ER Plumbing & Construction

David helped our lateral sewage work get completed when the original contractor went AWOL. Got everything taken care of in a relatively quick manner. Thanks again David for helping cleanup the mess left by the previous contractor.

They seem to have good reviews on Yelp so I called Rhino Rooter for a quote to replace the sewer lateral of my new house. He wanted to charge me for a video inspection of the current system and I told him that the city had told me that this house is over 50 years old and for houses over 50 years old they don't need video inspections. The city told me that I should replace the whole thing and I will get a partial rebate from the city. The guy from Rhino Rooter told me that the city doesn't know what they are talking about and said I should pay him for a video inspection first before he can give me any estimate. Luckily this wasn't my first call to a sewer lateral company and I know what I'm doing! The other companies had given me free quotes (to qualify for the city rebate I need to get three written quotes). I decided not to use Rhino Rooters as I feel they would try to rip me off.

Called this company with a plumbing emergency. Had sewage coming up from the bath tub due to a blocked sewer main between the house and the city pipe in the street. Juan arrived promptly, assessed the situation, and after using a camera down the pipe, dug a small trench to install a modern two-way sewer clean-out which our house was lacking since it is so old. After that, he was able to clear the sewer line (tree roots), and get us functional again. It was a messy and unexpected problem, but Juan did a great job, provided clear communication throughout, and kept to his original cost estimate even though there were a few surprises along the way. Very trustworthy and reliable guy, highly recommended!

Rhino Rooter has been out to my house a couple of times and they've  always done great work. Most recently, Will Feliciano pointed out some shoddy work that had been done by a different plumbing company. I was having a tough time tracking down the other company, but Will was able to put me in touch with their owner and they ultimately came out and fixed their work for free. Will went above and beyond to help me out in this case even though there was no money in it for him or Rhino Rooter. I highly recommend them for any job!

I normally don't write reviews for service experience, only food. However, credit is due when credit is deserved. Also, not to forget, this review is for Will.

Long story short, Will was very easy going, knew his stuff, and pin pointed what my problem was (kitchen sink pipe wasn't connected to the sewer lateral) within 1.5 hrs. He completely made me wish I called him first before the the other plumber.

I gave him 5 stars:

1 - I called in the AM and he scheduled me in on the same day. Will was also on time.

2 - Went above and beyond by crawling under the house to diagnose the problem. Also helping me fix the hinge on my crawl space door.

3 - Very thorough in his work. He did a lot of testing to really key on what was happening.

4 - I'm a 1st time home owner and didn't know much about plumbing and sewer laterals, but Will helped explain to me what was going on and what had to be done to get the problem fixed.

5. Most importantly, he got me an answer and figured out the problem!

I put his contact info into my phone after he left. I would definitely recommend him to anyone that is having plumbing issues within the area (El Cerrito).

Rhino Rooter was great! Gary came out and did the estimate promptly; he took the time to answer all of my questions. He worked with my schedule for completion - we had just bought the house and had 6 months to complete the sewer lateral and of course I waited until the last minute. His workers were great as well and always let me poke around to see what they were doing. Great service, fast and efficient without nickel-and-diming me. I'd hire them again in a heartbeat!

These guys did a great job for us. Dealt with a leaking pipe/sewer issue very efficiently. Highly recommend!

After contacting about 6 different sewer companies no one had managed to figure out our sewer leak much less fix it!  Sam from rhino rooter came out and was friendly and efficient.  I thought the cost was very reasonable and when our original plan to fix encountered some problems (not his fault) he came by on a Saturday to investigate the problem and fixed it Monday!  He went above and beyond and he and his crews were clean, friendly, and easy to deal with. Highly recommended!

Just had a great service call from Sam at Rhino Rooter. He is neat, clean, careful to change gloves and stay clean as he works. He is respectful with the landscaping, and did a great job locating my blockage and clearing it. He explained everything as he did it. He also gave me an estimate what it would take to permanently repair the old sewer lateral all the way to the sewer. He was right on time for our previously planned Saturday appointment, cheerful, pleasant and competent. When I called to set the appointment I described the situation to Gary; he told me exactly what to expect, and that's what happened when Sam came out. AAAAA plus!

