John S.

02/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

We've had Robert in to work on several things at our house over the last decade, and have recommended him to all of our friends. He's easy to get hold of, he does excellent work, and he really is friendly!

I can really only say good things about this business.

Linda P.

12/22/2022

We have been using the Friendly Plumber for over two decades, at all three of our homes in San Francisco. You won't find a better plumber on Earth. He is extremely knowledgeable, has high integrity, will not even charge us sometimes unless the job warrants it. He responds usually within an hour to our call, scheduling his soonest available time. Very professional, thorough and always we learn a lot from him. He has a team now so he can scale his business. Believe me, you won't regret hiring him.

Andrew Z.

12/07/2022 12:00:00 SA

I called Robert this morning after having a (self-inflicted) plumbing emergency. He quoted a reasonable price over the phone, came over same day, and found a better solution that also happened to be cheaper than the initial quote. Can't recommend reaching out to the team here enough!

Jayne H.

08/01/2022 12:00:00 SA

Robert can fix anything I'm thinking. Every time I had Robert come to the house he has done an excellent job, from plumbing to installing vanities. This last time he installed a new water heater and the job was completed fast and expertly. If you want something done right, I would say he's the one to call.

scott v.

4/21/2022

Robert is the real deal; knows the City and knows complex plumbing and codes and a very nice man.
I highly recommend his company.

Judy G.

08/10/2022 12:00:00 SA

Robert has been our go to plumber for years. In addition to installing high quality replacements for regular things that break down with decades of use like ToTo toilets, faucets etc. he has taken on and aced big projects like our main water service line, pressure valve and an expansion tank for the water heater. We trust him to select the materials and models because he has good taste and a solid knowledge of both the quality of not only the plumbing parts but also of the crazily complex San Francisco permitting and inspection processes. He facilitates the resolution of every stage of getting something fixed and he answers the phone! Great communicator!

Jennifer R.

06/07/2022 12:00:00 SA

Robert worked with us twice to install our kitchen faucet, his schedule is flexible and was able to install very quickly. Thank you! Highly recommend Friendly Plumber

Pat D.

10/20/2022

did not complete work, constantly late or no show. helpers had no experience. always excuses can not overstate how much I would avoid this comp

Cate R.

9/23/2019

We used to use Robert's service every time we had a problem with our plumbing. Then one day he ghosted us when we needed a toilet replaced. We waited and called and he never called back. Maybe it was because he didn't want to deal with the weight of the toilet? That wasn't an issue as the company delivered it to our door. In any case, I won't call him anymore as he's not reliable.

S M.

3/13/2018

Robert is extremely helpful and friendly. Went out of his way to install a shampoo unit last minute and after hours in my salon!

Kathy A.

11/06/2006 12:00:00 SA

Another great experience from Robert. He handled our next set of repairs as quickly as possible, and that is no small feat considering we needed a new water heater installed. Try getting through that with no grief or extra charges, especially considering the narrow architecture of SF, and you'll know why I keep giving Robert 5 stars.

---
Robert from Friendly Plumbing was great. He was on time, nay, 5 minutes early, and was straightforward, friendly, informative, and most of all...time efficient. I had a slow drain that I thought needed snaking. He explained what he was doing, informed me of the entire process and even recommended some DIY solutions should it happen again. He was out in 10 minutes, $50 under estimate. WOOT! I would recommend him wholeheartedly.

Roxane S.

10/13/2008

Yay for Friendly Plumber!!! I reccommend then 500 billion + times over.
Robert is a super guys and gets the job done!!!
Choose them.

Adam J.

9/24/2008

Hot water heaters aren't cheap in San Francisco, and neither is installing one. So, rather than a smoking deal, what you should expect for your money is reliability, prompt service, good advice, safety considerations, professional work and a guarantee. That description is Robert. It's hard to think of a more professional plumber. He spent an hour discussing different kinds of hot water heaters and which ones would best suit our family in terms of capacity, recovery, safety and efficiency. And he work was top notch, from soldering all the old pipes, moving the gas valves, putting in a new flue, and earthquake proofing it with triple straps and a custom bracket. Plus, that dude is really friendly!

There's another plumber on Yelp with more reviews than Friendly, but I had a bad experience with that outfit. They tried to pull a fast one on me, and then I went with Friendly.

Karen S.

12/18/2008

I agree with the reviews that Robert is knowledgeable and knows that people want to save as much $ as possible on home repairs.

We had a leaky shower and got 3 estimates that all said cut the wall and replace the valve. Robert was the only one who suggested we buy the valve online (found a really good brand that was discontinued) and we could cut open the wall ourselves. He also knew we were on a time crunch and came in Saturday to do it AND had a great drywall guy come in to repair the wall. All in one day. Yay!

Gregory P.

5/16/2016

About to call the Friendly Plumber for help again. Over the last 10 years Robert has provided the best imaginable service for all my plumbing needs. There is no need for fear of his finding a problem where none exists. He is always there for you, rain or shine, fixing the problem and showing you how to maintain what is repaired, and also what to prepare for the future. He has just been a life saver. I thought I should write this review first because I always forget to yelp about him after he comes to the rescue. Integrity. That is the word for the Friendly Plumber. Integrity.

Alicia P.

9/14/2008

Yay! For the Friendly Plumber! I called on a Tuesday and asked if I could get someone out asap the earliest I could get was Fri, but after the woman heard how long I had been without heat, hot water ect, she tried to work me in sooner, alas.. nothing, but I was ok with the earliest she had which was Friday.
Robert came right on time and was awesome! He knew right away what was up.. I told him that PG&E had been out to check out my situation and he was shocked that they didn't fix the issue a week ago when they arrived.. it was as simple as turning my earthquake emergency switch back on!! hahahah.. anyhow, no real plumbing took place but regardless I would still call them in a second! Everybody was suuper nice and helpful!!

kristoffe R.

2/13/2008

We had a stopped-up drain in the bathroom. My own attempts at plunging, using Drano and even a snake did not unclog the problem.

Left a message for the Friendly Plumber on Christmas Day. He returned my call the next day and was able to schedule his visit that evening. He disassembled the p-trap, used a powered snake and was able to fix da sink.

I believe he is charging market rates and I paid the one-hour minimum after agreeing to his estimate. Prompt, courteous, and clean - I recommend the Friendly Plumber.

Eggy P.

10/08/2009 12:00:00 SA

BUYER BEWARE

I would never recommend these people for anything and here's why: I had them in for a leaky bathtub faucet. They gave me a quote for work that was going to cost me about $600 for them to replace the tub and shower fixtures and another $500 for the contractor to rebuild the wall. I called a handyman friend to ask for advice. He changed the rubber gasket in the faucet for **less than a dollar** and the problem was solved. That was months ago and it hasn't leaked since.

