Steve C.

03/01/2023 12:00:00 SA

OUTSTANDING, is my description of the service that I received from Bobby and his associate Jacob from Mike Counsil Plumbing. I chose their company, because they are local and have been in business for over 35 years. They were on time, professional, friendly and very knowledgeable. They quickly diagnosed my garbage disposal problem as electrical rather than a plumbing issue.I asked for a referral for an electrician and was given a choice. A great big thank you to Bobby and Jacob.I will absolutely recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing. They will be my first choice if I have a plumbing issue again. Thank you.

Review from my mother, Sharon in San Jose

Kathy T.

6/22/2023

My 86-year-old mother saw an ad for Mike Counsil Plumbing on TV and contacted them about a leaky toilet. The company turned a leaky toilet into $46,000 worth of work, most of which was unnecessary and overpriced. After that, they tried to get her to do a complete gas re-pipe for $19,882. Luckily, I was alerted this time and had PG&E come out to inspect. PG&E found nothing wrong! A complete scam. Twice.

Details:

They charged my mom the exorbitant rate of $2,300 to replace two toilets (only one of which was leaky). Then they talked her into spending $9,400 to replace toilet and tub drainpipes. Next, they convinced her to re-pipe the whole house, for an additional $34,500. She already had copper pipes in place. We did not realize what was happening until it was too late. What came next was even worse.

After the unnecessary re-piping of the water pipes was complete, Mike Council Plumbing tried to con my mom into a whole house gas re-pipe. The Mike Counsil rep did a gas pressure test, where he jacked up the pressure on the gas pipes to over 30x normal pressure and then took her around and showed her a lot of bubbling around joints. They scared her and then gave her two options to fix the problem, costing either $19,882 or $15,404. Fortunately, she checked with us, and we were able to stop her from signing another contract. We then asked PG&E to come out and check her gas pipes. PG&E carefully checked her gas lines and found no leaks. PG&E said that there was NO WORK needed on her gas lines. The rep for Mike Counsil plumbing came back to collect the check for the balance due on previous work and tried to talk her into doing another test of her gas lines. They were not going to take no for an answer. We were on the phone with her at this time and fortunately, with our support, she told them no.

Mike Counsil Plumbing is an unscrupulous company who takes advantage of senior citizens. Please look at the other 1-star Yelp reviews and you will see more people who have similar experiences.

They are slick operators who use language like leaks everywhere, not to code, configuration was illegal, we can start right away. They talked her into premium thicker copper pipes. The good news is that she has a 40-year warranty, when she'll be 126 years old.

Chris M.

05/10/2023 12:00:00 SA

The 1 star reviews are real. They will rip you off.

We contacted Mike Counsil plumbing to provide an estimate for replacing a thermostatic shower valve that was leaking. I did my research beforehand and knew the job would likely take about 1 hour.

When they provided an estimate of $1100 for the work, I was astounded. When I asked how 1 hour's worth of work could cost $1100, they didn't disagree with me on how long it would take, but simply said that is what they charge.

Needless to say, I went with another plumber, who charged me $200 and surprise, surprise, he completed the work in 1 hour.

Evelynn F.

08/02/2023 12:00:00 SA

I called and needed a faucet installed in our main bathroom.
Heber O
and Adrian R
came and installed faucet.
The plumbers were very nice, friendly and respectful.
The faucet looked great!
Thanks gentlemen for a great job.
They represented your company very well.
Another satisfied customer.

Robert M.

7/29/2023

Jose showed up an hour late to provide an estimate and wasted my time. I showed him the scope of the work, and advised I was taking quotes from other vendors. Jose then told me MC was a premium plumbing service and very expensive. He also stated he would prefer to quote part of the job, but not the more difficult aspects of the work I needed done. He obviously didn't want to do the work. I told him that was the scope and that was what I wanted quoted. He said he would need to write some notes and excused himself to his truck. I realized MC was a bad fit for this project. I went out and told Jose I would not be using MC for this project and he was free to go.

I will never call MC again.

cynthia g.

04/04/2023 12:00:00 SA

Had a problem with tree roots intertwined in drain. This company charged me triple what I have paid in the past. Then they wanted to go under house to check piping... Never again. Good Luck.
..

Anne K.

6/16/2023

I have used Mike Council for several situations already so it's about time I left a review. Mike Council has been my goto for couple years now, from diagnosing a water hammer issue, to sink and toilet replacements. I have always been happy with the work they do, the professionalism of their staff, and they warrant their work.

My latest is a toilet replacement in the master bedroom. I have to specially call out Ricky, who is amazing. He was the person who came out to do the install and he went above and beyond to ensure we got the right item, that it was installed correctly, he double and triple checked to ensure there were no leaks, and that everything was working properly.

My husband and I very much appreciate all his efforts.

Rusty W.

7/19/2023

Buyer beware. I had roots in my sewer pipe. They said they would replace the cast iron pipe in my house with ABS. The price was 3x normal price. I found out after the fact. The guys who did the job sat around in their trucks for around 4 hours a day. My daughter watched and timed them. The ground outside wasn't tamped so it became a large sink hole. They down sized my pipe size from 4 to 3 now I have existing clogging problems due to slow drainage. Their reasoning was it met code so you get what we place. Then they wanted $10k for the last 10 feet that was basically a straight shot. They talk and advertise a great game but you get ripped off by their workmanship. They also broke one of my slate steps, which they did replace. Only after I pointed it out.

Irene W.

1/22/2023

My mistake of calling them. I should have Yelp them first. Their 1 star reviews are true. My hot water was dripping water. I stop the water dripping. The guy came and quoted me $700 to replace my bathroom sink. That is outrageous and i rejected. I called another handyman and he replaced the valve $100.

Also they charge me $400 to replace my kitchen faucet. Overcharged you 2x. My handyman charged $240. Warning!!! DO NOT CALL Mike Council Plumbing. If you want to give away your My mistake of calling them. I should have Yelp them first. Their 1 star reviews are true. My hot water was dripping water. I stop the water dripping. The guy came and quoted me $700 to replace my bathroom sink. That is outrageous and i rejected. I called another handyman and he replaced the valve $100.

Also they charge me $400 to replace my kitchen faucet. Overcharged you 2x. My handyman charged $240. Warning!!! DO NOT CALL Mike Counsil Plumbing. If you want to give away your $$.

Laurie B.

06/07/2023 12:00:00 SA

I called Mike Counsil Plumbing because I experienced a previous contact with this company, and Bobby that I observed in contrast to the competition to be very honest and reliable. My second experience was better than should be anticipated; once again the practicality, honesty shines through in Bobby's professional business ethic. I would highly recommend this business.

John C.

07/08/2023 12:00:00 SA

Carlos Robles came to my house to remove a water softener and reverse osmosis system. After some diagnosis he found out my pressure regulator valve was not working properly. It's 23 years old! He replaced it. Carlos was great, he kept me posted with every step of what he was doing. This man deserves a raise! Thanks Carlos!

Mik ..

07/12/2023 12:00:00 SA

I chose a different plumber. Buyer beware.

Valerie S.

4/21/2023

Don't... Just Don't !!!
Lord help you if they consider you 'elderly'.

That means they can charge you $42,000. for a $25,000. job which should have been a simple toilet unplug. Yes, this was a real event.

GET AT LEAST THREE BIDS!

To put in a bathtub hot/cold handle and to replace the kitchen sink faucet they quoted me $4,300. OMG! I'm older, not stupid!

I'd asked [email protected] for recommendations. Actually, I didn't see Counsil Plumbing listed but they called me so thought I'd missed it.

After that entirely dishonest, cheating, unconscionable bid I contacted Fantastic Plumbing, one of the plumbers that were recommended and their bid came in at $900. AND that included a recommended top of the line water filter.

The Fantastic plumber who came out was kind, trustworthy, likeable, explained everything, and including alternatives. He earned my trust.

I've mentioned Counsil Plumbing to several property managers and the reaction is instantaneous and universal.

If you'll notice all the limited number of reviews showing are either 5 stars or 1-2 stars. Knowing how illicit Counsil Plumbing is I have very strong suspicions on the veracity of those 5 star reviews.

Google 'Lawsuits Counsil Plumbing' with your area.

Well, they did make me laugh out loud when I heard $4,300.... But drybarcomedy.com is a whole lot better - enjoy!

Tamara N.

5/19/2023

EXCELENT!!
I have used Mike Counsil Plumbing several times now and each time they have been excellent! I had a gas dryer installed with another company and they did everything wrong and I ended up with a gas leak. I called Mike Council and they came out in less than an hour and got me all fixed up. We ended up having another issue that was no fault of theirs and they came back and fixed that too and at no extra cost.

I could not be happier with this company and their professionalism.

Each crew they send out are outstanding and JJ and his helper are no exception. So fantastic! Thank you again for all your help!

I highly recommend them and will definitely be using them again.

Joe Z.

5/15/2023

I was recently in an urgent water leak situation and reached out to MC Plumbing.
Despite it being a Saturday, I reached someone and had the MC Plumbing team diagnosing and subsequently repairing the leak within an hour. Special thanks to Yobani, Pablo for doing problem determination and to JJ and Charlie for executing the repairs. The whole team was very helpful and explained the options.
One concern was when I referred them to a friend, it sounds like the assessment and estimate provided was questionable and overly pushed.

Kool J.

05/02/2023 12:00:00 SA

Had a problem with our kitchen sink & they came in a couple hours & got started to see what was wrong & gave us a fair deal & show proof what was need to be replace over all good service !!!

Aaron S.

1/14/2023

Bought a new stove and unfortunately the gas line put in before was oddly tall and wouldn't let us push back the stove completely.

We got a quote from the supervisor who came out at no cost. The quote was to bend the pipe and put a new valve on, then to connect the gas stove/range. The rate was fair (got 3 others). The gas plumber came the next day on time and completed the job in under 30 minutes.

He then took the time to check that out gas water heater had turned back on as he had to shut off gas in the house. (That was our only other gas appliance).

The team was super friendly, nice, clean and timely (super important with contractors). I will use them for my gas/plumbing needs.

Kevin W.

01/05/2023 12:00:00 SA

I had a leaking plastic PVC pipe in my ceiling. I called at 9 am and Besmir and his team arrived just 2.5 hours later at my door step on the same day (super fast!). Besmir quickly confirmed the leaking pipe, worked up a reasonable quote, purchased the part and fixed the pipe same day. Besmir and team were all professional, courteous, and friendly. They did the small things right such as providing a courtesy call and text ahead of arrival, arriving on time as scheduled, cleaning up thoroughly before leaving, and explaining the process clearly. Highly recommend!

Glen M.

12/27/2022

Mike Counsil Plumbing did a great job to help identify the source of a 20 gallons per day (3,360 gallons per week) water leak at our house and then replaced the leaking connection with a water shut-off value.

We were notified by Beacon (the firm that regularly checks our house water meter via EyeOnWater) that a water leak had been detected at our house. We ruled out a toilet leak, a leak in our irrigation system, or a leak in any of our other appliances.

Mike Counsil Plumbing responded to our call by sending out Gert Visser and he systematically walked our property and crawled under the small space under our house to rule out common house water leak sources. After a small puddle of water was found behind our garage, Gert was able to carefully dig into the ground and found the leak in a connection between copper and PVC pipes that deliver water to another section of our property. Despite being a week before Christmas, Gert was able to organize his colleague Samuel Andrade to come out within a few hours of the leak source being identified to replace the bad connection with a water shut-off value.

Throughout this process, Gert and Samuel kept us informed of their progress, were very professional, and implemented a high-quality solution. Great job guys, thank you. Mike Counsil Plumbing comes through for us again.

Gil M.

05/09/2023 12:00:00 SA

Thanks to Jose R. and Gary for diagnosing our water heater issue on February 24. 2023 and informing us it was covered by our warranty. James and his associate did a great job installing the replacement.

Thanks to Jose R. for confirming our water pressure problem was due to our water softener. Rafael O. and Jose Ruelas did a great job installing the new unit on April 11, 2023. Thanks to Gary for programming it and showing us how to operate it.

Thanks, Mike Council Plumbing

William T.

4/15/2023

Our call for help was answered fairly promptly. The customer service agent was very cordial and explained the steps for the appointment. They showed up through the window - and I was met by two very nice technicians. I explained the issue to them and simply told them that this same thing occurs every 4-6 years and I simply don't have the snake to fix the issue.

The technician said he would like to go under the house and look at the pipes - for customer service, I see the value add in providing a holistic view of your entire plumbing system. In hindsight, I also saw it for exactly what it was - a fishing expedition, and for this, it was a very unhappy experience.

Our house is 60 years old - it has galvanized pipes for drainage and copper pipes (less than 20 years old) for the supply side. After minutes of rooting around under our home and taking pictures, the technician came back up and told us we had extensive pipe damage and drain issues under the house. He showed us the photos (which looked like 60-year-old galvanized pipes) and told us that all our pipes should be replaced and it would cost around $20,000.

Obviously, I had sticker shock and felt that a $400 pipe cleaning just became a very expensive option. He even stated that the current issue (kitchen and garage drainage) was caused at the juncture where our kitchen drain met with the rest of the house and that it was rotted away.

I cautioned that we may only be in the house for 5-10 years and what was absolutely necessary now to be replaced and he said that would still cost us $12,000. I explained that when a doctor tells me I have a major medical issue, it is to my benefit to seek a 2nd opinion to weigh options and get validation. I further went on to say that absorbing a $20K bill in today's economy just wasn't feasible (about to have 3 kids in college). He let me know that MC Plumbing had financing available (how convenient, but tone-deaf).

When I told him that we might be selling the house in 5-10 years and moving, he let me know that the house as is would not pass an inspection - while I felt the information might be valuable (whether correct on incorrect), the presentation of it at that point seemed to come across as scare technique.

I let the technician know that I would like them to snake the drain to clear the blockage while we weigh our long-term strategic options and receive the quote from MC. He said he didn't feel comfortable doing that and charging us $495 (which is a rip-off, people) because of the state of our pipes. I asked him to send me a quote for the full repair and he started to put away his gear.

Next thing I know - he and his associate (two MC vans) just drove off. No discussion - no goodbye - no collection of the onsite inspection fee. It felt like extremely poor customer service by the end of the visit and it left us with a blocked line, still, and a potential $20K quote (hopefully it will be emailed to me).

I think there are some benefits to MC plumbing and there are some great reviews, but this fishing expedition, or whatever you want to characterize it as, didn't sit well with me. I may live in Almaden Valley - I may work on computers nowadays, but I know house maintenance and handyman work and the idea that there was no middle ground for MC plumbing was a very poor showing for the company.

I will be super hesitant to recommend or call on them again in the future.

daniel s.

7/22/2022

These guys are an absolute joke. Not only did try they rip me off, but they literally tried charged me 5x more than the the other 3 quotes I got. The average quote was about $3,000 to get a leaking pipe replaced, Mike Counsil quoted me over $14,000!!!! Turns out it was an easy fix that ended up costing me about $400 when all was done. Thank god I got different quotes, Mike Counsil is taking advantage of people who don't know better. Do not go to these guys unless you want to throw away your hard earned money.

This was a while ago but I forgot to leave them a review, and the only reason I remembered was because of a Facebook post in my local group stating the same exact thing! The average quote was $2,700, and Mike Council charged them $11,000! To add icing to the cake, it turned out this person's pipe wasn't even leaking, it was their sprinklers. So they replaced a pipe knowing full well that it wasn't an issue. How can they live with themselves?!

Absolute scam, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Gabe G.

7/27/2022

Mike was called out to our house for a leaking pipe, ended up convincing my family member that the entire bathroom needed to be gutted and replaced. What should have been a fairly quick fix ended up costing tens of thousands of dollars, and the job was never complete. Additionally, the new sink backs up spewing water all over the floor and the new toilet runs. Avoid MC Plumbing at all costs- it's certainly cheaper than choosing them.

I know the owner will be in here shortly, accusing me of lying or not seeing the value of their integrity (like he does for all of the MANY other one-star reviews they receive), but these guys are running an incredibly shady business and I am utterly disgusted with the way my family was robbed by them.

Deborah S.

06/10/2023 12:00:00 SA

J. J. Cabrera was professional and provided quality work replacing spigots around our yard.

Jessica G.

5/27/2023

Rickie did great work! I had an ancient faucet that had seriously bonded with the sink and he was able to cut it out and replace it with a brand new one. His colleague Jose noticed the missing/leaky valves and Ricky fixed that as well. He had missed a part on my soap dispenser and then drove back 30 minutes to reinstall it properly. Dedicated to getting things right. I am extremely happy with this service.

Vanessa S.

03/08/2023 12:00:00 SA

Noticed last night that we had a leak under the kitchen sink, what a mess. I called just before 5 pm and was able to get some one out 1st thing the next day. What great service. James Riggins was excellent, he did great work and took the time to explain to me about the down side of buy off market materials (new faucet). Very pleasant experience today!!! Thank you so much.

Howard B.

1/15/2023

Hear their ads on the radio all the time. I like the idea of using a local, family owned company, so when I needed some work done I thought I'd give them a try.

Used their website Book Now option to schedule an appointment for work on a shower that had lost hot water pressure and had heavy calcium build up on the spout.

The website said the next available would be the next day, Wednesday. I got a text immediately after booking that someone would be out for the service. No specific time.

About 4 on Wednesday I hadn't heard from anyone, so I used the chat now feature on the website and they were worthless. Couldn't help or answer any questions, said they would add a note to my service request.

Called the office number and spoke with someone. They said that a service agent had called and I didn't answer, and that they had left a message, but I never called back. Of course since I work from home on Wednesday my cellphone is with me all day and I had not received any calls or voicemails.

No problem they rescheduled me for Friday, the next day I was working from home.

The tech showed up promptly at 8 am. He was friendly and I showed him to the bathroom and talked about the problem. I left him there for a minute and he called me back.

He told me they could rebuild the shower valve for around $1,200, but wouldn't guarantee it would work more than a year, or they could install a new shower kit for $3,600.

Having some idea what shower valves cost, this didn't make much sense to me, so I thanked him for the information and sent him on his way.

I called a friend who is a contractor for advise. He told me to buy a Kolher shower valve kit on Amazon for about $60 and a replacement spout for around $25. The only tool i would need is a Phillips screwdriver.

Took me less than hour to fix both problems, and I only needed to use the new spout, as the shower valve had a small clog in the mixing cap that I was able to flush out.

Not sure how the tech determined the minimum cost for repair was going to be $1,200, as he hadn't done anything but turn the water on and off a couple times. Of course he never gave me anything in writing.

Definitely won't be calling them again.

Patrick S.

2/19/2023

MC Plumbing is refusing to service our sewer clean out. We are part of an HOA (we are also on the board) and each unit has its own Sewer Clean out. They initially wouldn't deal with the HOA but now I'm simply trying to schedule to have our own sewer clean out at our own unit cleaned and they won't even do that much. I was told I'd get a call back shortly and needed to call back myself after almost 2 hours to get this update. It's really frustrating as MC Counsil Plumbing has performed work in a unit in our complex before and was very good. But this time they refuse to even look at the sewer clean out.

Herve L.

03/05/2023 12:00:00 SA

Mike Council re-piped our whole house (inc 40 years warranty) over 2 weeks and they did a great job (unfortunate we had leak in our slab). Thank you to Joseph who managed the project and Oscar Carrasco & Rene Melendez for the quality workmanship. We decided to also upgrade our water tank (from 2006) to a newer/more efficient model. Happy customer.

S F.

03/04/2023 12:00:00 SA

they kept me informed of when they were going to show up and they were on time. Technician Eddie Cortez did a efficient repair of my leaky faucet and pipes. he was polite and friendly and got down to business. I highly recommend.

Arzhang S.

2/16/2023

Had a great experience with Mike Counsil plumbing after so many experiences with grouchy, thuggy and stinky plumbers who did the minimum. Great communication leading up to the service and equally great analysis of the issue and resolution. Not cheap but you get what you pay for!

Daniel O.

2/28/2023

Eddie Cortez from Mike Counsel came out in time just as promised, found the real problem that we were having with our plumbing in out guest bathroom and fixed it right up, saving us a great deal in that we thought it could be a different or more difficult problem.

Eddie was calm, professional and honest thru and thru.
I will have no problem calling on him for any future issues that may come about.

cheers and thanks for your honest approach

Bill P.

07/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

I found Mike Counsil plumbing on thumbtack. I had never used them
Before But had them
Come and look at a leak under the sink. Besmir and his assistant arrived right on time, identified the problem quickly and offered me several options With pricing to consider.

Once I decided what I wanted they began. They wore shoes covers to protect my floor and put down a mat so their tools never touched my floors. The job was completed to my complete satisfaction. They even cleaned under the sink before they left. Amazingly professional.

I will use them again and highly recommend them. Well done.

Doug L.

2/25/2023

Eddie Cortez was dispatched to my house to replace the main water shutoff valve because we had a leak in the house and the present shutoff valve didn't work. Was able to shutoff the water supply at the street instead of waiting 4 hours for ACWD to show up. He was very professional and did great work.

Marcus P.

2/25/2023

Eddie came to change out a gas valve, excellect service! very informative.
Mike Counsil plumbing should be glad to have you on there team.

KBAL S.

02/10/2023 12:00:00 SA

$400 to turn the pressure valve to high! Wrote 3 page reviews on what's happening. But seriously that just seems a little too much!
They were responsive, called to tell us the time. Hence 2 stars

Mary R.

2/15/2023

We had Mike Counsil plumbing company come out and install a gas line to change our wood burning fireplace to gas burning. Jose came out for the quote and was very professional and explained the process in great detail. We hired them for the project. James took the lead in the project and was very thorough, personable and explained the options to run the gas line most efficiently. James also found a gas leak at our water heater and fixed the valve that wasn't done correctly by another company who installed the water heater.

There was another technician with James and Jose (I can't remember his name) but the three of them were a successful team. The project was scheduled quickly and completed in a day. James came out to complete the permit with the city and again, very prompt and personable.

My last and most recent interaction was with James today. The gas fireplace wasn't working and when I tried to open the gas valve, nothing happened. I got a little nervous and concerned that there maybe something was wrong with the valve since coincidentally the fireplace stopped working around the time we went through the permit process... I called James and explained my worry and after a short conversation he had me schedule an appointment and came out within the hour.

After checking everything thoroughly including making sure the gas valve wasn't compromised, It turned out to be the insert stem (a knob with a stem) wasn't seating properly. We checked the pilot several times by turning it on and off, relighting and turning the valve off and on depending on if I kept the pilot light on or off. He additionally made sure I understood how the components worked to insure a safe environment. He said he was on his way home when I called and just couldn't go home unless he checked my situation since he knew I had been messing with it on my own and that since it was gas, we both were concerned. James was great and I would recommend him for any plumbing project needed. It's nice to have this kind of confidence in a service company and the personal touch at the same time.

Great Job James and Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter Company!

H M.

11/04/2022 12:00:00 SA

We had a backed up sink. Bobby and Jose were here today. They were on time, skilled, and most pleasant.
They made 3 recommendations for our stopped up sink after checking our old pipes in the crawl space. We chose to have them snake the drain, which was the less expensive one due to our already having indoor and outdoor plumbing insurance. We wanted a quick fix and they got that done. In addition, Bobby helped us reattach our outdoor grill connection. Honestly, we'd trust them implicitly with any plumbing issues. Can't recommend them highly enough!

Grey G.

1/31/2023

don't want to waste the back and forth, the end result is that my septic tank filter was broken by the snake, (spent 2000 to fix it). It was stuck in there, and hard pull just break it. Techinician is not professional, and be careful whatever they told you, do your research. lession learned!! thanks!

Angel P.

1/21/2023

I had a great experience with Eddie Cortez, he helped me with the replacement of the main water shutoff valve on my house. He was very courteous, provided great advice to avoid running into issues with my house pipes and suggested alternatives so I could make informed decisions.
Fast turnaround, great price, clean and very knowledgeable. Couldn't be happier with the service.

Robert J.

12/06/2022 12:00:00 SA

Just finished up a complete house and sewer drains replacement due to pipe failures after 60+ years of use. The job was big and extended as drain failures were encountered when access to different drainage areas (all in or under a concrete slab) were accessible and viewed with cameras. My previous experience with Mike Council Plumbing on a water main leak led me to using them again. They aren't cheap, but they make every effort to do the job right, with quality materials. They bring in senior staff for consultation and rethinking the solution. If there was a problem, like breaking a hidden radiant heating or water pipe during jackhammering the slab, they were repaired right. They always made sure we had a working bathroom for the night, even if it meant temporary connections. They were as clean as can be expected, using plastic sheets, zippered plastic doors and vacuums during periods of high dust production. They covered my floors where they required access. They swept up before leaving each day. They pressure washed areas where excavated dirt soiled walkways and the driveway. They paid for a cleaning crew to come in and clean up the house after work was done. All the employees were courteous and responded positively to my questions and requests. When I asked for some redos or small fixes in restoring the house to it original appearance, it was fixed right away. All their finishing work, from concrete, tiling and drywall restoration & texturing is done by their finishing crew.

I want to thank all the men and women who worked on this project over several months:
Alex, Ben
Hector
Jacqueline
Jose
Robert
Oscar
Kevin
Jose
Pablo
Gary
Yobani
Luis
Ray
Luis
Carlos
Edwin
Santiago
Eddie
Ulysses, Ricardo, Jose, Jacob
Rosy & Marisa

derek g.

12/05/2022 12:00:00 SA

Decided to cancel the appointment 11 minutes before the appointment. Wasted a day of work. Wouldn't waste my time with them

Reina C.

02/05/2022 12:00:00 SA

We used Mike Counsil Plumbing in the past at my parent's house in Milpitas. After thousands of dollars later and multiple trips, they solved the issue. I didn't think much of it at the time. Fast forward to years later Dec 2021, I had a water leak in my dining room ceiling. I called Mike Counsil out and they came on two occasions. First time they came they weren't able to diagnose the issue therefore didn't charge me the diagnostic fee. I called them 2 weeks later to send someone else out because I was experiencing water leakage and they still couldn't diagnose it. They told me that I would need to get additional permits and would have to contact my HOA board to get approval to cut open my sheetrock. On top of that, they said they can't diagnose unless they cut the sheetrock open which would be a starting of like $1500 but then if I proceed with the service it'll go towards that. Something about this felt uneasy. Both guys they brought it on separate occasions appeared to be salesman rather than plumbers. They didn't have a clue or any expertise. Trusting my gut, I called another plumber the next day. He charged me $600 for the repair, said the permits thing was BS, knew exactly was wrong, started the work immediately on the spot and was in and out in 2 hours. No games, no scare tactics like Mike Counsil and I have a 6 month warranty on the service. I'm writing this review so others don't get scammed like I almost did. Now that I think about it, the work we did on my parents house years ago and the frequent visits were unnecessary for a minor leak. They will purposely drag out the job in multiple visits and use shady scare tactics. Honestly, not sure how they can sleep at night knowing that they do these unethical practices and prey on people who don't know any better.

If you are looking for a honest plumber, it's definitely NOT this company...

Advice: They will use the diagnostic fee to get you and you feel obligated to go with them since you paid $90 for the visit. Shop and get a quote elsewhere. Those vans that you see with the advertising is what you the customer is paying extra for added onto the service. I just hope they don't run these scams on low income elderly folks...

Marisol M.

5/26/2022

Mike Counsil plumbing & Rooter the whole entire team did an amazing job completing A tremendous job throughout my whole entire house, the whole team was very sweet and kind also very clean and professional. J.J was very helpful in explaining the whole process of the project. Mike Counsil plumbing & Rooter made me happy with all the hard work. Rey did a fantastic job with all the dry walls completing the upstairs/downstairs also garage and the side of the house. I truly recommend Mike Counsil & Rooter for plumbing. I am very thankful for the decision Ive made throughout my entire house, I am completely satisfied. I agree on giving all five stars to the entire team who came to my house as they worked hard with great service. I no longer have to worry about plumbing problems also am guaranteed for 20 year's.

Alan S.

09/07/2022 12:00:00 SA

Next to my water meter, I had a slow leak from the copper water supply pipe. When I dug a hole, I found the tiny leak. The quote from MC Pluming was $1,100. I ended up fixing it for $87. for parts and tools from Home Depot.

Scott B.

5/17/2022

We had a faucet installation that revealed some leaky pipes. We were referred to Mike Counsil and Gert showed up early the next morning to assess the issues. He was very helpful in explaining what was going on and what his recommendations were. He said he would send over a team to finish the job.

Then James and Ben showed up pretty promptly afterwards and I can't say enough great things about these guys.. they kept it professional, friendly and had great knowledge to offer about everything they were doing.

Would recommend

Doris C.

05/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

I called Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter
They sent someone out immediately to take care of our Plumbing issues They are professional ,Fast Best Quality of Service
Reliable Respectful and Friendly call them for all your plumbing needs The Best !

Clod B.

3/17/2023

Mike Counsil has done great work for us several times in the past. Today was another great experience, this time with Mr. James Riggins. Mr. Riggins called ahead, arrived on time and went to work removing a broken kitchen faucet and installing a new one. Due to our hard water, some extra work was required on the supply lines, but he got it all done. Our sink is now in fine shape thanks to him!

Jenny B.

5/18/2022

Can't help but feel I have been cheated by this company. I had a leaking toilet drain pipe, probably had been leaking for some time and was now dripping through the ceiling. The good news was it was over the garage ceiling with easy access to be able to fix it.Two guys showed up, one was an estimator and the other a tech. I was told that I would have to pay $1,500 to cut away the drywall to be able to access the damaged pipe but the $1,500 would be applied to the cost of repair, which if it was a simple repair would be covered. IfI didn't agree to have them fix it I would still have to pay the $1,500 for the removal of the drywall and estimate.

I agreed, it took all of 2 minutes to cut the drywall away, then after a quick assessment I was given an estimate of $11,000. After the estimator could see my shock at the price to fix and after some discussion he offered another simpler but still permanent fix which would bring the cost down to $7k. Not wanting to be out the $1,500 and start over with another company I agreed to have them proceed.

Two other techs came and fixed the pipe, no complaints. A project manager then came to inspect the work and told me he would follow up with an appointment for the city inspector to come out and review/approve of the fix. This was also in the estimate, a whopping $811.

After 3 weeks of not hearing anything I called to ask about the delay then after a hold was told they were able to make an appointment the next day. The city inspector comes (Mike's council did not show up) and guess what? It fails the inspection. The inspector was mortified when I told him how much I how much I had to pay for the repair. So here I am a month later, still with a hole in the garage ceiling, a job done incorrectly, no follow-up and $7k out the pocket.

Highly recommend looking elsewhere as Mike's Council is incredibly overpriced, unorganized & under qualified to do the job right.

Peter H.

05/10/2022 12:00:00 SA

Mike Counsil Plumbing is running a scam.
On Wednesday 4/27 our concrete workers accidentally broke a pipe connected to sprinkler lines. We called Mike Counsil Plumbing(MCP) to come fix that pipe as we had to shut water off at the main. I wasn't home so they While there they talked my mother into getting a 12 thousand dollar new water line in place because they saw a leak at the main shut off.
While under the house for the pipe they claimed it stunk of sewage meaning the drains are bad. At the end of Wednesday they fixed a pipe, got us to sign the 12k contract for water line and promised to return the next day to inspect under the house. We trusted it, and a neighbor also had issues with water line so it sounded reasonable.
Thursday comes and two individuals from MCP show up, I'm assuming they are here to do the inspection. No they immediately tell me all the plumbing in my house is bad. I need new water lines, new drains quotes me 60 thousand dollars. I'm stunned I don't have that money, we haven't lived here that long how was this missed in an inspection, we remodeled with licensed contractors how can this be possible! They wanted me to sign so they can have people over today. They wanted me to sign a 60, grand contract on the spot. Several times the price dropped, when I mentioned our prior remodel, the already signed contract for water line, eventually dropping to 49 thousand an 11 thousand dollar discount which sounds great right.... So I called our contractor and told him what they told me, his advice was to not pay them or sign anything. He would reach out to plumber who worked on our house to come take a look.

Anyway Friday comes and our plumber comes over and actually has to fix another pipe the concrete guys hit. He looks at everything for the house. No issues with water lines, yes our drains are old but it's not urgent(later quoted me $2000) to redo those drains, and no sewer smell. He also looked at our water line, pointed out an obvious cut in the sidewalk where it was at least partially replaced. There was a leaky value which was later fixed when I called San Jose 311.

MCP charged me $1,700 for the repair they did
Other charged me $350

MCP quoted me $30,000 for drains
Other quoted $2,000
MCP quoted $30,000 for water pipes
MCP quoted $12,000 for water line replacement
Neither of these two were necessary

This is disgusting business practice preying on my elderly mother or the fact that I'm a dope who doesn't know about plumbing. I told the individual who came to my house that I thought he was scamming us and his response was that our reputation is too good for that. I'm calling their reputation out as utterly worthless. I called on Friday 4/29 to file a complaint I was told a field supervisor would be made aware of the concern. Also they made us come to them in person to cancel the $12,000 contract even after I accused them of a scam.

I urge people to never use Mike Counsil Plumbing not only because I don't want you to be ripped off, but so you do not inadvertently feed into an organization that will target their customers as victims.

Eileen C.

09/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

So we had a simple fix that turned out to be a lot more than that ... but Sergio came out to us and performed over and above what we could have ever hoped for! It was during the ridiculous heatwave and he really did a Fantastic job on our toilets! Sergio, if you read this, or if they mention it to you, we are very appreciative! Thank You!

Anh C.

2/27/2022

I was led to write a review about my first time positive experience with Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter Company on Saturday, 2/26/22. I was very impressed at how professional and friendly Tim (field manager) and Mario S. were. Tim inspected the leaking water underneath the sink and explained to me and the landlord what the problem was and what were the options to fix it. Tim did an excellent and thorough job at the explanation of the two options and overall communication was clear.

Mario S. did a fantastic job in installing the new faucet and cleaning up his tools. After the installation, he asked me to check it and explained what he did. Wow, that is awesome to see two young men valuing and respecting their work, the company, and their boss, Mike! I am blessed to meet Tim and Mario. They are a valuable asset to the company.

I appreciate that they wore slip-on fabric shoes when entering my home. That is a plus for their consideration. They wore uniforms also. Overall, I highly recommend this company to my friends and family. I also would recommend working there for young men and women.

Thank you so much, Tim and Mario for your professionism and diligent work! God bless you!

Anh C.

Alex P.

02/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

Our shower was no longer producing cold water and ran scalding hot water anytime it was in use. We called Mike Counsil Plumbing and they were able to send out one of their plumbers, James. At first arrival he made sure to greet us with smiley eyes (had a mask on of course) and put on shoe covers before he stepped into the house. He was able to diagnose, quote, and fix the issue in a timely matter and a very reasonable price. I'd recommend to any of my friends or family to go through Mike Counsil plumbing for any of their plumbing needs and to ask for James Riggins specifically for great customer service.

Taking one star off because there was a couple of scheduling issues. But they were able to make up for it.

Rose J.

7/23/2022

Joseph and Nestor did a fabulous job installing a new water heater and repairing much needed plumbing

Highly recommend them

Ron R.

07/06/2022 12:00:00 SA

Very friendly staff and technicians. Followed up quickly via phone and text.
Able to address my emergency need for help on same day. Explained work steps clearly and precisely. Conscious of health concerns, wearing masks, gloves and booties during their visit. Top grade for response time and customer interactions. Highly recommend.

Erin M.

02/05/2023 12:00:00 SA

We have seen the trucks and ads for a long time but we just used Mike Council Plumbing the first time for an insta-hot installation and we were extremely pleased. It was easy and quick to make an appointment, the cost estimator Gert was very informative and professional and the plumber (Eddie C.) who installed the unit was excellent. Based on our experience we would definitely use them again.

Ik L.

03/11/2022 12:00:00 SA

Late for appointment. When the guy showed up he tried to upsell me a $6000 water heater install! Very dubious and shady. He even told me that if I got the water heater from Home Depot, I would need to remove the water heater myself and cart it back to Home Depot for warranty work. What a bunch of BS.

Avoid this company like the plague!

Kevin L.

12/12/2022 12:00:00 SA

Outrageously overpriced. Bait and switch. Hired them because of claim of 40 year experience. I have a custom counter top and needed some expert help mounting my kitchen sink so it wouldn't come loose again. It's mounted through plywood, and over time the wood compresses and the faucet gets loose. 2 guys showed up and took a lot of pictures. We discussed ways to strengthen the mount to prevent problems in the future. I agreed to a price, because it was worth it to have the faucet installed right. On the day of the work, a different guy showed up and said what? I ended up getting an average install job through the same plywood for $425 an hour. Have no idea how long it will last.

Chris G.

1/27/2023

These people are thieves this morning I called cause moms toilet was bubling city came out prior and said we needed a plumber since there's no clean out Gabriel and three vans came out( after I already told there dispatcher we don't have a clean out) and told me u don't have a clean out into gonna be 3600 to install o e and fix it Gabriel then said there is no other way so are you gonna do it or not every other plumber is gonna tell u the same ..so I said nope good bye and after the 3 vans waited outside the house for 15 min the left I called a real plumber who investigated and snaked 1 drain and pulled out a pile of wipe fixing the problem for 250 dollars do not use Mike's apparently they have pending lawsuits for this very issue...

R G.

1/24/2023

Eddie Cortez did an excellent job fixing our burst pipe and minimizing the water damage to our home. He is very knowledgeable.

Ron K.

08/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

Update:

I received a nice email from Sean asking about my concerns and we were able to come to a more agreeable price to the original work. It's nice to know companies care about the customers after the fact. To be clear I had a good experience with Bob and the work he performed.

------------
I would give negative stars if I could. The first time they came out to fix a clogged sewer line and they indicated the cast iron pipe needs replacing. I felt pressured to get it done and skipped getting a 2nd opinion as we have just one bathroom. So I gave the go ahead and they charged me approx $2000 to replace 10 feet of drain line. Took 1 guy about 4 hours. They did decent work although they left pipe at the house. That was way too much.

About 3 weeks later we had another issue and I called them back out. Now they want to replace the rest of the sewer line that goes below ground and to the cleanup on the out side of the house. Cost? Nearly $15,000! Yes $15,000.

I passed and got another quote and had it done for more than 4 times LESS! Talk about a ripoff from MCPlumbing. I'll be filing a complaint with the BBB and any other consumer protection agency I can.

Megan F.

01/02/2023 12:00:00 SA

I am giving a HUGE shoutout to Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter!!! I had what seemed like a minor plumbing issue that expanded into a more serious situation, along with plenty of shock and surprise at what was happening in my home. Quick response and rapid dispatch within a couple of hours. Every plumbing technician I've worked with is friendly, courteous, knowledgeable, honest, and cares deeply about clients...especially since this happened at the start of New Year's weekend. Special recognition to Timothy, Besmir, Luis, and Pablo for giving (and continuing to give) 110% to solving my plumbing job. They are AMAZING!!! I feel very taken care of, knowing they will stay on top of it, keeping me well-informed and educated every step of the way. I am recommending Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter to everyone I know.

Uma P.

6/17/2022

Joseph and team did an amazing job replacing the water heater in my house. He is very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. The quality of work is outstanding and he answered all my questions. They drained the old water heater, removed it safely, and made upgrades to meet the code. Then new water heater was installed. All this was done within a day after contacting them.

Mike Counsil team is always in professional uniform and have clearly identifiable company vans. They are worth the money

Melanie C.

5/19/2022

I highly recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing! I had multiple plumbing issues, and techs Daniel and Zack took care of all. They were knowledgeable, efficient, provided thorough descriptions of each issue/solution, cleaned up the work spaces, and the price for the installations and repairs was very reasonable. I've used other plumbing companies in the past with not great results. I will be using Mike Counsil Plumbing for any future plumbing issues.

leslie f.

7/23/2022

needed two faucets replaced in our bathroom. We had the faucets already. We asked for a quote and when they came out we were looking at a quote for $1500.00. I looked at the two men like they had 15 heads! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Also wanted to charge us $250.00 X 2 for some part they said needed to be replaced under the sink. We kinds declined their offer and my son in law graciously replaced our faucets. Oh by the way.....the $250.00 X 2 parts that were needed for each sink......found them at Ace Hardware for $10.00 bucks. what a damn rip off.....

Angelina M.

7/23/2022

WARNING DO NOT HIRE THESE CROOKS!!!! They charge exorbitant prices and take advantage of trusting people. We've compared notes with others who have used them and the stories are consistent horror stories.

Andy M.

12/08/2022 12:00:00 SA

Don't mess around with plumbing. It's tricky. Sure it looks easy if you're watching someone who knows what they're doing. Might be more expensive than other plumbers, but worth it. But one thing I know is that Mike Counsil will give you a great job and you will have no problems with the work. Installation quality is top notch. Office management and administration top notch. Mechanics are experienced and knowledgeable and work clean. They listen to their customers. They are easy to work with. I worked with Gabriel and Jesus. Both excellent. Juan was the Project Manager. His brother Yobani was Juan's boss. Communication among their team also excellent. I'm very thankful.

Shawn L.

5/18/2022

Mike Counsil came out to replace my water heater. They arrived at my house 2 hours after I called them, which made us very happy since we didn't have hot water. They were very professional, and had amazing warranty packages. The best options I have seen. They took care of us and we couldn't be happier. Definitely recommend Mike Counsil!!

Jeanet C.

05/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

They came out fixed my water Heater the same day !! Very Professional... when it comes to plumbing and water heater issues call Mike. They will fix the issue and you can get back to life!!! The in the World Call Today!!! A+ in my Book

Santacruz S.

6/19/2022

Ridiculously high priced. I used to love their commercials on the radio so decided to give them a try. What a disappointment. I sent feedback to their management but I guess they were too busy to respond. Beware and shop around before using these guys.

Kaitlin D.

10/27/2022

Another wonderful experience with Mike Counsil plumbing. We hired them to fix the plumbing for our bathroom sink and change our vanity counter top. Not only did James and Eddie do wonderful work, but they also helped with a few other small things around our house that needed fixing. They were both kind, professional, and treated this job as if it was their own home. I have had nothing but excellent experiences with Mike Counsil plumbing (especially James) and would recommend them to anyone needing plumbing work done.

Manoj Pramoth S.

3/29/2022

Besmir and Samuel did an excellent job in installing our whole house water filter system. They also pointed out a few things that were out of code in the house, and fixed it. Overall, great job, even though it was a bit pricey

Michelle M.