Any time your 4-year old fills the toilet with an unhealthy combo of poop and baby wipes, there's bound to be a plumbing emergency.  Well try BOTH toilets in the house.

It happened.  Fortunately for us, Clint at Rhino Rooter saved the day.  He showed up within a half hour of my call and fixed the clogged toilets in about 15 minutes.  He was friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and did not cause us any further embarrassment about the treasures he encountered in our toilets.  Not to be gross, but my kid did have a lot of carrots the night before.

So, to sum it up:  POOP + WIPES + CHEAP TOILET = RHINO ROOTER

My lateral sewer almost completely failed on a weekend. I called Rhino Rooter on Monday morning, and Gary was able to come out a short time later. He gave a very fair estimate and took the time to explain what work would be involved. He also said he would try to arrange the work as soon as possible, since this was an emergency. After I accepted his offer, I appreciated that he still worked to clear the line, even though his crew was scheduled to come anyway. They were able to come the next day, and completely replaced the line that day! Gary also handled all the permits and inspections. The crew was very neat and professional, and I would recommend this company without reservations.

Well, small world as I'm the up in arms neighbor who was subjected to Rhino Rooter's illegal dumping on my property. (I don't have a lawn, though. It was more accurately left on my doorstep for several days.)  I wouldn't give these people my business if they were the last plumbing company on the planet. Luckily, they're not .

I had my sewer lateral replaced by Rhino Rooter, they did an awesome job, done in one day. The price was reasonable and I must say that especially I was very impressed with Henry, he was proffesional, though personable and very friendly.

Couldn't agree more with tom I. I needed a sewer lateral inspection to get my house ready for sale.  Sam is really nice.  We did have a miscommunication about why he was coming out.  He thought he was doing an inspection of previous work they had done when I needed the whole lateral inspected.  When he came back he waved the $125 camera inspection fee for the inconvenience.   Also, his estimate was $2000 lower than the other bid.  That group included work that did not need to be done.

Well, not so satisfied, overall.  Got referred by another fellow so I didn't really have chance to research this outfit ahead of time.  Seemed to be a little bit of a fast talker, but OK, we take a chance.

First sign: he  wanted to move up appointment time because he was ahead of schedule -- it was inconvenient for me but  I said I'd be there in 15 minutes.  Had quoted $125 over the phone and again in person though did not specify what was included in that price.  I explained what I needed and eventually he agreed to get started.  I warned him that there might be water in the line and indeed there was.  I procured a garbage can so there'd not be a mess.  A good 30 or 40 gallons emptied into the can.  Then he started to snake his camera in.  It went in maybe 17 ft and hit an obstruction.  He then used his magnetic device to try to locate it but we ended up locating it by him rattling the thing and me listening.  He offered to cut the pipe at the obstruction for another 495.  When I balked  because I had an open job with another plumber and it did not make sense to change in mid job and it became clear it wouldn't be a big payout day, he informed me that this clearing operation wouldn't be covered by that original 125 and that it would be 250 altogether (never mind that he didn't actually clear the obstruction -- just told me it was there -- helpful info to be sure -- but...).  That means I paid a guy 125 to empty a pipe into a trash can and attach a hose and pump to the trash can so we would not have to carry it.  And 125 to not succeed at actually videoing the pipe.

I had to have my sewer lateral replaced as part of my house purchase.  My realitor recommended several companies and Rhino was the one I picked.  Gary came out and spent all the time necessary to check out what was needed told me of the possibility that  there could be added costs and  explained what the additional parts were and why, the connection was fine and he didn't need to charge,  There were some problems with scheduling the inspection and permits and Gary kept me informed through the whole process.  Great customer service everything was completed on schedule and the landscape and concrete walk replaced as if they  had never been touched.  These guys are as good as it gets.

We didn't end up using Rhino Rooter for our job because it was a repair on something that another plumber botched.  

But we had a great experience with Rhino Rooter in terms of the estimate and follow through.  They showed up when they said they would and gave a very prompt and reasonable estimate of costs with a good explanation of everything they were charging for.  

When I called the City planning department in my City to ask about Rhino Rooter, they told me they have a very good track record of work.  I would definitely use them in the future.

