Thank you

What a great team, Valerie and Mike make together... They really care about their customers.  Valerie made sure she juggled their busy schedules to accommodate mine.  Mike was so prompt when he got to my house, replaced the old broken pipes underneath the house, and cleaned up all the particles himself... thank you both!

My last experience with Counsil Plumbing was absolutely terrible - a complete reversal from my first.  I had to wait 1 week for an appointment and then received a the morning of the appointment that a customer decided they wanted more things done - vs. an emergency of some kind.  I had to wait 4 more days for an appointment and then on the morning of the appointment, I received a call at 8:20am asking if the plumber could come in half an hour for a 10am appointment.  I said that wouldn't be convenient, and then was told, Hopefully nobody will call between now and then.  Really.  

Then, Aaron misdiagnosed both issues I had - banging pipes and a showerhead was making a screeching noise.  

Aaron's diagnosis of the banging pipes was that a hanger that was holding a pipe inside the wall had come loose.  Then he said that it was the neighbor's pipes (we live in a townhouse). He said that it wouldn't cause any problems and the only way to fix it was to open up the wall. After he left, I thought about it and decided that it didn't make sense that the problem was with the neighbor's pipes since the only time we heard banging was when we turned on our facets.  I did some research on the Internet and found that this is a common problem and you need to drain all of the water from the pipes.  That worked.  Aaron most definitely should have figured that out.

Then he unscrewed the showerhead, ran some water, and said it was fixed.  It started screeching after he left.  My husband installed a showerhead from our other shower, and it worked fine.  It was simply a faulty showerhead.

I sent an email about all of this to the email address on the Counsil website, but have not received a response after 2 weeks, which is why I am writing this.  So much for the guarantee of 100% satisfaction.

First off let me say the customer servie here is gerat! They are fast freindly and they get the job done. I would refer Counsil Plumbing to everyone. The quality of there serivce is outstanding. Big thank you to Mike and Valarie for your great serivce. keep up the great work! Thank You again

We are so happy with Counsil Plumbing's excellent, top notch service. They arrive on time, and have done incredible work in our dental office. We've had faucets, piping, restroom issues all effectively resolved, and in a timely manner. The owner is so down-to-earth and really takes the time to get to know his clients on a personal level. Quality work with a personal touch is so hard to find nowadays, but our office is thrilled that we have found our plumbing professionals for life! Highly recommend Counsil Plumbingt to anyone looking for a superb plumbing company.

While their work may be good, their prices are astronomical. Originally called in for a leak at the water meter, the finished product cost a whopping $29K. They replaced all the sewer lines under the house. What do those lines have to do with a water meter leak? I was able to stop them from gouging my widowed mother any further. Their explanation was they are obligated to do a full inspection and recommend any repairs they feel are necessary. Would my widowed mother argue with the reputable plumber when she is told by this professional that something needed repair or replacement? She obviously has NO training or experience in plumbing. They said she always was consulted before work was done. Of course she was. But how is she to know what REALLY needed to be fixed or replaced? The last straw was when they wanted to replace the hose bibs for the washing machine for $300. A $5 part and a ten minute job. Why would a reputable plumber who was called out to fix a leak at the water meter end up at the deep sink in the garage. They explained that they were more expensive because they provided a guarantee of their work. There are plenty of plumbers who can do that as well. Don't help them maintain their fleet of shiny chrome wheeled trucks. Call someone who wants to do a good job at a reasonable price and is ethical. Go elsewhere.

Edit 10/2016 - this is a review of Mike Council Plumbing, not Council Plumbing.

I've only had an initial consultation and estimate from Counsil Plumbing - for switching all our pipes out to copper - but am very impressed so far with their responsiveness, courtesy, knowledge and thoughfulness.

They don't keep up their appointments, this happened to me two times in a row. It is always about some emergency and they inform you 5 mins before your appointment window. So, if you have made arrangements to stay home for them to show up, I guess you're in for a surprise. It is purely inefficient planning as I have see similar reviews with same reason.

We had multiple issues that we needed to be troubleshoot and repaired.  From the beginning to the end, their service was great.  They were responsive, on time, clean, knowledgable, and spent the time needed to do a quality job.  Jaime Reyes, the technician was great.  He took the time to explain what was needed and took extra care to perform the repairs.  All and all, a GREAT experience.  The one area that was a bit concern but not enough to discourage was their price.  Compared to other plumbers, their cost to repair and replace was higher than others.  But then again, their customer service, attention to details, and quality in installation was one of a kind.

