Ms. Janette B.

7/22/2023

I trust Bob Oates. They have served us for decades, and continue to do. Ma-Pa. What's not to love?!

Nate S.

5/31/2023

I used these guys several years ago, and they were fine. Tried again in 2023, not good at all. For those reading these maybe years into the future, in 2023 it was extremely commonplace for contractors to have poor customer service, and shoddy work product. Seattle had a housing/construction boom, and contractors just didn't have to care. So, context to keep in mind.

First, inspector showed up unprepared. Needed to borrow a wrench to open my sewer cleanout (standard Oatey w/ hex nut present on tons of houses). Not a big deal, I had one, just unprofessional.

I clearly explained to him that the city was about to start sidewalk construction, so I wanted him to attempt a locate on the side sewer (their cameras have transmitters that you find with a receiver, walking above ground). He gave me his guess on location, and then just didn't do it. He didn't try to find the line, and encounter difficulties. Just didn't try. He said sometimes there's interference from utility lines, and I told him I understood (I'm an engineer), and just to try his best. Nope. Just didn't do it. For the record, sometimes natural gas lines (the only utility near this spot) are metal, but sometimes are plastic. It's not like he attempted the locate and was foiled by metal pipe.

Then, during the actual scope, he got stuck at a very mild transition, that neither of the home's prior 2 inspections had any trouble with. But, *I* had to suggest to him to run water, which he wasn't doing! Luckily, I stayed with him at this point, so he didn't also just give up on actually scoping all the way to the city main. He didn't start recording until the camera's trip back (fairly standard), but the problem is that at that point, the camera was covered in ... let's call it dirt. So, all the way back, you can hardly see out of half the camera! Add to that, he skipped super fast past several of the transitions, which are the points where you normally find problems. So, on the video, you simply can't discern anything about multiple pipe joints.

Now, on the outgoing trip (not recorded), he did go slow. So, he (and I) did see those transitions. But, the point of a home seller sharing an inspection is so that buyers can see the condition of the side sewer. This all would have been mitigated if they simply provided an inspection report that summarized the findings. Nothing. Just a youtube video link with no description, or separate report whatsoever (literally 4 or 5 sentences is all you'd need for this case). I had to contact them not one, not two, but three times (all after paying in full) to demand they provide me some written summary of the inspection findings, so I could share with potential buyers. Literally fighting with them over 2 minutes of effort on their part. The inspector was at my property for 45 minutes, including pre-work quote and cleanup. Not a lot to ask for a bill of $414 + tax, again where they didn't even do the locate I requested.

After finally getting them to provide a written description, they noted a medium-sized issue that the inspector didn't even catch during the scope. It's clear he missed it because the video passes by the offset joint quickly - you are supposed to focus in on problem spots. If I hadn't stubbornly demanded the summary, this would have been missed entirely!

Finally, because I was about to prep the house for sale, I didn't want dirt tracked through my home. I took the time to lay out drop cloths, cardboard, and a scrap of carpet remnant for him to travel all the way from the garage to the cleanout. Then, he rolls his equipment right along the unprotected floor, not on my carpet path. WTH, man. That path was for you.

This final bit isn't about *this* inspection, per se, but I also realized a few years after the previous time I used them that after a while, they remove your inspection video. Um, that's important, because if there are issues with your sewer, and you want to track if they're getting worse, you need the old video to compare. And, no, they do not also provide you a DVD copy.

So, basically, they're charging premium prices for service where they skimp as much as possible. Rush through your inspection, barely viewable video, no summary report, Youtube link until they quietly decide to remove it. Nice.

Pancho S.

7/13/2023

Great Company. Killer side sewer crew who gets the job done. I highly suggest using Bob Oates for any side sewer related issue

Liz Z.

04/08/2023 12:00:00 SA

The kitchen faucet popped off its base and was spraying water into the air and up the wall. I called on a Friday, they answered right away, were friendly, and awesome serviceman Denero was at my house same day in just a couple hours. He fixed my kitchen faucet and also showed me how to easily fix a toilet flush mechanism that wasn't working, in seconds -- another plumber had told me that I had to buy a whole new toilet!! I asked Denero to help me schedule an appointment to have utility sinks installed in the garage and the laundry room, and he kindly took care of it on the spot. They can do all the work (get the materials and sinks, do the wall and plumbing work) so I won't need multiple vendors. Will absolutely work with this company again. Best plumbing company I've worked with in Seattle. Trustworthy, fair pricing, responsive and very nice to work with.

Janet K.

06/10/2023 12:00:00 SA

I needed to replace pipes in my backyard. Having used Bob Oates before and thought the customer service was great, I contacted them again. TJ and his crew were great!