FIVE STARS plus....I'm a landlord with several properties in Albany and El Cerrito.. Gary Ball at Rhino Rooter has done several jobs for me over the past 10 years. Whether it be complete sewer replacement, or a water heater emergency, he has been there for us.  On time, fair price and and most pleasant to deal with..Can't get any better than that....

Woke up at 7:30 AM on a Sunday to these guys starting work. They left a 3 foot long, massive pothole in the middle of the road. For the last month I have watched cars pop tires and swerve into the hillside to avoid the huge hole. Didn't want to have to come to yelp to leave a bad review, as I figured the pot hole might be something they could come back and fix, but I've been trying to call for the last month, nearly every day and no one is answering the phone.

Sloppy work, left a patch in the street where they dug that was third world quality. Finally came back weeks later to do a better but still not great patch.

Just met with Gary today for a camera inspection of a sewer lateral on a home I may purchase.  Scheduled an appointment for 3pm.  3pm rolls around, no Gary.  Thought traffic might be an issue so I gave him until 3:45.  Called him and it seemed like he completely forgot, even though he told me that he just lost track of time.\

He said it would take him 1/2 hour to get there.  I live 1+ hour away, so anything under 2 hours would be worth it to me so I wouldn't have to make another trip.  1/2 hour later he said he was still 1/2 hour away stuck in traffic.  50 mins after that, he arrives.  ~2 hrs late.

He does his inspection, and that is why he is getting 2 stars, everything was fine with the inspection, he was quick and efficient.

After, I was given an estimate for the work that was recommended and I asked for a discount on the $200 inspection fee due to his late arrival.  He said no, immediately.  I was ok with that, stuff happens and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, then he says, Sometimes we show up early and we don't charge extra for that.  Like his time is worth everything and my time is worth nothing.  Lets just say, it was the flush that broke the sewer pipe, so to speak.  That is why I am on here right now writing this review.

If you want someone who will be 2 hours late and then condescend to you about the value of your time, then Gary is your guy!

This company provided service above and beyond our expectations.  Cannot say enough about this company and their crew.  Had problems for years with a lateral sewer backing up.   ER plumbing came out and replaced our lateral sewer.  The estimate was fair, the crew was professional, they cleaned up completely after the job was done and took care of permits and inspections.  
They went above and beyond our expectations as it was discovered near the end of the job our pipe was encased in a large amount of cement.   The crew had to take extra time and equipment to dig it out and make it right.  They did and the job is absolutely perfect.   We were grateful for the attention to detail and seeing the job done right.  This company is a top notch professional operation that I would recommend to anyone.

Will was fantastic to work with. Very professional.

He finished a job on my street early and called/texted to confirm if he could come early. I had a backup that turned out to be an easy fix. He was recommended to me by neighbors, and had been the one to work on both of our sewer laterals previously.

I needed the lateral sewer replaced on our  home last week.  This was a big job.  Our main sewer line is about a 115ft from the street (a very steep hill) and another 30ft line that services our lower level baths.  We had  tree root infested, and extremely clogged lines.  Gary and his crew did a great job finishing in 2 days.  His quote was the best we had(we had 6 bids).  We had ridiculous quotes from places ($12-14,000), and time estimates to 4 to 5 days to complete.  If you need your sewer line replaced, call rhino rooter.

Gary arrived early to each of our four appointments to replace our Berkeley sewer lateral. His bid was lower than the competitors, but he is very professional and friendly, and his crew was fast and courteous, and they left the site clean. Although I hope I won't be needing them again, I'll definitely be calling Rhino Rooter if we have any sewer issues in the future.

Unfortunately, the owner of this company is actively ghosting me on a project he agreed to a month ago. I met him for a consult, it seemed great, but now he won't return any of my calls or messages for weeks on end. I guess when they decide they don't want to do a project, you just won't ever hear from them again! A simple response of some kind would be nice.

We realized today that what we thought was a simple washing machine leak was instead a clogged sewer pipe that had backed up into our garage.  I called a plumber that I saw recommended elsewhere and he suggested I call Gary at Rhino Rooter (apparently some plumbers don't like to get their hands dirty with the sewer-side of the equation).  Gary was at my place two hours later, what I thought was going to be disaster was solved within 90 minutes at a very reasonable price, and he's an entertaining guy who explains to you what he's doing and why.  I now know more than I hopefully will ever need to about sewer plumbing in general.

