lotusgreen l.

2/14/2013

Simple toilet work, accomplished quickly & cleanly & even with a sense of humor. When I wasn't sure if it had started acting up again, they sent the guy out again so fast that I wasn't even sure I had hung up the phone yet.

Laura D.

2/27/2013

Raul and his team rock. My husband and I bought a house as is that had been vacant for several years, which meant that the seller wouldn't do the sewer lateral. We got our time extension, and just knew that we were going to have to replace the whole thing (1978 house, everything else has been a mess so far). After getting one video done and a price quote of $2,000 just to dig and find out about a funky Y in the line, I used yelp reviews and called Raul. A week later, pressure test PASSED for 7 years, and the whole thing is taken care of for just around $1,000. Will I be calling Raul again? You bet.

Steven B.

07/12/2011 12:00:00 SA

Very impressive! I liked Raul of Pelican Plumbers from our very first phone call. Very professional, but at the same time relaxed. Just the type of person I could build a trusted, business relationship with.

After describing the problem, he provided me with a price range estimate that he validated a few days later after on on-site visit.

He and his team did a very thorough job and completed the work exactly when he estimated it would be done. His price was very competitive.

I will definitely use Pelican Plumbers again and can strongly recommend them to everyone in the Yelp community!

Zach S.

10/18/2011

I had Pelican do the plumbing on a bathroom addition and some other odd jobs over the past 5 years so when I had a complete re-plumb job coming up on my house due to a remodel they were at the top of the list to do the work.

They started the work promptly and completed a complete replacement of all water and gas lines upgrading to copper and larger gas within a week, all done to code and passing the inspections with flying colors.

Thanks guys!

I now have great water pressure, no more scale clogging fixtures, and fast hot water to all 3 baths, the kitchen, and the bar area.

If you are looking for a fast, reliable, and fair plumber that can take care of all jobs big and small. Will come to you with any issues that come up, and will work things out to everyones satisfaction quickly. Pelican Plumbers are by far the way to go.

A C.

10/13/2014

One of the best experiences I've had with any contractor home repair service company. They provide a fixed price for work. They are reasonably priced. Show up on time. Are professional. Only criticism is they only do plumbing. They should expand. Pelican electrical. Pelican lawn service. Etc. Because they'd eliminate all the frustration that typical comes with these companies!!

Sarah N.

6/15/2012

Our toilet had been clogged for two weeks, the result of children overzealous about using toilet paper and wipes. I plunged to no avail and finally was frustrated to the point of calling a plumber. Came right to yelp and saw Pelican Plumbers at the top of the list! I called and left a message--Christina called me back within 30 minutes and told me Fito could come by in a few hours. Awesome!

Fifteen minutes EARLY, Fito knocked on my door and could NOT have been nicer. We do not wear shoes in our home and often when we ask contractors to remove theirs they grumble or refuse to comply...no problem for Fito, he went back OUTSIDE and left his boots there even though I told him he could put them on our shoe rack in the foyer. He looked at the toilet, asked questions about how the problem started and about other plumbing in our home, and explained the work options (and, pricing options) depending on whether or not he'd have to remove the toilet. He went back out and brought in the snake, which a) was really interesting to watch in action and b) which did the TRICK! He even explained how the flap valve works in the tank and how to keep the toilet from running, thus keeping our water bill down. He was out BEFORE the original appointment time even rolled around: he is *that* fast! The price was totally reasonable and the job was extremely well-done.

When I told Fito I'd found Pelican on yelp, he told me that they get something like 80% of their business here! So, I came upstairs and wrote another review right away. You can call Pelican with confidence that your concerns will be addressed and your options will be explained to you. Thanks Fito, and thanks Pelican! Now if those kids would just use less toilet paper :)

Patrick H.

3/15/2010

I called raul at pelican after business hours. He called me back within an hour. Dino came out for an estimate the next day. He was knowledgeable, and the bid for my bathroom fixture installation was 1/4 of the rediculous estimate I got from Albert Nahman! Dino did a great job despite some funky unlevel floors in my bathroom, and was pleasant to have around.

I couldn't have been happier with the customer service, the job they did, and the reasonable cost.

Angela D.

12/02/2010 12:00:00 SA

We found Pelican plumbers through neighbors and have had Dino take care of a couple of small jobs including a blocked toilet, dripping faucet and new taps on our bath. We were very happy with how professional, reliable and personable these guys are.

So, today I called Raul because our garbage disposal died and he talked my husband through the problem. That's right, he took his time to help us out for free. How great is that?

Honesty, integrity and generosity, that's hard to find in a plumber!
Thanks Raul!

Ryan B.

3/21/2014

I'm guessing that a large percentage of plumber calls are emergencies. I had a... crappy... emergency and called a few plumbers. After dealing with some unprofessional types on craigslist and not getting in touch with many here on yelp I got in touch with Pelican Plumbers. They were nice on the phone and then when Fito got to my house he explained the problem, told me what needed to be done, gave me a fair price and then did it.
I'm happy that I don't have to go looking for a plumber again.

taggylee b.

09/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

i was having a problem where the button to make the water come out of the shower would not catch and water pressure was extremely low. first, a guy come out from another company, spent 2 hours then told me he couldn't fix it. when he left there wasn't even water even coming out of the tub faucet!!! after an absolute panic attack, i called pelican and the person i spoke to was so courteous and really tried to put me at ease. they sent dino sooner than expected and he was able to fix it. he went out and got a quality part (the previous guy just went to home depot). now it's better than new! if i have another plumbing problem, i would not hesitate to call pelican! excellent service!

jason l.

12/23/2016

Nothing like coming home from a freezing, wet bike ride to find out you're not getting a hot shower because your ancient water heater finally died. Within a day Keegan (sorry if I got your name wrong) came down. He was super friendly and knowledgable. In just a few hours he left to get the new water heater, removed the old one, replaced the gas valve, installed the new one, all by lunchtime. Thanks!

B K.

3/30/2011

My kitchen faucet had a leak so I called Pelican after reading the positive reviews on Yelp. Dino showed up first thing in the morning on time in the pouring rain with a smile on his face. He fixed my faucet in less than a minute (it just required some tightening - yes, I was embarrased) and told me no charge. (!)

On time, pleasant, professional and generous. They have definitely earned my repeat business.

Norma F.

6/22/2010

Wonderful. I called this morning with a small job. I had two sinks with broken plungers that I hadn't been able to fix. Raul's associate came out within 2 hours and had it fixed in under an hour. Super nice guy, very friendly, helpul, and got the job done. I love that they were on it so quickly. Will definitely call them again.

Liz M.

08/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

I highly recommend pelican plumbers! Theo, Max and Wyatt were all very knowledgeable, professional and able to diagnose and fix the problem quickly! They do great work!

Kristopher A.

09/07/2022 12:00:00 SA

We found some plumbing issues at our new house in Alameda and called a few plumbing companies before deciding to go with Pelican. Eric came by and fixed the problems on the first visit. We were just expecting an estimate so that was a nice surprise. The cost was very reasonable and everyone we interacted with was friendly.

Bill H.

7/28/2009

I had a minor plumbing issue with my bathroom sink. I'm pretty handy, but I didn't want to risk making the problem worse. After a quick Yelp search, I settled on Pelican. I emailed them on a Sunday and promptly Monday morning Raul called to get more info and schedule an appointment. There was a small scheduling snafu, but Raul was able to reschedule for later the same day. Dino, the plumber he sent was great. He handled the problem in under an hour with a minor charge for parts. I was reassured that the problem was beyond my ability after talking to him. Next time we need a plumber, Pelican will be our first call.

Deborah K.

03/11/2012 12:00:00 SA

Pelican replaced a section of sewer lateral pipe that had root intrusion - they did a great job. We felt comfortable and trusted their analysis of the problem and their work making the fix - we would highly recommend.

1. They were responsive. We called them on Thursday afternoon and they were able to come on Friday morning and complete the work.

2. They were timely. They arrived at the appointment right on time and finished the work when they said they would.

3. They communicated well. They took the time to provide good explanations of what the problem was and our options for fixing it. They checked in with us throughout the day to let us know what they were doing and how much time it would take.

4. The price was fair and they did not try to up-sell the repair that was needed. We received bids from several plumbers, most of whom told us that a full pipe replacement, major trenching, etc. was required. Pelican explained that a much smaller scope of repair would solve the problem and for 1/3 of the price.

Owen T.

12/20/2008

Raul is a great guy and a great plumber. ALWAYS shows on time and calls to double check everything. Highly recommended.

Jenn L.

12/24/2011

Pelican recently replaced all the pipes in our old house with copper ones, and did a fantastic job. They were wonderful with communication overall, letting me know when they were coming by and what they would be doing, and responding to my emails and calls swiftly. Raul and his team were friendly, considerate, careful, quick to get work done, and most of all punctual! It always sucks when companies visiting your home (ahem Comcast, home inspectors, property evaluators, etc.) give you a window of time when they'll stop by and then show up just when that window is ending, having left you hanging around for hours. Not so with Pelican. The job took a little over a week, and not a single time did they fail to arrive exactly when they said they would. I wish I was that punctual. I'll even admit to relying on Raul's regular morning check-ins as an alarm clock, they're that on time.

I asked another prominent local plumbing company to stop by and provide an estimate and not only were they an hour late, but their estimate for the job was *way* higher and their idea of what was possible to make the house to code was not the same. We wanted to put the water heater by the bathroom and Pelican said that would be fine, but for some reason the other guys said it would be impossible. Sure enough, we asked Pelican to do the job and it passed inspection. Now we have continuous hot water at an awesome pressure, it's *(&#%)* amazing. I'd hire Pelican for any other plumbing issue in a heartbeat.

Dan W.

08/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

Had the team at Pelican help me with a moderate size job. The team was punctual, communicative, and great to work with. Pelican Plumbers will be my go to partner from here on out.

Melissa M.

2/27/2012

Pelican Plumbers sent Fito and he did an excellent, professional job. It was a leak from the upstairs tub/shower drain that poured down through a canned light fixture in the kitchen. Since it was the only tub/shower in our home, it needed to be fixed as soon as possible. Pelican was able to send Fito out the same morning that I called. Fito trouble-shooted and had it fixed right away with minimal cutting into the drywall. He was on time, knew what he was doing, very professional, and friendly.

Candace T.

12/16/2011

Pelican Plumbers just installed a seismic shut off valve on our main house gas line. They came out within 1 day of calling and installed the very next day. The super friendly technician, Fito, had great patience for all of my questions and answered every one of them so that I felt comfortable. Price was exactly what was quoted. Highly recommend!

Sarah W.

12/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

I called Pelican Plumbers because we had a leak coming from under our baseboard after using the shower. The person I spoke with on the phone was very helpful and had someone scheduled to come out that same day! I figured it might be a multi-day job to diagnose and fix the issue, but Fito found the faulty part in a matter of minutes, had a replacement in his truck, and had the whole thing replaced and fixed within an hour + gave me good advice about another minor issue I was having with our other shower. Hoping we don't have any other surprise plumbing issues, but I know who I'll be calling if we do!

Johanna H.

08/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

Things with Pelican started off fine -- I asked them to install a hot water booster in my home. We arranged a time, they subcontracted out some necessary work to an electrician and things were set to go. The day of, the technician comes out to sign a contract before going off to get the appropriate tools and equipment (why come to the house without begin ready to start work?) and tells me that the electrician won't be coming. He either canceled or wasn't contacted in the first place -- I got conflicting reports from the owner versus the technician. The technician touches base with his boss and they offer to install an extension cord to operate the pump in the meantime but I'm concerned about potential fire hazards. The technician tries to get me to sign off on him starting work with electric included but I defer.

I call Pelican Plumbers headquarters to ask more about these issues and they say that's the most they can do -- I can either use the extension cord or not but it's not their problem as the electrician is a subcontractor. I ask if there's some sort of compensation they can provide for their portion of the services but they inform me there's not. I get frustrated, as in order to be here for the plumbers and electricians to do their job, I have to be at the house and take time off of work in order to do so, losing salary in the process. Since Pelican offered to subcontract the electrical work, I didn't go about finding an electrician myself to be there at the appropriate time. Waiting for the electrician to come until Monday meant taking more time off of work and losing pay.

Pelican offers no conversation about potential other avenues or ways to address the issue and the tone over the phone gets hostile. I inform them of my frustration and say that if things continue this way, I'll have to write a bad review -- it's not my style but this whole affair was conducted aggressively and unprofessionally enough to warrant one. When I talk with Raul on the phone, he accuses me of trying to blackmail him. I'm insulted and we both agree to not go forward with the job. If anyone out there knows a better, more professional plumbing company, I'm currently on the lookout.

Howard R.

8/19/2014

5 star review beginning to end. Made a call to inquire about new toilet installation. Raul called back 15 minutes later and talked through the particulars of what I was looking for, what was available - and then he patiently waited while I measured so he could give me the most accurate info. He gave me choices to research and his prices. After researching online I called back to say I was happy to have them purchase the toilet for me. Yes, Amazon prime delivers toilets for free but I felt better knowing the installer would pick up the exact toilet needed. Installation was set for the following week. Dino showed up on time to install - and as it turns out - had the wrong toilet. I'd requested the ADA compliant toilet (higher base). No worries - he packed it back up and when to swap it out for the correct one. Turned out it was tougher to extract the old toilet than he imagined but Dino stayed with it until he was able to successfully remove it without any damage to the surrounding tiles! Dino kept checking in with me every step of the way to be sure we agreed before moving forward. He went back to the store to match caulk color and replace the water line (thank you!). Dino was professional, friendly and cleaned up after the job and the final price was exactly as they quoted. Thank you Pelican - thank you Dino - for a job well done!

Andrew Z.

2/14/2012

Had another plumbing problem, and it was fixed on time and below estimate. Worthy of five stars, great job guys!

Raymond W.

10/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Skilled, professional, super friendly and competitively priced. Raul's son Ozzie came out to my house with two fine trainees to install a water pressure regulator, which was done quickly by them without drama or problem.

Afterward, I asked Ozzie to take a look at the pipes by my water heater since they had been causing years of annoying thumps and clanging noises. Pipe-savvy friends and even other plumbers had told me that I'd need to install a water expansion tank or cut open the pipes to insert a water hammer arrestor, but Ozzie listened carefully to the evidence and gently suggested I try opening up a small hole in the ceiling above the water heater to take a closer look.

My gut trusted his gut, and sure enough, after making that opening, he quickly saw that the cause of the problem was nothing more than some broken metal straps. A few minutes later he had replaced those straps with silent plastic ones, completely solving the problem at a fraction of the time and cost of the previously proposed solutions. Seriously, what's not to love?! Highly recommended.

