Zohreh C.

2/15/2023

We have been working with Ideal Plumbing for many years & when we needed a technician sent to our house to detect a leak, we had the fortune of getting Jim a senior technician who was stellar; punctual, professional & his years of experience showed. In less than an hour he was able to locate the leak & because it was in the front yard, he offered to come back with another technician when we were ready.

Ramiro who is also very knowledgeable and a hard worker together with Jim just completed the job and the experience could not have been better. Very communicative at every step of the process and did a great job finishing the work.

we really cannot recommend Ideal Plumbing enough and will be using them for future needs. Hopefully not too soon.

Jessica H.

7/13/2022

I would highly recommend this company. The owner takes great service steps and came and told me all about the tankless water heater vs normal ones.
All the guys are so nice , I will not be searching for a plumber any longer.
Thankful for this trustworthy company !

Folsomtownlocal K.

06/01/2022 12:00:00 SA

I own a retail business that serves a lot of people everyday. When something happens as critical as a plumbing issues, I need to use a reliable company. Ideal is extremely reliable, they are punctual, and they are able to handle many issues.

They are also a honest company. I have called them out many times and they said it was a different issue than what I thought, saving me money, or they have fixed an issues for free.

They also fixed my home AC for $400. A competitor wanted to charge 8-14k for new equipment.

Thank you Ideal!

Renee B.

10/31/2022

Ideal Plumbing installed a tankless water heater for our nearly 100 year old home. The work was professionally done over two days. All went smoothly and the crew (total seven men) was outstanding. We are very satisfied with the result. Thank you Ideal Plumbing!

Gary and Renee Bonner

Peter B.

03/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

We're in the final phase of a major master bathroom and bedroom remodel with Ideal, and we couldn't be happier. We've been working with Ideal for years -- they've handled all of our plumbing, HVAC, and electrical needs ever since we moved into this house in 2003. So when it became time for this major job, Ideal was our first call.

We had a significant root intrusion in the sewer line beneath the slab in our master bathroom. After a lengthy consultation, and frankly our hesitancy (this was going to cost a lot), we took the plunge.

Joe Clark was our contact person and remodel manager. Since we would be jackhammering the concrete slab and replacing a section of sewer line, it would be a perfect time to get the full-size shower we always wanted. Joe gave us an estimate, and a time frame. We signed the contract.

Once work began it all went really, really smoothly. Ideal proved to be an excellent partner in this process, for three key reasons:

1. Excellent workmanship. Aaron and Justin came in and with the help of a series of assistants tore into the place and had it demoed in a day. Then the floor got chopped and dug up, and the old sewer lines removed. Soon new sewer lines were laid, the trenches filled in, and the concrete slab poured. At every step of the way, from demo, to framing, to drywall, to fixture installations, to two new window installations, to finishing paint, Aaron and Justin were stellar. Truly great guys. Friendly, extremely skilled, and great communication.

2. Excellent communication. You always hear horror stories about contractors -- that they talk a good game on the front end (when they're selling you on the job), but then they vanish for days or weeks at a time leaving you hanging. That NEVER happened on this job. Joe's estimate of eight weeks was EXACTLY right, to the day, despite the occasional challenge getting this or that from the supplier. Aaron and Justin showed up every day at the same time, and if they were going to be late I'd get a call from Ricky at Ideal letting me know why they would be late, and when they would arrive. Every day when they left they'd say goodbye and let me know the day's progress, and what was happening next. My time was COMPLETELY respected and, frankly, I didn't see that coming. They went above and beyond.

3. Excellent planning and coordination. Joe Clark did a fantastic job. Our first impression of Joe was surprising. He's not the sort of guy you normally meet in the construction and remodel industry. He never tries to sell you anything, or glad-hand you into doing something you don't want to do. He listens to all of your wild and crazy ideas, sorts through them, and turns them into possibilities. Then he humbly offers a set of options and alternatives. He just quietly gets things done without a lot of fanfare or noise. And his team (Aaron and Justin and others) respect him -- they all genuinely seem to get along and work extremely well together. Their calm excellence was a constant sort of comfort for Lori and I during this remodel process, a process that is unavoidably disruptive by its very nature.

The bottom line, we couldn't be happier. As I write this, the glass guys are here installing our new shower door and three mirror panels on Lori's sliding closet doors. All that's left is a few closet door handles on order, and for us to move back in. I can't wait to try out our new shower later today!

This was a major job, with a price tag to match. But the price was completely fair and within industry standards. And considering the across-the-board excellence of Joe, Aaron, Justin, Ricky, and Juan the electrician (and a number of other Ideal employees), it was absolutely money well spent.

If you're considering a major bathroom or kitchen remodel, or just need a leaky faucet fixed, make Ideal your first call. They will absolutely take care of you.

T H.

1/16/2023

From the dispatcher Ricci who was super friendly and efficient on the phone to Brian an employee for 22 years who fixed our heater the whole experience was positive. No one keeps employees ,responds promptly and does job efficiently anymore. This company is doing it the right way. Ideal it sounds cliche but you were Ideal. Thanks !

Mia H.

11/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

We've used them a few times now for both plumbing and electrical work.

Great customer service. Very responsive and professional. I just had to call them in the middle of the night because of a leak. I left a message with their service (not expecting to get someone out at 4 am) and they called me back within a couple hours and were at my house shortly after.

We've found their rates to be reasonable and in line with others.

We feel good knowing we are taken care of and have someone to call.

Y H.

12/27/2021

I've used Ideal Plumbing for 10 years-recently requested a gas repipe quote-$14.5k when their own sr plumber said ~$6k. Spoke with Ideal's estimator for 45 mins and he shared: quote included plumber rate of $126 for 64 hours of work (same rate for person in the office pulling permit and guy loading truck) PLUS 16% profit & 2.5k materials. Three other reputable plumbers quoted$4-6k (sound familiar?); needless to say I will never use or again recommend Ideal Plumbing after such egregious estimating practices. Anyway recommend Paws Plumbing!

KD J.

05/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

We had another company come out and they could not drain our tub and actually made it worse. Ideal came out and snaked the drains even went on the roof and cleared something from there. IDK exactly what they did but they fixed the problem and did a great job. I'm taking off a star because the technician forgot to connect the tube from our washing machine and the next day I used it then when it drained it flooded my garage. I'm sure this was a freak accident. They are great plumbers.

Jay A.

01/03/2022 12:00:00 SA

As our friends say Ideal is a real plumber . Expensive but great service and quality.

M C.

12/19/2020

Charged elderly relative $867 to clear out 3 toilets, which is a job that cost a couple hundred at most.
Then charged $3000 to put in a trap drain when they Actually Have One Already!
And this is on top of $7800 two weeks before that they already charged for a repipe project - and who knows if That Work was really necessary.

If someone quotes you thousands of dollars for a plumbing job, Please get a second quote - no matter how nice they seem to be.
What kind of a business rips off old people like this?
I wouldn't trust these guys as far as I could throw them. .

John G.

01/05/2021 12:00:00 SA

I'm really torn. I've had great experiences with Ideal in the past for plumbing and HVAC. Really good service. But, I had an electrical problem before Christmas, and I had a really bad experience, and the follow-up afterwards prompted me to write this.

I had to turn off my power, and when I turned everything back on, I didn't have power in my kitchen. We called Ideal, and they said they couldn't get to us until after New Year's, unless we were willing to pay overtime wages. The stove was out, so we didn't have a choice - I said yes. Christmas dinner had to be cooked.

The guy showed up on time, went through my breaker box, checked some things, and had us tear apart the kitchen, including moving the stove and fridge, which meant emptying everything into coolers, and removing the freezer door. Not easy. He was unable to find the problem, and left, saying the office would call the next day to schedule his return with a helper. I wasn't thrilled, but I'm not an electrician - I relied on the professional I was paying. (I ended up having to hire someone to help me get the fridge back in place.)

So, the next day came, and no call from Ideal. I decided to have a General Contractor with whom I've worked before come look at the problem, because I could not understand how this could not be some kind of simple thing that me, as an amateur, overlooked, and I hadn't even had a response from Ideal. Three days later, still no call from Ideal, but my contractor showed up as promised.

My contractor arrived, and two minutes later, my problem was solved. It was something simple. Simple enough that I felt foolish for not figuring it out myself. Simple enough that there is absolutely no reason a professional electrical service technician could not have had it figured out quickly.

10 days after my service visit, Ideal called us back, trying to schedule. We expressed our displeasure with the service, and explained how we've always been very happy with them, and had recommended them to friends several times. It is when speaking with a manager that I decided I had to write this review. It turns out that the technician who came to our house was their LEAD GUY for electrical work. My wife and I were incredulous. Really? This was your lead guy? We were repeatedly told that yes, the guy who came out was the lead electrical guy. Unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, he was a nice guy. Pleasant and respectful, and I think he felt badly about having us tear apart the kitchen and the fridge, but he was just not capable.

There is no way possible that the man who was sent to my home was qualified to work on electrical systems. This was a VERY simple thing, that should have been readily evident to a professional with even a minimum of experience. I can't imagine what I would have ended up paying them at $204/hour (for one man), with two of them crawling under my house and through my attic, tying to hunt down a fault that didn't exist.

I just can't, in good conscience, recommend this company, anymore, at least not for electrical work. Frankly, the whole experience makes me question the integrity of the company as a whole.

B H.

09/01/2022 12:00:00 SA

Ideal Plumbing Heating Air & Electrical is AMAZING. Our A/C went out at the end of July and my husband tried to fix it; he didn't succeed so he called a local company to come take a look at it. He told them his hypothesis that it was a bad control board. They just agreed and said they could get him another board and he could replace it himself. They said that most A/C repair places are charging $900/hour to fix and it's probably just easier/cheaper to buy a new unit. A couple weeks go by and nothing from that company about that new board, so we were resigned to buying a new A/C in the fall. Then my mom's A/C goes out, she calls the company who installed it, but they couldn't get out there for 2+ weeks. So based on NextDoor recommendations, she calls Ideal. Lars shows up the next day, replaces a capacitor, and her A/C is working again! I thought, 'heck, maybe Ideal can help us!' Lars comes out 2 days later and quickly figures out what the problem is. It wasn't the board, as my husband and the other company thought. He does his thing and halle-freaking-lujah, the A/C springs to life. Since it's been over 80 degrees in the house for the last month and was only going to get hotter this weekend, I'm super thankful we found Ideal. Lars is awesome, punctual, and a really nice guy. The company is reasonably priced and honest. Highly recommend.

Juergen R.

5/27/2022

We had a break in a water line in our yard which required an immediate shut off the water supply. The break was half underground in a location which was very difficult to get to and to work in. We called ideal Plumbing and they sent Dustin of their staff within two hours. He went to work immediately and replaced the 5 of the broken copper line with a new piece. It was a pleasure to watch him work very fast and efficiently using modern technology and very expensive tools (Press Tools, no soldering involved). He explained his approach and it was a pleasure to watch him work. For any future plumbing, heating, air, electrical work, ideal will be my first choice and I recommend them to everybody. Rarely have I been so satisfied with repairs to my home as I have been with this experience.

Martha F.

9/24/2021

We cannot say enough good about Ideal. Did a complete bathroom remodel. Joe Clark, project manager, was attentive to details and had great ideas for our small space. We only have one bathroom and they worked with us, returning at the end of the day to replace the toilet for our use to minimize disruption. Aaron was incredible, careful work, courteous, and fun! They treated us well and we felt cared for, really great when doing a disruptive project in a small house during COVID! Thanks for the new bath!!

Lauren T.

10/04/2021 12:00:00 SA

This is our second time (new house) having Dustin come install a tankless water heater. We had such a great experience with Ideal the first time we knew we wanted them for the job this time around. Dustin has an incredible attention to detail and really goes above and beyond. Love that they have multiple people in the office working on scheduling and making sure we're all on the same page and on time. Highly recommend!

Kris K.

10/28/2021

Don T why won't you reply to my review...You have replied to nearly all of them. I'm curious how you will attempt to talk your way out of this one?

Grace P.

10/27/2021

I had put review and was not happy, the owner contacted me and refunded the charge for putting up notices.
Thank you.

Juan P.

04/08/2022 12:00:00 SA

I am officially apologizing to IDEAL Plumbing for my previous review. The general manager JOE came out to my house and just like a real general took charge of the situation and in one hour he remedied the clog in my Plumbing using expensive camera technology and my bathtub and restroom drains were draining like new! I appreciate their thoughtfulness and will recommend them to my employer who owns many residential care facilities in san diego County. Thanks joe!

JR J.

12/30/2021

Had the perfect experience with Rob with Ideal re a seeping sewer cast iron pipe replacement discovered by chance during an unrelated water restoration project. He listened, he explained what he'd do, answered all my questions, completed the job in very efficient manner and tested to make sure all good afterward. After this experience, I'll call ideal again for my plumbing needs.

Walker S.

10/22/2019

Needed quick service and Ideal Plumbing responded to help meet my needs. We needed to move the washer and dryer so the new tiles could be installed. Naturally, what else could go wrong, the facets needed replacement. Ideal responded quickly, did an excellent job at a reasonable cost. New facets were installed as well as new hoses. Now the tile work can remain on schedule. I could not be happier with the work performed by Chris Taylor, our service technician. Thank you Chris and thank you Ideal Plumbing for meeting my needs and far exceeding my expectations.

Chris L.

11/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

Started to notice water seeping from my retaining wall. Funny it hasn't rained lately. Call out a leak detector and sure enough there's a pinhole leak in my 1 inch fresh water supply line running through and under the front yard!

Enter Ideal Plumbing and Heating:

Call at 2PM on Friday, we'll have someone there between 8AM and 10AM on Saturday. Regular rate, no extra charge. Awesome!

Saturday morning, 7:30AM. Ideal calls to confirm that plumber is on his way, should be at my place by 8:30AM. Awesome! Jason actually arrives at 8AM sharp. Even better!

Jason introduced himself, asked what the issue was, and then did a quick examination of the problem. Then he went through what he was going to do and where the trouble spots could be. (Also he was very thorough explaining my liability of having him shut the city's water valve off. Great to know everything up front.).

So Jason quickly grabbed his tools and his shovel, dug out the the line. He went to work and was very meticulous setting up the replacement copper pipe. And he moved with a sense of purpose, which is great since I am paying hourly!

Well the big potential issue he described started happening - getting all the water out of the pipes to ensure a solid solder. Watching him work, lessor plumbers would have quit or probably wanted to throw more parts at the problem. But he methodically reattacked the pipe and hit the solder to hold.

Long story short, Jason was extremely professional and fixed my water leak. Ideal Plumbing is going in my emergency contact list for plumbers!

Nicole S.

3/25/2021

Ideal has been top notch to deal with from phone call to completion of my plumbing issues. Hunter came out was super professional, nice and knowledgeable. Helped me get leaking pipe fixed and installed new valves & kitchen faucet. My place is ancient and Hunter went above and beyond to get me taken care of. So refreshing to have an honest company that doesn't price gauge. I am a repeat customer and will continue to be. Thank you Ideal & Hunter!!