When I needed a new residential sewer lateral, my general contractor recommended that I go with Rhino Rooter because their price was competitive and he had found Will Feliciano very compatible to work with. I am so glad that I did!  As it turned out, the City of Oakland had contracted with another company to reline the sewer main and lower laterals, and that contractor had left the lower lateral unconnected. Just as things were headed directly south, Will intervened with the City inspector and managed to provide the information needed to get the City's lower lateral properly prepared. I broke out the champagne when I saw that they had fixed not only my lower lateral, but all the rest of the ones on my street. I shudder to think how this could have turned out, with layers of bureaucracy pointing fingers and dodging responsibility. Will really turned things around, and the work was completed within the agreed-upon price even though Will had to spend many extra hours dealing with this complication.

No call no show. Left message. No call backs. If you want to be disappointed, then try them. They're good at ruining your day.

Do you want a LIEN mean, clean sewage line?  If so, read on.

First the good - in the spirit of fairness.  Our main sewage line from the house, down a hill, and into the city drain far down the hill, had to be completely replaced.  The line was repaired/replaced and was done so on time.  We've had no further issues with it. The son, a really nice guy, in the operation was formerly In the  armed services, and I was happy to give my business to him.  

Now the bad.   This story should serve as a lesson to anyone who hires a contractor for any work.  Be aware that a contractor can file a mechanic's lien against basically any home owner who he feels owes them money.  It's very easy to do and can cause you the home owner a great deal of problems, especially with credit issues.  Also, if you want to refinance your house and Joe Blow has filed a lien against you for $100, you're out of luck.  Once filed and accepted - it almost always is according to a lawyer I spoke with - you have to either pay to get rid of it - what the contractor wants you to pay - or hire an attorney to get rid of it by proving that it was b.s.  But hiring a lawyer to have a lien rescinded because Joe Blow is simply trying to extract more money from you costs money, and so when a contractor threatens you with a lien against your home for something less than $5000, you might as well pay because to not pay it and get rid of that lien, you will probably end up paying that much.  So the contractor in these situations has a weapon - the mechanic's lien - to place you at his mercy.  

The amount in question between Rhino and me was roughly $3000.  The project required extra work and no estimate was given prior to the  work starting.  I thought notification of that step up,was required.  Mind you this was originally a $5000 project that very legitimately went up to $7500 in costs.  But then the bill came in around $10,500.  I didn't want to pay that $3000, at least not all of it, without some discussion and some serious questions I had about the nature and costs of some of the additional charges.  Quite honestly it looked like the bill was being padded.  Regardless, the owner demanded the money, and threatened immediately to file a mechanic's lien against my house unless I paid that $3000 by some deadline.  We went back and forth on email and managed to drive the charges in question down to about $1500.  But he was ready to file that lien at any moment.  Fortunately for me, his guys forgot to fill back up a trench in my neighbor's property, which I didn't realize until the city told me.  So the city couldn't sign off on it.  And the rule is that if the permit hasn't been signed off, and the work thus not completed, you can't file that lien.  That gave me some time.  I had my landscaper backfill the trench with surrounding dirt that he charged me $50 for rather than have the Rhino guys come back.  They would have done it for free because that was part of the project and the initial $5000 bid.  But I wanted to show the guy that a trench can be back filled for $50, not $400 or so.

So now Rhino couldn't file the lien  because they had not completed the original work that fell under the $5000 estimate.  It was an honest  mistake, but could have been a problem if my neighbor's kid would have ventured down there.  But no harm no foul, and the permit was signed off by the city.  Rhino took the $50 off the disputed amount - they paid it.  To get this very unpleasant experience behind me, I paid him half the now lower disputed amount which had come down considerably from the original $3000.  Because once the work is in fact completed - and signed off by the city - by the original contractor or by yourself, the contractor can still come after you with that lien.  So the threat was back on and I felt forced to pay.  