Fern F.

7/31/2017

Eric is wonderful. He came exactly on time. He knew what our problem was. He is a gentleman and he is very professional. His work is excellent and we knew we could trust him to get the job done and done well!! Thank you Eric!!

Jason V.

2/27/2013

Another 5 stars for this outfit.
We had a plumbing emergency, they came by the same day and then called ahead to see if they could be a bit early -fine by me, lets get this thing fixed. This was not an easy fix either. Eric, on staff, broke a sweat on a mild Easy Bay afternoon. He worked hard and was a pleasure throughout. Nice work.

Their rates are very competitive (I got three quotes), but price does tell the whole story. They do great work. Emergency is now nicely working plumbing. Thanks.

Yen P.

2/15/2023

Have worked with them multiple times: honest, knowledgeable, and reliable. Great communication and just good people. Highly recommended.

Nicole P.

03/08/2017 12:00:00 SA

We made an appointment. Fito called earlier in the day to let me know he could be there earlier than the scheduled appointment if that worked out for us, which it did. He showed up on time and was very friendly. He took a look at the problem which turned out not to be a problem at all. I felt really embarrassed for having wasted his time, but he was nothing but understanding and kind about the situation. Thank you, Fito!

lovegreatfood a.

4/21/2011

The reviews for Pelican are legit. No need to second guess yourself - go with them for your plumbing needs. I just had copper piping and a water heater installed by them. Raul walked me through exactly what would happen and added suggestions along the way (e.g location and diameter of pipes). Everything turned out great and they have secured my business from here on out. Thank you Raul / Pelican crew.

Katherine C.

04/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

We had a broken water heater. You don't now how luxurious hot water is until you don't have it anymore. At first, we had no idea what was going on and started to google/youtube a bunch of help articles/videos. In the end, we realized this was beyond our skills and needed a professional.

We called a few places, and as we were desperate and wanted hot water sooner than later, we called a place that was open 24/7 (not Pelican). However, that place left much to be desired. First -- before they even began any work, wanted me to sign a piece of paper and pay them $180 without guaranteeing that anything they do will work. WHAT?!?! They didn't advertise that since I had called after 5PM, they would charge me 1.5 per hour. And then they would charge me more if they needed to return to fix more. So I sent them away.

We had an appointment with Pelican a few days later and decided to just wait. After a week of lukewarm to cold water, what was a few more days? My fiance dealt with them more than me but they (especially Fito) went above and beyond. Our water heater was some random high-end brand that required special parts, and they recommended we try to fix it before replacing the whole thing (which was estimated to be ~$2000). Parts were ordered, waiting game began. Continued to take very quick cold showers.

3 weeks and many attempts later, it was decided that we just needed to bite the bullet and replace the thing. Pelican did a great job replacing it and we have hot water again!!

The best part? They did not charge us for the parts they ordered nor for the labor of trial and error. They definitely stand by their work and will continue at it until things are 100% again.

Scott A.

11/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

First off I did not actually hire these guys but I wanted to give a review anyway. I think customer service is not what it used to be but these guys understand what makes the difference. I needed to get a gas line moved for a new range that I purchased that prevented the stove from being flush with the wall. I call Pelican and they were very responsive and set up an apt right away to have someone come by and take a look. They were super professional with calling to let me know they were running behind and just did an excellent job with communication. I highly value this trait and think if they are that serious about just keeping an appointment I can only imagine their dedication when actually on the job. In the end they quoted me a fair price and even hinted that if I were adventurous enough its a job I could probably tackle myself. How often do you hear that? Anyway they seem like a good outfit and I appreciated their customer service even if I didn't utilize their services.

Raul D.

4/23/2014

Can't speak highly enough about Raul and his crew, particularly Fernando who executed our copper renovation. Timely, on budget, excellent communication and really nice people in general. Also very reasonably priced, no rip offs here. I recommend these guys highly and won't hesitate to use them again but doubt I'll have to, their work is very clean and professional.

Luis P.

01/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

I called about a backed up toilet , They came the same day. They were professional and provided excellent service. I would recommend them to anyone who needs plumbing service .

Lynnea W.

06/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

When my condo's garbage disposal broke I spent some time searching for plumbing help in the Oakland area. After reading the reviews and getting some quotes I called Pelican for an appointment. Closer to my appt time Dino called for some basic info, I texted him some pics of my broken one and the next day he showed up with a replacement and got it done in an hour. Wonderfully pleasant experience and reasonably priced, thank you Dino! (I'll be waiting for your speed metal band reunion)

I can also finally shower fully standing up, thanks to the new shower head you were able to put on. I couldn't get that old thing off for the life of me!

Taylor U.

6/20/2013

Very impressed. I called around 11AM looking for a plumber to help me out with a clogged shower drain, and a little less than 45 minutes later a very nice man from Pelican Plumbers was at my door. He unclogged the drain and had my shower working like new in no time.

Thank you, Pelican Plumbers!

Mo H.

9/25/2011

OK... let's see... this all begins with a minor job that I called Pelican about... which quickly deteriorated into a plumbing disaster (not Pelican's fault at all... blame 100 year old plumbing)...

Anyway... the long and short of this story is that throughout the plumbing ordeal, Pelican kicked ass and did an exemplary job. Fito (the guy on site) kept us updated throughout the process, did everything he promised, and more. Raul (the owner) followed up continually, called us to make sure things were going well and generally was super-helpful and fair. The job was done expertly... the service was courteous and prompt... and after digging a trench across my yard and pulling apart the sidewalk, they left my yard better than it looked to begin with.

In the end, I'll say this... the Pelican folk were great and I'd highly recommend them for any plumbing job you might have. Wonderful company... honest... fair... conscientious... what else could you ask for?

EDIT: POSTSCRIPT... I did want to comment on the reviewer below suggesting that Pelican delete[s] bad reviews. That seemed like a weird counterproductive thing for Yelp to allow... so I checked the FAQ... That's not something that businesses can do... (see for yourself at yelp.com/faq#negative_re… ) Not belittling the poster's review (i have no knowledge of the issue) just stepping up to defend against a charge I know isn't true.... you CANNOT delete bad reviews.

J O.

05/02/2012 12:00:00 SA

Another well-earned 5 star review for Pelican Plumbers.

We recently had Dino install a pedestal sink, Eliseo and Fernando install a low flow Toto toilet, and Eliseo ultimately install a pressure balance valve for our shower so the temperature would remain the same even if e.g. someone flushed the toilet or turned on water somewhere else in the house.

That's when the story gets interesting and provides some hopefully helpful insight into this company and Raul, its owner.

The pressure balance valve proved to be a real bitch. (Can I write that on Yelp? We'll see!) Raul told me that's what I needed to accomplish what we sought to achieve and quoted me a price to install it. He pointed out we can install it to the pipes leading to the shower under the house and not need to tear out the tile in our shower like another contractor said we would.

They installed the valve, but it had no effect. Eliseo and Fernando clearly shared my frustration. It had been a long day, they had worked hard and I learned at 5 p.m. neither had even taken a break to eat lunch all day! Eliseo suggested that maybe adding some additional copper piping to go to shower before making its way to the rest of the bathroom might do the trick. Raul gave me a great price on that and even agreed to pay the guys' overtime to come back the following day (a Saturday) to get the job done (and Eliseo and Henry were good enough to work on a day the business is usually closed).

The new pipes were installed and still the valve did not work. I was super frustrated as I now wasted 8 hours of my life and spent a fair bit of money for my situation to be exactly the same as it was before any of this started. We all were frustrated. Cold comfort, that, like being in that shower when the toilet was flushed.

I did some research and found that piper's dope (the glue/putty they use) should not be used on the valve b/c it interferes w/ the piston inside the valve. I emailed and called Raul to ask if his guys used that. It was now Saturday p.m. and they were closed and the guys were off. Raul called me immediately to say he confirmed that they did, that they shouldn't have, and apologized and said he'd make things right.

I then spoke with the manufacturer of the valve Monday morning. The rep told me the valve did not do what Raul said it would and that, in fact, there was no product on earth that would do that. My frustration was on a brew cycle set to morph to anger. I called Raul. He was not happy either. Said he would take out the valve and return all my money.

Raul then called me a couple hours later asking if I had heard from the manufacturer. (Later I would.) Turns out the uninformed crackhead I spoke with--the super confident one that was amused at how incorrect my silly plumber was, was COMPLETELY wrong, that the valve does *exactly* what Raul said it would, and he apologized profusely for being such an overly confident ignoramus.

Raul asked me what I wanted to do. I explained that he actually charged me $50 more than he quoted me to install the valve, but I was trying to be cool and not sweat it until all this happened. I told him I thought he should honor his original quote, pay for the replacement valve since they ruined the one they installed, and refund what I paid for the additional pipes that were totally unnecessary.

Raul's response? I think that's fair. When's good for you for us to come back and install that for you?

And come back and install it they did. It works great too!

Not many plumbers would call up a manufacturer to ball them out for giving their customer wrong information that makes them look bad and then handle the customer so adeptly.

A real class act. They'll be my go-to plumbers now and I've already referred them to a friend who also was very pleased with them.

Ralph P.

8/27/2013

I'm completely renovating an old house and had Pelican plumbers replumb the whole house. They did a great job, were considerate, reliable, friendly and well priced. I wish all contractors were this good, my life would be a lot easier!

Thank you Raul and crew.

Julia G.

1/27/2022

I've been meaning to write this review for several years now. I had a shower that was leaking, and had three other plumbers look at it. They all wanted to open the wall to replace the shower. Dino came and fixed it by replacing a part. It's worked ever since.

Barbara S.

4/19/2021

We hired Pelican Plumbing to move laundry hook-ups from an outside porch into our garage. They gave us an estimate that was reasonable and when I called to accept, they were able to set a date set a date shortly after I called. They told me it would take two days, which it did exactly. The new hook-ups look great, very neat. They vented the dryer in such a way that most of the venting line is not visible. They removed all the old hook-ups so that area also looks tidy and ready for other use.

Marien R.

06/12/2014 12:00:00 SA

Pelican plumbers are great. They have visited our home several times and we have satisfied every time. They have been on time, efficient and courteous.

Nick N.

06/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

Great experience with these guys. We called in the morning and scheduled an appointment to fix a clogged shower the same afternoon. The plumber showed up exactly on time to our house. He was very pleasant to interact with and very professional. Snaked the pipe, could not fix the problem, then snaked from another location in the bathroom and cleared the clog. After he was done, he wiped down the area and put everything back together. We still mopped and washed the tub after he was done, but he did a much better job cleaning that we expected. The quote I had received on the phone was $150 for snaking the pipe and we were charged exactly $150, even though he had to snake from two different points. Extremely satisfied with the service and will be calling them again if we ever have an issue.

Todd N.

04/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

The company earns five stars because I could not give them six. Pelican Plumbing provided excellent service in a timely manner, at a reasonable price.

I had a major problem (blockage) with my main sewer line. I called two other companies and they were not able to resolve the problem. The first company was not able to unclog the line at all and just gave up after several hours.

The second company partially open the line, but could not determine the exact location of the blockage. They recommended digging up the entire sewer line, replacing it and installing a clean out line. (Their minimum estimate was very high and they could not quote an accurate amount because they weren't sure of the source of the problem and the depth of the sewer line).

Pelican was able to pin point the exact location of the blockage, they also were able to determine the exact location and depth of the sewer line. The owner of the company even called and discussed several options to resolve the problem. Their solution worked.

Sara F.

06/08/2009 12:00:00 SA

Raul and Dino from Pelican were the 5th plumbers to try to clear a particularly formidable blockage from my pipes. They were the only ones who were able to clear it, cared enough about the job to make sure it stayed clear, and followed up with recommendations on how to prevent a similar blockage in the future. They were always on time, very reasonably priced, and super people to boot. I highly recommend this company!

Rachel B.

01/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

Won't use anyone else. They are very courteous on the phone and get you on the schedule quick. Very professional and know what they're doing.

Lee B.

3/17/2016

They were great! Our basement flooded and our water heater got soaked. While I was afraid that they'd have to replace it, Dino showed up, took apart the water heater, dried it out, replaced something called a the thermocoupler, and through perseverance got the pilot light lit and the heater started back up up again.

He clearly knew his stuff, his demeanor was was polite and professional, and he was quick. He even gave us some good advice about our sump pumps (which broke, and caused the flooding) as he was going out the door.

I'm a first time user of Pelican, but the next time that something breaks, I'll be sure to call them. Thanks Dino!

philip w.

11/15/2011

Oddly, I am writing a review for work that was never done..not yet. I spoke with Raul (5-10mins)and I would be wasting good money to have someone (including him ) comeout to my small apartment building until I narrowed down the source of leak that has been elusive. He even offered to perform a basic test free of charge where others quoted me $160 just to show up... That kind of service is priceless.

Larry A.

12/01/2014 12:00:00 SA

I called Pelican based on the great reviews here on Yelp. It worked out very well - the estimator arrived 15 minutes late, but he called before the appointed time to let me know he was a bit behind. He took one look at the problem (a leaking cutoff valve) and offered me the option of a quick fix which might not be permanent, or a more expensive valve replacement. I went for the cheaper option, and it was done in less than 10 minutes. I also got some valuable advice about what to do if / when it leaks again. Very pleased with the experience and I'll call them the next time I have a problem I can't handle myself.

MsLisa ..

3/22/2023

Pelican are an awesome team of people. I'm a Berkeley local and make it a point to support local business. I had a shower head leak that was related to a worn fixture valve. Dino was great and even came back to make an adjustment. Thank you, Emma and Dino!

Kala R.

07/08/2012 12:00:00 SA

I would highly recommend Pelican Plumbers. Dino came the day after I called for a clogged shower, worked very hard to find the location, had to cut the pipe, go to the store to get parts for the repair, then repaired it. All in 2 hours, for a very reasonable price. He was very friendly and professional

M A.

7/15/2013

Had a problem with my toilet, thought it was a pressure issue, turned out to just be a simple fix. Dino not only fixed the problem in ten minutes, but he even offered to walk away free of charge. Thank you for being so honest and friendly, I would easily call Pelican again. Made my day, thank you Dino.

Sally A.

8/20/2015

Plumbers you can trust! Dino installed a new water heater in my house, which normally is not SO difficult, but the space it needed to go into was tiny. Fernando and he worked together to make it fit perfectly. From the initial call, to the estimate, to the installation--these guys are great and so nice. Competitive pricing too.

Carol W.

03/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

AMAZING!

If I can say the work that Fito and Max did in my house, that about covers it as far as a description.