Erica K.

10/28/2020

I had a major unexpected plumbing issue and Ideal Plumbing took care of everything. I felt as though I was in good hands EVERY step of the way. Dustin was knowledgeable and trustworthy from the first interaction. He kept me posted every step of the way and took special care to ensure I had an understanding of the work being done. I have never needed a plumber until I needed a plumber. I feel confident in the work they have done and do not foresee needing more work in the future because they completely fulfilled the repairs that were needed. If I EVER need q plumber OR asked to recommend a plumbing company I would for sure recommend Ideal Plumbing. Thank you for your trustworthy business!

Maurice A.

6/28/2020

Had a/c and water heater serviced. Guys were really professional and the lady who answers was really nice. They had masks and really know their stuff.

Craig L.

9/13/2018

Wow what can I say..... I would like to say everything went great but it didn't.
Called ideal to replace blown water heater, come to find out I had to do a few upgrades to comply with current housing codes and add a drain for the washer.
When Don the owner was Explaining what needed to be done he looked right at me and said around $400 extra plus the cost of a New water heater $1500 total cost around 1900.
ThDan said he would work up the Quote and get back with me in an hour, in the meantime they continued to work on taking out my bad water heater.
Don The owner got back with me an hour with the new price $2800..... I was shocked my wife was shocked everybody was shocked but Don.
I asked him about the $400 extra he mentioned earlier and he said yeah $400 here, $400 there...that's the price.
Thank God they took back my blown water heater for a warranty issue or would've cost me $3,300.
Now for the workmanship review, ideal prides itself on and I quote from their website, we deliver the highest standards of workmanship, quality, and service.
I'm not gonna say anymore look at the pictures and you judge for yourself.
Update as of 9/12/2018:
Dan the owner has contacted me about correcting the issues seen in the pictures, I intend to work with him to get these issues resolved.
It just goes to show you that honest reviews can yield results.

Pat W.

07/09/2021 12:00:00 SA

Responsive, knowledgeable, and great service!! The trifecta of a great experience!! I had a plumbing emergency and they treated it as such! I highly recommend!!

Maggie B.

6/25/2021

Outstanding service. Had a leak in my guest bedroom ceiling, first noticed when I saw a dark stain on the carpet. Immediately turned water off and started hunting for a plumber. The first 3 I called were unable to come out ranging in time from 3 days to 2 weeks. The third business recommended Ideal and I am so glad they did. Aaron showed up in a few hours and was able to diagnose the problem. He and Ramiro came back the next day to finish the job. I can't say enough about how professional and caring they were. Job well done. Also need to praise the office staff, Jamie, Roseanne and Vivian. Had several conversations with them and was very impressed by their knowledge and professionalism. Was kept aware by text and phone calls about the projected times of arrival which helped me plan my day. Thank you all for helping me through this problem.

Patti P.

4/14/2020

We needed our shower knob fixed, beware they charge $102.99
Per hour and $59.00 service fee just for driving to your house we are
Less then a mile away ridiculous, part was 100.00. Do due diligence and get quotes from other plumbers. I fell I was gauged during this tough time

M. Z.

3/30/2018

Emergency visit to fix outdoor main line into house. Although they couldn't fix on the spot (after 6pm) they arrived at our home at 8:30 am next day to do the repair. Here's the bonus, the repair didn't take and they came back same day and replaced with better fittings and found another problem for us. No charge either! Great service, my husband very pleased that they took the time to explain/teach him too, and kept the yard in tact. Dustin and Joel are great employees - thank you!
Not the cheapest in town, but definitely ethical.

Mike A.

9/17/2019

Yesterday evening I noticed a small spray of water coming out of the wall outside my house I tried everything including shutting off the main water but no luck. I called Ideal in the am and within 30 45 min Howard came out. He fixed the problem immediately. Was very professional and courtesy and the total cost was far less than I anticipated.
We have own our house for over 22 years and have used several different plumbers and companies. Not anymore. Will call Ideal from now on without a doubt.
Thank you very much

Michael A.

4/15/2020

Ideal Plumbing is well-named. I've called Ideal for plumbing and electrical repairs over a couple of years now and each time I'm impressed by the quality of the work and the great customer service. Early this month at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, my old hot water heater developed a leak due to its old age. A manager named Joe looked at photos I emailed and gave solid advice over the phone. A plumber, Dustin, and electrician, Mac, came to our house in San Diego first thing the next morning. They were wearing face masks and gloves and followed social distancing. They made me feel safe at this difficult time. They did a really great job installing a new hot water heater and repairing the adjacent electrical wiring. Excellent work! I will call Ideal the next time I need help.

Lisa B.

01/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

Chris & Alfredo or Alfredo & Chris

Did a very nice job of changing out my laundry room valves, checking my drains, and hooking up my washing machine. They got here as early as possible considering I called for an appt. just yesterday.
I have gotten sum super bum deals from other plumbing outfits so I can appreciate that Ideal took care of my laundry needs. If I write more you might think I knew them before - I didn't. They did a good and efficient job considering my neighbors are a bit nuts. Thanks guys!!!!

M. D. G.

11/26/2019

Very pleased with the work done by Joel Casdan, he's professional and considerate. He located the problem quickly and fixed it, I believe his advice has saved us money.
Melissa, who made the appointment over the phone, was helpful and went the extra mile..I received prompt service. All in all, we've been very pleased with this company.

Peter A.

12/30/2019

They wanted to charge me $166 just for them to come out and take a look at what I needed to be done for a small job. Other companies out there give free estimates so you are not directly obligated pay if you didn't feel comfortable with the Contracter or the price. I understand that is away to cover themselves from homeowners who might be just wasting their time, but what about the rest of homeowners? At least have a median $166 was just too steep. Of course I had to decline.

John R.

02/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

My experience with Ideal Plumbing could not have been better. Had an emergency hot water leak under the house in crawlspace and they came right away. Technicians Dustin & Rene took care of the problem and answered all my questions. Fair prices - unlike many plumbing repair companies Ideal plumbers do not work on commission, so there is no reason for them to over sell. It is also interesting to know that Ideal Plumbing does not advertise, new business is by word of mouth - they are that good! A local family business besides.

Erik H.

10/30/2017

Called around noon and was told at 3pm a technician would be out to give me an estimate. 3pm comes and no tech, I call around 330 and they need to call back me back to figure out what happened. 430 and I get a call that they can come out at 530...

I spent the afternoon waiting for them, now I get to start over tomorrow.

Rob S.

5/18/2019

Sadly, I must warn others to beware of their contracts. Even if they don't or can't do all the work, you still pay the whole amount. For another house I had to replace the duct. They had me sign a contract. The crawl space was two hard to get to on one side of my house so they did not repair the duct work on one side of my house. They said I had to pay the whole thing for only half the labor and materials. So beware of their contracts.

Javier P.

11/10/2020 12:00:00 SA

IDEAL Plumbing to the rescue! We were doing some remodeling at our home and our floors were doing to be installed on Monday. Unfortunately, we has our sewer line start to back up on the Sunday before. I called on Sunday after hours and the Owner, Don, took my call and did a great talking us through this. He had his tech, Dustin, at our front door at 8 AM on Monday morning. They efficiently and professionally solved our problem and got us operational again. I always use IDEAL at my home and office. They are the absolute best! Thank you Don, Dustin, and the IDEAL team!

Abe Y.

4/22/2017

I messaged and called to get some have some electrical and HVAC issues I've been having at my house worked on. Was told they won't send someone out to do any work because their electrician was leaving the company soon and was told they would not have anybody anytime soon even when I asked for an estimate when.

When I asked if someone could at least check out my HVAC issues to troubleshoot, I was told that they won't send anybody because I also need electrical work too and they won't send just an HVAC person to help me with troubleshooting.

It's extremely disappointing since it literally is part of their business name that they specialize in these fields and have nobody that can even help with part of what I need done, I'm even willing to wait for when someone was on staff but they flat out no for either electrical and HVAC work...

Edit: I was contacted back by the company regarding my original experience, they (Joe/Dan) made an effort to get in touch with me over a 2-3 day period since I was very busy during the times they did get in try to get in touch with me so there was definitely a consistent and persistent effort to get in touch to apologize about the situation and come up with a solution to make things right.

We eventually got to schedule a HVAC tech (Dan) to come over and help troubleshoot and solve the issues I was having with my AC system at my home.

I can confidently say that after the follow up experience my honest opinion has turned around 180 degree of the company and service, which was exactly what I was expecting the first time around because of al the positive reviews I've read about this company and their services in the past.

I own and have run multiple businesses in the past, so I know everyone has their days...but making the effort to correct any bad experiences or mistakes goes a long way in my book for taking the time and responsibility for your customers! I really appreciate how much effort they made to make things right and how helpful Dan was to figure out what was causing the issues and resolving them quickly!

Kyle M.

11/13/2020

Hunter was the ideal plumber. He was knowledgeable, patient, and nothing but a true professional. We'd been having a problem with water backing up from a shared drain line for a couple of weeks and other plumbers couldn't fix it but Hunter had it figured out and fixed within a couple of hours! It was a great experience.

Pam M.

7/31/2019

I went into the Ideal Plumbing storefront just to ask an opinion regarding a plumbing repair I was considering hiring another plumber to do. The other plumber had given me a suggestion on how the repair could be done cheaper and faster, but before investing in parts and his labor, I decided to get a second opinion. Mr Bill was manning the counter that day and once I explained the situaton to him, he said the idea was perfect
(thank you, Duane) and immediately went to work finding all of the necessary parts. He explained exactly how I would assemble it at home, added some plumber's tape and sent me on my way saying That will be $10.00, but go home and make sure it works, then bring the money in on Monday. Amazing! He said if I'd hired Ideal to come out, it would have cost me about $166.00, so he did me a HUGE favor when he could have just scheduled an Ideal plumber. THANK YOU MR. BILL, I am now a lifelong customer of both plumbing companies :)

Larry J.

8/24/2016

I needed a new kitchen faucet Monday, August 22. I called Ideal and I was given a quote of $300 for the Kohler faucet that would match my existing sink and $115 for labor. They were able to come out the same day (so, I'll change the one star to two stars).
The repairperson was on time and business-like, and I feel knew what he was doing. However, price was never mentioned until completion. He gave me the invoice and I was shocked to see the bill was $600+. I am a Vietnam Veteran on Social Security, and money is precious to me. I believe any reputable business would advise the client if the actual price is going to be outrageously more than the original quote. I understand quotes are quotes, but verifying the client is willing to pay $200 more should be required of a business.
I won't use them again. If you decide to use them, use caution about the quote.

After reading the response from the CEO, he obviously was not informed that I was not informed of an hourly fee, never mentioned at all. I was told the price of the faucet plus labor of $118. I was never told about a $30 fee at all. When I was transferred to a person for this quote it was obvious he was occupied with something else.
The response from the CEO convinces me that this company is not a company that cares for anything other than their bottom line. I revise my review to One Star. I recommend no one trust or use this company! $600+ for a faucet. Think about it!

Kathryn S.

07/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

IDEAL put in my original AC/Furnace. They did a great job. After having the AC for about 10 years, there have been some problems as to be expected. I have tried to call them for repairs considering they installed my original unit however the price to come out is outrageous!!! My AC went out on the hottest day of the year, they said to come out on a Saturday it would cost 200.00 which is there overtime rate and another 300.00 to just diagnose it! I found another company on YELP who did it for 90.00 and came out on a Saturday. If you need that companies number let me know! IDEAL repair costs are ridiculous!

Glenn Y.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Recently had Ideal out to do our yearly service on ouor A/C unit. The news is that they have kept it running for several years, but it was time to put the old one out of it's pain.
The Ideal team gave us an estimate on replacement, and gave us the documentation about how much it might save us each month. The installation went terrific. The workers, the workmanship, the follow up and training and the confidence we got from our install was all top notch.
With the new systems our utility bills are over 20% lower, and with the rebates that they found for us, our system will pay for iteself in under a year.
I will say I beleive that Ideal is the best in San Diego. Don't waste you time looking around. Go with the Ideal solution.

howie r.

11/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

Yesterday we turned on our 16-year-old air conditioner for the first time since your installation of our new conduit. The difference was dramatic. Not only was cool air coming out of each vent at least twice as forcefully as it ever had before, but the hot air exhaust from our compressor seemed like the business end of a jet engine!

I've come to fully appreciate that in your business what you do is out of sight, and consumers need to trust that a conduit install is completely sealed and efficiently designed. I've learned the hard way that out of ignorance or indifference many HVAC companies fall woefully short of this trust. Even one of SDG&E's approved HVAC companies failed us miserably.

In spite of the fact that this job, in our shallow under-house crawl space, proved far more difficult and took longer than planned, your installers took no shortcuts. They made the point that the owner of Ideal Plumbing directed them to always do their jobs correctly, as if they were doing it for their own home. Refreshing to experience such a work ethic.

Rachel W.

06/12/2020 12:00:00 SA

This is the second & third times we have worked with Ideal on house projects. The first time was installing central AC & heat, and that went so well that we thought of Ideal when we had our next major house project -- rewiring the electrical. Coincidentally we had a plumbing leak at the same time and decided to hire them to fix the leak. All experiences have been excellent from start to finish. Ideal is extremely professional on every level! Ricci in their office helped us so much with scheduling, answering questions, and keeping us updated through her communication. Mac (electrician) and Aaron (plumber) were always on-time, highly communicative, respectful of our house, and efficient. We appreciate Ideal so much and trust them with our biggest house projects!

John R.

4/22/2020

Need 6 stars for Ideal Plumbing. Had a main drain clog at a rental home I own. Called Ideal Plumbing and technician Rob was there within an hour. He fixed the problem and made a recommendation to help correct a recurring problem. Area was cleaner when he left than before! Totally professional and fair pricing. Have used the cheap rooter companies in past with mixed results. As a landlord, price is important, but, more important, problems need to corrected properly. Just use Ideal Plumbing - you wont be disappointed.

Emma G.

6/19/2018

We have a smart toilet that needed to be repaired. It's very hard to find a Plummer that is knowledgeable in fixing this. I called Anderson plumbing heating and air and they told me they don't have anyone experienced to do it. Behold Ideal! Jim came out let me know what part I needed to order then came back to install it. Done ! I will definitely be a repeat customer from now on ! Thanks Jim and Ideal !

Cam S.

4/30/2019

Really happy with this company. I called because my kitchen floor was being flooded by a leaking fridge. They sent a plumber right out to get the water shut off. Thank you - that quick response saved my wood floors! I appreciated the opportunity to get the rest of my plumbing shutoffs inspected while the plumber was on site. Very reassuring and at no point did I feel like they were trying to sell me. The tech was completely professional, very courteous and knowledgeable. A perfect service call. Great company - I definitely recommend and will use them again.

Cynthia S.

7/30/2020

They were great! On time, polite, professional and fine work! Pete was very helpful and knowledgeable! Excelllent service, thanks! Well done!