The amount I ended up paying was acceptable considering  that the project did in fact become more complex and required additional work that was not in the spirit of the contract.  But the process of getting to that point - being grossly overcharged, in my opinion, being threatened with a lien almost  immediately, and then finding out the original work hadn't  actually been completed  - was a very unpleasant one.  A mechanic's lien is a scary thing, and Rhino wields that weapon highly effectively and early on.  The work was done well and on time (except for the hole that wasn't back-filled), but the highly aggressive use of the mechanic's lien as a way to extract money from a homeowner is in my opinion, deplorable.  

I've tried my best to be objective and accurate here, and I hesitated to write about this precisely because it was so unpleasant.  But homeowners need to be made aware of these incidents, and how easy it is for a contractor to use the threat of a mechanic's lien against you.  I've worked with numerous contractors and not once had a lien even come up in any conversation.  Here, it came up very quickly

I had an absolutely phenomenal experience with Will and Sam at Rhino Rooter.  They are honest, polite, fair, thorough and conscientious.  They communicate clearly and they deliver on exactly what they say they are going to do.  It was with a sense of deep dread that I went looking for a plumber to clear an emergency back-up in the septic line behind our house.  Like many people, I had not only heard horror stories about shyster plumbers but had also had my share of bad experiences.  From the moment that I first spoke with Will on the phone, I felt a sense of relief that I was dealing with someone of character and integrity who would take great care of me...and I was right!  The quality of the work was superb, was performed in a timely manner, and everything was left spotless afterwards.  I would unequivocally recommend Rhino Rooter and am happy to give them a 5-Star rating.  If you are looking for a superb, honest plumber for any plumbing need big or small, I would say look no further...

Henry came through again.  He was professional and straightforward from beginning to end and led his crew accordingly.  

We had a sewage overflow 8 months ago and knew that we had rootballs in our sewage system.  We got a quote for a starting price from another company. They would dig up (and replace) our garden in order to replace the sewage pipes.  The problem was, they couldn't tell us what the price would end up being...it was going to depend on what they found.  

A few weeks ago, we had our second sewage backup and it was not pretty. My workspace was flooded with sewage...ew.  Although Rhino Rooter's fee was significantly higher than the starting price of the other company, it seemed perfectly reasonable and was a solid number. It felt much safer to go with them.  After getting a referral from a neighbor and reading Nicollete's review, I made sure Henry was going to be on board from start to finish to assure that our experience was a positive one.

They scheduled the work within a week and only made noise for a few hours. They were done quickly and I trust their work.  I did not get any competing bids...so barring that qualification, I would recommend them, absolutely!

Upstairs and downstairs toilets were increasingly sluggish, which I assumed was due to sewer issues (rather than 2 old toilets acting their age simultaneously). BPN had old but good reviews of Rhino,. The owner,Gary, was in the area so came right over himself.
He could easily have gone ahead and done the sewer cleaning, but instead gary listened to the sewer after flushings and said the sewer was fine but the toilets were just old and needed replacing. He did not propose his company for that work. I asked and was given a fair estimate. Because Gary was so honest about the sewer not needing work and also easy to deal with,  Rhino will get the job.

I got several different quotes for updating my sewer, big job. Juan at Rhino Rooter got my business because he impressed me with his offer of a low-cost inspection and dedication to getting the job done as fast as possible, to keep my cost down. He inspired my confidence from the beginning, and I was not disappointed. The job ended up being more complicated than expected, but they handled it perfectly and passed both inspections, EBMUD and Stege without a hitch. Juan's team members were
all very polite and pleasant to have around. They will get all of my plumbing business going forward.

Arvin's crew just replaced my sewer lateral. Arvin was very professional and friendly. His crew did minimal damage to the street and to the area where they had connect the lateral to the house.  Since there was question about whether or not the city would want concrete in the street replaced, they held off in charging my card until everything was finished/

Rhino Rooter did our sewer lateral and they were great! It was easy to schedule and the entire process was smooth. Will was very communicative and a pleasure to work with. I will call them again for future work. Thanks Rhino Rooter!