Unfortunately, I also discovered a leaking pipe in my crawlspace. TJ said he would have someone come out and fix it. The plumber did try to call me first but I didn't have my phone with me. Later I received a text from Raya. She indicated that a technician came out to look at the pipe. The technician told her I was not on site, there was a 2 Brothers truck in the driveway and they told him they were repairing the leak. She was going to have the technician leave and I should call if I needed anything else. This is the problem:

I was on site. I saw the truck drive by but the technician did not stop. I did have a 2 Brothers truck in the driveway. They were giving me an estimate for air conditioning which, I was told, Bob Oates doesn't do. He did not talk to them because he drove by and didn't stop and the two guys from 2 Brothers were in the house with me. One was in the attic, the other was talking with me when the truck went by. Also, if had stopped and spoken to them, they wouldn't know what he was talking about because they didn't know I had leaking pipe.

I contacted TJ and told him what happened. All he said was that I should contact the company and have them send someone out. When I paid the final bill, I left a note about what happened and that I still needed someone to come out for the leaking pipe. I haven't heard from them since.

I get the confusion of having another plumbing truck in my driveway, but had he stopped instead of driving by, I could have explained the situation to him. Sounds to me like he found an excuse to leave early.

Zoey Z.

5/17/2023

Second time with Bob Oates and couldn't be happier with the experience. A work crew accidentally damaged an underground water line on private property, and Bob Oates was able to send someone out and get it fixed that day. Konrad was very knowledgeable and great to work with. He replaced the damaged portion of the water line, tested and flushed the water coming into the residence, and took measures to protect that area in the future. The reception/dispatch staff, as well as the manager, were also very responsive and pleasant to interact with. Super happy that I had Bob Oates to turn to when this unfortunate accident happened.

Art V.

4/27/2023

What a fantastic experience I had with the whole Bob Oates team. First time out, we had a quick chat about the complexities of the clog and what the best solutions were. When snaking/hydrojetting wasn't a viable option, we moved to the next visit to discuss excavation and replacement of below grade lines (all free consultations). Konrad was excellent in preparing us for what to expect, clearly communicating about installation process, and then getting it done as promised. He directed us as to how we might assist in the excavation process to save money, and provide a reasonable quote that was within our budget. The cherry on everything, while he was replacing lines he noticed some other cast iron piping we hadn't seen before that also may need to be replaced. Instead of upselling and pushing for more work, he provided easy access points so that any plumber may be able to tie into these new lines without the need for more concrete breaking and digging. For such an intense and complex job, Konrad made it look easy. Thanks to the entire team!

Nacy M.

04/03/2023 12:00:00 SA

Wyatt came out and fixed a complex problem with two tandem electric 50 gal water heaters. He was very professional and on time all the time. I had another positive experience with them a few years back too.

Chris C.

05/06/2023 12:00:00 SA

We had a pinhole leak in a PVC water pipe in the crawlspace. I called for same day service and did not ask for the hourly rate. A very pleasant fellow came within 90 minutes and was done 90 minutes later after replacing about 24 of PVC pipe. I was ready for a charge of around $500 but was shocked at the $2000 bill. I will not call Bob Oates again.

Hartmut P.

1/13/2023

We have used Bob Oates a number of times in the past. They have lost us as customers, however, after charging us over $ 630 for an easy, ten minute job installing a filter in our sink. The company didn't do anything wrong legally as we agreed to the quote beforehand not knowing what the job would involve. Upon my complaint, they flat out refused to adjust the bill. And so we are looking for a new plumber with a more reasonable pricing approach.

Tom R.

06/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

Bob Oates Plumbing & Sewer came in November of 2021 to put in an instant hot water tank/sewage lines and gas lines to my stove but in late May of 2022 the job was still incomplete. I am on the verge of having to not only buy a new hot water tank but also having to hire a plumber to put it in because they installed the old one wrong, and it blew up in the middle of winter. Even though they promised to come out and fix the problems, I'm still waiting for an appointment to finish the job. Making sure the job passes permits and codes for the customer is not high priority for Bob Oates Plumbing.
Not sure why Bob Oates walked off the job but I would think twice about hiring a company that without any kind of explanation, just walks away, doesn't return phone calls, doesn't answer texts and doesn't finish what they started.

Robert K.

5/22/2023

Ryan and team did a great job replacing our old 1909 galvanized water pipe from the street to our utility room here on Queen Anne recently. Appreciate their efforts to take care of this problem which had been causing other plumbing problems also solved by Ryan and his team on an earlier call! Now we're all set. Thank you! Bob

Jordan S.

5/25/2022

If you have a faucet leak don't bother calling Bob Oates unless you want to buy a new faucet and have them install it for you.

Our kitchen sink faucet was leaking. As someone who hasn't ever done any plumbing work before it was intimidating to think of trying to fix it myself. I called Bob Oates and told them clearly over the phone that our faucet was leaking water. They sent someone out to give a free estimate based on what they thought was wrong. When the plumber arrived he didn't touch a thing or look under the cabinet or at any pipes and said they didn't repair leaking faucets, they would just replace the faucet with a new one. Which....they could have told me over the phone and saved us all the time! I was quoted $350 for the installation (not including the price of the faucet).