Oh, and why was the faucet leaking in the first place? Because Atlas plumbing had put in the wrong kind of gasket a few months before that, probably knowing it would soon fail.

From now on, I call my friend first.

EDIT: Okay, I'll give more details about why I object so much. I think they should have seen that the immediate problem was with one small part failing because it was the wrong kind, rather than a serious failure of the system requiring complete replacement. The valve per se did not fail, the gasket did.

It seems that they did not look closely enough into the matter before making a very costly recommendation; that's my main objection, and to me, that's a very serious one. Regardless of their intentions, I felt as though they were trying to take advantage of me. It's like going to the doctor for a splinter and being told the whole finger has to come off.

Maybe it was an honest mistake, but I'd rather have a plumber who investigates the simple solutions first. To me, this would demonstrate that that they have my interests in mind.

(Just for accuracy's sake, it was more than a free estimate I got. I paid about $75 to have the faucet capped to stop the leak; I am not complaining about that, it was my choice. I can imagine that an alternate temporary fix he could have offered for a similar price would have been a new gasket, but it was never mentioned because he never looked.)

Trev T.

2/19/2009

Wow. I called and asked how much it would be to snake out a toilet. Robert gave me a price but said If it's not the toilet that's broken you can get an auger at the hardware store and do it yourself.

I can't believe he gave me a reason not to fork cash over. When I thanked him saying as much he laughed and said I don't like wasting people's time. Fantastic. Hopefully I can take care of it but I'll be sure to give him a call if I ever need something.

James T.

01/06/2006 12:00:00 SA

Found this plumber from Yelp! and scheduled/ordered products and installations all day. Took the day off and he was a no show.

I don't have time for this. Robert seems like a great guy but did not call to say he would not make it. Can anyone refer me to a reliable plumber? I need 10-15K worth of work done.

Jamie W.

01/06/2007 12:00:00 SA

I tried to use Friendly Plumber after finding him in Yelp! I called and left a message on two occasions - letting about 2 weeks pass between the two contacts. How many callbacks did I get from him? ZERO.

If there were 0 stars, that's what he'd get from me. Even if he is just too busy with other jobs, professional courtesy should be to call me back and say he's too busy, find someone else to do the work.

Jennifer P.

3/22/2009

Just another 5-star review to add to the melting pot of happy customers. I agree with all the other 5-starers, great service...friendly...et cetera, et cetera...

tony l.

04/01/2007 12:00:00 SA

I had him over for three things.

-Fix an extremely noisy pipe.
-Fix hot water pressure on a faucet
-Give estimate on leaky faucet
-Give estimate on bathroom remodel

He arrived on time and was super friendly. He did a great job of clearly explaining my options. Unlike other contractors that I've come accross, he didn't seem like he was out to make a quick book. On the contrary, he was trying to steer me towards cheaper options when feasible.

He ended up fixing the noisy pipe. He chuckled at me when I told him about the hot water pressure issue. Have you tried turning that knob down there, as he pointed under the sink. Of course I had! But just in case let me give it a turn and... Oh shit. Yeah, good call. That's why you're a plumber and I'm...

Anyway, I'll call him back for our remodel once we start that project.

Sander L.

7/22/2009

Just what I needed.

After several months of struggling to understand why my garbage disposer was incorrectly installed, and constantly leaking, Robert fixed the problem with ease.

He arrived on time, lived up to the name, and was fast and affordable. He was also very clean and thorough, making sure everything worked perfectly before leaving. He also explained everything that was done incorrectly so I wouldn't make the same mistake again.

It was a simple job, but enough to prompt me to Yelp for the first time in awhile. I will certainly use his services again next time.

Matsuo U.

4/16/2010

11 years ago we called Friendly Plumber (install a commercial grade water heater in a 5 unit building) and haven't stopped calling since.They are expert at fixing plumbing problems (both BIG and small), installations, Robert has done a huge variety plumbing work for us:

--- sewer line replacement

--- fix a botched installation (by another plumber) on a high end shower (6 body sprays, 3 shower heads, steam, wrapped in Italian glass tile) I am pretty sure there is no one else that could have fixed this problem without messing up the tile.

--- install a (re) circulating pump to get hot water fast to the top floor of a 4 story building

And all of the less exotic plumbing issues: back-ups, faucet replacement, toilet installation, and so forth. Expert at diagnosing problems and fixing them.

Integrity & Honesty, and truly the Friendly Plumber. The best !

Doug S.

01/11/2011 12:00:00 SA

I had these guys do a decent amount of plumbing work for me for a washer and dryer I purchased from Best Buy. I was able to quickly get an estimate appointment, and once I spoke with them I was comfortable enough to go ahead and schedule them to do my hookups (I was in a rush to get this completed before I had to return back from the Christmas Holiday).

What they did:
Remove old wash tub from laundry room
Install new wash tub with hot/cold water
Run hot/cold water to washer dryer location
Extend drainage lines for the moved wash rub
Extend hot water heater overflow line to wash tub
Run gas line to dryer
Install 2-feet of exhaust ventilation for dryer
Stack the dryer on top of washer

Summary:
They showed up 2 hours late, and did not reach out to me, relaying the fact that they were running behind schedule (I called them to ensure they were still coming). The total install was supposed to take about 4 hours; it ended up taking about 6-7 hours. Yes, they had to take a lunch, but they were still coordinating the delivery of the supplies they needed for my job when they were on-site.

Although, they may have seemed disorganized and a little lax in their notification of me about running late, I was extremely happy about the quality of the work that they did. I would much rather the job be done completely and to a high-standard than a shoddy job that only needs to be revisited at a later date.

Total Cost: $1.050

Amy P.

02/05/2010 12:00:00 SA

My landlord is one picky bastard. I love him for it and when he recommended that I call Friendly Plumber to come out and fix my sink I had no doubt in my mind that they would do the best job possible.

Rob was professional, courteous and left me with some helpful advice that can potentially help prevent another late night disaster.

Annie W.

09/08/2010 12:00:00 SA

I had either a leaky sink or a leaky dishwasher and I could not for the life of me figure out which was leaking because water would randomly start leaking from underneath my wooden cabinets where I couldn't quite see the source. They are also right next to each other and the water pools around the cabinet bottoms so you can't see the origin. Argh!

I called Friendly Plumber and Sean responded promptly the next day right within the time bracket we agreed on and was so sweet and helpful. After some testing of the sink pipes and running of the dishwasher (patiently waiting for it to finish it's eternal cycle, I might add) he determined my dishwater's filter was clogged up and spewing gritty water back out. ...which really made a lot of sense and I kicked myself for not realizing it before. The boys in the house don't rinse their plates before putting them in, and I never thought of that being a problem until he pointed that out. D'oh!