10/21/2022

Professional, friendly and reasonably priced . I would recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing to anyone looking for quality plumber.

Tim R.

1/28/2022

Our Master Bath toilet was broken after a number of years. While I considered doing the replacement myself, I didn't have anyone available to assist me with properly lifting a new one in place, plus there was the removal / disposal of the existing one, etc.
I turned to Yelp to help gather some quotes. The team here stepped up and responded right away - others I pinged, called or requested via Yelp have still not bothered to even respond. Understandable given this was just after the COVID-19 initial lock down had started to lift and businesses were trying to get their feet back under them. That said, the response from Mike's folks was impressive with a home visit to provide a quote. The quote followed their published price list and I got a discount (plus the quote thrown in) by adding a couple of other tasks: Slow draining in the master bath sinks and replacement bib on the tub inlet.
Very professional engineer, exactly as agreed ... The problems all addressed, the remains hauled away and a Master Bath feeling almost like new a decade and a half after we first moved in.

Ken B.

3/30/2021

Kevin Bueno showed up to the house on time, wearing a mask, had new booties and was a real professional. He was ready to address my situation. I would happily have him do work at my property again.

There is another side to the story. I had asked to have my laundry room fixtures recessed into the wall. He quoted me $2300 as well as explaining that he would have to pull a permit from the city $820 some odd dollars. I think in part they are doing this to cover themselves. I really need to check with the city if such a permit would have been required. Not that I am against permitting but this was a minor job.

On the positive side, Kevin did point to my 20 year old shutoff outside (gate valve) and said they were trouble. He would have to shut off at the meter. $530 some odd dollars to replace the valve, but understood why and had it replaced. The two valves I had replaced, no soldering cost $116 a piece, but I was pressed for time as a new washing machine is being delivered on Thursday.

Based on the quality of work, I would use them again. Based on price, I may shop around. Mike Counsil Plumbing seems to have a lot of overhead cost that they must cover in their pricing.

I should have been a plumber ;-)

Anthony P.

3/24/2022

I have been using Mike Counsil Plumbing for years. They are not the least expensive option, but the job always gets done properly and on time. Had disposal issues, and they did the replacement same day. Shout out to Gert V, their Tech who did a great job.

Susan C.

07/08/2022 12:00:00 SA

I had a leaky water heater that was no longer working. They came out and had it fixed in a day... there is nothing like hot water for a shower. It was expensive but I know it was done right and that is what was most important. I want to give a big shout to the team Jose Romero, Daniel and Rene. They were wonderful. I would definitely request these guys if I need further work!

peter T.

10/31/2021

They over charged me, come to find out the lead tech is on commission, the higher the bill the more they make.
After repairing they had to return, the leak was worse than before, damaged sheet rock flooded the garage.
They even borrowed my tools, since they forgot theirs.
FIND ANOTHER PLUMBER

Terri L.

03/07/2022 12:00:00 SA

Excellent service. James and Ben came out to fix water pressure issues we had in our kitchen and bathroom. They were very professional and friendly. Everything was explained in detail about the problems and how best to resolve. I work from home, and they were here for hours and were very quiet and respectful while I was conducting meetings. I would not hesitate to use Mike Counsil Plumbing again!!

5 Stars all the way around!!

Kanav G.

10/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Very disappointing! 2 min into the consultation the recommendation was to replace my gas water heater for a few thousand bucks. No detailed trouble shooting or root cause analysis, no attempt to light the pilot, etc.

When I said I would rather fix the heater, 3 potential parts were listed. It was suggested that parts would take days to come and it would be around $1K. Very clear sales tactics to try and upsell me to just replace.

Turns out a thermocouple costs $15, is standard for most heaters and was readily available at Lowes. Bought that and got another plumber to install.

Mikey U.

5/24/2021

Josiah and Kevin were incredibly informative, friendly, and empathetic to our concerns. They arrived at our home, assessed the situation, and addressed the issues with professionalism and attention to detail. The entire experience, from beginning to end, felt honest, sincere, and transparent.

I highly recommend their services.

Bill C.

10/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

Maybe only a quarter star. Remembering the pushy Up Selling of work that did not need to be done. A plumber friend dropped by and then Mikes guys backed down to less than one third his attempted big deal they tried to push..

dana b.

1/30/2022

3 months without a sink hooked up and they still can't get it done. Then they destroyed my sink parts I had special ordered. They work on commission so it's in their best interest to upsale everything and overcharge you. I can't recommend.
After this was posted they are working to finish my sink installation and other plumbing issues. I am very pleased with their effort and concern.

Vadim B.

01/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

UPDATE: I should give credit to the company since they did contact me about my experience and fully compensated for the work other plumber did to fix issues after Mike Counsil work.

I had following experience with this company:

We had a leaking manifold (the shut-off valve with L-shaped pipe that comes from the street to the garage).
Called Mike Counsil to check, when the technician arrived - they said it must be fixed immediately. Since we were without water, I agreed.
They fixed the manifold next day, but insisted on getting $800 permit because they cleared 2 inches of soil around the pipe. Total was $2k after negotiating down from $3k.
Later I called for quotes in a few local companies just to compare. All of them were less than $600.
After further asking my neighbors and around I learned that it's normal practice for Mike Counsil to take advantage of clients in urgent situations even if they claim they go by the book.

But this just a part of the story. Mike Counsil plumbers did not properly clean the new pipes before the turning the main shutoff again. A lot of debris got into the water and clogged the fill valves in both our toilets. Both toilets started leaking. Furthermore, it broke the electric solenoid in our kitchen faucet (the expensive touch model).

When I called them to fix the problems and they sent technicians they tried to blame it on me. They claimed I had wrong pipes in my house. The right pipes supposed to be all copper.
Eventually, they called their managers and they confirmed that pipes all ok (all copper indeed) and admitted their fault. They cleaned the fill valves and promised to replace the solenoid (which they needed to buy first).

Apparently, they didn't do a good job at the cleaning and both fill valves started leaking again next day. I didn't want to deal with this company anymore and hired good local plumber who just replaced everything in both toilets.

A couple of weeks later a plumber from Mike Counsil showed up and replaced the solenoid.

UPDATE:
Glad to see that the comments are being monitored by the company.
But I stand behind my words.

- The original quote was for $2925. After initial negotiating, it was reduced by $321.86. When I bought up my concern about the permit it was further reduced by $603.14. I have all the docs stating that. Thank you for being accommodating, but it still times more than the average of other quotes.

- Other professional plumbers I contacted did not see the need in a permit.

- I was not in position to get the quotes since the technician came late in the evening and my family was without water. My fault not shopping around but I was not in position to do that.

- About the toilets: the fact is - the toilets did not leak before the Mike Counsil work and started leaking as soon as debris got to the house. I appreciate the effort to rectify your mistakes, but at the end, I had two broken toilets with running water and I didn't want to wait for another Mike Counsil visit to go through the same effort again.

- About the solenoid: thank you for fixing it. But at the end, we had to live with broken solenoid for many days.

Edna P.

7/13/2022

We recently had some issues with our double kitchen sink. The sink water was not going down & it the garbage disposal was turned on, water would back up in both sides. We tried using the plunger, pouring hot water with the baking soda & vinegar technique. We even took the pipes apart, made sure they were not clogged & cleaned them, but to no avail. We finally had to get hold of the professionals. Mike Counsil Plumbing called us right away, was willing to send someone for consultation, & they gave us 3 options. They were actually very reasonably priced & for the amount & kind of work they did (which we could not have done ourselves), I have to say, job well done!! We are very happy, Bobby & Jacob, were both very friendly, professional & helpful. Jacob ended up staying longer & he was patient in explaining things & answering our questions. Would highly recommend their company if you had plumbing issues!!

Randy E.

02/11/2022 12:00:00 SA

Simply great, old school, take pride in their work, customer-oriented company!

This is the second time we have used Mike Counsil Plumbing and it proved the first time (laundry room washer water valves - highly recommend MC Plumbing for this work, too) was no fluke. Bobby Mata (as well as his assistant - sorry that I forgot his name) was very thorough and professional.

We had one toilet overflow due to a clog and another immediately afterward when I flushed with only water in the bowl (after the first toilet was clogged). That's when I decided to call MC Plumbing. They were able to schedule a service call for just 2 hours later. In the meantime, I was able to unclog the first toilet before the plumbing team arrived.

Based on my description of the problem to Bobby and his assistant worked together to check out the main cleanup to determine if everything was flowing as it should and it was.

I the end, the MC Plumbing team was here for about 20-30 minutes and determined all toilets and drains were working as they should. The big surprise was there was zero cost to me for the house call! That small gesture ensured that I will call Mike Counsil Plumbing for my next plumbing job - big or small.

M. H.

4/14/2021

I had a pretty basic plumbing project I needed to get done at my house, but since the plumbing was older I didn't want to risk doing it myself in fear of breaking any pipes and having a real problem on my hands.
I called Mike Counsil plumbing and they had someone out within an hour. Two Gentleman showed up, Anthony Morin and Ernie Garcia.
They were incredible. They listened to my requirements and went right to it, within a short time they had everything done at a great price. Everything was well documented and they went over the scope thoroughly before beginning.
Their punctuality, work quality and explanation of services was impeccable.
I'm a very happy customer and will be using Mike Counsil plumbing in the future!

Divya S.

08/01/2022 12:00:00 SA

I called Mike Counsil plumbing for leak in the front and backyard faucet and pipes. Next day J.J came first thing in the morning and I had him check bathroom and kitchen for any lick. They started working on Saturday with a team of people. J.J, Kevin, and Christopher worked very hard, explain everything and I'm very satisfied with the whole process.

Craig D.

10/15/2020

Just wanted consumers to know, Mike Counsil is NOT there for you.
Had plumber scheduled a week ago to replace our kitchen faucet. Appointment was for 2-4 pm. We received a call from them at 2:25 stating they did not have anyone available to come out, We have a wedding at our home scheduled for this weekend(less than 48 hours from now). What awful poor service. I run my own small business. Shame on them for their complete unprofessional response. I would have given them zero stars if that was an option.

Chantal G.

10/13/2019

This review is way too late but if you read this review, maybe try the next one on your list if you can wait a little because its not worth it and if you really can't find anyone to do your work then come back here but please be careful to what you agree with any of the worker from this company.
Don't get fooled by the quick visit it's not worth it.
We had a rusted flange in our toilet and thought of replacing it. I had my handy man come to look at it but he said he couldn't do it because it will requires to break the concrete where the new plunger to be installed after that my husband decided to call this company and Xavier was the plumber assigned to the job, he come over very quickly and looked at it and told me that the job was required for him to hammer down our bathroom floor for the new plunger to get it done and he show me this booklet witch have their fixed price service and he quoted my service for $1200.00 to complete the job( Including hammering down my floor). After I agree to do the work he then walked outside started to call sit in his car for hours and left after about 2 hours between his call and gone for about another 2 hours, then he come back with new piece of plunger and stuck it in the whole and screw it down and install the toilet and he told me that the job was done but he never dig anything or touch the floor at all. He basically worked in my toilet for an hour but he was around my house for about at least 6 hours and he charged me for the $1200.00. When we asked him about the worked he actually did vs the job he planed to do but never did and asked him to re-evaluate his estimate he told us that they are only do the fixed price job and the $1200.00 what we agreed on that what we have to pay. So we paid the $1200.00. A few weeks later my husband then sent a letter to the company explained everything and Sean Council decided the refund us with 50%. I think its still not fair at all knowing he only worked for the problem for about 1 hour however his boss didn't know that and my husband told me that he just want to move on. I am giving them 2 stars because they give us the 50% back.
Well after my husband made an appointment with Mike Council my handyman called me back and said that he can do it but since they both said its required to break down the floor my husband wanted to stay with a real plumber which didn't really gave us what they promised.

Domas M.

12/28/2020

Holiday season drama of a broken water heater was addressed within hours by a temporary heater replacement and a picture-perfect install job next Monday.

Thanks to JJ and Tracy, this service ended up exceeding my expectations.

I will sleep much better now that I know how much I can trust this 24/7 service.

Courtney B.

4/26/2022

Leaking water from my tub valve that is chronic and persistent. After Ytubes and Google to try and figure it out myself, I callled due to high rating. Mario and Alfonso came out. I received a call in the morning for eta. They called when on their way. After evaluating the problem, Mario gave me a written estimate. It was fixed. Very happy.

Rock S.

01/04/2022 12:00:00 SA

Mike Counsil rescued me again during a tumultuous holiday season! The delivery of my washer failed twice because the delivery persons insisted something was wrong with the water lines. Daniel came out on New Year's Eve, yes the holiday, charging a minimal extra charge. He took at look and identified the broken knob problem and went looking. Store closings required him to delay his search after not finding it. He texted me to explain the delay and items I was confused about. Bright and early before I expected them James showed up sent by Daniel, multiple knobs in hand along with a calming and generous demeanor. Fixed everything and we were all set.

But...it happened again. The delivery person said they couldn't hook my washer because they couldn't turn the water off and I needed to call a plumber. You can imagine my dismay.

I called Celeste today and she reached James who altered his schedule to come over and help us. There was nothing wrong with our line. But James who had warned me about delivery guys looking for reasons to move on and not deliver, took minutes and set everything up so there will be no problem because the delivery people have everything setup for them.

This is why I have used Mike Counsil for decades. They charge you for the job but don't stop working until it is finished, even on occasions like this when it was not their fault. Thanks Daniel and James you made my holiday better.

Lisa B.

12/17/2020

5 Star review !
We all know calling a Plumber is never a good thing.. but calling Mike Counsil Plumbing was a really good thing. We have had issues with our dishwasher not draining. Our technician assigned to us was Anthony Morin. He was one of the best service persons we have ever felt with. Ever. Professional, Knowledgeable and aware of COVID safe practices, as well as very knowledgeable on plumbing, polite, punctual, clean, and extremely helpful. Not that we want another pluming problem but, we wouldn't hesitate to call upon Anthony and Mike Counsil Pluming again. As a matter of fact, we plan to take advantage of their 0% financing for our

Nick B.

01/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

Project started with a quote for a gas line extension and then realized we had a gas leak and corroded sewage line. This could have turned into a horrific bad experience, but the MCP team did a great job explaining what needed to happen and always gave us several options for how to resolve the issue at hand.

Ernest was one of the leads on our project and was a fantastic communicator. He always knocked on the door and told us good morning before they got to work.

Each of the technicians on the MCP team paid an unbelievable amount of attention to detail for every part of the project. I only have good things to say about everything they did.

Thanks Ernest, you rock!

Jeegar S.

6/17/2022

I had a potential clog in my skimmer line for a pond and waterfall feature in my backyard. I contacted Mike Counsil and they sent Bobby Mata and his partner the very next day. They were prompt and got to snaking the pipe immediately. This was a tough job and Bobby and his partner worked in the sun for a good 2 hours. We discovered there was no clog indicating some other motor related potential issue. I was blown away when Bobby said he would not charge me anything. They spent 2 hours in the sun to help me out and did not even ask me for an investigation fee. I think Mike Counsil may have earned a customer for life. This is true customer obsession.

Katherine S.

6/15/2022

I needed to have all three of my old toilets replaced and our middle bathroom upstairs shower replaced as well. The Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter employees did an 'excellent' job in getting the work done in a very timely manner. They also found a crack in our toilet flange which would have cost us a lot more money if it had split open. They showed us the crack so we wouldn't think they were trying to pull a fast one over us. All the gentlemen who came to our house to do the work, supervise and do the inspection were not only very professional but very friendly as well. My husband and I want to thank the following for all their hard work: Oscar C., Edward, Jacob, James Ragone, Mario, Alex, Antonio, and finally Bobby Xmata.

Maeve N.

9/30/2021

Update as of 10.01.21
Within a few hours of posting this, Deanna at MC called and told me that she was going to have a team out to my house this morning - the day after the post. She apologized for the late response and explained what happened, and offered to reimburse me some of the cost to make up for the trouble.

At about 8:30 this morning, James, Jose, and Louis showed up to review all the work. They decided that it was best to redo the piping on the outside so that they could add an irrigation water shutoff valve. All new pipes, new shutoff, and free of charge.

Thank you for correcting a wrong and making things right.

-----
The last 24 hours have definitely been a different experience.
I feel like everything that could have gone wrong did after day 2. I submitted an online appointment request on a Wednesday night and 7:15am on Thursday morning I got a call saying that someone would be out between 10-12. Great! They showed up at about 11am. Great! The three guys that came out did a good job and left the big hole in dirt uncovered because they were to come back the next day to work on the second project and would make sure that the newly fixed pipe wasn't leaking.

Day 2 (Friday): New guy showed up and replaced all the pipes at the main water access area in the front yard and added a pressure control valve. Great! He didn't cover the big dirt hole. Boo! I had to cover up the big hole myself. Not a huge deal, but rude.

Day 4 (Sunday): I had water shooting out of the newly replaced pipes from day 2. Water so was strong that it was hitting the roof! Not good. I was told that I had the new water pressure valve to stop this and manage the water pressure. Apparently not. I immediately called the main number and two guys (two from day 1) showed up within 30 minutes. Great. After looking at the issue they told me they had to run to pick up the tool that would connect the two pipes. 3 1/2 hours later (yes, you read that right) they showed back up. This was after I called the main office to let them know I was ticked that it was taking them so long. While they were gone, one of the trucks that was left at my house had the alarm go off twice. Another call to the main office to let them know.

Day 5 (Monday): I filled out the online form to have a manager contact me but the form wouldn't accept my information. I then did the chat feature and asked for a manager to call me the next day (Tuesday) and I provided my number. I wanted to discuss my experience and was told someone would. I confirmed that I wanted a manager to call me and was told again that someone would call me the next day (Day 6).

Day 8 (Thursday): Not a single call, text, email or anything from the company.

My experience with Mike Council Plumbing is very disappointing and would not recommend them. Their employees are nice and friendly but the work clearly doesn't live up to its name and customer service when there's an issue is awful.

M. P.

11/17/2021

We had an issue with our kitchen sink backing uo, and we had a representative assist us right away. Cesar Aceituno was very friendly and professional, and was able to get it back in working order in no time. We are so thankful for the prompt and professional service!

Nel M.

06/10/2022 12:00:00 SA

Pricey, $4500, keep shopping before committing. i got the laundry room pipes replaced due to leaks. it's quick, clean job, but need to finish the rotted walls behind the new pipes which was not planned out. May need to hire a good handyman.

Rusty A.

6/30/2021

The job was to repair a leaking sewer line. They decided that the whole system needed replacement including the line to the street. Stupidly, I didn't get any other bids for the job. They used car-salesman-type tactics for the job which wound up costing $38,000! OMG!

In retrospect I feel like I was taken for a very expensive ride.

Marshall H.

1/15/2021

After finding a leak in one of the pipes hidden behind and under our sink and extensive water damage we decided to replumb the entire house as the piping was from the original construction in the 1930s.
Mike Counsil's company which was led by Francisco did a great job for us. They were efficient, timely and thorough. We would highly recommend them to do further jobs.
They kept us informed of the progress along the way each morning when they arrived and at the end of the day. They were very responsive to phone calls and texts. The crew was extremely courteous efficient and knowledgeable in all plumbing needs.
Sue and Marshall

Alex W.

07/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

7/6 Update -
I got an email reply from Sean Counsil, Service Manager 7/3.
And he said the case will be handled by Jose Ponce, the field Supervisor

Let's see what happens. I will keep you guys posted.

Original Posting -
$1,765 to repair a cut on a 1/2 copper pipe.
- Can someone here tell me where to make the complaint and to get the money back?

Lately I was replacing a washer drain ABS pipe in a half crawl space, and blindly cut a 1/2 copper pipe hidden behind the old ABS pipe, next to the dry wall. They came 4 hours later and had to removed a tile on kitch floor next to the dry wall and cut floor under the tile for access.
- They used two shark teeth couplers to make the connection, and after that the new section of pipe can freely rotate 360 degree like a fan w/o being secured;
- They also completely broke the second title and partially
damages two other titles on edges
- They didn't repair the floor and install any new titles back, just leaving the floor hole there with all damages and left; I had to fix the floor myself.
- They had to use my own tools to cut the hole: saw, axe, because theirs didn't work.

I put one star to appreciate their coming.
I have to say it was extremly expensive. $1,765 to join a known cut? Excuse me!
The job quality level was very low
I though they could manage to use the dry wall hole I cut for my ABS pipe work. If the kitchen floor had to be cut as they did, I could have done a better job with much less damages on floor. And I only need to buy the shark teeth couplers as they bought from homedepot at that evening. I won't let the new section pipe rotate like a fan!

Ken M.

10/15/2020

I was away from home when I recieved a call from my wife telling me that water was leaking from our air vents. She immediately got online and found Mike Counsil Plumbing and it was a blessing she found them. She called and spoke with Regina and Connie who were absolutely AMAZING!!! Their Customer Service and all around warm personalities were just what my wife needed to keep her calm since I was not at home at the time. They sent over a Plumber by the name of Francisco and our experience with Mike Counsil Plumbing only got better. He was the ultimate professional and an expert who knew exactly what he was doing when it came to his job. The way he took his time and explained things in a way for my wife to understand was truly AMAZING. Mike Counsil is hands down the best Plumbing service in the Bay Area and I cant thank them enough for what the did for us.

Ken

Ran E.

9/30/2021

I needed a gas valve installed on the gas line to my oven. Mike Counsil was referred to me by Home Advisor. They arrived when they said they would, gave me a very reasonable quote and started to work right on the spot. When they were done they verified that my pilot lights are on and everything is to my satisfaction. I know who I'll be calling if I need any more work done. Highly recommended.

Steve M.

3/31/2022

The best experience I've had with a plumber. They communicated everything, gave us a written estimate, fixed the issues, checked that all was working upon completion and were so professional. We needed a lot of work including the main from the street into the house and they had 3 visits to get it all done. Very neat, timely and polite. Jose Romero and Antonio Cardenas explained everything they were doing, what the issues were, went around the house and tested all the faucets. Excellent job! My plumbers forever!

Linda B.

4/21/2022

Today Richard, from Mike Counsil Plumbing, came to my townhome to inspect my plumbing. From the moment we met he was pleasant and professional. As I took him around to inspect the plumbing it was evident Richard was very knowledgeable. He inspected my hot water heater and the plumbing in my kitchen, and 2 bathrooms. He provided me with a detailed report before leaving. He also was kind enough to give me some maintenance type tips. Such a pleasant experience. Great customer service. Kudos to Richard!!

Yipeng L.

8/13/2021

We have used Mike Counsil's plumbing services several times and have always had a great experience. The only reason I'm writing this review now is to give credit where it's due. Anthony was very candid and upfront about the work that needed to be done, the cost of parts and labor, and the fact that I could do it myself on the cheap. Instead of writing up a quote after diagnosing the problem, he provided me with one-on-one instruction on how to fix the problem myself. Halfway through his explanation, I realized this was well beyond my capabilities (or at least my capacity to follow instructions) and asked him for that quote instead. Hector got me up and running in less time than it would have taken me to look up the number for Mike Counsil plumbing again. Great people, great service, very satisfied.

Steve G.

8/21/2020

I had a fair amount of under-house water supply line that needed to be replaced, in addition to some reworking of the kitchen water/drain lines.

Mario led the effort and spent a full week working through a variety of issues, keeping me fully informed and involved in the process.

It didn't help that it was hot weather and that there were many obstacles (foundation and ductwork) under the house. They were troopers, for sure.

Mario and his team kept all in-house work areas perfectly clean, and went out of their way to keep most of our water turned on both during the day and overnight. This was especially helpful since we were working from home due to COVID.

Much appreciation for the quality of their work, the attention to detail, keeping me fully in the loop, and for just being nice and friendly.

Thanks, Mario and team!

Jan T.

04/04/2022 12:00:00 SA

Mario Sotelo came to the house and was able to diagnose the cause of our leak very quickly. He was very professional and had the leak fixed in less than an hour. Thank you Mario!

Kevin P.

3/29/2022

Only a 4 star review today. The original technician who was supposed to come out to my home called me three different times to reschedule. When I called the office and told them I didn't have a smile on my face Deanna got right to work and arranged for a different set of technicians to come to my home about 30 minutes later. James and Ben arrived at my home and diagnosed the bathtub drain problem and repaired it in very short order. James and Ben were very courteous, professional, appropriately masked and cleaned up after themselves when they successfully completed the necessary repairs. I will make sure I ask for James in the future. James was a 5 star technician.

Tiffany B.

8/24/2021

What started out as a pretty big job became a REALLY big job, but the team at Mike Counsil was polite, respectful, answered any and all questions, was clean, safe (masks, floor covers, shoe covers, etc) and all of this never made me doubt my choice in using them for the work. Bobby Mata was the lead tech that came twice for the discovery and discussion around work, explained plan, process, and pricing - and moved forward once agreed to; he came twice since my job expanded after some findings of previously badly done fix-it work; Bobby was professional, explained things, drew out examples to answer questions, etc. My job site was then turned over to be run by JJ Cabrera and his team; one of the main staff here throughout the job was Hector. JJ, Hector, and others were incredibly hard working, friendly, communicative, respectful of my property and cleaned up each day so the job site was left tidy and safe. They were just a pleasure to work with. I ended up having to replace my main lines under the house, through laundry and kitchen, and all the way through my front yard out to where it connects to the city sewer; replaced was the original cast iron from when the house was built, so at least 58+ years old. It was corroded, crumbling apart in some places, had lots of roots making their way in, etc. Additionally, as mentioned, some interesting previous fixes were found that this crew now had to tackle - 15' length of a 3 pipe slid into the 4 pipe to bypass the crumbling that started out under my house where it was accessible and then went to the 5-7 deep under my porch area, this was obviously a band-aid done by a previous owner that didn't want the huge cost and effort it needed. A pipe that was part of a decorative water feature that had been covered over - this was just a hole cut into the main, the drain pipe held over that hole and cement poured around to connect them - obviously this led to an eventually cracked main. Overall, it was A LOT of work that they did well, professionally, and fully permitted and inspected - the guys were present for the inspector visits. Though it was a costly project, they offer a 40 year warranty, and since it was to replace something already more than 50 years old, I think I won't have to worry about it again! Thank you Mike Counsil Plumbing!

Greg S.

3/23/2022

We are very pleased with the professional service that we received from MCP. The number of knowledgeable employees that they assigned to our major home repair project worked as a well practiced team and that was very reassuring during this very stressful time. A special shout out to the project lead Jose Romero and to plumbers Jose Rene Melendez & Pedro Caldera for their marvelous pipe work.

y c.

2/28/2020

Our house sewage is connected to a septic tank. One day we noticed some sewage overflowing from a clean-out near the septic tank. We hired a professional plumber to run a snake through our sewage pipe but he could not unblock it so our sewage pipe remained full of water. He then put a camera through our sewage pipe but could not see the real cause of the problem because his camera could not display a clear image under the water. Still he charged us for snaking and running the camera. Furthermore, he told us that our sewage pipe is cracked and quoted us $4,100 to replace the pipe.

So we decided to seek a second opinion from Mike Counsil Plumbing. Mr. Bobby Mata, their Lead Technician and his assistant came the next morning as scheduled. They expertly identified the real cause of our problem, explained it to us clearly, and resolved it immediately. And they charged us only $166. We are grateful to Mr. Mata for being a true professional.

Josie H.

7/26/2021

I used this company a few years back to install a new water heater. I've been having a few problems as of late with my water heater and
Anthony came out to the house to diagnose the problem. After a few minutes of discussion and what has been going wrong, he got on the phone with the company and long story short, they replaced my water heater with a new improved updated water heater and installation for no charge at all. Anthony was so compassionate and caring and worked with the head office and resolved the problem including my high anxiety. They did a wonderful job same day, with installation and new water heater. I can't say enough good things about this company. They stand behind their product. Thanks again for all you help and support. You have a wonderful team!

Gary G.

02/07/2022 12:00:00 SA

Our 17 year old, 50 gallon water heater in the attic started leaking and obviously needed to be replaced. I used the Yelp feature to obtain multiple quotes and after researching the various plumbing companies, I focused on Mike Counsil and one other. The final decision came down to some very important factors where Mike Counsil Plumbing excelled: how well I was treated over the phone during various call, how well James Riggins handled the estimating process, and the final agreed upon price for doing the work. The people answering my calls were always very polite and asked something to the effect of How can we make you smile today? Impressive. They were very pleasant and courteous.
I am very glad to have chosen Mike Counsil Plumbing due to the exceptional work that was done by James, Luis, Sam, and on a separate day to finish things up, Sergio. James and all of his crew presented themselves in a very professional and personable way. All were dressed in clean uniforms, wore masks and were also exceptionally polite. James made it a point to introduce all of his crew to us. Plus, even though they all wore green slip-on booties upon entering the house, they made sure that the carpeted stairs and hallway were properly protected. Well done!
Considering the job that they had to do of lowering the old water heater through the opening in the ceiling, taking it down a flight of stairs, and then bringing the new one up and placing it into the attic, they worked in a very organized, safe manner maintaining a pleasant disposition throughout the whole process.
Thank you, James and crew for your excellent work and customer service.

Nancy D.

5/15/2020

We used Mike Counsil Plumbing 2014. They fixed and replaced leaks from our bathroom. They we t under the house and replaced all necessary plumbing and a new O ring for our toilet.
Great job!

C T.

11/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

OVERPRICED! We had a gas leak and had to call in a leak detection service and then a plumber to fix the leak. Was referred to Mike Counsil Plumbing. The gas leak was on a connector only about 2 feet down off the back of the house, very easy to get to. Also need reconnecting of the propane tank to the line to the house. The quote to fix the connector leak in the ground was $2264 and quote to reconnect to the propane tank was $1168. I'm sorry but that is outrageous! We hired another plumber who fixed both items for $425 (we bought the pipes to connect to the propane tank $99). How can someone justify these exorbitant prices?

Shirley B.

2/19/2022

I had Mike Counsil Plumbing & plumbing do a total repipe and sewer project on my property. JJ, the team leader, Bobby the contract drafter with assistants, Rafael aka Rafa, Leo, Luis and Rae as well as the field supervisor Gary. All performed to their highest abilities on my project. Would absolutely recommend to anybody else who is in need of plumbing and repipe services.

Francisco I.

4/25/2020

I was referred to Mike Counsil Plumbing by my neighbor. I live in Los Gatos. When I called, the business answered right away and provided me with very detailed information on what I can expect in terms of the service and cost.

I had several issues from running toilets, to volume of hot water, and dripping faucets. I also have a circulation pump that was not working. In addition, Some of our fixtures are designer so that translates to more expensive and complicated repair. Many of the parts associated are harder to get and are more costly.

Kevin Bueno (translates to good in Spanish. His last name should be Excellente) was the service technician assigned. He came out at the time he was scheduled. Kevin texted me prior to arriving to give me his ETA as well which I appreciated. Kevin was very knowledgeable and professional. He diagnosed all the issues we were having and provided a very thorough estimate.

I was impressed with the level of detail Kevin provided and wanted to insure that I understood the work needed. I authorized the repairs to be completed. The cost was based on the job and not hours. It took the better part of a day to complete. Once finished, Kevin walked me through the work and the warranty that was included.

In the end, I would highly recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing and definitely ask for Kevin if he is available. I'm sure there are technicians that are just as competent. Mike Counsil seems to have a high standard and stand behind their work.

Pam K.

5/27/2021

Today, James Riggins from Mike Counsil Plumbing came out to fix my hot water heater and I can't say enough good things about him. He was engaging, professional, attentive to detail, a great trouble shooter and doggedly determined to make sure that everything was done correctly. My 1906 house and old galvanized pipes can be tricky to work with and unforgiving. That did not deter James, who made everything right by the time he left.

In fact, all of my experiences with Mike Council Plumbing have been positive.
Their customer service, transparency and technicians are all top notch. Since the start of 2021, I have had a lot of work done by them, led by their technician Yobani Almanza. Yobani is another gem who has led several projects including replacing all my gas lines, among many others. Aside from being very knowledge, he is personable and always goes the extra mile to make sure that I am satisfied.

DO NOT hesitate to call them and have them come out to take a look at whatever job you need done. You won't be disappointed.

Clement U.

05/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

The service dispatcher did a great job of notifying me of a service delay and when I could expect the services personnel to arrive. It was good to see a familiar face when Anthony Morin showed up to perform routine maintenance on our water heater. He was one of the individuals that helped install that water heater last year. He arrived on time and performed the maintenance task quickly.

Stuart S.

4/19/2021

My job was taken care of as requested on a very timely manner. You get what you pay for. Mike Counsil Plumbing is a professional Company.

My job site was presented to Mike Counsil Plumbing. The various jobs were estimated for me and I proceeded with the work.

Kat S.

3/31/2021

Mike Council plumbing came out promptly and helped me with my kitchen drain issue. Axel investigated the issue, identified the problem and quickly fixed it. He was a pleasure to speak with and was kind and professional.

Colleen A.

7/26/2021

Was asked by our homeowners insurance to get an earthquake gas shut off valve installed. Had no idea what would be involved and Mike Counsil plumbing walked me all the way through. Alex did a great job coming out to look at our set up and determine what was needed, James, Luis, and a couple other gentlemen arrived on time and were efficient and quick to do the work. They set up the permit inspection and again arrived on time and got it handled. They are probably a bit more expensive than others but there were no issues and I appreciate their professionalism and response and clear communications.

Sean S.

1/19/2020

Repairs needed to be done to an aging and failing drainage system in our home (kitchen, bath, laundry drain, sewage connection to street, etc. Mike Counsil Plumbing (MCP) had performed work for us in the past, and thus was a vendor we knew we could trust. MCP promptly dispatched an estimator to the house and began the process.

Also very quickly, work began and was well under way within the first week. MCP personnel ensured that any floor space they would require for the work was adequately covered using both light foam and thick plastic covering. The sides were taped next to the wall to the floor and secured well. MCP personnel also always wore protective shoe coverings to maintain cleanliness, even as some of the work in the crawl space involved excavation. Upon completion, MCP tidied up just as we expected, leaving no trace of debris or dirt left behind.

I had previously posted about a concern I had with MCP, but their management team reached out to me and made sure that my questions were answered and concerns put to rest.

Overall, while MCP is not your budget plumber, the quality of the work was excellent (I'm no plumber, but everything is working as expected one year later) and any concerns we had were dealt with quickly and professionally.

Moreover, Mike Counsil Plumbing is run by a reasonable and generous family. We recently had a very tragic and sudden death in the family, and Mike Counsil donated a large amount to assist my cousin and her 1 year old baby. Words cannot express our gratitude for your generosity and care.

Dale S.

1/27/2022

Thanks to Gabriel, JJ and the crew for their excellent work on my house. Their communication was great and that's really important on a big job. Everyone was professional, efficient and the quality of their work is top notch. I learned a lot about plumbing and about my house. Overall a great investment.

Barbara N.

5/13/2021

From the first phone call about our burst water tank to the final inspection of the newly installed tank, everyone was professional, courteous, and always kept me updated when they were on their way or if there was a delay. Our technicians, Alix and Jorge, were very knowledgeable and explained everything. They even positioned the tank so that I could reach the gas shut-off valve and the control panel, and made sure I knew what to turn off and how if it were ever necessary. We are very happy with Mike Council Plumbing, and will continue to use them in the future.

Russ H.

9/18/2021

More interested in selling us unneeded work than snaking the sewer line they were called out to do. Your lines are too small, code calls for 4. Could be true but house was built in 1953 and the size of the line had nothing to do with roots in the line outside. Inflated quote to fix a small leak in crawl space. $4,700 to fix something I fixed myself.

Lindsay A.

1/29/2021

Mario from Mike Counsil plumbing came out to our house this week and it was a great experience. He explained the options and didn't try to push a sale on me. He resolved the issue in a timely manner and helped share a lot of relevant context so I could make an educated decision. He even helped me locate a coupon so I could save money on the service.

Mike B.

12/01/2019 12:00:00 SA

I have had to have quite a bit of work done by Mike Counsil Plumbing due to broken pipes or clogged drains under my house. Mario Q. and Bronson have been extremely patient and helpful during the entire process. Always on time, professional and courteous and made sure I understood everything they were doing.

MaryAnn

Rebecca W.

6/28/2021

James was great to work with. He was very informative and communicated well with us regarding our toilet and washer installation.

Philip G.

1/21/2021

I had a gas leak so I called Mike Counsil Plumbing. After some diagnostics and some discussion we decided a plan of action. The team jumped into action and came up with a temporary solution to keep the hot water and heat on.

The project got rolling and at every stage I was kept informed about progress and next steps. Yobani led the project, and called in other experts to ensure we had the best possible solution.

I can't say enough positive things about Yobani, always responsive, respectful, and answered all of my questions.

I'm super happy with the final result.

Thank you all at Mike Counsil Plumbing!

Linda K.

1/22/2021

Kevin Bueno, James and Kevin fixed/replaced the broken pipe in the wall of my washer. These 3 outstanding plumbing technician specialists were competent, did a quality service, very professional, quick and Covid aware. They made sure the work areas were cleaned before they leave.

I highly recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing for plumbing jobs.

Minh G.

4/21/2021

I've had Mike Counsil plumbing come out on a few occasions for different issues, and every time, I've been nothing but impressed with the transparency, efficiency, and professionalism by those whom were sent out. Today, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Richard Rivera who replaced the valves in my kitchen and laundry area. The speed and workmanship were unparalleled, and if I could, I would request him for all future jobs! Thank you Richard!

Tillmann F.

4/13/2021

Excellent visit from Axel Mendez today from Mike Council plumbing. Axel did a thorough evaluation of our gas pipes and provided a clear recommendation on what to do and what my options were. In the end we decided to pause any work until I get confirmation from the original builder - but I was very pleased with Axel's knowledge and service commitment. Thank you!

Mary H.

04/01/2021 12:00:00 SA

When you need a plumber, the Mike Counsil team responds! Within an hour of the call, our assigned technician, Axel, was on his way. Axel was professional, friendly and most important, competent. He talked us through each step on how he was problem solving our issue and before we knew it, our water was flowing freely again. Thank you so much - we will always have Mike Counsil plumbing on our speed dial.

Chip M.

11/30/2021

Mike Counsil did an excellent job replacing my water heater. They showed up on the same day I called and walked me through the options and explained all the possible causes for the heater's problem. Richard did an excellent job with the actual removal and install and made sure everything was brought up to code. He worked late to make sure we still had hot water that same night. They arranged for city inspection which went through without a hitch. Price was similar to another quote from an independent plumber who probably wouldn't have arranged for the inspection.

Matthew P.

3/24/2021

Second time I've been a Mike Counsil customer and I thoroughly appreciate their services. Last time they replaced 3 toilets, a flange, a water heater and all are still great. This time, I had a 40+ year old shower valve that had fused to the pipes. Francisco did a great job despite multiple set backs & managed to remove all the desired, old pieces and replace them. My previous Mike Counsil experience had set a high standard and Francisco more than lived up to it. Kudos to all!

Mary Kay B.

05/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

Axel was fantastic. He identified the leak (a plastic cover on the water softener system had sprung a leak) and it needed a new cover. He was supposed to get off work early today but since we had no access to hot water, he said that we were more important than his time off! He then arranged for another technician to bring the cover to him to save time. I appreciate his dedication to the client. He brought in his own rags to mop up the water too. Mike Counsil has always exceeded my expectations but Axel really went beyond for me today. Also, the customer service setting up
the call was extremely well done. Thank you!

Vic F.

5/30/2019

I will start this review saying that it is partially my account and my wife's account since we both had to deal with this company separately.

I had called for a consultation for a couple leaking faucets. They were very friendly and nice and explained that a technician would come out for a fee to check the issues and quote us a price. They gave us a two hour window in the morning which both my wife and I had taken time off of work to accommodate. An hour into the window they had called and let us know that their technician was going to miss the window and be late. While it's an inconvenience, I can understand and I appreciate the heads up.

Since they were going to be late, I had to leave for work and my wife had to take over. (We have two small children and home so It's hard to show a plumber around and give your full attention when you also have to keep an eye on two kids.)

I received a text message with a photo and a link about the technician. I think this is a really great part of the service and I appreciate that kind of care for the customer.

But that's about where the positives for this company stop.

What we were not made aware was that this technician was training another technician and that two men were going to be in the house. I guess I can see training being a valid reason why there would be another person added to this consultation, but I would have liked to have been made aware of it.

From my wife's account, the two techs were nice and professional and looked at the faucet issues. They then asked my wife if we had pipes in the basement and if they could take a look. Mind you, we called them for leaky faucets. There's no back up, no drainage issues, so no need to check pipes. But they ask to check them and my wife lets them into the basement.

At some point, another team of two men arrive at my house. They are then let in by the technicians. Not by my wife, but the technicians let them into the house. So now FOUR technicians from Mike Council plumbing are in my house, with my wife and our nanny and two kids, for a couple of leaky faucets. The two newest technicians go down into my basement, unsupervised to check my pipes.

I was not sent any update or information or texts explaining who these two new technicians were and why I needed FOUR people in my house for a couple of leaky faucets.

The lead technician then tried to upsell my wife on having the pipes replaced, (We aren't having issues with our pipes) and then they tried to sell her some monthly insurance plan. No work was done.

At one point, my wife comes in and notices the four of them standing around and asks them if there's anything else, and they say that they just need to sit down and write up the paper work so my wife offers them a seat at our dining room table to finish up.

Make yourselves at home boys!

The whole experience is very unsettling because we were not notified that that many people were going to be in our house for two leaky faucets. I felt like the bait and switch of trying to up-sell pipe replacement was immoral to take advantage of my wife's knowledge of plumbing and the fact that four unexpected men in our house was downright intimidating even if they were professional.

There was no need for FOUR MEN to be in my house, unannounced, not invited, not let in by my wife, not doing any work, with my wife and two small children. I don't care how professional they are.

After all was said and done we were given a quote that seemed a little high and nothing was settled.

It was just a bad overall experience that really didn't leave us with much confidence with the company.

I also did not appreciate the business practices that were executed compared to what was advertised on their radio adds and website.

Needless to say, I will not be doing business with Mike Council Plumbing.

Wayne D.

10/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

Responsive to plumbing repair quote request.

Would not schedule an onsite visit for a quote. Has a policy to only deal with homeowners, a signed power of atty or other document affirming authority to get repairs done.

I understand they are protecting themselves.

What family member or family friend DOES have a signed document just to get a quote? Especially when a water leak occurs?

Danielle G.