My faucet was only 3 years old. By calling the manufacturer and doing some digging online I found out that it was likely a problem with the cartridge. It took me 20 dollars and 20 minutes to fix myself. (For anyone with a leaking Moen faucet this is a great video: youtube.com/watch?v=eEWA…)

I know not all plumbing problems are that small, but for anyone out there lacking the courage to try DIY on the small stuff: you got this!

It's ridiculous that they didn't just tell me their policy over the phone, and it's a ridiculous policy that would have likely cost me around $600 (with the work + the faucet + tax) and put a perfectly good piece of equipment in the landfill.

Philip W.

4/26/2023

Our house had an old concrete sewer line that had degraded and was causing significant blockages. Bob Oates added cure in place lining (NuFlow) that should solve this problem for 50+ years. I had a great experience working with TJ, the project manager who oversaw this work for Bob Oates. TJ was extremely responsive to questions I had, came out and scoped our line and gave a free estimate, and provided a lot of helpful and seemingly neutral advice. The work (excavation + lining) was completed by Bob Oates in a timely fashion and seems to have solved our problem. The 20-year transferable parts + labor warranty made us confident in the work that we paid for, and Bob Oates had some of the most reasonable prices for this work as well. Highly recommend.

Brendan c.

10/19/2021

I used them for a quick plumbing job. Very happy with the service I received. They were able to quickly come out and quick to ID my problem.

I've used them twice. The first time the plumber was faster than the second plumber. the first plumber went above and beyond, so I guess Bob Oates Plumber can vary. Still second was good but first was better.

Jerry L.

07/03/2023 12:00:00 SA

We are very impressed with the professional services received from Bob Oates' company. Real people answered their phone line, came when they said they would, did what they said they'd do, and completed the work on time as scheduled. Our 120 year old house needed replacement of galvanized steel water pipes along with new bath and kitchen faucets and garbage disposal. We needed to accomplish this prior to another contractor installing a new, undermounted kitchen sink and countertop. Efrain came to our home on the appointed date and knew exactly what needed to be done to prepare our water lines for the new sink and countertop. He also pointed out the need to update the water line to the refrigerator which we and other contractors had overlooked. During the remodel, Efrain gave us several maintenance tips and completed a few minor unexpected tasks that typically crop up with a very old home. With Efrain in charge, Bob Oates completed the plumbing within the one day timeframe originally estimated and we were able to schedule the sink and countertop replacement the very next day. Efrain then returned and installed the kitchen faucet and garbage disposal. So the whole process occurred very quickly and seamlessly without lengthy interruptions to water or clean dishes. We're very happy with all the staff and services provided by Bob Oates Plumbing.

David P.

3/31/2022

Discovered that my toilet wasn't draining and that water was coming up into the bathtub of my DADU Airbnb after my guest checked out. I suspected it was the sewer ejection pump but I wasn't familiar with it and I needed someone to come fast before my next guest checked-in 2 hours later. Bob Oates sent someone right away and he arrived 20 minutes later. Henry was knowledgeable and opened up the ejection pump and fixed the issue. Turns out a lot of gunk had gotten stuck onto the float preventing it from working properly. While the job wasn't super technical, Henry saved the day and patiently taught me all about the pump so I could maintain and prevent this issue in the future. While the fix was NOT cheap, I do appreciate Henry's friendly nature and his patience in teaching me.

Lynne J.

04/09/2023 12:00:00 SA

A week ago we were told we had a pipe leak in our crawl space. We called Bob Oates at 12:30 and a plumber was here by 1:30. Pipes were coming apart in the crawl space under the kitchen. The plumber went to get the supplies he needed to repair the leak and everything was fixed and back in service by 4PM. We cannot say enough about the courteous wonderful service that we received from Bob Oates. We would recommend them to anyone who needs plumbing service.

Prashanth G.

12/26/2022

Frustrating experience so far with Bob Oates. Initially called them as our neighbors highly recommended them and of course the reviews here are great. They were supposed to come out for an estimate in a confirmed time window and no one came. I initially explained the urgency of the problem and what was needed for the estimate when the appointment was first confirmed. The day of the appointment I called 4-5 times to this branch, tried another branch and sent an email before someone answered and told me no one was coming and I had to reschedule. They informed me that my issue was marked as low priority (specifically that it already had a fix - which it didn't, as we have no water working in the house). Realize it's a holiday and everyone is short staffed and this may be a one time issue - but just tell me that and don't make appointments you cannot keep, especially when the customer has an urgent and important issue. We also carved out time for this - at least a call, email, or text would've helped so we weren't waiting in a house with no water for 2 hours. Will update this once someone is able to come out.

Vaidy K.

5/24/2022

My garbage disposal wouldn't turn on and I called Bob Oates. They send a plumber who without taking a look tells me that the only way to fix this is to swap out the machine with a new one and gives me an invoice of $600+ dollars.

I was disappointed by the lack of research. I asked him, would you mind spending just five minutes identifying what the problem could be before making a conclusion. And he says we don't do that.

So I let him go and called Joe's 2 sons plumbing. they came, spent 10 minutes and fixed everything for no charge. Unbelievable service and earned my future business by establishing themselves as trusted advisors.