Super professional and honest to boot! Despite staying almost 2 hours at my house to figure out what's wrong, I was only charged a modest fee of $120, and that was at my insistence! Sean was adamant in trying to find the problem even when both the sink and dishwasher stubbornly refused to show signs of its typical rebellion. That's really going above and beyond as a lot of people just give up and charge you $$75-150 for a visit even if it was only 20 minutes.

I will definitely be sending for them again!

Gregory P.

03/10/2009 12:00:00 SA

Robert was the only plumber willing to give me a rough estimate based on an email request and two (accurate photos) I sent to him. I wasn't looking for a hard quote that I would hold him to, I just needed a rough idea so that I could plan my next step and budget accordingly. It was exactly what I needed.

I tried multiple plumbers and only one other would even return my email. It's nice to see that someone is on the ball and using this 'new fangled' email technology to their advantage. (Most trades pros haven't really caught on yet) Seems like a great way to quickly review a situation without the scheduling hassles of an in person visit. Bravo Robert!

When I am ready to call in a plumber for any job I have, I know where I will go now.

Greg in SF

Craig D.

11/09/2009 12:00:00 SA

Just got done with my first visit from the Friendly Plumber. After fully disassembling my bathroom drain to retrieve a ring my wife dropped, I discovered the pipes were damaged and in need of replacement. I figured I could handle this up until the point I discovered the pipe into the wall was frozen into place. I decide this was one of those points where it would be easy to do serious damage so I decided to call in a professional.

Friendly Plumber was able to squeeze me in the same day. They arrived at my house and were not bothered by the fact that I had started the job on my own and bought replacement pipes. My decision to call in professional help was vindicated by the fact that they really had to whale on the pipe to get it out. Less than an hour later, I had a working sink again. I couldn't ask for a better experience.

Lazzy S.

08/12/2010 12:00:00 SA

I called Friendly based on Yelp reviews after my usual plumber proclaimed I had the wrong part to fix my bathroom faucet.

After researching it with the faucet manufacturer, it turned out I had the right part, but my plumber couldn't recognized it and didn't know how to install it.

Sean came out and was able to figure it out. He did a great job.

Also, if you're into massive Brit ginges, it's an exciting way to spend the afternoon.

Jim C.

03/05/2007 12:00:00 SA

I read so much great stuff about Friendly Plumber, but couldn't get a response for almost 4 days.

When I finally talked to someone they couldn't come to do the job for 2 weeks, so they referred me to Frisco Plumbing who is a total rip off.

James H.

2/18/2011

Nice guys, fair pricing and good service. I would definitely use them again. One minor item, they turned off my furnace and did not reactivate it. I was able to go into a crawl space around 11pm and find and fix how they had done it. Some less technical would have spent a very cold Feb night missing a working furnace.

I got a nice follow up call the next day apologizing for the inconvenience around the furnace so it's all good.

Again would definitely recommend these guys!

Tellinya O.

10/13/2017

After calling twice and getting no reply, I conclude that they are not nearly responsive enough for a plumbing company. They have done a few things for me--seem good enough. But often plumbing problems can't wait.

Dave L.

11/11/2009 12:00:00 SA

I had a Chicago Faucet bathroom sink (lav) valve that was leaking; the first time around I was able to fix it myself, and I cancelled my app't. A few months later, the problem came back; I called Robert and they came by and nailed the fix in a few minutes, with good humor and focus on the job.

I also appreciated some of the background info that Robert gave me on the assembly so that when I got in a new cartridge for the faucet, I could do the replacement myself if required (or call them in again).

I would use them again, and the charge was very reasonable.

Austin A.

6/24/2010

Found these guys on Yelp and just joined Yelp for the express purpose of reviewing them.

I was able to easily make an appt for the next day at a reasonable hour. They called to confirm and showed up during a promised one hour window. They made pricing clear upfront, and it was accurate.

Sean was the guy that showed up. He was professional and friendly, and talked me through the job as he worked (we also talked a little World Cup and disciussed nearby pubs). He was done quickly and to my complete satisfaction.

I don't have a bad word to say, and can easily recommend this outfit based on my experience.

Kirsten M.

11/15/2008

I picked Robert at Friendly Plumber because the Yelp reviews and because I really like to patronize local businesses when I can (I mean I can call a plumber from anywhere in the city but I like to support my 'hood and keep the good businesses here). Anyway, I called at 9am and had an appointment for that late that afternoon. He came as promised and with little drama or nonsense had my blocked toilet (yuck) fixed and done in 15 minutes for a very, very reasonable cost. He even gave me suggestions as to how to avoid his return and we had an interesting discussion about Yelp and its business model too. He just runs a good show and is a really nice, smart guy to boot -- I would recommend him to anyone.

annie s.

05/03/2007 12:00:00 SA

I can't say enough about Robert and Friendly Plumbing. He did seem to forget our first appointment too (see previous post) but came 20 mins after I called, and was very honest about our broken toilets (get new ones, it's about the same price as fixing them!). He came the following day to check on a leak, and then the day after that to install them. He was reasonable & friendly. Will definitely use them again!

Vic A.

12/02/2005 12:00:00 SA

Robert was indeed friendly and very professional. He gave useful advice and provided several pricing options to resolve the plumbing issue. Friendly Plumber is who you need to call for any plumbing troubles.

Bob R.

7/31/2008

Robert came to the house to help me fix a toilet. Helped me figure out the right approach and did a terrific job. He's a star.

Jo M.

11/02/2007 12:00:00 SA

Look no further, Robert rocks and he really is a friendly plumber. We had a really tricky job which involved crawling through a dirty attic and tons of perseverance to find a gas pipe buried underneath the floorboards...two other plumbers gave up...Robert didn't give up and he finished the job. He's a really, really nice guy and you should call him with your job.

Bob S.

4/25/2017

Twice in the past year we have had Robert, the Friendly Plumber do his expert work. First to repair a cracked drain pipe and last week to repair two leaky sinks. Both times he came quickly, gave what I deemed a fair estimate, and did the work quickly and well. Plus Robert is indeed a friendly fellow.

Rob R.

11/12/2008 12:00:00 SA

friendly is definitely appropriate for Robert... we ended up wasting a good half hour just chatting about politics and the real estate market as he was writing up the list of work I had for him. I gave him a key and he later returned it to me at another location.... and the final cost... $50 LESS than the quote. My only concern wasn't an issue either - one yelper complained that he failed to show for an appointment... so i called the night before (mine wasn't a rush job) and a friendly receptionist confirmed it for me.... and Robert was on time. So a solid 5 stars.

Stephanie H.