We had a phenomenal experience with Rhino Rooter, and recommend them wholeheartedly. Gary and his team were wonderful to work with -- kind, SO friendly, professional, and easy to get in touch with. In order to get to the pipes they were working on, they needed to take up some of our back deck. I noticed they had used tape to number each plank so they would put them back in the correct order (such attention to detail!), and now that they are finished, there is not even a trace that they were here (aside from our fully-functioning pipes!). We had feared this job would be one giant headache, and Gary and his team were able to make it a painless and easy experience for us. If you're looking for a team of hard-working individuals who will do the job right the first time, hire Rhino Rooter!

We recently had our sewer lateral replaced by Henry and his team. They replaced the sewer line that wraps all the way around our house by digging one hole at the curbside that was neatly re-poured with concrete at the end of the day. Henry also poured a slab of concrete around our sewer downspout where rodents were tunneling. Everything was left in great shape at the completion of the job, which only took one day.

Everyone I dealt with at Rhino Rooter, the owner, the foreman, and the workers, were very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. This is our third time using Rhino Rooter (we've also used them for sewer inspections before buying a house), and each time their service has remained consistent. I highly recommend them.

Wish I had read some of these reviews before hiring these guys. I needed a gas line installed for my dryer, the guy who came out was nice enough and seemed to know what he was talking about with comparable rates so I went for it. It took over a MONTH to get this work completed. Every time he started the work he suddenly claimed a new thing was needed, ended up costing twice the original estimate. They left our garage a total mess and didn't even come pick up their garbage until I clarified that I would with hold payment until this was done. The only positive thing I can say is at least the guy I worked with answered my calls/messages throughout the process.

Had some trouble with my sewer, Gary came out the same day and cleaned it up and even though it required two different kinds of blades and two passes to clean out the ingrown roots, didn't try to raise his price.

Highly recommended.
After a few bids on replacing our sewer lateral, we selected rhino rooter as the work they did a block away looked good, their trucks/equipment looked maintained, and their estimate was competitive.  I worked with Sam and I have to say he bent over backwards to accomodate us.
We had a situation where our lateral was tied into the neighbors lateral so we couldn't go with a trenchless replacement.  Angel and the crew dug out and laid a new lateral and also redirected the neighbors 1/2  bath line to their lateral.  I was home and watched a lot of the work going on, and they did a solid job.  I would not hesistate to call them again.

For those who didn't get a call back, try to understand that sometimes jobs that are hidden (wiring, plumbing, termite, etc.) crop up with unforeseen conditions and throw everyone's schedule out of whack.  This happens and you just have to call again, no matter who the contractor.

This review is particular Insofar as it does not necessarily reflect on the service provided by the company, but rather they're integrity.  They are a full service professional outfit which has a good reputation in the circles I run with. They were updating and replacing a line of hard wearing workhorse type tools, and selling their old lot off super cheap. I bought one of their old units on a strictly no guarantee, as is, repair it as needed basis, for about a tenth of the new retail value.  The unit ran well initially, then soon failed in a freakish and catastrophic manner caused by the shearing of a bolt. Basically an unpredictable and rare event, which irreparably destroyed the machine  (if there was any suspicion that this might have occured, a ten minute and two dollar fix would have cured it.) I called Gary back to tell him of my misfortune, and rather unexpectedly, he immediately offered to return the full amount the purchase price. I feel like most folks out there would rightly commiserate in my bad luck, and offer condolences. Since there was no guarantee implicit in the sale, I was not expecting an offer of a full refund whatsoever. Though truth be told, I was fishing for some type of recompense beyond an empathetic understanding of what it means to have such an awesome and new tool destruct within minutes of falling in love with it.  In any case, Gary took me for my word and promptly returned the money. I thought that was a righteous move which reflects well upon the integrity and character of his company.

Only 1 star rating.  This Will Feliciano of Rhino Rooter is very careless in his work.  Sloppy work at a clean-out.  He tried to do work on the side for his personal business for cash, and there are no reviews in Yelp for this Will guy.  He said that his personal business had positive reviews for his personal business, although he was also associated with Rhino Rooter in the East Bay area.  This guy is insensitive to certain customers and does not behave professionally, i.e. unprofessional to the customer.  In this example, with us, he neglected an important detail and something got damaged in the clean-out.