Rose S.

2/13/2023

My restaurant had 3 sinks that were clogged and needed to be snaked. Preston showed up with a smile on his face and ready to work. Bob Oates is lucky to have such a professional, courteous employee. I didn't give a 5 star rating cuz plumbers are expensive !!

Phoebe H.

04/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

A pipe burst on the rooftop of our 3-story home on Friday afternoon and water leaked down to the first floor. In a panic, we went down the list of search results for plumbers looking for someone that was able to come out right away. Most places were going to charge a flat after hours/emergency fee of close to $500 to come out 3 days later and assess the issue. Ryan arrived within 2 hours of our initial phone call, assessed the leak, purchased parts, and repaired it within 2 hours of arriving at our house. He also took care of a minor leak in our toilet and showed us how to make the adjustment to prevent the issue in the future. Ryan was professional, friendly, efficient, cleaned up after himself, and so helpful to fairly new homeowners that have just a little bit more than a clue.

That would've been enough to win our business until Ryan's retirement but the woman who picked up the phone (Katie?) recommended a water damage specialist that they work with often, 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, that showed up about an hour after Ryan and had fans and dehumidifiers set up by the time Ryan was done with the repair. Within 4 hours of the incident, we were repaired and set up to dry out the house. As someone who is used to having someone who knows somebody for jobs like these but is fairly new to Seattle, I feel lucky that we got Ryan last night and I can't recommend him
and the folks at Bob Oates more.

Margaret S.

05/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Requested a quote from this company for a property I manage and was very disappointed with the service level. Would not recommend and please note, I rarely write poor reviews but feel people should be warned.

The technician came out as scheduled and didn't even look at or test the appliance in question (was having a drainage issue with a dishwasher). Stated the entire air gap needed to be replaced without even checking if the air gap was obstructed or not (which it wasn't). Just said that's the usual case. Again, did absolutely NOTHING to diagnose the problem, didn't even look at the air gap, and provided no evidence as to why they would need to do work but were happy to charge for it.

After our own troubleshooting, once the technician left, we found a small piece of glass that was preventing the pump from rotating. Which would have had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the air gap. Very happy we didn't waste money paying Bob Oates to complete unnecessary work.

I feel bad should someone be completely unknowledgeable in a situation and get scammed for unnecessary work by this company. BEWARE!

Alex B. H.

5/16/2022

They do not pull permits for work performed. Be careful and make sure they pull permits when required as most work, even replacing a water heater requires permits.

Jane N.

05/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

We had been pleased with Bob Oates' sewer work so when our plumber retired I called to ask if they do plumbing.
Cory came out, looked at the problem: a burst outdoor copper pipe
strangely connected to our old house. He is a builder as well as a plumber and was able to reconfigure and replace the piping. He ran into some unexpected issues and because of his extensive background, was able to solve them.
He is polite, timely and delightful.
We will use him in the future.

M R.

6/14/2022

I have had really painful experiences with trades companies. I was recently screwed over by a different plumbing company (I wont name names), so when I needed a new water line run to my refrigerator, I didn't know what to do. I gave it some thought and realized that I see Bob Oates vans around my neighborhood pretty regularly. I gave them a call and they swung by next day to give me an estimate, gave it to me right there on the spot, gave me a tip to save me hundreds of dollars, and were able to come run the line in two business days from then. They didn't try to pull any tricks, no scheming, no feeling of being taken advantage of because I'm a single female-- it was so refreshing to get work done by a company who treats me with respect, and I was more than happy to give them my business. I'll be calling them if I have any issues in the future. Thank you Corey and Bob Oates team!

Mark N.

11/19/2020

THEY RUPTERED A GAS LINE!!! DO NOT HIRE! My neighbor hired them to do a sewer project and they struck a gas line while digging because apparently these professionals don't know how to call 811 before they dig. I wasn't home at the time, but my girlfriend had to evacuate. A bunch of firemen pounded on the door and told her she had 5 minutes to gather her things and go somewhere else for 5 hours. This was during her workday and she didn't have many options of places to go due to the pandemic. The scariest part is that if she would have turned the stove on or lit a match, the entire house could have blown up and she would have died. It has been over a week and they have offered no compensation and not even an apology. I can't believe they still have a license to operate - they should be shut down permanently.

You can look up the incident on real time 911 dispatch to verify: 11/11/20 at 3:17pm - Battalion Chief 6, Engine 21, Ladder 8 F200111608

Jeremie R.

04/01/2021 12:00:00 SA

I initially had another plumbing service diagnose my clogged kitchen drainage issue and they didn't have the necessary tools to fix the problem so they pointed me in the direction of Bob Oates Sewer and Rooter.

Just two hours after calling, Henry arrived and got to work. Because I live in condominiums and I don't have easy access to an outdoor hose hookup for the tool he was using, he went out of his way to look around to find a location that had one and went out to gather additional tools to get the job done.

Henry was very friendly, easy to work with, and provided fantastic service. I highly recommend this company.

Saili R.