Meredith G.

11/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

We called Ideal plumbing today and I am so glad we did. We recently bought a house and had plumbing issues. Rob came and helped us fix the problem quickly, and made us trust and respect the company.

Tracy F.

03/05/2018 12:00:00 SA

We wanted to support the local business that I've heard good things about to possibly work on our two bathrooms. Unfortunately for us (and now, for them), their lack of communication and lack of making it to the scheduled appointment we had for a quote on the possible work, they will no longer be in the running for our job. Quality work begins with quality customer service!

Their loss. The work will get done - just not by them.

Travis B.

5/26/2016

I used them for HVAC repair, tech was Lars. He was great, very happy with the service and knowledge. I had another company replace the circuit board, they wired it wrong and could not figure it out. I had enough of back and forth with them and decided to call Ideal. They had the wiring issue corrected in an hour and system works great! Thank you!

Also they were available to come out the same day I called!

Rob H.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

I can't say enough about the owners on Ideal. The support they give to our community is outstanding. They help sponsor and pay for many of the community events in our area. I love supporting local companies that give back and take pride in their communities.

They also do quality work. I have a service contract for both my AC and tankless water heater that they installed. They also remodeled my kitchen many years ago. I call them any time I have a problem, and they are all over it.

Esmeralda I.

2/18/2019

Had ideal out today to replace water heater, and they did an excellent job. They went above and beyond to make sure things were done right. The install of our heater was quite challenging but they were able to figure all out. On top of they wee very friendly, courteous, and professional. They were even able to fix a couple of additional things that needed some attention. Highly recommend them!! Joe Cassdan was our technician, he is very knowledgeable and detailed.

John J.

6/16/2018

Ideal Plumbing came out on very short notice on a Saturday morning to fix a water leak in our meter box. I had already had the city out to determine whether it was before the meter or after (on my property). Unfortunately, it was on my property. Their plumber fixed the leak, left the broken PVC pipe on my front porch, and cleaned up. I had arranged payment with the office and wasn't even home during the repair! Their plumbing and electrical departments have done work for me in the past, all of which has been outstanding! I recommend them highly.

Monica S.

12/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

If you have an old house (like my 1937 beaut), you need to know the charming Mr. Bill at Ideal. Whatever your issue, he has seen it many times and has exactly the part and advice you need. Many times I have gone to Home Depot, only to find they don't have what is needed (or have them sell me the wrong thing that then needs to be returned) only to remember to go to Ideal and see Mr. Bill and voila! problem solved. He will sell you the right part at the right price along with his excellent advice. After today, my new/old vintage stove is all hooked up and ready for Christmas baking. Thanks Mr. Bill, you are a peach and a lifesaver for owners of old homes!

Stefano B.

03/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

A great company! Had them install an HVAC system. From the beginning to the end Ideal was honest, trustworthy, competent, and professional. I met about 5 different employees and all of them treated me with the utmost respect and professionalism.

Not only did they come in with the most competitive bid, they installed the HVAC system in 5 days. Everything from duct work to electrical and everything in between.

There is a reason why this company has been around for 50+ years. Give Ideal a shot, you will not regret it.

Rod C.

5/20/2019

A HUGE Shout-Out to the fabulous folks at Ideal Plumbing!
Thank you Don, Joe, Rob, Rene and Aaron.

Remodeling, home repairs and skilled plumbing services carried out by kind, considerate, neat and respectful people who do exceptional work at a fair and reasonable price... It doesn't get better than that!

A A.

9/14/2017

I really dont like to leave bad reviews but I have to say something here. This is going to be hard to summarize into a small statement but basically I have brand new tenants in a rental that unfortunately had a tub clog just when they moved in. This is the only bathroom in the place so the tenants cant shower until it is fixed. Anyway, Ideal came by to fix the clog on a Saturday and were not able to do it because there were some corroding cast iron pipe problems that needed attention. These things happen with old houses and i understand this. They said they would have put an emergency status on it to try to get someone out on Monday to assess the problem. I called them early Monday to give them all my info so i can be contacted when they went by for estimate so i could deal with the problem right away. All the work day goes by and not peep from Ideal. Finally in the evening after 7p, Albert calls to say he can be out on Tuesday morning. I agree to meet him there because i wanted to understand and address the problem immediately. He goes out that morning and says they can give me 2 estimates to fix it that he would send that same afternoon and they cant start work Wednesday but instead Thursday. Ok, i tell the tenants it will be one more day lost but that the problem will be dealt with then. So I waited all afternoon for an estimate and called at the end of the business day and was told Albert left for the day and the receptionist would send him my message. I keep explaining that the tenants are without a shower and to please rush this as he said understood it was an emergency. The next morning i call again to see if the estimate is done and i am sent to alberts voice mail. I leave a message again stating that the tenants have been without use of the shower for 5 days and i need this taken care of asap. I dont get a call all day and after work i call them again and explain the problem again (every time i call i have to explain the situation all over again)...and receptionist says she'll send my message to Albert. Finally on Wednesday evening at 6:10 i get an estimate to fix the problem and he says if i want to do the work...they cant start until the following Tuesday! OMG! That would make a full week and a two days from when they first came out even to just start the work!! And also the poor tenants not having access to a shower!
I am in total shock at the lack of care or attention that was given to the problem despite statements that they understood it was a problem for the tenants and that they would help. I have been a loyal customer to Ideal for over 10 years and and even recommended them to several people. I have always found them more expensive but I never minded paying more for better service that I can trust. I honestly can say that I cannot trust this company anymore with my business and would not recommend them to anyone. Right now my tenants have been in their new house for 6 days without use of a shower despite every effort i made to expedite the repair. I still have a clogged tub...and a detached pipe to the tub that Ideal caused trying to use the snake the tub...and corroded pipes under the house. Now I will await to see if they will bill me for all this wasted time they caused...that is they did...they just cost me and the tenants a weeks worth of time. I have been let down and will now have to start over all over with a new plumbing service. I will not return to Ideal ever. I believe they may have become too big for caring about their customers. Im really disappointed. I'll follow up with their bill on here once I receive it.

Wally H.

8/24/2018

Very professional, clean work, showed up on time, phoned before showing up, and answered all my questions when necessary. I would recommend ideal to anyone. Joel and Paul were excellent workers. Installed water heater as soon as possible. super workmanship.

Flo D.

05/06/2020 12:00:00 SA

I recently had an emergency water leak on a Sunday evening. I called Ideal and Don was here within half an hour and took care of the situation. I have done business with Ideal for years and am extremely pleased with their work. Aaron and Dustin have been here recently and they are both very hard working, capable plumbers. If you're looking for a plumber, call Ideal

William N.

4/13/2019

I wrote a post response two days ago. But it has still not posted.

Another plumber came out and correctly diagnosed our primary problem. Which was a disconnection at the city main. This plumber contacted the city. The city is going to fix the problem.

The bathroom floor drain was completely unrelated to our cast iron main. It was a blockage before our mainline.

I am not going to name real professional service. As I do not wish them associated with Ideal in any way.

What Ideal did achieve was pushing everything to the problem with the city main. Rather than the equipment and expertise to solve our problem?

We got a $1,400+ bill for no problem solution - at all.

I dislike having to repeat myself as people need their jobs. But this is NOT a company to do business with. As you can read for yourself now.

Mare G.

10/29/2018

We tried to fix our plumbing problem but...ended up calling Ideal. Howard was out in less than an hour & he fixed the problem - getting muddy, dealing with the crummy past plumbing job done by a landscaper that claimed to know what he was doing. Less than two hours it was all fixed, reasonably priced, and smiles all around. I'll use Ideal again.

Brian S.

3/20/2019

I 've been using Ideal plumbing for over 35 years there always great. Yesterday Dustin (Don the owners son) was at my auto shop replacing a hot water heater. He was great very professional and personable. I always recommend Ideal Plumbing and will continue to. Thanks

Sheri J.

10/15/2018

Update: I received a call from the manager, Joe, who was eager to remedy the issue. We had a great conversation and he cut the cost in half. I'm very pleased with the customer service.

For my first time going here, I'm not happy at all. I was referred by a friend and when I called, they answered and scheduled me right away which seemed great! I called because my bathroom sink was completely clogged. The plumber was in and out in 5 minutes because the problem was the stopper was clogged. They charged me $160!!! The plumber said it would only be a service charge which is $30. But the woman on the phone wouldn't budge. I won't be calling them for another service.

Judy K.

6/18/2018

I have a customer for close to 40 years. I have no complaints. All my issues have been resolved by their professionals. Even a electrical problem that Gabe not only got me back in business but explained why my electricity quit.

In the process of remodeling and i plan to sit down and explain what work i want them to do. Redoing and upgrading my condo.

Julie G.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

I used them to unclog a drain and to do a preventative maintenance on my air conditioner. They showed up on time and got everything done quickly. I love that each time I schedule them, they always call me to see if they can come earlier.

Great service

Boyan B.

02/06/2019 12:00:00 SA

Dan's detail orientation was the best of any of the project managers I called for a proposal. He was the one who caught an issue with my existing system that required addressing, two other project managers before him missed it. Dan was the only one who took actual measurements of my home, did an design and gave me an actual SEER and heat efficiency ratings. The efficiency of the front office was also top notch.

Full disclosure - I ended up not hiring them because they gave me a proposal for a Cadillac option that would have looked beautiful and been the most efficient, but was well beyond what I was able to spend. Ended up going with the Toyota version with someone else - not as pretty, not as efficient, but does the job. Nevertheless I feel that they exhibited all the attributes of a top notch business that would have done a great job.

Michelle C.

7/19/2017

We have used Ideal Plumbing experts for many years and have never had a less than stellar experience. Every single person is well trained, professional and always a pleasure to deal with. Thank you Ideal!!!

Larry D.

9/19/2017

I am very pleased with Ideal Plumbing. Installed a new water heater, laundry tub and new valves on sinks, etc. On time, professional and the guys did a great job. Price was very fair and overall pleased and I will use them again.

William F.

1/25/2018

They do nice work, but charge a $30 service fee in addition to the hourly charge. does this seem reasonable?

Eric W.

10/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

Had a relatively small issue with my kitchen sink leaking. I have no idea what I'm doing with plumbing issues so called Ideal. Dustin and Randy came out and fixed everything pretty quick and we're very professional. I pray o don't have any more issues in the future but if I do I'm going to use these guys. Thank you!

Brian S.

08/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

THANK YOU to Ideal Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical and specifically Howard, the technician who came out.

I had a leak in my attic that was dripping through the ceiling. I called this morning (7/30) at 8am and was given an appointment the same day. I got a call a while later that there was a cancellation and someone could come even earlier than originally scheduled, which was great.

Howard showed up and was awesome! He was able to locate the leak in the attic and fix it in no time. He then replaced our pressure regulator in the garage because it was bad and had been for a while (likely contributing to the leak). It wasn't the easiest job because of how the regulator was installed into the wall. But, he made it look easy and didn't mind me hovering and asking questions.

He was done with everything in just over an hour. The price for everything was more than fair. I am so happy to have this leak behind us so quickly and feel great about that work that was done.

I would definitely recommend Ideal for anyone in need of their services.

David R.

1/14/2018

These guys are professionals and they know what they are doing. Our hot water heater gave out without notice and Ideal was there the same day with a quality replacement. It was not a simple or conventional installation. Jose and Pete worked through the challenge with a final result that was far superior to what we had previously.
Jose and Pete worked hard and non-stop from the moment they got here until the job was finished. They did not waste time or materials. I felt the price was very fair though not inexpensive.
My motto has always been,
You may not always get what you pay for but you never get a bargain!
At least this time I can say that I did get a fair deal. You can't ask for more.

Rosa B.

01/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

I have had several different things done at my home with Ideal. The last two times it was electrical work. When the electrician came he had another gentlemen with him. Said the job I needed done requires two. When he started I understood that the job did require two people. The only thing I was annoyed about was no one notified me that their were two people coming and that now I have to pay for two electricians. Got over my feelings and paid for the services render. I called ideal last week to send an electrican to hang a new chandelier. I would have done it myself but afraid of the wire situation. They came yesterday to hang it and once again two people came. Is that standard that two electricans always come? When asked he said that they just left a job that requires two people. Ok, I can understand that. When he wrote out my bill again I'm paying for two electricians that I know the job only calls for one. I was livid. Ideal try to get over on women and elderly all the time. They have no morals. I again paid for the services rendered but won't be going through ideal again for nothing else. To hang a chandelier almost 300 bucks. You have to be kidding me.

mustafa S.

4/19/2017

Dan Devito was amazing, very honest and professional, plus had a lot of knowledge with what was needed. I recommend this company to all and truly want to thank Dan for making a situation so much easier for myself and my family!

Rick M.

1/19/2017

Have to say that after calling ideal in recommendation, didn't use them. Called to have the come and repair or replace bath faucets. Gave the spiel and info over the phone and just ready to set appointment when she asked, You are on the first or second floor, right? Uh, no. Fourth floor. I'm so sorry. We don't work above second floor due to insurance policy. . Ok. Bye. Called Bill Howe.

Elise J.

10/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

I called several recommended plumbers but chose this one based on positive reviews and a quote on the phone saying the job would be $400-600. They promised they would send a very experienced technician and it would be a 1/2 day job. The cost was $832.00 which included some $30.00 fee I was also never told about. The other plumbers quoted a flat rate fee per one hole faucet and another flat fee for 3 hole faucets which would have been $200.00 cheaper but I went with IDEAL because of my phone conversation. I am very upset and called the company and they denied anyone said that to me and took no responsibility. The technician seemed nice and knowledgeable but I will NEVER recommend this company for its misleading sales techniques. VERY UNHAPPY WITH IDEAL PLUMBING!

Beth S.

12/23/2019

Today Ideal Plumbing was out to fix two toilets, put a new cartridge in our shower, and put a new laundry sink and faucet in garage. Dustin was efficient, professional and went over and beyond in installing our new sink. He anchored it to the wall and floor, and put a new and more efficient end to the drain pipe from the washer. We highly recommend Ideal Plumbing! We have used them for years and their service is always superb!

Special K.

2/22/2015

You get what you pay for. Joel C. installed a new water heater, pan & H2o alarm in my condo today. The water heater is of great quality and working like a dream.

Work was done within time/budget...As usual with Ideal. I will not go anywhere else.

Teresa W.

07/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

I called Ideal Plumbing to look at my air conditioner as it wasn't blowing cool air. They sent a technician to look at the problem. Apparently the coils were frozen and he told me I had to replace the air conditioner as well as the furnace. I then asked for a written report to be sent to my e-mail explaining the problem and diagnosis. He just laughed at me. I then called another company, West Coast Heating and Air. They sent a technician and discovered a had a water leak. When I received the bill from Ideal, I couldn't believe the amount they charged me to just LOOK at my air conditioner without doing anything. West Coast was a third of the price and will apply the bill towards any repairs that I need to make. I would be very wary of using Ideal as they do not care about their customers and make you feel like you don't have choice in the matter of YOUR home. I would never recommend this company.