In short: I got tired of waiting 10 minutes to get hot water in the shower in the morning, we have a drought and I actually was paining to get an on-demand hot water heater. But, when I had the estimate for that and a few other long waiting projects on my 100+ year old house, I had to have the guys come over and walk me through the project. And boy, did I get a plumber's master class.

Firstly, they let you go and pick out your fixtures (which we all should) but my concern was still being a novice and making sure that I don't encounter challenges with picking the wrong items or having the plumber have to go back to the supplier to get the correct thing.

Anyway, they walked through, explained about the challenges of the travels of hot water in the house. They shared that they could do X, Y and Z. No muss no fuss.

The work I got done is equally wonderful...now maybe you can install a kitchen faucet, a bathroom cabinet and faucet, an under-house copper pipe extension so no more crawling under the house and the piece de resistance......the circulating pump. Yes, instead of an on-demand hot water heater, which essentially doesn't even d what its claims are, the recirculating pump does what I need....it allows no more than 3 seconds of water before it comes out temperature appropriate. Some folks don't like them because they like to start with cold water....I want a hot shower and want it asap so I won't waste water beyond what EBMUD suggests....got tired of waiting for the water to heat up and then take a 1/2 minute less of a shower.

These guys have made my project a dream and I appreciate them. They came, cleaned and did their thing.

So not sorry I called them and would use them over and over,

Corey B.

07/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Amazing service from Dino and crew! Thanks to some poor engineering choices in a 100 yr old house, I've had a series of tough sewer main backups requiring everything from specialized plumbing equipment to hours of hard manual work to clear.

Despite the difficulty of each project throwing a monkey wrench in their schedule, they were always great about coming back, handing off, finding the right equipment, or working late to make sure the problem got solved.

Top-notch professional service like that is worth a premium. And if I've learned anything from my house, it's that plumbing isn't where you pinch pennies.

L. M.

02/09/2009 12:00:00 SA

I found Raul through all of the great comments about him on Berkeley Parents Network. I called him because we had water shooting in the air from a broken pipe in our back yard when we turned the water on in the back. Raul suggested capping off the pipe which appeared to be hacked off by the previous owner. Not only did he do an excellent job, he also helped us to figure out our sprinkler system while he was here. He honored his original estimate even though he spent extra time helping to figure out the sprinkler system. Raul was very personable, knowledgable, and I will definitely call him about any plumbing work we need in the future!

Galen W.

9/20/2017

There is a reason these guys get 5 stars, they are fair, honest, nice, and super helpful. They have a one hour minimum which is standard with real plumbers (i.e. trained people are not just handymen with a plunger and a drain snack). Recently, we had a garbage disposal issue, they fixed it in less than an hour and were able to fix a water pressure issue in our upstairs bathroom (doing something far more complicated than removing the shower head regulator) for free. Our garbage disposal broke again and we thought they hadn't fixed it properly, they came back, fixed it promptly, showed us that in fact that we had done something improper but still didn't charge us. While they never mention yelp, they definitely operate in a way that suggests that they value their reputation as they know it will lead to repeat business and referrals. I can't recommend them enough.

Elaine K.

09/08/2012 12:00:00 SA

I am updating because Pelican has done more work for me this year. They are still great at what they do.

Pelican has done work from fixing dripping faucets to installing tankless water heaters to changing old pipes to new copper ones to putting in plumbing to add a bathroom to my garage. They do great work promptly and when they say they will. Raul is a genius and very reliable. Fito even made a special trip aftetwards with upholstery cleaner to rub out a grease spot from the stair carpeting. The office staff is on top of everything. Pelican wants customers to be 100% satisfied, and I am.

Evie D.

7/31/2012

I live in a very old house with a whole lot of problems. Literally, they are the BEST. No complaints at all from my very first call, to the plumbers explaining everything, to the check up the next day, to the price they gave me.. You can't beat em!!!

Elon B.

7/22/2009

A friend gave me the name and number of Dino, of Pelican Plumbers, to help me with a clogged drain in my bathroom. I was expecting that the problem was going to require a snake to pull out my fiance's long hair because I had tried to clear it with baking soda and vinegar, but the drain still wasn't clearing.

When Dino showed up, he pointed out that I had left the drain blocking lever closed, and once he flipped it, the water drained out no problem. Boy was I embarrassed!

But what most impressed me was the fact that he saw that my shower's added on water filter was dripping a bit much, and he volunteered to re-tape it with some teflon tape. In about 5 minutes, both my problems were solved!

Thanks so much, Dino!

Tom T.

9/20/2013

Waved goodby to Dino about an hour ago after he cleared our clogged sewer line.

Could not be more pleased with everything about the service - so unusual.

They were able to be here the day after my call and they scheduled the service visit at our convenience. We are east of the Caldecott, but that was no problem for them.

Dino was here two minutes before the scheduled time, was friendly, explained everything, did a thoughtful analysis of the best strategy, got my approval and then went to work.

Unfortunately, it was necessary to remove the toilet to access the sewer line but Dino pulled it and replaced it efficiently. He worked with me to avoid any damage to the house. Except for the important fact that the line is now clear, we would never know he had been here.

Job done, rate reasonable, interaction pleasant and satisfaction complete!

We found them on Yelp! and selected them because of the reviews and now gladly add one more to the Five-Star reviews.

Dave W.

04/12/2012 12:00:00 SA

Back again after another great experience with Pelican. This time we needed to move our sink as part of our kitchen remodel. I called in the evening, and Raul came by the next day. His quote was right on for my tight budget. His crew are great. They showed up on time, and when we discovered a floor joist where I wanted the drain pipe to go, we quickly found a solution so the work continued without a hitch. I had the inspector over a few days later to combine a check of my framing and the new plumbing, and Raul sent his crew back out to conduct the tests for the inspector. Note that that was on my schedule, just so I could do two inspections at once. All that and, even though his crew had to wait a few hours for the inspector, the work was right on bid. Raul is denitely my go-to guy for all things plumbing.

Mike J.

08/03/2023 12:00:00 SA

We accidentally flushed a wipe and it backed up into a complicated plumbing system. Called Pelican and they found the culprit quickly using several approaches without taking apart our toilet. Could have been worse and they solved it quickly. Ozzy and his partner were great definitely recommend to anyone in an emergency situation.

Mary P.

10/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Fito is the best! I called and they sent somebody out within 24 hours. It was not a simple job I did not know what an ejector pump was and that I needed to tell them that the problem involved an ejector pump, however, Fito finished within an hour and kept my cost down. Even though we had a minor problem the next day Fito came out immediately and fix it quickly and at no charge!! These guys are the best.

Stephanie D.

06/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

Great experience with Eric and Pelican Plumbers. Eric was prompt, professional and pleasant. The toilet installation went smoothly, and functions well. A job well done. Thanks~

Asano F.

03/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

Pelican Plumbers just replaced our main water line with copper all the way from the meter to our kitchen and water heater. Lead by Max, their team dug up our front yard and ran the line in under the house and finished in 2 days. They were very considerate of my native plants in my front yard and ran the line around my flowering manzanita plant. Max took time at the end to show us exactly how they had run the line.
Pelican Plumbers was very efficient and polite. We were impressed how well they worked together in a multi-racial team.

Andreina D.

9/23/2013

Great service! Hot water running in our bathroom sink after more than a year broken.

Peggy R.

05/07/2015 12:00:00 SA

I was so pleased with Pelican Plumbers; took the references on yelp, and they lived up to my expectations and more. REally nice to have someone knowledgable and who likes their job and makes it pleasant them and the experience very pleasant. I have already referred them to a friend and will call them again. Price was right. Everything worked well.

Mondrian M.

04/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

Raul was so helpful and patient with our back-and-forth about what kind of hot water heater we needed. We were debating between a larger traditional tank style and an on-demand one. He did bids for both, with much more detail than two other firms we got bids from. He also took time to explain the pros and cons of each system along with the costs and upkeep. In the end we went with a larger tank style that was an upgrade from our previous low quality one. Eric and another technician (sorry forgot his name) came and installed it. They were very professional, careful, and wonderful to work with. Eric came back the next day and waited for the city inspector, making sure everything passed. I give Pelican the highest marks and I'm grateful for Raul's professional and friendly manner. We'll be calling them again any time we have plumbing problems. P.S. I found them here on Yelp.

Linda P.

06/10/2014 12:00:00 SA

We just had a second opportunity to use the services of local favorites, Pelican Plumbers. Another great experience! First time around, the owner Raul gave us a suggestion on how to solve our plumbing problem ourselves, if we felt we could. We failed and Raul sent Eric out right away to save us. Today, Fito came and on the first try fixed, as if by magic, a sink blockage we'd spent many, many hours snaking. We think he's a snake whisperer! (He also said that it's not always that easy.)
Fito was careful to give us the worst case scenario on his estimate so we wouldn't suffer sticker shock. He was as happy as us that the job came in at the lowest possible cost instead! The Pelican team is totally fair and trustworthy, stand by their work, and are a dream to work with.

Izzy C.

10/13/2016

I hired Pelican plumbers for a sewage replacement project that costs over $7000 in 5/2016. At time of service, my tenant reported to me that she found empty beer bottles around the worker's work station, and expressed her concern, since they are operating heavy machinery and been drinking on the job. Raul the owner first denied it at first, then later on admitted the guys did have a beer with lunch, apologized and said the workers will be disciplined.

On the last day of project, I met the worker in person, who admitted to be the owner's son, smelled heavily alcoholic. When I questioned him if he's been drinking on the job again, he replied Lady, this is non of your business. The job was already done, they know my address, afraid of retaliation, I spared them a negative review.

Now, the toilet they had to removed to do the job developed a crack, my new plumber(obviously I wouldn't hire them again) told me where the crack is located is likely a result from mis-handling by the previous plumber, not from wear and tear, and as the time goes, the crack gets bigger and therefore the leakage did not happen till 4 months after.

I called Pelican to expressed my concern, since their employees were working under influence, and might caused the damage. Now Raul the owner changed their story, said Do you know I can sue you for saying that?

Pelican does not want to negotiate for any repair cost, saying they were not the one that put the toilet back. (They broke the ground and I had to hire another tile guy to fix tiles then put back the toilet).

Ok, I understand there might be 50/50 chance where this responsibility goes to, since Pelican removed it and tile guy put it back, but the way Pelican responded was a total disaster.

1. total disregard to customer service, especially
2. threatening to SUE their own customers for mistakes they admitted previously
3. repeatedly drinking alcohol on the job

proves that this company is not trust worthy and should STAY AWAY.

Or else, you might want to record each of their conversations, because INTEGRITY is obviously NOT something this company honors.

Oh, and also this company thinks me writing a factual honest review would be blackmailing them.

Michael M.

8/25/2009

Pelican didn't come to my house and I didn't give them any money but I would have to recommend them anyway.

Raul returned my phone call promptly and we discussed the issues I was having. We talked for about 10 mins and he gave me some advice on what should be done and how much it would cost for them to come out vs. doing it myself. He offered to send Dino out for a free estimate/advice, but I ended up doing it myself and saved a bunch of money. He was very straightforward and honest. Thanks much.

Lucia B.

11/17/2012

We replaced the crappy home depot faucet with a grohe faucet and wanted someone special to deal with it. Pelican was very prompt at returning my call and scheduling my appointment. They showed up early to my appointment but not annoyingly so. They only charged me for an hour though it took 1 and 1/2 hrs. And they were replacing the kitchen faucet, but there was a cosmetic issue with part of the faucet. Without bugging me he called the company and ordered the new part to be delivered to him. He is going to come back and replace it free of charge. In my book that is 5 star service!!

Update:
After a long time of not coming back and having to call, he finally came back. They still get 5 stars because they don't charge extra.

Aram A.

5/21/2013

This is the third plumber (from Yelp)I've used in recent years and by far the best. Simply put prompt response, on time and right to work, accurate estimate and most of all quality work. They'll get my business next time.

John M.

06/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

1) Timely response to my email requesting a service visit
2) On-time arrival on the day my appointment was scheduled
3) Up front estimate of the work that needed to be done without offering to do a bunch of things that I did not need to have done.
4) Work was done quickly and without any peripheral mess or damage.

I was extremely pleased with Pelican Plumbers. You will be too.

Paulette S.

11/03/2012 12:00:00 SA

Can't speak more highly of Pelican Plumbers. After my 9th call to others hearing what they could not do for me (with a broken pipe!) - and making costly recommendations for a pre-pipe spy ordeal - Pelican provided positive feedback telling me they were willing to fit me in to the schedule that day and problem solve with me. Eric showed up on time and fixed the problem within minutes. VERY relieved and appreciative of their help, honesty and timeliness. I will definitely use them again!

Daniel C.

5/29/2016

Nothing but praise and 5-Stars for this company...Professional, honest, efficient, fair and polite. From the owner (Raul) to the individual running the office (Patty) to the excellent plumbers (Eric & Theo), this is the best plumbing outfit that I've ever dealt with. They are not the cheapest but their pricing represents VALUE when you consider the top notch quality of their service and product. They truly care about their customers and their reputation...a rarity in this industry!

Joe M.

11/21/2015

I was impressed with Pelican Plumbers from start to finish. We had our sewer lateral replaced to pass the required EBMUD pressure test when a home is sold in Alameda. We contacted 3 different companies, and Pelican had the most clear communication from the start. I was initially hesitant because they suggested the possibility that the repair would require drilling through our stone porch, and were the only company to provide a 2-part estimate for that possibility. However, it became clear they were simply the most thorough, honest, and experienced, and were just clearly communicating all possibilities up front. As it turned out, they cleverly dug underneath the porch, avoiding any damage to the porch at all. The job was done extremely quickly - one day for the work, successful test the next day, and concrete dried by the following day. Fantastic work.

David H.

6/24/2020

Our water heater was dying on a weekend. We called a couple of plumbers from other companies (Pelican doesn't work weekends) to come out to take a look and give us bids. One of the plumbers from the other companies used a bunch of used car salesman tactics and nonsense, talking about how they'd need an extra $400 to bring a new water heater into our basement and calling their manager to get us the best price. Want to again emphasize that those are the other guys.

I called Pelican and they sent someone out immediately. Ozy took a quick look, said this is an easy job, and gave me a completely reasonable quote with no nonsense. After I signed off on the quote, he left, came back in 30 minutes with a water heater and a team, and they replaced the whole thing in like half an hour.

Ozy was also very friendly.

Everything works great, they cleaned up well. I couldn't be happier with them.

P L.

5/14/2011

I've been remodeling my home in stages for the past several years, so I've had LOTS of tradespeople work on it. For some reason plumbers always seemed to be the biggest headache (right behind the drywall guys). Flakey, shifty, expensive. So I was both surprised and relieved to deal with Raul and his team.