6/28/2022

Ryan and Henry were fast and great and super friendly when our pipe was leaking! Really appreciate the great work they did!

Belle M.

11/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Timothy was on-time, friendly, and clean. We asked for a snake-out of a slow-draining bathroom sink that we had lived with for decades. He found the problem, talked with us about how to care for the pipes more safely, and fixed it. It drains PERFECTLY now! We paid exactly what we had expected and received a great service in return. I highly, highly recommend this company.

Shivani P.

08/07/2020 12:00:00 SA

why am I paying money for incorrect consultation and no problem fixed?!!
I had building handyman come later who fixed my sink for free since it was a small thing with air gap (I paid $60 to Bob oats for just the consultation/service - which just involved looking under the sink and turning on tap to see water drains from garbage disposal ok. They suggested they could put a snake to clean but that's another $250, but with no guarantee that it would fix the thing. We might still have to call real plumbers..?)
Jeremy who came over was knowledgable and it could be a one time fluke. My problem was mostly with their pricing model. I don't think the 10 min check should have costed me the money - I would have been more forgiving towards the mistake then.

Rose J.

07/08/2022 12:00:00 SA

Bob Oates employees driving their company vehicles thru Seattle neighborhoods around 6:45pm need to slow down and drive safely. One of your drivers came flying thru the circle at 112th N and Phinney, didn't make a complete stop at Dayton while turning left. He was doing way more then 20mph. He even clipped the circle as he went around it. Families are out walking with their kids and dogs at this time of night. Dangerous for our neighborhood.

Jamie S.

7/29/2021

This company charged $289.41 to clear a downspout drain. Job took about 3 minutes. Price was high, but I agreed to it because I needed it cleared.

However, they advertise a $50 discount for mentioning Yelp. I did mention Yelp when I contacted them. When I asked about the $50 credit, I was told they it would be processed on July 12th. I made two other inquiries (on July 19thand July 22nd), and was completely ghosted by the company.

Seems to me they should not advertise something then fail to deliver, even when they put in writing that you are entitled to the price they advertise.

It's your money, you decide if this is the type of company with which you want to do business.

Kathy S.

6/15/2022

This is the best plumbing company we have ever had come to our house. The crew is wonderful. They have done a great, professional job on our main sewer line and kitchen lines. We had a major plumbing problem that was taken care of. We are very happy!

Patti A.

6/17/2021

I just had a plumber over for a problem that I thought was going to be a big deal costing a thousand or more, maybe much more. The problem, as it turns out, was NOT a leak inside the wall!! It was an old (and crappy to begin with) line from the toilet tank to the wall fixture that was very close to bursting and making a huge mess. Fixed! $173.64! Woo hoo! They were quick to get me an appointment and communicated well too. I recommend asking for Luis Jeovany Martinez Arias.

Kim T.

3/23/2020

What's not to love?

In the midst of the Covid-19 craziness, we experienced a plumbing emergency and dreaded the worst. Would we have to wait forever to get someone to come to our home? Would we pay through the nose to get help during such a stressful time? Would whoever showed up be thoughtful about social distancing and keeping himself and our family safe?

Luckily, we called Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter, and quickly realized we had NOTHING to worry about. They sent Fern out only 30 minutes or so after we called, and after confirming that nobody at our house had been sick. After Fern arrived, he easily diagnosed the problem, got to work quickly, and took the time to explain the situation in a clear and completely non-condescending manner. After working on our pipes for a couple of hours, the problem was solved and the price was shockingly low.

I cannot emphasize enough what a relief it was - especially during this time of great stress - to experience such a fast, friendly, and effective response to our call for help. If you need a skilled plumber now or in the future, I highly recommend the folks at Bob Oates.

Tim K.

6/17/2021

Michael is amazing. He was polite, cheerful, good at communicating, and fixed our problem in no time. I invited him to lunch, but he said he'd have to charge me for the hour. Good sense of humor too.

Alyssa M.

01/10/2020 12:00:00 SA

TL;DR *No call/no show*

My husband and I made an appointment in advance and received a 2-hour wait window. We both were at home awaiting the plumber's arrival but they were a no show and never called to indicate any delays, etc. After I called to complain/follow up after our window had passed, the admin person didn't have much explanation. After waiting at home and my husband having to miss work, we are now taking our business elsewhere to Fischer Plumbing.

Andy M.

02/05/2021 12:00:00 SA

I called Bob Oates to address an urgent drain issue in my basement and storm drain. Even though it was right after a multi-day period of heavy rain (when I assume lots of other were having plumbing issues too), they came out immediately. The repairs ended up being substantial and conducted over a 2-3 week period, but the result was that the problem was fixed expertly and the process was extremely professional. Casey the project lead was super responsive and transparent about all aspects of the job (timing, cost, etc.) and the team members were very courteous and observant of Covid protocol. I heartily recommend Bob Oates and would use them again for any variety of plumbing need.

Helene R.