9/29/2020

Had an evening bath tub running water issue. Richard came out and was appropriately calm and knowledgeable (I was a bit frazzled with two kids in the house and a broken faucet). This was a Thursday evening. He tried to get the part on Friday, no luck. Was able to come out on Monday to replace it. Took his time to make sure it was fixed properly.

Joe G.

4/14/2021

We had an issue with our front water house valve leaking and Mario Quinonez showed up the same day to assess and fix the issue. He was super efficient, very communicative throughout the process and super helpful answering our questions. Highly recommend him!

Tara C.

01/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

What started out as a routine quote to run a gas line for a stove turned into a bigger problem-- we had a gas leak! Axel was assigned to our home as our project lead and was super clear at explaining the process, breaking down the timeline, and answering all of our questions! I felt super comfortable having him in our home and he was so cautious with everything! I cannot recommend him or the company enough! They do great work and stand behind what they do while using quality materials. I appreciate the agile team methodology as well-- company culture is super important and it translates well with employees. Thanks, Axel!!

Lisa H.

05/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

We have a faucet leak that has been bothering us for weeks. It was a small leak (the faucet was turned all the way off), but recently got bigger and we had to use bucket to catch the water leaking out from the faucet...

We called in to schedule an appointment with Mike Counsil Plumbing. They are really fast in responding and scheduling the appointment for us for the next day. Mario Q. came to our house and helped us fixed the leaks! He is really professional and friendly. He is really patient and explained to us the cause of the issue with the leak and fix the problem for us! Thank you Mario for all your hard work and we really appreciate it! =)

I highly recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing because I can trust their work and truly see the quality!

Alana B.

7/23/2021

We had MC plumbing come out to fix a leaking faucet in our bathroom. They quoted us just under $3k to replace the faucet, which included cutting a hole in the ceiling below to access the bath tub (on second floor). This quote seemed ridiculous to us (both cost and the fact the ceiling needed to be opened up) so we had someone else come out, and it turned out the issue was a tiny rubber washer needed to be replaced that took 10 mins, with no holes in ceilings needed. In addition to quoting us for the only item we asked for, they were very pushy on other items (quoting us $3k for a water pressure issue, that we were told today would cost a fraction of that). Very sales like and pushy, actually made us feel pretty uncomfortable (do you really need to send 3 guys out to quote a simple faucet leak?) They didn't even open the top of the faucet to check and went straight to you need to replace the faucet and didn't pick up the simple fix needed.

Atul V.

7/19/2019

[UPDATE]
Mike Counsil did reach out to me as they said in their comment below, and also were able to schedule an appointment at a time convenient for me, which is Sunday morning. To make-up for the inconvenience they had caused earlier they also waived the trip fee. The person who visited was very professional, climbed down the crawl space to determine the cause, and explained everything to me very well. I appreciate that he was objective in his assessment and did not attempt to make any unwarranted sale at all. Really liked the experience. I might go with an optional repair he had mentioned.
Wish they had made it to the first appointment itself.

[ORIGINAL post, I gave them a 1-star rating at that time]
Experience so far is disappointing. Hoping for them to make amends so I can give a better rating.

Scheduled an appointment to check my bathroom drainage/sewage to diagnose the cause for strong odor. I was given a time for Friday afternoon. Got a call from Mike Counsil 24 hours before to re-confirm that I will be indeed be at home for the appointment.

I took time off from work and stayed home for the appointment, but then I get a call 3 hours before the scheduled time that the technician has an unforeseen emergency so will not be able to come. Basically, taking my day off from work was a total waste.

Big W.

10/14/2021

I must say that James and Louis arrived on time and were very professional. They introduced themselves and made me very comfortable letting them in my home. Once I showed them the issue I needed corrected, they instantly gave me a reasonable quote and a very good time period (same day). They went far and beyond finding the parts needed and did whatever it took to get them. From the time they knocked on my door to the completion of the job, they both maintained covid protection and made sure the area they worked in was clean and safe. I will definitely continue to use Mike Counsil Plumming & Rooter for future plumbing issue due to both James and Louis.

S D.

01/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

Mike Counsel removed and replaced my water heater.
Bobby and Juan were great! Smooth process. No missing tools or materials needed for the job. Came into the garage and got it taken care of.

Both very professional and aware of COVID guidelines.

No question I will continue with Mike Counsel Plumbing!

S D

John S.

1/29/2019

I made the appt based on their schedule. Had to call as no one showed as agreed. I was told by the call center rep that the tech was caught up on the job. She asked me if we needed service that day, I had to remind her that we had an active leak. The tech came before sundown but at least capped the active leak in less than an hour.

Came back the next day and offered two options: one 5k, the other 17k. I asked what it would be to just fix the leak (an option he didn't even offer) and was told 1600.00. 1600.00 to replace a leaking elbow. I have no problem paying for quality but these estimates are ridiculous. I already have another company repairing the problem for less this company initially charged for the inspection and cap off.

I would not call again or recommend. If you have cash to burn, I would suggest you throw it in the fireplace and enjoy the warmth before ever considering hiring this company. A total rip off.

Caveat emptor

Moomau Plumbing completed the repair for 315.00, I was quoted an additional 1200.00 by Mike Counsel Plumbing for the same job. 4X?

Denise B.

11/04/2021 12:00:00 SA

Our sewer pipe under the house was leaking, and as my husband and I have talked about copper repiping for years this seemed like the perfect time. James and Louis were so professional, neat, and informative. Mike Counsil employees take pride in their work and pay close attention to detail.

Penny W.

02/06/2019 12:00:00 SA

Charles was the technician who came out to look at my 14 year old water heater. He was professional. Explained what my options were and gave me a detail quote before he left.

I compared a few quotes, his quote was the highest, but it was worth the money.

He really took care of me, installed a new unit with permit. It was worry free.

If you are looking for quality work that's going to leave you peace of mind, this is the place for you. If you are looking for the lowest cost, you are probably better off somewhere else.

Michael G.

02/02/2019 12:00:00 SA

We called Mike Counsil Plumbing first week of January 2019 with a drain that was backing up and flooding the floor whenever we ran a load of laundry. We were able to schedule a technician fairly quickly. We were impressed by the communication from the office keeping us posted on when to expect technician to arrive, notification that tech was delayed with options to reschedule, texts updating info, etc. Excellent communication.
Victoria Cedillo was the technician, did a fine job, snaked drain multiple times till it was clear, answered tons of our questions, tested drainage of washing machine several times to ensure problem was really fixed.
Also spent time investigating and helping us solve problem with our existing dual dishwasher installation no extra charge.
More expensive than some others, but we really got excellent service.
Michael & Jocelyn

Clement M.

3/28/2019

Mike was very helpful in explaining what he could do to resolve my tub faucet leak. I had called Mike because a handyman that started on my repair did not return for 4 days to complete the job.
However, on the fifth day the handyman reappeared unannounced and competed the repair. I called Mike and told him what happened and that his over the phone description of the fix was spot on and that I would call him the next time I had a plumbing problem.

Jeannie E.

6/19/2019

Called in the morning, it was fixed by 3:00 that afternoon!!
Kevin was efficient and very friendly!!
Thank you.

Marjorie Jane S.

7/30/2019

Mike Counsil is the company that my landlord uses whenever we have any issues going on at the house.

One of their newest employees--Gustavo, was great! Gustavo was very smart and patient with my lack of knowledge. He walked me through the problem I had with our water heater and even showed me what I can try to do before calling if this happens next time!

Even though I didn't interact with the company myself, i recommend giving them a try.

Thanks Gustavo!

Brad F.

8/27/2020

Had a DIY bathroom repair that hit some trouble when it was discovered the shutoff valves and lines to each sink were with old hardware that the parts aren't available for. Wasn't sure where to go next so I called Mike Council Plumbing who came out to help. Heber came out and worked with me on options and we found a plan where he replaced one of the eight lines while showing me each step so that I could finish the project myself to help keep the job costs down. Happy to report I successfully completed the first sink today and I'm super confident about the remainder of the project. These guys are absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend them.

Lillian G.

10/14/2021

I called them to fix am out side problem with a faucet that I have been having with for many years now, it is raised now thank you works great. I also found out that quite a few of the pipes in my home were cracked which did not surprise me since we have a lot of earth shaking around here and I have seen quite a few plumbers around my home in the last few years. Jose and his crew did a great job they came in each morning and cleaned up after them selves each day when they left.

Yolanda A.

9/21/2021

Called in as an emergency due to leak and service was excellent. Kyle was sent and was pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable; the job was completed within an excellent timeframe. I would recommend Kyle.

Lori O.

06/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

We recently had routine service on our Pelican water filtration system. The cost estimator arrived on time and gave us an estimate on the cost for replacing the carbon along with a recommendation for some additional work that was not needed. The technician was very courteous and professional and completed the work in quick fashion. I thought the cost estimate for the work was pricey and would have preferred to see a breakdown of materials and labor hours to see how the cost estimate was determined. I would also recommend having the technician who does the actual work rather than the cost estimator provide the detailed cost breakdown of the work. David

Mike M.

8/24/2020

While we were gone on vacation we had a plumbing line leak from our heater. We needed an accurate diagnosis to submit a claim to our insurance company. Our HOA usually recommends Aqu**k or Le**ler Engineering, however after endless homeowner complaints over these two companies, I went out on a limb and tried Mike Counsil. The technician that was sent out was Kevin Bueno. He was on time, well spoken, courteous and knowledgeable. He gave me an accurate diagnosis and a thorough write up, in and out in less than 20 minutes, which I was grateful for in light of the constant stream of vendors I've seen lately, it's nice to have someone who knows what they are doing get to it and take care of business quickly. Would highly recommend.

Alejandro A.

9/17/2021

Just want to thank Daniel Gonzalez and Leonard Monsalud for taking care of my kitchen sink stoppage issue. Daniel and Leonard were very thorough and professional and handled the problem promptly. I am very happy with his work and would definitely recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing.

Gary W.

4/28/2020

The techs did a wonderful job, thorough and friendly. One word of caution however, beware of the camera down the sewer routine. In our case, it was valuable in the long run, but it really had no bearing on the problem at hand. Expensive? Let's jus say there could have been two BMW's in my driveway, but instead my toilet now runs at an acceptable flow.

Kristian F.

03/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

Our situation was quoted a little above 4 thousand dollars and were told that some other pipes under the house were leaking in addition to the problem we called about. A second opinion told us this quote was a HUGE ripoff and the job was done for almost 1/4 the price ! Lol there really is no explanation for this other than trying to scam ppl out of their money, our handyman told us there was no leak and the pipes were fine that they were trying to get us for. The positive reviews you see are most likely from ppl who don't mind throwing money away/ or don't know better when it comes to plumbing. I really don't like leaving negative reviews but if you cross a certain level of integrity , I will gladly mention the negative experience. I'd stay away or most definitely get a 2nd quote for reference. They didn't charge the consult fee which was nice I guess.

Rita M.

8/20/2020

I called MC Plumbing because we were having some issues with knocking pipes. Shane came out and assessed the problem. He even crawled under the house (it was 100 degrees outside!). We had the work done the very next week (by Shane). No more knocking pipes.

Shane was a delight to work with: extremely efficient, and very professional.

Rocky A.

7/13/2021

We have had two unrelated plumbing issues in the last several months and were referred to Mike Counsil by neighbors. Both times we were fortunate to have Anthony come to our home to determine what the issue was and present us with our options. He root caused the problem quickly, gave us cost estimates and trade offs to consider and was incredibly helpful in enabling us to make the decision that was right for us. Hoping to not have a need for other plumbing repairs of course, but if we did we'd do business with them again and definitely ask for Anthony again :)

John B.

3/15/2021

I called Mike Counsil Plumbing because I had an emergency due to backed up toilets and shower. To my surprise, they sent out a salesman in a nice shirt and Khaki paints. I showed him the problem but then he wanted to put on coveralls and go under the house to see if there were any other issues. After 20 minutes down in the crawl space, he finally came out and said there were no other issues but then informed me they could not do anything because I don't have a Cleanout on our property. Now I've lost over an hour and still had backed up toilets. They did not charge me for the hour, which is a plus.

Ross V.

6/24/2021

Excellent service just completed from technician Anthony M. He was very courteous and knowledgeable. Worked quickly to diagnose my clogged pipeline, checked my water pressure (58 psi) crawled into my crawl space and showed me pictures of some issues that I need/should address and gave me some solutions along with quotes. Very friendly and professional. I would definitely recommend thier service . Anthony cleaned out my clogged line quickly and effectively. Thanks Anthony M. And thanks Mike Counsil Plumbing.

Duane H.

2/15/2019

Shane Braden was dispatched to the house to perform my mom's annual Home Improvement Contract, Shane was prompt, courteous and professional. He explained what he was doing and inspecting. He performed hot water heater flush, checked pressure, inspected house plumbing asked if we had any issues, etc.

I highly recommend Shane for his professionalism, technical knowledge, and neatness. He is a real asset to Mike Council Plumbing.

Paige B.

7/20/2021

After several unpleasant experiences with other plumbing companies, working with Mike Counsil Plumbing was a much-needed breath of fresh air. I was so impressed with Anthony's professionalism, flexibility, and patience. I had a lot of issues to repair along with a thousand questions about how best to do so. Anthony explained everything very clearly and showed me many options so that I could fit the repairs within my budget. I will definitely recommend Anthony to my friends and family for all of our future plumbing needs!

Bettie R.

4/15/2020

After hearing from so many of my neighbors about the wonderful services at Mike, I arranged a time for them to look at a business I manage in Palo Alto. Though quite a drive from their routine San Jose work area, they quickly said, Of course we will come check your plumbing but they were late, checked out the pipes I was concerned about and said they were all fine except for one knob, and advised me how our on-site maintenance could change that out for a few dollars.

sandy m.

06/05/2020 12:00:00 SA

Kevin B. and James R. Came out today to my house to replace my disposal. James noticed that I had a pipe broken and fixed that as well. They were both extremely friendly and professional. They were Covid-19 prepared. James also cleaned up everything and offered to wait until I drained my bigger sink to verify nothing was leaking. They were awesome. I HIGHLY recommend this company and specifically Kevin and James. I will not hesitate to call them again when needed as well as I will call them after the Covid stuff is done and I'm back to work to have them come out to drain my water heater. If I could give more than 5 stars I would!!! Thanks guys!! Sandy

Kristi M.

06/08/2020 12:00:00 SA

Such a great job! Reasonable, yet super thorough. Plumbing is not something you pick someone who kinda knows something, it's a job for a professional and the Mike Counsil team is just that! They were able to isolate a TINY crack in the pipes, under the house, that was doing alot of damage. They were on time, clearly knew what they were doing, and I will absolutely call them again for any plumbing needs I have!

Richard S.

7/22/2018

I have used many services from HVAC to electrical to plumbing, painting to carpet installation. The one thing as a client that I really need is a reasonable timeframe for someone to show up.

I requested some plumbing help on a Friday for a rental property. I got a window from 9am-11am for the following Saturday. At 8:30am Saturday, I received a call that the plumbers didn't finish a job from Friday night and could not make it. Rescheduled for Sunday. So far - no problem.

Guess what happened Sunday at 8:30am? You got it. My tenant was irate.

I have some good news. There are other plumbers out there and they show up when scheduled. I have another plumber on speed dial now.

Art T.

07/01/2020 12:00:00 SA

I looked on Angie's list and found Mike Counsil plumbing. (I've seen their trucks in the neighborhood). Turns out that was a excellent recommendation. Josiah arrived to our house at the time specified (wearing a mask and shoe covers) and provided a reasonable quote on the spot. Excellent and friendly service! Thank you!

Sue P.

10/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

Jaime and crew did an excellent job on what must have been one of the most difficult jobs they've ever done. From hand digging the 6' trench to find the broken and 90% occluded terra cotta sewer line to replacing the clay to poly connector that was buried in 3 feet of concrete foundation, they fixed. At one point, other plumbers were coming just to see it.

While the price was high, I know with surety that the work was done correctly and, hopefully, won't need to be done over for another 100 years. Thanks guys!

Minda C.

5/25/2020

I was really impressed with these folks. I needed some pretty extensive work on the line that goes from my house to the street and I put it off for several years. It finally got so bad that I didn't have a choice. These folks quoted a fair price (about the same as an estimate I got 5 years prior). Their workers explained everything every step along the way and were very accomodating to my needs re: having access to the driveway that needed to get dug up and be that way for several weeks while we waited for the County inspector to come and sign off. I would highly recommend these folks!

Bubba M.

06/12/2020 12:00:00 SA

The staff was excellent! Victoria came out and fixed our plumbing issue, she was extremely professional and kind. We had a great experience and strongly recommend! Thank you, Victoria @ MC Plumbing!

Jean L.

06/10/2020 12:00:00 SA

Have been using Mike Counsil Plumbing for several years now. Every person from their company that has been in my house have been extremely professional, did excellent work and left me with great working plumbing!!!!!! Most of all, they stand behind their work!!!!!

Thomas P.

07/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

Bobby was very professional and knowledgeable regarding my situation. He laid out all the options and made me feel comfortable throughout the process. I would definitely work with Bobby again and very pleased with the visit.

Tom B.

09/05/2020 12:00:00 SA

I called on a Saturday for 24 hour service. They guy on the phone said the soonest thy could have a guy here was Wednesday! I don't call that emergency service!!! Won't ever call or recommend them to anyone!!!

Karl D.

5/22/2020

When it comes to plumbing issues, Mike Council Plumbing gets it right almost all the time. If they didn't get it right the 1st time, they are extremely responsive in making it right, as fast as possible.
Bottom line: Mike Council Plumbing has the best success record that I know of, among all of the Plumbing services companies that I have worked with.

Scott D.

06/04/2020 12:00:00 SA

I needed my shower repaired. They did an excellent job installing a new shower attachment and a new spout for the bathtub. I would recommend them as a vendor if you looking for quality service and repair for plumbing needs in your home.

Richard M.

04/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

This company is a rip off. We were quoted $600.00 to do a simple job on a water heater for our rental property. The job was going to take 1 1/2 hours with the biggest part of the job being that they needed to drain the water heater. Additionally, we paid for the part so the charge was for labor only which means they want to charge $400.00 per hour for a plumber???? Not reasonable or customary fees
Note: This was a simple job that did not occur after hours and it was not a holiday...
Needless to say they are not to be trusted when it comes to giving a fair price.
Shame on you Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter

sandra d.

1/17/2018

Terribly disappointed in this company, long story short, called for toilet back up. 1st quote was $400 to clear blockage. After closer inspection quote went up to $2000. Ok, we figured maybe tree roots or something is causing this to be a bigger job. When they came back the next day, began work, stopped work to increase price again! This time new price is $7300!!!! Obviously, there is no way they could justify this pricing to me and interestingly, said no guarantee after $7300 that it would be fixed!
Please beware with this or any other company, especially with older people. My parents are 84 and were almost sucked into this scam pricing.
By the way, blockage was cleared and repairs completed perfectly by another company, for $600.

Marijane L.

4/27/2020

Mike Counsil plumbing provided amazing service
The work they did was covered under warranty and we can't say enough about their professionalism and expertise
They took care of every facet of the job, from demo to wall repairs to painting
Victor and Victoria were amazing! Victor is a perfectionist, an admirable quality and one from which we benefited! Victoria is more-than- competent and a pleasure to work with
What valuable employees they are...do very good st what they do, they take pride in their work, and were delightful to work with. They, and the crew, went above and beyond.
Our thanks to Daniel as well! Daniel recognized the issues that needed to be covered and made it all happen
Than
Marijane and Jack Lovell

Today apr 27, Shane installed new kitchen and bathroom faucets
He was a delight to work with: extremely efficient, quick and so pleasant
In addition, he followed all CDC guidelines making the process stress free

Michael H.

5/31/2020

We had a sink handle pop-off like ole faithful in the kitchen. The plumber Mario was able to come the next morning, on Memorial day, and install a new faucet assembly within the hour. Prompt and good service.

Rich H.

4/26/2018

MC Plumbing did complete my job which consisted of replacing 5 angle stops costing less than $50.00 for parts. This minor job took less that 2 hours to complete......Chris was very professional and through HOWEVER......Pricing was questionable......$669.00 seemed HIGH! This is out of Chris hands and this was a semi emergency...AND they did come out withing 2 hours of my request.....Ive read others review and it seems that my review is consistent with others.....

Rich

Dann B.

1/31/2020

Twice this week we we're given windows of time for our appointment and both times Mike Counsil Plumbing missed the appoinments by more than 30 minutes. Would not recommend.

Kirsty L.

12/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

Can't comment on plumbing work because had my quote appointment cancelled 3 times! Took time off work and was willing to pay the call out fee of $89. Poor service

Robert M.

11/21/2017

There was a blockage where my kitchen sink and washer enter the sewer line. All that had to be done was to snake out the line. I called Mike Counsil Plumbing and they couldn't tell me the cost. Apparently I had to pay $69.00 for a technician to come out and give me a quote. If I didn't like the quote, I would still have to pay the $69.00. Needless to say, I didn't use them.

A few days later an elderly friend told me that she wanted to put a seismic valve on her gas meter. The first step was to pressurize the line to be sure that there were no leaks. The technician from Mike Counsil Plumbing said that the line failed the test and given that it was an old house, she needed to replace all the gas lines at a cost of $39,000. If she signed immediately, she would only have to pay $33,000. They also said that PG&E wouldn't be able to detect the leak and they implied that this was a very dangerous situation.

At my urging she called another company and that man found that the gas hook-up to the water heater was leaking. He replaced that valve and just to be sure, he replaced the valve to the stove that was quite old. The total cost was $172.00. Why didn't the Mike Counsil technician check the valves before quoting a cost of $39,000?

Ann K.

5/26/2021

Excellent service and really personable- didn't mind having these guys around all day... we are super happy with the quality work- and trusted advice. Alex was v informative...James & Kyle went above and beyond- thanks again

Ashley M.

04/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

WOW! Cody is the BEST!! From the initial consultation to the end result, have never been more impressed.

We had a shower than has not been able to drain for the past 30 years and Cody snaked the drain and fixed it!

My parents are 85 years old, impatient, and hard of hearing. Cody was so patient, understanding, and compassionate.

He redid the piping insulation of our eichler home. He is so amazing. Always wore shoe covers in the house.

As my father would say Cody's here? He can do no harm by me! Let him in!

Wonderful service, great work. Thanks, Cody!

Bruce W.

7/28/2021

After 20 years my water heater died. I called several plumbers but the Mike Council team responded the quickest. The installation team was curtious and efficient. James Riggins led the team and the work was excellent.

Gayle P.

12/21/2019

Victoria C. was the Lead Plumber on my sewer line repair. Victoria was very professional and easy to communicate with during the entire project. She sent me a text message every morning to update me on what they would be working on that day. If she was going to be late, she let me know. She frequently walked me through the project and didn't hesitate to explain something again if I didn't understand. She would also send me a text message when they were leaving for the day and update me on the work they completed. I felt confident that when I returned home in the evening, the work she said was completed would be done. Victoria is a professional with integrity and awesome customer service skills. She makes sure the project is done the right way and that the customer is satisfied. She is a wonderful asset to Mike Council Plumbing!

Sarah E.

2/15/2020

I called them for an emergency repair to my bathtub tap that was stuck open with water flowing. They were able to give me an appointment window the same day and called back not long after to say that they could come sooner. I got a call again to let me know someone would arrive soon. The effort they put into effective communication was much appreciated since it was a plumbing emergency. Juan arrived and was highly professional, explained every issue and proposed solution, and was clear about costs. This is not a budget plumber, but you get what you pay for, and quality, timely work is well worth it.

Peter K.

10/27/2017

I needed them to swap one water softener with a new one. Same model and brand. All it needed was to unscrew 2 nuts and screw back the same nuts back on to hook up the unit. Also asked them to pick up the new unit purchased from store and delivered home. It is only 2 miles away. He quoted me:
To hook up the unit= $ 811.00 for labor that will take 10 minutes.
To deliver the unit 2 miles way= $248.00
Is this a highway robbery or what?
Thank God they're not doing a brain surgery!
Definitely, stay away from them.

Susan S.

1/30/2020

My 55 year old home recently experienced significant sewer line backup so I reached out to Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter. All the contacts I had, from the office to all the guys and the estimator, were professional, clear and helpful. James and Kevin stood out as being particularly patient and willing to go the distance to get the job completed at a price I could afford. All of the guys were super respectful and although I had many guys in and around the house for 4 days, I always felt safe. They were also meticulously clean, securing the work area and not even any dust. I would recommend this company to my friends and family.

Peter W.

11/21/2019

Called and had an appointment confirmed for the next day. Received a call during my time slot and told me the technician could not come out. Took time off work already and this was just a waste of time.

Amy M.

12/24/2020

Waking up on Christmas Eve to a flood in your front yard is not how you want to start the holidays. We called Mike Counsil Plumbing and they sent out Anthony and Kevin. Wonderful gentleman and they explained the process and got to work. They were very thorough. Even with Covid-19 they were safe and followed protocol. Thank you Anthony and Kevin for coming out and helping with our problem. We will be calling them again for any issues that arise.

Melissa R.

07/07/2020 12:00:00 SA

I have nothing against the actual service I received from Mike Counsil Plumbing. It was getting someone out there that was surprisingly hard. TL; DR is, they are so busy grabbing your business that there isn't much wiggle room for keeping your business if something goes awry.

I got their name through Angie's List and after posting my query they called lightning-fast. Offered me service the next day. Felt lucky. The next day came and no one showed up -- turned out I had to call them that morning to confirm I still needed them before they'd come out. No one had told me that. I understand they don't want dead leads but now I felt penalized.

They rescheduled me, two days out, and that morning they called to reschedule -- plumber was sick. Two more days out. At that point I asked them to waive the visit fee because I could have gone somewhere else three days ago.

Third time was the charm: I called to confirm morning-of, someone actually came, and they did a good job. Seems like a tightly run ship -- maybe a little too tight if it took three tries to get them out there.

Letitia R.

2/23/2021

Mike Counsil plumbing has done several repair jobs for us. This weekend the spray attachment in the kitchen sink started to leak water all over the floor and under the sink. I called Mike Counsil on Monday and the crew was here early Tuesday to replace the spray attachment . Since they had installed it less than a year ago, and a part failed, the replacement and labor was no charge. Kevin Alvarez, who did the repairs, was very thorough and careful. He actually had to replace two faucets because the first one didn't fit properly, in his estimation. He also caulked the sink.
Meanwhile the sales rep, Juan Almanza, wrote everything in a contract and explained it all to me. He also climbed under the house to make sure there was no water damage under the sink, and showed me the photos he took.
The technicians were very careful to use masks, shoe covers and cleaned up completely after themselves
We will call Mike Counsil in the future for our plumbing repairs

M S.

11/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

Part 1
Apologize in advance for the length of this review. But I wanted to give a thorough documentation of what transpired with this plumbing company. The issue was nothing more than having my shower, tub and laundry drains flowing very slowly. In the past, I had made a call to a rooter service and a quick rooter of the clean out trap from the laundry cleared it right up. This time, I called Mike Council Plumbing, based partly on their on-line reviews. I called and was able to schedule an appointment for the same day (cost to show up quoted $89.00). Shane and Brenden showed up on time. I explained the situation to them, and they immediately took me outside to locate the main line from the house to the curb and attempted to do a hard upsell to install a 2-way cleanout for the main line. When I asked the cost, they quoted $2000.00. As I only had 3 drains draining slow and had experience with getting them cleaned out, I was able to easily decline this, although they told me, that by not doing this we would probably have to pull a toilet to clear the line and that could be a messy job. I reiterated that the toilets were working fine and only tub, shower and laundry drains were running slow. I told them I would like to have them just rooter the line from the laundry clean out. Shane told me that he was sure that it would not work but gave me a quote for $337.00. He brought in his equipment and ran the rooter down the line for about 5 minutes. Past plumbers spent about 20 minutes to clean the whole line (successfully). When he was done, we ran the shower and it still backed up. Now Shane had me flush the toilet to see if that was now working. As I had explained to him, the toilets were never an issue, the main line was fine. Shane and his partner now decided that they should actually go into the crawlspace to see how the plumbing was connected. He emerged and showed me pictures of plumbing that was in really bad shape and needed to be replaced, he had so many pictures of pipes on there, I had no way of confirming they were my pipes or someone else's, so I declined any sort of additional work. They did however, determine the bath and shower drains would need to be rootered through the tub or the shower drain. I suggested the tub drain as the shower drain cover had screws that were pretty much locked in. They went back and forth between shower and tub to try and gain access to the pipe that need to rootered. They had no success removing either drain cover. The shower drain looked easier for them, but Shane reported that the drain screws were stripped. He and I went over what to do and I specifically told him that he could drill out the screws holding the drain cover in, but to NOT destroy the cover, I wanted to make sure, it this was a unique sized drain cover, I could re-use it and just put new screws in and re-tap them is needed (and I would do the new install). Shane agreed and he went to his truck returning with his drill and drill bits. I did not hear too much noise coming from the bathroom as you would when a power drill was being used, but pretty soon I heard noises coming from the tub drain that sounded like something was being done in the drain. Soon after I heard the shower water turn on and run for a short time. Shane's partner came out carrying their tools and said they had cleared the drain. Shane came out, told me it was fixed, and I paid them the $337.00. I did a quick check of the shower and ran some water down it and the tub, verified it was indeed draining and saw the shower drain was back on, I assumed that he was able to extract the screws without drilling (I never heard a drill being run). After they left, I went back in to clean out the shower and tub from the mess that always accompanies work being done on plumbing. When I looked closely at the shower drain cover, it was obvious that there had been no attempt to remove the screws, they simply pried the cover open and cleaned out the pipe through that opening. I have attached pictures of the drain cover that I took after they left. They tried to straighten the drain cover, but obviously failed and had decided on their own that bending the cover back was OK in spite of my explicit instructions that they could not ruin the cover.
I called Mike Counsil plumbing the next day (Friday)and was informed that they could not address anything about my problem until the person who was authorized to address it would be back until Tuesday. That would be Sean (read the other 1-star reviews to see Sean's replies, apparently, he is the company apologist). Sean called me on Tuesday night and listened to my issue and then went on to explain how removing a drain cover to get to a line would not be covered and that I should have been given a new quote to get the work done (which was never given). Also, how any plumbing company would have to charge to come out to fix the issue with the drain cover shows their business ethics. Aviod at all costs

Aida R.

11/02/2019 12:00:00 SA

Extremely pleased with my experience with Mike Counsil entire team from scheduling the visit, follow-up confirming arrival, follow-up after every visit to ensure customer satisfaction. Jaime. project manager for our plumbing pipeline replacement, did an extraordinary job! He planned every detail ensuring minimal impact on the customer, attentive to detail, very respectful which set a great model to his team. We are truly satisfied with the entire team's professionalism.

E J.

6/13/2021

Had my water heater replaced. Very satisfied. Good service and the new tank providing more hotter than replaced tank. Axel was very thorough and was a pleasure to work with getting tank replaced in a reasonable time bf get passed Cory of Morgan hill permit process. Thanks Axel.

Rita T.

06/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

As we know matching up the old with the new can be very challenging at times. Thank you to Besmir who has a great deal of patients and integrity got the job done. And he still had enough patience to explain everything to me in a way I could understand. For me, that is A big plus. Communication IS #1 my book. Thank you Mike Counsil Plumbing

John W.

10/15/2020

Just wanted to share my first and last experience with Mike Counsil. Like many others have said -- they are far more expensive than other well-reviewed plumbers as I found out first-hand. I recently got a quote from them to replace a large section of pipes. I also got quotes from two other (with good Yelp reviews) companies. The quote from MC was 100-150% more. Yes that's right. So do yourself a favor and get competing quotes before you sign the contract. Plumbing is not rocket science. You just need to hire people who are experienced, competent, competitive, and reliable.

Donna D.

9/30/2019

Called this morning regarding a leaky water heater that Mike Counsil installed 7 years ago to schedule someone to come out and was told a technician would be here today between 2pm and 4pm. When no one showed up by 4pm I called and was told that it had been mistakenly scheduled for 2AM -4AM and they didn't see it on the schedule. Now they can't get anyone out here until between 9am-11am tomorrow. I said keep the 2am schedule and send someone then (it does state on their add that they are a 24/7 service company). Well apparently not, because I was told they don't do service then. So it's no showers for another day. :-( Let's see if they keep tomorrow's appointment. More to follow tomorrow..............

Follow up: They did make the scheduled appt at 9:00 but much to my surprise, they quoted me $2674.00 to replace a water heater that was under warranty. It was $811 to pull and replace, $448 for inspection, $337 for expansion tank, etc, etc, etc, labor $2022.00. Obviously I sent them on there way and have contacted someone else. They will be out tomorrow, again more to follow.......

In reply to Sean Counsil's comment:
Yes, you did install a water heater in 12/11 and yes you did come out just 4 months later to replace a faulty part that was installed at that time and when that part was installed the technician noted on the work order will give 10 year warranty on water heater at no charge. You should talk to your technician Cody who quoted me the ridiculous price of $2674 for a warranted water heater because he saw the statement, read the statement and called into the office and confirmed it. I don't have a friend or neighbor who wasn't shocked at the quote. It WAS under warranty unless you are saying your contracts are not to be honored.

Emily A.

5/29/2021

I recently had major plumbing work done by this company and I was very satisfied with their work; they were able to complete the work in the projected time. Yobani Almanza and his crew prepared the house, did their work, and cleaned up after themselves each day. During the work and after whenever I had a question or a problem occurred, I was able to contact Yobani and the problem was resolved.

Steve B.

5/23/2021

Axel Mendez provided outstanding service in the replacement of a kitchen faucet that had started leaking under the counter. Alex was on time, professional and left his work area cleaner than he found it. He identified a problem with a replacement faucet that I had purchased online an provided pictures of the defect that enabled me to get a refund from the online reseller. Alex recommended a local plumbing retailer in Santa Clara (Standard Plumbing Supply) where I purchased a higher quality Kohler faucet set for less cost than I had paid for the defective one. We have never experienced issues with work performed by Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter and would highly recommend them to anyone.

Vic F.

3/19/2018

My kitchen sink was clogging up, so I made an appointment with Mike Counsil plumbing. Yobani and another technician came to put an auger/snake through the wall, replaced my sink pipes and also fixed a leaky shower in the master bathroom.

Yobani and his team were all very professional, knowledgeable and CLEAN!! They all wore booties, brought in a carpet to lay on my kitchen floor so as not to get debris everywhere.

They weren't able to fix the kitchen sink because it was determined to be a main line issue down in the garage (not my personal condo unit) that was causing the back-flow. So they did not charge me for the snake/auger services as it did not resolve the problem.

They are a bit pricier, but I could see where my extra dollars were going for their service.

Kevi C.

11/11/2019 12:00:00 SA

Excellent customer service, excellent plumber! My 90 year old mother hired them for a plumbing issue and she was very very happy with every aspect of dealing with Mike Counsil Plumbing! Not only did they do an excellent job, they explained everything to my mom. They went above and beyond with their excellent work. I highly recommend this company and will definitely call them again when needed!!

Ted A.

07/10/2019 12:00:00 SA

A few nights ago I had a sewage back-up into my garage sink so I called Mike Counsil, a company I had used on one prior occasion. Kevin came out and checked under the house. The clog seemed to be on one end of the house so we could continue to use the bathrooms and they would come back the next day to do the repairs.

Kevin said that part of my original cast iron main sewage line (my house is 60-years old ) needed to be replaced and quoted $2701 for the job. This firm has a big book of fixed prices they use in a quote. Part of the old pipe had to be dug up (this is in the crawl space not the main line to the street which was replaced 4 years ago.) He said it would take most of the day and indicated that two guys would be there and he would come by later in the day after he finished an inspection. He told me that some of the waste lines under my house were unusual. We have had the kitchen and both bathrooms remodeled with the contractors installing new pipes during those jobs. Often times they work around the old stuff as they are not usually contracted to completely rip out the old and put in new. I later figured out this was the set-up.

The next day one younger plumber showed up and spent about 4 hours doing the repair job. The original guy never showed. I had assumed that this was a major project which required 2-3 plumbers working all day which would have somewhat justified the $2701 price. Most of the expense in rough plumbing is the labor as the pipes and valves are relatively inexpensive (as construction materials go.) The plumber told me he finished but there was still a problem which he couldn't describe but his supervisor was coming out. At this point he had not run any water through the system but somehow determined there was still a problem. Step 2 of the set up.

Glenn arrived and put his camera into the line to show me additional slow drainage. Then he went under the house and emerged with pictures of numerous problems in my sewage lines. He got out the big book and crunched the numbers. He recommended that if I was staying in my house for more than a few years I should completely rebuild all of the sewer lines for both bathrooms and the remainer of the cast iron main line. One bathroom was remodeled in 2006 and the other earlier this year.

If I subscribed to their annual plumbing check program ($7.95/month), then he could take 11% off, bringing the estimate to $21,353.00! I told him that I would have to get a second estimate at which point he turned into a car salesman. He asked what could he do to get me to sign the contract today. I told him there was nothing that he could do as I don't spend $21,000 with due diligence and thought. While he was writing up the estimate he became the car dealer finance manager and offered a 15% discount if I would sign up today. I did not. Also it turns out the 11% discount for enrolling in their annual program would not apply to the work done today.

After Glenn left I looked at his business card and saw that he is the Business Development Manager. Glenn is probably a journeyman plumber but on this day he was a sales guy. I don't want a sales guy telling me what is wrong with my plumbing. I expect a plumber or electrician to be honest in what needs to be repaired and to charge a reasonable fee.

I had my regular plumber come out today and do an inspection. He said there are no sewage leaks and no visible problems that need attention. He said that prior work had worked around the old plumbing which is not optimal, but quite common, and it does not mean that it was shoddy work. The prior jobs had passed the city inspections. He does not work for free so it cost me $250.00 to determine that I had no problems. He also said that the repair should have been around $1500, if it was even needed.

I am most disappointed in Mike Counsil Plumbing. I have seen their trucks all over town for many years and as this Yelp listing shows, they can do good work. On the other hand, I see that others have had a similar upselling experience. While it may not be illegal, I find it unethical. In hindsight it was a smooth operation starting with Kevin who found my plumbing to be less than perfect, the technician who is probably instructed to tell the homeowner there is something else still wrong and Glenn the Closer who makes the big sale.

I will never call Mike Counsil again so I hope they enjoy my $2701. I will keep the nice note pad though.

Sabine Z.

12/21/2020

My dishwater was not working anymore and the error message showed it was a plumbing issue. Anthony from Mike Council Plumbing was my technician. He did a full check on both the pipes and the dishwater and was able to diagnose that it was the dishwasher not the plumbing. He was very professional and I really appreciated him taking the time to explain the issues in detail. If things break, I will ask to have him back on the job. Thank you so much, great service!!!

gracie s.

05/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

Axel Mendez came out to flush out our water heater. He did a very good job. Came out on time, was very knowlegable, friendly and courteous. Cleaned up after. Will use him again.

Jason F.

1/30/2019

I highly recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing. We worked closely with Glen Hammonds, Henry Rivera, and Richard Rivera on a large project, and they far exceeded our expectations.

Before we moved into our house, we discovered a leak in the kitchen ceiling. We brought in Mike Counsil for an emergency consultation, and they determined that the fix would be quite complicated because of how our old house is set up. They explained the details of the situation and their recommended fix to us in an accessible way that put us at ease. Throughout the process, their attention to detail, professionalism, and expertise shone through.

Henry and Richard began working on fixing the leak soon after. In the process, they inspected our other systems, and discovered that there were major issues with our gas system, water heater, sewer pipe, and more. They were careful to demonstrate exactly how they determined the location and extent of each problem, so that we could be best prepared to make a decision as to what additional fixes to take. This helped to minimize the concern that we might be signing up for unnecessary fixes. They then carefully wrote out several possible options for me to choose. At this point, we confidently signed up for extensive repair work, and we felt very good about the decision.

Henry, Richard, and crew were at our house for the better part of a month working on our plumbing and gas systems. Their professionalism and friendly demeanor made them a joy to work with. They worked quickly and efficiently, showing us their progress at the end of each day, responding to questions and concerns, and thoroughly cleaning up. They treated our house with as much care as they'd treat their own houses.

And now we have the peace of mind that everything is installed correctly, working properly, and up to code. Were it not for Mike Counsil's proactive recommendations, we would have unknowingly been susceptible to carbon monoxide leaks or sewer line ruptures!

I am extremely satisfied with the work Mike Counsil did. They delivered an exceptional value for my home improvement dollar.

Chi G.

10/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

It's a stress reliever for having a professional help with my leaking toilets, change kitchen faucet, garbage disposal... they purchase the items for me and provide with one year warranty. I'm super pleased with their service. My technician 's name is Juan - his the best

Sandy W.

8/22/2020

I have used Mike Counsil many times in the past and have always been satisfied even though they are on the expensive side. After installing a new water heater, the MC plumber informed me that he smelled a gas leak at the meter. He said he called PG&E to see if the leak was in their lines and supposedly it was not (I never saw or spoke to anyone from PG&E) After repairing the leak on my side, he determined there was still a leak somewhere else on the line. He quoted me almost $3k to chase the leak and repair, or almost $14.9k to re-pipe to my water heater and furnace only. I am a senior female on a fixed income and do not have that kind of money, so I called another licened plumber for a second opinion and guess what? There is NO leak. Not sure what was going on here but I am pretty sure I will not use Mike Counsil again.

Michael C.

01/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Kevin Bueno, the technician was able to come within a couple of hours of my initial call. He replaced the old (58 years old) galvanized nipple under the master bathroom sink. He was able to complete the job in less than a half-hour, compared to my hours of unsuccessful effort. I am happy to be able to have faucets, showers, and toilets working again.

Carolyn P.

11/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

I can not tell you enough how pleased we are with the work they did for us. We worked with Josh and were very pleased with how he conducted himself. He was on time , communicated each step with us and left the place better then when he showed up. We had to replace the main intake water line to the house so was a big job. We differently would recommend this company and Josh.they ,

Micki G.