I called Pelican because my pipes knocked a bit and I thought I knew why. Raul took the time to trace the noise and determined it was a different, simple problem and easily fixed. The work was done the next day for a very fair price - he even rebated a part of the fee because it took less time than expected. No kidding. I was really impressed.

Now if I could only find a reliable drywall firm as good as these guys.

Greg G.

7/29/2013

Extremely happy with their service. We had an issue with our garbage disposal and I tried them based on their Yelp reviews. Dino arrived exactly at the designated appointment time and explained everything very thoroughly. I thought there was a broken part, but it was just an obstruction in the unit that he showed me how to fix on my own in the future. Dino was very friendly and informative and he fixed the problem in minutes. I would certainly use them again for any plumbing needs. Thanks Pelican Plumbers!

Laura L.

12/10/2014 12:00:00 SA

I have used Pelican several times over the years and can not say enough great things about them. Dino is the nicest guy you will ever meet and really tries to really tries to fix your problems as cost effectively as possible. I had an emergency today and they are fully booked thru next week and yet they have promised to try and fit me in if something opens upon the schedule. And I know that to be true.They are honset. Dino and his office partner are always kind and patient when I am overwhelmed and the job gets done. I wish there were more businesses like this one. We have been searching for a contractor to do our kitchen for 8 months and of our many friends who have redone their kitchens over the years, none would refer the contractor they used. But I promise you this, when we find the right person, Pelican will be doing the plumbing!! I wish I could add extra stars for Dino's kindness and the patience of Patrick(?)--I think that is his name when I call and don't even have the language to explain the problem but he hangs in there with me and works hard to accommodate each and every time I call. On top of the work, they each should get another star for how they handle the business and customers.

Philip E.

02/12/2013 12:00:00 SA

We had a leaking bathtub, but not emergency level so was able to set up an appointment over a week in advance. The person I spoke to on the phone was friendly and courteous in setting up the appointment.

Fito (sp?) called 15m before the appointment to let me know he would be a little bit late, which I appreciated. He then showed up earlier than he estimated. He was very personable and courteous. As I described the problem on the way up he quickly diagnosed it and turned out to be right (bad gasket). The repair cost $210, which I assume is their hourly rate. This was a simple/quick issue but I understand charging a minimum fee and paying for their expertise even if it's not always needed. I would not hesitate to call them for any future plumbing issues.

Sara A.

8/24/2014

Dino from Pelican Plumbers repaired the converter on my tub faucet on 8/1/14. A plumber from Pelican came out about six weeks prior (cannot remember his name) and gave me a quote, as well as a suggestion that I go to the Sink Factory to look at possible replacements that would match my old-timey claw foot tub. I followed up on going to the The Sink Factory and they turned out to be a wealth of information, as well as a place to easily buy the kind of faucet I needed. I was impressed that, when I called six weeks later to schedule the job, the fellow who answered was able to quickly look up the info on the visit (I had the exact date, so I'm sure that helped), so he knew what I was talking about. Dino came out on 7/25/14, but realized that this job would require much more time than expected, because it turned out that it would be necessary to move the claw foot tub to create some space in order to install the new faucet (my tub is crammed into a really small bathroom and not easy to move). He did not charge for the 7/25 visit, and he was pleasant and communicative throughout, so I understood what was happening. We rescheduled for 8/1, and he worked diligently for three hours, moving the tub, working in a cramped space, and getting everything aligned (which turned out to be an unexpected challenge, but he did it). My faucet works great! Specifically, I have no problem now with the converter. Before, I'd be taking a shower, the converter would fail, and I'd have to give up showering for a cat bath under the tub faucet instead. What a waste of water and time, and physically uncomfortable. So now I can take a shower standing up like a civilized homeowner. Also, Dino threw in, at very little extra charge, examining and fixing a drippy showerhead in a unit across the hall. All in all, Dino and Pelican Plumbers were timely, professional, hardworking, fixed the problem, and charged a standard, reasonable price. At no time did I feel Dino was ever trying to up-sell. There is another local Berkeley plumbing business I have used in the past, but they charge just for coming out to your home. While that other business is very good, I just didn't want to go through that charge again, which turned out to be a good decision because I needed two visits. I would definitely use Pelican Plumbers again.

Donald L.

9/27/2013

It seems redundant to add yet another 5 star rating to these folks, but they deserve it. Prompt service, and honest service. We had a problem with a faucet - Fito came out, told us how we could do some things ourselves to save a bunch of money, and left with an absolutely minimal charge. We were delighted to call him back when we finally did replace the faucet, and he did a quick, friendly job.

Cathy M.

3/20/2011

We called with a random collection of the usual leaks, small broken items, water pressure problems, plus the long-ignored need to brace the water heater. Raul and his guys spent the day fixing everything and suggesting that rather than brace the old heater, since it was 22 years old perhaps it was time to get a new one. (No one else had pointed that out.) They fixed everything, made special trips to get those odd pieces required by plumbing in an old house,and came back the next day to fix a shower faucet that they hadn't even worked on in the first place -- without additional charge! And now, oh miracle of miracles, we have good hot water pressure in the kitchen!

Aileen P.

8/18/2014

We recently had our 1940s bungalow completely re-plumbed with copper and a new sewer lateral put in. Working with Raul and the team from Pelican Plumbers was great. Raul gave guidance on our options (copper, insulated, where to run lines, et al), gave creative guidance on unexpected requirements of our older home, and solved a couple of problems unrelated to the replumb. He came by every day to check on the work, was happy to discuss all questions I had, was highly knowledgeable and friendly, and was genuinely interested in improving our house and making everything perfect. Pelican also handled the somewhat thorny city permit and inspection process. We just had our house inspected for pre-sale and the plumbing received perfect marks. Everything is working just fine 6 months later. I would be happy having anyone from Pelican in my house again. Overall: on time, on budget, prompt, friendly, knowledgeable, and flexible.

Danny G.

12/30/2010

I called with a handful of leakage concerns and, even though the issue didn't present itself during Raul's visit, he was fantastic - super-friendly, informative, funny as hell, and when I asked how much the service call was he simply said happy new year. Whether it be a plumber, electrician, or any other service provider, how many outfits wouldn't take the opportunity to tag you with a standard fee?

When the issue arises again, it's Pelican that I'll call... thanks, Raul!

Kiki J.

7/18/2013

Just had to leave an awesome review for Pelican! In particular Jason who was our tech. After getting an awkward quote from another plumber (they made us feel like we were being scammed) Jason came over and gave us a reasonable quote. He asked me to call their manager to schedule.

This was on a Wednesday. At first the manager said it would be Tuesday. After I explained that being without hot water that long would really make our lives difficult (we couldn't shower, and our downstairs tenants wash diapers in the washing machine and need the hot water) the manager said he'd see what he could do.

After an hour, they called to say they were still waiting to hear back from a client to see if they would be willing to reschedule, and that they weren't ignoring me -- it was nice they checked in. After another hour, they called back and said they could do the next day (Thursday) at 2pm and that it would take 5 hours (there was a good bit to do.) Wow, this would be putting Jason in overtime -- but no extra charge!

Thursday, Jason called to say he got done early and could he begin at noon? I was overjoyed! Not only that, but he was done by 2:45 -- less than 3 hours!

Pelican Plumbers works very hard to make things work out for you! They really put in the extra care. And Jason was fantastic -- he worked very efficiently and made sure everything went back where it belonged.

In all, I would *highly* recommend them!

E. C.

4/27/2016

Dino was great. Quick, professional but friendly. He explained what he was going to do before starting and then did a few small extra things that were quick and requires no parts at no extra charge. Scheduling the visit was easy. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very organized and kind. Dino even arrived 15 minutes early, which never happens!

Joshua K.

11/16/2016

Great guys. Came on time and did the work quickly. Used their extra time to check out other plumbing issues around the house. Would use again.

T G.

09/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

We had two toilets in need of attention: an old one that leaked water into the tank and a newer one that kept running water after we flushed. Pelican Plumbers responded promptly and professionally. When we thought perhaps the problem with one toilet had not been solved, they followed up with personal service. Turned out it was fine. Highly recommend.

Whitney M.

3/28/2016

After MUCH searching and many disappointing visits from other plumbers, we finally came across Pelican. They weren't the cheapest (of the 6 quotes we got, they were just below middle of the pack-- and the pack range was drastic of nearly $400 for the low and $1800 for the high estimate). Since we had to open a brand new ceiling to repair an overflow pipe that wasn't connected properly in our bathtub, we were nervous. The Pelican team did a great job of installing things properly and were the only group who recommended making small improvements like adding an automatic drain stop rather than the rubber plug we had been using. I would give them a 4th star but they left the bathroom downstairs a mess -- stuff from the pipes above splattered all over the walls, door, floors including grout that we had to them meticulously scrub for hours. We still need to repaint the door from the stains. I would definitely use them again for plumbing needs -- would just be more direct/ have higher expectations when it comes to prep/protection in the spaces they work.

Karen C.

03/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

These guys are amazing! They returned my phone call this morning to tell me they had no one available to come and snake my sewer line until Monday. I called them back and they were able to squeeze me in this afternoon (everything was backing up). I received a quote and even though they were here for over an hour, they honored what they quoted me on the phone, which was extremely reasonable. Max and Lalo weren't going to give up until they broke through the roots in the line and I'm so grateful. They are definitely my go to plumbers from now on. Thank you so much!

david h.

8/19/2009

Honest, Reliable, Licensed & Bonded. I've owned & managed residential & commercial income property for decades, and my old rolodex has just a handful of good plumbers. I call Pelican first.

Eric D.

9/20/2013

I ended up saving a bunch of money and not replacing a mid-life heater because of these guy's honesty. They were the only one of four plumbers that suggested I perform the easy and quick repair to a mid-age heater to extend the life another 5 years rather than replacing so early. In the end, they gave me the confidence to just spend $50 on a part and save $1300+ on a new water heater install until the heater is older (only 8 years old which is for sure on the young side).

The price they quoted me was reasonable in the end to replace it but really the main thing to say is these guys are HONEST and more interested about being good ethical plumbers than making a profit. So I'd go with them for sure when I do need a new one installed in a few years!

Elizabeth K.

12/15/2016

They don't keep hardware for shower faucets on their truck and it's $175 just to come take a look.

Matt S.

09/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

The guys at Pelican are incredibly courteous and knowledgable. Raul, the owner, cares a LOT about his customers, treating them fairly, and providing them with great work.

It's a relief to have found a company we can depend on for all of our plumbing problems.

Highly recommended.

Jane D.

04/12/2013 12:00:00 SA

Although the plumber was competent enough to get the job done, he was unprofessional and seemed very angry about something. I was very uncomfortable having him in my home.

I will call another service next time.

Madeline P.

06/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

Max & Gabe did a wonderful job fixing two leaky pipes. They had to drill a pretty big hole in the wall under the sink replace the pipe, but after the job, somehow was able to save the wall- it looks good as new!

Pelican Plumbers was easy to contact and schedule appointments quickly with. Pricing is also reasonable. Will definitely work with them again if we have any other plumbing needs!

Dennis S.

12/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Our new stove couldn't be flush with the wall because it interfered with the gas supply line. Eric from Pelican Plumbers came out and gave us two prices to move the gas line, and we opted for the more expensive one, running a larger line and installing a new shutoff inside an adjacent cabinet. The crew showed up as expected and worked most if the day to complete the job. I have some experience so I can say they did a very clean, solid, and professional job. They were friendly and considerate. It's a pleasure to do business with a contractor who does what they say, when they say, and does it very competently. Pelican will be my go-to plumbers from now on.

Minh N.

7/20/2022

We had water leaking out of our cleanout pipe under the kitchen sink. Raul came over today and quickly assessed it as a repair that would cost us more than $200 if he did it. He said that we could do it ourselves if we were up for it, clearly explaining what we needed to buy at the hardware store and describing each step of the repair. And that just saved us $200. We couldn't be more grateful!

Overall, this is our second time using Pelican Plumbers' expertise. Everyone we've dealt with, from Raul's employees to the owner himself, has been friendly, professional, upfront, and thoughtful. Raul in particular is warm and a pleasure to talk with! We'll always call this wonderful local business in the future.

Esteban S.

6/16/2012

Called Pelican based on Yelp reviews and was not disappointed.

Dino came by, on time and like a pro helped install 2 seismic gas shutoff valves. I asked him to come back for a second job for faucet repair. Both times was on time and professional and great work.

Mark M.

6/23/2011

My experience with Pelican Plumbers demonstrates the value of Yelp and my experience was consistent with others.
Christina was very helpful setting an appointment and answering my questions.
Raul was punctual, friendly and took a lot of time helping me evaluate the options and make the right decision.
Earl and Eric did the actual install, very professional and courteous.
Excellent experience all around, I took several of Raul's business cards that I will share with any friends and neighbors in need of a plumber.

John M.

1/20/2016

One day when I showered upstairs, a large quantity of water leaked into the downstairs bathroom through the ceiling fan. I knew the leak would not be directly over the ceiling fan. I knew the fix would require opening the ceiling. Eric and Rubin of PP arrived and did just that. The cause was not obvious and required systematic troubleshooting. Turns out the water was coming from the upstairs toilet. The upstairs shower, toilet and sink drain pipes all converge in a Y and then go to the street. When the upstairs shower ran, the relatively large volume of water backed up through the toilet ring (which is designed to fail instead of the toilet backing up onto the floor) and the excess water spilled down into the ceiling below. They ran a snake into the master shower drain and dislodged the obstruction that had caused the backup. Problem solved. Eric and Rubin were efficient and professional in diagnosing and fixing my problem. I will call PP again for any plumbing related matters.

JP T.

09/05/2013 12:00:00 SA

The toilet at the gym was backed up after last night's classes and after numerous attempts with a plunger (including different plungers) and trying to snake the clog, it was time to find a plumber. Being that I don't frequently call plumbers (who the heck really does anyway?!?!!? aside from someone who clearly needs to up their fiber intake...haha...jokes!), I turned to yelp. When one place didn't pick up their phone despite saying they open at a certain time, I turned to the second listing, Pelican! Great move.

Rito came over in just about 30 min, just like the guy on the phone had estimated. He didn't have the greatest look on his face, but I mean who would really have a huge smile on their face knowing that they are about to unclog a freaking toilet. Lucky for him, or unlucky, our clog was caused by some paper towels (or tampons?). Anyway, it was some paper product and nothing super nasty.

The first thing they do is find the drain plug and start snaking from there. He ran the snake through the pipes and the toilet flushed a few times. He then went to check the outside drain to make sure he cleared the entire clog....then....the toilet started rising again. FML and his. He asked me about the building and I remembered during construction, we had found another drain plug and I showed it to him. Eureka! Opened up this drain, snaked the sh*t out of this one and the clog was officially fixed.

