Best Virtual Consultations in Oakland CA

Fast, efficient and friendly.
Every time I call he comes in less than 24 hours and does a great job.
Best plumber I've worked with in a long time.

Ben installed my hot water heater last summer.  He was very friendly and professional.  He responded right away, on a SUNDAY, and stayed with it until we had a new hot water heater installed and working that afternoon.  He did great work for a very reasonable price.

Yesterday, the hot water heater's t/p valve released for some reason and water flooded into the pan, etc.  I contacted Ben, nearly a year later, and he responded right away.  He came over first thing this morning, checked it all out and installed a new valve, just to be safe.  We have hot water again and my family can rest easy.  

With all of the shady characters out there in the contracting/construction world, I just wanted to share that I think I've found a real, professional tradesman who stands by his work and cares about his clients.

If you need plumbing help, I HIGHLY recommend Ben and Service Star Plumbing.

Ramnar is a great person with which to work.  He is responsive, friendly, and gets the job done.  We have a new house along the coast and needed to finish it off and the radiant system/house domestic boiler was the last thing.  Our general contractor was inefficient and their plumbing sub had passed away.  We contacted Ramnar and he immediately checked things out and made recommendations.  It was obvious that he specializes in radiant and water heaters.   We literally gave him the key to the property and he got things done, with no problems.  He also made recommendations for the latest thermostats and configured them for us.

When our other plumbers could not find the time to install a gas line for a PG&E meter drop, Ramnar was courteous enough to match their price and get the work done (which included a gas run to a deck fire pit).

Ramnar is trustworthy, smart and a friendly person who gets things done.  He's never too busy to talk on the phone, email or text.  In a world of flaky contractors, Ramnar is very dependable and genuinely a super nice person.  He deserves the highest ratings and all these fine examples on Yelp are honest.  If you are considering building a house or installing radiant, use a specialist like Ramnar (he's been all over the world installing and is settled in Northern California).  Many plumbers do not specialize like he does.  If you are a general contractor, he would be my go to guy for anything radiant and/or domestic boilers.  He's the only call to make for our next house, remodel or upgrade (we plan on using him again!)

Thanks, Ram!!!!

We've used Handyman Heroes a few times over the last couple years, and have always had a great experience. Their handymen have been professional, courteous, communicate clearly, and do quality work. Most recently we had a great experience with Brandon, who did lots of odds and ends: replaced a damaged stair tread and stained it to match, repaired some drywall, and replaced an exterior light fixture.

They are quite expensive (although nearly all construction labor is these days...), but you are paying a premium for a smooth experience.

I had a clogged kitchen sink and Awais was able to schedule me the following day. He arrived at our agreed time and even offered to take off his shoes when he noticed we don't wear shoes in the house. He fix the clog with ease and would definitely call him again for my other plumbing needs.

Ted is a total rockstar handyman; does great work, fair prices, and a great communicator. Great attention to detail! A total gem.

I found Paul through Yelp; the stellar reviews are accurate.  Our bedroom toilet had all kinds of issues including flooding and a leaky valve.  Paul returned my message within moments of my posting it, and we were scheduled for a repair within 24 hours.  He showed up a bit later than scheduled, but was a courteous enough to call ahead and let us know of the delay; after the initial postponement, he was there and was very nice, very courteous, and very professional.  Considering his work area from Sacramento down to San Jose, I was surprised at how quickly he was able to meet our needs.   I would recommend Paul and Honey Do to anyone that needs home repairs, and he's at the top of our list for the next job that comes up.

I have used Jorge's plumbing several times, from installing sewage sump pumps, rain water sump pumps, installing backstops and correcting past plumbers' shoddy workmanship in general. He's friendly, reliable and always gets the job done right. I highly recommend his services.

I asked for an estimate for an on-demand water heater and they scheduled me for an apt. Two guys arrived: one worker and one translator. Neither knew anything about on-demand water heaters and so they called the guy that did. The guy said he would come at 2pm the next day but did not. I called and the lady on the phone said there was another mistake. This kind of disorganized customer attitude is simply unacceptable.