10/15/2020

I initially called Mike Counsil Plumbing after reading various reviews on Yelp. Then I remembered my neighbor using them so thought I'd give them a try for cleaning out my lateral sewer line. I'm so glad I did! These guys are incredible!! It took Jaime and Francisco the better part of a day to clear the line. And then Jaime did something that NO plumbers we've used ever did. He checked under the house to see if there might be any other issues affecting drainage. Lo and behold! It seemed like the almost 60 year old cast iron pipes were not positioned properly. My neighbor, who's a contractor himself, was concerned that, being a recent widow, was being taken advantage of. So he came over and looked at the pictures Jaime had taken under the house from several vantage points and was completely in agreement with the diagnosis Jaime had made. So I called the next day to schedule the job. After the better part of three days, the job is complete and inspection passed. Given the amount of work that needed to be done, the total price was reasonable. My hats off to Jaime and Francisco for an outstanding job. And to Pedro who was also here for most of one day. I would definitely recommend using Mike Counsil Plumbing. They will be my go-to in the future should I need anything. Thank you so very much!!

Liza C.

5/18/2021

Great service from Bobby Matta from Mike Counsil Plumbing! He explained the problem, the work that needed to be done and the charges completely. The work was done efficiently and neatly and we now have a tub faucet that doesn't scream and a toilet that doesn't start filling up the tank without flushing! Many thanks to Bobby and to Mike Counsil Plumbing!

Laura G.

04/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

I had several issues to deal with. I called Mike Counsil and am so glad I did. Awesome service. James and Axel were so terrific. Very polite, clean,knolageable and precise. I could not be happier. All done in one day and tidied up. James shared with me what a great place to work it is also. I loved to hear that.

Lou T.

7/31/2019

Customers beware! This company is a for-profit-till-your-bank-dried-out! Don't be desperate when you're in need of a plumber. Try home advisor, search online. I was stupid enough for risking 2k to go with them - I was desperate. I gave them 2 stars for getting the job done, but I wouldn't use them again. Their tech will give you advice and quote to replace the whole toilet just because drippy water running continuously down the toilet bowl, in my case. I'm glad I didn't pay 750. I did little research on my own and ended up with a new toilet fill valve from fluidmaster! That's a saving of $730! PM me, if you need advice on how to do it.

Donna S.

12/06/2020 12:00:00 SA

I highly recommend Mike Counsil plumbing! I've wasted money in the past by hiring budget plumbers and it never pays off because I've had to backtrack and redo so much over because of it. I finally decided I was going to hire an upscale plumbing company and Mike Council delivers great service and quality materials. Bobby Mata was the lead technician And did everything to standards and in a timely manner. He is so calm and that's exactly what I needed. Along with him was Juan who also is a hard worker and help finish the job. A special thanks to Mike Counsil for sending out the team from trench free company. They did immaculate work and I am so grateful. Don't waste time trying to cut corners, just get the job done right the first time around and call Mike counsel!

Lijia D.

9/29/2019

Our Family used Mike Counsil Plumbing and they were very helpful, patient and got the job done. I highly recommend using #mikecounsilplumbing

Bob K.

09/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

We were so relieved that Jaime was able to take over and fix the plumbing from a previous plumber
who told us he may not be able remove and fix the
Shower drain pipe after a leak check. Not only did he fix it but identified areas replaced that wouldn't
pass code. We actually won judgement in court from the previous plumber for non compliant code violations, who didn't get a permit. He also explained and provided us documents of the codes, product information and pictures that helped us win. Not only did he do this but interacted with our renters and kept them calm as work involved doing half the house at a time. The kitchen and one bathroom was working everyday. Yes it was a fairly big job. It passed inspection and we have not had a call from the renters since. I would highly recommend Jaime and the Mike Counsil team.

Chuck C.

12/22/2020

Had Mario out to repair my kitchen faucet and emergency shut off valves. Very friendly and easy to talk to, plus he's an excellent plumber. Very clean and neat work and they make sure there are no leaks. These guys have done all my plumbing from water lines to replacing all my drains and water main. They do things the right way the first time and NO LEAKS.

Marnie F.

3/22/2021

We had a major plumbing job that took a few weeks. We replaced all the failing sewer pipes under our house. Axel was the project manager and he was amazing. He was so kind and made sure all the work was done to impressive standards. He was proactive making sure we knew when it was going to be more noisy as we are working from home due to COVID and he made sure we knew every day how the project was progressing. I highly recommend Axel and the company.

James R.

05/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

I was charged $4000 for a replacement water heater. Our old one burst and was leaking all over the place. I was 21 at the time and had no idea what to do. Obviously an easy target they took advantage of the situation and charged me as much as they could. Desperate I took the job and paid. It's been a couple years the work did the job, but I've been told by countless plumbers how much I had been taken advantage of. Do not work with this dishonest company.

Sharon K.

9/14/2020

My water heater was leaking and it was broken I called a technician and was told they would come out to my house between 4 and 6 PM today at 6 PM no one arrives so I called and I was told the technician will be on his way he'll be here shortly at 7 PM he did not arrive so then I called again and they said they would have the technician call me the technician called me and said he's on his way and I said I was told you were on your way an hour ago where are you and he stated he would be here in 20 minutes or so this is truly unacceptable do not ever go to these people in the meantime I had turn down three other plumbers phone calls that I had called previously I am very dissatisfied with the service do not Do business with them I wasted a whole day

J. M.

11/02/2020 12:00:00 SA

Thank You, Sean and staff for the great service today. Happy Holidays!

Bruce L.

3/17/2021

Couldnt ask for better service. Jaime R. was very professional and extremely capable in diagnosing and explaining work. Great workmanship and did a great job cleaning up after. Initial contact with office also very professional and quick response .

Jennifer O.

12/11/2020 12:00:00 SA

I had a leaky kitchen sink and pipes and put in a request for a quote on Angies List. I appreciated the quick response and same-day availability. Mario was sent and he communicated clearly with me about what needed to be done and was very professional. I really like that I received a text with a picture of Mario and his estimated arrival time. Additionally, he used PPE and I felt safe. When he needed to complete the work the following day, he texted to let me know the time frame, which I appreciated. Mario arrived when he said he would and completed the work. He did a great job - I no longer need to worry about flooding in my kitchen. I would give Mario a 5 star rating, but I was not sure of the price, which is why I rated this 4 stars. When I woke up to water all over my kitchen, I did not have the luxury of calling around for pricing, which leaves customers open to gouging. I just accept that as a homeowner.

Enrico Maria M.

08/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

Victoria Cedillo came today and did a wonderful job.
Professional, fast, clean and kind.
Well done!
5 stars!

Michelle F.

03/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

I had no gas in my house. There was no hot water, heat, or gas burners working. I called Mike Council. Kevin Bueno came out in less than 2 hours. It turns out I had bummed my earthquake emergency turn off when taking out the garbage cans. He knew right away because it was trash day. He showed me how to check this and reset. He then showed me how to light the pilot light. He did this without making me feel stupid or a waste of his time. Super great guy and service!

Debbie L.

03/01/2019 12:00:00 SA

I am very disappointed. I was initially very pleased that Mike Counsil was able to send a plumber out on very short notice when I had a toilet back up. The young man was polite. He insisted on going under my house first and came back saying that our outflow pipes were in terrible shape. He showed pictures that I now wonder if they were even of my house. He used an auger to clear the toilet, but wanted his salesman to come back and propose a fix of the pipes. In the end, they charged a great deal for the initial fix and gave me a bad assessment of the state of my pipes. They couldn't be sure there wouldn't be more to be done once they cut the pipes open and assessed the condition.
They were very disappointed that I said I wanted to have my regular plumber look at the pipes and give me a second assessment.
Well..that happened today and the pipes are not nearly as bad as they made them sound. There is one junction that could be improved, but they are not on the verge of collapse as I was led to believe. It strikes me that Mike Counsil makes a practice of presenting bad scenarios and making open ended we'll see what we find bids to rob customers. Glad I had the wherewithal to not jump into his net too quickly.

Jim G.

8/19/2020

I set up an appointment for last Friday to have a plumber from Mike Counsil Plumbing come out between 2 and 4 to give me an estimate on some work that needs to be done. I need a clean out put in and a new pipe running to the clean out. I was told it was gonna cost $89 just to have someone take a look. Seems very expensive to me, but I had read good reviews so I thought it might be worth it. Well, nobody bothered to come out to keep the appointment. And they didn't bother to try to contact me to explain why. I wasted 2 hours of my day waiting for someone to show up. Very unprofessional on their part. I wouldn't recommend this company to anybody

Gary T.

04/01/2020 12:00:00 SA

They could not have been better! Kevin Bueno showed up right on time and was totally professional. He fixed our drains and was clean and safe in these unsure times . In and out in 45 minutes and told me what he was going to do and then explained to me how he did it. I'm very satisfied and would totally recommend them to friends and family

Paul W.

05/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

Abel was a truly amazing person. We had just about the worst plumbing problem you can think of...the sewer pipe from our house to the street was worn and rusted so thin (since it was the original piping from 1966) that our entire plumbing system backed up. We called Mike Counsil because of advertisements we'd heard on the radio, and, as new homeowners, he was listed in the useful services guide that came with the house.

Initially they did a simple pipe cleanout and hoped that could be the end of it, but unfortunately found a much larger problem, and it was obvious even to us that the pipe was on its last layer. What he put together was admittedly an expensive plan to repair everything, but the work he did was outstanding. He got all the proper permits, used the best materials and labor, and left our yard looking almost exactly as it was before except for a bit of missing grass (which they re-seeded and it's already growing back). They even included a coupon discount for us that they wouldn't normally have for the type of work they did, because the cost for the work was so expensive. We now have working underground plumbing with a 40-year guarantee, instead of the 10 years that most places do, and know that if and when we sell our house it will greatly increase in value.

We will definitely use them again if we need to.

Judy P.

11/12/2020 12:00:00 SA

Highly recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing, very professional staff. After a pipe broke behind the shower, I had them do a full bathroom remodel. Kevin managed all the vendors: electrical, cement, tile, drywall, permits, etc. I now have a beautiful and functioning new bathroom! Special shoutouts to Kevin and Alberto!

Marcus J.

05/06/2017 12:00:00 SA

Had a plumbing emergency yesterday that I couldn't fix myself. Called my landlord and he called up Mike Counsil Plumbing to come out. He told me the window that they gave him, and sure enough, Aaron Lefeber showed up in that window.

Aaron was pretty awesome from the get go, checked the issue and was able to immediately identify the problem (ended up being way more than what I thought it was) and put together a proposal to get it fixed. He was honest and very detailed with what was wrong and how to fix it. My landlord gave the OK for him to do the work and Aaron was able to fix everything in pretty short order. He also cleaned up the little mess that he made from having to work (seriously there was no mess as he took every precaution to limit it) and showed me the repairs once he was done.

I would definitely recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing as they were able to come out on a weekend and get the job done without any hassle or drama. Big thanks!

Liviu T.

12/19/2016

We set up an appointment with them 3 days in advance and they call me the night before to tell me they can't make it. Now I'm left with only but the choice of calling an emergency plumber and paying through my nose due to their incompetence to plan for this as well as notify use earlier so we can make alternative arrangements.
Use them at your own risk!

J D.

02/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

We were having an issue with our lines backing up, technician Axel M came out and put in extra effort to fix our issue. Very professional and courteous went above and beyond. We would recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing to anyone!

Dianna C.

6/23/2021

horrible dont waste your money here or time, the women at the office are super rude and unprofessional. this was the worst experience ever. definitely would not recommend for anything. Hope those rude women get FIRED!

Philip S.

3/19/2019

Jerry was great to work with and helpful with his recommendation. I appreciate their flexibility with helping my plumbing issue and will call them again when I have any plumbing concerns.

Cathi M.

9/29/2020

We had a toilet and a leaky garbage disposal at the same time. We were so happy to find such a great, honest, responsive company online. We first spoke with a young women almost immediately to set up an appointment for first thing the next morning. Juan arrived on time assessed the situation and competently answered all my questions and gave us different options. We needed to replace the very old toilet and disposal and within a couple of hours Axel arrived with the the new fixtures and worked diligently removing the old pieces ( which was not easy). He was polite, professional, thorough and left all the areas very clean. We were very impressed with all of their exceptional customer service.

Lina M.

02/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

Had a great experience from the start to the end. Had an emergency leak in the kitchen, another company I called offered an appointment only in 2 weeks! From Mike Counsil Plumbing, they called me back in minutes, offered an appointment for the next day and they even checked back at 8 am the next day to see if I could receive a technician sooner than appointed time having considered that I needed help asap. All that prompt support via calls already felt great and took a lot of the stress caused by the problem.
The service itself was performed by Bobby Mata, who arrived on time, was very professional and efficient, inspected the problem, explained everything that had happened, gave me clear solution options and patiently answered all my questions. Above all, he solved the problem as if it's never even been there.
Very happy and will keep using Bobby's and Mike Counsil Plumbing services!

BENSON C.

03/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

My water heater was leaking, went to Lowe's to shop for a water heater, while I was at Lowe's and browsed through the water heater web page, a phone call popped up on my phone, I received the call, it was connected with Mike Council call center, the lady proceeded to get my contact info, and asked for $89 to send a Tech out to take a look and will get me a quote, I asked what was the quote for a simple basic 40 gallon water heater replacement, she couldn't answer, felt weird, I told her I was not interested in dealing with any business that doesn't have a fixed price for a typical work order. latter on I called my sister who had a 75 gallon water heater replaced lately, she said yeah, she got a quotation from the Mike Council's Tech, quoted $5000 for a 75 gallons Water heater replacement. and resulted in no deal, too expensive for a simple job.

Devin B.

03/02/2019 12:00:00 SA

Very professional. My plumber Bobby Mata did a great job and explained all my options clearly.

Benjamin M.

4/23/2019

Cody came out to estimate the job, Jesse came out and did the work. Our job was a bit unusual, and Jesse handled it well, and was highly communicative through the entire process, so I understood exactly what was going on. I trust them and would use them again.

SaraGrace And Jason V.

07/01/2019 12:00:00 SA

These guys are very professional. Fast and diligent. Josiah and Doug were very patient and took the time to clearly explain the work they did and gave great suggestions on future needs for my house. They are always at the top of my list to take care of my house's plumbing needs.

Elisa Y.

9/30/2020

Kevin B came out to unclog my kitchen sink. It turns out we had major sewer pipe problems under the house. We had a complete make-over of our sewer pipes under the house and thru the yard connecting to the city. Kevin and his entire team were extremely professional and friendly. They answered ALL of our questions as they worked. James R and Miles R were outstanding in making sure all of the loose ends were tied up and everything worked before they left each day. Kevin, James and Miles calmed our anxiety. It was an expensive job, however, it was worth every penny because I know the job was done correctly and no corners were cut. They assured me that they would be 100% there if there were any problems.

Jordan B.

3/24/2019

Victor and Elsavador helped me with a clogged drain in my house in willow glen. They came over to my house on a Sunday and provided me with excellent customer service and provided me with feedback to make sure our drains don't get clogged in the future. I really appreciated their help and I highly recommend that you use Mike Counsil Plumbing. Thank you guys!

Estela T.

7/17/2019

Very good plumbers: professional, knowledgeable, friendly, respectful and very efficient. They completed some plumbing work at my home last year, and since I signed up for a home service plan they have, and for a very affordable sum, they sent me an inspector to check on the work and all plumbing at my house free of charge. Very satisfied with their work. I highly recommend them.

Kathleen N.

7/16/2019

Xavier and Henry were absolutely the best! They identified the problem and found solutions that worked. They are both so nice and it was a pleasure having them do the work! Also it doesn't hurt that Xavier could be Klay Thompson's twin!

Sandi D.

8/24/2020

Mike Counsil is amazing - we have had a sump pump in our basement for the past 20 years and it has never worked as well as we would have liked. Mike Counsil then enters the scene - they stuck with the project until it was 100% complete and perfectly done. Their expertise and dedication are second to none. Thank you so much for the team that worked so hard at finally solving our issues!! We will definitely call you guys first next time!

Bryan L.

12/25/2020

Solid and trustworthy company. Awesome people: James R came out and went the extra mile to fix my home's service line leak. The leak was in a tricky location next to my driveway, James was careful and clever to repair the leak without needing to crack open the driveway.

Jose G.

6/17/2019

I had a pipe spewing water out. I called Mike Counsil plumbing, and they were very friendly and open at 5 in the morning which was nice. They gave me an appointment for a few hours later, and Kevin Bueno and Christian came out to fix the water leak. They also looked at another problem I was having with my dishwasher and under the sink and recommended that I fix a small leak there. They were able to go and purchase the part needed, and make the repairs. They were great at explaining to me everything they were doing every step of the way. Very helpful to be kept in the loop. They were very efficient and very friendly. Thank you for all your work!

Trevor S.

07/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

We called Mike Counsil Plumbing to fix a leaky copper hot water line under our house. First off, every interaction with MCP was personable, professional, and very courteous, from my initial call with the customer service rep (Jenny) to the dispatcher (Desiree) that kept me updated on the technicians' arrival time, to the technicians themselves (Henry and apprentice Xavier). Also, MCP follows up every interaction with text and/or email updates, so you always know what's going on.

A word about Henry and Xavier: these guys were very polite and courteous, and clearly explained what was happening during the repair (even capturing photos), which was taking place in an unpleasant environment. Both were tenacious in resolving the leak when it proved more difficult than originally thought. Great attitudes, hard workers, excellent technical skills, and great communication. Henry and Xavier are both first rate!

Summary: I was very impressed with the entire experience; Mike Counsil Plumbing really understands how to provide outstanding customer service! I would not hesitate to call them again.

Julie B.

6/23/2019

Mike is easy to work with and made sure that the plumbing in our remodel was completed timely.

Stefani C.

2/20/2019

Mike Counsil Plumbing was my knight in shining armor yesterday. We have had continued issues with our hot water heater that is only 3 years old. We have had a number of different plumbing companies come out and supposedly fix the issue, only for the problem to return in a few short months. Fast forward to yesterday when 1. My husband is out of town 2. It's extremely cold outside and 3. I have 2 small children that look like they found every bit of dirt and food they could find and smeared it all over themselves. They needed baths and I needed hot water. I called Mike Counsil Plumbing and from the moment one of the ladies on the phone asked me How can I make you smile today I knew I was in good hands. Maybe she could sense the panic in my voice, but she kept me on the phone, confirmed that they could service the type of water heater I had and the problem it was experiencing. She then scheduled to have someone come out that day! To top it off, she texted me a photo of who was coming and the exact time he would be there. How comforting is that?!?

Fast forward again to 3 hours later and Josiah shows up at my door. First off...nicest guy ever. Says hello to my kids and dog. He puts shoe covers on, follows me to the mechanical room, assesses the issue, calls the maker of the hot water heater to explain the issue, figures out how to fix it and get this.... figures out how to make it not happen again!!!!! Josiah was there for about 3 hours. He got it working again and even stayed to make sure it fully heated and maintained heat once it got to temperature. At the end he handed me a certificate guaranteeing their work and even left his cell number if there are any additional issues.

5 stars for the front office staff and Josiah. We will be using Mike Counsil plumbing moving forward for all our plumbing needs.

** BONUS: They have an awesome home program where you pay $7.99 a month and they give you a discount on any future plumbing work and it includes a yearly trip out to your house to check all your plumbing fixtures, drains, flush your water heater, etc...regardless of the size house you have. Every year we have something come up and we need to call a plumber. Let's just say I couldn't sign up fast enough.

Manny B.

08/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Don't recommend calling them. They book appointments and call you last minute to tell you they don't have any technicians available , When asked rebook me a new appointment answer was we don't have anyone for the foreseeable future .

Terrible customer service.

Wouldn't recommend them if they were the last business in town.

Ginny O.

10/07/2021 12:00:00 SA

We had a plugged sink in the garage, which turned into a stopped up pipe, which turned into leaks and bad pipes EVERYWHERE. We knew this was coming, had issues for years, and my husband remembered that they were across the street at the neighbors. They were out the next day, looked at all the plumbing and pipes, put a camera down so we could see and showed us pictures. Throughout the 2.5 weeks it took to replace all our plumbing and pipes, our gas lines as well they were kind, courteous, professional, they never left us without water and plumbing for the night and they swept and cleaned up every day they were there. Covered our floors with floor covering and wore booties and masks. They were quick and quiet as they could be since I am still working from home. I would highly recommend them for the great job they did, guaranteed. Juan, their supervisor, Juan, Raul, Raphael, Gabriel..you guys were awesome and I thank you so much for not stressing me out at a time when there were so many other things going on. They even walked my insurance adjuster through the water damage that had to be fixed as well. Who does that now a days? Mike Council did a great job and I would call them again.

Michael W.

02/03/2019 12:00:00 SA

Had them out for the second time (for a different project), they were great as usual! Thanks!

brent i.

12/24/2016

Abel came early and very efficiently and cleanly replaced garbage disposal and facet in kitchen
We have used them many times and have always been happy
I recommend them to anyone who asks.

They are always prompt responding to phone calls as well
Brent

Benjamin R.

3/21/2019

The Sink Trap on our Kitchen had corroded and worn out. Cody and Josiah from Mike Counsil came out and did a great job. They quickly diagnosed the problem and set to redo the plumbing right away. When the job hit a snag, they were knowledgeable to knew how to correct the problem. They stayed late into the evening, to make sure to finish the job and we got our kitchen back.

Thanks!

Michael S.

05/10/2020 12:00:00 SA

I was over charged for the service I should have shopped around a 3,400 job turned in to a 7,999 job and I told I was on a limited income techs were nice but was over charged, shop around.

Jennifer S.

08/11/2020 12:00:00 SA

Mike Counsil Plumbing provided us with amazing service! We had tried Allstar Plumbing first and they were absolutely horrible, their tech had no clue what he was doing they ended up causing us more issues. Mike Counsil Plumbing sent us Kevin B. who was very professional and knowledgeable. He knew exactly what the problem was right away. Although he was not able to fix our issue, as he informed us it was an AC unit leak, he provided the information we needed for us to get it fixed. I would 100% recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing. They are most definitely worth their knowledge and service they provide.

Brad F.

1/19/2019

Called them to get an estimate on an upcoming project I have.

They responded within a few minutes, which is great. The lady I spoke to on the phone was very friendly and helpful.

However, they charge $89.00 just to come out and give you an estimate.

$89 just to have someone come out and eyeball around, take some measurements, jot some notes down on a sheet of paper, and quickly chat with you over all the options before they give you a bid which may be over priced ? The whole point is that their pricing and business model is good enough such that they win your bid, and that's where they get your money.... not nickle and diming on the estimate.

I can't remember the last time I called up a vendor who charges that kind of money to come out and give you a bid.

Best of luck with all that.

Wenyu C.

12/21/2019

The quote they gave was much more expensive than what it needed to be. I requested for their help to investigate the faulty flow of water in my shower and during the process, the plumber mentioned that my toilet had a water leakage, which I was aware of but had previously ignored. After fixing my shower, he told me the quote for fixing the toilet would be around $400. I felt this quote was way too expensive and declined, later hiring a handy man to fix the toilet for $60.

Amber P.

07/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

Today we had Jaime from Mike Counsil Plumbing come to our home to install and plumb our kitchen sink. First of all, Jaime was on time, very professional, and incredibly respectful in our home, which is enough to ensure that I would hire a plumber through MC Plumbing and request him again, but Jamie went above and beyond.

Before we had Jaime come to install the sink, we had the kitchen counter tops replaced. That experience was a lengthly nightmare, and we thought it was over before we called MC Plumbing. However, Jaime pointed out several mistakes the marble and granite company we worked with made on our new quartz counter top. He measured the dimensions and told us the very specific mistakes they made which would prevent safe and correct install of our sink. We were angry and devastated, after having gone 6 weeks without counter tops or running water in our kitchen. Jaime's knowledge, and the time he took to explain what was wrong and why will help when I call the marble and granite company we worked with and give them a piece of my mind on Monday. I sincerely appreciate him explaining something I knew nothing about.

At this point I was so upset knowing that the company who installed the countertop would take FOREVER to fix their mistakes. I have twins on the way and I was incredibly worried about dealing with this awful company and having 6 or more weeks for them to finish the job, and finish it correctly. But then Jaime saved the day! He spent some time thinking about the mistakes and came up with a solution that would allow the sink to be installed, have it work effectively and prevent mold and water damage issues. He spent several hours working in our hot kitchen to make sure that when he left for the day, we had running water. My family and I appreciate the time and care Jaime took to get the job done. He knowledge of his profession, problem solving skills, and dedication to complete the job despite serious roadblocks mean I will hire him again and recommend him to others.

Susan R L.

7/31/2020

We had our horizontal piping beneath the house refreshed several months ago and Kevin Bueno was professional, friendly, responsive, and extremely helpful throughout the process. We recently noticed a leak and Kevin came in the same day we called, checked everything out, and helped us see that the problem was not a plumbing issue; rather it was grout-related. We really appreciate the professionalism and help that Kevin provided. Thanks to Kevin and Mike Counsil Plumbing for great work and peace of mind!

Gary M.

7/16/2018

Called for a quote. Was unable to provide a simple quote for a simple toilet valve repair over the phone. Wanted $80 bucks to come out to discuss the problem first. I did not use their service as I'm not going to pay for them to tell me what I already know. How hard is it to tell somebody how much a simple toilet valve repair is going to cost? Shady.

Marie G.

01/03/2019 12:00:00 SA

One of our Noritz on-demand water heaters, the one that heated the water for the kitchen sink, stopped working. My husband opened it up, took a look, unplugged and replugged it, but it looked dead. We'd used Mike Counsil before with good results, so we gave them a call.
Charles Saulus and Shane Braden came out. The company called the night before to verify the appointment, called the morning of the appointment to verify the address and that we were home, and even e-mailed a photo of Charles so that we'd know that he was legit when he arrived. (That's really incredible service, just as a start.)
Charles and Shane came out on one of the coldest days of the season. Without hesitation, they diagnosed the problem as having to do with a recent power outage--just a few reset switches, and our water heater was fixed!
They not only saved us the cost of a new water heater, but they also did routine maintenance on all three (!) of our water heaters. And to top it off, they went into our crawlspace to check the pipes for any problems--did I mention it was a really cold day?
Charles and Shane were prompt, courteous, and professional. I would recommend them to anyone who needs plumbing services. In fact, I'm going to mention them to my neighborhood group--they were that good. It was such a relief to have two knowledgeable gentlemen helping us at the house.

Jay S.

6/17/2020

I had a problem with roots blocking my sewer pipe. I called Mike Counsil plumbing. They came and tried hard to unblock the pipe but weren't able to initially. When I suggested they unblock from the roadside drain, they succeeded in unblocking it. Later they installed a root barrier with a cleanout which fixed the problem permanently. Very happy with what they did

V R.

07/11/2018 12:00:00 SA

I called them about a non-urgent issue - a kitchen faucet that acts up at random times. They offered me an appointment several days later, which was okay. They then cancelled under two hours before the appointment, when I was already home and waiting for them, saying their plumber was too busy and couldn't get here. To their credit, they gave me a phone number for another plumber, and now I get on their calendar several days out. Complete waste of time.

Timothy H.

4/19/2020

We have used Mike Council before to install a water heater. No problems years later. With TP hoarders, I decided to install a bidet toilet seat. The instructions said installation was simple. May be, but not for me. I called Mike Council, and Code came out to inspect. He gave me a reasonable quote. A few days later, Victoria came out and installed said bidet. She did a great job. When she finished, she cleaned up and even took the bidet box! I highly recommend Mike Council for all your plumbing needs.

Tracy D.

12/10/2018 12:00:00 SA

We just had plumbing services from Mario Q. Who works for Mike counsil plumbing and Rooter. Our toilet had been leaking from the tank, and we didn't know what the problem was. He was very professional, and wrote out three different options for us on how we could fix and or repair our toilet. We decided that we would have him install a new one. He drove to Home Depot, picked up a toilet and returned within a half hour. He worked very quickly and got the job done! He was so nice and so pleasant and I am so glad we called this company. I will definitely refer my friends to Mike counsil plumbing and Rooter in the future! Five star people, five star customer service!

Susan L.

9/25/2018

Jerry Biondi was very professional. He was punctual, kept a clean work area and completed the job. He went out of his way to locate uncommon parts that we needed for our sink repair.
He wouldn't leave until he was satisfied that the toilet was in perfect running order.
Mike Council isn't the least expensive company, but it's worth the price.

Al L.

07/06/2020 12:00:00 SA

Called for service n Cody n Richard came by to give me an estimate for my plumbing problem. There were very efficient n professional was able to diagnose the problem n gave me my estimate. There are very competent plumbers!!

Ruby Y.

9/22/2020

Jamie Reyes from Mike counsil plambing did a great job replacing valves under the sink and fixing the leak. Very professional and respectful. Went 'extra mile' and checked to make sure other pipes and devices closed by are still in good condition at no extra charge.

Pinji Peggy Z.

3/23/2019

The main pipeline of my place got clogged last month, and I contacted Mike Counsil Plumbing for help. They were very responsive and sent Josiah over the next day. Josiah is very knowledgeable and professional. He examined the pipeline with the cable and the camera (because it was not the first time clogging and we tried to figure out what's going on underground), found out the problem very quickly, and suggested the solution. I was busy working from home and taking care of my parents then, while Josiah took impressively good care of my place and kept everything clean. He also explained all the details and gave out a lot of advice. Josiah and his coworker came over again the day after and ran the high pressure water to clean out the fluffy thing that clogged the pipeline. My whole plumbing system has been very healthy since then.

Wayland Q.

10/12/2018 12:00:00 SA

Our sewer line was backing up. I called several places but didn't get a response from one, another said they couldn't do it, and Mike Counsil Responded with a very professional email response. The personnel I spoke to on the phone we're also very courteous and professional.

We scheduled for a two hour window for the technicians arrival. They called me with a half an hour smaller window of when he would arrive. Jaime Reyes was our technician. He was super. Kind and courteous. He explained what he would do and what options involved. I knew exactly what he had to do and got right to it. Focus and determined. He bladed the pipe from the back studio all the way to the front of the house. Most services struggle with this. Afterwards, he put a camera in to check out the condition of the pipe to see what was contributing to this problem every 8 to 10 months. Upon completion of the job, he explained everything he did and the results. He showed me the video and explained what was possibly contributing to the problem. Wow. Thank god it wasn't anything major. What a relief. Thanks Jaime. You did a professional job and you didn't complain. I am impressed with you and the business.

Elliott C.

11/20/2018

Needed some help with a leaky kitchen faucet hose, and everything about my experience with these guys was perfect. They called the night before to confirm, texted a picture of who was coming so I was familiar, and they even came early! Luis and Jesse were very helpful, fast, and respectful of my house. Will definitely use this service again!

Michelle T.

11/15/2018

My kitchen sink was backed up. Charles and Jessie showed up right on time and were very polite. They came into the house with feet protectors so as not to track in any dirt. That impressed me. They gave me a written estimate prior to any work being done. Within 45 minutes my sink was draining just fine again. Despite the fact that I had managed to clog the drain quite well. Thanks for your fine work guys. I will call again when I need you.

Grace O.

10/25/2018

I had a backed up toilet and called Mike Counsil plumbing. Nate arrived promptly at the start of the time window I was given. It turned out the issues I had were complex and required significant repair. It was time to fix the years of band aids applied to the waste line in my older home. Nate and his team including Martin worked efficiently and effectively to address the root cause which was tree roots entering the waste lines due to severe cracks in the clay sewer line.
Every step of the way I was treated with dignity and respect by the entire team. I believe they went above and beyond to give me the best repair around without any shortcuts. I signed up for the maintenance plan as well. I especially would like to call out Nate for his expertise, calmness and competency in managing the entire project .

BTW Nate is not listed as one of the plumbers you can rate directly on the Mike Counsil satisfaction survey. Please add him :)

Erlinda R.

11/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

I'm very pleased with outlined laminated
prices of their plumbing service. This showed
their concerns for consumer direct unhidden
upfront prices.
Yobani has arrived on time of my expected
scheduled appointment; very dedicated to
explain the details of due service or parts to be
replaced.
Thanks for fixing our plumbing issues; very customer oriented business platform.
Erlinda Rivera

natasha b.

05/04/2020 12:00:00 SA

The employees that come out are very knowledgeable. They know their stuff. They take their time, they explain to you what they are doing and why. Very polite too. Not messy as some other companies are. You get what you pay for.

Starla T.

5/24/2020

Shane came out to help resolved a water pressure issue. He did a great job of checking the pressure inside and out and figured it was where it was coming from the street. Problem solved and our lawns now are getting watered properly and the taps actually have some power when the water comes out. Shane was kind and professional

Mary Jo S.

9/25/2018

Great job by Josh overseeing a huge project at my home. Professional, courteous, and kind. I would recommend him and Mike Counsil plumbing to all my friends and neighbors.
I really appreciated Luis's and Richard's hard work to get the job done! An all around exceptional group of guys!

Sophie Y.

01/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

We had Yobani for one inspection. He is the man, so professional and considerate. Also Mike Counsil seems very legit with the standard procedures and cleaning protocols. I would recommend him to anyone and would require for him next time.

Lynne H.

11/14/2018

I am sat here in tears due to this company. I have a leak under my sink, which has made a mess and my family can not use the kitchen. I scheduled the appointment last night and they said they would be here between 3 and 5. Marvellous!!!!! But I just got a call at 2:00pm to say they were not coming, and had no one available to help me.... This is such bad service...... For one, to break an appointment, and two to let me know so late in the day when I can not get another company to come to my house.... No-one I am calling is available.
Avoid this happening to you.... Use another company...........

Everett V.

2/21/2019

I called Mike Counsil Plumbing again based on a previous good experience. This time, I had 2 small problems to be corrected, and needed advice and a bid to bring some water lines up to current code.

Kevin Bueno showed up on time and ready to go. Two problems resolved, and bid prepared, all in less that 2 hours.

Before I encountered Mike Counsil plumbing, I could easily spend 2 hours just trying to get through to someone. These people are great, highly recommended.

Paul H.

01/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

More great service from Mike Counsil Plumbing today. Last year they replaced our water heater (worked through the night), today was the 1 year water heater maintenance. Josh Gibson arrived on time, which is already a plus. He introduced himself, very professional, confirmed the reason for his call, explained the procedure and how long it would take. He also asked if there were any plumbing issues that arose which he could take care of while he was here, wow, volunteering for more work. Josh finishes the work as promised, showed me what he had done, and explained all the paperwork. He shook my hand and thanked me for my business. It is so refreshing to work with a professional company that hires the best!

Karen M.

2/28/2020

I am writing this review because of the absolutely outstanding service that I received from Heber Montano at Mike Counsil Plumbing. After 35 years as a homeowner, I can say that Heber was without doubt one of the most professional, articulate, thorough and meticulous technicians I have ever had do work at my house. He went above and beyond to help me with a faulty water heater. He gave me a thorough explanation of every step he took to inspect the water heater, diagnose the problem and recommend several possible fixes, in ascending order of cost. He even took detailed photographs to show me what he was seeing. Heber is a real credit to whoever hires and trains the staff at Mike Counsil Plumbing!

Karen B.

7/29/2020

I called Mike Counsil Plumbing for second inspection to replace part of my sewer line and was very impressed with the gentleman that came out. Kevin was very professional and knowledgeable, and took thorough pictures and explained everything in detail. Now I have to decide what we are going to do, i.e., fix what's needed immediately or do a complete job. I know I can count on Kevin to answer any questions that I will have.

Mary E.

2/18/2020

I had my house re-piped last month. Kevin and the crew at Mike counsil provided excellent customer service and then some. They were on time, professional, excellent customer service. It was a pleasure to work with Kevin. Above and beyond!

Prasad C.

09/03/2020 12:00:00 SA

This is the most unprofessional Plumbing company i have dealt with , they missed my appointment thrice only to call me 20 minutes before the appointment window expired. Very unprofessional.

Ray A.

02/09/2020 12:00:00 SA

We had Mike Counsil Pluming replaced the outside waterline and some inside plumbing work. Juan A. was the guy who consulted and did the work for us and he did a great job. He was very professional, courteous and stayed on top of the project. We are happy with the work done. Thanks Juan - On T.

Chung Ping C.

1/30/2020

I am very satisfied with their service, definitely will use them in the future! I give them 5-star rating. Price is also reasonable, change the shower cartridge only cost $298 with coupon on the website. Thank you solve my problem on the shower without no warm water..

Leslie C.

10/19/2017

If you check the one and two star Yelp Reviews you see my experience repeated many times. What you pay for in using Mike Counsil is fancy trucks and uniforms, a salesman to try to sell you more work than you have asked for and lastly...maybe... after much negotiation an unclogged drain. Here's my story:
Had a slow running drain, called one of the $69 guaranteed guys who then wanted $122. So I said no, I'll call a real plumber. (Paint me foolish).
Called Counsil and the day they came was the same day of the Napa fires where my daughter lives. My wife and parents of a good friend drove to Napa to help evacuate my daughter. (This is relevant to the tale) I had the 2 yr old and someone who was picking up a cat I fostered in the house when Cody from Counsil showed up. I said how stressed I was and so let's just get this going. Showed the cat lady to the door and showed Cody the drain. It is 11 :30 am He looks and says Oh my yes we'll not really to be able to fix this unless we open up the exterior wall and put in a clean out because the Eichlers (the type of home I live in) don't have clean outs. Yes I say, I know that but today I need to just have a running drain. This happens a couple times and year, just run the snake and I'll get back to you about the rest later. In fact we had been thinking of putting a clean out in but THIS IS NOT THE DAY.
He then spends the next 30 min (with a 2 year old running around in the background and me trying to keep her safe) telling me how I need new drain lines, that a snake will break my pipes, and showing me where and how they will put in the clean out. He tells me it would be very expensive because they would have to dig up my slab to put in the new drainage pipes. I explain as politely as I can that NO ONE is digging into my slab as I have in slab hydronic heating and I am not going to replace that and to just please UNCLOG the drain.
He then runs an estimate and says oh, my guy who does the work is almost here and so he'll run a small drill snake and see if that helps. Now I know that is not going to do sh**, and yet because of my stress I say ok.
THREE TIMES I tell him no I am not going to authorize $3000 of work for a clean out but ok fine charge me $322 and let's get this done. His guy shows up, they spend 20 min discussing the drain clog, then the guy has to go out to his truck to get his tools and then 10 min later he comes in with the same kind of snake (25') I ran tru the drain last month. I am still keeping the 2 year old busy and decide to put her down for a nap. IT IS 12:30 PM. I tell them to finish up and send the bill by email.
The kid won't sleep and at 1:00 I come out to find them still there and they graciously allow as how they might use the 75' Power Snake but I have to sign a waiver in case it breaks my pipes. FINE. So they go out to the truck to get the big snake and after 15 min I holler down the drive, are you guys gona' do this or not. Cody says Oh I was just explaining the how the kitchen drain line connects to the main drain line...and I do not say but I think..FOR 15 MINUTES??? The 2 year old is playing quietly and has not yet harmed one of the dogs or herself.
The second guy comes in (I never see Cody again) pouting and proceeds to run the big snake, then has to go ask Cody something AGAIN. Then I get a call from some guy in the Counsil office and when I ask why he said that Cody called him because I was so stressed. I said did he tell you why I am stressed? No he said. So I give him the outline: My daughter is evacuating from Napa, I have a 2 year old who needs a nap and your guys have been here for 2.5 hours to snake a damn slow drain line. Oh he says, I'll call you tomorrow to see when we can schedule the other work.
At this point I know damn well that Counsil will never set foot in our home again.
Finally at 3:30 the drain is unclogged. The guy has to re- type everything into his IPAD because Cody's IPAD doesn't connect to his and we re-enter all the info. I tell him my estimate and pay. We shake hands. NEVER AGAIN. P.S. UPDATE Daughter and her home are fine. It's the big stuff that is important. Not the drains.

R Y.

3/27/2019

Henry and Xavier were on-time, professional and courteous. The work was performed as expected, and I am satisfied with the job they performed replacing the bathroom sink shutoff valves in my condo.

It's an old building with old plumbing, and I could not do the work myself (though I did try), so I called in the pros and am glad I did. Yes, I could probably find someone to do the work for less, but more than likely that is what the previous owner(s) did, and that might well be why the work ended up being so tough this time after 20+ years. Hope this helps.

Jenn O.

12/19/2018

Mike Counsil Plumbing was awesome! My father had just moved to hospice care in an Elder Care center. I don't live in San Jose- I'm just staying at my father's home while we prepare for my father's passing. The house is older, and I am not familiar with ANYTHING in this house. I was in my pajamas, doing a load of laundry when things just kind of exploded- tub, toilet, blech!! I called Mike Counsil and a plumber was here within an hour- Mario Torrez was my technician and he saved the day. I was losing it on so many levels, and he made me laugh and let me ramble at him, while I was destroyed-looking in my pajamas. I will use them for all of my plumbing needs, and request Mario Torrez. I am so grateful for him - he made a horrible terrible day not so bad- and made me smile. It had been a while since I laughed. Thank you Mario!

Julie P.

11/20/2018

Victoria Cedillo is knowledgable, friendly, and professional. She provided me with information about all my options and did an excellent job installing my new toilet. I was so impressed. 5 stars indeed for Victoria and Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter.

Tim L.

1/23/2019

I called Mike Counsil for a backed up kitchen sink. They have a prompt and efficient call center and gave me a two hour time window later that same day. The call center then calls 20-30 mins prior to their personnel arriving.

Jesse and Charles showed up and assessed the issue. It was quite clear to me Charles knew what he was doing after looking at my entire home and narrowing down the kitchen clean out. I was given a bid and the work began. The area they needed to access was difficult and frozen shut in my 70 year old home. Previous plumbers had taken the easy way, not the correct way as they ultimately fixed my blockage. They explained the entire process and did not attempt to charge me more when it was clearly not their normal repair. This was my second time using this company, they seem fair and don't collect a payment until the work is done. Lastly, they clean up their mess and everyone I have dealt with has been very polite.

Angel A.

10/17/2018

We had a problem with our refrigerator water valve and needed a little help so we called mike Counsil plumbing and they scheduled us right away and were very professional we will use them again, request Mario T. He did a great job and me and my husband are very happy.

Steve G.

10/30/2019

A very nice receptionist in the store the phone. Scheduled for Friday from 4 to 6 for my first service. Planned everything to leave the work early. Got a phone call for cancellation and rescheduled for Monday from 4 to 6. At about 530 on Monday, got a phone call that they're running late. ETA was 7 o'clock. I said no thank you and now looking for a new plumber.

Henry W.

12/30/2017

Fancy Dancy Plumbing is what you get with these guys.

Nice green trucks, nice uniforms, super attentive follow-up from their office.....