I really appreciated the fact that Rito checked all possible points for clogging rather than taking off as soon as the toilet flushed properly the first time. Thorough work is something that is definitely appreciated, especially with problems like this. He also informed me of any major potential problems that could have caused this clog, but only a camera through the pipes could detect. Crossing my fingers that our problems are solved. Also, the quote on the phone was $150 to snake a pipe, but upon taking a look at the problem, my new quote was $165 for essentially the same work. I didn't mind the extra $15 since we had to snake 2 different drain points and because Rito worked pretty hard to clear it all up in a timely manner, but just something to note to the phone operators and the plumbers who come on site.

Tom N.

5/22/2015

Just had them install a tankless water heater, seismic shutoff on our gas meter, and gas logs in our fireplace. Service was extraordinary. The customer service before and during the installation exceeded my expectations. The city inspector confirmed my opinion when he complimented them on the job they performed. I wholeheartedly recommend Pelican Plumbers for your plumbing needs.

Lynn S.

08/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

This company is great. They came right away, followed up on phone calls, were prompt and efficient, cleaned up after themselves. Did the paperwork, too, with the city. Great job, good price, and I am so happy with their work. 5 stars!

Brian H.

7/14/2014

Raul and his team are the very best. I have worked in the trades for years, and I know how rare it is to find a professional who operates efficiently, pleasantly, and above all with fairness and dedication to their task.

From start to finish, the services provided by Raul and Pelican Plumbers were nothing but great. They know their trade and craft extremely well. Although my repair was relatively small in scope, I would depend on them for a much bigger job as I was so impressed with the work they did and how they conducted themselves.

I cannot write a stronger or better recommendation.

Lisa H.

10/26/2014

These guys are great. Prompt, honest, and do a great job. Better price then the other plumbers I got quotes from to install a water heater. Highly recommend!

Aram A.

7/16/2011

Do not hesitate to use Pelican!!

Our toilet would keep running after flushing, increasing our water bill by 150% over last year. I was prepared to spend as much as $300. Dino said it was a minor repair and fixed it for $125. He explained everything in plain English and did a few little extras. He arrived early, finished quickly and left things clean. Not your usual job.Next time I need a plumber I'll call Dino.

Troy S.

3/27/2011

Raul and his crew were FANTASTIC!!! Raul replaced our old water heater with a tankless and about 80ft of piping in one day and did an awesome job. I really feel he was fair with me - I received 5 quotes, including his, and really thought he was thorough and that his price was right. It was a real pleasure working with him and I would totally contact him again :)

Keith S.

04/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

These people are awesome! Super friendly and quick service. Polite, helpful, respectful, talented - you could not ask for better! Do NOT mess around! Get these people. They booked the appointment at the earliest time and were super fast, friendly, and skilled. If you have a problem, this is what you want. I will NEVER go to anyone else.

Gina M.

4/29/2009

This is the 2nd time we've used Pelican plumbing and loved it once again. I called Raul just a few hours ago, he just happened to have someone in the area and they were here in 10 minutes. I had 3 problems, a broken pipe under my bathroom sink, a funky showerhead pipe that needed replacing because it didn't accept normal showerheads and a kitchen sink drain that had a rubber seal coming out of it causing it to leak, which I swore Raul did. But when the plumber got here and saw it he said he honestly didn't think Raul would install a rubber seal like that. I thought about and thought about and sure enough, he was right, it was a day laborer that installed my sink, Raul installed just the faucet, which still works great. Made me realize that Raul is known for doing things right.

Brentley B.

10/02/2011 12:00:00 SA

Impossible to say anything bad about Pelican.

Had an outdoor leak, called, Raul sent over Fito, who quickly determined where the problem was and fixed it. He did leave to go home saying he would return to fill the hole (as he wanted to be 100% sure there were no leaks after the repair). When he returned he made an adjustment that he did not charge me for and filled in the hole.

Great communication (Fito called to tell me he was running 10 minutes late) reasonable pricing, and a perfect job.

I would absolutely use them again.

Joshua W.

2/21/2018

Dino fixed a backed up semi main for us this week in less than an hour's worth of work. It was super easy to schedule the visit; they were responsive and flexible. Dino knew what he was doing and also fixed a slow sink in the process. Highly recommended.

Brad N.

02/11/2010 12:00:00 SA

Work was done well. Employee was friendly yet focused. Costs were a bit general and we did not recieve the 5% Yelp reference discount.

Melisa J.

3/14/2016

This is my 2nd time using Pelican Plumbers and both my experiences have renewed my faith in what Customer Service should be!
Excellent response by the entire crew from my first desperate call with Emma, the coordination, the awesome work performed by both plumbers Eric and Raoul, and the communication with Paddy. I was out of state when my tenants called and Pelican sent someone within 4 hours of my request due to the nature of the water damage caused by backed up lines which flooded my brand new tiled basement. He was early, got down to business, video and snaked the line and pulled out pounds of food that should never have gone down the disposal.
Tips from the professionals for tenants, share as often as needed: garbage disposals are NOT the way to dispose of pounds of garbage shoved down the disposal...COMPOST!! Thank you for quality work and responsiveness to your customers.

Bruce B.

02/12/2023 12:00:00 SA

I have an old toilet that doesn't flush well. The repair didn't improve the performance but I was charged $225 for a 30 minute visit anyway. Never going back.

Stefan N.

06/05/2015 12:00:00 SA

Another great experience. Dino came out to help me with a leaking garbage disposal, which ultimately had to be replaced. He quickly found and purchased a new one, installed it for me, and then rounded down on the billing, and only charged for an hour of time. Also, they are just really nice people.

Have had no problems with disposal since new one was installed.

Brian L.

2/25/2017

I had a jammed garbage disposal, so I made an appointment. Dino was very helpful and friendly. He could have easily taken advantage of the situation and completely replaced my garbage disposal, but it ended up being a quick and easy fix. I'll definitely call these guys for my future plumbing issues.

dawn a.

4/16/2015

We hired Tito and the Pelican Plumbing team to install a series of gas lines in our backyard for a fire pit and BBQ. They were competitive in pricing, and their work was a thing of beauty (who knew gas lines could be so beautifully installed). :)

At one point they realized that water lines ran under the slate patio, but no fear as the team was extremely gentle as they did the installation.

They're great guys and they do great work.
Highly recommended.

Jodi N.

06/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

Had an urgent plumbing issue, Max and Kegan came out and fixed it promptly with great work ethics and attitudes. Happy to refer them to my own clients. :) Thanks, guys!

Claire C.

01/04/2012 12:00:00 SA

Pelican Plumbers came out and fixed my tenant's toilet a couple months ago (a flushing problem) and did a stellar job; the plumber followed-up and actually worked more than the hour they charged me. So when the tenant told me the shower did not drain, I called them again--on January 2 (New Year's Day holiday). They were working (yea!) and came out that day. When I arrived at the tenant's residence to pay the plumber, she informed me that the plumber fiddled with the stop for a minute and got it working - and left without charging me! Trustworthy, honest plumbers.

Anna Y.

9/19/2013

I had a ceiling leak in my second floor in my multi-floor apartment building (located in East Bay). Here is my recent experience:

Company A: They never returned my call, could not be bothered.
Company B: Immediately came out, cut two holes in my second floor ceiling, had me run water for 15 minutes, said nothing was wrong with the plumbing, sealed up my ceiling, and charged me $250.
Pelican Plumbers: Immediately returned my call and sent Justin out within the hour. Justin arrived as scheduled, took one look at the ceiling and said - not a plumbing problem but a roof problem. He said the roof was not draining properly and so the water was draining into the building. I asked Justin how much I owed for the call - he said NOTHING! Sadly these days, an honest company such as Pelican Plumber is rare. Pelican Plumbers is definitely on our list to call the next time we have anything related to plumbing.

On the phone, Raul was very knowledgeable, courteous, friendly, and professional. Justin was just as knowledgeable, courteous, friendly, and professional. What a wonderful company - they are certainly on our A List!

Bill w.

2/21/2012

These guys are amazing. We had a leaking/defective shower valve that needed to be replaced. Rather than simply having us buy a brand new shower faucet/hardware and pay for hours of install time, Raul found the missing part in Arizona, had it delivered, and installed it quickly. They also installed a water pressure regulator and fixed all our leaky toilets. Erik is awesome and all the guys are very friendly. Cannot recoomend them high enough!

Why can't every business work this way?

Tamar A.

11/13/2014

Raul and his team were great. When we moved into our house, they installed our water heater. No problems at all with it. They were fast and professional. I will definitely call them if we need anything done in the future.

K B.

12/06/2014 12:00:00 SA

Trenchless Sewer Replacement

Professional. On time. On budget. After our experience with trenchless sewer replacement, Pelican is my first-choice plumber for future plumbing needs. We had a slightly complicated private sewer lateral replacement, but Pelican got it done and handled all the permitting/paperwork with the City of Berkeley, and we just received our official sewer lateral certificate.

Trenchless is the preferred method for sewer lateral replacement for original clay sewer pipes (required at property transfer if you live in EBMUD service district), so all the local plumbing companies do trenchless. They even all seem to use the same cost estimation software, so it's really about which company you trust to get the job done. After one company refused to provide an estimate without a $359 video charge, another company that came out but didn't provide a written estimate, and another company that tried to upsell us on a larger diameter pipeline than was needed or required, we went with Pelican and couldn't be happier. Highly recommend these guys!

Melissa K.

08/11/2018 12:00:00 SA

The Pelican team did a great job replacing old, hard to reach, cast iron pipes under my house. They were so easy to work with, always on time, immaculate and their price was fair. What more can I say?

Steve R.

4/19/2014

HOT WATER!
I recently learned what a luxury hot water is! I looked at several review sites including yelp*, called a few, and narrowed it down to Pelican to replace a failed unit. Pelican was great on the phone and scheduled a same day appointment. Dino evaluated the project, scheduled the replacement and arrived as planned. The invoice was as quoted even though it turned out to be a complicated install and required three trips to the hardware store. We were very happy with Pelican and especially Dino. He was engaging, professional, and hardworking and made for a much better than average plumbing repair experience. I would recommend him without reservation. Thanks!

Kathy D.

10/20/2009

WOO HOO! I just got off the phone with Raul... no wait, that was five minutes ago. What I just got done with was fixing my own repair after Raul told me how to do it myself =) WOW! I have never spoke to/met such an honest plumber!

Earlier I had left a message on his voicemail asking for an estimate. Not only did he call me back quickly, he told me how to fix it... FOR FREE!!!

Other plumbers would have come out and charged me the $120/hr to do something that took me less than two minutes. If I have another plumbing issue, I will not hesitate to call Pelican again. It was like my first service was free of charge =)

RAUL at PELICAN RULES!!!

carin C.

8/18/2009

If you want a trustworthy, knowledgeable, and well-priced plumber, then you definitely want to hire Pelican Plumbers. They are very professional and helpful, and you won't get that ugh feeling when you have a nasty plumbing problem because they will come out right away and fix the problem without a scary price tag. I have used this company several times for a variety of problems in my old Berkeley Craftsman house and everything is always handled beautifully. In the past, I have had to hire other plumbers to fix what the first plumbers didn't and that got frustrating and expensive. Doesn't happen anymore. Go with these guys.

Katrina K.

4/21/2017

These guys are Excellent!
We had them convert us to a tankless water heater.
From the initial phone call to the estimate, all the way to the finish of the job.
On time, professional, friendly, organized and neat!
Their prices are reasonable and you can tell that customer service is very important to them.
We were very happy with the finished product.
I would highly recommend them!

M. L.

5/29/2020

Dino is an excellent plumber. I am very happy with the service and the price. They are honest and reasonably priced. I have been using them for 6 years. I own a condo and I really appreciate being able to request the same service repair person, Dino. I know what to expect when the same person comes to repair my items.

M Q.

03/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

Thank you, thank you! In about an hour (maybe less) they figured out our mystery leak in the kitchen and nipped it in the bud. I spoke with Raul at 8:30 in the morning and the guys (Eric and Fernando) arrived on time, same day. They even called to say they were running a few minutes late. They even asked if they should remove their shoes. Such great guys. This leak was so imperceptible it had gone on for a couple of years. Yikes! Perhaps now my sinus problems will go away. The price can't be beat, for sure. Let's just say for the price they charged me (parts and labor, about one hour), another outfit was going to charge more just for the first 45 minutes alone. Here's another five stars for you guys.

David H.

07/11/2011 12:00:00 SA

We needed a kitchen faucet installed that we had bought on the internet.

The plumber I would normally call has since gone out of business.

I was calling them after a three-day weekend so I wasn't sure they would be able to help me right away although I was anxious to get the install done right away. The gentleman told me that they had just gotten done at one job and could I text him my address...I did so and the plumber appeared about 20 minutes later. He was professional, fast and even helped with a leaky faucet in the bathroom all for what I consider to be a very fair price!

I got their name from Yelp, and all the reviews were right on the money!

I would use them again without question!

tricia m.

9/14/2013

First, they answered the phone (just as my friend who recommended them said they would). Next, they were able to set me up with a same day appointment there and then. Finally, they did exactly what I needed (confirmed my dispose-all was dead and replaced it with an identical one). Really, everything you want in a plumber! Bravo.

James S.

08/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

Max and his crew came out and replaced my water heater. Friendly, informative- did a great job!

Wei K.

3/14/2012

I called this morning and talked to Christina. She is so helpful and told me exactly what I need to do in terms of how to get Sewer Lateral Cert in Oakland. They are a good company since they have nice people who like Christina works for them. Thanks Christina!!!!!

Al E.

1/30/2013

So incredibly happy with the service that was provided. We had originally called an alternate service to help unclog a sewer line - let's call that service Fen Branklin Plumbing the guy came out, charged $300 and told us that there was nothing that we could do unless we replaced the sewer line all together, but he wasn't sure that it was a crushed sewer line and in order to make that diagnosis, we would need to put in an additional clean out line for $6000. Um, WHAT? So you don't know if it's a crushed sewer line and in order to find out it would cost me $6000. By now I am envisioning the cheaper version of throwing a porta potty in the back yard and call it a day.
Reluctantly, I called Pelican to get a second opinion... Hell, might as well get a second opinion before charging me for open heart surgery. Pelican arrived and was able to clear my sewer line in addition they provided me with a view of the sewer line, where they had found a separation of the sewer line down by the street. Which still will be a good deal of money - but once we save for this, we're calling Pelican again.

They were simply terrific.

Bono B.