Mike and his team have done an excellent job supporting our small business through a number of varied plumbing issues.  From broken toilets to backed up drains, Counsil Plumbing has completed each job in a cost effect manner.

We had a leak, but it was a hidden leak.  As it turned out, it was in the wall behind the  kitchen sink.  Mike came out and quickly diagnosed the problem and gave me a few options based on price.  He even corrected another problem with the pipes servicing the garbage disposal.  I was very impressed with his professionalism, ability, and reasonable prices.  I would gladly recommend him to anyone and plane to have him back soon to install a kitchen faucet and dishwasher.

Mike & Valarie both are Trust worthy people, He did gas line for my Kitchen in Cupertino. Amazing Job ! Even today i refer mike to all my friends :)

This is our go to plumber.

He is not the big company. He does good work.

The first time was to run gas for our new gas range. He did a good job and was available for the inspector. There was a hitch, MIke worked out a solution and all was well.

The next time was to convert a natural gas barbecue to a propane. Again, he showed up on time, charged the amount quoted and finished quickly.

Highly recommend.

Mike is a very nice guy, reasonable rates, and stands by his work.  We had him do some work at our house a few years ago.  Recently, we found that there were a couple small items that needed to be corrected.  He came out and fixed them no questions asked.  Thanks Counsil Plumbing!

Counsil Plumbing features Mike, a second generation plumber.  He is honest, does not overcharge or attempt to take advantage of anyone.  If the problem turns out to be smaller than you thought, he won't overcharge.  He knows his stuff.

I needed help with making my kitchen sink functional again before Thanksgiving.  A different plumber quoted me $480 to replace the garbage disposal, which I knew from previous experience was very high.  Then he told me that my kitchen faucet should be replaced, since the water was not flowing well (it wasn't).  He was going to charge me $643 to replace with essentially the same faucet.  I cancelled the work and called up Counsil Plumbing to take a look.  Mike fixed the faucet flow by taking out the little inner filter that was blocked by sediment.  Although I bought a similar faucet from Lowes to install, he said it wasn't necessary to replace yet.  Now I have as much water pressure as I could need, and the faucet works well.  I bought my own garbage disposal--the same as the one I had previously, and that cost about $110 from Lowes.  Mike installed the garbage disposal, and my final bill was $90 for the work.   So, essentially, I saved about $900 by choosing Counsil Plumbing over the other plumber.  If you look up Counsil Plumbing, be careful....there is another business with a similar name....you want Counsil!!!

Aaron and Mike were outstanding.  The job was bigger than we all expected and they took the time to do it right.  I found them both to be thorough and communicative about the issues and the progress.  I will be calling on Counsil again for my plumbing needs.

Our main water entrance leaked right behind the meter. After Mike checked the pipe he recommended to change the old pipe to copper pipe from the meter to the wall of our house. (about 50'). Since we had spent several thousands to change all the pipes in house four years ago, so originally we thought the quote is pricy. But after checked with friends, they said it is okay. The work is done very well within one day. We are happy!

I usually call someone else for our plumbing needs. But they were unavailable when we needed them this time. Then I found Ben Franklin Plumbing here on yelp. They referred me to their sister company, Counsil Plumbing.  They were all very kind, respectful, very professional, honest and prompt. They knew what was going on within 30 minutes of their arrival. Yes, I would absolutely recommend them to anyone for their plumbing needs.

Mike was reliable and on time.  He was negotiabel on the price and I thought it fell in line with other quotes when negotiations were completed.  He understood the job and explained the solution. He did the work efficiently and neatly and to my satisfaction. I intend to call Counsil plumbing for any future plumbing problems I may have.  The only negative I have from my experience is that he took the old, but still quite functional, hardware with him.  One of the pipes still had a clip that I needed for a attachment and that was gone with the hardware.  I would have been happy for him to take the hardware with him, but would have appreciated being asked first.  It was afterall, my property and the parts that he used to replace them with were bought at my expense.

I just had Mike come and perform a pressure and leak test on my gas pipeline so that I could get an upsized gas meter from PG&E.  From Day 1 of me calling and speaking to Mike's wife, Valerie, I felt that they were professional, reliable, and highly responsive!  Valerie kept me informed of what was going on with the city permit, and Mike was prompt, professional, honest, and very helpful!  I would definitely recommend them to friends and call on them again!  A great family run plumbing business!