Katie W.

01/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

They are very pricey but they get the job done right. The charge $30 service fee even if your house is a mile from their shop.

Christopher J.

7/14/2016

We wanted to get a quote for a kitchen remodel and bathroom and bedroom addition! They gave my fiancé attitude when she asked for the quote 2 weeks later. When they sent the quote over they were 75k over other quotes! Don't wast your time with this unprofessional company!

George J.

04/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

UPDATE April 12, 2016:

I would only add this final note: I never had issues with the quality of work done by the technicians that came out. As I noted in my earlier review, I was happy with the quality of work done. My dissatisfaction was with the pricing issues and subsequent treatment by customer service and management that I already described.

UPDATE April 11, 2016: After a period of time elapsed after I posted the 2015 review below, I decided to give Ideal another chance and called them for an appointment to repair a bad faucet. To my amazement, they said they will not give me service unless I change my review on Yelp! I told them I stood by my Yelp review and see no reason to change what I've written. So I had to find another plumber.

Today I received a phone call from tenants in my rental home who informed me that they had called Ideal for plumbing service, but Ideal refused to give them service because of my bad review on Yelp.

Ideal knew I own that house, so my tenants were denied service because their landlord gave Ideal a negative review.

Karl R.

09/04/2018 12:00:00 SA

Very dishonest and convoluted pricing just for an estimate that was $500 more than what I ended up paying for a gas line to be moved 5 ft. Far from Ideal!

Nicholas R.

06/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

Very short and sweet review on a toliet install.

I called the previous day to get a toliet in my grandfathers bedroom installed. They called first thing the following morning and asked me what needed to be done, and what time youd like us to be there. Also received a call from the office when Gabriel, who worked on our toliet was on his way. When he arrived, he saw what needed to be done and got the job done within half an hour!

Fast, friendly staff. And the price was right for what the job entailed.

We'll definitely call Ideal again for any plumbing needs we have!

Margaret H.

12/20/2016

So, our in sink disposal died as predicted by the plumber at the last visit. Called Ideal yesterday and the receptionist was very kind & professional. Was able to schedule for 2 days out. Received a call that they could come sooner. Yes please. Alfredo & Rafael arrived promptly. Am so pleased with the work & advice provided. I can't say enough about Alfredo. He works fast & thoroughly with the greatest disposition! Would definitely recommend & use this company in the future.

Art S.

05/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

We hired this company to replace the leaking water pressure regulator in our house. The repairman showed up on time and was courteous and professional. Thats about where the good news ended. After looking at the leaking pressure regulator, he stated that they didn't carry that type regulator but that he could research where to find one. We jumped on google and quickly found the right part at Lowe's. He then told us if we went and bought it, he would install it but it would have to another house call at a separate charge. Meanwhile the clock is ticking and his company is charging $166 for just coming to the house. We sent him on his way (after paying him the $166) for him tell us he couldn't get the part that was sitting on the shelf at Lowe's. Seriously? We went to Lowe's, bought the part and installed it ourselves in 30 minutes with help from a you tube video. Recommend you steer clear of Ideal plumbing because it's not.

Tom B.

4/18/2017

Prompt service and reasonable prices and they take great care of our dental office.

Cheryl R.

4/27/2018

The good: The plumber showed up on time and was very nice. He tried hard to please.

The bad: I didn't have any emergencies. This was just a tune up visit to check my main drain to prevent future backups from roots. He did good job on this, but while he was here I asked him to check my Blanco kitchen faucet because I felt the water volume was a bit low. The faucet was only four years old and was working. He was unfamiliar with brand and in checking sprayer pulled it apart and then could not reattach. He was at my house from 11 to 3:30 and the majority of that time was trying to fix the now broken kitchen faucet. Finally they did locate a replacement part but was not sure it would solve problem so eventually I had to buy a new a Koehler faucet from them. They did give me a $70 discount on the new faucet ( thank you) but I still ended up with a $306 labor charge for the day most of which was attributed to replacing a faucet that was not broken to start off with. As I said, the plumber was very nice and did a great job on main line clean out but I felt he lacked experience in household faucet repairs.

Andrew W.

10/24/2016

If you have a difficult plumbing question, there is a guy there called Bill who really knows his stuff. He walked me through fixing my Toto toilet and even gave me a gasket I needed for the job. That's service. When I have a job I decide I can't do myself (which will be soon because my plumbing skills are limited :) ), I'll definitely use Ideal. I'm sure Home Depot/Lowes is cheaper for parts, but you can waste a heck of a lot of time there getting the wrong parts and messing up the job. Speaking with someone knowledgeable is worth a heck of a lot of money.

Michael Matthews O.

4/17/2016

I was informed by my patient that our toilet was backed up 4:00 PM Friday. Ideal came right out and cleared the clogged drain line. Thank you Ideal, you really are.

Charles K.

09/05/2017 12:00:00 SA

After telling us their air conditioning team was booked for three days, the found a cancellation within an hour, and arrived today at 2 pm. Their technician and his apprentice figured out what was wrong right away, and explained politely and carefully what the issue was. They did warn us that our unit is 18 years old, but the did not recommend replacement at this time-they did not troll for extra business.

Anthony A.

10/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

Anthony A.
We recently had a four ton a/c unit installed by Ideal Plumbing and we want to thank the entire office staff for their professionalism,in explaining the process and completing the project as promised.We want to especially thank Dan,Phil and Brian for their friendliness,attention to detail and workmanship.We highly recommend Ideal Plumbing for your a/c needs and give them five stars.A job well done .

Vicki M.

2/16/2018

I have never posted a review before But was so horrified at their billing I had to say something. We were recommended to these people from a parts store where we purchased plumbing equipment. We need a thermostat into our shower because we weren't getting any hot water so we called them. First of all the guy hardly knew what he was doing so my husband had to go online show him how it was supposed to be installed and what to do,he couldn't of done it without my husband's help number one. Then when we go to pay the bill when he was finished I said oh you can you give me the bill and he said I have to go put the tools in my truck first. then I will and
he has like a small toolbox and something else in his hand and I timed
him at
28 minutes to walk to his truck down stairs. He later he comes back and presents me with the bill. I knew how long he's been there and the bill was 45 minutes to an hour more than the time he had been there so I asked him what was going on he said well I had to go down to put tools away in my car and I said well that's not my problem he said oh we charge for that time and you're also charged for what time I look for a parking place and of course I was charged for the time that my husband had to explain to him how To
fix the shower. Needless to say I will never under any circumstances use this company, I've use plumbers all my life and never have encountered anything like this before.

Julianna H.

9/30/2016

Very happy with their service. I got three bids and they were the only company that did not recommend an AC replacement. They were able to fix it in one visit.

Donald C.

7/13/2017

Had a leaky shower. Thought I had to replace the entire fixture which would have been a major project since I have an older home.

I was told Jim would be arriving between 2-4 pm. I received a phone call from the office at 1:45 that he was on his way. He arrived at 2 pm and immediately informed me that if the work went beyond 4 pm the cost would be time and a half.

Jim went to work and had the handle off and saw the problem immediately - worn out parts. Fortunately, I had sent a picture of the fixture by email to the company so Jim know who was the manufacturer and brought the required parts.

There was a problem because the new stem part was shorter so the handle would not fit on. After a little thought and exchanging of parts, Jim had the solution and the shower handle was fixed.

The total time was about 1 1/2 hours i.e. finished before 4 pm.

I was very pleased with the work and the explanation of what the work entails.

I plan to use the company again IF I have plumbing problems.

Kaylee R.

8/17/2016

Called these guys last Friday because my kitchen sink was clogged. They were able to send out Jim the same day and he was fantastic! He was friendly and knew exactly what to do after I told him what was going on. Within maybe 30 minutes my sink was operational again. Thank you all so much for your fabulous service!

Tim T.

6/22/2016

We use Ideal Plumbing and Heating for our small business's HVAC needs and are very pleased with their level of expertise and knowledge. The provide quarterly maintenance and ensure our equipment is operating at top performance. We would definitely recommend them.

Miss E.

2/28/2016

I discovered a pipe leaking tonight (Sunday) around 5:30PM. I called my regular plumber first, but they don't do weekends. Ideal was suggest by my Real Estate agent. The answering service was able to put me through to someone at the company while I was on the line and a technician was sent right away. The technician had just returned home from another call and had to drive about 40 minutes to my home. When the technician arrived he got the pipe clamped quickly. There is still work to be done, but Ideal got the urgent issue resolved so I didn't have to worry anymore. Ideal will be my go to for plumbing now.
I apologize that I cannot recall the names of the people I spoke to. They were all very nice and professional and extremely CALM considering the emergency that was underway at my home.

Jaime H.

06/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

Once again Ideal did a great job of coming to our home and resolving an issue in our bathroom. They are always very responsive, professional and leave their work area clean. This time they had to come back several times to make sure they had the right part, but no matter how much time it took to find the right part, they solved it with not extra charge.

Kate R.

2/22/2016

As a specialty fertilizer distributor, moving our warehouse, we needed an electrician to hook up our production machinery and an HVAC tech to come out. I called Ideal and spoke to a nice woman who created an appointment for us. I was called back several minutes later, where she proceeded to cancel our appointment. When asked why, she referenced a word in our business name, hydroponic, that the owner believed was associated with medical marijuana. We are a fertilizer company that sells fertilizer, that's it. We are distributed nationally, we've been around for 6 years, we volunteer with local schools to teach kids how to grow food in an urban, indoor, environment. The judgment that took place to discriminate against us is ridiculous. I have no idea if Ideal does a good job or not, but I do know they are quick to judge.

Susan D.

8/21/2015

For ~ 15 years, I used ideal plumbing for all plumbing and HVAC needs. Every year when Ideal provided maintenance on my central air conditioning system there were problems with the pipe freezing outside, no cooling, and leaking. Because ideal guarantees the work for a specific period of time, they would need to return and attempt to fix the issues which they never could resolve. However, 2 years ago I had my water heater replaced by home depot (as ideal could not replace the water heater for 2 days). The company that replaced the water heater also serviced the center air conditioner. Since that time, I have not had any problems with the HVAC. No freezing of pipes, no failure to cool, no issue what so ever. Because of the inability to determine the problem for the HVAC, the owner of ideal informed me that he would no longer service the HVAC system. Interesting that because they could not solve a problem (which another company resolved), they refuse to provide service to the customer.

This week, I contacted ideal plumbing to replace 2 bathroom faucets and 2 toilets. The female who answered the phone stated there was an issue with the computer system and placed me on hold. After a few minutes, she returned and stated, We are so busy that we are not providing service to the 92128 area any longer. Imagine my surprise. I asked, Are you saying that you no longer want me as a customer?. She responded, No, I didn't say that..only that we are no longer providing service to the 92128 area.

A few minutes later, a friend of mine in the 92128 area contacted ideal and requested service. Her home is less than 1/2 mile from mine. However, the same representative responded, Yes we provide service to 92128 and Ideal was happy to schedule her service. Of course, my friend declined the offer.

Therefore, I would not recommend ideal plumbing and heating. Not only could they not fix a simple HVAC problem, but it is my opinion that they demonstrated dishonesty to a customer. I would have more respect for the company if they had just stated, Because we could not fix the HVAC, we do not want to service your home.

T S.

09/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

As a realtor I need to know that the tradesmen I refer to my clients offer consistently good work at a fair price. When the air conditioning at a listing wasn't working and another company told my client the unit was missing a compressor I called Ideal to find out what a new system would cost. Although they were very busy, they fit my client in on the next day. The tech (Matt) came out and was professional and extremely knowledgeable. After a quick peek at the unit he determined it was a broken wire and not a missing compressor that was causing the problem. Needless to say he saved my client a great deal of money. I was very impressed with his ability to quickly assess and solve the problem. This isn't my first dealing with Ideal but the first time I have done a Yelp review on them. All previous interactions would also have been five stars!

Susan T.

4/21/2017

If I could give these guys more stars, I would. I bought a new dishwasher that needed installing. However, since the old one was hard wired, I was told that I needed an electrician to disconnect the old one & make certain the electrical was working properly before new dishwasher got installed. The electrician came & discovered that additional work would be needed on the plumbing side as well (very old house). Long story short - I had to have both electrical & plumbing crews come back another day to get both jobs done correctly & make certain all was compatible. Ideal scheduled everything perfectly, both crews worked together, & the job got done in less time than I thought. The guys were professional, prompt, & very nice. The schedulers that work their phones are also very nice and helpful. It was not inexpensive but it was done right.

Kay G.

7/26/2018

Quality company with quality employees. Everyone without exception took pride in their work. Professional and polite. Good communication, met their commitments, were careful, and respected my home.

Barb B.

03/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

Ideal Plumbing did an excellent job on my kitchen Plumbing repairs. I had a pretty major issue with my kitchen plumbing, in my 1950s home, and the techs did an outstanding job replacing the pipes. They are professional and really know what they are doing.

Lisa A.

07/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had an emergency leak occur on a Sunday holiday weekend. Joel arrived precisely at the time estimated and got right to work, even recommending for us to dig ahead to save time and that would work in both our favors. The fix recommended made perfect sense, and it was all done with parts at a very reasonable rate considering the emergency hours. He was additionally of service explaining exactly how to better turn off our water in the future, and looked at our water heater to further explain a future problem that is very likely to happen, and replacing the water heater as a routine fix is better than waiting for a bad time for a likely problem in the future. This was not an upsell, it was if anything a suggestion for a long term savings. We will remember Ideal, and interestingly they are also the only place to purchase replacement parts for our rare kitchen faucet fixture! :-D

Steven H.

6/29/2016

I recently called out Ideal Plumbing to repair a leak in the restroom at my business. They arrived on time, had the needed parts on their truck and their charges were very fair.

Randy F.

05/09/2018 12:00:00 SA

Pete Gonzales, who specializes in plumbing, helped install a protective cage for the backflow preventer in front of the property I'm helping out with. Pete did excellent work. I've found him to be very knowledgeable and patient in answering plumbing questions and providing information on any plumbing concerns a client may have...a solid pro who certainly represents Ideal Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical well!

Taylor C.

1/30/2016

Had an incident with one of their workers, but ideal made sure to give me the best service possible. They repaired everything free of charge and made sure it was easy and painless for me. Very well ran company with great people behind it.

Adrienne K.

07/08/2013 12:00:00 SA

Ideal Plumbing saved the day!!

Vanessa was so professional and helpful on the phone, and quickly expedited one of her best, (Aaron, our plumbing super hero!) out to snake our main line. He was quick and efficient, and not to mention cost effective and affordable. No extortion here!

Love this family owned business! Been around since 1960 and definitely have generations of success ahead of them!

Thank you Ideal Plumbing!

J. L. E.

5/21/2018

WE have worked with Ideal for the last five years. We have an annual contract for cleaning our on demand water heating system and for checking out the heating and air conditioning systems. They are terrific. They come on time when they have scheduled an appointment and they explain as much as we want to know about how everything is working. It is great to know they are there and will respond quickly.