12/30/2021

With street access cut off due to the steep slope and 7 inches of snow, our call to Bob Oates answered a prayer. Three other plumbers we were familiar with said they would not park down at the bottom of our street and walk halfway up the street on a steep grade lugging equipment, but these guys were not daunted. We had a drain clog in the washing machine while with a house full of guests. Denero was the plumber who showed up. He was clear and articulate about the problem, quick about the fix, and very pleasant to work with. Could not be happier!

Melissa T.

11/12/2021 12:00:00 SA

Very responsive. Helped diagnose a drain clog. Gave us a great recommendation, completed the work, was timely, professional, and clean. Would definitely recommend and work with again.

Mark E.

12/14/2021

Fast and friendly service, very fair prices. People that came out were caring and nice. Fantastic company will definitely use again

Clinton B.

04/12/2021 12:00:00 SA

Bob came highly suggested from our neighbor, thankful for Bob's team, he got to our plumbing issue in record speed and had reasonable and fair prices too. It has been hard to find quality work during Covid so had to share a good review for a business that is still working hard with great customer service during these times.

Loretta G.

5/20/2019

If I could rate them with a minus, it would be minus 10. I had them out to remove roots as preventive measure for sewer line.
They removed TP but only flopped around in the line. They did not do
any grinding. They used most of the time to make a video photo of the blockage and told me to phone them again for removal of roots.
They are a total rip-off. Get a plumber that actually will clean your sewer line. It was very expensive bill with essentially no real service.

Pam S.

09/05/2020 12:00:00 SA

I have found my new favorite plumbing company! My kitchen sink got clogged so I tried the plunger, drain cleaners, and even got my own drain snake...nothing. The clog was too deep in the pipes. I called Bob Oates late Friday and they they had someone out by 9am the next day. Their names were Henry and Dino. They were very polite and professional. They set up their machine and had my drain cleared in under 5 minutes. I have water again!!! They even tried to put everything back under my sink. In my past experiences with other companies the workers are willing to leave a mess for you to clean, not these guys. They also wore footies and a mask before entering. I was so surprised how quick and efficient they were. I will 100% use this company again and refer them to my family and friends. Thank you Bob Oates Sewer and Rooter!

Brad S.

11/11/2020 12:00:00 SA

Use Bob Oates regularly for plumbing. On time. Polite workers. Professional.

Nancy X.

8/19/2020

Had a major emergency plumbing situation in our only bathroom, and I was super worried about getting someone in same day (with only a few hours' notice). Luckily Bob Oates was really responsive and able to send a team member out just hours after I called!

Fern was extremely efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable. He quickly unclogged our toilet, and even helped clean up and taught me a bit about how our plumbing works...seriously, what's not to love? So glad we were able to have Fern help fix our issues so quickly!

Evan A.

8/26/2020

Jeovany was clutch and now my all my drains drain. Very professional and fast - showed up at the beginning of the time window.

Giuliana C.

8/21/2020

I rarely leave reviews but this company was so helpful when we needed our toilet unclogged because of something within the sewer line. Jeovany was very timely, extremely clean, and helpful throughout the whole process. We will definitely be using this company again because of his great service.

Ben M.

09/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

Had a minor issue with a washing machine hookup and Cory with Bob Oates was very helpful. Thank you.

Mauricio V.

11/02/2020 12:00:00 SA

I called and they came out within the hour (on a Saturday). They did the full works and were very knowledgeable. Despite this, the problem re-occurred the next morning (a Sunday). I called again and they came out immediately, solved the issue, and did not charge me for the additional visit. I am very pleased with the level of service and would recommend them to anyone.

Tierney K.

04/01/2021 12:00:00 SA

We recently had an emergency plumbing situation that has been 'baffling' plumbers sent out from our landlords that continues to leave us without the ONE toilet we have in a household of four. Due to this emergency situation, Bob Oates sent out a technician named TJ Bruckshen to triage this on going issue. Not only was TJ thorough, informative, professional and knowledgeable, he reflected the values and abilities of the professionals hired onto this team by this family owned business. I say this because when hiring a ech like this, they know what they are doing and trust in his integrity in my opinion and that is few and far between in my past experiences. He gave a thorough explanation along with video footage and a descriptive summary of why these issues are on-going so our landlord can now address the real problem. I didn't tell this technician that I have prior plumbing experience (as one shouldn't when trying to seek out and honest opinion with prior knowledge until the time is right) and though his knowledge was beyond the level of training I have received, I knew enough to know I was not being bs'd. I grabbed his card so I can directly contact him for services in the future, I highly recommend Bob Oates for a real, honest, professional inspection and if you're in the downtown Seattle area, TJ is a great tech to have in your wallet.

Kevin C.

4/29/2020

They wanted $900 for the same camera+hydro-jetting job that several other places quoted $589-$650 for. Too high a price for a simple job. Look elsewhere unless their prices come down.

Joshua C.