However . . . they make no bones about being a top-drawer outfit, and they can turn a mole hill into a mountain if you don't watch out.

In my case, I had a leaky kitchen faucet and a water hammer (pipe knocking.) I called in, and TWO plumbers showed up, a nice lady named Victoria and a guy. They looked at my sink, then said they had to crawl under the house. So they BOTH suited up in these white HAZMAT looking suits, and crawled under the house, banging around for about a half hour. With serious faces, they told me I needed to completely replace my flaky galvanized piping and that it would cost, ball park, around $15K! I said whoa wait a minute. I just have a leaky faucet and a water hammer happening.... I'm not about to spend $15K for new pipes!. At that point Victoria got back under the sink with a wrench, and in about two minutes, tightened up the fittings, and voila: no more leak, no more water hammer.

So in the end, it was a happy ending. Problem solved, for $89!

These guys are high end and want to fix things to the max. Just make sure if you hire them that you keep them focussed on the job at hand, and steer them clear of trying to replumb your entire house!

KimchiKraut K.

07/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

Kevin and Jesse were very professional, presented us all the options for our plumbing issue and executed quickly.

Jerry C.

07/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

I'm updating my review of the company for a couple of reasons but the main reason is the personal attention Jaime gave to me.

1. After I called and complained, their customer service representative (Jaime) came out to talk to me.
2. He agreed with my complaint and personally saw to it that everything got fixed.
3. He was in constant contact with me, phone and email so I always knew what was going on and when things were being worked on.
4. They fixed a couple of the problems with the original installation that I wasn't happy with.
5. He brought someone over to clean up the mess that I shouldn't have had to complain about.
6. He was here for the inspection to make sure everything was done properly.

In summary, they made it right in every way possible. I can't go all the way to 5 stars on principal because I had to go through some hassle to get to this point. If they had started this way, then they would have gotten 5 stars. I've noticed some people complain about their prices but I don't think they were bad, the issue was simply service.

I hope Yelp posts this review because for some reason they don't post them all which doesn't seem fair to any company getting reviewed. They should let you easily see everything, not only what they deem relevant.

Chris T.

8/16/2018

Yobani came by and was able to diagnose the problem we were having with water from our shower dripping on the first floor very quickly. We discussed options and he worked with us on a plan, we also had a toilet replaced in another bathroom.

They resolved the issue and we are very happy with the service. I would recommend them to anyone with a plumbing issue.

Yahya S.

11/13/2019

Mike Counsil Plumbing is a Very friendly and helpful business. Did not hesitate to help me with my needs. Highly recommend them!

Stephen E.

03/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

I was having problems with my master bedroom toilet flushing correctly.
It was my lucky day! When, I did a google search for reputable and inexpensive plumber in South San Jose. Mike Counsil plumbing came up first. And, after reading Customer reviews. I decided to call them. They're a top notch business from the front end to the back end. The receptionists, I talked to were very
courteous, efficient and professional. I was pleased with how easy it was to open a work order. As well as, how quick the technician was scheduled to be dispatched to do the repair. Joshua, arrived at my house and did a great job explaining to me the process that it would take to do the job. What sets MC plumbing apart from other plumbing services I've used in the past. They will give you a free estimate of what it's going to take to fix the problem reported. Joshua, was very knowledgeable, and had great customer skills. I was reassured that the my repair would get done my a professional. They will be my go to plumbing business in the future.

Fred O.

10/19/2019

Recently I had plumbing issues at my home. I called Home Advisor for plumbing services. They dispatched a company called Mike Counsul Plumbing. One of their employees was Kevin Bueno. After meeting Kevin, I was impressed with his friendly attitude and sincere concern for his customer's wishes and concerns. Kevin has been working on my plumbing issues for several days. The days that Kevin has been here, I was impressed with his high level of honesty, diligence, knowledge, experience and hard working professionalism. Kevin appears to be the coordinator for the numerous jobs assigned to his company. Many times when Kevin was addressing my issues and concerns as we were talking, his phone was constantly ringing regarding other plumbing issues he was responsible for. I was impressed how Kevin was able to answer his calls, resolve scheduling concerns, then quickly get back to me to address my issues. It became obvious to me that Kevin endures a tremendous amount of stress as a coordinator but was still able to maintain a level of civility and concern while addressing my issues. We all know how difficult it can be to find an honest plumber, but Kevin immediately dispelled any concerns I had regarding his integrity and honesty. His attention to detail is exhibited in his workmanship. He has been consistently very personable, friendly, courteous and attentive to my needs and questions I presented to him. In my opinion, Kevin is a tremendous asset to the Mike Counsil Plumbing Organization. I feel the Mike Counsil Plumbing Company is very fortunate to have Kevin as one of their employees. I believe with Kevin's knowledge and degree of professionalism, and loyalty to the company, Kevin would be a prime candidate for a position in upper management in the company.

Twitch R.

4/23/2015

I spoke with both Mike Counsil and Glenn on the day my parents were discussing getting this unnecessary repair completed on their home for the initial cost of $28k. Glenn had actually suggested to my parents that they discuss this with someone, so they don't come after us. So, my parents called me. It is at this point that contact was made with both Glenn and Mike Counsil the owner to discuss what Glenn was trying to sell them and the fact that the initial cost of $28k was not going to fix the problem and an additional sum of money would be required. Mike Counsil's response on the phone was that he is not involved in the day to day operations of his business, and would have to get with Glenn; he said he would call me back. Instead, I got Glenn who then told me he would discount the additional repair. When I discussed with Glenn that discounting the additional repair that he says would fix their issue doesn't resolve the fact that they were trying to charge them $28k for something that he clearly admitted on the phone would not have resolved the initial reason why they called in.

My parents had called them out to their house because the plumbing was backing up into the shower and tub. This was on the 20th of January. They had no facilities to use. On January 21st, James came out to see what the issue was. James proceeded to tell them that they needed to repipe under the house, but he needed to get Glenn out to the home to get them an estimate. Glenn was able to come on the 22nd. Still, no working facilities for my parents. On the 22nd of January Glenn and James came out and said the cost to repipe under the home because of all the raw sewage that was leaking was going to be $28,000. Mind you my parents still don't have working facilities. Glenn manages to get my father, who is blind, to sign a contract he can't read. They also ask my mother if someone else needs to be involved with this decision because we don't want them coming after us. At this point, my parents have cut the initial check of $10,000 to this place to start the work. I call my parents and start talking to them about this, as Glenn had suggested. James then walks in and tells my mom that the $28,000 he was trying to rob her of won't fix the problem - it's going to be additional money to repipe out to the city AND to add insult to injury they won't have facilities AGAIN. At this point I tell her to tell them to get off the property. Mike Counsil, the owner is then contacted, who then says he will call him back. Glenn calls my husband back and offers a discount to do the rest of the work. A discount to perform work that would actually fix the issue??? He doesn't offer to bring any sort of facility out to my parents home for them to use - this has to be discussed. The initial quote of $28,000 wasn't going to fix their issue. Glenn also texts my husband to say that the technician didn't want to go under the house because of all the raw sewage so he didn't start any work. My parents wrote their three day right to cancel and received their check back the following day.

Needless to say, I called another company out who then clears the line for my parents in less than 3 hours - after going without facilities for days. They took care of my parents first - then they actually put a camera down the line. Something Glenn failed to do.There actually is no issue with the pipes. I have photos of underneath the house that show zero sewage leaking and cast iron pipes that are not corroded as James' invoice says. I have camera video showing that there is no issue with those pipes.

They tried to take advantage of a senior couple that has one party that English is not her native language and a gentleman that has eye sight issues. They lied about their diagnosis knowing a blind, crippled man would not be able to look under the home himself to see what they were lying about, nor did they bother to take photos, as the other company did to show any documentation about their diagnosis.

In addition, this review has now been removed twice with claims of this being second hand information. The photo below of Mike Counsil's last four digits of his cell phone clearly indicate this is first hand information. If conversations between myself and both Mike Counsil and Glenn do not equate first hand, I am not sure what does; especially when we are talking about $28k worth of work that isn't going to fix the issue on a customer who speaks to a family member about this at Glenn's advise. The scare thing thing is that this customer happens to be a senior, is blind, cannot walk well, let alone crawl under the house and see he was being lied too about. Kudos to Mike and Glenn!

Kevin C.

5/23/2017

Abel fixed my kitchen drain and replaced my bathroom faucet which is why I won't give one star.

First appointment for my kitchen drain, he showed up on time and fixed it in a timely manner.

Second appointment was made for my bathroom faucet to be replaced but he decided to reschedule due to a big project he was working on. Fair enough, coming a day later wouldn't kill me.

Third appointment I had requested him to come and check a fairly urgent leakage which is causing half of my kitchen floor to fill with water and had another issue with my toilet leaking. Appointment was at 6, he didn't come until about 8:30. I wasn't informed in advance either. So he comes in to diagnose the issue but doesn't fix anything bc he wanted to see where exactly the leak was coming from. He instructed us not to use the shower for two days and that he would come after two days.

Fast forward three days later, I send him a text message and a voicemail to confirm our appointment bc keep in mind half of my kitchen is flooding and my bathroom toilet, so this is obviously an urgent situation AND GUESS WHAT! NO SIMPLE REPLY LOL.

All I asked was if he was still coming for our appointment. Had he replied with a yes or a no this review wouldn't have happened. But my whole family is suffering from this leakage so I'm really pissed that Abel neglected us like that.

Abel I gave you three chances. Bc of the lack of consideration for my really urgent situation I'm taking my issues to another plumbing company that care about their customers and that are FAR more professional.

Nikhil K.

3/14/2017

They setup an afternoon appointment for a leaking water heater. I cancelled my appointments for the day to take care of this emergency situation. A half hour before they said the technician was running a little late and would be there soon. Then they called to say that he was held up and they were not able to send anyone for the next two weeks. Really???
Looking at other reviews, this is not an isolated incident. I wonder what their modus operandi is.

Mary C.

09/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

Very pleased! The dispatcher was polite and thorough.

ABEL V. was our technician and he was courteous and respectful and nice to our dogs. He explained everything well and we felt confident in his abilities. I will request Abel in the future.

This was our first experience and we will definitely use them again.

Michael G.

02/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

HIGH PRICED

My toilet was backed up--it's the main sewer line. Happens every 2-3 years. I've always called SAN JOSE PLUMBING. They charge between $150 and $350 every time. SAN JOSE PLUMBING wasn't available until late today or early tomorrow, and given it's a toilet, I wanted to get it fixed sooner rather then later. That's where the Mike Counsil extortion comes into play. First, they charged me $89 just to come to my house to give a quote. Then Giovanni started with the offer of installing a $2,500 clean out, figuring that when he showed me the real price, I would jump on it. He then politely pointed to a book filled with fixed prices and told me the service would be $671.

I paid $89 to learn that Mike Counsil is extremely high priced, they use fear tactics, and take advantage of the situation to charge double what other plumbers charge.

Verne H.

9/25/2018

Wow! We just got the very best service we've ever had from any contractor doing work in our home!

Kevin's team (Jesse, Nate, Joey and all the others) just completed our total re-pipe of sewer and fresh water service in an amazingly short amount of time. Each and every member of the team was professional, friendly, courteous, polite and so hard-working! Kevin managed the project so efficiently and professionally! He always informed us of each step in the process and answered all our questions --- he and his team always arrived when they said they would --- they were so considerate of us and our home --- they often stayed long hours to finish the day's work, which included providing a working toilet and kitchen each night --- and they made the extra effort to clean up each evening.

We have had several remodeling projects over the years, but this company was, by any measure, far superior to all other companies we have worked with! It has been a real pleasure working with Mike Counsil Plumbing and we have highly recommended them to our friends and neighbors.

Thank You, Kevin, for making a difficult project as pleasant as possible for us!

Clement C.

05/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

Have been going to these guys last few services. Today we had Christopher Ventura help inspect and install kitchen faucet. Incredibly thorough with us; friendly service; and quality product and install. Highly recommended!

Connie B.

05/04/2018 12:00:00 SA

Great service! I was stressed out about the kitchen that was clogged yesterday. Manny and his apprentice Xavier came today just in time. They are very knowledgeable and friendly. They solved the problem in less than an hour! Happy with their service!

Victor C.

9/20/2015

We will like to recommend Dave Glover from Mike Council Electrical/Plumbing.

Dave and his crew worked very professionally and completed replacing our electrical panel on time as he promised.

We were very fortunate to have Dave looked at our electrical panel after we noticed our lights inside our house started too flickered intermittently at night. We had no idea our house was at risk because our electrical panel had caught on fire. We called Mike Council to have them looked at the issue and we were very fortunate to have Dave assigned to our call.
After inspecting our electrical panel he immediately informed us of the issue and made some temporary repairs the next day. He also was very helpful and assisted us with the information we needed to file a claim with our homeowner's insurance company.

Thank you Dave and crew!

Prakash N.

5/22/2018

We observed a leak from the earlier-mentioned tankless water heater that Mike Counsil Plumbing installed. We called them and technician Kevin Bueno arrived in less than 2 hours. He quickly diagnosed the issue and fixed it. Efficient, Accurate and Competent is how I would describe the Mike Counsil technicians.

Cherie M.

3/31/2015

First I would like to commend Chris Chavez for changing my opinion of
Mike Counsil Plumbing... my first impression when I called the office, the ladies answering the phone asked me the same questions, for which I had already said
all the answers when I introduced myself to them. The ladies also gave me wrong information to my technician which reflected the arrival time they said he would arrive, I think these ladies are trying to remember their opening line on the phone putting a smile on your face than listening to the customer. Chris did a thorough inspection of my entire property, he repaired and installed for my job, and was very tidy professional and clean when the job was finished. I would recommend Mike Council if you ask for Chris.

Raymond Y.

2/20/2020

Appointment arrangement is smooth. Know all steps beforehand. Profession service. Job done clean and quick. Will be in referral list.

Kayla P.

06/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

I was able to call today and get a technician scheduled to come out right away to check a blockage in a drain. The company was very communicative about when someone would show up. Kevin Bueno showed up at the time scheduled and evaluated the situation. Although the long term solution is a bigger, more expensive repiping job, Kevin was able to clear the pipes today for a lower cost so we can use the drain for now until we schedule the necessary work. Kevin was very polite and professional.

Gina W.

09/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

We had a leak from the washer in the garage. We mended our old cement sink but the leak was coming from a washer hose draining into the house to the main outlet. This is the part that sucks... The price started at $2914 to repair the leak from the washer. (Cool, let's get this done!)

As time went on, the company found more issues. The price went to $14,600. YIKES!!!

OK, here comes the big KICK in the pants...
After a visual camera was installed to investigate the pipe, they found several tree roots in the sewer pipe going to Main Line in the center of the road, we will now need to pay an extra $11,500!

Our bill is now over $25,000. Please send me your experience with MC Plumbing

OMG! How and why does a home owner get into these predicaments?

Dawn I.

1/26/2017

Mike Counsil Plumbing provided prompt, reliable response to my leaking water heater, which I knew would need to be replaced - a crisis situation, to a considerable extent. My old one had not been installed up to code, and the new one is. I was very satisfied with all aspects of the work EXCEPT THE PRICE & THE PROCESS OF ARRIVING AT IT!!

The technician was very careful to keep and leave things as clean as possible, arrive on time, etc. However, there is no transparency about the actual cost of the water heater itself or the other parts required, & there were only three 'packages' from which to choose. The repair person was not able to clearly & convincingly explain the differences between the three packages. My understanding when I made a choice, based on the employee's statements, was that the same model of water heater would be provided regardless of the 'package', and that the packages differed only in the length of their warranty -- and that the price differences were based on whether, and for how many years, annual servicing would be included.

On this understanding, I choose the least expensive package, around $1800 or $1900, but the final total still ended up to be approximately $1K more! The repair person could not provide a convincing explanation for the extra $1K, & the total amount was close to $3K!!!

The work did include having to run copper pipe thru the crawl space under my house so the T&P (temperature and pressure) relief line would drain outside of the house, per City of Campbell code. Also, adding a pan under the water heater. But $1K more?

The technician did not offer any details about the model that would be provided, its advantages, features, etc. - & I did not think to ask.

At the time I went with Mike Counsil, I felt I was 'over a barrel' - either go for it, or spend $89 for the house call AND spend several cold, rainy winter days, or perhaps a week, without hot water - to comparison shop & look for someone to do it less expensively - with uncertainty if a lower price would be found.

Later I thought, I should have just refused to pay for the house call. The guy didn't DO any work except present the three options to me. It was essentially a sales presentation.

I am still struggling with the feeling of having been taken, & trying to research things to get a better idea of whether I have a reasonable gripe. I understand the company is a large, fully licensed, accredited, business, presumably providing humane benefits to its staff, but $1K MORE than the amount listed for the package I choose?

I was also told my sewer pipes have pinhole leaks and that replacing the sewer pipes could be as much as $25 K. I later read a review here on Yelp in which someone wrote being quoted an above $20K price for sewer work by Mike Counsil, then getting three other quotes ranging from c.$5K to 8K, choosing one of them and being quite satisfied. How does this company get away with their high prices? by taking advantage of desperate, busy not-plumbing-savvy people.

*****
Addendum added 5/26/17:
After having this work done, I did some research & found that everyone to whom I mentioned Mike Counsil Plumbing laughed, moaned, & shook their heads; this is at least four or five people. This company has a TERRIBLE reputation for overcharging, among those in the business. I checked at Home Depot & was told no way should it have been more than c. $1800 -- the price in their presentation brochure, to which they then tacked on another thousand for no clear reason. Someone else told me he has had friends work for Mike Council plumbing, & they are trained in how to jack up the price. Despicable! I am working on how to get redress for this gross overbilling, & may go to the Better Business Bureau.

Adding insult to injury is that they are a Google-approved, recommended Google Home Service. -- I found them when Googling what to do when a water heater is leaking! I haven't yet figured out how to communicate this issue to Google.

Looking closely at their website, there are four different phone numbers in the (408) area code; & they somewhat deceptively post 'reviews' on their own website, all of which, of course, are positive! Looking closely at their Yelp Reviews, there are 65 negative, which despite the many positive, indicates some serious problems. Mostly with price or reliability.

Jay S.

07/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

This company cancelled an appointment AFTER the scheduled time! They said they had no plumber available AFTER I had left my work to be at home for the appointment. They offered an other appt more than 2 days later - terrible customer service.

Chris W.

10/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

These guys are out and out scam artists, and I'm being polite here. We had a gas leak and after $2700.00 bucks to diagnose the problem, they estimated $15,000 to $20,000 to re-pipe the gas lines from the meter to all appliances. They said it was code to do so. Keep in mind, they had not yet found the leak and did not seem to have the technical ability to do so!

We quickly called another plumber, after writing off the $2700.00, and he brought in his leak finder wizard with all the necessary high tech gas sniffer tools and found the leak in 45 mins. Cut out a 12x12 piece of sheet rock and there it was! He fixed it in 1.5 hours, pressure tested the line and we were good to go. When I asked him about the so called code requiring all pipes to be replaced, he just laughed. The other things he said are not repeatable here. Bill: $985.00.

Net: Mike Counsil Plumbing is close to, if not outright criminals. Avoid them like Ebola. Run, don't walk away.

Wallace M.

04/01/2019 12:00:00 SA

First of all the two workers that came by were really nice. Nice professional appearance, but what blew me away is that they wanted to patch my leaking lines under my house for $2600.00, then give me a bid to redo it all. Umm, I asked why I would patch if I was trying to redo it. I was given this speech about stopping the leak (minor). So I called a random plumber I didnt know and he said it was absurd and that was a way they hook you in, by applying the labor they did to the new job. SURE AS SH@& they then told me that not 20 min later when I asked again how it made sense. I stopped them before they started. I got a bid for all of my 1 bedroom home to be repiped (water and sewage) to the street. Estimated bid...$26,000.00!! I got two other bids and told them I was going to, and they said they would be higher due to quality of work. This is permitted work and has to pass code...how much better can it be. Next two bids for same job and materials. 12,500 and 14,000.00! No joke. I called a 4th company that didnt do big jobs and I asked about this company. They said they are notoriously expensive and will hook you into overpaying. STAY AWAY!!! Get multiple bids or stay away. The comment by the company below doesn't even address THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES saying their prices will be higher as well. DONT JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT...get bids and see.

David W.

04/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

Joseph Salazar came out last night and took care of our problem. Our sewer was clogged and he was able to determine the best way to solve the problem without causing additional issues. He cooperated on the final cost and was able to schedule a return trip to estimate the correction to redo some previous work that was done incorrectly.
I look forward to working with him again.
Dave W.

Baggariddim M.

5/17/2018

This review is a bit overdue, but I'd like to acknowledge Christopher Ventura for coming out and giving us an honest evaluation of options for repairing / replacing our aging water heater a few weeks ago. He gets all 4 of the stars given here. He was on time as scheduled and very thorough in his assessment of the problem. He then went above & beyond by going to two separate stores to get the right replacement part. He made every effort to discount and/or waive certain charges to keep the final price at an amount we could afford. He was also great to talk to, very personable and polite.

With that being said, Mike Counsil is not cheap, which is why I dropped a star in my review. However, at least I didn't need to replace my water heater altogether.

Brian W.

8/25/2016

What an unbelievably bad experience!

We called them to clear a clog in our kitchen drain line. They started snaking the line, then told us their tool broke in the pipe which they claimed was caused by an obstruction that would necessitate a complete replacement of our drain line at a cost of $7,900. Admittedly, this drain line is very long and requires clearing about every 4 years. They refused any alternative I proposed with their only answer being: we don't do that ... Eventually, after 2 days of arguing and power calls from their regional manager (read: strong arm), we asked them to remove their broken tool from our pipe and leave. It turns out there was no broken tool in the pipe as they originally claimed.

We called a second plumber who snaked the line successfully in 15 minutes and quoted us $2500 to replace the drain line should we decide to do so.

I have read a similar reviews from others. It seems they work on commission, so there's a lot of up- selling going on.

Mike I.

10/23/2017

The technician who showed up to perform the work was neat, professional, and he kept a clean work area. There was no evidence of his being here other than my shower was functioning perfectly. I would welcome Joey into my home to do repairs any time.
Mike I

Kacy O.

03/09/2010 12:00:00 SA

We have worked with Mike Counsil Plumbing on at least 3 occasions and have been very satisfied with the work completed.

After water kept backflowing into our 2 year old washing machine for the about two months, we called MC Plumbing and another local company for a consultation.

First, we were impressed by the inspection by MC Plumbing. Our technician, Glenn inspected our house thoroughly inside, outside and under the house. Then, he gave us options for the work he recommended our doing. (The previous inspection by the local company was for a mere 10 minutes of which we had to call and request an estimate from the initial inspection. And, the technician told us that all we needed was a larger pipe for water to flow to/from the washing machine...)

Second, all of MC Plumbing's team members were prompt, professional and reliable. Roberto and Jesus worked along with Glenn and were very thorough with their job. In the process of doing the work, they also discovered that a tree root had found its way into our pipes and that we had a lot of blockage in the pipes.

Without hesitation, we would hire Mike Counsil Plumbing again. Thank you, Glenn, Roberto and Jesus for a job well-done!

Victor C.

4/18/2018

Jerry came to fix a water leak. He located the problem and analyzed the root cause. Oh wow, he was on disposable suit and booties which kept all dusts away from the house. He was professional and fast.

Communications were great. The job he performed was well explained....before he started and after he completed it. Everything was recorded with pictures and videos. He even called an experienced supervisor to come to discuss the update of the plumbing system.

This plumbing company may not offered the lowest price, but their services have won my confidence on the job they performed. The reason this review was not a 5-star is the price was a little too high.

Many thanks to Jerry!

Rico S.

7/29/2014

Think about this: when multiple plumbers - specifically, five - are called and their estimates range from $5,000 - $6,700 to re-pipe a house (but not the main) AND Mike Counsil provides an $18,000 estimate, something is NOT right.

AVOID.

Louise C.

10/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Started off promising, but ended up with a proposal for huge work under the house and drain still clogged. Next day another company's man came and fixed the drain, no problem, no huge work needed.

Gary M.

10/10/2019 12:00:00 SA

Prompt appointment. Cody, Shane, Tracy, Anthony, Richard, and Glen were very professional. Problem satisfactorily resolves. Pricey for repairs and upgrades.

Kari P.

3/16/2018

I had a clogged kitchen drain. The plumber that I had originally scheduled to come out called cancelled at the last minute. I called Mike Counsil and they were able to get someone out within a couple of hours. Christopher Ventura was my service technician. Christopher was professional and worked fast to get the job done.

Jim C.

1/27/2019

Called MC on 1/9/19 for an appointment on 1/11/19 to assess our water heater. Waited all day (a work day for me), and received a call at about 4:30p that the representative would be unable to make it that day. Re-scheduled for Saturday. Abel showed up on time. He was very professional and courteous. We went over options and scheduled an install on 1/15/19. The crew did not show up in the window scheduled, but were able to install the new water heater anyways. The new water heater was worse than the old one; minimal hot water. After several attempts at scheduling follow up checks and finally a second new water heater, we have consistent hot water again. So, (1) MCPR plumbing staff is professional, clean; Abel is the BEST! (2) They left the work area spotless after the installs, (3) downside: their dispatch/schedulers need to sharpen their pencils and schedule jobs better. After several no-shows and one late-show, this indicates to me a lack of planning on managements part for scheduling work.

Matthew Q.

8/17/2015

Our technical was at our house within 30 min of the late Friday night call. He did a fair and thorough assessment and presented me with multiple options.

Though a little more expensive than some other alternatives, I feel that the quality of his work and especially his ability to work us into a schedule that met our needs more than made up for the overall sticker shock.

He was back the next morning (on his birthday mind you) to install our new water heater. In under 3 hours he was done and hot water was restored.

Thank you RJ. You were great.

James H.

8/26/2014

When I called to schedule an appointment, I was told a technician would be at my house in one to two hours. I was pleasantly surprised when he showed up in 45 min. The technician, Charles Saulus, was very professional and curtious. He explained everything he was going to do and why he was going to do if that way. He got my approval at each step of the process which affected cost. I was very happy With Charles' expertise and performance, and, as a result, with Mike council PlumbIng, in general.
This is the second time I have used this company, and I have been happy with their service both times. Again, high praise for the technician Charles Saulus.

Ronald D.

10/30/2014

Eddie Garcia is the man! He is the most professional,trustworthy,personable and knowledgeable plumber I have ever met. Although he did not earn my business because my HW will cover the repairs after they initially said no, he remained polite and sincere about it.
He came twice to my home to do a throrough inspection and pointed to me the plumbing issues that I have.
He is a life saver! He discovered a water damage under our crawl space which can lead to molds and recommended another good company Dry Force.
I can not thank him enough for the great service he provided and he's highly recommended. His company has a very nice green van and very good costumer service.
I highly recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing.!

Diane D.

11/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

We purchased Mike Counsil Plumbing's annual inspection service for proactive management of any plumbing issues inside and out at our home. We found a potentially dangerous leak and interior pipe degradation because of this. They also found a leak on one of our back flow devices outside. Another firm repaired a leak 9 years ago but replaced the original metal section with a cheaply made plastic part. Mike Counsil's team ordered a high quality metal replacement part and installed it correctly. We always ask for Kevin, a young go-getter with great results and satisfaction. These guys are very well trained, clean and professional... The best we've encountered over 35 years as home owners on the Peninsula.

Laura F.

12/13/2019

Greatest plumbing experience ever. Solved 13 year problem. Super super knowledgeable team. Will only trust them moving forward.

Will N.

09/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

We called Mike Counsil to take care of a difficult drain clog in our kitchen sink at 8pm at night. Their communication and promptness was exemplary, arriving within an hour or so. Mario was polite, professional and efficient, and it seemed like the problem was very quickly fixed. However, Mario wanted to be sure we didn't just push the clog further down the piping, and I'm glad he did - it turned out a deeper cleaning was needed. Thanks to his thorough work, we were able to get the problem solved in one shot. Much appreciated!

Jimena M.

9/16/2018

I had a couple of plumbing emergencies these year and this company had always a very prompt attentive response. The lady who answered the phone Desire is really nice and keep you posted at all the times. Jerry came within two hours since I logged my call and took care of the problem. He was very polite and patience answering all my questions. He did an excellent job and won't hesitate to contact them if I ever need it again.

Michael S.

4/15/2019

Jerry came out to fix my shower on a Sunday emergency. He arrived early and from the beginning explained what was needed. He told me what steps he was going to take and why. And as I watched him work he kept me informed on what actions were required as the repair progressed. I could tell he was experienced and thought through each step before he went further into the repair. After the job was completed I realized what I originally thought might be a simple weekend DIY was really well beyond my skills.

Heidi P.

9/30/2019

I called Mike Counsil to fix my shower drain. It was clogged and draining slowly. I had used Mike Counsil years ago at a different house and remembered them to be very helpful. First of all, the scheduler and dispatch worked with me for the proposed time of arrival. I was able to stay at work until they were about 20 minutes from arriving at my house. Cody and Bobby arrived with friendly smiles and quickly assessed the problem. They checked the overall condition of my plumbing then went to work to fix my clogged shower. I felt the price was reasonable compared to other bids I had received. I will call Mike Counsil again for any future plumbing needs.

Nil K.

02/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

I had scheduled an appointment with them to get an urgent plumbing job done and on the day of the appt I'm told the technician had another unforseen emergency job come up and wouldn't be able to make it. I took the day off of work for the appointment and the best solution they could give me was for me to call around to other plumbers in the area or to reschedule in which I'd have to take another day off...no thanks. Terrible service, definitely won't be using their service.

Joan w.

9/25/2019

Mike Counsil Plumbing performed admirably yesterday. We inherited an older house, which the contractor's report revealed had some hidden leaks. Called Mike Council. Glenn and Shane came out the next day, climbed under the house, found multiple leak problems, and sat down with me to explain the extent of the work needed. I had no idea about water pipes and waste pipes and different materials used to make pipes. So knowledgeable and professional and kind. Shane checked the water pressure and made sure everything was ship-shape before he left. I want this company to do the extensive plumbing work we need!

Ted S.

8/14/2015

I have been calling Mike Counsil Plumbing for almost 20 years when we need help, and they always deliver.

Yesterday we had a pipe fail in the shower and we called them at about 1 PM. They were able to send a guy (Jaime) out by 7 PM and he repaired the system and had it running in 45 minutes.

Prompt, professional and reliable -- as always. No complaints whatsoever...

Monique P.

12/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

Great - and considerate - service.
Just received final inspection on work done by Mike Counsil Plumbing. Had to call for service about a week before Thanksgiving. Kevin Bueno arrived promptly to assess the problem. After some investigation, what we thought was a simple blockage became much more extensive work; requiring digging under the house and replacing pipe. Not only was the holiday looming, but I had a sick elderly relative staying with me. He was very considerate and thoughtful. Informing us exactly when and how long we would be without water each day. The whole crew worked hard to get the job done ASAP. Unfortunately, the weather & scheduling inspections are what delayed completion but I have nothing but good things to say about Kevin & his crew. He was even able to install a water filter that we've been meaning to replace for years. Pipes fixed, filter installed and they did it quickly and (protected flooring) cleaned up the area when finished. We will definitely use this company in the future when necessary and request Kevin's service again.

Melissa G.

3/30/2016

Mike counsil is a great plumbing service -very professional. One time I called in asking for KEVIN BUENO because i wanted out standing service once again but to find out he is not with them anymore.. i still used MCP and would recommend them to anyone

gary w.

02/02/2019 12:00:00 SA

Called Mike Counsil Plumbing this morning at 05:30 A.M. had a leak in the bathroom - very nice people on the front-line telephone - too all the pertinent information, scheduled a time today (2-2-2019) 09:00-11:00 A.M., confirmed contractual time via e-mail - nice.....Get a telephone call from them 09:20 A.M. this morning and they called to cancel their obligation/contract with me because, the technician could not make it. I told them it was unacceptable and unprofessional and it needed to be fixed immediately. Nope, can't do it - and they had the audacity to advise me there was a $89.00 fee to come out. I rearranged my morning, to coincide with their time period they contracted with me - they cancelled - I sent them a bill for $89.00 which just so happens is my termination liability fee for a cancellation within their 2-hour window.

Gary F.

4/15/2019

We've hired MCP for many house plumbing jobs and they never fail to come through. Always unfailingly reasonable, polite, AND complete any cleanup that may have to be done. We were very happy with Kevin who today immediately and correctly diagnosed the issue and repair. We have gone with other plumbing companies in the past but always gravitate back to Counsil if we want the job done right.

Dorothy B.

4/27/2016

They have a bad apple in their organization. I have reported Glenn Hammonds to the FTC for fraud and forgery. He captured my signature on a loan form that was under the work order, then traced over my signature and added my initials, which looked nothing like my handwriting. He had assured me the plumbing company was offering a no interest loan, but I ended up with a new credit card that I did not need , with 7.99% interest. I was charged $26,000. for drainpipe replacement of a 1500 square ft. house. Very difficult to communicate in writing with them: I asked for texts or emails to answer my inquiries, but got no answers. Buyer Beware.

Anil N.

7/16/2019

Alex did a great job. He spent the time and got the necessary support to solve my problem. Friendly demeanor and very easy to work with.

Dan P.

01/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

Called Mike Counsil plumbing this morning because sink drain was plugged. Told me they would be able to come between 1PM and 3PM. Charles and Joe arrived within the window and told my wife they would have to crawl under the house to see what the system looked like. After they came back out they informed her that there was a cleanout in the garage that they would snake first and if that didn't work then they would go under the sink. The approach through the cleanout worked. Very professional. This was the same type of service I received on my townhouse from Mike Counsil Plumbing

Kathleen F.

2/27/2019

Mario was the technichian that came out to look at my gas lines after PG&E had confirmed a leak. He was very professional and made a point to explain in great detail the issue and the steps he was going to take to fix the problem. I have young children and dogs and he was very accommodating to their schedules without compromising any time on the job. He always double checked his work and I was left very satisfied with his thorough completion of the job. I would highly recommend him to others and thank him very much for such a pleasant experience during a chaotic and busy time/situation.

Jean C.

07/06/2019 12:00:00 SA

Mike Counsil was good from the start of the call and the person who answered. They sent SHANE out same day to help with my shower clog. SHANE was excellent. Very informative on pricing and recommended actions to solve my issue. The shower clog turned out to be more of a main line clog but SHANE methodically worked through it and solved the issue (retrieved the items causing the clog) with his super duper machine. All done while being so calm, even my dogs approved. :) Thank you SHANE!

Sandra W.

3/25/2019

I am a repeat customer, and called for assistance with a leaking tub faucet and a water heater that needed flushing. Henry and Richard were out same day, and were able to complete both my projects the next day and at half the cost of the other plumber that I called for an estimate. Both Henry and Richard were professional, knowledgeable and courteous and they also included a full house check-up to let me know what areas may need attention soon. As a senior citizen, I appreciate these technicians and the job they did for me. Thank you again, Mike Counsil.

Dani H.

01/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

Mike Counsil Plumbing SUCKS!!! One star is generous for them. They sent out Edgar, who was so green he couldn't figure out a basic solution to my broken hot water faucet in my master bath. Given that it was the Sunday before Christmas we gave him the benefit of the doubt as he seemed to be diligently try to come up with a solution. Soon we realized Edgar and Mike Counsil plumbing didn't care if they fixed our problem. They were perfectly happy to leave me with no running water in my house for over a week! I found another plumber, Simply Green, and they solved my problem in an hour, what MC could not do in a week!

Mike Counsil plumbing is so awful I don't know how they can call themselves a plumber. The only redeeming thing they did to help me was give me back my broken part. Do yourself a favor and call Simply Green in the first place.

I am a 40 something mom in Los Gatos.

Susan G.

8/21/2019

I had a strange odor coming from my shower. Joey and Richard from Mike Counsil showed up within the promised arrival time and got to work. They were great plumbing detectives and they developed a fix for my problem and noted other potential problems I may have in the future - but no hard sell. They did the needed fix and were pleasant, friendly, and professional at all times. It was a pleasure to work with them. I will definitely call Mike Counsil again if/when I have any plumbing problems.

Sandy H.

08/12/2019 12:00:00 SA

I giving Counsil Plumbing a 5.0 rating mainly because of Gustowo Eseamilla (sp) the technician who was sent to do our inspection. He was professional, polite and very efficient, he made sure all of our questions and concerns were addressed. He is an asset to the company.

Dan B.

11/18/2018

I called Mike Counsil at 8:30 am because my kitchen sink is plugged. They said they will be at my house in between 3:00-5:00 pm. I waited all day, just to be called an hour before they were supposed to come to be told they were not going to make it That they would like to reschedule. At that point, I had nobody else to call that late in the day. They left me hanging. It's very frustrating that they would do that. I will never call them ever again for their services, no matter how bad the situation is. They should have told me at 9 am that they couldn't do it. At least I would have had a chance to try other places.

Wayne H.

08/10/2019 12:00:00 SA

I'm extremely impressed with Mike Counsil Plumbing. If possible, ask for Jaime, he sets the bar for the delivering outstanding quality, and workmanship! As a company they put a tremendous value on customer satisfaction, they are great when it comes to communications, especially with regards to scheduling and follow-ups, and you can be guaranteed the job will be done right!

Kathy G.

11/14/2018

I called Mike Counsil plumbing and left a message. They didn't return my call. I called back the next day and explained what my problem was. They asked me again what my problem was and set up an appointment. Then they called me again that night at 8:15pm and again asked me what my problem was. I explained again. Then I received a call back the following day (the day of my appointment) and was asked again what the problem was. I was told that my appointment time couldn't be honored and how flexible was I. After feeling like the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing I canceled my appointment.

Steven P.

2/16/2016

No problem with the quality, but I do have a problem with the prices. I found these guys thru Home Advisor and was a bit skeptical when they couldn't give any pricing over the phone. They came out to replace a faucet, replace the shut offs and fix a blocked sink. They wanted something like $360 for fitting the faucet, $166 for the valves, $250 for the blocked sink plus the $89 service fee. In the end I had them repipe the old valves, then did the rest myself which took me exactly 31 minutes. So they were basically asking $610 for what would have been 31 min job. Seems they work off a standard pricing book with no room for judgment or negotiation, which is the problem IMO. To be fair they were all very polite and clean and came out promptly, so I guess if you need a quality service and don't care too much about the price, then they are great.

Justin P.

10/15/2016

The provider Kevin came over on time and went right to work. He found the blockage, explained what he was going to do and told me how much it would be beforehand. I've had many services like this not be as thorough and transparent. I would recommend Kevin and Mike Counsil Plumbing to anyone looking for that service. Top notch!

Brian C.

03/05/2018 12:00:00 SA

Mike Council Plumbing is the last place to call if you want an honest business that honors their time commitment. I have a rental house in San Jose and called Mike Counsil Plumbing to have a water Heater repaired or replaced. Today, March 5th I called Mike Council Plumbing before 11:00 am this morning and was given a time and assurance that they would have a technician at the house between 4:00-6:00 pm this evening. I was assured that they would be there and I have my name and two contact numbers to reach me. I was also assured that they would call 30 minutes prior to arrival.
I received a phone call at 4:20 and advised that they would not be able to make the appointment. As a member of Angie's list and owner of multiple properties, I am appalled by their poor business practice and their lack of attention to detail.
It seems like they spend a great deal of money on nice trucks but are really not equipped to deal with emergencies.
I am a reasonable person, but I will never use them for any future plumbing needs. I plan on posting to Angie's List and any other social media site I can find to let others know that an appointment with Mike Council Plumbing is not really an appointment but more of a let's see if we can fit you in I will be contacting the state contractors licensing board to see how many other companies they DBA in addition, I caution any potential client to look elsewhere for a company that can stand behind their words, and honor their commitment. I am just one client, but as the owner of multiple rentals , I can assure you I will NEVER use Mike Council or an affiliated plumbing company.
Be aware of this company.. words are just words. They obviously can't back up their promise.
One upset customer can lead to many upset customer's and be warned that Mike Council really doesn't care.....

Alan R.

02/12/2018 12:00:00 SA

Read the one star reviews, that is their mode of operation. What started as $1400 job turned into a $15000 dollar re-pipe job. After asking around I found I that I way over paid! After using them for several years I was disappointed that they treat there loyal customers like this! Will never use them again. Also, they didn't even fix my walls so now I have to look for someone to fix those at additional cost and time.

Julie K.

11/02/2013 12:00:00 SA

If only I could give ZERO or negative stars.

Tell me, Mike Counsil plumbers, how do you sleep at night?

Probably quite well because you have NO CONSCIENCE. Why else would you tell a senior widow who simply had a clogged kitchen drain that the house required a complete re-pipe and sewer replacement, all the way out to the property line? I'm looking at the three estimates and evaluations:

Remember, the initial call was for a backed-up kitchen sink, but they found other issues that needed immediate attention:
1. $3,375

Then, when they realized they could use hard-sell scare tactics to get more:
2. $9,900 Main service replacement to sidewalk @ property line clean out.

And, as if that wasn't bad enough, this:
3. $25,000 We found multiple concerns regarding poor installation and more pipe failure.

The last was on top of the second estimate, for a grand total around $35,000.

Yelp readers, I'm sure you've realized by now that you should avoid Mike Counsil at all costs (pun intended--because that's what you'll end up paying, plus a whole lot extra).

Thankfully I found out what was going on and put a stop to it all by calling a dear family friend who is a contractor. He was speechless with anger at the fact they had tried to rip off my mother and sister. The only job that was required was to run a snake down from the roof to unclog the drain. Everything else on the so-called estimates was complete bull$h!t.

Both bathrooms and the kitchen had been remodeled within the past 10 years, so I knew the plumbing did not require a complete re-do. This was confirmed by our contractor friend who did a thorough survey under the house. He also took care of of the backed-up sink in less than an hour for a miniscule fraction of the first estimate.

I'm completely disgusted by the blatant fraud that Mike Counsil tries to perpetrate. And after reading other reviews, I can see a pattern against seniors of scare tactics and outright lies that some might consider elder abuse. Knowing this, I'll be following up with the Better Business Bureau. I have many more details to share with the BBB and the Contractors State License Board.

Mike Counsil should lose its license. Nobody else should ever have to worry about being swindled by this company.

Shame on you, Mike Counsil plumbers. SHAME ON YOU!

K M.

12/28/2018

Jesse and Charles were on time, kept me informed, answered my questions politely, and performed a great job. I'd happily use them again.