10/18/2016

Fito and James came over and did a great job replacing several angle stop valves in my condo. The job required some schedule coordination with the condo's HOA, as the water supply needed to be shut down for a section of the building. We also had a limited time window for the water shut down, so the work needed to be completed during that time. They arrived on time, did the job in a timely manner, and left the job site clean. When I discovered some water leaking from two P-traps that was affected by the job, they came back out and fixed everything to my satisfaction. Fito and James were nice guys, very professional. I would definitely work with them again.

Stacey L.

7/28/2023

I have an old house and have been nervous about my pipes. It took me 3.5 years to break down and call a plumber about the decreasing water pressure in my bathroom.

Dino came out and restored my faith in people. He's fast, ethical and as sweet as punch! I will definitely call Pelican about any other plumbing issues that may arise. Call them!

Shannon H.

11/29/2016

Wowee zowee! This company takes their work seriously. Needed to install a gas firelog set in a very small 1907 fireplace. I called to schedule an estimate and the women who handle the office (hi Emma and Paulina!) asked lots of questions and checked with the estimator before we scheduled an apppointment. They were very thorough, and when Fito came to do the estimate he was prepared and knowledgeable. He did the estimate (OMG, this type of job is expensive) and gave me a start date early the following week. I was hesitant to schedule during Thanksgiving week, but Fito assured me the job would be done and the fireplace would be functioning and beautiful.

Fito and Luis showed up on Monday morning and were awesome! They got right to work - the scope was complicated and presented some surprises (hello 1907 ash catcher hidden under the floor!), but they remained pleasant and found workable aesthetically pleasing solutions. They had to come back on Tuesday because there were about 2 hours of work left, but they came on time and were very considerate of my need to shop for my holiday prep.

I am very pleased with Pelican - Fito and Luis in particular. Guys, MinBo sends his love because he hasn't left his spot by the fireplace all week!

David L.

04/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

Pelican Plumbers sent Dino to replace a pressure reducing valve and hose bib, and to clean out a check valve. He was quick and clean. I know he did a good job because we have had no water pressure issues since!

R S.

10/05/2022 12:00:00 SA

Raul came by gave and gave quick estimate to add pipe through the crawl space and tap on outside wall for irrigation. Two weeks later work was done in a single afternoon. Neat work, good cleanup, good communication.

Eric K.

03/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Great work, honest, reasonable rates.
They put in a earthquake shut off valve for our gas line, and replaced our ancient hot water heater. All on time, on budget, polite, friendly...

Tanny K.

02/11/2012 12:00:00 SA

Used them today to fix my water heater. Dino showed up on time, fixed my problem in a timely fashion and was very nice. Would use them again for any of my plumbing needs.

Brant B.

02/06/2019 12:00:00 SA

A buddy and I installed a new garbage disposal that we were having some issues with. I called Pelican and asked (Raul) what it would cost to have someone come out a trouble shoot it. He happily/patiently walked me through some things to check over the phone. Problem solved without the time and expense of scheduling a visit. Thanks Raul. When we need a plumber in the future, we'll call these guys.

Alison D.

6/16/2010

This is a great plumbing service, I would highly recommend them. Dino came out and fixed our clogged sink and our leaky pipes. He fixed all this in under an hour and now we no longer have to wash dishes in the bathroom. I think the rates are reasonable and they are very upfront about the charges, no surprises.

Kristel S.

7/25/2011

Caution: they delete bad reviews. This will probably be deleted again.

Called, left voicemail, the return call was over 24 hours later. He complained to me (a new customer with no previous contact) about the jobs he was on that day.

Look elsewhere.

Note: upon reposting, I got an email seeking remedy, but my plumbing issues have already been fixed elsewhere (upgraded from 1 to 2 stars).

John M.

5/14/2013

I joined Yelp for the sole purpose of putting in a good word for Pelican Plumbers.

Tried a number of different plumbers who made appointments and never showed, wouldn't return voicemails, the usual stuff.

Called Pelican after reading about them on here, made an appointment for a specific time on a given day, the plumber showed up ONE MINUTE EARLY (??!?!?!!?!?!).

He fixed all that need fixing, and did so quickly and efficiently.

Call Pelican Plumbers first, you won't regret it.

Seriously.

Michael C.

4/15/2010

While I've not used many plumbers in my life, and therefore little to compare Pelican to, I was pretty impressed with Raul. I was having a couple of problems, including a gradual loss of water pressure that had me worried about some sort of major leak. To make a long story short, Raul came out, and in about half an hour determined 1) no major issue 2) my shower heads needed to be cleaned, which he did for me. Not only did he not humiliate me for the false alarm, but when I asked how much I owed him, his reply: Nothing... if you let me take a leak. I thought he was kidding. And so I pressed him, almost begging him to take my money. But he wouldn't. I guess I should be embarrased that my plumbing emergency was so basic and trivial that I couldn't even get a plumber to charge me to look at it. Anyway, thanks Raul.

IzzyO v.

10/24/2012

5+++
I called this morning after the sink at my new house became irreparably clogged (seriously, garbage disposals are more problem than they're worth! Um, and you might not want to put leeks down them either). Jessica, who answered the phone, was very responsive and able to work me in at noon the same day. Lifesaver much?

Then Dino shows up early -- another huge bonus. Let me just say, Dino broke all the stereotypes one can make about a plumber. Not only did he come in and fix the problem pronto and tweaked the settings on my toilets so they'd flush better as a bonus, he cleaned up all the mess from the sink and gave me some great local tips as I've just moved to the area.

Thank you Dino and thanks Pelican Plumbers for being such a positive experience in my new hood.

Kathleen H.

12/07/2010 12:00:00 SA

Pelican Plumbers is a delight to work with! Raul was great to talk with & within an hour or so Dino was here and within and hour had rebuilt the pipes under our kitchen sink. Our friends recommended them and they did not disappoint. We've had bad experiences with the two plumbers we've tried in the few years. We are so happy to have found someone reliable who does the job well. We'll use them again!!!

Cara C.

9/26/2017

Excellent service! Dino continues to make my life easier by handling our old, leaky faucets in a timely, professional, and affordable way. I've worked with other companies and Pelican is by far my favorite.

Michelle L.

10/22/2010

I sure wish I knew about these guys sooner, as it would have saved me a lot of money and time. They're extremely professional, friendly, reasonably priced, and clean. From here on out, I'm only going to call Pelican Plumbers when I have a plumbing issue.

Steve C.

08/12/2013 12:00:00 SA

My bathroom was backed up and my regular go-to plumber was too booked. Glad I got Pelican instead. Showed up early and charged far less than I expected. Will definitely call these guys instead next time!

Thea D.

9/15/2016

We found a toilet backup and water in our basement last night, called Pelican at 8:30 this morning, they had someone out (Eric) by 8:50, and the drain was cleared by 9:30!

The phone was answered promptly, Eric was friendly, respectful, and helpful, and our problem was solved quickly.

What more can you ask?

Jeff G.

04/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

I called Pelican plumbing after 4pm on Thursday with a broken water main. I had someone at my house in under 30 minute. He wasn't able to repair it that day but he gave me a accurate quote and arrived bright and early the next day. The office people and plumbers are true professionals and I'll will call them back for my future plumbing needs.

Meghan B.

11/19/2009

My shower wouldn't turn off this morning despite having turned the knobs all the way. I panicked and called the first plumber I could find and I'm so glad it was Pelican Plumbers. Raul told me Dino would be to my house in 20 minutes and he was. He showed me where the shut-off valve was and how to use it. (I should have known how to do that, but I just moved in to this place a couple months ago and failed to even locate all my utilities. So that's just me being retarded.) Dino was awesome and explained to me what happened and what he was doing to fix it. Luckily it wasn't a painful fix, just needed to replace a gasket. Thank goodness. I am definitely going to call Dino and Raul again if I ever need any other work done. They're on-time, polite, and their rates are reasonable. I'm just so glad they were able to help me turn off my water!

Gabriel Z.

08/07/2012 12:00:00 SA

Great customer service, good work and for a good price! What else can you ask for?!
Raul came out to give us an estimate and was the nicest and most professional from all four companies we had over to give us a quote for fixing a leak in our main sower pipe.

The technicians were on time, pleasant, professional and did surprisingly clean work. I think our place was even cleaner after they left! =)

Thank you Pelican Plumbers for your awesome work.
We will call again if we ever need any work done (hopefully not any time soon)...

Joseph C.

10/14/2009

I found Raul through Yelp and through Berkeley Parents Network. I recently had him and his crew re-plumb the whole house with copper and added a couple of extra hose bibs. The initial estimate was not the cheapest, but he worked with me to figure out why other bids came out cheap. The final work done was well worth it!

Very good work, and very professional. I plan to use Raul for future plumbing work around the house.

Wendy H.

05/11/2010 12:00:00 SA

I love Raul. He came out to install two instantaneous hot water heaters (Takagi). He was very knowledgeable AND flexible. He knew all the Berkeley codes for us to pass inspection. We had another contractor (unlicensed) working on site and Raul was very good about communicating and working with the other contractor to get the job done right.

He gave us a better quote than Albert Nahman.

He did have one guy who was a bit rough with our roof and ended up breaking some of our composition shingles. In the end, it all got fixed so it was fine.

Great guy.

Micah B.

6/23/2014

Hey everyone ! we needed a quick job done on our leaking tub. They came out quick and did there thing. I was really happy with the work and the worker. I give them 4 thumbs up...

Judy Y.

7/13/2011

Extremely nice and courteous - I'm highly satisfied with Pelican Plumbers.

Dino came over to fix a leaky bathroom faucet and we eventually discovered a slightly larger problem that caused water to leak into our garage! At first, I was devastated that it would be a huge fix, but Dino and Raul both whole-heartedly assessed the situation and gave their best shot to finding the best solution.

This is a business that cares about their customers and hence, makes them very endearing. They are fair, very reasonably priced, and give wonderful professional advice. I feel confident putting my plumbing needs into their hands, knowing that I will get good quality work, no matter how many visits they need to make.

One last thing that is unrelated to plumbing but always a plus in my book: they love dogs, so my dog was always happy to see them :)

Recommended!!

Michael E L.

11/24/2017

On 11/16 Max and Lalo did an amazing on-time, courteous, get it done job with our clogged exterior drain. After near disaster, their efficiency was much appreciated! Jay, Oakland

Sarah D.

10/16/2012

We had to do the dreaded sewer lateral replacement job with our new house. It's a huge, and very expensive job. After a late show, and no estimate as promised from another plumber, we called Pelican. They were pros from the start.

They show up when they say they will, gave the most thorough estimate, were absolutely clear about what they were going to do and how they would do it. Based on the reviews here, and some personal recs, we decided to look no further.

I didn't expend a huge effort shopping around for the best price - a lateral replacement is a big job, and I wanted it done right. So I don't know if they are the cheapest, but they were absolutely the best. Handled all the permits, dealt with a picky city inspector, and did a very complicated job right. They came in right at the estimated price. They are fair, communicative, and know their stuff. I would look no further.

Raul and his team are the best, have great pride in their work and their relationships with their customers. They are a uniquely wonderful company. Hire them.

Nanu C.

12/12/2010 12:00:00 SA

Wow! Finally I have found a plumber who I like enough to use again. A plumber who I like so much that I am spending the time to write a review on Yelp (not my usual style to do so), which, by the way, is where I found the company. First of all, Raul returned my call promptly, and arranged for Dino to come out to my duplex. He first looked at my tenant's water heater; the pilot light had gone out and neither the tenants nor I could relight it. Dino did so in short order. Then he came into my unit to look at a problematic kitchen faucet. He diagnosed the problem as a faulty faucet. Since it was a fairly new faucet, he called the company and arranged for them to replace it - for free. Then he told me he would call me when he received the new faucet, and left - charging me NOTHING for this initial visit!!!! A couple of weeks later, when the new faucet arrived, Dino arranged a convenient (for me) late afternoon appointment, fixed it beautifully, fixed another small problem, and charged me the expected hourly rate - for one hour's work.

In addition to all this professionalism, Dino was friendly and pleasant to work with. I will certainly be calling Pelican Plumbers again!

Ferial T.

8/22/2018

This is the second time we've had to call Pelican Plumbers and the second time that we been thoroughly satisfied with their service! Eric especially was so kind, thorough, and really took the time to show me everything he fixed and how we could avoid issues in the future. Hopefully we won't need plumbing services again anytime soon but if we do, we'll be calling Pelican Plumbers.

Norman B.

7/29/2015

I was extremely impressed with entire crew. They arrived early and worked very hard.
They replaced my sewer lateral using the trenchless technique. It took more time because
of the depth of the lateral line and a delay with the City and EBMUD inspections. The estimate
given me 4 months earlier was maintained, even though the job became more complicated. I will definitely use Pelican in the future and highly recommend them. Norman Burg, DDS

Josh A.

12/22/2009

I had a very good experience with Pelican Plumbers. They were reasonably priced, eager to please, and did great work.

I used Pelican Plumbers to replace all my old water pipes and to add two new tankless hot water heaters. Their initial estimate was very reasonable, considerably cheaper than other plumbers. The new pipes required working in some pretty tight places and they did a great job. They also did not nickel and dime me for little things that came up (and boy did they come up). For instance, I wanted the water plumbed for an eventual solar hot water heater, which added some time for them, but they happily accommodated me. There were a bunch of these things where they could have said, change order and charged me money, but they did not.

My only two complaints are 1) they were a little messy at first, but improved 100 percent when I asked them to be neater and 2) the insulation could have been put on a little more tightly.

But these are small things and overall they did an excellent job.

Artemis D.

04/10/2019 12:00:00 SA

They replaced my water heater in 2016. An inspector at the time said that the earthquake strap was missing. I called; the owner was reticent to redo the work under warranty, but when I pressed, they came back. This year, I had an inspector come, required for Berkeley rental units, who said that the earthquake strapping was not done to code, and neither was the flue, which, he said, was a huge safety concern. I called in another plumber, who agreed that the work was not done to code. This cost an additional $500. I would not hire them again.

Craig M.

06/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

Very satisfied with Pelican! Called yesterday morning to get new toilet installed in rental home. 35 year old toilet quit. Needed to get installation sooner than later, for obvious reasons. Eric arrived early, got the job done very efficiently and quickly, even though it involved dealing with lots of stairs. Very pleasant to work with. By early afternoon job completed. I'm very sure tenants happy to have new fixture -- and one that's way more efficient than what was there.

Lindsay N.

6/28/2015

These guys are the best. Dino had to come out to our house multiple times to deal with a leaking water heater that later had to be removed, drained, and reinstalled in order to get rid of some resulting mold. He was always on time, even stopping by early in the morning on his way to other jobs, and was always professional and in good spirits. The visits spanned the late weeks of my pregnancy and my first weeks home with our daughter. On Dino's last visit, he said he hoped we wouldn't need them again until we had a toddler. So far, so good. Thanks, Dino!

marc t.