Rhino Rooter just completed replacing my main sewer line. I can't recommend them highly enough. They were punctual, neat, courteous, knowledgeable and very concerned about doing first quality work. The lead plumber, Henry, was exceptional. He took the time to carefully explain everything from the video inspection to doing the actual work. He   knew what to do when the project hit an unexpected snag and was able to navigate the City inspection process to still get what turned out to be a quite extensive job done in one day.

My water heater went out and I spoke with Will at Rhino Rooter. Will was super helpful and worked with me to get my water heater replaced at a fair price and on a short time schedule. I've also been able to call him back a few times and get advice on how to handle a few different things.

Will is always down to help, and as such, Rhino Rooter has me as a client for life. Will is THE BEST!

I see other reviews talking about Gary, but honestly I only ever dealt with Will. Will is who you want to talk to. SUPER HELPFUL and good guy!

Ok here is an update on my experience with Rhino Rooter.. I have had time to think and have read Gary's response to my review which was not the greatest. However up until my last interaction with them they did a really good job which is why I hired them more than once.
I stick by the one star for that particular really poor example of customer service.. It's amazing how one bad interaction can sour a person-me in this instance that is.
So because the work up until then had been just fine. ( My roommate described Gary as a wiseass in previous interactions-but competent)
So I think if I had reviewed them before my last interaction I would have given them 4 stars so I'm revising the stars from negative one to three..

We used Rhino Rooter 3x in the last few years. Unfortunately we will not be using them again. Ever.

Last Friday I called Rhino Rooter because my 'outtake valve'(?) or whatever the thing is outside the house that connects our sewer line to the street was overflowing.
Sam came out on time, last minute, Friday afternoon and was terrific. He was thorough, polite, and knowledgeable. He cleared the line
and I paid him the $175 they required plus gave him a $20.00 tip cus he seemed so trustworthy and efficient. And for coming out on a Friday afternoon!
I thought I heard him say to me that if we had any problems to call and that there work was guaranteed maybe for 30 days? A week? I don't recall..Terrific!

Switch to today which was a nightmare.
Over the weekend we tried to flush upstairs toilet and it didn't work..and it didn't really work well all weekend even after vigorous plunging. So today I called the office and spoke with Denise and she very kindly called me back and said someone would be over in about half an hour to an hour.

So the Rhino Rooter van pulls up in front of our house and I go out to greet them. The owner Gary and another guy got out of the van both looking extremely disgruntled and really pissed off. Uh oh I thought these guys had a bad day..
Well As it turns out I don't give a rats ass how bad their day was Gary was downright rude and nasty. He kept insisting that he had been to our house at least 5x in the past and that he was not going to do anymore work for free. Huh?

I paid them each time without question and both he and Sam told us that they would come out and clean the lateral if we didn't want to get a new one which costs $5000. Gary had even said to my roommate when he came out for an estimate we should wait on replacing the lateral until the moratorium on street repair was over and instead we could call them to do the quick clean out for $150-$175. Fine, no problem.

I guess Gary thought that I was expecting him to clean out the lateral for free which I hadn't dreamed of. I thought he wold check out the toilets. When I told him that,  he said that'll be $125.00. But by that time he had been so obnoxious and almost threatening there was no way I was letting him anywhere near my house or my pissoir.

As soon as they left I called the office hoping to speak with Denise and find out who let Gary's evil twin out of the box.. No I called to see if she could look us up and see if we ever got work for free which I knew we never had and which The evil Gary twin kept insisting we did.

We had planned on using Rhino Rooter to replace our sewer lateral but uh ah beware the rhino. Sam good. Rhino bad.

The first time was fine I don't recall who came out but they did a fine job and may have given us an estimate for a sewer lateral. And of course we paid them! Then 6 months or so ago even though nothing was wrong we decided to get three estimates for replacing the sewer lateral.  My roommate said that the owner was kind of a wise ass but thought they would do a good job.
Nope not gonna happen.

I would give them zero stars if I could. One of the worst experiences I've ever had with a service company. We had the outfit do a new trench for our sewer and had nothing but major problems with the work, the crew (the a-hole owner and his thug of a son) and the price. They will give you one price as a bid and then after the work is finished will hit you with a much larger bill and then intimidate you to pay them by threaten you. These people should be working on sewers because they are compete Sh-t!!!  Beware and steer clear!!!