Mark M.

2/26/2018

Just a horrible high pressure sales experience that took 2 hours to get a quote for work. They say they charge per job but then make you sign a contract that gives them the right to revise the contract for more which, if you read the other reviews, they always seem to do! They wanted $1200+ to fix a drain line that they claimed could ONLY be fixed by going through my exterior wall. I fixed it for $50 with supplies from the Home Depot this weekend. Every time I see their green trucks on the road or at someone's house I cringe. STAY AWAY!

Geri G.

3/25/2017

Christopher and Eric provided excellent customer service. They were very professional and courteous. I would definitely call this service again.

Mark L.

1/14/2018

Stay away! They will try to empty your wallet. They were called for a clogged drain. They said they could only unclog the drain by installing a clean-out valve costing $3000. Another local plumber came onsite and estimated the cost of installing a new clean-out valve to be $1200. Only use them if you like to spend way more money than you need to. There are plenty of other local good plumbers that charge half the price.

December R.

10/19/2013

Your comment is absolutely untrue. ONE plumber came to my home...if he was a plumber.... And wrote me the estimate in a fancy type binder. I still have the estimate and it was in fact was completely unnecessary for a repipe. This is now several years ago and my home still does not even come close to having to be repiped. Filed complaint with Better Business and of course there was no response... What I posted is true..

Pat K.

11/16/2018

My toilet supply line sprung a leak. Victoria Cedilla came to check the line and found that it had a small puncture hole in it and not only that , she found that the toilet wasn't set properly when the last repairman set it. Dan came and checked and she diagnosed the problem and said that she would have to remove the toilet and repair the pipe and so on. She worked hard and did a great job repairing and replacing the toilet and the surrounding grout in the tile floor all around the toilet. She knew exactly what the problem was, corrected it and was very pleasant and courteous and always had a smile on. She always explained what she was going to do, step by step, and showed pictures of the before and after on the whole job. Thank you Victoria for a job well done and Mike Counsil Plumbing.

Lynn A.

4/25/2018

We had a very small leak in our water line from the main to the house. The estimate from Mike Counsil Plumbing was $10,000. to dig out the entire line and replace it with copper. The hard sell was incredible! They even tried to hard sell my husband on a phone call. We called another local plumber for a second opinion and had the leak fixed for under $1000. Never again will we call Mike Counsil Plumbing. The inflated pricing and hard sell were very disappointing.

Bobbi M.

10/28/2016

So professional and very quick. I called, they came out same day, diagnosed the problem, went to the hardware store for the parts needed, did the job, stayed for the extra time to let it set up then came in to complete. Then to top off their excellent service, they came back the next day to verify everything was ok!!

They were clean and neat, wore little booties whenever they came inside. The only evidence they left that proved they were here was a job very well done!

I would definitely recommend these guys and will be calling them for any other plumbing needs I may have.

Justin D.

05/02/2007 12:00:00 SA

Mind you I didn't use their services, but I couldn't get over the sticker shock they gave me.

They quoted me $1600 for a job I could get done for less than $900.

They were extremely nice; but who wouldn't be with that kind of markup.

George C.

10/17/2009

These guys were extremely prompt, very skilled and got the job done on time. But after considering their quote price, and the amount of time it took to do the jobs--their hourly rate is astronomical.

The overcharge is long remembered after the quality is forgotten.

S.V. M.

8/17/2008

They replaced the valve for my toilet and snaked a drain for $135 after some negotiating.

Soon after the toilet continued to run 24/7. I called them back to fix and the tech told me that they previous technican was no longer with the company. Instead of replacing it for free as I would expect since the issue was due to incompetence...they charged me another $120.

+1 Star since the drain was cleared properly
+1 star since at least the toilet was fixed - eventhough it cost me dearly.

I don't think I will ever use them again, especially if I ever have a more serious issue.

Mad D.

10/10/2018 12:00:00 SA

Kevin Bueno was professional, fast and efficient,. Job well done, thank you

Yj K.

04/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

I was happy with the service I received a few days ago. Keven and Xavier came ON TIME and finished the job in approx. 2 hours. They also worked quietly so that my baby can nap. Price is probably not the lowest but I was willing to pay more for better service.

John R.

06/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

This Plumbing Technician service is very solid, easy to deal with and reassuringly straight forward. They re-piped the whole Duplex where I reside. Had a small problem recently and they came and checked it immediately and with minimal damage to the check book. If possible and you get the chance request Kevin B.. He is personable and easygoing with a good knowledge of his trade. Would definitely recommend him and his employer to anyone who is looking for this field of service that requires a technician.

Manoj M.

06/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

I have hired Mike Counsil Plumbing to address 3 separate plumbing repair issues at my home. Each time, they did a thorough job analyzing the issue, and did a perfect job. For the latest plumbing issue, Josiah was the assigned technician. He was friendly and humble, and did a thorough job in fixing the leaky kitchen sink faucet. Their service charges are on the higher end. I must reiterate though that the quality of work is very good.

Kari B.

05/12/2012 12:00:00 SA

I had a fantastic experience with Benny at Mike Counsil Electric and will use them for all of my electrical work.

I needed a ceiling fan replaced, another ceiling fan installed in a room that didn't have one, and a live wire capped outside that used to have a spa attached to it. Benny completed a full electrical assessment and noticed a fan box wasn't installed in the existing fan so it wasn't up to code. He also capped the live wire in such a way that I can use it for my kiln in the future. Besides the quality of his work being stellar, he was fun, charming, and very customer service focused.

Yes, the price was expensive, but it was worth it. They guarantee their work so I feel confident that I will receive help whenever I need it.

Donna F.

01/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

Outstanding and professional service by Yobani Almanza. Fixed the sink quickly and then uncovered a major problem with pressure in our lines. Came back the next day and promptly fixed it.

Pat M.

05/08/2020 12:00:00 SA

Recently, I wanted to have some routine plumbing maintenance done and called Mike Counsil to handle the job. In the course of this work, inspection under the crawl space revealed broken pipes and leaks under the house, necessitating major re-piping of the sewer system. The work done by Jesus, Richard, Aaron and, particularly, by James and lead technician Kevin was outstanding. Besides the quality of the work, however, I greatly appreciated the professionalism of the entire crew. First and foremost, they were at all times careful to wear protective gear and to maintain appropriate distance due to the virus. They were punctual, communicated well, followed up as promised, and were meticulous in protecting and cleaning all work areas. The only thing I would note is that this company is, as they themselves point out, not the lowest price service. There is no question as to the quality of the work, but potential customers would be advised to get other bids before proceeding with major work.

Dave S.

2/23/2012

I had used MCP about 8 years ago and at that time they did a great job at a reasonable price. Not being able to recall the name of a plumber I had used more recently, I had my tenant call them out to do an inspection due to a drain that was causing occational backups in part of the house.

The inspection report noted every real and potential problem found, but the estimate I later received made me initially choke and later laugh. ~$2700 to fix the three worst offenders (leaking toilet, leaking shower drain and the intermittent drain). Snaking the drain alone was ~$700!!!

I inspected everything myself and found the inspection to be accurate, but called my regular plumber, who cleaned out the drain for $110. I replaced the wax ring on the leaking toilet fmyself or $5. The shower drain will take two people, but will cost about $15 for parts.

Pluses- the inspection was thorough and accurate, and they were professional, clean and prompt.

Minuses- these guys obviously don't fix things, they just replace as much as they can. They always (?) use two people on a job, which results in higher bills. Their pricing is just silly. I guess people with nasty plumbing problems will be glad to see them fixed and pay just about anything, but shop around- you'll be surprised.

Debora S.

11/05/2018 12:00:00 SA

Kevin Bueno of Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter just left after replacing our leaking kitchen faucet and I couldn't be happier! This was our second experience with Mike Counsil Plumbing, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. They are prompt, courteous, friendly, get right to the job and get it done quickly, leaving no mess or concerns. And the cost was certainly reasonable. Thank you Kevin and Mike Counsil Plumbing!

Tom H.

1/19/2017

I had called other plumbers and Mike Counsil was the most responsive.
He came at the appointed time and Jamie snaked my drain!
I had sticker shock but was very happy to have been put back in order.

Lorraine C.

08/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

The employees from Mike Counsil plumbing always do a great job and are very professional. Whilliam helped us today; he showed up on time and quickly got to work. My kitchen drain was clogged and he cleared that problem up, but then he proceeded to use the 100' snake to clean out even the hair from our upstairs showers. Everything was cleaned up afterward like he'd never even been here. The only reason for the four stars is because I think their prices are high. We will continue to use their services, though, because they are reliable and have always done a good job.

Bren M.

6/20/2017

High priced bait and switch.

(This is not to be confused with Council Plumbing which is a separate business).

This review is based on their business practices and less about their actual work. If you have and open checkbook and money is no object, then you probably found a good company to work with.

Called them because my kitchen sink was backing up. Their customer service said it would be an $89 dollar charge to come out, and then they would determine what the service charge would be after assessing the issue. The service technician who came out Henry was very professional and courteous, but after he tells me that he's going to charge me the $89 service, $100+ for after hours call on the weekend, another 300+ to snake my lines I told him no way was I paying him $500 to snake my lines. I could go to Home depot and rent the same machine he was using. He called his supervisor and was able to knock the price down to around $250 which seemed reasonable.

He spent time trying to snake the pipes, but it was obvious that something more problematic was at work, and after an inspection, there was a choke point at both my kitchen sink and laundry, so they wanted to take out the problem joint and replace it. It was getting late, so Henry let me know he'd be at my house first thing in the morning to complete the service which was estimated to cost $1800! (Holy Smokes, that was high, but okay I need it fixed.)

During the service work, his supervisor shows up and does an complete inspection. Nice guy and tells me that Mike Council Plumbing is a successful business and that they are able to offer employees 401k plans, gym memberships and certification training for their technicians. (I thought It was great to see a company who cares about it's employees).

The supervisor starts to tell me about all my problem areas including things I never asked them to address, and shows me pictures of surface rust on my iron pipes, talks about leaks and shoddy work done by previous plumbers. However, he offers to fix my original problem plus fix all the existing problems, and replace all my iron piping on one side of the house only for one price. After he tallies everything up, he gives me a price of $18,700! I couldn't believe it. I told him $1000 for stucco patch work and $1550 for every joint? Are you crazy? I guess he didn't expect such a reaction out of me and got so flustered, he started telling me that his company has to pay for gym memberships, 401k plans and employee training somehow. I still couldn't believe what I was hearing. He said this kind of work is dirty and that I have to pay for the service. I told him thanks but no thanks. He stated that the work had to be done and I told him I have the right to get a second opinion. He tried to justify his quote like any salesman would but I wasn't buying it.

I have since spoken to other plumbing companies and I'm confident that I can get my issues fixed and not feel like I'm being gouged in the process.

To Mike Council Plumbing:
Granted your technicians are knowledgeable, courteous, and they leave the place in the same condition as when they arrived, but that's the standard expectation if you are doing business in Silicon Valley. Don't gouge me because your CEO needs to live on a golf course, and I need to pay for your gym memberships!

P.S - They charged me for both snaking the lines and then the service work. I would have expected if I went with the service, they would have comp'd the snaking of the lines, since it ended up not being the problem. I guess, since I didn't role out my checkbook for Glenn, then I was being charged for all services rendered.

Miriam T.

12/20/2017

This company is a rip-off. I called to have them clear a clogged drain and got the same warning other customers did about how their power driven snake might break my pipes. Long story short, Abel from Counsil said they needed to replace all of my plumbing at an expense of $30,000! I got a second opinion and got my problem fixed for just $125.

Mike B.

12/22/2016

Freddy M. did a very clean job fixing the Iron to copper interface for the cold and hot water lines connected to my new Hot Water heater, he also installed the unit. I attempted the job myself but wasted a day of vacation, scrapped material, and a lot of frustration. I called Mike Counsil Plumbing at 7 AM the next morning and I was taking a hot shower by 1:30 the same day.

Bert P.

03/11/2019 12:00:00 SA

Excellent service! Victoria stayed late to fix our toilet so that we wouldn't be without a toilet over the weekend. Friendly, always smiling, it was a pleasure to work with her.

Melissa L.

8/27/2017

I would highly recommend Mike Council Plumbing. We were heading out of town when our shut off valve on our toilet broke. I called Mike Council at 7:30am and the receptionist was very kind. She had great customer service and made sure she would send a tech out between 9-11am. She called me back and let me know the techs would be arriving around 9:30. Victor & Christopher arrived and were very pleasant and professional. The wore booties to cover their shoes anf kept tge job very clean. They worked quickly and efficiently and did a really great job. They both made time to talk to my kids and didn't seem to be bothered by my kids. They had to leave for a minute to get more parts and stayed in communication with me the entire time. When they came back they noticed broken glass. I told them I knew about it and would get to it in a minute. I didn't have a chance to clean the broken glass before they left. Victor asked Christopher to clean up the glass. I told them I would do it. Victor said that they provide customer service and that is part of the customer service. Christopher came back and said all the glass was cleaned up and didn't seem bother by cleaning up the glass that I BROKE! They both thanked me for calling Mike Council and wished me a safe trip. Later when I went out to take my garbage out I looked where the glass broke and it was spotless. Not a speck of glass. Victor & Christopher when abovr and behold to provide excellent customer service.

Safy L.

06/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

Good luck trying to get an appointment seems as if they don't want your business. I had an appointment then they call back 2 hours later trying to refer me to another plumber... Why take the appointment in the first place? Just FYI its a high tech company warehouse in San Jose and if you showed up and did a good job you would have had business for many more years to come.... too bad

Kim M.

06/08/2010 12:00:00 SA

Prompt, but expensive! My husband and I had to replace a dead kitchen faucet, so we went shopping and found the fixture we wanted. Then we called Mike Counsil to find out what installation would cost. They declined to give a price quote on the phone but said they would send someone out to evaluate the job. Glenn came out and took one look under the sink and hauled out his price quote book and came up with the answer: $418.13! And we already had the hardware!!! He said that if we had some equipment protection program (not the correct terminology, my apologies!), then it would only cost $340!!! ONLY!!!!

We knew that the job didn't really require that much money. I guess Mike Counsil's overhead (large fleet of trucks and staff) requires exhorbitant prices! I won't ever call them again! I looked further on Yelp and found a plumber in my neighborhood who not only quoted me a price on the phone, but who installed it professionally and to our satisfaction! Thanks to Yelp for helping us!

Choon-Hoe Y.

04/04/2018 12:00:00 SA

yesterday we had another service done by Yobani, technician from Mike Council plumbing. This time was to replace the water pressure regulator and shut off valve. Again, i am very satisfied with the work done by Yobani. He is very good and professional in his work. He made sure to bring all tools and parts for the job. I watched him did the job and I was very impressed with the detailed of his job. Now i can have peace of mind of my house water pressure being regulated correctly and safely.

Ken G.

03/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

This is the place to go for plumbing problems. We had a water supply line break under the concrete path, and Victor fixed it for us. The work they do is the best by far. We've had them repair a few things around the house, and they always do a great job, and do it right the first time. In our case, they had a boring machine that put a new pipeline underground, and didn't have to dig up the yard. That in itself was worth it. They are fair and took care of all the details like permits if needed, and if anything else was needed, they took care of it. I'd recommend them for any of your plumbing needs.

Karrianne B.

6/26/2016

We have used MCP for several big plumbing projects and also for emergency services. They have stellar service, quick response, especially during an emergency., and knowledgeable employees. I would highly recommend them .

Missy M.

2/22/2015

Too expensive!!!! Exact same story as other reviewer took advantage of my parents elderly parents mind you. Tenant without gas for days while these same guys tried to get me to repipe house at an outrageous cost. All there technology and couldn't find the leak. Very disappointed in this company went from 10000.00 quote and paid another plumber 1500!!!

Kat A.

09/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

We had a major sewage back up problem all of a sudden and Thomas and his crew came out immediately!! They made it so we could stay in our home and use the toilet and shower every day while they fixed all the pipes! They are so respectful, friendly, and efficient. Definitely the best experience I have ever had with home repairs. Thank you so much!!!

Herbert K.

2/24/2012

MCP replaced our water heater last year and did a good job so I contacted them to give us and estimate on a repipe job for our old house.
First, they initially wanted to charge me a $69 trip fee. When I asked they told me it was how much it would cost to come out and give me an estimate. They waved the fee but sorry strike 1
Second, they priced a replacement P-trap at an AMAZING $74.00. Seriously, the most expensive I've ever seen was about $20. The cost of a replacement shower faucet - ready - $1049!!! Strike 2
The total estimate for the job just over $14,000 which was close to TRIPLE the quote from other companies.and strike 3.

Homeowner should perform their due diligence when it comes to hiring contractors.
They get 2 stars because of the job with the water heater.

Jennifer S.

8/13/2013

Our realtor recommended Mike Counsil Plumbing, whose friendly staff sent Abel to help us. He arrived on time and was really cordial and informative. He took the time to adequately review the house, write up estimates, explain the necessary work to me, and was very patient while I managed other contractors who were coming in and out of our newly purchased home.

As expected, the plumbing updates we needed weren't major, and we hired Abel to do the work. He handled everything quickly and professionally, 100% to our satisfaction.

A month or so after the work was done, I noticed a leak staining one of our ceilings. I contacted Abel and he was able to come out quickly to repair the problem (a leaky bathtub). About two weeks after that was resolved, I noticed a new leak staining the same ceiling, just a couple of feet from the last problem area. Again, Abel was super responsive, had me text photos of the area, told us what to immediately stop using to try and stop the leakage, and came out to fix it asap (leaky toilet tank). That work was recently completed, to the same level of satisfaction.

While I hope that our house has finally finished crying all over the place :), it feels nice to know that we can contact Abel if something else has an issue in the future.

We most appreciate Abel's friendly and warm personality and his ability to explain what work is needed and why. He's great about showing me the before and after work so I fully understand and appreciate the value of what he's doing for our home. It also helps that the company's plumbing prices seem reasonable, and that all of the work is guaranteed for a year. Recommended!

Toshiko K.

04/09/2018 12:00:00 SA

We were so happy to find Mike Counsil Plumbing and his team. We had to replace our entire sewer line at our home which was a big project. Kevin B. and Jesse E. and their team were very professional, knowledgeable and kept us regularly updated on the schedule. They did a great job and we are so happy with their work. We could really see the level of detail and effort they put into their work. Our house is older but it really feels like a new house when we see the water drain so fast from the bathtub. Thank you so much!!

Judy M.

7/17/2015

I called this agency because it is nearby and family owned and operated. The phone staff person was courteous, the technician, Eric Rich arrived promptly and greeted me and my golden retriever watchdog cheerfully. Eric quickly assessed the problem with my toilet and could not fix it because it is an off brand. He was able to contact the manufacturer and get me a new part under warranty. He also did a safety inspection under the house and fixed a shower head all for the very reasonable service call price. He explained everything fully, was respectful and friendly as well as efficient. I will use this company again. Eric is happy working for them and it is evident tin the quality of his work.

Julie S.

04/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

I called Mike Counsil Plumbing at 3pm and they had a terrific service technician, Christopher Ventura, at my home by 5:30pm. Their scheduler, Leslie, called at about 4:15 to confirm that Christopher would be there at 5:30, and she was truly delightful on the phone. Additionally, she sent me text message with background on Christopher. Christopher repaired two leaking faucets and valves in our master bathroom and cleaned up the fixtures. He was very knowledgeable, very courteous, and worked expediently. He is a wonderful reflection of the Mike Counsil brand, which is obviously focused on customer satisfaction from the first point of contact to the last. I will not hesitate to call Mike Counsil, and Christopher Ventura in the future for our plumbing needs.

Susan H.

1/30/2015

My water heater's anode rod is going out. I called them to see what the cost would be to replace it and I was quoted $89 for the trip charge and $534 for the diagnostic and minor repair plus parts! Wow! That is half the cost of replacing the water heater! My goodness! Needless to say, I declined to have someone come out. (SMH)

Teresa G.

11/25/2012

Today Cornelious Pringle saved the day for me!!!

I had kitchen a sink stoppage and it was just gross. And it was part of the Thanksgiving holiday, so I am grateful that I got service the morning that I called.

First, he explained to me what the problem was, and then he did not give up, and snaked it three times, so he is amazing! I appreciated his positive attitude, his excellent work ethic and how I can finally use the sink.

I will always be grateful to Cornelius and Mike Counsil plumbing. I would highly recommend them. The cost was fair, and I also enjoyed speaking with the dispatch lady this morning.

Doug W.

3/24/2016

Charles Saulus the technician from Mike Counsil plumbing worked hard for us. He was clean, courteous and went the extra mile to help us be a satisfied customer.

June M.

1/18/2018

Wow, they saved me from stress! Broken tolit. Their guy was out here within two hours. The dispatcher kept me updated on the time he would arrive and later I was sent a text message with his photo!! Best customer service ever. The plumber, Able, was very professional and did a great and expeditious job. And he liked my dog

Meif L.

12/19/2012

Unfortunate experience with them. I think the word appointment has a different meaning in their dictionary and people's time doesn't seem to mean much to them! Called to reschedule my appointment about one hour before two days in a row after I had made the time available for them from my hectic holiday schedule!

The one star is for the person answered the phone. She probably has the toughest job on earth if this is how they have been running the business.

Lee M.

4/28/2015

I have used this company twice and would absolutely use them for future needs and recommend them highly. I had a small issue from a DIY project gone wrong. Both times, two different employees, Paul and Jaime respectively, came out promptly and stayed until the issue was resolved (about an hour each). They were neat, clean, organized, had all tools in their cool green truck and I particularly loved their crisp white uniform with flag. I felt so helped and thoroughly cared about my plumbing issue.

Charles T.

1/19/2015

I can not recommend this company. They over charge and under perform

We had a sewage backup and called them to clear it out. They charge almost $100 to just show up. Then they gave me an estimate in the $600 range to clear the line. We were desperate to solve the problem so we approved the work. After attempting to clear the drain, the technician stated that he was unsuccessful because the cleaning tool was not long enough. Even though the problem was not fixed, The asked for payment in full. Finally we were able to negotiate a reduced cost for a service not rendered. We paid over $300 for nothing.

I just got the problem fixed by another company for less than $200.

Cyrus S.

4/27/2015

Shane appeared within hours of having reported an issue with the water heater. He inspected the equipment and went out of his way to locate a necessary replacement part. The next day, on a Saturday morning, Shane appeared with his colleague Eric to replace the faulty part within an hour. The response time was excellent and the team was competent and efficient. I recommend their services especially when work needs to be performed quickly.

Ian-James V.

6/24/2015

Jerry B. did a fantastic job replacing our water heater. Our water heater was leaking for days and we've had to save the water using buckets and use it to wash our dishes.

Deb W.

2/23/2010

We were very pleased with Raymond's work. He went above and beyond to get to the root of the problem(no punn intended) instead of band-aiding a quick fix.
Raymond left our home clean after each stage of the project with as little interruption as possible to our day to day routine.
He was professional, kind and considerate.
Raymond explained each problem he discovered and the process he would take to solve each one. The quote given was honored and there were no surprises along the way.
Very clear communicator- which we appreciated. He was the third plumber to ever work on our home and will be our top choice if a need arises in the future.

Abhisek D.

01/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Had a very pleasant experience with plumbing work for four days. All the workers were very friendly and did a great job, Chris Chavez especially. Definitely would recommend these guys to others.

Bill F.

8/16/2019

Made an appointment on Monday for the next day (Tuesday) and was told I'd get an email form and confirmation which arrived many hours later ... but the form had the appointment on Wednesday. OK one day late, would have been nice if they called me but so what. We next got a call on wednesday and asked to delay until Friday. What are we going to do find someone else? so Friday it is. On Friday I get a call FROM ANOTHER PLUMBING COMPANY saying our job had been referred since Mike Counsil couldn't handle. So a week and 3 appointments making sure someone was home each time and they can't even come out OR call us to say they are recommending someone else. These people go out of their way to celebrate customer service but miss on the very basics. It also smells like they say yes first and then decide the work they want to accept ... meanwhile you're on hold not finding someone else. their substitute did an excellent job and will get a 5 star review.

Jan H.

10/29/2014

I was previously a client of these plumbers so called them when I had two issues needing fairly urgent attention. I made an appointment a couple of days out even though that did not seem all that responsive. They just cancelled my appointment for the third time wanting to reschedule several days out. gain. I can only conclude that this business which is one of the more expensive for plumbing really does not need or want my business. My recommendation is to find one of the other plumbi9ng businesses who want to help you.

Bruce M.

1/20/2016

Super Mario - I had a slow draining sink and called Mike Council. They were able to set an appointment a few hours later. Mario T. called prior to arriving and immediately went to work. He assessed our drain, took apart the P-trap and then roto rooted my drain pipes. He even checked the underfloor plumbing (through our crawl space) to ensure there were no leaks and that the plumbing runs had enough slope. Problem solved. Thanks Mario!

Troy M.

9/17/2014

Mike Counsil is ripping me off. I had two dripping faucets which only took some washers to fix the leaks. They gave me an estimate of $696 before taxes. I was able to fix the problems for $25.

Amber L.

10/20/2014

Bobby with Mike Counsil has been taking care of the plumbing at my hair salon for years. We often need repairs (due to heavy use) or parts replaced. He is professional and the price is always fair. This year I had a plumbing emergency at home. Bobby responded quickly and fixed the problem. Mike Counsil staff has always been friendly on the phone and even calls to follow up with me after a service. I highly recommend them.

Carol B.

9/21/2017

It wasn't what I had planned for the day, but MCP made it as smooth and as positive as it could be. Came home last night to clogged kitchen sink and leaking pipes/disposal. Called MCP to set an appointment for this morning, and they set me up for a 9a-11a window. Was told that I'd get a call 1/2 hour before the technician came, and that's exactly what happened. I really appreciate GOOD communication with customer service - this goes a long way. At 930a or so, Mario knocked on my door and immediately gathered info about the problem to provide me an estimate. My budget is really tight these days, and he helped me make the right decisions on parts that would help with the costs. I also used the $50 for $100 coupon. Within 3 hours, Mario had all the new pipes and disposal installed and working/looking great! I was so grateful MCP sent Mario to my job today! He was friendly, knowledgable, and respectful, and easily earned my trust and confidence in his work. Thank you, MCP team!

Alma D.

3/31/2019

I would like to point out that when I post, it's not very often, it is usually because of favorable experiences in dining or service. However, I feel it my responsibility to share this experience with others. I have used Mike Counsil a few times. One positive, one questionable but work was necessary. This time I called about a backed up sink. I received a call from home where Aaron (from Mike Counsil) called to say that the pipes were in bad shape but he could fix it for $1800.00. A backed up sink. It's an older home with one restroom, so having the sink out of commission was troublesome. I was at work and he had my son send me a picture of a pipe so backed up it looked like it had a quarter size of room for water to run through. After I reluctantly agreed, as it was important to get plumbing back in order. It was fixed quickly and then I was called at work again and told that after reviewing the old plumbing that Aaron had to go get his boss, because there was trouble and he needed his boss to hèlp. Now what? I let my son know that I would be in a meeting at 1pm. An hour or so later, I received a call from someone named Glen, AT THE HOUR I was in my meeting. It seems that they told my son that it was urgent that they speak to me right away, as the cost and condition of our plumbing was very serious. In speaking with Glen, I let him know that I was in a meeting and I would be available after. He tried to get me to agree to the work for $23,000. YEP, $23,000 approval on a 3 minute call! No, not likely. I called after my meeting and asked calmly what they found. A truly terrible picture was painted. I told them, I'm getting other quotes. Glen seemed urgent now to scare me into this deal. The next few days I called 3 other plumbing services. I've received 2 quotes so far who both, after reviewing the work done, gave me a high and low quote on doing the job themselves. BOTH came in 1/3 of the amount I paid. BOTH said that the plumbing would need to be updated in the next 3 to 5 years. Yep, YEARS, not right now and their quotes for it? I was told it would cost, $6K to $9K, far from $23K. I will now go to the BBB and relay all information as I believe the 3rd estimate would say the same. I believe the fees charged were punitive and excessive. As for the second quote, I am sure the BBB would like to see their quote and the other estimates. Really disappointing.

L H.

4/26/2013

I scheduled an appointment for today to install a water softener at my home. Someone was suppose to call me between 8am-9am to let me know when they are arriving.

Someone did call me, only to let me know they couldn't make it on the same day of my appointment. This frustrates me since I had to take the day off in order to meet with them.

I should have read all the other reviews before I scheduled an appointment with Mike Consil Plumbing.

Mary K.

5/31/2015

Several years ago I was ripped off by a famous plumbing company to the tune of $400 over quote. My parents have been using Mike Counsil Plumbing for the past few years, so when I had clogged plumbing, I gave Mike Counsil a call. They came right out and fixed the problem. Not only did Jaime Reyes fix my original problem, he cleaned out my slow-draining bathtub clogged with hair, free of charge. My family and I are thrilled with the service we have had from Mike Counsil plumbing, and I recommend them highly to all my friends. If there were more than five stars available, Mike Counsil Plumbing would deserve them.

Dania S.

4/23/2018

Did a great job replacing and repair water lines and toilet piping. Tech guys were very respectful about working in my home. Insured they didn't create a mess nor left us with the cleanup. Freddie and Jose did a superb job fast and efficiently. 2 thumbs up

Sam T.

4/19/2018

I woke up Friday morning to a gurgling sound in my garage... needless to say that my water heater burst and there was a stream of water flowing thru my garage! I looked up Plummer's and read reviews. I picked Mike Counsil pluming as I didn't want to fool around with a questionable pluming company. I called and was told that Chris Ventura would be out in about an hour. Chris evaluated the situation and went over the job and the costs. Now I know how much a water heater costs. Their price was high but I was somewhat desperate so I went forward with the work.
What I want to point out is that the tech, Chris Ventura was very professional and told me exactly what was going to happen and that he would complete the job that same day. My water heater was close to 30 years old and had not been earthquake strapped and basically out of line code wise. Chris brought it up to code, had an inspection and followed up with me in a very professional manner. Can't say enough about Mr. Ventura. His knowledge of the situation put my mind at ease as I felt very confident that the job would be correct and up to code. I passed inspection with no issues. (House was built in 1955)
I only gave 4 stars because I thought the price was a bit high. $2000 to replace a water heater is high for sure. Still I know that I got a professional installation and I don't have to think about my water heater for a while.

Daniel K.

9/29/2014

Angelo is extremely kind, and knowledgeable. Reading the reviews, it seems most people are uptight about the pricing. As the cliche goes, you get what you pay for. What if someone said they could fix your plumbing issues for $5, wouldn't that be concerning? I would rather pay the extra buck, and know that a licensed professional is getting the job done for me. If these reviews were strictly on the quality that Mike Council delivers, I'm pretty sure they would be nearly flawless... Then again, it's hard to make everyone happy.

Rachel A.

9/27/2014

Great service and very professional. Our tech Mike Silveira was the best!!!! Wont go to anyone else.

Kandon S.

12/22/2015

Joseph came out, did a bit more than I expected and was courteous, professional, and fixed the problem in a great time. Left everything neat and clean.

Excellent and well done. Thank you Joseph!

Antonio G.

12/23/2011

Yes, Mike Counsil Plumbing is expensive, but you get what you pay for. We have used so-called plumbers in the past with average to disasterous results. Over a year ago, we bit the bullet and had this company do major changes to our plumbing, under and in the house. We inspected the pipes pulled from under the house and the amount of sludge in them was considerable (obstructing about 65% of the flow). After all the work there was no money left for Christmas or vacation, but the toilets, shower, tub, and sink drains worked again. Peace of mind is priceless.

Recently, one of the replacement connectors failed under a sink. What looked like a fabrication crack had expanded and we had a strong leak going for over a week until we noticed a wet-wood smell and then realized some of the carpeting was soaking wet. We called Mike Counsil Plumbing and within an hour they sent over two technicians who not only remedied the problem, but also worked with the City water department to make sure our main cutoff valve was re-done (it was also failing).

They also called in a team from a company that drys out flooded houses. They came the same day and put in commercial size fans and a dehumidifier which stayed 72 hours until walls, floors, and carpet were dry. All of this was covered by Mike Counsil Plumbing. We didn't spend a penny and it made us happy that we decided to use this company over a year ago for the major work.

Some may think that if the piece weren't faulty there wouldn't be a flood, but anyone that's been around a while knows that it's a crapshoot. Any part from any contractor, electrician, etc. could fail at any time. We have had that same experience at other houses and with other plumbers and contractors. Life is life. Just glad that Mike Counsil Plumbing could see that we were in a bind and could help us so quickly.

John L.

10/14/2015

Mike Counsil Plumbing exceeded my expectations. The technician, Victor Flores, was on time, professional and knowledgeable. The fix and associated pricing was explained clearly. I will definitely call again should another plumbing issues arise.

J S.

9/16/2016

Their motto is We'll be there for you - but if you're a residential customer, be prepared to be dumped in a hot second. I made an appointment with Mike Counsil Plumbing to fix a leak under my sink - I had used them before so it seemed like a good choice. They were supposed to come today at 11 so I stayed home from work to wait for them. I got a call at 9am saying that they were too busy at the commercial job to deal with me and that they couldn't give me another time. Now, I've lost a day at work, have black mold growing under my sink, and have to find another plumber.

S F.

7/23/2015

We were in need of replacing a water heater and rather than my husband doing it by himself he gave Mike Counsil Plumbing a call.
They came out on a Sunday, which really surprised and impressed me. The two installers (Chris and Victor) did an awesome job. They were both very customer service oriented and we're professional, knowledgeable, and got the job done within a few hours.
Their supervisor Jaime came out a few days later to make sure all was well and was great to work with as well.
I would highly recommend this company to anyone!!!!
Thank you to everyone involved!

David K.

3/27/2015

They came out for annual maintenance on time and were very professional. Their service technician Keven Bueno was very professional and checked things that I didn't even realize might be broken.

Louis M.

7/30/2014

It is irritating that the so called manager pretends to care about a customer and responds to posts on Yelp. And then says he'll get back to you and never does.

Sean S.

4/27/2010

I was really impressed by the way these guys handled the situation. You don't find that kind of high-quality customer service these days. Angelo called me and apologized for not getting the quote to me sooner. He also worked out a great deal for me. I highly recommend MC Plumbing for repiping and any general plumbing issues.

Daniel, who came out to give me the quote, is very knowledgeable and great to work with. These guys are top notch and truly have the customer's best interest in mind. Bonus: they can start the job in a couple days.

Thanks guys!

Ralph G.

8/24/2015

What was supposed to be a quick Stop Valve change under my sink turned into a broken pipe in my bathroom wall. Luckily, I had the water off, but the entire house water was off and could not be turned back on until the problem was fixed. It turned out the galvanized steel nipple out the wall was corroded and sweated or welded on. Nothing I could do but call a plumber to have it fixed.

I called about 8 different places, half of which did not answer or call back. Others were charging by the hour. It was between Mike Council and another plumber. Mike Council was able to come out same day!

Mike Council immediately answered and was very professional. They got a plumber, Kevin B., out within an hour and he assessed the situation. They called back when they said they would and he arrived when they said he would.

Kevin was professional, polite and knowledgeable. He cut out the old pipe and installed new copper fittings in about an hour. Kevin also explained why the Home Depot bought stop valves I was about to use would not last as long, so he went ahead and put some all metal stop valves in. I am so glad I didn't have to take a day off later in the week to deal with the plumbing situation.

paul b.

10/29/2019

fast, reliable, professional service. they handled our plumbing needs, were respectful of wearing booties indoors, and Kevin Bueno was top notch in addressing and fixing the issue. highly recommended.

Stephanie S.

10/05/2015 12:00:00 SA

Contacted Mike Counsil Plumbing to address some maintenance issues with our pipes and calcium build up in our fixtures. They were on time, efficient and resolved our issues in a timely manner. Our technician Josh was professional and gave us a quote for additional work that would fix further issues.

Pam A.

9/28/2017

Mike Counsil Plumbing was recommended to us by friends. We had multiple issues throughout the house that needed attention; bathroom faucets, kitchen faucets, filter changes, outdoor drips, etc. I was immediately impressed when I opened the door to two very pleasant, polite, and uniformed technicians. Great first impression. Throughout the process, the Lead Technician, Kevin Bueno, was very thorough when explaining issues that arose, I was particularly impressed when he went to Orchard Supply to get the correct shower fixtures as we had purchased the wrong ones. The shower issue proved pretty challenging but Kevin was very tenacious and fixed it. As a team, Kevin and Gary worked really hard during the time they were here and I was seriously impressed with the level of service they provided. Everything is fixed! Yay!

Sharon L.

5/24/2015

Mike Counsil Plumbing has been our Go-To experts with plumbing issues for several years. My husband passed away last year and it has been stressful dealing with household problems by myself. When Shane and Mario came to my home last Friday, they were highly professional, friendly, thorough, answered all my questions and were just down-to-earth, decent guys. Some workers come into your home and it seems they can only talk by script, or don't really want to interact with you. Some come into your home and you hope that you can trust them. Both of these guys were easy to talk with and I felt very comfortable having them in my home. Shane and Mario truly cared about doing quality work for me and leaving me with a positive impression. They went above and beyond to help me in options and cost, for which I am grateful. Especially now this caring customer service meant a great deal!

Thank you Shane and Mario for working as a team and showing me that once again Mike Counsil Plumbing gets the job done and done right the first time! And that customers are not just dollar signs, they are neighbors and friends. Thank You and give these guys a raise!!

Susan K.

3/30/2017

I was desperate to get my clogged sewer fixed and after calling three other plumbing companies they came in one hour. I thought the cost was high but I needed to get fixed. They found cracked pipe joints and ending up lot more than what I expected. Charlie and Mario were efficient and fast.

Gerda C.

03/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

Had them replace a leaky bathroom faucet. Got talked into a very expensive model with the pitch that it would last longer. Was also told the very small amount of 'sediment' in my aerator and water line was a serious sign of major corrosion of my galvanized pipes and that the new faucet would only be a 'band-aid' before I would need to repipe. The repipe was all he wanted to talk about then. I had my doubts as to the urgency of the repipe, but wanted to get the faucet replaced. TWO months later the new faucet is dripping and I call them to come back and fix, since on their invoice it plainly states One year guarantee... a different person came out (actually two people) took one look at the faucet, asked to see the invoice, called the first guy. (I could hear him use his name) comes around the corner and says to me well, your problem is the sediment caused by the corrosion, we could fix for maybe a couple hundred dollars (replace cartridges, which btw only cost less than 25.00!!!) but it will just happen again in a few months. You really should consider a repipe and we offer financing. It's not covered under your original work because we told you to get a repipe. They waived the service fee if I would get an estimate of a repipe. Thankfully they could not schedule one that day. I found a 54+ positive reviewed plumber on YELP and he came and fix the problem with ONE turn of his wrench!!! Also clearly explained to me what the problem was (not installed properly!) Beware of the tactics of Mike Counsil Plumbing.

I will say they were very polite and yes, they used shoe covers, but everyone does.

Melissa W.

04/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Called on a Saturday to make an appointment for a plumbing issue with our shower. They offered an appt for the following Monday, advised that they would be at my home between 1-4 and that I'd receive a call when they were on their way. Prior to the completion of the appt-making call they told me that they were a family owned business, had been in business for 22years, they took great pride in their professionalism, responsiveness and quality of their work. I took Monday off, received a phone call at 12:30 to tell me that they weren't coming - they had 2 emergency appointments and they just weren't going to be able to make it but that they could refer me to another plumbing company that I could call to make an appointment. When I asked why they waited to call me 30 min before the window they didn't have an answer. I also asked why I even bothered to make an appointment with them since it seemed like people who called in with an emergency took precedence over those who booked in advance. Still no explanation. Eventually the person on the phone told me that they would try to work me in the following day. At that point I told him I didn't care to do business with them - I wasn't so sure that they'd show up then either since they were just going to try to work me in, and that I didn't care to call their referral plumbing company - I had no faith in much of anything related to Mike Counsil Plumbing.

The worst part of any repair experience is being assured that the company is going to show up when they say or show up at all. In this case taking a day off of work, then being told that 30 minutes before the window of arrival started that they can't keep the appointment, that I'd need to call someone else for an appointment and need to take yet another day if just plan unacceptable. So much for a 22 year old family owned business that takes pride in their work.

Nancy W.

10/15/2015

The ladies on the phone at the company were very sweet but did not advise us that besides the house call fee there was a minimum charge. However, the plumber, Chris Chavez, was fantastic! He did the job with a smile on his face and made us very comfortable. He came exactly when expected. Mid ask for him by name.

Priya M.

10/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

The service was pretty good and they also give warranty on their service and parts., though seemed a little expensive.

Alan M.

12/15/2016

We had used Mike Counsil Plumbing about 4 1/2 years ago to install a Whole House Water Filter & Salt Free Water Softener/Conditioner Combo System. In conjunction with this installation, we also had them replace the galvanized water supply line going into the house with approximately 30 feet of 1 inch Type L copper pipe. They also did a complete drain line repipe and a sewer line connection. The lead person for all of this was Abel Villagomez and he and his crew did a very professional job.

We called Mike Counsil Plumbing In early November of this year to handle a burst water supply pipe situation in the crawl space under our kitchen. We called them in the morning on Wednesday November 2nd and by 2:30 PM that afternoon Shane Corey and Jordan Warden came out to our house. Shane and Jordan discovered that both the hot and the cold water supply lines under the kitchen had failed. They did a temporary fix to stop the leaks and then did a further evaluation of the supply lines under the house. They discovered that both the hot and the cold water supply lines under the house were in very poor shape and signs of pitting were beginning to show in the pipes. They recommended a complete under floor repipe of both the hot and cold water supply lines using pex piping -- and we followed their recommendation. They also installed a new shower valve in the hall bathroom, a new recirculating pump and a new garbage disposer. While the job was in progress, they laid floor protection and hung a dust retention wall at the crawl space access to protect our home. At the end of every day, they made sure to clean up before they left in order to leave us with a very livable home.

Shane and Jordan were completely professional both in their attitude and in the execution of their work. In addition, they were both really friendly, easy to get along with and answered all of my questions. I would recommend Shane Corey, Jordan Warden and Mike Counsil Plumbing to anyone who needs the services of a competent and professional plumbing company.

Kathryn W.