9/24/2008

Believe the 5 stars from so many people!!! Robert WAS friendly, but most of all he wasn't trying to rip me off like those other guys at Atlas or Water-Heaters-Only. I'm not going to give those other guys mean Yelp reviews, I'm just giving Friendly a great one.
I'm a stay-at-home-mom with Take Advantage of Me written all over my smile. Sure enough Atlas/Water-Heaters-Only tried to do just that. It seems to me they tried to talk me out of what I wanted into a mediocre brand and model they had sitting around their warehouse in a ripped up box. I must have looked like the perfect person to unload it on. Luckily my husband came home (he does not have Take advantage of me written on his forehead!) He googled the brand and model of the water heater (something I recommend everyone do.) Atlas had presented it to me as The Best! and my husband discovered it was expensive and mediocre. And not even what we wanted in the first place!
Then there was Robert at Friendly. He really listened to us talk about what we wanted. We explained the 3 loads of laundry we do, the 3 dishwasher loads, the 5 showers a day we needed to be hot and he installed exactly what we needed, even doing the extra soldering on our ancient pipes late into the night--on a Friday. He didn't recommend the high-end brands to us--he recommended we go with the old stand-by GE, who could gaurantee us a 12 year warranty--a company who wasn't invested in upgrading every few years and thereby making their own parts obsolete. Robert at Friendly was completely straight up with us--no monkey business, and even willing to give me tips on how to not be taken advantage of in the future!

hunter w.

03/12/2006 12:00:00 SA

Responsive, helpful, did the job for a fair price, came as promised on a saturday afternoon. Would definitely use him again.

Margot M.

4/30/2007

Always nice, gave us an estimate and stuck to it. Seems honest and reliable. He was a little late for his first appt., but showed up on time on the day he'd promised and did a good job installing a hot water heater and fixing a clogged garbage disposal. They cleaned up after themselves, even putting the stuff in our storage unit and under our sink back in place. I don't know about cost compared to the competition 'cause we just needed to get the work done, but it seemed fair as well. (We also appreciated their suggestions that we postpone some work until absolutely needed.) We'll definitely use them again.

Christian D.

01/05/2009 12:00:00 SA

Rob is absolutely the best. He's done a bit of work in my place, which had shoddy plumbing to begin with. He replaced my shower valve and patched up the wall. It works and looks as good as new now. He also fixed my water heater on short notice while I was out of town. I couldn't ask for a more dependable and friendly plumber!

Nigel P.

04/02/2008 12:00:00 SA

Our water heater blew out last Saturday morning. I was dreading the weekend rates on a plumber. I called Robert because we'd used him before for a new faucet and we were happy then. We're happy now as well. Robert turned up, assessed the situation and had installed a new water heater by 4:00pm that afternoon and all on his own I might add! The cost was within the estimate and well done. Robert is courteous and friendly (especially if you make him a latte) and to top it all it was his birthday!!

Tom G.

5/24/2008

It had the makings of a plumbing catastrophe.

Our laundry room had flooded and water was leaking through to the garage below. After checking the usual suspects, I couldn't find the culprit and was convinced I'd need a plumber. At the recommendation of our realtor and friend, I called Robert at Friendly Plumbing. He asked a lot of informed questions and then calmly, systematically helped me pinpoint the likely cause and possible solutions. Robert said he'd happily come out and check for himself, but that I should try one of his fixes first.

You've got to hand it to a guy who'll help you solve your own plumbing problem before potentially charging you a fortune to do it himself. Next time I have a real plumbing catastrophe, I know who I'll call.

Sean Q.

02/01/2009 12:00:00 SA

These guys are what service should be. I had a small project and some repairs to be done. I told him what I needed done and he asked what I wanted as well. We worked out a fair price and they didn't leave until I was satisfied that everything was right. This is how all my projects should be. Thanks guys!

Dara A.

1/24/2009

Friendly Plumber was great! I described my problems over the phone and he told me how to fix one of them by myself. Then he came over very late on a Saturday night to fix my shower (which I was in desperate need of). He was very friendly and gracious the whole time and did the job quickly. Exactly what you want in a plumber!

Emily T.

02/01/2008 12:00:00 SA

Robert was great! He preformed work on our kitchen sink and disposer...they now wrok like a charm. He was extremely nice and helpful. And extremely reasonable!

He has my recommendation 100%!

Pasha G.

11/19/2013

Left a message two days ago about heater repair. No one called me back.

louda l.

12/22/2006

Not only were they fast and honest, but they WERE friendly! They got that nasty hairball out of my sink and used the most cost effective method they could. The gentlemen that came over also gave me a great introduction to plumbing 101.

Dave M.

7/21/2008

Top-notch service and reliability! This guy did a water heater replacement for me at my home and was excellent. He came when he was supposed to, gave me all the options for me to make an informed decision, did a great install and was very friendly throughout the whole process. I had a few plumbers come to look at this small enough job and he was by far the best in every aspect.

Super T.

2/17/2009

I manage a multi-unit mixed use building in San Francisco and have found Robert to be the most competent plumber in the city. Last year I had a somewhat complicated gas line issue in one of the commercial units and Robert was able to diagnose and resolve the situation after two other plumbing companies were unable to come up with a workable solution. Since then, I have relied on the Friendly Plumber for all my plumbing work and have been pleased by the high quality of work and the reasonable rates. He is as good as it gets in his trade, and that is a rare thing indeed. .

Aimee G.

4/18/2008

I have never experienced anything like this before - I scheduled an appointment with Robert the friendly plumber after having a very pleasant conversation with him on the phone and he never showed up!!! No call and no return call after I called him several times to see what was up! I can't believe I got stood up by a plumber. So unprofessional and disrespectful of my time.

Melissa S.

08/12/2010 12:00:00 SA

I'm not going to give them 1 star because its not their fault insurance is expensive. Called them based on reviews here. They are not covered by insurance to do work in buildings with more than 4 floors. Just wanted to let people know ahead of time.

Paul N.

1/29/2011

I called Friendly Plumber based on the excellent reviews I'd seen. I suspect many of these reviews were written when they were a one man shop, now have expanded due to demand generated by Yelp. I got charged $220 for less than one hours work, replacing a sink trap. When I called to ask about this, the owner explained to me that it costs him $80 just to dispatch someone on a call. I said I still thought $220 for less than an hour was exorbitant. He agreed to refund part of this money on 12/20. It's now January 29th and I have yet to see any refund.

sonya a.

9/27/2010

My shower handle stopped working recently, forcing me to use pliers to turn the thing on and off. I've also had a persistent leak under one of my bathroom sinks for a year now, and another plumber and a handyman failed to adequately solve the problem

Enter Sean of Friendly Plumber. Awesome accent, extremely friendly, and a really gentle manner. He was quickly able to assess and fix the sink, and he was kind enough to spend a long time on the phone with the manufacturer ordering a new shower part for me. When the part arrived, Sean was there within minutes, installing it quickly. Throughout both visits, he was professional, communicated everything well, and repeatedly asked whether I was comfortable with the pricing. I don't have much of a frame of reference for cost, but I didn't get the sense I was being taken advantage of. I have a very good opinion of this plumbing company and will make them my go-to guys from now on.