08/12/2009 12:00:00 SA

This guy is GREAT. Don't even think about having someone else
do your plumbing. His work and his manner and his price exceeded
my most optimistic expectations. On a scale if 1 - 10 . .. 10 being
excellent. . . he is an 11. GO WITH THIS GUY. You will be glad you
did and you will also understand why i wrote such a glowing review.

marc t

Sylvestre M.

3/22/2022

Pelican Plumbers installed all new bathroom, kitchen supply and sewer lines. They were prompt, dependable, and reasonably priced. Could not be happier. Thank you Raul and team!

Zeev N.

8/28/2017

This is my second good experience with Pelican.
Had a small leak under the house and asked them to fix. When they were done a different part started leaking nearby. I called them up just in case it was related even though it sure did not look related. They didn't give me any grief, came by, indeed told me it was not related but FIXED IT ANYWAYS. What more could you ask?

Boris S.

3/17/2010

I have found Pelican Plumbers via Yelp (the reviews were and still are spectacular).

Now, I would like to confirm: The guys are great communicators, they know what to do, and they just do exactly that.

Thanks a lot for clearing the sewer pipe from my basement to the city lines!

Tracy W.

1/24/2011

I contacted Pelican Plumbers to fix a leak in my kitchen faucet. The call went to the answering machine, but Raul called me back within hours. We set an appointment, and Dino came by right on time. He completed the job quickly despite needing to go find a part, and even fixed something else that I had forgotten to mention!

I heard about them because they're moving into my neighborhood, and I think they will be a fantastic addition. I'll definitely call them up again for my future plumbing needs.

T R.

12/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

When I rang and asked for a quote, I was pretty specific about the circumstances, specifically that it was upstairs and where we thought the blockage occurred. I chose them based on how well versed they were on the phone and thought their quote was fair. This feeling all changed when the technician showed up the next day and proceeded to more than double the quote. He stated the charges would be incurred for the following reasons: he would need to take off the toilet, we didn't want his to tread all over our carpet (this blows my mind as surely we are not the only people who do not want to dirty their carpets), and lastly that as it was on the second story, he would have to take apart his machine and bring it up via the roof. So essentially, we were expected to pay extra because he didn't have equipment that could be easily carried up the stairs? None of these reasons made sense nor did the fact that he randomly added another 50 bucks after looking out the window. The original quote was $185 and within 5 minutes it shot up to $410.

I ended up calling the office as this discrepancy seemed very strange to me and smacked of gouging the customer. Admittedly, the office did take responsibility for the misquote; the technician also said they did this all the time and were not really good at their jobs. So much for being loyal to your company, perhaps he's a contractor and not a full time employee? One would think that after so many years of experience and all these lovely yelp reviews that they would be more than capable of giving a more accurate quote and one that doesn't end up jumping 65% once the technician shows up. It just felt like a ploy as most often they are likely to encounter people who are desperate and want the job done or do not have the nerve to tell the person to leave without doing any work and will pay the extra money.

Fortunately, we are not like the aforementioned customer as we told him we would have to think about it and asked him to leave. After a quick google and a trip to our local hardware store, we bought a drain auger and managed to clear the clog ourselves, thus saving ourselves the $410. I should note that we didn't need to remove the toilet.

Vivi P.

04/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

Pelican Plumbers recently installed a seismic shut-off valve for us, plus fixed a couple of other plumbing issues we had with our recently bought house. Overall, the guys were really great! Easy to get in touch with, professional, friendly and honest. Highly recommended!

Robert M.

1/23/2016

Pelican is amazing. They fixed the mess that my previous plumber created and couldn't figure out. They were courteous fast and reasonably priced. I will use them for any plumbing needs in the future.

Richard C.

4/13/2012

I used yelp to identify Pelican Plumbers and am very happy I did. I called, got a quick response and scheduled an appointment for the next day. Dino was on time, in fact a little early. We reviewed my four, fairly minor (for him) plumbing problems. He said it would take about an hour to fix them, gave me an estimate and did the work in an hour. Everything was fixed and is working great. Dino is personable and very capable. I am completely satisfied with him and Pelican. I would recommend them.

Janice E.

10/10/2014 12:00:00 SA

Our 88 year old house in Rockridge had a huge double (maybe cement ) laundry tub in the basement washing area. Pelican plumbers removed it with little fuss and cleaned the area afterwards before installing a new (lightweight) tub. They also fixed a faucet in the bathroom. They were timely to the minute and Jason was very pleasant to work with. Two days later we called them because we thought the new pipe was dripping. Jason came back and showed us that the droplets on the floor were from splashing off the washing machine hose when the wash machine was draining. Pelican was one of the most professional companies we've had working in the house and we've had many after living here for almost 40 years.

Gerald B.

09/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

My toilet developed a slow leak from the tank to the bowl causing the loss of one or two tanks of water per day. Dino of Pelican Plumbers came five different times to try to remedy the situation. Apparently the slow leak had multiple hidden causes. I was frustrated and baffled by the continued slow leak. To keep me as a satisfied customer, Pelican Plumbers offered to apply all the money I had paid for the five visits toward the install of a new toilet. I was happy to get rid of the demon toilet and replace it with a brand new toilet.

Dino took special care to remove all the old corking and make a tight seal for the new toilet. I appreciate his excellent customer care skills.

bob h.

3/22/2011

Raul and his crew at Pelican Plumbers are really phenomenal. They replaced a sewer lateral for us last week and it could not have gone better from start to finish. They were unfailingly cheerful, professional, punctual, energetic and skilled throughout, all of them!
*And*, of the other outfits we talked to, Raul was the only one who said we would not have to spend a night without water. That was true; we only had to be without plumbing for about two hours, I think. This was a big plus.
While they were working, all the guys were so considerate of us, telling us when power and water needed to off, for example, and just treating our house as if it were their own. They were so gentle with our old windows and doors in the basement, as another example. They were really, really terrific.
In an 87 year-old house like ours, you would expect unforseen problems and when that happened, Raul made it feel like it wasn't a problem at all. It was more work than he planned on, of course, but he just worked it into the job. WOW, really. Wow.
The guys worked in the pouring rain too, and they were so cheerful about that. Bubba is the sweetest person in the world, as others have said. He saw my trunkful of groceries and just grabbed them all in one hand with a smile and carried them up 27 stairs for me.
Raul is a total pleasure to work with, really a phenomenal guy. I am so happy I found him!

Santo R.

02/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

TL;DR Quality work and fair pricing. Don't cheap out on plumbing work.

These guys are great! They did a lateral replacement in the house I reside in. All the work was done in a timely manner, and when the workers got stuck with an issue, the owner was right there to debug it. The concrete work looks good and since they completed the work 2 1/2 years ago, we have had no issues. Before the work was done, I had to rent a heavy duty snake every year to unclog the main.

Noah K.

09/10/2009 12:00:00 SA

We found Pelican Plumbers on Yelp, and they really came through.

Raul was a great help with advice and the solutions
to my plumbing issues on this old house.
He helped me update the pipes in the house to copper,add a tankless water heater and redo the gas line.

He was reliable and on time, and the crew was focused and respectful.

Raul laid out a plan and a time line and stuck to both.
I feel like I found a plumber I can trust, and would definitely use
Pelican Plumbers in the future. A shout out to the crew too - thank you
.

Jim B.

9/13/2018

Just had these guys install a new power vent water heater in a new location, remove all the old water and gas lines, re-route the gas supply line, install a seismic auto shut-off valve, fix some poor water line routing and upgrade some of the branches to 3/4.

Very happy with Max, Eric, Ozzie, and the crew. Super professional and nice to work with. Answered all of my questions with patience. And the work is high quality.

It took 3 days to complete the work, and they made sure I had hot water flowing at the end of the first day with a temporary setup. It was a nice touch. They also had to install a drain pipe out the wall for the high temp/pressure discharge. I thought it was just going to stick out at the bottom corner of the house, but they found a location for this that was out of sight to not affect the aesthetics.

I still haven't solved all my plumbing problems, but I know I'll be calling these guys back for some additional work down the road.

jennifer m.

12/17/2010

I picked these guys based on the reviews on Yelp. I called and left a msg in the morning and got a call back at the end of the day. That was fine as it was not an emergency! I had old toilets and said i could email pictures for them to get a better idea of the parts and to see if they can replace them without a problem. Five minutes after i sent the pictures they called back!!

Dino came by and was early! He was very nice and looked at both toilets and then went out to buy the parts. Everything was done in about 90 minutes including an extra trip to the hardware store!

I am so happy to have properly flushing toilets after 3 years!!! I will for sure use these guys again!

Emily C.

04/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

It was very easy to contact Pelican Plumbers and schedule appointments for a quote and then to do the work - I spoke with Emma and Paulina. I got a quote from a couple other plumbers for various plumbing issues around the house and decided to go with Pelican Plumbers. Max came out this morning to replace an aging waste line. Max and his crew were on time and completed the job quickly. They also replaced a section of pipe where they noticed a crack. I'll be contacting Pelican Plumbers again to schedule additional work :)

shane o.

6/29/2016

Scheduled a repair with Pelican for a toilet that kept running. Plumber shows up and gives me a couple of theories of what's wrong. None are correct because he didn't listen to what I told him; he then determines that I'm right. Says he has to go to hardware store bc he doesn't have any toilet supplies - despite being forewarned that this was a toilet repair. Standard toilet here, nothing out of the ordinairy. Disappears for almost an hour. Repairs the toilet in 5 minutes, charges me $200! I'm not against people making an honest wage, but $175 for 5 minutes work? Maybe it was a scam since he asked if the company had provided a quote when I booked the repair (they didn't).
Best part comes a month later when the problem recurs. Holy crap!

Raul, to be clear, you did not specify that a return visit would not incur a charge. In fact it was fear of incurring further of your excessive charges that caused me to cancel the follow up appointment.
Your snide personal emails lead me to believe that you think unclear business conversations regarding rates and services are the norm. Should you sincerely wish to rectify this situation you would refund $125 of the $175 you charged me for 5 minutes of work, accompanied by 50 minutes of supply acquisition for a job explicitly detailed in booking.

D B.

08/01/2014 12:00:00 SA

We hired Pelican Plumbers to repair a cartridge in our shower (our shower could only be hot or cold). They are very focused on customer service and satisfaction, and we would highly recommend them.

Bobbi Jo P.

9/30/2012

Pelican Plumbers deserves 5 stars hands down. They are professional, from the woman who answer the phone every time I call, to Fito, who cared for our home as much as we do.

We had an absolute emergency when my mother-in-law was staying with us. We have three bathrooms and our main guest bathroom completely backed up Labor Day night around 11pm. Then not 10 minutes later our 2nd guest bathroom toilet started leaking through the floor into our laundry room downstairs, so we had to shut off the water to that. We only had our master bathroom left, where you have to walk through our bedroom to get to it. Not ideal for a mother-in-law who gets up several times in the night.

We waited until morning to call. They answered immediately and said Fito could come out that afternoon. He was professional, treated my mother-in-law so well, she kept swearing he was the most honest, respectful man she'd met. He called me several times throughout the day while I was at work to make sure I knew exactly what he was doing, understood the cost, and agreed to what needed to be done.
He treated our home with respect and was more concerned when some water spilled than I was. He did great concrete work outside after replacing 3 ft of sewer line. It looks better than it did before!

They also stick to what they quoted, even if they have to do a bit more. Fito went above and beyond in what he did for our sewer line.

Erik W.

4/19/2019

On time, professional, and efficient.

The pricing was a bit steep but I guess you could argue it was worth it given availability, etc.

$100 for parts that probably cost like $20, a very round number. But definitely recommend them.

Tinky P.

10/06/2011 12:00:00 SA

Pelican got to my house early, worked for 3+ hours cleaning out the 6 drains (that probably could have taken even longer if not for his hard work), and then actually went beyond and cleaned an extra 3 even without charging us for it. Definitely recommend!

Mary B.

6/16/2010

I didn't shop the pricing so I can't speak to that, but he was really responsive and fixed the problem right away. I didn't need to be home for him to do everything and leave me a bill. I left the garage door open so he had access to an electrical outlet and he closed it afterward. He charged $135 to snake and $315 to fix an underground line which had come apart and needed another piece to go on it.

Kristina D.

10/20/2014

After calling numerous plumbers in the area to get an estimate, we finally found Pelican and could not be happier.

We needed to have new valves put on several sinks and a water pressure regulator coming into the house. We received an obscene estimate from another company and definitely wanted to find a reputable plumber to come close to our budget and do quality work.

Pelican had an estimator out within 24 hours, the quote was in our budget and we moved forward. The gentleman who came to do the work was on time, quiet, diligent, explained the pressure regulator and the job came in at cost. They just do good work, on time, in budget and have excellent customer service. I could not recommend them more highly and would definitely use them again.

A note on looking for plumbers...

Apparently the new thing with plumbers is to refuse to come out to give estimates because a homeowner should just be willing to pay whatever the job cost is. We called three plumbers before calling Pelican and they flat our refused to do estimates. They simply wanted us to schedule the work and they would tell us what it cost when they got to our home. I commend Pelican for still being willing to do estimates as part of their business practices. Everyone has a budget and I like to be comfortable with who is coming into our home. In my world, no estimate means no work. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to work with Pelican.

Jesse F.

09/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Great service and good attitudes. I recently contacted Pelican Plumbers because a drain problem in my Bath Tub. They were at my door in less than 20mins and fixed the issue with in a hour. I highly recommend them and will definitely use them again for all of my Plumbing needs.

Leticia S.

11/18/2015

On time, polite, reasonably priced. The technician made certain that my disposal was faulty before he replaced it. Once the new disposal was installed, he tested the functionality thoroughly before he left. He even noticed a fastener was loose on my cabinet and tightened it up. (Thank you Dino!) Nice work guys. Recommended.

Crystal M.

6/20/2023

Omg yall.... quick shout out to Evan Pelham with Pelican Plumbing.... he came out next day to give us a quote on a busted water pipe in the yard. AND then willing to come and replace my line within 2 days time. He was very very affordable and efficient. He answered all my questions with so much honesty. He also PRICEMATCHES with the competitors. He also offered us options if we wanted to do most of the labor and dig our own trench to save us money. He said to message him and he will advise us where to dig if we chose that route. He also said his advise is free. This man and his company is a down home southern family working at Pelican Plumbing. If you need any plumbing needs, go to Evan for a quick turn around.
P.s. these men were working in the rain and thunder storms...stopping when it wasnt safe of course. But dang... these men pulled through. We finally have water after 2.5 weeks. WE ARE VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMERS. WE RECOMMEND PELICAN PLUMBING

Kevin M.