Can't say enough about the work these guys did. Great job!!
I wanted to get my sewer inspected and certified by the city. This can be a huge undertaking and cost if it is not done right. Sam took time to inspect and reinspect all area to help avoid any additional cost and make sure it was done right. Sam is an exceptional technician. He walks you through the whole process, cost and any hiccups that show up along the way.  

They had to expose a good amount of the pipe to insure there were no crack or broken seals (digging 6 to 7 ft down and just as wide around) but at the end of the three days you couldn't tell they were there.

Highly recommend them for your sewer needs.

If you are interested in a no call no show waste of your time, give Rhino Rooter a call.  Rhino Rooter was in the neighborhood on an EBMUD contract when I asked twice if they would be willing to do a small job on some exposed plumbing within my home. I made the appointment  with multiple phone calls for the next week, to be at their convenience.  I received a message in the morning of my appointment saying it could be done but wanted to know if I were flexible for my 3pm appointment. I returned the call and left my message for my appointment to be the same day, but that I was flexible. I prepared the  area for the work and planned most of my day to be present for the work.
NO call. NO show.  NO work.  And now, weeks later,  my shared advise is to look elsewhere or be prepared for some lip service and then their disappointing experience.

the 1-day, $4500, sewer lateral replacement has turned into a nightmare.  this company left the dug up concrete pile on the neighbors lawn instead of taking it with them at the end of the day.  4 days later, we're still waiting for them to come back to get it.  needless to say the neighbor is up in arms, calling the city and the police dept and all rhino can say is another job has run over and they'll get the concrete (ie FINISH the job they started last week and billed the credit card for) when they can.

do yourself a favor, call someone else.

Rhino Rooter charged my husband and me $3600 to run a new sewer line three days ago.  Today we have sewage backing up into our home and along the side of the house because Rhino Rooter never connected the sewer line to the house!   I think that's is something that a company would know is necessary to do!!   Now we are stuck.  It's Sunday, and Rhino Rooter has no phone number for weekend service!  We called another company who came out, and $250 later we were told the sad news about what RR didn't do!  Would I recommend this company?   Heck NO!

I have to rewrite my first recommendation.  Rhino Rooter was out here to clear my sewer line. I spoke to the son and told him last time, 2 years ago they jetted the line and it lasted for 2 years but he told me he could just clear the line with the snake, he did but unfortunately It only lasted for a few weeks.  I called them back today but they will not come out and redo it unless I pay full price for jetting. I payed $185.00 to have it snaked to have it jetted it is $285.00, I would gladly payed the extra $100.00 but not the full price when it only lasted a few weeks. Not using them again!!!! I also had them fix my toilet the day after the snaking. They told me it would cost $300.00 and I say ok. When they were done I gave them the check but he told me it was now $443.00. I had to write another check but was surprised they never got my ok or spoke to me about the higher price. I would have been ok with it if everything had been working but after my phone conversation this morning I am now understanding why they got so many bad reviews.

I appreciate a business that will take the time to answer questions and explain different options. Juan was respectful and professional and prompt, will I call them again. Yes I will.

Gary & his crew replaced our sewer... er...  something like that-- what do I know, I just sign things & hand over cash... anyway, it was a pretty big job, that included permits, pipes, cement... you get the picture.

Rhino Rooter has GREAT customer service-- very prompt, responsive & up front about any unexpected issues/changes to the work that comes up.  he worked with us to get the job done before a party (why we scheduled major plumbing work to be done the very same day we were having a bunch of people over is another question)  

Gary is friendly & knowledgeable.  We had another estimate & his price was A LOT less.  his office staff helps move the process along (reminder calls for scheduling & getting the contract signed, etc), but not in a pushy way.  the workers were great- they had everything cleaned up & looking like they had never been here at the end of the job.

we hope we won't need any more plumbing done for a long time, but when we do, we will definitely call Gary & Rhino Rooter!

Great experience - reasonable prices and came out to unclog our sewer line  right on time and exactly as they said they would. Friendly guys too.