Quang N.

01/10/2011 12:00:00 SA

We called these guys up to give us an estimate on a leaky shower faucet we had. The guy came 2 hours late without notifying us. Granted it was extremely rainy that day so being late is understandable, but a courtesy call would be great. The house visit estimate was 40 dollars, and then he told us that it would be 320 dollars to fix the problem minus 40 bucks if we decided to go with them (subtracting the house visit). Our landlord didn't like that price so we went with someone else. Needless to say, we got it fixed by another company for a total of 167 dollars. Far cheaper elsewhere.

Susan L.

9/16/2013

Robert M is a great plumber. I was shocked to see that he had so many 5 star reviews that were filtered! He has over 250 reviews! If you are looking for a friendly and reliable plumber- contact him today!!! Kudos to Robert for having such a great fan base!

Ben G.

09/03/2010 12:00:00 SA

I can't say enough about how pleased I was to find a professional, courteous, and competent plumbing service on my first try. I called at 7:30am and received a call back at 8:00, a full hour before their offices officially open. Katherine asked relevant questions to quickly assess my problem, offer a tentative diagnosis, and make sure I wasn't going to get myself in trouble with my landlord or neighbors.

Sean from Friendly Plumber arrived at my apartment shortly after I called. He was friendly (no false advertising here!), honest, and worked hard to make sure the problem was resolved as quickly as possible. I had done quite a number on the kitchen pipes, but Sean had me fixed up in a jiffy!

Despite the fact that I apparently still have some life learning to do around the appropriate use of garbage disposals, I am relieved to have found a quick and professional plumbing service. I'll certainly be back when I need professionally delivered plumbing expertise in the future.

Joe W.

12/30/2010

Plumbing service was 4 stars.

The drywall person (Andrew) that they recommended did more talk than sanding. poor job. I think he used 1/2 drywall where 5/8 was needed.

dolores f.

08/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

We have used Robert several times over the past 5 years and he cannot be beat! He knows his business, is fairly quick to schedule an appointment and happy to give you many options for what needs to be done. We have recommended him several times and now have 3 households that use his business regularly. Great for large jobs and small simple jobs.

Gloria W.

06/08/2006 12:00:00 SA

We needed a new water heater and found Friendly Plumber on Yelp. He replied promptly, showed up on time, and just like their website said, provided me with a quote prior to doing any work. He gave me great suggestions, asked thoughtful questions about our water usage and future plans. He did not try to push the most expensive product. In fact, we went with the lowest option - which turned out to be the right one for us.

Robert worked quickly and efficiently. Cleaned up after his work. Can't even tell he was there except for the brand new water heater. He stayed to make sure everything worked.

We are extremely pleased and will definitely use him again and recommend him highly.

Kate E.

7/22/2009

Just like everyone else, I think Robert is AWESOME! I clogged up our garbage disposal with lemons. By the time we could be home in order for him to come over, the food may have gone down somewhat by itself. He called to say he was on his way over (earlier than he thought). When he ran the disposal, everything was working again. He was able to advise us on this and one other bathroom drain question as well. He was kind enough not to charge us but left us with handy new drain/plumbing knowledge. I would SO call him again in the future. Seriously, he's the best.

Ellen H.

5/14/2009

Couldn't have been better. On-time, friendly, honest, clean and efficient. I will definitely call these guys for any plumbing problem in the future.

Steven C.

3/25/2011

03/11, Friday:
Called for an estimate. Came over, checked everything, said will email quote over weekend.

03/16, Wednesday:
No email. Called. Was told Send me an email first - I'll reply tonight. Sent email.

03/23, Wednesday:
No response. Confused and disappointed with the unprofessionalism. Called another plumber. Got everything fixed the next day.

Shouldn't have wasted time with FP in the first place.

Greg P.

12/14/2009

I stand by my initial review. After having the problem resolved via another contractor I was upset enough to get a login to Yelp and post a review.

After i wrote my review FP responded with:
This reviewer, his IP Address, User Profile, and track record is currently under investigation by http://Yelp.com's Administrators because the events described in his review NEVER happened.
We have no records of ever performing any type of work for anyone with this name on our files. This review is a complete falsehood, written with malicious intent -- more than likely, by one of our competitors.

I have not been contacted by Yelp in their investigation of me and my IP address. My experience with FP was not good and I wanted to echo the sentiments of another reviewer who warned of FP wanting to perform unnecessary work.

Chuck K.

3/24/2011

I've used these guys before and they were great. I wrote them a 5 star review at the time. Now that I need more plumbing work, I rechecked their Yelp reviews and found lots of 1 and 2 stars. Since my 1st experience with them was so good, and this was only a faucet replacement, I decided to avoid the hassle of finding another plumber and called them again. Bad decision. They didn't show up and, worse, they didn't call. I can understand that circumstances can arise to make them late, but I'll never understand (or forgive) not getting a call. It's s so easy to do and should be standard business practice. These guys dropped the ball. It takes more than being friendly to be professional.

Sophie M.

10/07/2010 12:00:00 SA

Great plumber, amazing service.
Suddenly this morning, we couldn't turn the hot water off -- total bummer. I called the Friendly Plummer (based on the Yelp review and their location), and Robert agreed to come by this afternoon. He came *exactly* when he said he would, and gave me an honest assessment of what was going on. He gave me three options for treatment, ranging in cost -- and was completely cool when I took the cheap route.

Long story short -- our hot water is off, and can actually be turned on and off in the shower at will (what a concept!) -- and all of this drama took place within the span of a day. And the fee for the fix was completely reasonable.

jose i.

5/18/2007

WOW, Friendly Plumbers is Fantastic!!!! Robert was really great at fixing a big leak we were having april 30th at my parent's eleventh avenue apartment. The roofers had been out the week before and all the vibrations from ripping up the old roof caused the old 1908 pipes to crack. Robert and Friendly Plumbing were very responsive, showed up when he said he would, got the job done in just two days, and gave me a lot of free and friendly advice. I hung around and got him to educate me about plumbing stuff, which was icing on the cake!!! What impressed me the most --- Robert's honesty and frankness in telling me if I really didn't need this thing done, or what we could do to save money on the job. Robert explained everything. He is very outgoing and and easy to talk to, so I would highly recommend him. As I told him when we parted, You're my plumber from now on.

ari s.

2/17/2010

Robert took time on the phone today to help me diagnose my problem. he was not pushing me towards the expensive solution and i appreciate that. have not hired him yet and will update if i do.

L P.