03/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

I've been meaning to write about this really negative experience I had with Bob Oates a few months ago. I'd used them to come and unclog drains a couple times and all went well. I then had them come out to help me with updating my plumbing (kitchen sink water lines, drain, shower/tub water lines and rough in) and really had a bummer of an experience with them. There were a bunch of things that were frustrating, but here were the main ones: scheduling was a nightmare. I had one office person tell me that they had received my check and would be there at 9 am on a Monday. By 10 am, I called them and they said they hadn't received my check. Then they told me that I didn't need to have anything for the guy to do the work, but it ended up he needed to have a shower valve. So the plumber they sent was only able to do part of the job. When I tried to reschedule to have the work completed, it was really hard getting them to respond to me (and the person I was communicating with, who I think was the owner, was non-responsive generally, and pretty rude when he did respond.) We finally scheduled a time for a Saturday, then they called me an hour before the window there were supposed to be there and said they had to cancel because the boss needed some work done at his place. At that point, I was pretty fed up (and already had to cancel/reschedule other contractors to work with the cancellations) and just hired another plumber to finish their work. The owner said he would fix this and then I never heard back from him. And then, just to top it off, when I installed the sink in my kitchen, it turned out that they installed the drain high enough that I now have to hire the same plumber to rip out the wall and lower it to accommodate a garbage disposal. They installed it so that it would work for a shallow sink and not a deep sink and never asked me what I was going to be using. Deep sinks are really common these days, so that's the kind of thing any plumber should ask before doing that work (as the plumber I ended up using, who is awesome, explained to me). Long story short: if you need to have a drain cleared up, Bob Oates is just fine. Anything more than that, find someone else.

Renee S.

8/23/2018

My aunt doesn't Yelp, but was so happy with the plumbing work she received, she asked if I'd get this in for her. :-)

I have had plumbers coming to my house for the past 35 years. I always dreaded calling them because I was afraid of being over charged and taken advantage of, just like with mechanics, you know. My neighbor recommended Bob Oates, so I called them. Within 20 minutes I had a call back on when they could come out. Even though it wasn't an urgent problem, they said they could send someone out that afternoon. They sent Sam and he was the most pleasant service person I've ever had to deal with. He made me feel comfortable with his confidence to get the job done right in the smallest amount of time possible. He moved quickly and with a smile; professional and friendly. He was very careful to not track the muck around from the clogged sink. Most plumbers leave the place a mess, but he kept everything as it was and didn't use my towels to wipe things up like other plumbers have done! Next time I need a plumber, I'm calling Bob Oates.

Okay, there you have it!

Laura Anne G.

10/30/2021

On a non-emergency call (clogged bathroom sink), they were at my place within 24 hours, found the problem, explained what was going on, fixed it, and cleaned up after themselves - 100% professional. And charged me exactly what they'd quoted at the start.

Tommy N.

07/02/2020 12:00:00 SA

I was able to get in touch with the general manager and they refunded me the overcharge amount. Since service was great during the actual repair, I'll give them another shot next time I have a plumbing issue. *Knocks on wood*

Chris M.

9/28/2018

Effron and Sam did a great job removing an old cast iron stack from my basement, and replacing it with a PVC version.

They showed up on time, worked with me on issues with the complex old home, and finished the job well.

Thanks Effron and team!

Saskia D.

3/28/2021

Bob Oates was referred to me by another company for work they could not do. I didn't wind up hiring them because he suggested a much less expensive and ultimately less messy resolution to the problem, one that he recommended I do myself. The 5 stars is for having been so honest and helpful.

Ivana C.

11/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

EXPENSIVE. I have had varied experiences depending on the technician that performs the service. I had a decent first experience, but the second experience has become a bit of a hassle. I was grossly overcharged, which was quickly remedied by the billing office (still expensive). But soon after, I noticed my kitchen faucet water pressure was low and just lived with it. Then I recently discovered a leak in my water heater. I called after hours and was never contacted by the emergency technician, but I'm also worried I'm going to get charged an arm and a leg for something that I didn't break, without proof. This has become an expensive endeavor just for installing a kitchen faucet I purchased myself (which apparently causes a lot of warranty restrictions, but the first technician told me to buy my own supplies, so I feel tricked...).

William B.

02/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

I called Bob Oates for a clogged bathtub drain. They were at my house within ten minutes of my call and the job was completed within 15 minutes. The serviceman was professional and polite. They turned a stressful experience around for me. Great service and fair price!

Brecken D.

03/03/2020 12:00:00 SA

Bob Oates has been a great sponsor of Queen Anne Little League for many years. As a baseball dad, I felt compelled to contact them when we discovered our sewer mainline was backing up in our downstairs bathroom. TJ, one of the Bob Oates' technicians, timely arrived and was extremely courteous, professional and patient as he worked out the cause of the issue coming from root intrusion near the main sewer line. He cabled our cleanout, as well as both of our neighbors' until he found the root of the problem. Thank you Bob Oates and TJ!

Serena S.

8/31/2018

I called this company when I moved into my new home a few years ago and had them set up an under counter reverse osmosis water filter. Just like other reviewers, someone was able to come out within a few hours of calling even though it wasn't an emergency. I had someone come out and replace the filter a year later, not because of faulty installation. The water filters need to be changed about once a year. He also fixed my garbage disposal and easily could have told me I needed a new one but instead was super honest and told me I didn't need one yet. My disposal wasn't perfect but I didn't need to buy a new one just yet. Both times, someone from the company came out within hours and the fees were reasonable.