08/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

I called Counsil Plumbing on an emergency basis as my main water line was leaking significantly. They responded promptly and I had high hopes that I had found the right company to fix my issue. They looked over the problem leak and said they would have to come back the next day to try and restore water to my home. They made it sound like an extremely complex situation, and being a recently widowed, older woman, I lack knowledge when it comes to plumbing. They came back and installed a temporary fix and then gave me a quote of almost $25K to permanently fix the line to the house and then estimated about $25K more to permanently restore water to my lawn and pool area. When I told them I would need to talk to my sons and also get another couple of quotes, they pushed me to do it all quickly. I didn't like that feeling of being rushed to make such a huge financial commitment. I did obtain two other quotes and to do the exact same work, both came in significantly less than the Counsil quote. I hired one of those other companies and they completed everything, house and yard, for $14K. Beware of Mike Counsil Plumbing - I'm one of those cases you hear about where a company tries to take advantage of a little old lady.

theresa w.

2/24/2015

Just called Mike counsill plumbing today to replace the water heater.. The 2 guys that came out were very please ant and helpful and git a new water Hester installed as fast as they could so my bed and breakfast could get up and running again!
Thanks David and RJ

Kathleen R.

5/23/2016

Mike Counsil plumbing came out to my moms house to replace the water heater. I called for my mom because she is 90 years old. She needed to have a 40 gallon water heater replaced, which is what I asked for. The person who came out to the house tried to sell her on a tankless water heater,redoing the pipes etc. it was going to cost close to $7,000.00!! I was very disappointed with this experience. I had read such good reviews about this company and I've seen them in my neighborhood. I feel like they were trying to take advantage of the elderly. I will never recommend this company. The plumber did not charge the initial $89 house call, when we told him our mother couldn't afford this. Very discouraging.

Patrick L.

07/06/2012 12:00:00 SA

I have been researching water softener and filter for a while before deciding to go with the Pelican System which I've heard lots of good reviews and most importantly is maintenance free and salt-free. So when looking for an authorized dealer in the Bay Area, Pelican Systems recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing.

At first I was a little apprehensive when I read some of the reviews on Yelp, but thought what the heck, they do have a full refund warranty for an entire year.

So I called them one late Thursday afternoon and they were able to arrange a technician to come out to my home first thing tomorrow morning. I met Abel and he was very friendly and helpful. He answered all my 'dumb' questions patiently and explained the entire installation process thoroughly. Abel and his partner, Jeremiah, both showed up on time on the day of the install. Mike Counsil actually came out together with them to look at the water pipes in my garage to make sure everything will work smoothly and not affect the water sprinkler in the garage.

Abel and Jeremiah worked hard throughout the day, even skipping lunch (and I offered twice to go out and buy something for them) in order to complete the job before I had to leave to pick up my kids from school. They were very professional and did a very good job. It has been almost a month now since the systems have been installed and I am very impressed with the combo softener/filter systems. I'm practically bathing in 'mineral' water! I am happy with the work that Abel and Jeremiah has done and will definitely use them again in future.

Cheryl S.

2/19/2016

I can't recommend this company. I had my brother call last year to see about installing a disposal, faucet and dishwasher. We were basically stood up. A year later I call again to come and check on a plumbing issue, set an appointment only to be contacted 20min prior to their arrival and told the technician was asked to do more work so they will not be coming. They passed me off to another company which did a great job; so goodbye Mike Council I won't be back.

Mike F.

9/25/2018

After receiving a $900 water bill I determined that I must have a leak somewhere and after doing my own detective work, I narrowed down the leak to somewhere between my house and the street shutoff so I decided to contact a couple plumbers. Everything started great with a call into Mike Counsil Plumbing to schedule an appointment. They were quick to respond and had someone out to evaluate the issue and give us the quote for the work. I went over what I had done to determine that the leak was in the water main and they seemed satisfied with my diagnosis and they proceeded to provide a quote for a water main replacement. They quoted for both a copper line as well as a poly option. With a 5% discount that they added in the copper quote was over $10K and the Poly option was just under $9K. I didn't have many options so I went ahead and accepted the bid and they were to come out to install a temporary water line that night and the water main work would commence the following day. I wasn't happy about the price, but had to get the work done and it seemed they were going to take advantage of that fact. Later that afternoon I got a call back from another plumber and I asked him what his ballpark would be for the same job and his unofficial quote was less than a third of the cost so I scheduled them to come out to give an official quote and I called Mike Counsil Plumbing to cancel their service. I could tell the plumber that came out was upset about losing the job and he kept telling me how unethical it was for the other plumber to give a price without coming out. I can kind of see his point on this, but if the quotes had even been in remotely the same universe, I may have just bit the bullet and had them still do the work. What I think is unethical is taking advantage of people's emergencies to overcharge them for work they have to get done. Mike Council had already done the work to provide temporary water service to the house so I expected them to bill me for that work and they absolutely did. They never gave me a price for this service until a couple days after they put in the temporary line and their AR clerk called to tell me that I had a balance due on my account. I told her that I never received an invoice (or quote for this work) so didn't know what I was supposed to pay. The price for them to run a hose from the street shutoff to the house ended up costing just under $1,000 and no 5% discount... The connection wasn't even done very well since the connection at the house was leaking. They replaced my water main leak with a leaking hose. The hose wasn't even solid gold so needless to say I was disappointed and blown away by the charge. Anyway, she emailed me a copy of the invoice and I put my credit card info on the payment section and I put it in my office mail the next day (Friday). On Monday I get a call asking where my payment is and I tell them that I sent the credit card payment out. On Tuesday I get another call from the plumber asking where my payment was so I told him I sent it out. Wednesday they call again and clearly the mail from my office hadn't been picked up that Friday so I told them that I mailed in the payment but they continued to harass me until I said I'd give them my cc info over the phone. The plumber told me the office staff were gone for the day so what time should they call the next morning. I told them I had a meeting until 10:30 and I got a call at 10:28 asking for my cc info so I gave it to them. Bottom line, DO NOT use them unless you want to pay triple the price of other reputable and well reviewed providers. The company I ended up going with was awesome to work with and will be my first call for any plumbing issues from now on.

Desertdiva D.

1/31/2017

I decided to try Mile Counsil Plumbing because I wanted a water softener without salt, and they have a filter that helped soften the hard water in my home. I wouldn't say the water is super soft, there is still some calcification, but it is not nearly as bad as it used to be. Using a water softener with salt would be higher maintenance and make the water less drinkable, so this saltless option while not perfect is a good solution. The unit is compact and fits nicely in my garage. What makes this company great is the staff! There are different pricing tiers, and when you pay a bit more you get a free consultation every year to check out your home plumbing. Case in point is Cody--who spent nearly 3 hours assessing our home! He was super professional and knowledgeable, saw that our water heater was in need of replacement and fixed a pesky issue with one of the sinks in 5 minutes flat. I highly recommend this company to anyone that wants excellent service with extremely knowledgeable staff!

C. H.

5/17/2015

These guys have been to my house several times. They have fixed the problem EVERY TIME. I bought the house nine years ago, and small things (and one pretty big thing) keeps going wrong. They are friendly, clean, and they do such a good job, I keep them on my speed dial.

Subbu B.

11/26/2010

We had just moved into a rental house while getting some work done on our home.

Faced with a slow moving kitchen drain, and a disposal unit that showed no life, as well as requiring a gas line for our dryer, we needed a plumber. We ended up calling Mike Counsil as we felt we needed to go with a real plumber as opposed to a handyman as it was not our house and we didn't want any issues. We've typically used Around-the-clock plumbing in Los Altos, but they were not around.

After spending the better part of a day at the house, the technician from MC wrote us up an estimate for $1400+ for everything. We did put in the gas line ($300) and a couple of other things ($297) but decided against the disposal unit until contacting the landlord.

Total estimate for a new disposal unit + fixed fee for installation = $700.

The landlord's brother who's not even a plumber comes over, uses a small mechanical wrench to turn the disposal unit from the bottom and behold! - The disposal unit works again. This is from a guy who's clearly not a plumber.

I'm sorry, I confess that I'm no handyman myself, but its pretty obvious to me that Mike Counsil Plumbing is

a) Prohibitively expensive

b) Bordering on professionally unethical - something that took a couple of minutes for a non-plumber should have been identified by the professional within a half-day?

c) Not to be trusted to operate in the best interests of their customers

I might be a sucker once, but hopefully not again.

Lana H.

04/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Thank you Bobby & William for the excellent service you gave us. They explained our choices on fixing our under sink issues and did a perfect job re doing our old pipes. They also replaced our old garbage disposal for us so now my under sink looks so nice & neat!!! They cleaned up before they left so yes I would highly recommend them all all our friends & family. Also showed up on time and called before coming out. Hard to find good service but we lucked out with them.Thank you again!!!

grace y.

04/01/2016 12:00:00 SA

I originally called Crown plumbing who sent a guy to the wrong address then had me wait outside for 20 minutes - Mannie from Mike Counsil had just fixed my neighbor's kitchen sink and gave me his card. After being frustrated with Crown Plumbing, I called Mike Counsil right away and they sent out Johnathan within an hour who was very professional, gave me a fair assessment and estimate before he started any work. He was knowledgeable and fixed our clogged sink right away. Couldn't be happier with the service.

Konstantin G.

04/12/2010 12:00:00 SA

If I were to write this review in 2007, when they replaced my water heater - it would have been 5 stars. Yes - more expensive. And - nice, professional, prompt. I was talked into a 6 year warranty water heater, service plan (1 year), the usual.

Fast forward to 2010. Water heater does not keep enough hot water for a decent shower (runs out of hot water after 20 minutes). We are still under warranty, call in Mike Counsil and ....

Out of luck - we did not flush every month! This is the one and only reason! No inspection was done, to see if this is a faulty thermostat, a lite, a valve - first possible excuse was used to justify selling me another unit.

A friend of mine replaced his water heater at the ame time as I did. He used a local plumber, paid 40% less - never flushes, lives in the same area, and has no problems!

I am thinking of paying $$$, and joining Angies list, to be sure to reflect my account in the area folks are more likely to look for feedback on plumbing service.

Don't go with Mike Counsil Plumbing - while they will be nice and good upfront - they will not own up to their job.

Brian D.

04/02/2015 12:00:00 SA

We had a small leak under the sink and Chris Chavez of Mike Counsil Plumbing was sent to do the repairs and what an amazing experience! He showed up early, was very kind and courteous, and did his best to save us money while still fixing the problem. Thanks Chris Chavez

Gaurett D.

06/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

Buyer beware! First of all they are not AAA certified for slab leaks. They did have good subcontractors but the project of slab leak repair was more then 1 month from start to finish. They did the hard sell for repiping the home vs the repair. They almost did not guarantee the work of the repair until I threatened to go to another plumbing service. They still owe me $100 from an over payment.

Dan B.

07/09/2011 12:00:00 SA

I had a horrible smell in one of my bathrooms. Called these guys and they came out the next day. Super friendly, went under the house, took photos, told me it was the end of the world for my pipes. When he hesitated to quote me a price, and said he had called in his supervisor for a second opinion, I got concerned, checked Yelp and then asked the guy how much it was going to be? Still not quoting me a price, he said were talking thousands. I said based on his Yelp rating, I was going to pass. I had two other estimates done in the next few days and both went under the house, had me run water, flush toilets, to check for leaks, MC did not do this. Both came back with the same conclusion. It was a super bad wax ring and flange on the toilet. $139.00.

John T.

10/15/2010

(Originally posted in July, 2010, reposted Oct, 2010)

Before I have Mike Counsil Plumbing (MCP) over for an estimate, I had read their reviews. From the reviews, my impression was that they may do a quality work, but there have been many negative comments on their over-price estimates. But I decided to give them a call since I would not mind pay little more for quality work and a peace of mind. MCP wanted to charge $69 for the service call, but after I reasoned with them saying that most plumbers do not charge service call, why should I use them? I don't even know if they can fulfill my standard. MCP decided to waive the service charge for a first time customer.

The plumber shown up, but he was bit early. He was very nice and polite. After assessing the work, he made few recommendations which in my mind creating more unnecessary works. In order to install my new bath room vanity, I have to hire a drywall patcher, a painter, and an electrician since we have to move the electrical outlet. Finally, I came up with a solution that does not need the additional contractors! Thanks god!

Finally, after spending roughly 30-45 minutes talking to his boss in the office and using this very sophisticated work code lookup chart. He came up with an outrage estimate (over $2000), which is over 80% more than the last two plumbers (little over $400) who came by early in the day. I decided to go with other plumber for 80% less!

I gave MCP two stars, one for showing up on time, one for being polite and nice.

UPDATE (8/2/2010)
Other plumbing company installed my vanity today with 10% discount on labor for the first time customer. The bill came out $360 including A) 4-hours of labor since the vanity was custom built so he had to do a lot of cutting to fit the counter top and the included sink B) dumping the old sink C) including P-trap and miscellaneous parts, D) with warranty. The plumber is prompt and responsive to my call. He is also polite, pleasant, and the most important of all, the HONESTY!!! It is very hard to find a plumber like that in this sort of business. I am very happy with his caring loving work. He tested to be sure no leaking before leaving. Since I saved $1940.00, I added $40.00 for tip. He made my day!

Don't get me wrong. MCP has all the right to charge their customer at a premium price since they have so much overhead (e.g., office, logistics, staffs, insurance, high-paid plumbers, advertisement) and if you can afford all that, they are the right one to call. But if you are struggling with this economy and you are not loaded with cash, go with a single plumber company, which has little or no overhead and therefore the price is affordable. Of course there are so many low-end plumbers out there, so you should choose your plumber wisely!

John J.

8/26/2011

Let's just say I paid for a high priced service for 1-2 hours work, which i know I could have done myself with the proper time.

This was my first time and probably last...I will use MCP. While I liked the guys who were here, nice, pleasant and friendly...I literally felt robbed right after. Oh well that's what I get for not doing enough research.

JR H.

8/27/2011

As another plumbing contractor I appreciate people that do good work. Having spent time with the owner and the technicians I can tell you that they do their best to provide a top quality product and excellent customer service.

Mooni P.

4/15/2012

i had these guys do some major work for my aunt's house and, needless to say, the work was spectacular. everyone was extremely accommodating, helpful, and took the time to explain anything that needed explaining.

when it came to cost, everything was extremely fair, and now, (several months later) i definitely feel as though i've gotten my money's worth.

Ted A.

07/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

Bizzare business practices make you wonder how these people stay in business. I have a very simple little project. (Replace a 5 gallon instant hot water heater under the sink.) Counsil charges a $89 minimum... but will not tell you what his hourly rate is. Supposedly the charge is by the job, but there is no standard charge for any job, no matter how simple. Translation: Counsil will come out to your house and quote you a price that may or may not be reasonable but he won't tell how he came up with that price.

Mark P.

08/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

Pricey, but professional. You have to negotiate your price, and if you're a well-informed consumer, this isn't so hard, especially if you can show them exactly what's wrong. The trouble is that if you're not sure what kind of work they're going to have to do, you will get sticker shock. The plumbers themselves that I have had are skilled and explain things pretty well. They stand behind their work, even if they aren't the cheapest by far. Pluses than those mentioned is that they are always clean and reasonably prompt.

Tara K.

6/28/2010

If your ever going to use Mike Counsil Plumbing make sure you ask for Sean (Field Supervisor) and Randy. They are awsome, very honest and they really know their stuff......

Stephen M.

2/20/2016

Update - I had a major problem with the technician that Mike Counsil Plumbing sent to fix our sewer line back problem, and as a consequence of this unsatisfactory experience, left an unfavorable review on Yelp. To be fair, shortly after posting this negative review, I received a call from them asking how they might rectify my low opinion and to offer a full refund for the minimum service fee that I had paid. Although, I told them that was not necessary, Mike Council Plumbing sent me a refund check, promptly. I appreciated their follow through. Since the company went out of their way to improve customer satisfaction, I've amended my initial review to reflect this experience.

Challys P.

10/21/2016

Jerry was very professional in repairing our shower faucet. Although the appointment had to be rescheduled, they kept us advised every step of the way. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that they are on the expensive side. Would likely call on them again in spite of the price.

Pauline S.

1/18/2017

Shower drain was running slowly (for a number of years) and needed two toilets (recently not flushing properly the first time) replaced, so I called Mike Counsil Plumbing based on a recommendation from my neighbor. Once under the house, they found, and took pictures of, my improperly graded and rusting 60 year old cast iron pipes. Not good. Ultimately, they replaced the drainage and sewer systems, installed a two-way clean-out, replaced leaking irrigation valves, and did a complete water service replacement to the house with copper piping and proper grounding to the electric box and new ball valve shutoff.
So, what I thought would be a minor project turned out to be a major one, but with good reason. They provided good visual documentation and verbal explanation for what they were recommending and why. I could not be happier with the work done and the manner in which it was accomplished. Kevin was my technician, and he was beyond great! He and his co-workers showed up promptly, were respectful of my belongings (access to under house is in my master bedroom closet at the very back of my house), addressed my concerns immediately and with clarity, and cleaned up after themselves every day. The drywall and paint guys were also of the highest caliber. I am so pleased that my toilets fully flush the first time and I can take a shower without ending up standing in a pool of water, and I know that my waste pipes are not going to break under my house and cause more trouble than I care to think about. A huge thank you to Kevin and Mike Counsil Plumbing for a job well done and for the peace of mind I now have!!!

Dennis E.

07/03/2009 12:00:00 SA

Just our luck, fourth of July weekend and our kitchen sink stops up. Called Mike Counsil Plumbing at 6:40 pm. Was told someone would be there in about an hour. John showed up at 7:20. John gave us a quote and then got right to work after putting down a mat to protect our floor.

John was very professional and friendly.

By 8:20, water was once again going down the drain. Area was left tidy. Homeowners happy.

Pono A.

11/10/2009 12:00:00 SA

Called at 7:00am off an add on the yellow pages. The technician Glenn showed up promptly at 8:00am. Did his best to clean out the pipes which were clogged with roots. Did not work and had to have the pipes replaced. Showed up the next day to do the job. Took more time than he expected. Used cool technology to replace the pipes without digging up the whole yard. We can shower again. The job was done professionally and in a reasonable time frame. Glenn is an excellent tech and his helpers were kind an courteous. Thanks again for getting our plumbing issues taken cared of. The office people were great at working with us to arrange a payment plan that we could afford. Will use them again.

Marty G.

05/02/2012 12:00:00 SA

Benny (electrician) and Jeremiah (plumber) came to my house in Gilroy to fix some problems that existed before I put the house on the market.

They listened to what I wanted, which may have been somewhat unclear and vague, and rephrased it back to me. They gave estimates, which they stuck to, but very much went the extra mile in making sure I was satisfied.

The electrical work was especially problematic, as it involved the correction of numerous issues that had been introduced over the 20 years we were in the house. Benny stayed with it and did everything he said he would do, and more, even coming back the next day to resolve an especially difficult problem.

The price was fair, and I chose Mike Counsil over a competing, lower bid when I found out that the lower bidder would not guarantee his work for more than about 90 days. The Mike Counsil electrician actually does home inspection work, so knew what to look for in preparing for the buyer's home inspection, and stood behind his work with regard to the inspection.

With the plumber, I initially proposed a more expensive approach (root cutting the sewer to ensure that it is clear) Jeremiah countered by pointing out that the more expensive approach was probably not necessary, and proposed a much less expensive approach (camera snaking, and noting the outcome on a report, followed by rooting only if necessary). He could have simply followed my lead and charged me for what I thought was necessary, but he did not. It turned out that root cutting was unnecessary.

The price for the electric work, while not the cheapest, was right in line with what another local electrician had charged for similar work. The plumbing price was also reasonable. For both, it also bought the confidence of knowing they would stand behind their work.

B D.

03/04/2009 12:00:00 SA

The drainpipe from our washing machine was leaking, due to a break almost at the foundation. We called MC Plumbing on Sun night and a very skilled plumber was at our house by 10:30am Mon. He did an excellent job, coming up with a solution that should last (there was evidence of previous fixes due to how our house - an Eichler - was built 30 years ago). I give them 4 stars only because on an hourly basis the cost was pretty high; however, the work was excellent, they were incredibly responsive so we feel (hope) the higher than average cost will be worth it in the long run.

Joe O.

12/06/2012 12:00:00 SA

The work that I needed for my final inspection was done by Lyle Clark and his apprentice. They were very professional in doing their work. When finished they cleaned up behind themselves. Explained every thing they did. My wife and I are very satisfied with their work. Thanks guys!

Lincoln C.

3/13/2012

Be aware of their outrage price and someone told me later on that they may be on 'commission base' so avoid them even they said they pride themselves as one of the few rare one that they have 100% satisfaction guaranty on paper.
Here is my story. Total charge of kitchen sink problem is $597 plus $69 diagnostic/visit charge. After I told them that when I called them early on, the lady on the phone told me that the visit fee can be waived if I agree for them to take the job, but they said NO so I am quite upset and said NO too - I only paid $69. I called the other plumber and they arrived there next day and fixed it around one hour and only charged me $150. The plumber from the other company know exactly what he need to do is just go up to the roof and put the snake in the pipe and did a good job.
Here is the breakdown of the $597 (not including item 2. and visit fee) from Mike Counsil Plumbing:
1. snake the kitchen line from under the sink $299
2. just remove and reinstall the 'leaking' pipe under the sink in order to put the snake in $74
(if I do the 4. then 2. will not be included)
3. remove and replace the socket strainer of the sink $149
4. replace the pipe under the sink is $149
The reason to do 3. & 4. is because of leaking both the socket strainer and pipe. well, the other plumber came in just re-tighten the pipe and everything is fine. I think it smell dishonesty to me.

D D.

7/26/2017

I wish I didn't even have to give 1 star to this company. CONSUMERS PLEASE BEWARE! THIS COMPANY WILL LIE, CHEAT, AND SCAM YOU. I called asking for assistance for a sink issue my almost 80 year old mother had in San Jose. She dropped a bit of kitty litter down the sink. They told me there would be an 89.00 trip charge, which I expected. They were there over an hour and a half and did nothing but take the p-trap off. Most of their time was spent outside - these two guys - on a computer. I asked to speak to them, as did my husband and they told us the kitty litter had turned into cement and they would need to cut all the piping out - about 4 feet worth - and may even have to cut through the wall and to start with cutting and replacing the pvc pipe under the sink was going to be 1900.00. If they had to cut through the wall, 3,000 to 4,000 dollars. They brought with them this small ridiculous looking thing they called a snake. Long story short, we got them out of the house ASAP. They charged this poor lady $312.00 dollars and did NOTHING! The next day we had a plumber come out, used a real snake, and within 10 minutes drain was unplugged. He spent more time putting back together what these two clowns took out. Guess what he charged? $0.00. He said it was nothing and he felt bad for how she had been scammed. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, AT ALL COSTS, DO NOT CONTACT THIS COMPANY. It's sickens me to know that there are people and companies like this still out there. PS. Also note, that cost included a 5% senior discount and a coupon on had to go online and present.

Dan C.

3/25/2011

Initially we rated them one star. However, after my Yelp review was posted, Patty from Mike Cousil contacted us. She had read our Yelp review. She was very nice, sincerely apologetic and offered to fix any remaining problems at no cost. We declined and she agreed to reimburse us our full payment. We give them another star for Sally's excellent after-service customer follow up.

B P.

12/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

We woke up Monday to no hot water. Looking in the paperwork that came with my house, I called the number of the company that installed it and was connected to MCP, even thought they were not the original installer. The woman on the phone was polite and scheduled an appointment for later in the day. She called to let me know that Josh was on the way and he arrived a few minutes later, on time with the scheduled appointment.

He was very polite and explained what he was doing as he did it. It turned out the pilot light had somehow blown out and after he lit it, and explained how I could do it, he stayed to make sure the heater worked and produced hot water.

The service call was quoted as $89.00 with the price to be applied to the bill. He only charged me $83.00 and was here more than an hour making sure the heater stayed working. I was happy with Josh and the service he provided and would call them again.

Ma D.

8/19/2009

I got an estimate from Steve and I would like to commend him for having great technical knowledge with the gas water heater that I had requested to be installed at our home (a Bradford White model). He was also very courteous. I am very satisfied with all of his answers to my queries and concerns, as well as the installation. He did an excellent job! Even the office staff are very professional, very efficient and courteous in handling my calls. I will definitely recommend them to all my friends and family.

Karen J.

3/19/2010

We have used Mike Counsil plumbing a number of time over the years and have never had a bad experience. Their staff is always courteous, knowledgeable, and trustworthy.

Most recently, we had a major back up in our bathroom plumbing which happened at 6pm on a Friday. First thing Saturday morning Glen, Jesus, and Roberto came out to assess the situation. Glen quickly and accurately determined what the problem was and talked with us about our options. In the end, we had them replace the main line out to the street, installed 3 new clean outs, and replaced the water service into the house with copper piping. They worked tirelessly over the weekend so that everything was done and our front yard was put back together by Monday afternoon. Needless to say, we haven't had any problems since.

We have used other, less expensive plumbers in the past but always come back to Mike Counsil. They simply do the best work. We no longer trust anyone else with our plumbing.

Kathy H.

04/12/2011 12:00:00 SA

Lied about cost of parts to justify over inflated installation price. Because they didn't have parts a job that should have taken 1 hour took 4 hours. We will never use them again. I feel robbed. Should have checked YELP to save alot of money.

Cathe H.

02/08/2010 12:00:00 SA

After experiencing another blocked sewage pipeline, we decided to tackle the big replacement job plus the copper re-pipe (which we had been planning to do anyway). We contacted Mike Counsil Plumbing for an estimate to replace our pipes to copper and the sewer pipe as well. I know that many who have left reviews noted about their sticker shock, but I really believe in the saying of you get what you pay for. We rather pay for quality work (that came with a warranty!) than cheaper-price work that will mostly have to re-visited again at a later date.

We worked with Glen Hammond (and his co-workers, Roberto and Jesus) and have nothing but good things to say about their professionalism, knowledge, and diligence to get the work done. The re-pipe and sewer line were a major project that took all week with long hours (and during the wet month of November, too!). Since they were doing such a big job for us, Glen added a new waterless-water heater for FREE (!) -- which we really were happy to have (and has been working great). You can tell that they took pride in their work and that is a good sign!

Glen showed us the work at every step (from the way they tied the pipes under the house to what he found in the pipes). Part of the pipe work also required that they break into the wall in two of our rooms and cut a hole into the cement of our front courtyard -- which they also sealed up after the work was done (it was a small added charge that we were happy to pay) that we were happy to have done. They also cleaned up the front of the house since it was raining at the time.

So, we were very happy with the work that they did for us and we'd call them again if we needed. We'll also recommend Glen, Roberto and Jesus at Mike Counsil Plumbing to friends and family as well.

Marlene D.

9/20/2011

I am renting a house in Fremont and had a problem with backed up toilets. When the landlord called MCP about having them snaked, they told her that they wouldn't be able to come out for 4 days! I couldn't believe it when the landlord told me this so I called MCP myself and the lady who answered the phone said it couldn't be until 7 days! Unbelievable!! How could a plumber let someone live in a house without working toilets for 7 days?? We called another plumber that had great ratings on Yelp and they came out that afternoon and everything has been working great since.

Amy I.

8/25/2015

This is the second time I've hired Mike Counsil for plumbing needs and couldn't have had a better experience. Our kitchen sink was leaking and we had issues with one of our bathtubs. Jaime was the technician that came to our rescue. He quickly fixed the two problems and then did a thorough walk through of our home as a complimentary service. We found him to be professional, kind and knowledgable and would hire both Jaime and Mike Counsil again in a nano-second!

Jack C.

5/17/2015

Had a Noritsu Tankless isntalled by them about 5 years ago. Water started coming out of the drain valve and flooded out my garage yesterday. Called them this morning to have them come out to check out the problem. Victoria on the phone (very pleasant by the way) quoted me $530 just to come out and diagnose the problem. Of course if they need to fix something that would be on top of that. Hard to believe they have the balls to charge that kind of $$ just to come out and take a look. I really wanted them to work on it since I got if installed by them. You would think that they would stand by their initial job but I guess not. At least I did not have to fork out the $$s yet. Looking at other negative reviews this company just overcharges for everything and here's one more example. Look elsewhere for your plumbing needs.

Michael R.

10/13/2016

We called Mike Counsil Plumbing in an emergency because I foolishly broke our master bath shower valve and had to shut the water off to the whole house. We selected Mike Counsil Plumbing because we wanted an experienced plumber since the problem appeared to complex. They had a good Yelp referral and had been in business for many years. And it didn't hurt they also offered a $50 coupon.

After talking to the receptionist on the phone and explaining the problem, she set us up with a same day appointment stating the technician would be there between 5pm and 7pm. A little after 6pm the dispatcher called and informed me Josh Gibson (the technician) would be there in about 10 minutes. After Josh arrived we talked about the job and our options for fixing the problem. Because Josh did not have the part necessary to fix the problem that night, he removed the old value and capped the hot/cold water pipes so we could turn on the water to the house. Josh was very personable and did an outstanding job, and left the bathroom clean before leaving. He also informed me he would return the next day between 12noon and 1:30pm to complete the job. Since he was scheduled for another job in the morning, he stated he would talk with the dispatcher about sending out another technician in morning if one was available. At 9am the following day, the dispatcher called and said a new technician (Jerry B.) would be arriving between 10am and 10:30am. Jerry was on time and began the work. We found Jerry to be very friendly. As he proceeded with the work, he kept us informed as the work progressed. Upon completion Jerry left our bathroom clean and we are thoroughly happy with the work he did.

Like I said in the beginning, the work appeared to be complex and we wanted a company with years of experience to do the work and a company we could trust. We are totally satisfied with the work both Josh Gibson and Jerry B. performed and would recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing.

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This is an update to my review posted on 10/11/2016. I felt it was important to give you an update on what has transpired over the past few days for which I continue to maintain their 5 star rating. When we first contracted with Mike Counsil Plumbing, they were going to charge $248 to prep the shower for tile cutting and dust containment. On the second day when another technician began the work, he did not prep the bathroom as specified in the contract. As a result, we contacted Mike Counsil Plumbing and requested a refund since the prep work was never performed. Within 24 hours, Sean, the service supervisor, contacted us and apologized for the oversight stating it was part of their normal procedure to prep the site before starting work. Sean indicated our $248 would be refunded. It's not every day you come across a company committed to providing excellent service.

As I said, the work appeared to be complex and we wanted a company with years of experience to do the work and a company we could trust. We are totally satisfied with the work performed by the technicians and would recommend Mike Counsil Plumbing. They have certainly demonstrated they are a company you can trust.

Cheryl W.

2/25/2015

Very good experience. This was a fairly simple job (toilet replacement with low usage version). But since it was upstairs, the old one had to be lugged down and the new one lugged up. I was delighted at how pain free the experience was. The technician James explained everything very well, left everything spice and span.

L. V.

08/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

Aaron did a really great job. Our toilette wasn't flushing and after proper analysis he concluded the problem was our old toilette. Aaron was able to change the toilette on the spot. The only reason why I didn't give him 5 stars was because of a small scheduling conflict. Once he got here all went really well. Would recommend again.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a F.

11/15/2012

We did not use Mike Counsil, but had them come out to give us an estimate for electrical work and plumbing. They were the most thorough plumbers and electricians I've ever seen and spent about 3 hours crawling under the house and in the attics. My house is tiny and was told that the estimate was more than $20k for work that ended up costing me about half of that with more work done than their estimate included. They get 5 stars for thoroughness, but dinged them for the crazy prices and the high pressure sales person that kept calling to get the business afterward.

Juliya S.

8/21/2014

They did a good job BUT I really feel that I got ripped off, $800 to replace 2 feet of an open pipe with 3 turns? no digging, no opening walls - easy 2 hr job. really? It was an emergency and I didn't have time to shop around and I feel like I was taken advantage because of that...

John G.

07/06/2012 12:00:00 SA

My wife and I recently used MCE to install landscape lighting in our Scotts Valley home's back yard. MCE's representative, Kim H., was friendly, approachable, knowledgable, confident, detailed, patient and above all, professional. He worked around my/spouse's schedules from the very beginning: the consulting/quoting phase.

There was no ambiguity throughout the entire process, from quoting to finishing. The contract had *SPECIFIC* details of what was going to be done and when.

I'm a Technical Professional, so I asked Kim lots of questions. He was patiently able to answer my questions in specific detail.

Kim ended up being the person that actually did the work, too. We did a low-votage system consisting of approximately 18 lights on 3 circuits. Low voltage lighting has an advantage of not needing to be buried very deeply and there being no city codes/ordinances for running wires. For this reason, there are many yahoos out there that sell their installation services but deliver a marginal (at best) finished product. Kim was the polar opposite of this. His work was superlative, not because that's what's required, but because it's what's right. Wires were buried 6-8 inches - not required, but right. Three transformers: not required, but right. New circuit from panel (rather than tap into existing line under house: again, not required, just right.

Kim's work ethic is one that is a dying breed these days.

Yes, MCE cost more than other competing quotes. But not that much more and I had the peace of mind of having no ambiguities in the quote or the scope of work. Other competing quotes were vague and I felt like I had an episode of Holmes on Homes in the making.

Good results do not come cheap, but the work is done. ONCE. And it will not need to be redone.

DJ N.

01/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

We called them out to fix our clogged shower and toilet and the service guy told us he need to go underneath our house to check to see where the mainline locate. He recorded some videos and told us we have water leak on mainline and should get it fix. And so we asked him can he just get the clogged issue fix we can get a second opinion on the leaked mainline pipe later. He told us he will remove the toilet and run his line to clear the clogged and put the toilet back for us. His estimate charge is $600.
We paid him the $89 and send him away.
I would advise anyone with plumbing problem to stay away from Mike Counsil. The service guy gave me an impression that he was trained using the scare tactics by this company to magnify the problem to their customers and squeeze as much money as possible and suggested more things that are not necessary to rip off people money.
I wouldn't recommend this company to anyone.

Tina J.

08/01/2014 12:00:00 SA

Should have read Yelp first. I called to schedule an appt for a quote for a commercial
bathroom remodel. Explained everything and thought we had an appt. I gathered up some decision makers and waited for the day to arrive. Today is that day and I was called at 8:30 for them to say there was no one to come out. Why, I asked as I had to pass it on to the others that had changed their Friday morning for the Appt. It seems that they needed to take care of their repeat customers and 5Diamond Customers, so they canceled us! I asked if I had another appt and was told that a scheduler could call me back if I wanted . Forget it Mike Cousil I got your name from 5Diamond and have sent it to the circular file. I and the others don't feel that is any kind of customer service
and feel we just dodged a bullet

Leslie W.

1/26/2016

Brian was punctual,professional and very personable. His evaluation was explained clearly. The cost was pricey so I will get a second opinion before calling Brian back out.

Patty S.

4/18/2015

The service I received from this company was outstanding. I have never written a review before but since I have now had two positive experiences with them I felt the need to give them some positive feedback. Paul came out initially because my water heater had stopped working. He assessed the situation and let me know what needed to be done. By the time he left I had a new water heater, a drip pan(which I'd never had in the past), and a proper drainage system. He also helped me locate the shut off valves for my condo unit. Skip ahead six weeks and there is a leak in my water heater closet. I immediately called Mike Counsil and they sent Paul back out. He showed up early (which is a good thing) looked at everything and discovered that the problem had nothing at all to do with the newly installed water heater, but in fact was being caused by a leak from my upstairs neighbor's unit. This meant that I needed to contact my HOA and have them take care of the problem. Out of the kindness of their hearts, Paul and his assistant helped me soak up the now pools of water, located additional places in my unit where water was causing damage, gave me advice about what questions I should ask when I called my HOA and took pictures for me so I could show them to the HOA. Even though I had to wait for an approved vendor from the HOA to do the actual work, Paul and his assistant took the time to speak to the new worker and let him know what they had discovered. All this additional support really made me glad that I decided to purchase a water heater from Mike Counsil. Their technicians are extremely knowledgeable and their customer service is exceptional. They are honest, trustworthy and friendly. I hope I won't have any more plumbing or electrical house drama in the near future, but if I do, I will absolutely be calling Mike Counsil Plumbing and Electrical!

B F.

2/24/2015

We have used Mike Cousil for electrical, gas and plumbing work. Recently we had a major plumbing problem that their firm solved for us. We found Glen and Jaime, to be very through in their recommended solutions. We also felt Silas and Freddy kept our house very clean and communicated each step. Our experience with MC was the people are professional and experienced in the way they engage their customers. For instance, when they discovered the cause of our plumbing problem, Silas explained the issue, provided a full quote and clear timeline for completion. The quote was done from a standard pricing book, which made it feel like we weren't being taken. Glen and Jaime stopped by often and used the same quoting process, so I felt comfortable with their quote. I could have done multiple bids, but in the end it was the process Mike Counsil's people deployed on-site that made us feel 100% comfortable going with them.

They communicated every step of the way with full disclosure and were always clear on the next steps. We always knew when they were coming and going, what we had to do, and they worked around our schedule as best as possible. We had five different individuals working on this project and each one was very professional courteous.

We felt the results of the job were very professional and thorough. The city inspection went well, which is to be expected when you're using a company like Mike Counsil.

I would recommend Mike Counsil for plumbing (big or small), electrical (again big or small) and or gas work.

Mark P.

06/05/2007 12:00:00 SA

Ripoff. Estimated over $300 for sub-1 hour job (to replace a fully exposed, simple section of burst pipe), with the ridiculous excuse that it was against the law for them to not use the flat charge per service.

Got it done for 1/3 the price. Skip these turkeys.

Marlene J.

10/13/2016

Thanks to Joseph S. who helps us clean our drain, but also helped us with a needed city referral. He was knowledgeable and friendly, and explained things well. Initial contact with this company was warm and personable.

Gina B.

06/05/2012 12:00:00 SA

We're happy as a clam, with the service and professionalism of Mike Counsil Plumbing. Paul, the service tech arrived at our house at 9 a.m and didn't leave till approx. 3 p.m. Saturday, May 26, working on our old plumbing. We've had major clots throughout the entire house. From the kitchen to the laundry room to both bathrooms, where water was backing up into the bath tub in one bathroom. We really appreciate Paul for being so patient.

I was at work and my husband was home to meet Paul. First he explained everything to my husband, then to me on the phone, and when I arrived home from work he made sure I understood everything that was wrong and what needed to be done right away and what can be done in the future.

As for the work, WOW! Paul had to crawl under the house several times. Fixed our leak, cleaned and fixed our clots, replace the clean out cap that was missing from the previous plumber, fixed the sink in one the bathroom and the most impressive of all...he CLEANED UP after he as done.

The cost...Well, I think it depends on the job and the previous plumber. In some jobs Mike Counsil is a little more expensive than others but in some their less expensive than others. We are very satisfied with the job Paul did and what they charged. I think it's worth having a company be professional, helpful, trust worthy, and stands behind their work. We will be call them back for the electrical work to be done.

Thank you Paul and Mike Counsil Plumbing,
Regina B

Rich T.

5/15/2013

Came home to a main line break coming into the house and I call MC Plumbing for help. From the moment I called I found everyone starting with Jennifer to be extremely professional and nice. She said she would call back in 5 mins and did exactly what she said. I didn't even have a chance to be jittery! Then she also followed up to make sure I got the necessary call and Greg (Also very nice and professional) dispatched someone asap to the house.

Eddie showed up and was very helpful and understanding of the problem and seemed very knowledgeable and provided a quote to fix in the morning once we were stabilized. He Called before coming and showed up on time and did a wonderful, clean professional job. He even finished off the cement cut with some trim to make it look as look as possible! I couldn't be happier (unless of course, it never happened :) ) with Eddie and the team at MCP.

I know if I have a problem in the future I know who to call... The Ghost busters of Plumbing, Mike Council Plumbing. Thanks Jennifer, Greg and (the man doing the work....) Eddie.

william w.

10/25/2011

Caled MC in for a repair, they tried to sell me on re plumbing the whole house (and he offered to finance it) any way we had him do a simple repair job, which he did poorly,and left the house in a mess.

so now I have to redo his work , clean up his mess and pay him too
(I feel so lucky... :-(

Robert D.

8/22/2015

Made another call to company to have a hot water pump installed to eliminate the long wait to receive hot water in the bath room. I requested Joseph be assigned to the job. He arrived the same day to determine the scope of the task. The next day he returned with the parts and installed the hot water pumping system. I'm completely satisfied with the result. I can now adjust a timer to provide hot water immediately at the time of day when I would normally want it.

L. K.

9/18/2016

MC put in my sewer from house to street and did a fantastic job. I do think that they were overpriced (compared to what I found out later) for the amount of sewer they had to put in. Here it is a couple years later and I got a mildew smell I thought was coming from my drains. I called MC back out for a check. They told me it was not the drains, but could be a crack in my piping vent. I allowed them to pull the toilet, open the wall to check the vent. No crack. Then we saw the mold. eww. They closed back up the area (which all the mold people I have interviewed told me they should have known better) and replace the toilet seal, toilet and caulked. They were very pleasant but again, they are overpriced. They also gave me a name of a mold company which after interviewing is also over priced compared to the others I have interviewed.

John W.

02/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

Too expensive. I was quoted $592 to replace a couple of hose bibs (for washing machine) -- if it was easy (which I already tried), and $1000 if it took more than putting a wrench on it and replacing the plastic enclosure box. Long story short, I paid the trip charge which $89 to get an outrageous quote. They only charge by the job, not by the hour. I ended up doing the job myself (with help from a friend) in about an hour. The plumber that came was professional, courteous, etc... just way too expensive. Had they been reasonable, I would have been more than happy to not have to do plumbing, but I did not feel that i should be paying brain surgeon rates for plumbing services.

Von M.

06/05/2014 12:00:00 SA

Do your homework. My water heater sprung a leak. Called this company because it was on the original tank. Wrong way to find a plumber. They explained service fee but could not provide cost of replacing.

Plumber showed up on time. However, I researched replacement tanks and they cost about $580. This business offered their basic (lowest price) of $1699. What a mark up! I said no and they still get $69 for 10 minutes of re-educating me that one needs to do their homework and not just call any business.

BTW - next plumber (researched), same tank, only $740. That is a more than reasonable mark up. Mike Counsil Plumbing was NOT a reasonable mark up.

Shruti Shruti G.