12/09/2009 12:00:00 SA

These guys are hands down the best! Here's the backstory. Just bought a house 6 weeks old. It was rebuilt 2 years ago with top of the line bathrooms, fixtures, everything. 5 weeks into living in it the day before thanksgiving, my sis noticed a small bubble on the living room ceiling...she didn't say anything and the next day it was a 2 foot bubble...imagine our worry we wouldn't be able to get someone over Thanksgiving weekend to help us. Called our insurance, they told us they wouldn't be able to get someone over so if we wanted to find someone we could. Robert from Friendly plumbing came over and diagnosed the problem (which we didn't know was the problem at the time) He was the second plumber to show up as the first fellow and his partner just chopped a hole in the ceiling and skidaddled their way out of their not know what to do with their hole in the ceiling.
We've had 6 plumbers come take a look just to get enough opinions to see what our options are. Yes 6 plumbers sounds excessive I grant you, but I don't want a cheap patch up job or a temporary fix. We want a permanent solution that isn't going to break the bank, and that requires research.

After all these plumbers coming over including the guy who built the bathroom initially, 4 agreed with Robert's initial assessment. And, Robert's assessment was the most thorough and gave us all the options for repair. All the other plumbers who came offered a conclusion similar to Robert's suggested mickey mouse ways to repair the problem. None had the knowledge that he brought to the equation. You know when someone knows their stuff and when someone is half assed. This company definitely knows their stuff.

Zac A.

7/23/2010

I didn't use them, so this review is just based on phone interaction. Very friendly and responsive. Gave me some helpful advice over the phone. Someone was a little quicker on the response time, but just based on phone interaction, I would definitely give these guys a shot.

Keromi K.

4/28/2009

My husband found Friendly Plumber here on Yelp (thanks everyone) - and we are extremely impressed with them. They were prompt in every aspect of their work - from taking our initial email, to our first phone call, and eventually setting up an appointment the very next day. I had a toilet replacement and they literally took about 45 mins to take care of everything including payment.

Robert provided us with great advice on other areas and answered all our questions. We have used many vendors and plumbers in the past, but this is by FAR the best experience we have ever had. On top of that - we believe their rates are outstanding.

They are fantastic and I would NOT hesitate to use them again or to recommend them to all family and friends.

jane k.

05/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

i gave Friendly Plumber a call based on the helpful reviews from fellow yelpers. although i hired them to help out my parents and was not there to supervise the repairs they did, my parents told me they were very professional, fair with their pricing, and did an outstanding job.
we will definitely be using them again for any plumbing needs.

Keith C.

11/06/2012 12:00:00 SA

Ok, Robert was AWESOME. I had a broken pipe in my bathroom and a flooded home. I called Friendly Plumber and Robert was out in less than an hour with an extremely good quote AND all the part to fix the broken pipe. He was in and out so fast it was crazy. Oh, and he's a super nice guy to boot. Highly recommended and will most definitely use again.

Bianca G.

9/24/2009

Rob of Friendly Plumber was fantastic. He was prompt, upfront about costs and explained everything clearly. He was neat, efficient, helpful, informative and all around great. I will TOTALLY use Friendly plumber again if and when I need them.

FYI, I used them to add a gas line so my gas dryer could be hooked up in our basement.

So happy I called them!

Globetrott R.

11/06/2010 12:00:00 SA

I'm a new homeowner, so my experience with hiring plumbers is limited.

That aside, I was very happy with the work the guy did to fix a leaky sink. There was no bs and the guy gave me a useful critique of how the developers cut a few corners on the new plumbing (hence the leaks after only a year in the place) and advised me of what I could expect in the long term.

james s.

03/02/2011 12:00:00 SA

Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! Rob is a skilled plumber, identified my problem in short order and fixed it in an even faster time. He is VERY friendly and his pricing is very competitive. Finding good, honest and reliable contractors is very hard but thanks to yelp i've found my plumber for life.

David C.

01/11/2012 12:00:00 SA

Can you imagine a plumber suggesting that you can another company to save you money? That is exactly what this company did and I was incredibly impressed. To me it shows that Friendly Plumber has integrity and is not just out to take your money.

I had a leak under my kitchen sink and a very slow draining bathroom sink. I called Friendly Plumber as I had used them once before for a leak and was happy with the work. I left a message for the Friendly Plumber crew detailing the issue, and received a call back within an hour. The nice gentleman suggested that I call another company as Friendly Plumber did not snake blocked pipes. He said the company he was recommending could handle both issues and having one company do both jobs would be cheaper for me in the long run. He also stated that if there was more involved pipework to be done, to let them know.

Thank you Friendly Plumber, and again, very impressive that you would consider saving me money over making some yourself!

Megan B.

1/22/2014

Robert has worked on a number of projects at our home over the past decade. He has completed the projects in a timely manner, offered good advice on where to get lower cost appliances, spent several hours of his own time consulting on larger remodel projects before we hired him, and helped immediately with two leaking toilets. Robert is a knowledgeable and trustworthy plumber. Thank you, Robert!

Todd S.

1/13/2014

Robert is fast and prompt plumber. He fixed the problem and came back when there was a similar problem. He is the man to see for any plumbing problems

Greg T.

12/14/2009

Unfortunately, Friendly Plumber charges a flat $40 before they'll send someone to your home. I can understand this for a leaky faucet, but I was asking them to give me an estimate to install a tankless water heater, which is a several thousand dollar job.

Yes, their time is valuable. So is mine, and when I was a marketing consultant for over ten years, no client would even dream of paying me to show up for a pitch.

Chris N.

01/06/2010 12:00:00 SA

Can you beat a $0 house call? Didn't think so. Figuring that my gas stove did not have an appliance shutoff valve (never saw one) and needing to move it out of the kitchen for a floor re-tiling project, I turned off the gas main and called Friendly. I was able to get an appointment within a day. Robert showed up on time, friendly as the company's name would suggest, and told me that I already had a shutoff valve (hidden in the cabinet) and that there would be no charge for the visit. On the way out he relit my water heater pilot light so that I'd have hot water when I arrived home. As I said before, can you beat that?

Buttonwillow M.

4/23/2012

Friendly! Excellent service. Reasonable prices and it's a pleasure to have them come by (imagine saying that about plumbing).

Glenn K.

07/08/2009 12:00:00 SA

I called Robert as one of three quotes for part of my kitchen remodel: Moving a gas line, removing old sink/faucet/disposal and installing new ones, disconnecting existing appliances while floor was laid, and then installing new oven and the other existing appliances once the floor was done. Robert came out in the middle price-wise, but it was clear from the initial quote that he has a wealth of real-word experience -- he clearly learns from all the mistakes he sees in the field, and will help you avoid them.

He made a number of suggestions that were spot-on, he came at exactly the time he said he would (for both appointments), and he and his crew did a great job technically.

The next time I need a plumber, whether for emergency or for something planned, like a remodel, I will go to him again without hesitation. He operates with integrity, deep knowledge of his trade, and is fair and reasonable as far as pricing. I recommend him without reservation.

Tyler J.