Our water heater started leaking and I reached out to a couple of companies on yelp. Infinity was the first to respond. They sent out Carlos to provide us with a quote. The price was lower than the other two companies and they had everything they needed on their truck to get to job done.
They were done within a couple of hours and we had hot water with in an hour of them finishing the work. I'm so happy with their service from start to finish,  the office staff were professional and the technician Carlos was polite and explained to us how to maintain our water heater to prolong the life of the unit. I'll definitely be calling these guys again if we need any plumbing work.
Thank You guys.

Natalie was awesome. Highly recommend. She should up right on time and took care of everything in a super efficient manner. Very knowledgeable.

Will be my go-to-call for any plumbing related work.

** WARNING! LIARS AND RIPOFF ARTISTS!**

The company I hired to install my wall heater was having problems with resolving some of the details of the correction notice. 3 failed rough inspections.

So off to YELP I went and found the twins so favorably regarded here. I gave them several calls before I got a human, and scheduled an estimate. Mr Harrison arrived 45 min late but did call to alert me after 35 min of waiting. My first impression when he drove up in his filthy, unkempt, company van with mismatched, bald tires and a cargo bed full of debris and tools piled one on top of the other was, Oh No!  

But then, thought I, YELP can't be wrong. Besides, who am I to judge a book by its cover. My own company car and desk are in disarray. So was Einstein's. It means nothing. (On the other hand, as it turned out, it meant everything and I deeply regret not going with my gut response.)

Mr Harrison--can't say which, after all their twins that go by the same name--quickly assessed the situation. He said I can take over the contract, make the necessary corrections today, or maybe Thursday latest, and call the inspector myself and meet him here to expedite the process say Friday.

His price was $800.00. I was expecting something more in the range of $200-$300 total but then their goes those YELP reviews in my head again. Besides maybe there was more to it than I realized or was told by the inspector. A gas heater is serious business and I don't want to blow up because of carelessness or frugality.

Besides, a three day time frame was perfect for the sheet rocking that was almost complete. We could start the taping on Monday and seal up the gap in the wall and ceiling.

I wrote Mr Harrison a check for $400.00 and was looking forward to the great phone call I'd get that Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, the phone call never came. We had an opportunity to stop at the house Friday Night to check on his progress. Nothing had been done. No phone call with an explanation. When I tried to call him I learned the company had no receptionist, only two cell phones that the Harrison twins hadn't even had the consideration to set up with out going messages. After several calls and finally receiving a Sorry, this mail box is full, CLICK!  I began to realize I wan't getting my moneys worth.

Finally that Saturday, I got a return call. I asked how the progress was going. Mr Harrison replied, Oh, I did pick up the parts, their in my van. I'll try to get the work done by Sunday; and, Monday, make the Inspection Appointment. I replied, That's perfect. I'm having the water heater worked on and the Inspector can do the rough on that as well. I was again elated and thanked Mr. Harrison. Again I asked him to give me a call when it was all taken care of. I had to work Monday and wouldn't be able to attend.

Monday came and went.  By Tuesday the sheet rocking, taping, plastering and texturing have all been completed. The painters have started interior painting. The entire house is painted except the wall and the ceiling of the Wall Heater area. Wednesday I called the Harrison's. Mr Harrison now tells me, I've been waiting for you to call me. I'll have the work done tomorrow. You can schedule the Inspection anytime after that.

You were supposed to schedule the Inspection and be here to answer questions.  I said.

He replied, Schedule the inspection for Friday afternoon, I'll be in the area and will come by during the two hour window he gives you in the morning. Another lie. On Friday morning, after several calls I'm told Mr. Harrison won't come to the inspection.