Samuel K.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Ideal is Great! I've had them do plumbing & electrical work over the past 10 years. They usually fit you into the schedule within 24 hours

J C.

1/21/2011

Because of Yelp reviews, we hired Ideal Plumbing for some minor repairs. We found while their owners/managers and company are top-notch, and Ideal Plumbing may be deserving of great reviews, it really depends upon whom they send out.... as one or two others have commented here.

What was initially an easy shower valve replacement, and a small section of shower drain replacement, it took two visits, 2.75 hours, and two slow workers for $487. They/he also wanted to replace my pressure regulator for $300 plus labor, which I later did for $65 and about 10 easy minutes myself. It took over a week from the time of the inspection for him to ever return. In fact - with the leak still leaking - I had to call Ideal asking when he would be back. Their rep said something was wrong and they apologized.

I am sure this is a good company, but they need to better supervise whom they send out. When I complained to the owner/manager, he was most receptive and said he would take action. He kindly offered me compensation too, which I refused.

I recommend Ideal, but if the one they send out does not impress you, get someone else.

Scott K.

02/01/2012 12:00:00 SA

Contacted this company due to the overall good ratings on Yelp. I had an old hot water heater in a stand-alone wash house on my property and it finally gave up the ghost. (It was also horribly out of code.) I gave consideration to replacing it with an electric tankless device which would have required installation of 220v.

Wrote a request for service via their website, and to my surprise I was called back within a couple of hours - 7:30 that evening! The technician and I chatted about the pros and cons of such a scenario, and promised to send out one of their electricians next-day.

He came, and after chatting a bit, we agreed it wasn't an ideal solution - best to just go with another traditional gas water heater. He stated he would make an effort to get one of their plumbers out next week to assess. (I waited a few days for a phone call but didn't receive one, so I just went back to their site and wrote up another request - no biggie, perhaps just a communication error.)

That written request, again, was followed up by a phone call in record time, and after Ideal came out and reassessed the needs (plus addressing all the needs to bring the install up-to-code!) I committed to the estimate and install date.

Friday morning 2 gentlemen showed up with everything that was needed for a top-notch, professional, almost gorgeous in-code install of a new hot water heater. The re-plumbing that had to be done was a work of art upon completion, and they had all the parts and tools needed to even vent up through the roof as my out-of-compliance previous install from dozens of years ago vented out the side wall. They didn't need to borrow a tool or interface with me once - by noon, Norris and Rob were done, and the old water heater was taken away.

These guys weren't just plumbers - they were artistic technicians - and as professional and friendly as one can get. I even showed off their job to some pretty hard-nosed critic friends of mine, and they were impressed. It sounds ridiculous, but I still find myself just staring at their work sometimes, out of sheer admiration for the challenges they faced and coming through with flying colors.

The estimate I was quoted upon that second visit (I think it was the actual owner!) didn't vary one red cent from the final bill.

I now have total peace of mind for all my plumbing, heating, air and electrical needs in future. Thanks, Ideal!

J. Milton K.

3/25/2013

For all the good these comments do, here goes:

We have been dealing with Ideal since they opened. My father used them for years, but I always asked him why, as they were more expensive than the others? After buying my home, and using others, I found out how much smarter my father had grown in such a short period of time!

Of course, techs differ, just as doctors, lawyers, dentists, barbers, gardeners, morticians, etc, etc, etc...get it now? All I can say is that if I want it done, and done right the first time, I call Ideal, without thinking twice! No hassle, EVER!

Since I did not relish waiting 2 hours to show up, I asked them to call me over my cell number 20 minutes before he was due to arrive, and that I would be there. In 20 minutes, I drove up, and he did also...amazing!!

Remember that after the sweetness of cheapness fades, the stench of poor quality lingers forever a little motto I have used for a very long time!!

David M.

04/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!! I am flabbergasted at how unprofessional this company treated me today. I deal with contractors all day. I scheduled a camera inspection for a buyer client of mine. I arranged for client to pay them by check the next day at the inspection and asked for them to send me an invoice so we can have check ready, they agreed. I made the necessary appointments with the sellers and listing agent. 4 hours later I get a call from the same lady I spoke to in the morning and revoked everything! She said they just decided they don't accept checks from people in real estate transactions and they don't send invoices. What a second rate operation. Do not use this company for a camera inspection of your sewer lines, it appears to me at the very least they don't know how to run a business.

Danny D.

11/19/2018

A+ for expertise, professionalism and service. My story: the faucet on the bathtub broke off and water was pouring out of the tub faucet so I had to turn off the water to the house. It was late and the plumber I got to come out wanted to saw through the shower tile to access the broken valve, cover the new whole he'd create with a plate, and charge $1100.
I said no, even though it meant having to keep the water off that night. I called Ideal Plumbing the next morning and their technician arrived few hours later. He was polite, professional, and said he'd see what he could do to figure out how to access the break and fix it without cutting the tile. He was able to do just that. At a cost of less than $400, he not only saved the looked of my shower, he saved me a lot of money as well. I will only ever use Ideal Plumbing. I'm an extremely satisfied customer of this professional small business.

Krista M.

01/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

This company is quick, affordable, knowledgeable, and professional. We've used them several times, most recently for flooding on our first floor that was a result of a roof leak that went into our walls. Alfredo saved the day! He went above and beyond and got the problem assessed, taken care of, and cleaned up. Thanks Ideal Plumbing!

Chris S.

8/14/2013

I was looking for a plumber in the Del Cerro area and found Ideal online with a number of good ratings and a limited number of poor ratings so decided to get them to come and do some basic works that were needing done around the house.

They were very helpful on the phone and gave us a Saturday appointment with only a couple days notice. They called to say when the plumber was arriving and he did so spot on time.

Rob was courteous, polite and very helpful giving us his candid opinion on a couple of queries we had. There was no attempt to up-sell anything to us and he used most of the parts we had bought. Rob did a great job.

Really impressed with the level of service from these guys and next time we will be using Ideal again.

Thanks for the great job.

Rob M.

09/10/2011 12:00:00 SA

I called these guys after seeing good Yelp reviews and after another contractor didn't bother showing up.

Called at 4:30 on Saturday, Aaron got here at 5:05. He was awesome, found a leak, fixed it, was out the door by 6 PM. Can't ask for anything more than that.

Steven F.

04/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

I needed an electrician to install service to support an electric vehicle with substantial needs. Jeff and Ideal rose to the significant task of generating the proposal and permits to install the outlets and a dedicated feed with a new additional meter.

The plan and proposal went through 3 iterations as I was very particular about what I wanted. I needed to ensure that we had capacity to support potentially 2 electric (big ones) vehicles simultaneously, charging them off-peak, without impacting our existing household electrical usage.

They did the job professionally and this complicated task was handled and coordinated expertly by Jeff and his team, including interfacing with SDGE and the city.
Highly recommended.

George H.

02/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

Rating for the counter customer service.
Bill that runs the counter has got to be one of the most helpful persons I've ever run into. He really knows his stuff when it comes to plumbing. One day I needed to pull a shower arm that broke. He not only had the correct part for me to replace it, but he also loaned me a tool to remove the broken part.
From now on, anytime I run into a difficult problem related to plumbing, I just go see Bill and he always has the part and the answers for me.

Natalia G.

4/28/2017

Worst plumbing I dealt with in San Diego. Receptionist called me to inform I have someone coming on Tuesday. Friday they give me a call plumber is on his way. She sounded angry over the phone when she found out I will be home in 1 hour. No one I formed me. Very unprofessional company. Keep looking if you need plumbing services.

Tracey B.

09/07/2010 12:00:00 SA

These guys are AWESOME! I had a quote from another plumber and just couldn't believe what they wanted to charge me - like $700! I asked Ideal to come out for a 2nd opinion and they quoted $150 and got the job done within an hour. They were able to fix and replace things the other plumber told me couldn't be done.

I'm so glad I called them. They will definitely be my go-to plumbers for the future.

Gabriel, our service guy, was the best!

James D.

11/29/2010

I had a slight gas leak coming from the garage. It turned out to be an old valve for the gas dryer. As a rookie home owner, I was cringing at the thought of possibly getting some sleezy plummer so I came to yelp to get a better consensus of what others thought.

I dont remember who I spoke with on the phone, but she was pleasant, hear the issue and was upfront about hourly rates and when to expect the plummer. mind you this was on a Saturday so I paid a little more which I was told up front.
Joel (plummer) came over, checked it out, replaced our valve and connected our dryer in a snap. He was friendly and we even told him about some issues with our HVAC. Although he was not an HVAC tech, he did go up into the attic to make sure there was no gas leaking up there either.

I will for sure be using them again for other services when needed.

Michael B.

06/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Know their stuff, are thoughtful, informative and efficient! Fixed everything the white gloves guyes wouldn't, Totally reliable.

Bill K.

06/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Another excellent job by Ideal. They fixed our garbage disposal without needing to replace it.

Sharon M.

8/20/2016

Wow...these guys are not cheap! Egad!
However, they were timely in their arrival and informative.
We had a reoccurring problem, now solved.

Jordan S.

11/20/2014

Technician experience was not the best but the job was done, however there was a billing dispute. Don the owner is a class act and reached out to me regarding the billing dispute. I may use them again due to their customer service however I'll request a different technician.

Amanda B.

11/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Wow! All I have to say is: WOW! They were on time, extremely knowledgeable, efficient, personable, and honest. AND they fixed a huge problem for us! Since we moved into our 1940's home we flat out didn't have hot water flowing to the kitchen. Various other plumbing companies thought that the solution was to replace all the original cast iron pipes, estimated at $5-20K to fix. Joel from Ideal walked in to unclog a drain and had a hunch how to fix the hot water issue. And he was right! A couple days later, 1.5 hours of work, and $350 out the door Joel replaced the shower transfer valve that was worn out and now we have hot water in our kitchen! We are impressed to say the least and overly pleased! We will be calling Ideal for all our other plumbing/heating/electrical needs! THANK YOU!

Mark C.

6/24/2016

I am a local Real Estate Broker and I have known and used Ideal for over 25 years. They always have great people working for them and get the job done right the first time. They are little more expensive than the rest but worth it. What I like is they never try to sell me a new system but just point out the pros and cons of the current one. My 16 year old HVAC system is running just fine now

Jenny D.

12/16/2014

I'm updating my review due to the owner refunding the entire amount of the service charge. He agreed that his employee should have been able to correctly identify the broken trap and having another plumber come wasn't needed. I'm satisfied with this resolution, but I will not use Ideal plumbing in the future.

Harrison B.

9/19/2014

We have dealt with Ideal for years for plumbing services. In every case they were honest, reliable and skilled.

This last time we used them for electrical service after the freak storm damaged our riser and necessitated SDGE shutting off our power. Despite being fully booked, they managed to have Jeff come out and look over what was needed (during the day, saving us overtime charges). He was able to get a tech (Eddie) out to fix our riser the very same day. Jeff and Eddie were both a dream to deal with; pleasant, knowledgeable and hardworking. Eddie fixed our riser in short order and we were able to get our power back on that day.

Ideal is not cheap, but we definitely get what we pay for every time we hire them! We can't say enough good things about the company and its staff. Highly recommended!

David S.

9/13/2014

I had some problems with Ideal in the past (see 2012 review) but they have fixed some of that and I am a fan again. Please read the following...

I have used Ideal for many years. Had the entire house re-ducted for the HVAC. The old duct was the cardboard coated with asbestos type. They safely (think men in bunny suites) removed the old duct, installed a new sealed and highly efficient duct system and super-insulated the attic. Also installed a gable fan to more effectively vent the attic (I know there is controversy about these but in this case it really helps.) They have also done plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom (new toilets, sinks, etc), appliance installation and electrical work. In all cases they have been professional, kind and highly skilled and the price was reasonable.

Bottom line, they do quality work with professionalism, respect for you and your home, and skill. They are flexible about prices and will work with you to help meet your budget. I have to say that you can't go wrong with Ideal. Pretty much when anything in the house breaks I call them!

Craig B.

01/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

Lars came out to repair our heat pump system, which another company told me that it needed to be replaced. He was very conscientious, courteous and extremely efficient. He repaired the system with parts on his truck in no time. I highly recommend them.

Mary H.

10/31/2017

Great service at a reasonable price. I had to wait nearly a week for an appointment, but I was not disappointed when the tech came. I believe them to be honest and that means a lot to me.

Ashley K.

03/09/2011 12:00:00 SA

We called Ideal Plumbing for a dishwasher issue and a circuit breaker/electrical problem. We had two separate employees come to look at the problems, each were very efficient and knowledgeable. They did their work quickly and thoroughly and we even jog a follow-up call the same day of our first appointment to verify everything was to our liking.

I would highly reccommend Ideal to anyone!

Bev G.

09/04/2015 12:00:00 SA

We've lived here for 38 yrs. & Ideal Plumbing has been a part of our family for that long. Just this morning, Eddie changed our outdoor light fixture!! He was very polite & professional. We've used all their services...plumbing, electrical...whatever. Ideal seems to be able to fix it all!!

T. C.

4/30/2014

Outrageous prices. $200 to connect a gas dryer? $350 to connect a gas fireplace? When both already have the connections?

Then, in the case of an emergency they quoted me 30 minutes, called when the overtime plumber was supposed to arrive just to tell me it would be another half hour.

Avoid at all costs!

Michael S.

12/13/2017

We recently noticed damp spots on an outside wall of our house. I called in Ideal to check it out. The estimator crawled under our very tight crawl space to check things out and came out covered in wet dirt and told us that we had leaks in multiple cast-iron pipes. We had them replace the entire drainage system. They did it in the time they specified and for the price they specified. Ideal is a company that was recommended to us by a local person when we first moved here in 1998. We have been using them every since on plumbing and heating problems. I can't say enough about their honesty, conscientiousness, and skills. I highly recommend them.

Kathy M.

12/04/2015 12:00:00 SA

Don Teemsma and his crew are extremely professional & proficient in what they do. We truly appreciate their service, integrity & prompt response. I highly recommend Ideal Plumbing Heating Air & Electrical!

Kathy Mays

Tim F.

03/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

I hired Ideal to come out when we had a broken gas line and they were awesome. Joe showed up on time and helped me work out a solution to reroute the gas line. Brad and his crew worked really hard for a few days to get the new line in so we could cook and have hot water. Easy 5 stars to those guys and wouldn't hesitate to hire them again.
So when I decided to have some electrical work done I immediately called Ideal to get an estimate since they did great work before. When I called I was told I needed to speak with Jeff as he does the electrical estimates. After speaking with Jeff, we made an appointment for 10 am the next day to meet for the estimate. Next day rolls around, 10:30 no call no show. I called Ideal to see what was up. They confirmed my appt. but had no idea where Jeff was. I'm pretty amazed that I never got any explanation for missing our appointment. Just totally blew me off! And now I have to shop around for a new electrician. Bummer guys, you blew it.