10/05/2009 12:00:00 SA

Amazing!!! I came into my kitchen to find that there was a hole in one of the pipes under the sink and water was leaking out onto the floor. I called Friendly Plumber at 12:30 and they told me they would be here by 3. It is now 3:15 and they are already done. They showed up early and fixed the problem very quickly and for cheap!!! Rob is professional and very knowledgeable. From the phone call to the handshake goodbye Friendly Plumber was extremely nice, efficient, and professional. ABSOLUTELY USE THEM!!! You will not regret it.

Tommy B.

11/17/2009

I would like to clarify that I did not have any work done by Friendly Plumber...because they did not call me back. I guess they're too busy? Or not that friendly? I'm friendly by not giving them a bad rating and giving them the benefit of the doubt that one of the staff members were just slacking. Anyway, called Urgent Rooter and Plumbing and they were at my door in half an hour. They're my new plubmers.

gwynne s.

08/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

Fast, prompt: installed sink faucet and shower thermostat. Then two years later, when I had a problem with an under-sink leak which I thought might be related to the faucet, they came out and hand-tightened the faucet hose for no charge. Not an installation problem, but a problem with the faucet hose itself. I can rely on Friendly Plumber and recommend them to friends. Thanks!

Becki G.

09/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

Made an appointment early in the week for a Friday a.m. appointment. Told them my garbage disposal wasn't working and also water was not draining in my kitchen sink. They confirmed the appointment. Late Thursday afternoon the plumber calls and says that he does not fix clogged drains. What?! A plumber that doesn't plumb. And I had to wait until the end of the week to learn that they would not be coming out. Unreliable. Bad business. I do not recommend.

caroline y.

11/04/2007 12:00:00 SA

The BEST plumber ever! Robert of Friendly Plumber is everything you want in a plumber, heck everything you want in just a decent human being! He's honest, hard working, helpful, friendly, down to earth, easy going... I couldn't have done my home remodel/expansion without Friendly Plumber. I will not use anyone else!

Kelly R.

1/21/2009

Rob came out after we described our mysterious plumbing problem to him over the phone. He was early and within minutes of showing him a few drain problems, he had a few solutions. We live in a lower (ground level) unit and unfortunately gravity is not on our side. He suggested we work with what we have and run the water to clear out the sink after the disposal runs to clear out the food scraps. Also, he suggested trying not to use the disposal as much or run a washing machine on the line to clear it out. He took the time to explain the most expensive/worst case scenario, and what we could do to prevent it instead of taking our dough and tearing up the floorboards. After a quick snake of the line (for some smelly food scraps) at rock bottom price, Rob cleaned up and left us with much appreciated confidence with our sink, and not anxious about leaving the house unattended after prior messy flooding issues. Thanks again FP - we appreciate your honesty, attention and ability to solve the problem.

Tiffany D.

2/24/2009

I called Friendly Plumber after I saw their reviews on yelp. He came out pretty quick and even though it ended up being a pointless call, he didn't mind too much at all and he was super nice. Like really, really nice. If I were to call a plumber again, this would be the place i'd call.

anne A.

04/07/2007 12:00:00 SA

I love Friendly Plumber. I've called several times and have always been more than happy with the service. They are professional, helpful, and yes, friendly. I highly recommend Friendly Plumber.

Rachel B.

1/17/2007

Thanks Yelp. I found him at 4 pm and he was at our house by 5:30 to fix a drain issue. Work was done by 6 pm so we can now shower without standing in ankle deep water. He was extremely professional and very nice.

Dina C.

3/27/2009

he coached me over the phone how to fix the problem myself, saving me $85 for a housecall. will definitely call him whenever i need a plumber.

Peggy M.

03/03/2010 12:00:00 SA

Well, it's a long story but the short version is that Robert came to our building to do an estimate to replace 3 hot water heaters. We had several legitimate questions about what the $3000.00 plus estimate did or did not include. The questions were important - like did it include City building permits (it did not), information about whether the heaters to be installed were Energy Star tax credit eligible, etc.. Apparently answering the questions was too much for him so he said he was no longer interested in the job. Scratch the ' Friendly' from their name - that wasn't very friendly!

J O.

9/28/2010

Not so Friendly! Wanted over $1000 to do a job that another plumber on yelp was able to do on the spot for only $200. I do not support contractors who want to overcharge for simple problems. Friendly seems to be one of those based on my experience.

Jeff M.

03/11/2010 12:00:00 SA

The guy was nice and friendly when he came out, certainly, but he just came out to take a picture of the leaky shower with his camera phone. I could have sent him that picture easily. Then he told me he would research which part to get and call me back. I've left a few messages for him over the last 3 weeks, and he has not return my calls. I guess my leaky shower was not worth his time, but I wish he would have said that when I first told him it was a leaky shower. I left work early to meet him on his schedule, too. If there were zero stars, that's what I'd award.

John C.

12/22/2012

I'm an SF landlord. Hours before the beginning of the Christmas holiday a water heater in one of my rental units started leaking copious amounts of cold water. My plumber of choice was tied for the day, but they referred me to Robert at Friendly Plumber. I placed one call to Rob and within 20 minutes he as at my door. He quickly determined the tank was dead and called the supply house for a new one 15 minutes before they shut down for the a four day holiday. Called him at 9:10 am, and by 12:30 the old tank had been cut out, hauled away, and the new tank installed. Rob took time to explain my options, answered questions about parts and warrantee, his crew was excellent: both thorough and conscientious. I lucked out because Robert had another project in the vicinity so he could squeeze my job in at the last minute. I would definitely recommend Friendly Plumber and wouldn't hesitate to hire them again.

dawn o.

8/26/2010

Sean at Friendly Plumber was very prompt, competent and very friendly. He unclogged my shower drain for a minimal fee and advised me to get a plunger (d'oh!). I expected it to cost hundreds of dollars but the whole visit, which I could have avoided, came to $120.

Sean R.

03/12/2007 12:00:00 SA

Tried to call them to come to house for a blocked up sink - was told the earliest they could come was 2 weeks from today - it's easier to get a dentist appointment than to see these guys.

Joe C.

11/02/2009 12:00:00 SA

Great service. Very professional and friendly. I never felt as though I should be concerned about being taken advantage of. Service was prompt and complete. Pricing was very fair.

Emily D.

7/20/2009

Prompt, efficient, and indeed friendly. I may have replaced a toilet that didn't really need replacing, but that's more my fault than theirs-- Robert plainly explained the options and let me make an informed decision. Seems like a minor thing but I really appreciated it: during the install, Robert was very conscientious about keeping the door closed so the cat didn't get out.

John D.

7/24/2009

Robert and his team were indeed friendly....and they are a full priced professional plumbing team. I made arrangements for two jobs, a simple kitchen job and a more challenging plumbing job. Robert's helper arrived 1 hour LATE to complete my simple kitchen job, and then there was NO FOLLOW UP to my more challenging plumbing job. Try another plumber!