To top everything off the Heater fails again to pass Inspection. Mr. Harrison in his haste constructed a smaller insulation box out of less material than my original guy had and haphazardly placed it over his larger box leaving a gaping hole for flammable material to fall into. In addition, to access the clamp he was supposed to replace he cut the top metal reinforcement strap on the stud bay. An additional code violation. He later said, Oh, I had no choice but to cut the strap because I don't do drywall work

Strange, the five drywall workers that were in the same room with him when he cut the strap stared in awe at his incompetence and wondered why he didn't ask them or call me to have someone trim the drywall for him. It was going to have to be trimmed anyway now to replace the strap. In hindsight, it just must have not been worth his time to do the job right.

Another week passes; with it, several more unreturned calls. Finally, after 3 weeks and a threat to seek someone else I get a response. I'm told, We don't come out when you want us to, we have to fit you in our schedule. I said, Fine, but when you come bring a new strap. He had the gall to say, I'm sorry, but that's not my field. If you want to buy the strap and leave it there I'll re install it for you.  I was in shock! The following morning I decided to fire him. Glad I did!

This Company was totally an A+ !!!! Replaced my toilet and shut off valve, fixed the hot water spigot for the sink and fixed the leaky shower spigots in the main bathroom.
She was totally efficient, friendly and knows her business and how to do it
I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PLUMBING CO IN A HEARTBEAT, TO ANYONE !!!!

I needed a septic tank to sewer conversion. I chose Avalon Services, Inc. because they did their research BEFORE submitting a bid. (Another firm had a lower bid but reserved the right to increase it when the project manager arrived to start work.) Since I had looked into this project several years earlier, I knew Avalon was more realistic. Will Feliciano, the owner, was very professional, kept me informed and was a pleasure to work with. So were his workers and Jose, his foreman. Will was usually there working alongside them. We ended up having to install a pump but Will had advised me before I signed the contract that it might be required. He only charged me for the pump; not the considerable extra labor. We had one miscommunication about a possible pipe replacement under my house. That would have been avoided had I placed it in the contract. We both thought the questionable pipe had been inspected internally during this project. Since the main project had been completed, I was very worried it wouldn't be addressed. In my experience, most contractors would have walked away or charged a fortune to do it. Will and I worked out an amicable solution. The work was completed at a later date at a fraction of the cost I had anticipated. He only charged me his cost with no profit. All in all, Avalon Services, Inc. provided high quality work and professional standards at a reasonable price. It's so nice to find an honest contractor who truly cares about customer satisfaction.
Will also came up with an inexpensive solution to a problem created by a previous contractor who, instead of installing the plumbing for my washing machine underneath the floor, had placed it above the floor and built a platform to hide it.

I got overcharged compare to what I had been told by the owner. When I contacted them to ask about this, they have never responded to my message.

These guys were great! Called me back within 15 minutes, and came within an hour. Very reasonable, super professional, and no surprises: the quote was exactly the same as what they charged me. I'm so happy I found them!

Khan is awesome. Came over to replace a faucet and fix the upstairs sink. He and his worker Leo were in and out in less than an hour. We had a 12 pm apt, an they showed up at 12 on the dot. They are prompt, kind, and even took his shoes off at the door without being asked.  His rates are reasonable and his work is very good. Will definitely refer him to anyone that needs a plumber!

Hugo is the best. He referred me to a specialist , so I wouldn't get my front yard torn up. Hugo was quick, on time and reasonably priced. Great work. Sorry it took me a couple of weeks to post this review.

Mike is a straight shooter! He treats you like he'd treat a friend - doesn't do work he doesn't need to do or that is out of his scope. He was good about communicating and was friendly in person when he was doing the work. He's good about explaining the why behind why he needs to do something which really helps you understand the needed work. I would definitely bring him out again if we need it!

Another great job by Albert Nahman Plumbing! My old water heater stopped working and needed to be replaced. They sent a technician the day after I contacted them. Steve, the technician/installer did a great job! He had to work in a small awkward room that was difficult getting in and out of and maneuver the old and new water heaters out of that room and into a narrow hallway. I appreciated his concern about being so careful of the property. The new water heater looks and works great! The cleanup was really appreciated too!