Rafa D.

12/29/2010

I chose Ideal because of the competitive rates and favorable impression from their website and other non-Yelp reviews.

Both times I called in (once for a quote; then to make an appt) the rep was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. I knew what questions to ask regarding pricing (hourly labor rate, trip charge, minimum charge, when standard rates were in effect v. premium rates, etc.). Luckily our issue could wait for an appt which was set 3-4 days out (not bad given I called in Friday late afternoon) so we didn't have to pay any premium charges.

Jose showed up on time, as promised and took care of our problem (refrigerator water line issue) within 30 minutes. I was hoping to come up with something else to make up the full use of the 1 hour minimum but, alas, nothing came to mind. He was courteous and friendly.

My entire experience was very positive and will definitely contact them again for help with any plumbing or related needs.

Arleen K.

11/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

We have used Ideal Plumbing and Heating for several plumbing disasters in our home. Today we had another problem and Jason came to the home to workout a difficult situation. He arrived on time, thought through the problem and fixed it quickly. He was just great. We highly recommend Ideal and continue to use them for small or large problems as the occur.

S P.

03/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

I was satisfied with their quoted estimate price, after getting some not so fair quotes from 'other' local businesses. So i contracted Ideal to change out my outdated electrical panel. They were punctual and extremely well trained at this work.
Holy Cow! Positive attitudes and hard work ethic also come with this price???!!! They even looked like they enjoy their jobs! I was shocked how well they handled my job, which also included Stucco Repair and double checking the whole house electrical for any issues. Your not going to get this at Loew's or Home Depot! They (Gabe and Jr.) completed this costly and stressful work just like they promised and I am a very satisfied customer

Sparky S.

12/10/2010 12:00:00 SA

The technicians are outstanding, the office staff is organized, and the office keeps you up to date with info about arrival times, permits, etc.

They told me upfront their hourly rates, their fees, etc so I knew what I was getting into. Definitely print out the $15 coupon on their website--it'll save you money on the $20 travel fee.

The technicians arrived on time (two back-to-back days, each was an expert in a different problem I was having), were pleasant, clean, knowledgeable, and explained everything to me once they checked out the problems. I had two techs out doing two different things--Andy and Joel--and they were AWESOME! I hope the owner(s) realize what excellent people they have working for them, and pay them accordingly. Those fellows worked long and hard for me to make things right!

Chris S.

9/13/2017

We have a very old house, and it seems that there's always something that needs work. Ideal has helped us with plumbing, electrical and HVAC, and we've never been disappointed. Their prices are always fair,their team professional and their work always top notch. Yesterday we had a broken pipe under the house that was spraying water. They came out right away, advised us what the issue was, and fixed it quickly. Thanks Ideal!

Anthony T.

9/28/2014

Not just the best customer service I've received at a home improvement store, but maybe the best I've received at a store period. I made a few trips here to replace my shower handles and cartridges and Bill helped me every step of the way. He even loaned me tools for free! Altogether I paid less than $15 for parts. I'm having them come out to service our a/c based solely on this experience and will make the store my first stop for all future plumbing projects.

Whatever Bill is getting paid, make it more!

Scott P.

01/05/2015 12:00:00 SA

Really good customer service. Edward was our guy and we found him to be very thorough and professional. This was a plumbing problem. I also use them for electrical and heating a/c. Great company.

Bj W.

11/24/2017

We have used Ideal Plumbing and Heating for more that 22 years and we have always received great service. Today we had our Preventive Maintenance agreement for our heating. On time, professional, efficient and knowledgeable. When meeting Jose, he introduced himself extended his hand and then proceeded to communicate what her was going to do, then informed me the outcome of the service maintenance. Jose was very professional and personable. I appreciate the service I received. Jose was on time, professional, efficient and knowledgeable. Great people, Great Service, very reliable. thank you

William O.

05/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

Ideal plumber Joseph quickly located a pinhole leak in an elbow of our cold water line. He cut out the leaking elbow and replaced it with a new one. The entire job took an hour from arrival to completion. Ideal is a reputable business. I do wish that with gas prices so low that they would drop the $30 service fee if the client agrees to have Ideal complete the work. They charged me $30 even though I live one and one half blocks from their shop.

Dan B.

1/30/2017

Great experience with Brian and Ideal! On the day before the recent rains started in earnest after our heater had failed, they squeezed us in after a regular maintenance at our neighbor's house. Brian quickly diagnosed a failed capacitor in our heater and replaced it, giving us heat just in time for this recent cold and rainy snap in San Diego. We were and are extremely grateful for the straightforward and high quality service just in the nick of time for us. They are probably not the least expensive contractor in SD County, but we found our recent experience worth every penny. Our neighbor has also commented after using them for many years for HVAC service that he has never had to call them back to re-do any of their work.

Julie W.

05/05/2017 12:00:00 SA

Always professional and helpful. Our only toilet backed up and they arranged to have plumber called off his lunch otherwise would have had to pay after hours charges.

R H.

6/24/2016

I have used Ideal several times for plumbing, electrical and HVAC issues. I have always been very pleased with the exceptional service their technicians have provided. They are always professional and thorough and take the time to clearly explain the situation to me. Somehow they always find a way to go above and beyond and provide something extra that makes the experience even more memorable. When I had my HVAC unit serviced, the tech took the time to lay out several options without pressuring me into a quick decision or to upgrade/replace the unit. He even did some additional research and called me back several days later with additional information to help me with my decision. My experience has taught me that I can trust Ideal to be fair, honest and efficient.

Rachel F.

7/23/2009

We were referred to Ideal Plumbing by my father in law, who is in the SD Executive Association with members of Ideal's ownership and staff. We have attempted to use them on 3 separate occasions for our home A/C and heating repairs, and have had problems 2 out of 3 times, not with the actual service once they show up, but most times they have not shown up on the service date/time. The most recent experience was today 7/23/09 when we called Monday 7/20/09 to schedule someone to come take a look at our A/C. This is especially frustrating b/c my husband or I have taken off from work to be home during the estimated arrival time, only to be stood up with not even a phone call. I guess we have bad luck with Ideal, but the third time is it for us, and we will be taking our business elsewhere.

Carl R.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

I've used Ideal plumbing services for many years, primarily to service my tankless water heater; the heater core expired after 5 or 6 years and the manufacturer warranty covered the heater core at no cost to me however it was my responsibility to pay for installation. Said manufacturer also required I install a water softening system or have the unit serviced annually; the $200.00 annual service charge was a bit much & after a little investigating I located Dover plumbing & dealt with owner who stated they would flush the system for considerably less, I even supplied the 5 gallons of vinegar. Yahoo I saved some bucks......NOT the unit failed to heat properly & I called Ideal to do the service right. Their technicians are courteous, professional and on time.

Petrol S.

4/30/2013

Just called to setup an appt for an estimate. I was told that unlike eveery other company that it would cost $39 just to come out and tell me how much it would cost to do the work. When I said, thats interesting you don't give free estimates since its not as though any labor is taking place the woman on the phone replied, oh well the estimate is free if you have us do the work.......... But I can't know if I'm going to have you do the work until you give me an estimate.
Bizarre business practices. They essentially just turned down business because they felt they had to make a piddly few bucks on the front end, instead of focusing on the thousands that would have been made on the backend if they would've simply provided a free estimate like literally EVERY single other plumbing company does.

Needless to say they won't be getting my business .

Joe S.

4/15/2013

I had ideal give me an estimate for a new furnace and condenser. The estimate included an additional $600 for a special HERS test that the technician said that I needed to get because I lived in a certain area. I had done my research and I was fairly certain that I did not need this test. I went to my city's building department and talked to them and they gave me the correct information. Long story short, Ideal was ready to happily tack on an extra $600 for a test that I dd not end up needing. Aren't they supposed to be the experts?

Michelle M.

08/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had Gabriel out to replace a broken backflow. He was on-time, pleasant, professional and did exactly what we needed- with a smile on his face. Thank you Ideal & Thank you Gabriel!

Brad C.

02/06/2013 12:00:00 SA

If you are a contractor, do'nt bother, apparently they only work for the homeowner direct. They just lost 3 jobs that I could of referred them to, in the exclusive areas of downtown Park Row, Del Mar, and Point Loma due to their policy, which would of led to more referrals in the neighborhood. Poor business.

Courtney S.

02/08/2010 12:00:00 SA

Wouldn't use anyone else! I had major damage to old plumming, they cam on time, fixed it quickly, and for cheaper than the competition asked for! I felt like I was ripping them off lol

Shannon C.

3/23/2009

These guys were great for the big things. They were fast careful and courteous. The first time they came out, they couldn't complete their work because of another problem. They didn't make me pay until they could come back.
I was really impressed with how nice their office staff was as well, I would call them again anytime.

Nick J.

3/26/2013

I called Ideal for a couple of reasons.

1. My shower drains were clogged in two showers.

2. My family has a long history of using Ideal in their homes.

I called this morning after severe amounts of prodding from my lovely fiance to get the drains fixed. It just so happened that a tech could come out to the house this afternoon and check things out. Around 2:30 I got a call from the home office saying Jose would be at my house within 30 minutes.

20 minutes later my doorbell rang and there was Jose ready to fix the problem. Within moments he realized this wasn't going to be a big deal and called me to the bathroom to show me how to perform the unclogging myself rather than having to call them again.

On his way down to the first floor bathroom he asked me about my family. Turns out he was the tech that when I was a little boy would come to my parents' house to fix their plumbing. He said he remembered me running around as a kid and was surprised to see me again all grown up.

It's great to know a company can keep their employees happy for so many years and keep them working hard. While I won't need to call Ideal the next time my drains are clogged (I hope) I will be calling them should I ever encounter any additional plumbing issues.

James B.

10/26/2013

I called Ideal on a Saturday morning about 830AM. After calling about 5 or 6 plumbers before hand, Ideal was the only place answering the phone. They were able to get someone to my house at 1030AM. My plumber was Jose. Jose is a great guy, he gave me some tips to prevent future drain issues as well as showing me how to easily remove clogs. I would definitely call these guys again.

Suzie H.

8/30/2013

We have used Ideal for electrical, plumbing and A/C service calls for the past 9 years. On the hottest day of the year (so far) our A/C stopped blowing cool air. Less than 5 minutes after scheduling an appointment for service Melissa rang us back; said she reviewed our service calls from when the home was being rented out and found the condenser breaker was tripped last year. When everything else is running why would I think breaker? Sure enough, that breaker was tripped again and Melissa saved us the trouble of suffering through a hot holiday weekend. Thank-you Melissa for the reliable, friendly and proactive service!

David H.

03/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

My heater was not working and called them. Set up an appointment. Came out indicated it was a loose wire and charged me 58.00. The next day it did the same thing as before, indicated it was an intermittent problem and those are hard to trouble shoot. I just paid 58 dollars the day before for about 10 minutes of work and have the same problem. They said I needed to replace the plug. The part was 12.00 dollars and after 15 minutes of work 177.00 bill. So total cost was 235.00. Overcharged for the work. I do not know of any good plumbing and heating businesses but I would not use idea.

Meredith K.

5/18/2018

We needed a new AC and Heating System, a big, expensive job. It's important to feel confident in the company you use for large job so we chose Ideal Plumbing and Heating. From the second we made phone contact they were professional, kind and honest. We made an appointment for an estimate and they were prompt and professional. The technician who did our estimate followed up immediately with us asking if we had any questions or feedback. The price was competitive and they walked us through all the paperwork and permit needs. The two Technicians who installed our system arrived on time each day, covered our hardwood floors with a clean tarp to prevent any damage and thoroughly cleaned up when they were finished. The office staff was equally professional and did a very thorough job. This is a small company who provides personalized attention, professional service and a real friendly staff. Use this company for all your heating and AC needs! would use them again and again

Ian F.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

An update on my previous review: I was contacted by the owner who explained the situation to me. He was professional and helpful and we sorted everything out. Since the drain was unclocked in a timely fashion and I feel that they deal with me fairly, I have updated my rating. It is nice to see a company that really cares about customer complaints!

David W.

12/05/2015 12:00:00 SA

Ideal came to my home to replace a water filter under my kitchen sink that had blown out and caused a serious flood. The filter canister had blown out, and was no longer available. The plumber was able to find a suitable replacement, but had to customize it to fit in the allotted space. He did a masterful job and I avoided having to replace the entire system, thereby saving me a larger expense. I have used Ideal Plumbing for over 50 years, and I appreciate their integrity and outstanding performance.

Lloyd S.

08/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

Ideal Plumbing installed new AC and Heating units in our home 4.5 years ago, and it has worked well, until recently when they determined that there was a leak in the refrigerant line, and we had no refrigerant left in the AC unit. They were very responsive, and have been out 3-4 times to try to determine where the leak has occurred. Currently there is a dye in the refrigerant so hopefully we can determine the location and source of the leak. The technicians have been very helpful, and have worked hard to help us solve the problem. They have been very polite, and have tried to explain to us the nature of the problem. Hopefully in the near future we will have located the leak.

Bill M.

7/27/2016

Sadly, when it came to replacing a water heater Ideal was not very competitive. They charged $120 to show up, but they added $30 more to tell me the leaking water heater needed to be replaced. Really, 120 wasn't enough we needed 30 more to provide that insight? Then the kicker was the quote on a replacement as it was hundreds more than a leading competitor. It was actually cheaper (by a lot) to have the other company come out, pay an additional service charge, and have them do the install. I really wanted to give Ideal a chance as they are local and appear to do good things in the community, but a water heater isn't a fashion accessory folks might overpay for and ultimately price wins.

Diana M.

04/09/2014 12:00:00 SA

Had an issue with my kitchen sink and master sink backing up. Called on a Tuesday, they were out the next day. They called when the plumber was on his way as they said they would which allowed me to leave work and meet him at my place (and not have to take a half day off). He fixed the problem in less than an hour. He was very efficient and pleasant. I would definitely recommend using this company.

Chiesha K.

05/03/2011 12:00:00 SA

Received some very good advice and information from this company when they came out to give me a quote. Seeing as how I got screwed over by Anderson Plumbing Heating and Air, I really wish I went with this company! Even the extra hundred dollars Ideal would have cost would be worth it to avoid the time off work that I've had to take to deal with Anderson's careless mistakes!!

cara B.

4/19/2010

I had a great experience with Ideal. They quoted me half the cost of another company and did the job with higher expectations than normal. I have had family members use them as well and they also had a good experience.

I plan on using them again, but as of my experience now it has been fantastic!

Jim S.