11/20/2014

Moved into a new condo and the garbage disposal didn't work. Called these guys and they sent 2 guys out that afternoon. They determined the current disposal was shot. They explained the options and offered to go get a new one and install it for me. So I had them do that.

They were fantastic. Very professional, knowledgable, friendly, and fast. So much so that I decided that instead of messing with installing a new kitchen faucet a few days later, I'd save myself the time and effort and have them do it for me. They were on site the next day and switched out the faucet for me. Easy!

I will definitely be calling these guys in the future any time I need plumbing help. They are great!

Laura C.

2/13/2017

My son's bathroom (upstairs) was leaking from somewhere. The leak was coming down into the kitchen ceiling and damaged the drywall. Fito came over and after trouble shooting several different areas, he established that it was not a pipe as we had feared. Fito suspected the small cracks in the caulking along the edge of the tub was the culprit. Because Fito wasn't 100% certain of the source, he did not charge us the $175.00 fee for coming out to diagnose the problem. He could have easily charged the service fee, but since he was not completely certain the leak was coming from the small cracks, Fito suggested I silicone the area he identified and if that did not work, he would come out again (obviously). He could have easily charged me for the visit as stated when you call to make an appointment, but he did not.

This company is honest and reliable and I will DEFINITELY be calling them and them only for any other issues that come up. As a homeowner, it's inevitable I will need them again. I am so relieved that I have found a plumbing company that I can trust!
THANK YOU FITO and Pelican Plumbers!!!!!!!
Laura

Judy T.

03/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

The woman who answered the phone could not have been nicer. The fellow she sent-Dino -was perfect. On time and clever. Our problems were fixed quickly and professionally.
Thanks.

.Hon H.

10/08/2017 12:00:00 SA

We used PP recently to replace our shower faucets and some of the pipes leading to the shower. They showed up right on time and immediately went to work. They were very clear in what they needed to do and what the cost would be, and did a fantasticjob.The job turned out to be a bit more complicated than what we all had expected, but they rose to the challenge and took care of everything. It did end up taking the entire day, but the price did not change from the estimate. I appreciated their great work, as well as the precautions they took (covered the floors with tarp, swept and mopped). Highly recommended and really nice people to boot.

Adam R.

5/23/2013

Punctual, efficient, courteous plumbing service.

A little on the pricey side, but I'd rather pay more per hour for good quick service than pay the same amount for a longer, lower quality job.

Garbage disposal replacement, including trip out for parts, took less than an hour!

Judith A.

8/23/2013

After several less than happy relationships with various plumbers in Berkeley I have finally found a company that I can trust. The work was done in a fraction of the time that I expected and at a surprisingly inexpensive rate. The nice fellow, Fito, was competent, fast and best of all explained the work to me. What a relief to find a good plumbing company. They will have my business in the future.

Keith B.

04/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Pelican Plumbers replaced my sewer lateral this week. They were fabulous. Their price was cheaper than other companies, customer service excellent, and the work done very well. They were always easy to get a hold of and did the work ahead of schedule. I was very impressed with the company.

Mike E.

2/23/2018

We've worked with Dino at Pelican a few times at two houses. They've always been clear on communication, quick in scheduling and reasonable with options and pricing. Recommended for all your plumbing needs.

Parker Cartman S.

5/22/2014

Dino arrived promptly and quickly helped us resolve our constantly clogging toilet problem. He replaced all worn out parts and removed a piece of plastic that was trapped beneath the old flapper. Since we are all conserving water, he set up the tank to fill with just enough but not too much water. We appreciate Dino's professionalism and a toilet that now flushes properly without wasting water. We highly recommend Dino and Pelican Plumbers.

Lauron E.

07/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

Our bathroom sink had been clogged for about 2 weeks and I ran across yelps recommendation for pelican plumbers and upon reading the reviews I decided to give them call. Dino was nice and professional. He also took the time out to explain to each process he used to fixed the problem. While he was there I decided to ask him to take a look at a problem we were having with our shower. He was able to fix both problems in less than 30 minutes. I was fully satisfied with the work and asked for his business card so that I would be able to recommend him to any of my friends that might be looking for a plumber as well. I give them an A++++ in customer service and will be using them again in the future.

Jim B.

10/27/2011

We got a lot of misinformation from the guy who came to our house to look at our water heater, to wit:
1) There is no problem. Your water is hot enough.
2) Even if the problem was the dip tube, no one repairs those any more. You just get a new water heater.
3) The hot water comes out of the bottom of the water heater.

The last one is the most egregious. It makes me wonder if this guy was a plumber at all.

10/30/11 update:
I have upgraded Pelican from 1 star to 3 because of a phone call. Raul, the owner, called me yesterday after he saw this review on Yelp. He was very upset, not at me, but because he wants all his customers to be satisfied. He acknowledged that the information his employee gave me was incorrect and said he would do just about anything to make the situation right. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, our water heater problem is intermittent and it has chosen to start working again. When it fails again, though, I will give Raul a call and give Pelican a second chance.

Anne G.

5/14/2014

We woke up to no hot water yesterday morning. I spoke with one plumber yesterday who recommended complete replacement of our water heater. I made an appointment with Pelican to get a second opinion. Fito arrived 30 minutes early and was able to fix the problem in less than an hour. He also noticed gas leak once the water heater was fired up. The first plumber did not put back the pipes correctly after his diagnosis. Fito tightened all the pipes and made sure everything was in order. Pelican & Fito were professional in our interactions and excellent in their work.

Peter B.

1/25/2011

Let me add my voice to the chorus of fine reviews for this fine company.

Raul is a delightful man and when he came out to evaluate our ground-level cleanout install and cabling job he was quick, polite, efficient and his quote was several hundred less than other plumbers we spoke to, which was a very pleasant surprise.

When the day came - we were greeted by Earl, Bubba and Dino - which made me think of Frank Sinatra's bodyguards, for some reason. We had been concerned about a tree - we love it and thought we might have to lose it to the cleanout. Not so - Pelican Plumbers saved the tree and still put the cleanout exactly where we wanted it. Also, they adjusted on the fly - we thought our sewer pipe was iron, but it was clay. That's a more difficult job, but they were unfazed and the price did not change.

They were efficient and super nice, but I want to close with a little anecdote that I think sums it all up. When they were done, I went out to inspect the cleanout and Earl was holding a patch of earth, maybe a foot and a half in diameter. He wanted to save the plants! He cut around the root system so they could be replanted safely. How great is that?

Pelican Plumbers were just fantastic - we're entertaining a lot of contractors right now (new house) and most are referrals. Pelican came from Yelp and it renewed my faith in this site and those who use it.

Jim H.

7/19/2012

FITO is the man!! My drain was backed up and my kitchen sink was overflowing. He came early but initially couldn't resolve the problem. He went back to his office and brought back more equipment and solved the blockage.

Before he left, we made sure all was working well. After he left, the problem came back so I called him up again and he came back to take another stab at it. Turns out there was more gunk in there, which he got all out. All in all, great experience with no surprises in terms of costs and problems.

THANKS FITO!

Daniele R.

5/26/2011

Raul, you are great!!! this is the first time a plumber walks us over how to fix a problem over the phone; thank you so much!!!

Will S.

7/26/2016

Great office, great plumber!

Two small jobs, it booked a few days out, but I said it wasn't urgent. He texted to offer to come early. Had all the (very simple) parts with him.

Favorite part was the friendly real guy, and that they took a small job seriously without being condescending or treating it as beneath them.

Olinda C.

8/19/2016

Free estimate, on time, extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and completed the work for the estimated amount. What not to like? We hired Pelican Plumbers (Dino) to handle a bunch of small plumbing jobs that had accumulated over time--fix leaky outdoor faucets, tighten kitchen sink faucet, replace PVC pipes under kitchen and bathroom sink, re-set toilet in foundation due to slow leak, replace trim on old shower fixtures using manufacturer's rebuild trim kit and add new shower head. Visit to provide estimate and advise regarding what fixtures to order was free. Then Dino came back when we had ordered the parts to do the work. Why can't all contractors function in a similarly professional manner?

jon c.

1/21/2015

FYI we did not use Pelican Plumbers for our job, but:

I called looking for help with what seemed to me to be a relatively simple issue. They were booked for several weeks in advance with bigger jobs, so it wasn't going to be a fit for me.

The person on the phone very generously discussed my issue and the approach I'd take to fix it myself. If he's representative of their operation, I'm a fan.

Michael L.

1/13/2012

These guys were awesome. The gas line to my house broke on a Friday. I called them and they were out later that afternoon and finished the job the same day, working into the evening. They were easy to work with and worked with me to ensure everything was done the way I wanted it done. I would recommend them to anyone and would surely use them again.

P K.

1/23/2015

May be great reviews by so many others but I was not impressed. I called to have a water heater installed for a 18 unit bldg, commercial water heater, and they said they are 3 weeks out! That is crazy......

Jean K.

07/09/2014 12:00:00 SA

Had a messy mainline clog; Dino came out and cleared it within an hour at a reasonable hourly rate (no crazy Albert Nahman mark up here).

I also had them come back to do the sewer lateral video to confirm roots are growing into the ancient clay pipes (a very reasonable charge for that, unlike others who charge the equivalent of 2-3 hours minimum). Raul gave me the DVD confirming the roots, and a couple days later, I received an estimate for the lateral replacement. Haven't decided yet to do it, but both visits confirmed Pelican's professionalism and lack of BS upselling (I requested the video since Dino said that was his guess as to what caused the clogging, and the only way to confirm that is by video).

Daniel M.

2/28/2022

Our tankless water heater stopped working.

I called another place and they recommended replacing the entire unit, which would've cost ~$3k.

I called Pelican Plumbers to get a second opinion. They showed up in minutes (I'm in Berkeley), replaced a blown fuse, and flipped the breaker switch. Tada, good as new.

$210 for an hour (rounded up) of labor + $10 for parts.

daniel j.

6/27/2017

A few months after Pelican complete the replacement of our water main, I found that during the installation, they had inadvertently damaged one of the plastic pipes for our irrigation system. We called them on a Friday to let them know about it, and by Tuesday they had sent someone out to fix the issue, at no cost.

Pelican did excellent work on our water main, but mistakes do happen occasionally. Pelican showed their commitment to their work and provided excellent customer service by quickly responding to and resolving our request. They clearly stand behind the quality of their work. I would not hesitate to recommend Pelican Plumbing to anyone in need of a professional plumber.

J P.

01/12/2010 12:00:00 SA

Satisfactory service on a water heater installation. Polite,
even funny, fast service, arrived on time, took away the old
unit. No reservations recommending them.

Sally C.

01/08/2009 12:00:00 SA

Raul replaced my water heater and had to install a drain pan that included some creative piping to bring it up to code. Out of 3 estimates, he had the best idea and gave a competitive bid. He and his crew did a wonderful job.

Diana L.

2/27/2013

Raul, Eliseo and the Pelican crew did a lot of work for Asha Tea House's buildout. The construction was solid and service was on time. Pelican Plumbers provides what we all need in contracting services, but what is also so hard to find: honest, good quality service at a fair price.

gaz g.

08/04/2010 12:00:00 SA

This review is for two specific interactions with Pelican Plumbers. Both are 5 star.

1) We had just moved into our new house, were unfamiliar with Oakland, and had a 5 day old baby...also, there were workers in and out dealing with all sorts of fixes...and my in-laws were in town. That should set the stage...now enter a backed up sewer main, slowly sending dirty water towards the stacks and stacks of boxes still on the floor of our basement from the move. Raul sent Dino. Dino was in and out in just over an hour...and that includes the 20 minutes or so that he graciously spent answering questions and giving a diagnosis on what sort of work we'll need and when...we expected to spend about $500 to get this all done (it was not an easy fix) - it was under $150.

2) We were on our third water heater...the first one was old, so we replaced it. the second one had a bad thermal couple...so we replaced it. the third one's pilot light kept going out. I called Raul. He was booked solid - but still came out (less than 24 hours notice), and spent over an hour figuring out what was wrong...he gave loads of advice on other projects, and even travel tips. All this...no charge...because he didn't do anything. I can tell you he did plenty...he saved us a ton of grief and money (not to mention, fixed my water heater...just sayin').

bottom line - finding people you can trust to do work like this is crazy hard...even more so if you're new to town. I would call Pelican with 100% faith that i'm getting a fair deal and zero bullshit.

thanks Raul...and thanks Dino, too!

W. B.

9/23/2019

I made an appointment with Pelican Plumbing based on their reviews on Yelp and their high recommendations from the neighborhood blog Nextdoor.
I spoke with Emma who was as professional as could be and was very efficient in keeping in touch with me as far as my appointments and scheduling.
She sent out Eric who too was very professional and as good as it gets when it comes to knowledge and workmanship concerning plumbing. He also was on time with the scheduled appointment, not a minute late.
Eric replaced my garbage disposal, kitchen sink faucet, dishwasher air gap, and all the parts in the toilet tank.
His work was completed in no time at all. He cleaned up and took away all the old parts.
I can't say enough about what a good job Eric did and the efficiency of Pelican Plumbing. I now know who to call next time I need a plumber.

Debbie R.

6/25/2014

Very happy with their services. I received a call back within 30 minutes of leaving a message and had someone scheduled to come 24-hour later (my situation was non-emergency).

Dino showed up on time and was very friendly and competent. I thought the issue I had with the toilet water supply was going to involve a valve replacement, but he addressed it without an up sell and also resolved a few annoying issues (slow drain and shower temp faucet adjustment) all within an hour.

Everyone needs a go to plumber. Pelican will be mine!

Femi J.

04/11/2013 12:00:00 SA

I had to replace a faucet and a garbage disposal after getting a new countertop, and my normal plumber was booked for the next two weeks. I contacted Pelican and they were great! Showed up on time, was really efficient and explained what what going on at all times. I especially love that I can pay by credit card after the appointment. They even made a quick dash to the home improvement store to get some additional parts and were still in and out in a timely fashion. I highly recommend.

Michael B.

08/07/2015 12:00:00 SA

Unfortunately the guy I talked to on the phone would not send someone out to help, I don't know if there is easy access to the exact spot of the leak but I wish they would've just send someone out to check. Oh well I will look elsewhere.

Nila N.

07/03/2019 12:00:00 SA

I highly recommend Pelican Plumbers. I've used them in the past for small jobs; faucet, sink. But recently I had a water leak in the main pipe leading from the meter to my house. Pelican Plumbers fixed it even though it was underneath cement and somewhat under the corner of my house. It wasn't an easy fix by any means and they did a great job on one day notice. They left the area clean and neat. I couldn't be happier.