04/11/2013 12:00:00 SA

Very very very wrong company to get . They come home and for you job they will start looking in a book as if they can't tell you the estimate . Then for a job that is suppose to be $100 , there book will say $800. And that is not all they have a cheaper price too for the same job , $600. And god forbid if you agree to pay them $65 if the job is not taken (like I did , idiot me.) now you pay them $65 for showing you that stupid book. A suggestion. If for any reason you have to call them then make sure you tell them to wave out $65 because believe it of not they do that if you fight for it. The most useless company I had to deal with.

Ace M.

3/24/2011

Aaron was a very experienced and extremely helpful .Gave me the best price and left everything very clean .Very impressed with Aaron and his helper! Will use again and recommend!

GREAT SERVICE !

Anonymous P.

1/20/2013

Another business that justifies the need for negative stars on yelp.

They made me wait nearly 4 hrs before calling back to say they're not going to make it out. I've got no running water anywhere in the house and these guys blithely blow me off.

While I'm probably better off not having them hack on my plumbing, thanks for nothing.

Gil H.

4/16/2010

I did a full plumbing replacement for our outgoing pipes. Glenn with his team (Roberto, Jesus, and Ygnacio) did the job quickly in 3 days. They were very professional, clean and thorough.

They installed an access point through the wall of the house - not through a crawl-space vent as some may do (make sure to request that).

They went above and beyond what I expected:
1. We had a leak under a sink after they completed the job. It could have been from the shaking of the house during the work. The piping was old and falling apart, and they replaced it at no extra cost.
2. When they did a house inspection they found a bad valve for the gas heater, and replaced that for free.
3. I had an unrelated problem of a shower door that wouldn't move. Glenn picked up new rollers for the door at home depot, and fixed the door at no charge.
4. They replaced a couple of crawl-space vents - they bought paint to match the house color, and painted them to match. They bought a gallon size container at no extra charge.

If you want a quality company that will not be the cheapest, but will provide great service with no frustrations along the way, I recommend Glenn and his team, Roberto, Jesus, and Ygnacio from Mike Counsil Plumbing.

John E.

04/11/2011 12:00:00 SA

I disagree with many of the other reviews. I used one of the cheaper plumbers for another job a few years back and regret it. You get what you pay for. Our most recent job was with Mike Counsil, and they are not cheap, but they do outstanding work that will last far longer than a year or two. And they do all work up to code. Ray and crew were outstanding always courteous. They were careful with our home and spotless, always cleaning up after themselves. They discovered horrors that were done by the original builder and corrected them all. I would never think of going to one of the cheaper plumbers again. I don't want to pay twice for the same job from those who underbid and do shoddy work. Go with someone you can rely on.

Shadi B.

10/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

WARNING! I literally signed in to Yelp to start reviews so that I could warn everyone of the thieves that call themselves mike counsil plumbing! After being 4 hours late to the appointment, the technician (i.e. thief) wanted to quote me $3,100 to change 2 supply lines, a faucet, and a main pipe valve. I had re-piped a different small house for that and when I told him that he yelled at me. Yes, yelled. I got another 4.5 star plumber on yelp who came out, did the whole thing for $815 and said it was a fairly simple job. If I could give these guys negative stars I would. For anyone who reads this just get 2 quotes and you will see you are getting taken for.

Karl H.

9/27/2013

We used Mike Counsil's plumbing services today to purchase and have installed a garbage disposal. The service we received from everyone on the phone to Kevin Bueno (our installer) was terrific. More service business's can learn from these folks. Thanks again Kevin!

Stephanie M.

06/04/2009 12:00:00 SA

I would not recommend Mike Counsil to anyone. They are a rip-off and do horrible work. I had a leaky bathroom faucet. Shouldn't be too hard to fix, right? I'll give them props for showing up on time. They charged me $380 to fix it, which was way too high but I was desparate. They fixed it, but it started leaking again that afternoon so I called them back. They fixed it again but it started leaking again the next day. I called to get my money back and they wanted to come out again. I said no, I had had enough of their horrible service--why was it not fixed right the first (or second) time??? They refunded me half of my money, which did not make me happy but it was better than nothing. I still had my leaky faucet....

Do not call Mike Counsil pluming. Horrible service and they charge way too much.

J N.

10/16/2014

I wanted to provide a big thumbs up for the excellent installation and services provided by Charles. This knowledge and experience of water conditioning & filtration equipment, their installation, and consumer benefits where obvious in working with him. In his work he showed great attention to detail and his punctuality each day was great. I highly recommend his work. He is a very conscientious employee focused on customer satisfaction.

Rosalie K.

09/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

I am giving this company 2 stars primarily because of the underhandedness of Glen. I had a fairly large job that required replacing a waste line. It was a 25 foot section of pipe underneath my house that needed replacing due to 60 years of kitchen waste. The job was bid at $4K. I want to be clear in the fact that the young men Manny, Joey, and RJ doing the work were EXCELLENT; hardworking and very polite. My primary concern is that half way through the job, Glenn appeared and told me that I needed an additional $25K worth of work. Fortunately for me, I have a son who is a plumber. Glenn had told me all of my pipes were crumbling and needed replacing. However, my son crawled under the house and told me that was not true. The pipes were old, but fine. (Except for the one we were already replacing). Glen's motives were clearly not in his customer's best interest. I felt that he was trying to take advantage of me: a widowed senior citizen. While the workers were exceptionally competent, the business side of the company should not be trusted.

denny l.

10/20/2017

Consumer beware!!! My day started with the phone call from Mike Counsil dispatch to inform me the JOEY was on his way to my appointment scheduled for (0900-1100). Joey arrived alittle after 0930AM that's fine with me. Joey was professional and had assistant Gabriel with him who came in a second vehicle. I showed Joey my master bath double sink and told him that I wanted him to change out the 2Faucets (which I had bought ) and also change out the 4 shut off valve and 4 water lines (risers) thats it. Joey took photos of the area to be repaired, viewed by two faucets I had purchased. I asked so what is your hourly rate and he said we don't have hourly rates we charge by the job. Ok??? So, Joey opens his binder thumbs through its pages and types into his laptop. I show him my coupon and says he will honor the $89.00 discount and add 5% senior discount. Joey also hands me a packet of materials related to his company and what it can provide. Joey tells me he will also after the job he will inspect my water lines under the house for problems. He also offered a maintenance plan. Now Joey stop typing and turning pages comes up with the quote for my job. Joey says its going to be $2,200.00 to install my 2 faucets that I bought and 4 shutoff valves and 4 risers/waterlines. I looked at my Boss (my wife) and she said NO . Joey said ok, let me work somemore here and so he starts turning pages and typing into his laptop. New price $1900.00 to which we say NO. Joey again goes to work and comes up with a figure of $1300.00 we say NO. I thanked Joey and said we weren't interested and he said let me check one more time . Joey started typing into his laptop and turning pages from his binder that held fees for jobs. Joeys last offer was $1106.00 I said NO. He said this is the final price quote. My wife now speaks and says to Joey, what you are telling us with this price that your company is going to charge us $500.00 per faucet to install . My wife said this would take maybe two hours . Joey said maybe there could be complications that could extend the work time so this fee covers extra hours. After talking for over an hour I wrote a check to Joey for the service fee$44.00. Joey declined it saying no necessary. With that being said we shook hands and said Goodbye. Remember Folks, the initial quote was $2200.00 then the final quote came down to $1106.00. You decide if this company is looking for repeat customers by this type of behavior.

Nieves C.

08/12/2014 12:00:00 SA

Their prices are outrageously high. I remodeled my entire bathroom last summer. The sink faucets started to leak. I bough a top of the line faucet when I remodeled the bathroom with no plastic parts at all. All solid metal.
When the plumber came, I told him my suspicions that the previous plumber had not installed the faucet correctly. He looked at it briefly, moved the faucet around and told me that it was broken and needed to be replaced. I explained to him that the faucet was high quality, new, and no plastic parts to break.
He said it would be $89 for visit, about $900 if he went to buy a new faucet and replace it or about $700 if I bought the faucet and he replaced it.
I told him I was not willing to pay that amount for a faucet and that I was use all it needed was to be reinstalled because nothing was broken. Sometimes, I think some people will try to take advantage of women because they not think we know what we are dealing with. Wrong!!
He took a screw driver and in less than 10 minutes he was done. He did fix the problem but his 30 minutes visit cost me $255.

Had I not speak up, I would have had to pay a bit over $1,000 to replace a perfectly good faucet!!!!!!

I should have read yelp reviews before. The plumber was nice BUT I do not think this family owned (I hate when they use this term to make us thing they are more honest than other!) business cares much honesty,
I will not recommend this business to anyone. I am sure there are more honest people willing to charge by the time they actually work and not have a flat $$$ figure for every work regardless of the time, effort, level of complications, etc....
What comes around, goes around.... We all have to look at ourselves in the mirror at some point in our lives and if you do not treat others well... you can't expect to be rewarded at the end.

K W.

04/05/2016 12:00:00 SA

Thank You Jerry B! You were calm, polite, informative, and best of all, you fixed my bathroom sink for me. The problem was minor; I dropped something down the drain. Very pleased with the service that I received. Also impressed by the quick response time. I will definitely call this company again the next time I need help with the plumbing.

Mark O.

12/13/2014

It's going to cost me three hundred and fifty dollars to fix; had I gone with Mike Counsil I would have spent over four thousand. PLEASE READ ON
I urge you not to use Mike Counsil Plumbing; you will overpay a lot. I was charged over six hundred dollars for an inspection of the problem, which amounted to the plumber verifying and locating the leak behind the shower faucet. I ended up paying three hundred after I screamed holy hell because I was looking at paying six hundred dollars and nothing was fixed yet; that, according to the plumber, would cost over four thousand dollars and involve replacing a number of pipes that did not immediately or in the distant future need replacing. Today, I had another reputable plumber look at the problem and he discovered an easier way to the pipe in question--through the attic, which Mike Counsil's plumber had a view of from my shower when he removed the shower plate, yet, he still recommended cutting into the shower to be able to make the repair, covering the oversized hole with a larger plate and new shower hardware. When he suggested that, I did not know about being able to get to the pipes through the attic--today's plumber showed me that. It's going to cost me three hundred and fifty dollars to fix; had I gone with Mike Counsil I would have spent over four thousand. Shame on you Mike Counsil. I'd rather work for a tobacco company than Mike Counsil; my conscience would certainly be better off.

Roger W.

3/25/2010

We had to replace our sewer line from the house to the street. They dug up our garden, replaced the line, installed an extra port to simplify unclogging the drains in the future. I couldn't believe what a nice job they did in restoring my plants and garden after finishing the whole job in less than two days.

While they were here, we also had them do an inspection of our house plumbing. They discovered and fixed some issues that could have developed into expensive problems in the near future.

Plumbers always seem to be expensive, but we felt that we received quality work for a fair price.

We especially appreciated the friendly professionalism of Ray. He went out of his way to meet with us on our schedule. He also did a great job of telling us what was wrong and giving us options of how to do the repairs.

We have used their services in the past, but were especially pleased with their work this time.

Jim D.

5/21/2014

Thank god I didn't use this plumber. They were here for my next door neighbor. A multi day job. However, they pulled one of their two pretty green trucks up the wrong way in front of my home for the entire day, unloaded their piping supplies on my front lawn for the ENTIRE DAY as well as the day before, and even stepped on my recently planted small bushes when they were going back and forth to my neighbor's house. And this was while I was outside watching one of the workers do it!! I still find it hard to comprehend these workers total lack of consideration for a neighbor's property. I've yet to find out from my neighbor how they felt about the job this plumber did.

Margaret S.

04/08/2017 12:00:00 SA

Would have given zero stars if that was an option. Made an appointment well in advance to have a bathroom faucet installed. I needed the work done sometime over a period of 2 1/2 days for personal reasons. They chose a date and time during that span and assured me they would be here. I had an unusually busy weekend with other obligations that I scheduled around the appointment (Saturday, 2-4p). They called early this morning when I was headed to my 2nd personal obligation and wanted to come between 10a and noon, which was impossible because I had already scheduled something during that time. One hour before the agreed service window, they called to tell me all their service techs had been called to an emergency. Next appt available would be Monday. . . while I'm at work. Sorry, Mike Counsil. You came highly recommended, and I know my job wasn't a big money-maker, but I'll never recommend you to anyone. Unless they're not in a hurry to have work done.

Judy G.

06/05/2015 12:00:00 SA

Our landlord hired mike pluming to replace a water heater and all the pipes. They did an excellent job. Always keeping us informed about what they were doing. Everything was neat and clean when they left. Thanks to Dave and Joseph who made a bad situation tolerable. Thanks to everyone that worked here. Judy goldberg

Raul M.

01/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

very unreliable. made an appointment with them for a job. 2 hours before the appointment they call me that they can't make it. instead of trying to reschedule the next day to do the job, they were referring me to another company to take the job. very unprofessional.

Jeremy S.

1/15/2015

We had a good experience working with James. He was easy to work with and showed up on time and delivered. After one of my kids stepped on the line to my house I was not expecting a re-pipe to the house. The old poly-plex pipe was too fragile to replace. At first I thought it was on the expensive side, but confirmed that the quote was reasonable. After re-piping, cementing driveway and fixing lawn and seeing the amount of work that went into the job I was satisfied with job and cost. The city required an expansion tank on the water heater and James covered the cost. My house has old galvanized pipes inside. James made sure that everything was working after connected the new copper pipe to the house. He made sure that everything was safe at the end of the day so kids could play outside without falling into holes. Overall it was a good experience.

Dave G.

01/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

Nice and profession guys-but the pricing I would call very high--They 1st quote you high-2500.00-then when u complain they drop it knowing it was still 500 dollars to much--price range for this job was 900-1200--there price was 1700.00--another words its up to u if you wanna be screwed

Theresa C.

09/09/2014 12:00:00 SA

Called Mike Counsil Plumbing when water backed up in bath tub and toliot downstairs. They said they would call when a service man was on his way; they did not. No notification that he was coming. When the service man arrived I showed him the problem and asked him to rototill or snake the pipe. He said that he couldn't do this as there was standing water in the toliot and it would flood. I asked him to uses a sump-pump to pump out the standing water - he said he didn't carry one. He then said that he would need to run a camera down the pipe to see where the block was. I knew where the block was - in the pipe in the lower bathroom! But having said this he said he did not have the camera with him and another specialist would have to bring oen up. I was quoted an $89 charge for him to come to my house and the $89 would not be credited in whatever work had to be done, it was just for both me showing up. I declined. He then suggested that he write me up a bid on what he could do. He wrote out a bid which was two pages long and I stopped him in the middle and asked him to just tell me what he was proposing to do. He said he was going to excavate a new main outlet for the house which would be about 1,500.00. I said I did not want this done, I simply wanted the drain cleared. He said he needed to call his supervisor. After a lenghty call with his supervisor, I could tell he was being coached on what to say, he said that they could put a snake down my upstairs toliot to try and unclog the line but they would give me no guarantee that this would work and no guarantee that this would fix the problem. I was also told that this would cost $295 and if the snake got caught in my line they would have to jackhammer up the floor to get it out and I would be responsible for all cost of this - I told him I thought this was ridiculos as I have had the llne snaked before and never had a problem but he wouldn't go forward without me signing off on liability. He called his supervisor again to get clarification on this and came back to me with a higher price then quoted of $595 with no gurantees. I couldn't believe it. I told him that if they couldn't do what I wanted to just snake the pipe then I was interested. He could see that I was getting upset so he called, once again his supervisor, and they knew that their little scam was up and waived the $89 charge and left the premises. What a bunch of crooks!!!!
I then called MIDAS Plumbing who was there within the hour. John, the owner, took once look, got out his sump-pump and snaked out the drain - the culprit was roots in the main line. He had it finished, working wonderfully within thirty minutes.
Total charge $295 - goes to show you that Mike Counsil is untrustworthy and out there trying to perform work that doesn't need to be done! Shame on them.

Michael C.

3/22/2011

This is based on the initial phone call to Mike Council Plumbing. I was told that in order to have them come out and give me a quote for a re-pipe on my house, that I would have to pay them $59. What kinda of shit is that. I currently have two reputable plumbers scheduled to come out this week, and neither on of them has asked for money to give me ans estimate. Something is seriously wrong with the way Mike Council Plumbing does business. This call made on 03/21/2011 @ 3:35 PM.

As of right now, I will not be calling them back!

Michael D.

7/18/2011

I have been using Mike Counsil Plumbing for 8 years; once as the resident and then as the Landlord. Each experience I have had has been positive. They are prompt, personal, thorough and professional - both in the way they conduct business but also in appearance, (not something you see these days) PLUS they get the job done.

Don't let the name fool you, they are not just plumbers who clear clogged drains, they have cleared blocked pipes, installed a water heater, replaced both my kitchen faucet and my bathroom faucet and can do a lot more. There was NO, I'm gonna have to drive back to my shop to get parts they come equiped for almost all jobs and parts are quality.

When I looked for a plumber in the yellow pages I was lost on who to use. My biggest fear was the price. A close personal friend told me once, always remember, you get what you pay for. When you use Mike Counsil you get what you pay for and more. As a landlord, I live 40 miles from what was my first home. Depending on a quality company to follow through is always a concern, NEVER with Mike Counsil. The training Supervisor, Raymond, makes sure the staff is well trained.

If you're looking for a band-aid fix, Mike Counsil isn't the company for you, they stand behind their work and they do it right.

I can't say enough about them, don't make the mistake of choosing a _____ Rooter type company or a Smelly____ plumber. Mike Counsil is worth every penny.

Jeff K.

10/03/2011 12:00:00 SA

I called Mike Counsil the other day because my hot water heater was leaking. Two guys arrived right at the start of the two hour window I was given (points for that). They spent a few minutes looking at my hot water heater and determined that it needed to be replaced and gave me a quote.

We then spent a lot of time (30-60 mins?) trying to find a decent replacement model. It was mostly my fault - I didn't mind paying extra to get one that was energy efficient. I didn't think it was an unreasonable request, but apparently no one really ever asked that before, because their supplier didn't seem to be able to quickly suggest any models that were legal in California AND energy-efficient. I went through many models I found online (energystar.gov, etc), and eventually basically gave up and settled for something that was somewhere around 62% efficient. Apparently most of the more energy-efficient models either don't Califonia's NOX standards or require super-expensive venting.

The installation itself went smoothly; they finished an hour earlier than I expected.

The only other negative was that someone had to come back the next day to fix a small leak. That guy showed up right on time and finished up in 15 minutes or so, so even that was a pretty positive experience.

Jamie A.

7/25/2017

We had a bathroom sink handle that was difficult to turn and had rusty parts under the sink. Turns out that the stuck handle was leaking internally. I had called Moen and ordered most of the replacement parts for the sink (Moen has a lifetime warranty so you can get the parts for free). I then went on the Home Advisor website, which pointed me to three companies. The first company I called wouldn't come out unless you buy the parts from them. Before I could call Mike Counsil Plumbing (which was next on the list), I received a phone call from them asking if I needed their services (I guess the Home Advisor website automatically emailed them with my contact info.). This was around 4:30PM, and they asked if I could do the 5 - 7PM time slot, which I accepted. Charles arrived on time and looked at the job and the parts I had and said that he could piece it together in about 1 1/2h. Gave me the quote which I agreed to and he got straight to work. Total time in and out roughly 2h. Great job. Could tell he knew exactly what he was doing, very professional and clean. Ask for Charles when you call!

La S.

05/09/2011 12:00:00 SA

The star - the one lonely star - is there purely so that I can submit my review....

DO NOT CALL THIS COMPANY if you are looking to unclog a drain... they will not do it. INSTEAD, they will rape you financially and leave you wondering What just happened.

Why, whatever do I mean? We called, coupon in hand to have a drain in our garage unclogged. Simple - from the garage to the street.

Arriving on time - the plumber looks at the sink - then goes to his van puts on a jumpsuit and says he needs to look at the pipes under the house...

A little while later he emerges with video showing why he believes they can not clear our clog - but why we needed to spend 10K to repipe our house instead.... even included new toilet seats (and more) for the freaking bathrooms (he was never even in the house to know what our inside needed)...

Oh but wait - your coupon is no good - they never actually cleared the drain and now you (the customer) owes $50 for a service call! Are you kidding?????? Really???? Really????

Oh - but they are not done messing with you yet.... you will receive MANY phone calls, messages, and hang up calls from a number in Santa Cruz trying to rope you into REPIPING YOUR HOUSE!

The calls finally stopped when I *69'ed and called APRIL back and asked them why they are calling me - then told them that I will never use them because of their practices.

IF you need a plumber - try the one we found instead - we are soooooooooooo super happy. They quoted over the phone, came when they said, KNEW what they were doing & had the clog cleared in less time than it took them to bring the machine from the street to the house.

Who did we finally use???
DRAIN MASTERS
4960 Almaden Expy
Ste 163
San Jose, CA 95123
408-629-1453

Who will we always use and refer????
You guessed it, DRAIN MASTERS!

When you are looking for a plumber, don't get taken to the cleaners!

Danielle W.

03/07/2012 12:00:00 SA

If I had read these reviews before hiring Counsil Plumbing I would never have had them out. Very suspicious of their analysis of my problems and finding more than I thought, I figured they were ripoff artists. I had a confrontation with plumber, who handled the exchange very well. Their prices are very high; however, I realized the guy was really identifying the immediate problems, the rot of the pipes (which I knew was there anyway.) I might have saved something going with another company, but finally Aaron really impressed me as being honest and skilled. I did turn down options he figured I should really be looking at and had done only the immediate necessary problems that were getting worse.
Aaron's work is probably the best experience I've had with a plumber. To me, they are all overpriced. You are not going to get a bargain with any plumber (unless he's your brother). Looks like Counsil needs to opt for more fair prices . I really liked that Aaron showed me the rotted hardware removed from the areas worked on. Aaron is excellent. As far as the company, there are no bargains.

John E.

12/05/2011 12:00:00 SA

11/30/2011, I was referred to this company by Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, who said tell them we referred you for a discount and BFP says they are always on time! They cancelled due to scheduling difficulties! 2 friendly men came out From Mike Counsil in a pretty truck/van and I described my problem, they went under the house and came back out with an explanation of what they could do for me indicating it was pretty serious. I asked him that I would like the least amount of work to be completed and that just the necessary repairs I would like quoted. The result 15 minutes later was for 2 men to spend an entire day to do the repairs of replacing 30ft of pipe and not the full line repair as requested for $3,364.00. I was shocked at such a high price, I told them I would call them back after discussing with my spouse. I called a friend who's a plumber in the Central Valley, he said he would do it for nothing if I helped him. Friday, December 1st my friend checked it out and he found that we could do it for the cost of parts and about a couple hours of work. Turns out we paid $40.00 for parts and the job was done by 1:00 that afternoon. The amazing part is when I asked the guy what was the price for labor and parts, he told me that they charged by the job, so if a 5th grader was to tell me that for $3,364.00 is for a job and I broke it down with what I fixed it for, that would mean they were charging for 2 guys 8 hours work at $222.50 per hour.....I don't know about you, but I'm smarter than a fifth grader! These guys can go rip off anyone and do they have a conscience?! I don't think so, this is the Bernie Madoffs of Plumbing!! Coincidentally, my neighbor was having work done next door by a guy around the corner, I told him this story and he woudl of charged me $500!!! So if any of you need a plumber, let me know and I'll give you his info, let's get these guys out of business!!!

Kama H.

09/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

We had a minor back up that probably resulted from a small toy being flushed down the toilet. We called Mike Counsil because we've seen their green trucks. They were happy to help us. While the rep. was very kind, clean and knowledgeable, he arrived late and charged us what we now believe to be way too much to snake a toilet. When we received the quote while he was at our house, we were in a desperate situation. We knew we would lose an $89 trip fee if we didn't go with them and we would have to pay a second fee to the next plumber we called. In addition, we would have to spend a few more hours of our time with the next guy. We decided to go with what seemed like a lot of money. Later, a few google searches told us that we paid at least 4 times a reasonable rate. We will be looking for a more reasonably-priced plumber next time. So far, we have no complaints about the quality of work. We just feel that we overpaid. Oh, and also, we will not be calling for a plumber on the weekend ever again unless it's an emergency.

Andrew G.

8/28/2014

Looking at the CSLB website, it doesnt even show they carry the proper certification to do plumbing. I see general b, landscape, and electrical. Might want to operate in a legal fashion and get the plumbing certification. Congrats on robbing money away from subs who are properly licensed.

Becky B.

01/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

George from mike counsil plumbing was recently at my home for several repairs one in particular was my bathroom that I later remodeled I am so happy with my new bathroom I highly recommend George and all the wonderfull gentleman who work together as a team . They'll pick up your dry cleaning also if u ask them !

Mike K.

5/15/2014

Angelo S contacted me after my yelp post and concluded my cost was an estimate error and therefore refunded a portion of my cost that I considered acceptable for the repair. He acknowledge that this was a lesson learned and plans to address the estimating issue with his staff. The quality of work was good and in the future, I will review the scope of work more thoroughly before proceeding but would use Mike Counsil plumbing and electric in the future.

Lea O.

4/25/2012

I am writing this review as an update to another that has been filtered out. I am not sure why and how these get filtered since I am giving a real review? Anyway, these guys took advantage of my grandmother not once but twice, and to make a long story short I fought on her behalf to get them to remove her bill and credit line they opened without her knowing. I had to file a complaint with the BBB and Dept of Consumer affairs. Needless to say after the days and hours spent trying to get the State Contractors License Board to help us, they did. More people need to complain to the License Board. They have been given a violation letter as of now from our complaint, and more people need to come forward. The person I spoke with who handled our case did inform me that if more people came forward about MC they would end up losing their license. This place needs to be shut down. It seems the elderly are what they prey on the most. Very very sad.

Tim P.

12/31/2014

We scheduled a time between 3:00 and 5:00 to repair my water heater. They called at noon to say that they would not be there and suggested that I call another company.

Katharine F.

2/24/2014

I had a toliet backing up on the first floor of my house and flooding it. Mike Council plumbling came right away. My situation went from bad to worse as it turned out that I needed a new sewer line. They showed me where the pipes were breaking, getting crushed due to land movement, and completely clogged with tree roots. I thought it was fair that they took the camera charges, and the line clearing charges off. I hired them to put in the new sewer line. Then, I started reading the bad yelp reivews and freaking out, thinking to myself, What have I gotten myself into?'
Well, the workers were prompt, courteous. My neighbor down the street had been in the same situation as me having to put in a new sewer line and the amount he spent was similair ( with a different plumbing company). Maybe I paid a little more, maybe not, but I felt that the plumbers were fair and honest with me. The work was well done.

KP P.

08/04/2012 12:00:00 SA

Worst experience ever!

I am a single mom of college kids. I called Mike Cousil after a referral from another company. The man that came out was nice but saying uh oh and oh no, I've never seen anything this bad. He had to use the camera (extra charge) & then call in the reinforcements since he couldn't clear the drain. I was told my pipes were collapsing and it was critical to replace the entire plumbing system. They came back 2 days later to quote me. As one man wrote up the estimate, he began to chuckle. When I asked him why he was laughing, he shook his head and said he had never seen a problem so big and that it was going to cost a lot of money. The estimate was just under $25,000. When I caught my breath, he asked me how much did I think it would cost and I said not more than $10k to replace all pipes. He then gave me a revised estimate closer to the $10k. Needless to say, I called other plumbers for 2nd opinions. Not one said I had collapsed pipes and indicated the repairs were slight at best. The actual cost to repair was only $1100. How sad to take advantage of people and cause so much stress.

Martha M.

12/16/2013

Charles came to my home in November to fix various plumbing problems. He is always efficient, thorough and polite. Again, Mike Council Plumbing exceeded my expectations. Will always use this company and highly recommend.

Rob H.

10/18/2012

Summary: EXPENSIVE! Some sketchy price changing that left me feeling taken advantage of.

Our bathtub drain stopped draining, and a weekend of unclogging products didn't fix it, so I called Mike Council Plumbing and Electric. Shame on me for not doing research, because I ended up paying $300 to get some hair removed from the drain pipe. When the two(!) plumbers showed up, an estimate was written up for $248 which gave me pause, but there is a $69 minimum for them to just show up, and being a Monday with a full calendar I didn't have time to do the correct research and wait for another plumber to come. Lesson learned. The sketchy part came after the work was done. The plumber informed me he forgot to tell me about the $69 minimum charge, which he then *added* to the original estimate. Ouch. He said he found a $20 off coupon in his truck, so instead of $317, I only had to pay $297. Lucky me. They were in the bathroom working on the drain for 45 minutes, tops. After doing some research it looks like the average cost of this job should have been closer to $100.

I gave them two stars because the other aspects of the job were acceptable. They were on time, polite and didn't leave a mess in the bathroom.

Timo H.

3/17/2010

Never use these guys. They rip you off. Peter Cornell from MCB wrote a $1802 estimate for a problem requiring just replacement of $25 shower head. Avoid Mike Counsil Plumbing like plague.

Wil E.

2/15/2013

Very happy with the work done by Kris and Albert from Mike Counsil Plumbing & Electric. Their prices may not be the cheapest but the quality of their work is worth it. I'll make sure to ask for Kris & Albert the next time I need their services.

Carmen R.

08/05/2011 12:00:00 SA

Awful. Awful. Awful. I can see why these guys only have an average of 2 stars. I hesitate to even give them even one. They postponed, they cancelled without letting us know. I took 2 days off from work. They were going to forego the $59 trip charge. After doing some research NO ONE CHARGES $59 FOR A TRIP CHARGE. The average from 4 & 5 star Yelp plumbers is $15. They also say that they'll quote when they get there with no quote of hourly charge. Everyone else happily tells you their hourly fee. FIND SOMEONE WITH MORE STARS!!!!!!

Kristen E.

4/24/2010

Mike Counsil Plumbing charges high fixed prices for many jobs. They wanted to charge me $430 to fix a bathtub faucet leak that another plumber fixed in less than an hour for $173. What upset me is that they would not explain their pricing over the phone. When the plumber told me the set price to fix my problem, I paid him the $59.95 diagnostic fee and asked him to leave. UPDATE: the company called me the next week to find out why I was not satisfied, and they sent me a refund check for the $59.95. High prices, but excellent customer service.

Megan S.

11/02/2010 12:00:00 SA

I am giving them two stars back because they do seem to care about customer satisfaction. Shortly after I wrote the original review, I received a check from Mike Counsil in the amount of $89.00 to cover the cost of what the other company charged me to fix the sink. There was no letter, no explanation, just a check. I still won't call them for future plumbing needs, but at least they do care about customer satisfaction.

S V.

09/07/2010 12:00:00 SA

I am really impressed how the owners of Mike Counsil plumbing handled my situation. I received a letter of apology from the owner over the weekend with a compensation check for the cable work done by the other company. I would have just been happy with the letter. The money was a surprise. So I give them 5* for their customer service. In future, I hope I never get a plumbing problem. If I do, I am willing to give Mike counsil Plumbing a second chance.

Robert M.

5/26/2013

Called today at 11:00 they said they would be out at 12:00.the sink At my mothers house was backed up and she was in a. Panic . Jerry shows up at 12:00 and looked around asks If he can go under the house and have a look. Anyway he snaked the drain and all is well for $300.00. It's Sunday and all done oh well.

Eric B.

10/12/2010 12:00:00 SA

I have been using Mike Counsil plumbing for years. They did extensive work for me from 2000-2004 and the quality of work performed by Mike Council Jr. was good. In 2006 I had them repipe to copper. The work was perfomed by Tom and it was a disaster. They set up the water softener on an automatic timer to cleanse itself, but did not connect all the pipes. My front bathroom flooded twice in the early morning hours. After they finished the piping, my shower's termperature control valve stopped working. When I told them of the shower issue they said it was caused by a bad part in the valve and it was my problem. I had to call a different plumber company, who discovered the pipes were not correctly connected to the shower. The other plumbing company also found a significant amount of scrapped piping underneath my house. The cost for the repiping was quite high. They begrudingly offered me a small discount for the front bathroom flooding after I complained several times. I still have water stains and salt build up underneath my custom cabinet.

Drew C.

02/07/2015 12:00:00 SA

Like many others have said, this company is obscenely expensive and does not deliver on what they promise. While my in-laws were watching my house, our sewer line backed up. Our normal plumber was on vacation so they called Mike Counsil. They quoted my in-laws $500 just to snake the line. My in-laws were in a hurry to get it fixed so they agreed. Less than a week later the line was backed up again. I called Mike Counsil and asked them to come finish the job I had paid 500 dollars for already. They claimed no warranty on the work and quoted me $500 more to come out and fix the problem again. I called my normal plumber and he snaked the line, and siad that the line was jammed with roots and other items and that it was clear that whoever had done the work did a terrible job. I saw the camera images, and there were huge roots in the line that had not been cleared. I called Mike Counsil to speak to them about negotiating the rate lower and they never returned my call. I called them back again and still no word. So, the worst of all worlds - terrible service, massively overpriced, and horrible customer service.

Eileen R.

12/28/2009

Raymond of Mike Council to the rescue again! I had the good fortune to have Ray respond to an emergency a couple of months ago and tonight when I discovered my hot water heater was leaking I phone Mike Council and the dispatcher was extremely courteous and helpful ... finding me a technician to come out within a couple of hours. It turned out to be Ray who went above and beyond to get me a new water heater even tho it was after 9pm and install it with new piping and fixtures in about an hour. And as before he was not only efficient and professional but a very genuine and pleasant young man. Thanks (again) Ray for a job well done!.

Carol S.

1/19/2010

I was seriously disappointed with this company and their inability to stand behind their work. Their fees are exorbitant, but I didn't know that to be the case when I hired them because they would not disclose their fees over the phone. They alledgedly repaired my tankless hot water heater in a one hour service call, but it failed again 2 days later. They were unwilling to look at it again without charging me, yet again, the same ridiculous fee they charged the first time. They tried to upsell me to a new tankless heater and quoted an over-inflated price, that I verified with a contractor to be excessive. I would NOT hire them again.

Synchro L.

4/26/2013

These guys keep making u sign a contract in segments and then never able to find the problem. Way over priced! I was down $850 with a 5x5 cut out and no resolution! Bit of advise is there a plenty of other better plumbers out there to choose from...

Natasha N.

12/02/2012 12:00:00 SA

Please note that this review is NOT for the quality of service, but for the multiple rescheduled appointments.
They answer the phone saying how can we make you smile?
Well, I am NOT a happy customer. I kept spending time waiting for their technicians with my storm drain clogged and backyard flooding. NO courtesy call to inform me that their technician will be late or may not even make it today! When I called 2 hours past the appointment time, they apologized saying something like ooops, he is stuck doing some unscheduled work. Yeah, it happens, I understand, but phone call wouldn't hurt, would it?
Next they reschedule for next day in the morning, re-ensuring me that they are wide-open tomorrow. 15 minutes prior to technician arrival I get a phone call saying that we do not have a technician to send to you, can we reschedule for tomorrow.
Really, you still want my business? I don't think so. Again, my yard is FLOODING and it's a stormy day.
I am sure your technicians are professional and are doing a great job, but business practices could use some improvement.

Douglas E.

08/04/2009 12:00:00 SA

Called to schedule an appointment for an estimate. They never showed up. I called and they blamed it on me. Said I canceled the appointment. The disorganization displayed by the person who answered the phone the first should have alerted me. The rudeness of the person that answered the phone today will keep me away.

Craig M.

04/09/2013 12:00:00 SA

Horrible experience. They canceled on me 1 hr before my appointment for getting a bid for a re-pipe on a 5 unit apartment building. They claimed they only do single family homes. They should have told me that earlier before making an appointment with me. Also, once they found out who they were bidding against, they got cold feet. They also charge $69 for a bid... the only company that charges for that.

Sharon E.

09/10/2011 12:00:00 SA

Work was completed a bout three months ago. We had to call them back to complete a section of sidewalk that was torn out in the initial job. Talked to Abel and Ray in person about peeling paint that needs fixing. Called regarding grout cracking along the tub. Emailed about both. No response. No contact. Not ok.

Martin F.

3/19/2014

Outrageously expensive with prompt service, good work, but probably 2 or 3 times an appropriate cost for the project. Would highly recommend any other plumber with concrete bid for job costs.

Les E.

10/15/2014

MCP is a local family owned business. Decided to give them a try after going on line and trying one of the Put in your ZipCode and we will get you multiple quotes. The quotes came in quite promptly. When I called MCP they immediately answered and set up a time within several hours for a plumber to come out and give me an estimate for replacing my water heater. There was a charge for this trip that would be deducted if I purchased. I hesitated and they immediately waved the charge. The technician/plumber...Mile Silvera offered me several options. I chose one and then after a little negotiating signed the work order. Mike removed the old water heater and made some piping adjustments. He then went off to pick up the new replacement unit and arrived back in about an hour. Installation went smoothly. Mike had set up rugs to keep the surrounding work space clean. He also wore those little hospital booties. Everything went like clock work. No issues. I suspect I could have saved a little $$ by shopping around for a few days or even going down to Lowes or Home Depot. MCP responded promptly, the job was completed timely, and professionally. I would use them again and recommend.

Keith R.

03/11/2011 12:00:00 SA

I tried to hire them to do a repair, but nobody showed for the appointment. I had to hire someone else to do the repair. I had an On a friday after 4:30 I had to find someone that worked on the weekend to complete the repair. This company boasts they are family run and friendly, but they don't care enough about their customers to honor their appointments. Good luck to any that may hire them and count on them to show when agreed. I was even unable to reach a supervisor until the following monday to share these poor thoughts.

Kevin W.

12/27/2013

Three confirmed appointments. Three cancelations....two of which were within an hour of the appointment time. Not sure how these people stay in business.

Tina V.

3/23/2011

Glenn and Josh got to my house on time. Very knowledgeable and explained everything that was needed to fix our tub, faucet and sink. They went above and beyond and checked the plumbing of the house and discovered our toilet was leaking as well. They did a great job and I would definitely recommend them

Garrett A.

7/14/2011

Customer beware!! These guys will rip you off if they have a chance to do so. I asked for an estimate for a plumbing re-pipe in my home. I asked for bids from 4 different plumbers. These guys are the only ones who charged for the bid ($59). Their estimate for the work was MORE THAN DOUBLE the price of the next highest bid!! Obviously, they inflate their prices. Example: They quoted $250 to obtain the permit from the city. I know the permit cost $91.20. Apparently the guy who came to my house thought I was an idiot and didn't think I would get other bids. In reality he was the idiot. Another example of his idiocy: He told me it would take 2 WEEKS to complete the re-pipe!! The contractor I did hire completed the re-pipe in 1 DAY!! Now I know why they have such nice, new, shiny green trucks

W G.

4/19/2013

On the phone, they claimed they couldn't tell me how much it would cost to install a dishwasher. They said it would cost $65 to send someone to look and give an estimate but that the charge would be deducted if I gave them the job. I figured what the heck I want the job done and maybe they will charge $150 but I'll get it done. The plumber came and immediately looked in a book to tell me what it would cost and he said $1000 ! That much for two feet of plastic pipe and an hour of someone's time. If they were going to look in a book they could have told me over the phone. The quoted price was totally ridiculous. I am still angry and will never use ths company again.

Lauren S.

07/09/2013 12:00:00 SA

My husband and I wanted to write this review of one of the plumbers, Mat . He came when the company said he would, and he spent extra time at our house explaining everything to us and showing us other details about our pipes that we would never have known otherwise. He also stayed extra time and explained everything very well when the landscaper came to see what needed to be done outside. Overall we were very pleased with the service we got and will definitely be calling them again if we need a plumber.

nehal o.

07/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

awful!
we called them to get information on their water softeners, so we made an appointment to get this guy to come over and give us proper quotes and look at the home.
They cancelled on us twice on the day thirty minutes before, even though my husband took special permission from work to stay home those days! a few months later when we decided we would go ahead with them cause the package seemed good. we then made an appointment to get them to install this extremely over priced system.
Then guess what happened again? they call me twenty minutes before the appointment and tell me the guy needs to take up a big job and wont beable to make it till saturday. :l I think what we were supposed to get done to our home was a pretty big job too so I don't know whats wrong with this guy.
yeah not cool at all so I said yeah sure lets do another day instead but I have finally come to my senses and Im going to completely cancel it all cause they are the most useless un reliable company I have ever dealt with.
so canceling on me three times twenty mins before appointment....not cool.

Chris Q.

05/04/2012 12:00:00 SA

$548 for less than 2 hours work - that was insane in the first place, but Comcast referred me to Service Magic which referred me to these guys so, oh well - I guess that is as good as it gets - well was I ever wrong - all they had to do was install a cable in my house which is under construction. Run a wire inside open walls - no biggie - I failed my city construction inspection because they did not bother to put the cable in a box.

Laura N.

1/24/2015

I had MC Plumbing come out to my mom's house last Friday to fix a flooding toilet. The guy was there in about an hour as promised and was professional. There were a couple problems. First, after checking the situation, he comes back to my mother (a senior with dementia) with a quote of $1500! Besides augering the toilet, it included replacing a 2ft pipe and the ring around the base of the toilet! I only asked for the toilet to be unplugged. I did not appreciate the inflated quote. I asked him to only auger the toilet, which he did. (for $255!) He also tried hard to sell her a maintenance warranty. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had no bee there to stop him from taking advantage of my mother. In the end, the toilet only worked for 3 days. I called another plumber RCV PLUMBING who fixed it immediately (by auger), was on time and charged very little. By the way, after Mr Vilfroy's assessment, there was NO OTHER WORK NEEDED! I am very glad I did not have my mother pay for all that unnecessary work!

Stephen R.

4/20/2012

i did over 40,000 dollars of work and this company ripped me off treated me with disrespect and even the man himself mike counsil lied to my fiance and i what a worthless company do not use this company!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Connie J.

07/06/2011 12:00:00 SA

We were first time customers from someone who referred us. We need a water heater replaced and decided that if we go and buy a new water heater we might as well change from galvanized to copper piping. They we're on time for the estimate. Yes the pricing may be a little on the high side but well worth it and just rememer you get what you pay for. We had them start that day. They were very neat, professional, trustworthy and friendly. They went above and beyond their job by doing things that I did not expect them to do. I really like the fact that they were very clean and always working. Their work is a guarantee. When they came out for the second time for the 6 month check up they told me that my new pipes were not leaking but my out going pipe were. This time around I had to have a whole bathroom remodel. That work they did was exceptional. I had the same service as last time. I know there are many companies out there that are not as trusting and clean as these guys and If I went with another plumbing company I know I would not have had the same experience as I did with them. I do want to say that I would not recommend anyone but your company to other people.

Mike Counsil Plumbing Rooter