02/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

We've used Ideal Plumbing for years, have had a couple minor issues but were basically happy .. Then a problem came up that tested their metal.. and it changed my view of Ideal Plumbing significantly cause now I know they do stand by their work and will make it right if there's a defect in parts they install. . my regulated pressure was oscillating between 80 and 85 psi, They came out and replaced the main Water Pressure Regulator valve ( PRV) on the 21st and tho it was Ok initially, a week later the pressure was still spiking to 170 +/- 20 every eve. I was told by their rep putting it in that I needed an Expansion Tank, I thought that suspect,.. so I called the city Water folks and they said I should be seeing 151 psi coming in from their MAIN on my street ( Red River Drive) , and that it had to be a bad PRV, so I called Ideal back, spoke 1st with Bob who offered to have someone come and check / adjust it.. Jose came out adjusted it down and it seemed to hold at about 60 but that only lasted less than an hour and it dropped to 15 while the water was ON and running in the house.. So I called back and they agreed it was a BAD Watts PRV and Jose came back that day and replaced it for free (saving me the $400 cost of installing another new one) I also went ahead and put in an Expansion tank myself the next day. The tank is about $80 invested to help insure the regulation holds at 65 psi properly in the house and so far it has.. as well as protect the water heater and pipes.. google Water Heater Expansion Tank on why you may need one. Installing that Expansion tank with 3/4 galvanized pipe parts from Home Depot and took me 45 minutes to get it in and the bladder adjusted properly.

Paulette W.

08/06/2013 12:00:00 SA

First of all, Ideal plumbing has mine and my families business for all heating,air & electrical needs for life. Second of all, I had Gary, one of the technicians, out today to work on my a/c and he was a-ma-ZING! He was professional, efficient, clean and friendly. He took time to complete the job but did not use up my morning. Simply cannot say enough good things about Ideal. Perfect name.

Michael B.

01/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

Rob the plumber came out on New Year's Eve and did a great job of resolving an ongoing issue we had with our kitchen faucet.Hopefully the problem is gone for good now.

Peter P.

10/12/2010 12:00:00 SA

I consider myself to be a very critical customer especially when it comes to contractors and others in the service industry. I have experienced good/ethical companies and I've experienced other companies that plain and simply ripped me off.
I moved into my home over a year ago and the ongoing problem I have had was the hot water pressure being extremely weak. I had a plumber come out from another company, he charged me $56 to come out and he basically whisked his flashlight around and said he didn't know what the problem could be. He ultimately said I need to repipe and it would cost me around $600. I told him to take a hike, I could have given the same diagnosis.
I did a lot of researching and came across Ideal Plumbing. Amongst the online revewing community, they were consistent with their positive feedbacks. I called Ideal and right off the bat they were accomidating and professional.
Terry was the technician that came to my house. He was prompt, friendly, and very knowledgeable. He took the time to give a thorough diagnosis and educated me each step of the way. I knew exactly what he was testing and why. After diagnosis, he discovered that the dialectric union or nipple was the issue since the union is plastic lined with a ball inside. Apparently, the ball wasn't moving anymore and all he had to do was replace the union with a copper fitting. My hot water is strong if not stronger than my cold water now! What a dream come true! After a year of dreading taking showers, I finally have that problem fixed! The best part is, it cost me a fraction of the cost and I didn't have to repipe!
I highly recommend this company. It's tough now a days to find contractors that are not in it just for the money. When I do come across those that actually care, I keep them close...call these guys, you will not be disappointed!
Thanks again Ideal Plumbing and especially Terry!

Jeanette E. R.

6/13/2016

Ideal has just replaced my hot water heater, the pressure regulator to my condo unit, the shut off valve to my unit and the innards of a fussy toilet. They did a great job, and though they are not the cheapest choice around, they stand by their work and it is always first quality. i appreciate the fact that my garage floor was cleaner after they replaced the water heater then it was before they started work. Anytime I have had a large job that I wanted done, I have called Ideal for almost 30 years.

Ming T.

6/28/2011

My family has used Ideal Plumbing for years now, both at my father's house and a commercial property that we manage. They have always provided tremendous service. I recently purchased a home and hired Ideal to perform the maintenance on my tankless water heater. Dan the technician was extra helpful, even going out of his way to help with some minor plumbing issue he noticed while checking the water pressure to the house. It is very comforting to know that they have my best interests in mind. I highly recommend Ideal Plumbing!

Old Ben Z.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

I have used Ideal Plumbing many times over the last several years. They have done plumbing and electrical work for me. Always on time or early to my house. Great work at a fair price.

Stephen H.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Ideal Plumbing remodeled two of our bathrooms, and the quality is fantastic. They were very collaborative and supportive through the design and decision-making process, and we are very happy with their work. They are our go-to company when using plumbers.

Bonnie M.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Ideals is a top notch company we have used them for years. They have helped us in all our plumbing and HVAC needs they are very knowledgeable and professional during service calls in our home or when we go to their store. You can not go wrong calling Ideal.

Linda Kastrup M.

06/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

This is a very professional Company. They have always met their commitments and are quick to arrive when I need them. Knowledgeable in all A\C and Electrical matters.

Joan S.

10/09/2011 12:00:00 SA

We called tonight (a Sunday night) and Ideal was happy to come out to our house to fix our problem. We picked them because of their Yelp reviews and because of their proximity to our house. Now after having experienced their service, Ideal Plumbing will be our go-to plumbers for any future (hopefully non-emergency) situations. Our plumber Aaron was very professional and offered a great timely solution for us. Ideal Plumbing truly lives up to its name! Thank you!!

Derek J.

5/15/2016

We could not get our kitchen sink to drain. Ideal plumbing was able to perform same day service. They were professional, fixed the problem, and showed us additional trouble shooting techniques we can perform if something similar happens in the future. The price was $148, which is probably on the higher end; however, like in most cases, you get what you pay for. We paid more and received a good service.

Kaylee H.

8/14/2010

Ideal called when Jose was on his way and he showed up right on time, ready to unclog our drain. The clog was pretty far down the drain but he was persistent and got it. He advised me to print out a coupon for $15 off the visit, which reduced the hourly rate that they had quoted to me on the phone. Jose was awesome, and took pride in his work. Very friendly, even stopped to pet my dogs. Will use them again. :)

Suzanne L.

4/20/2013

Great friendly staff all the way from phones to techs and first rate work! Also super attention to detail and great clean-up... Like they were never there - except for the new, working fireplace pipe! Thanks SO much!

Luci D.

8/19/2010

Our A/C unit has not worked properly since last year but it was never a big deal, until now when summer just decided to kick in. I called Ideal based on positive reviews I read on Yelp. I was given an appt for a date 2 days later, but on standby for the very next day (in case they had a cancellation). I was so elated to find the truck in front of my house the very next day. The technician, Dan, was very nice, sincere, honest and helpful. Couldn't have asked for more. Bonus? I'm sitting in my house nice and cool, as opposed to yesterday when it was so unbearable, we had to hang out at a friend's house to escape our own! 2 thumbs up! I would call them again.

Paul G.

06/05/2012 12:00:00 SA

Jose came out to fix by sticking shower and leaky facet that I couldn't figure out and quickly found and solved the issues. Will be calling back Jose and Ideal the next time I have any major plumbing issues!

Geri C.

12/30/2015

Last Easter Sunday the valve in back of the toilet broke. I was getting ready to leave on vacation but had a flood to deal with! Ideal was the only company that was willing to come on a Sunday holiday to fix it. The repair man came right away and had it fixed very quickly. I was so grateful!

Bob L.

06/05/2015 12:00:00 SA

I've had a persistent sewer drain problem.And, yesterday I tried to clear it out with my own snake. Like a fool, the snake got stuck and I couldn't extract it. Today, I had Jose, from Ideal plumbing come out to clear the drain. First, he expertly removed my stuck snake. Then, he worked tirelessly with his equipment, and cleaned the drain. I was impressed with how many times he ran his snake through to make sure the debris and roots were dislodged. I will now always use Ideal plumbing, and ask for Jose by name.

Lori B.

3/24/2011

I've had technicians from Ideal at my house several times, and without fail they have been polite, professional, and most importantly -competent! Generally able to get an appointment very quickly. Highly recommended!

Greg B.

12/25/2012

My property manager called her regular Furnace company and they said I needed to replace the furnace in my condo and it would cost around $3500. From my past very good experience with IDEAL I had them look at as a second opinion and they were able to fix it for a little over $300.

This is not my first experience with IDEAL from several years ago and I can't say enough good stuff about this company.

While the furnace is over 20 years old, when it is time to replace it I will be getting a quote from IDEAL first.

Angela B.

9/28/2014

I've used ideal plumbing for other service calls and they were professional and qualified ...not this time. He took an hour to replace a leaking hose bib,. I had to show him where the water shut off was. He had to plug in the battery to charge for his drill. When I asked him about unclogging the drain in the kitchen and fixing the garbage disposal, he borrowed a flashlight from me, and said he recommends I have an electrician move the switch for the garbage disposal from under the sink to an outlet on the wall? And to use a shop vac to remove the water from the backed up side of the sink. I'm glad he did not try to fixt it, I'm not sure he would be able to fix it. I was very disappointed.

She B.

01/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had a gas leak at our home right before the holidays. SDG&E shut off our gas and we had to obtain a permit to fix the problem. We contacted a few companies, but Don Teemsma (owner) personally came out the day to investigate. He and his crew came out the next day and found the leak, repiped and dealt with the permit, inspector and SDG&E. They were a pleasure to deal with and Don was in communication with us during the whole process. I will definitely contact Ideal again for any future problems. The whole process wasn't cheap, but it was worth our peace of mind. Thank you to Don and his crew.

Edward B.

12/04/2015 12:00:00 SA

Amazing technicians. They are knowledgesble and fair. Took time to show me part that was beginning to crack and tecommended a metal vers vice plastic. No overbilling or waisting time. Great experience

Nancy C.

10/06/2014 12:00:00 SA

I keep having plumbing issues -- first a slab leak/rerouting of pipes, then replacing a water heater and finally a gas leak -- and each time I've called Ideal. From the delightful people who answer the phone and continually touch base to the kind, experienced plumbers, everything about my experience with Ideal has been wonderful. Both Lionel and Eddie were professional, friendly, on time and explained everything they were doing. Can't ask for more than that! Thanks, Ideal!

Gina C.

6/20/2012

This guys are the best. If you want a trustworthy electrician or plumber I would highly recommend calling these guys.

J S.

09/01/2012 12:00:00 SA

Dan came out to look at the A/C at my house. Really professional, and very courteous. He explained all of the steps he was going through while examining the A/C unit. In addition to looking at the A/C he also gave me some cost saving tips on the water heater and recirculating pump. Thanks.

Karen H.

3/13/2015

Ideal Plumbing is awesome! I had to have all my Hot and Cold water Pipes replaces due to a big leak under my slab. I got 4 different estimates and spoke with 5 different plumbers. There estimate was not only the best but it covered more things including all the pipes having insulation around them. Joe did the estimate and was wonderful. Albert was the one that did the work and he was professional, clean and kept everything clean each day when he left and just a really nice guy. I would totally recommend them. Also about a month later I had some electrical issues so I called them and they came out the same day and once again I would totally recommend them.

Tommy D.

09/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

I had to authorize time and a half rates in advance in order to get them to come out for a same-day call (because they were booked up), but they made it before 4:00pm anyway, so I didn't have to pay extra. The technician knew his stuff and was gone in less than an hour after fixing/replacing a $6.50 part - who knew?! Overall, good service on a job well done - thanks!

Michele N.

10/27/2015

I have always been pleased with the work that Ideal has done for my home. I cannot imagine calling any other company! Don Teemsma runs his company with integrity and honesty, traits that are hard to find nowadays. I am happy to recommend Ideal to anyone needing quality craftsmanship and reliability.

Nathan T.

01/12/2015 12:00:00 SA

I don't know much about plumbing and was trying to fix a very old shower valve. After home depot couldn't help because of the age of the valve, I went here. The guy at the front cleaned my parts to try and figure out the make/model. It was too old to be stocked, but he gave me advice and gave me (for free) some rubber o rings to try. I really appreciated the time he took to help me, will definitely return for other projects.

Bob K.

1/28/2013

Ideal did some plumbing repair work for us this past weekend and the work was done in a very timely and professional manner. my original posting here...should it ever become apparent was not as positive as this due to a misunderstanding betweed Ideal's office staff and me about the cost in an overtime situation.. Don, the owner at Ideal was very easy to deal with and when I explained our situation he made certain that we were satisfied not only with the job itself but also with the terms of the deal. All is well and the job is just fine. Thanks for becoming involved in the situation and making us very comfortable with the work.
B. Kern

Rachel S.

04/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

I had bursting water line emergency which was flooding my backyard and called Ideal to see if they could help. It was 9:00PM and figured it would take some time before anyone could help or show up. I was amazed that within minutes I was connected to the owner of Ideal Plumbing and that he would be coming himself to assess the problem. I could not believe it but was so grateful. Within 30 minutes of my initial phone call, my water issue was resolved and was told a technician would arrive the next morning to make sure all was well. And sure enough, he came. This is incredible service!!!! I am would highly recommend this terrific family owned company for all your plumbing needs. I am very appreciative for the timeliness in arriving as I saw $$$ pouring down the drain!! Thank you, Don and thank you Ideal!!

Michele W.

02/09/2013 12:00:00 SA

Joel from Ideal Plumbing installed my new water heater and regulator. He had to bring all the fittings up to code. Joel was prompt, courteous, knowlegable and quick. He left the place cleaner than it was when he got here. I would highly recommend and use Ideal Plumbing again. Joel was GREAT! Thank you.

J P.

4/17/2017

Ideal Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical employees are skilled in their trades and very nice workers to have in your home. Juan and Damien (Electrical) did an outstanding job removing fluorescent lights in our kitchen and installing recessed lights. They wanted us to be happy with the placement of the lights and we are. They also did other electrical work in other rooms and we are pleased with what they did. They were followed by the drywall repairer who did an excellent job repairing, taping, mudding, and texturizing. Rafael (Electrical Supervisor) bailed us out when we needed two outlets installed in the kitchen. He somehow fit us into their busy schedule. Thank you for that! And he also installed new lighting in the master bath. Joe Clark went the extra mile in finding trim kits that would work with our existing plumbing and match our sink faucets. Joel installed them in the showers and tub/shower combo. He did such a good job. Our experiences with Ideal, with their various trades, has been very positive. They are our go to company.

Richard H.

7/17/2013

Two and a half years ago a plumber from Ideal unnecessarily replaced the 70-year old facet handles in my shower. I thought it was broken because I couldn't get the shower to work, only the bathtub fill. The house had been rented and I'd forgotten how it worked, thinking the middle handle closed the drain. Stupid, I know. Anyway, I contacted Ideal and one of their plumbers came around. I explained the problem whereupon the plumber said I needed a new valve. The plumber started work by busting open the wall and destroying the tiles around the faucet handles. After he had destroyed the tile and busted a large hole in the wall I noticed him switching the water from the shower to the bathtub fill. I realized immediately that nothing had been wrong and he had destroyed my bathroom wall for no reason. I was furious. I called Ideal and Don, the owner, came over. He apologized and offered that there was nothing he could do now, but said he wouldn't charge me for busting up my bathroom wall or installing a modern replacement set of faucet handles.