Geoff G.

9/19/2013

Prompt, courteous, competent and reasonable. Provided good advice on a toilet replacement. Highly recommended.

Peter R.

03/10/2009 12:00:00 SA

Robert was responsive, professional, trustworthy and very reasonable in his price. I remodeled a bathroom and he did the plumbing work [ripped out a vanity, modified the pipes and installed a sink]. He did a great job. I have tried several plumbers and he is the best.

Erin M.

10/22/2009

I appreciate that though Robert wasn't able to fix the roof where he installed a new vent pipe, he was very cooperative and prompt in hiring a roofer to do the job right.

Craig G.

6/24/2012

For the second time I've had as good an experience as one could have - Robert was friendly on the phone, prompt in keeping to the appointment and honest in providing options and estimating the work needed - couldn't be happier. Would that all trades people were as honest and helpful! Keep it up Friendly Plumber!

L T.

05/01/2009 12:00:00 SA

Fast telephone call back. Arrived early for appointment with a smile. Was clear about what needed to be done and pricing as well as recommended possible future work. Honest, fast and efficient.

Jim K.

05/08/2010 12:00:00 SA

We've used Friendly Plumber several times over the the past few years and have never been disappointed. Robert is great! He knows what he's doing, is competitively priced, has competent staff and is really friendly! I don't think he's the guy you call for minor plumbing issues such as a clogged sink, but for true plumbing needs, he is at the top of our list!

Geoff M.

6/28/2011

I had used Rob to replace some faucets a couple years back and I found him to be straightforward and professional. I called him recently to check on some possible leaks and he came by on time and looked at the leaks with no charge! I definitely will use Rob again in the future for any plumbing needs.

Troy S.

4/21/2012

We had a pretty minor problem that needed to be diagnosed and fixed. Rather than make it a bigger issue (as some plumbers might), Robert had a very simple resolution and quickly fixed it for a very low consultation fee. Always great to have someone you can trust to not turn a minor issue into a several thousand dollar overhaul!!

David K.

04/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

Robert installed 3 earthquake shutoff valves on our house in the Richmond. I had emailed him a picture of the gas meters for an estimate and he gave a very fair one. When he arrived (on time) and determined that space limits required additional parts and work, he charged only for the additional parts and not for additional time. Very fair and honest. He made sure that all of the appliances were safe and working properly after completing the installation. I recommend Friendly Plumbing highly and am pleased to have a competent and reliable plumber to call on in the future.

dave l.

8/23/2006

the drain that the gutters fed into was clogged so I called Friendly Plumber to schedule an appt. Robert asked me questions to diagnose the problem and told me that that type of clog would probably require a water jetter to fix. Unfortunately, he didn't have one and told me to just find the cheapest place that performed that type of service. Any plumber who actually turns work down is an honest one in my book.

Tyrell t.

9/15/2009

I ll Use Friendly Plumber again: I'm completely clueless when it comes to plumbing, I'm always very cautious so I'm not taken advantage of... I was drawn to this company because of the funny name (Friendly Plumber), and have to say, they really are friendly! The guy I talked to came to my house in half an hour of my call to fix my toilet that was constantly running.And they had done great job. thank you Friendly Plumber

Gloria D.

07/01/2009 12:00:00 SA

Robert of Friendly Plumber came (through YELP) to repair my leaky toilet and my stopped up bathtub. The tub drain was cleared quickly with his snake. He noted that the snake did not have to enter deep into the drain. When he set about repairing my toilet, he made it clear that his efforts might not work and the toilet might leak anyway. He recommended that I buy a new toilet which would be less expensive. (I am not interested in a new toilet yet.) For the toilet, Robert used a Korky flapper that DID NOT fit after trying another flapper that also did not fit. The Korky flapper (that was not round) allowed water to run through until I hired another plumber to correct Robert's error. I paid far less to the second plumber to use the correct flapper that will last about 5 years or longer. $235 for a quick snake to the tub drain and a worthless flapper for which Robert complimented me on my luck that he happened to have it: What luck? I overpaid for work on the toilet that has had to be redone; the snake for which I paid $140! was not worth $140, but after listening to Robert's account of the many possible problems that might develop with the drain, under the house, etc. I was ready for the repair on the tub. I'm glad Robert was not right about the worst-case possibilities, but his brief snaking should Not have cost $140 and the toilet flapper needed to be different, as in a Fluidmaster. I give Robert 2 stars because he did one thing right: He lowered the water level, and I thank him for it.

Helen F.

10/20/2010

This review is long overdue. We had an issue with water pressure and drains in my aunts home in the Sunset district. Also, every time the rains came, the light well areas would back-up and required buckets to remove the standing water. I contacted Robert/Friendly Plumber in the end of July, 2010 based on the great reviews I'd read on YELP (I help my aunt with her home and actually don't live in SFO, so I was at a disadvantage on who to call). Robert was very articulate in providing his expertise and provided us with a couple of options. Further, he recommended that we call the water company for the water pressure issue and we found that the main line to the home was cracked, thus no pressure. At the onset, the water company was not convinced but sure enough, it was exactly as Robert had said (frankly, the city water inspector was quite surprised, he said most of the time the plumber is wrong). So, right after speaking with the water inspector, we hired Robert to replace all the old drain pipes and opted for the permanent fix or option 2 for the light wells. Robert also coordinated a roofer to repair/patch the roof in the areas that they installed allowing for proper drainage through the roof in the light wells. We opted for permits just in case, the city inspector stated that we definitely shouldn't have any issues in the future with leaking through the roof/light well areas, etc. and approved all the plumbing work. Robert's employees were also extremely respectful, dependable, knowledgeable, etc. Recently we had a small issue arise and called Robert, needless to say he attended to the issue the next morning at no charge. Oh, yes we do have awesome water pressure. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend or call on Robert again, his knowledge and professionalism definitely shows.

j w.

03/03/2010 12:00:00 SA

I have recently completed my 4 month home remodeling project and I really have Rob at Friendly Plumber to thank for. I was looking for a licensed plumber who could handle a whole house re-piping project, not just any plumber that can fix a small problem. I have talked to my realtor, my coworkers, and did my on-line research and finally I got 5 quotes from different plumbers. At the end, Rob at Friendly Plumber got the contract because his quote was very competitive, his has great reviews from yelp, and most importantly, he passed my interview for the job. Yes, I am extremely fussy but Rob took the time to answer all my questions and I was very impressed by his professionalism and outstanding knowledge. Aside from the plumbing job, Rob is also very helpful and informative about my other home improvement projects. Rob is just like a walking encyclopedia that knows it all. My home re-piping project passed inspection easily and I am very happy with his work. Robert is very responsive and attentive, after sales service is also wonderful. I would recommend Friendly Plumber to anyone. A BIG THANK YOU to Robert!