Fast forward two and a half years I'm already having corrosion problems with the modern replacement handles. The original handles lasted 70 years and would have lasted a lot longer had the plumber not destroyed them. I'll be lucky if the new ones last 5 years. This is obviously going to be an ongoing problem. After seeing my complaint here, Don contacted me again and came back to my house with Erin, another plumber. They agreed that the faucet handles were corroding already and were jury-rigged when they were installed earlier. This time they said they did a better fix, but confirmed that corrosion would be an ongoing problem. My only real recourse, according to Don Teemsma, the owner, is to install a new set of valves and taps at some point in the future, but this would be a major job, entailing opening up the wall.

Just as a good auto mechanic would verify the customer's complaint before tearing into a car engine I think the original plumber should have verified my complaint about the faucets and could then have quickly pointed out that I was mistaken. This would have saved everyone a whole lot of grief.

Update 11/19/2018
Cold water began leaking from the handle of the cold tap when I turned the hot tap on. A guy at Lowes directed me to Valley Industrial Specialties. They carried replacement valves, including the diverter valve and seats, for the 70-year old Briggs valves. I replaced all this hardware myself, confirming that Don Teemsma and Ideal Plumbing are a bunch of thieving liars. Even if the diverter valve had been bad, which it wasn't, there was absolutely no need to replace the entire set up. Ideal's goal is to do the most work, and charge you the most, that they can get away with.

Martin L.

2/22/2010

I had, what was unfortunately a bad experience with Ideal Plumbing. The worst part of the whole thing is the lack of communication. One of my tenant's had a blocked garbage disposal. My manager called Ideal Plumbing. I received a bill for $1400.00. Three technicians were there. Not even a new garbage disposal was needed. There was no explanation of the details of what was done, no invoice was left with the manager, and no logs of times in and out for 3 technicians. There was no estimate given for the work to be done. I have asked for a representative to show me the work which was done, the times in and out of the 3 technicians and an explanation of the details of the bill with no response. They also charge a $30 additional fee if you are out of their zip code. if you use them, urge them to give you a detailed estimate.

J. Anthony S.

2/20/2011

I had both positive and negative experiences with Ideal. However the negative was so bad that I will never again use this company. I am a property manager who manages several properties. The heater on one of my properties went out. I saw several positive reviews on Yelp so I gave Ideal a try. When I called initially, the person that I spoke with over the phone was very courteous. She helped me to schedule an appointment very quickly and was flexible in working with me. After that I didn't hear from anyone for 10 days. Apparently, a technician went out and spoke to my tenant and ordered the service without consulting with me or calling me.

I called Ideal to find out what was going on and was transferred to an assistant manager. He was very impatient and simply told me that the job had been completed and that they had installed a new control board for $630.00. He said that he would send me the bill, eager to get off the phone with me. I told him that no one had consulted with me and that I was not expecting the price to be so high. At this point instead of being sympathetic, the assistant manager immediately became extremely rude. His customer service was horrible, I really couldn't believe how unpleasant he was. His tone was rude and impatient and he said things like Fine, if you don't like it we can just go and rip it out. He also said, Most of our customers just will do whatever it takes to get it done, I guess you're different. This guy had no clue about customer service. I had him on speaker phone and my wife was just as shocked as me by how rude this guy was. I finally asked to speak to his supervisor.

The supervisor/owner called me back. His demeanor was much more pleasant. He apologized for the fact that the technician never contacted me and never got my approval prior to installation. He said that he would work on this so that it wouldn't happen again. He offered me a $15.00 coupon as well.

The bottom line is that this company did very expensive work without getting my approval and then became unbelievably rude with me when I questioned them. I was not expecting to be treated so rudely, and will never use Ideal again.

Katherine D.

1/13/2010

I've found that with these guys, the quality varies greatly by the tech they send out. My first experience was great...I had requested someone previously recommended by a friend by name. The next time, he wasn't available and they sent someone else out. It was a horrible experience. He took hours to complete the work and created a leak where none previously existed. I would only go back to these guys if the technician came personally recommended. Not sure if he's stil there but Jose Delgado is great.

Janice W.

3/19/2013

Poor customer service and prices! I got two estimates - one for electrical work and one for HVAC. While the estimators were knowledgeable and appeared to be interested, the pricing was high, and they do not return your calls. If they don't return your calls before the work, they certainly won't be there afterward. Would not recommend them - my experience was not good. I went elsewhere, got better prices and much better follow-up.

Sarah G.

10/16/2012

Matt came out to my house, said the job would be easy and he would get me a quote in a few days. Two weeks later, nothing. I called to remind them to send me a quote, waited another three days and still nothing. Maybe they are good, maybe they arn't, but their customer service sucks!

Robert C.

7/26/2013

I just want to praise Bill at the front desk for his great helpfulness. I have lived in San Carlos for 28 years and have come into the Ideal showroom many times to buy a fixture or part. Although I could have gone to the Home Depot, I knew that I would be sold the appropriate (and high-quality) part by Bill. Along with the parts, he freely offers advice from his long experience as a plumber. This is invaluable to me as one who does most of his own repairs for financial reasons. Bill has always been honest, knowledgeable, friendly, patient and anxious to do right by me, qualities which are not common nowadays. As one of the public faces for your business, he does great credit to your company.

Erin S.

01/06/2009 12:00:00 SA

Ideal is great. I've used them three times now, twice for plumbing and once for electrical work. They are timely, knowledgeable and my favorite thing, clean. They always take the time to clean up when they are done. I will definitely use them again.

Ron B.

6/26/2014

I don't generally write reviews and I've become pretty cynical about the level of service I can expect from the majority of providers. However, when something exceeds my expectations, I feel it deserves mention. Ideal just installed a complete HVAC system in my home and there was not one flaw in the process. Crew was professional, neat and clean, communication was timely and accurate, they went above and beyond every request and even did a few extras I didn't request. And to top it off, they offered the best price of the five estimates I received. What else can you ask for? Kudos Ideal, well done.

Victoria R.

05/03/2014 12:00:00 SA

I would like to give a kudos to our technician Howard that came out to investigate a rotten egg smell coming from our vents when the a/c was turned out. We had different companies coming out for months to try and get rid of the smell to no avail. After Howard fixed our problem, we can finally turn on our a/c without having to worry about the smell that permeates from it and enjoy the cool air especially during this heat wave. You guys are great! Fast service and efficient results!! Thanks!!

Marisa S.

02/10/2011 12:00:00 SA

We recently had to have a re-pipe done in our house (the entire hot water supply) since we had a leak under the slab (par for the course in Mira Mesa). The crew arrived right when they said they would. I can't say enough good things about the quality of the work, and how courteous, professional, friendly and polite the crew is -- and, most important, they are obviously very highly skilled. The work was finished much sooner than I imagined it would be, they were extremely careful with preserving my wallpaper (yay!), and each day they left things clean and neat and everything in wonderful working order. I would recommend them to anyone.

D G.

5/25/2011

Made a huge mess of a home project...let's just say I didn't have water to take a shower or brush my teeth! Searched Yelp for plumbers in my area and found Ideal. Good reviews and I was familiar with name, but never had used them before. Called and was promptly helped, given a reasonable quote and appointment time. Plumber arrived (early!) and was really nice guy. He accessed the situation, got his tools and fixed my mess within 30 minutes. He left a clean work area and totally earned a this review. Price was reasonable (I thought) and I will call again if needed. Home Depot lost my plumbing business, that's for sure!!

Brad M.

12/20/2011

While they did not service my zip code they were very helpful as to what to look for and a guide on types of water heaters and the cost of replacing my water heater.

Paul S.

04/01/2012 12:00:00 SA

...a quick post....
I had this contractor install new ducting, heating and air conditioning several years ago and several things stil gripe me...
1. they did not properly seal the new ducting they put in, afterward i had a duct blast test done and numerous leaks were fixed....a new install should NEVER have had that amount of leakage
2. they 'promised follow up service as part of maintenance, and filter replacement....they NEVER replaced the filter even tho it was stated it would be replaced (perhaps this was due to the expense of a new filter?...after all, THEY recommended the system so THEY should have been exposed to the cost of the filter)
3. the refrigerant line leaks, so that means THEY never properly installed and checked for leaks in the first place.
I would not recommend this contractor for this type of service, I don't feel they are committed to quality work and/or quality follow up.

update: 8/8/2012
Don from Ideal came out and personally inspected work done and sent out a top notch tech to resolve the issues. They fixed chaffed refrigerant lines, installed a different condensate pump and water alarm and overflow pan (so if it leaks, it doesn't damage drywall) at no charge and I paid for a AC service, which also indicated no leaks in the lines. Based upon their corrective work, I would recommend this contractor now as they have improved their installation methods of installing AC and duct systems to ensure quality work is done.

Jim B.

07/03/2013 12:00:00 SA

My air conditioner went out and one of my friends recommened Ideal after they helped her with an a/c problem. I called them and set up an appointment for today at noon. Not only were they early, but Dan had my a/c up and running within 20 minutes of getting there. Dan was super helpful, explained everything in detail, and showed me how to make sure the problem doesn't happen again. Dan didn't try and up-sell me or talk me into anything I didn't need, which I really appreciated. Thanks Ideal, and Dan, and I will be recommending you!

Raegan E.

5/16/2013

Let me just start by saying that the plumber they sent out to take a look @ my clogged sink saved Ideal from getting a pretty bad rating from me. Let me explain. I called on a Wednesday at roughly 4pm for a clogged bathroom sink. Not a major issue so when they explained to me that they could send someone out the next morning (or I could pay overtime for an after hours call) I was totally fine with a next day appointment. No biggie. I made the appointment and was told the technician would be at my house between 8 and 8:30am. Next day... 8:50am, no technician and no call from Ideal so I pickup the phone and call them. They have no record of me ever calling. Heavy sigh. They apologized and said they could get someone out right away - which turned out to mean 10am to them (it wasn't even 9am yet). So I wait another hour. The CSR calls shortly after 10am and says the technician is just finishing up his last job and will be at my place in 20 or 30 minutes. 10:40am and technician finally arrives (mind you I've been waiting since 8am). The technicians name was Jose and he was so professional and kind. He totally redeemed Ideal for me. He cleared the drain and then proceed to look into another complaint I had (sulfur smell coming from the tub). He said he could snake that drain too but wanted to check something out first and asked me if the house had a crawl space. I pointed it out to him and in less then 5 minutes he came back and told me there was no need to snake the tub, that the problem was that fact that there is no P-Trap attached to the tub drain (the results of the previous homeowners DIY handy work). Jose surely could have told me he needed to snake the tub and charged me but he didn't and instead said I could have the P-Trap added but it wasn't necessary. Thank you Jose! I will be using Ideal again because of you!

Nina H.

6/26/2013

I called for an estimation of a commercial building's restrooms upgrading job, but never got any response after the estimator showed up. I called the office at least 2-3 time to check, still never got anything back. Very disappointed!!

Debby B.

04/11/2012 12:00:00 SA

These people have been in business a long time, second generation. I needed the plumbing replaced in my home due to Quest piping. The whole house! This means going through walls, cabinets, ect. The owner of Ideal, Don came out himself and discussed the best way to replace the piping with the least amount damage to the walls (saving on repairs). Very knowledgable and professional staff. They were not the least expensive, but I am so glad I picked Ideal. The job was done properly the first time, no leaks, they cleaned as they went, completed the job as promised. Since then, Ideal is the only company that takes care of my heating, plumbing and electrical issues. Thank you Ideal.

D C.

08/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

Should have done this long ago, a review below reminded me to do it. Bill in the showroom/HQ has been a tremendous resource over the last few years. I can't remember the number of small issues where he has basically drawn me a roadmap to fix my own plumbng problems, often without buying anything from Ideal. I use (and my parents before me used) Ideal and their record is perfect. On-time, competent, friendly service. No expert in this area, but it seems to me like Ideal represents that sweet spot of a true family business, with the best that implies, that has grown enough to offer a full range of services.

George B.

10/19/2012

The Service was Terrible & The Driver Should Go To Driving School!!! I have had several incidents were the employees almost ran into me with their Vans!!! The owner & The Employees need some retraining!!!!! Don't Bother With Them!!!

Verajan P.

12/03/2012 12:00:00 SA

They were great...came within 2 hours of the call...fixed the problem and made helpful suggestion to prevent it the next time. fair pricing. highly recommended.

Sdpaul I.

04/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

I'm a return customer for Ideal. After a very positive first experience, I came back for more with a plumbing project and a clothes dryer installation. For these projects I spoke with Melissa and Amanda to arrange for the work, and you know you've come to the right place when you get the friendly, knowledgeable customer service they provide. Norris was in charge of the plumbing project. He had great help from Gabriel and Jason. They installed two new toilets, fixed a puzzling leak, and put a new shower massage unit in the master bathroom in two visits. The work was perfect. Gabriel returned to install the clothes dryer, including running the exhaust line to an outer wall. All of the work on these projects was done in a friendly way, with consummate craftsmanship. Thanks to each of them for being so nice and so helpful. When you need work done on your home, make Ideal your first call. They do it right. Great people who are very conscientious, and they are fair with pricing. They're the best.

Rosie T.

10/07/2013 12:00:00 SA

I have used Central Plumbing, heating and air since I purchased my home 4 years ago. I have always had fantastic service. The last time I needed a plumber, I called the number on my Central Plumbing magnet and got Don from Ideal. He came out the next day and gave us an estimate which included $250 for drywall repair. When the job was done I was charged $300 OVER estimate and paid $250 for someone to come in and throw putty over a hole in the drywall!! Not only that, the hole was only 5 inches by 5 inches and the putty goes 3 feet by 3 feet! You can tell it is not new drywall though because you can see blue paint through the poorly done drywall work. I wish I knew that was what I was getting for $250 because I would have done it myself. I feel confident with no experience or knowledge AT ALL, I could have done a better (and neater) job. When I asked why we were over $300 of what the estimate was, I got no explaination at all. I was offered a discount which I did not accept because I felt that the discount was because I was mad and not because the work was not worth $250.

akie m.

7/18/2010

i have been using their service over a decade and all my experience with them were the most efficient and honest. they are not the cheapest company in San Diego, but you will save your time on service comparing to others and you know they know what they are doing.

Richard S.

12/15/2012

I called on Friday mid-day about a slow shower drain that would back up before a shower was complete. They were all booked up for Saturday but found a way to fit me in. Jim came out and snaked out the shower drain. The clog remained. He then went to the bath tub that abuts the shower and snaked that drain. After manipulating the snake for about 5 minutes, he was able to break through the clog of hair. Jim was very professional and even slipped cloth boots over his shoes each time he entered the house. Jim also gave me some tips on how to keep hair out of the drain including a screen and a snap-on drain cover to facilitate cleaning. He didn't have the size I needed on his truck so I went over to Ideal's location at 5161 Waring Road to purchase these. The gentleman who waited on me was very knowledgable, helpful and patient. I couldn't be more pleased with Ideal Plumbing. Thanks!