Today, David Oates and his apprentice came out to get the water flowing from my water filter that I had a handyman replace yesterday but which he didn't think to test the water flow. I asked him to also look at a drain and get it flowing better. They were there less than 20 minutes and didn't charge me. I couldn't believe it. They said the fixes were so minor so they comped it for me. But it's still their time and yet they were beyond professional and generous. They are definitely my go-to plumbers!

Sarah L.

4/22/2020

Fern was super helpful, on time, and a great resource of help when it came to our plumbing issue with our sink. What's not to love? Thank you for helping us with this problem during the crisis. Also, thank you for wearing the proper protective wear.

Anita A.

03/04/2021 12:00:00 SA

These guys were friendly, efficient & responsive. They came in, sized up our situation, gave us a reasonable bid & got right to work. Icing on cake was a year's warranty on their work! Highly recommend!

Sarra S.

4/29/2019

I highly recommend Bob Oates plumbing. I've never had a plumber to my house who has left me so satisfied. The tag team duo of Casey and Willem arrived promptly, dressed crisply in uniform, and proceeded to clean my pipes and inspect every inch of my indoor plumbing.
Casey worked fast and efficiently, keeping me entertained and informed throughout the process. When he tired, Willem was more than adequate. He put the finishing touches on, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Plumbing problems aren't fun. Get the pros. Get Casey. Get Willem.

Tiffany L.

03/09/2018 12:00:00 SA

I messaged Bob Oates along with a few other water heater places yesterday as soon as I found my water heater leaking and they responded in an hour! I chose them over other because there was no fee to come out! Other places charged $99 - $200+ for a service fee to just come.

I got a follow-up phone call in the morning and scheduled an afternoon appointment. I got a phone call when they were on their way to my house. Chris was so great! I thought he was very professional and took the time to explain everything to me of why it was leaking, checked the water pressure inside and outside, pointed out some safety features of water shut-off valves in case it started flooding. It really showed that he cared and wasn't there to sell me on anything. It was already late in the afternoon showed up at 5p and left around 5:40p on a Friday. They didn't seemed rushed to start their weekend and were very detailed in their inspection. I even got a follow-up phone call 15 minutes after he left to make sure everything was ok. This is actually my first review on yelp so this just shows how great they were that I made an extra effort to give a review.

Highly recommend them!

Annie K.

5/14/2021

I give 5 stars to Corey the plumbing technician. Corey did a great job in replacing my laundry room faucet. He was friendly and provided good customer service! I take off one star for Bob Oates scheduling. For the first appointment, I was asked to cancel due to another customer's emergency. I was happy to do this. Then the 'arrive between 10 - 12' had to be rescheduled because Corey was rerouted to two other emergency jobs on his way to my home. The earliest he'd get to my home would be around 3:00 pm. For the next appointment, I asked to be the 8:00 am priority customer, and that worked out fine.

D W.

5/15/2018

Tyler, showed up on time, ready to go and got right to work. Very efficient, super friendly and helpful and got our sewer lines flowing again in no time.

While it is never any fun to pay for having a sewer line cleared, I think the price was very reasonable (and way less than a few others that I got just phone estimates from) I would definitely recommend though if you need to have some crap like this handled quickly. I called in the morning (I think 7:45?) and Tyler was there by 9, done by 10. Clean, neat everything back where it belongs and all flowing smoothly. And it did not totally clear out my wallet, so I'm still flush... see what I did there :-)

Thanks again Bob's and Tyler. good experience.. well, as good as that kinda thing can be. ha ha.

Bart C.

12/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

An all-around great company to work with. I left a message and got an email in minutes with a number to call to schedule an appointment. They had folks ready to come over the same day. Isaac was really polite, knowledgeable and explained the issue to me extremely clearly along with a range of solutions from the long term to workarounds.

Highly recommended.

Jonathan B.

5/20/2017

Beware. Shakedown Shane will appear at your door with his sewer scope sidekick to tell you that your underground sewer drain needs replacement immediately or else your house will be will filled with sewer waste....but it's up to you if you want that.

They are ready to call in their backhoe crew to charge your $20,000 to replace your sewer pipe.

Just one problem: we didn't need it. And we weren't fooled.

Look on for an honest plumber.

William R.

12/21/2018

So this is a tale of two visits and a follow up.

visit one: We had a clog late in the week and Bob Oates was able to get someone out to our house on short notice. The guy who arrived was incredibly nice, worked very hard on our line for about 1.5 hours trying several options to get our clog cleaned but with no luck. He thought it might be a sand clog and offered to have a co-worker come by and precisely locate the problem. Up to this point we were very happy with our service, even if it did not get the problem fixed.

visit two: His co-worker came out later that evening and found the location of the clog. Said there was a hole in the pipe or an offset. He said he could have a crew out on a saturday morning to fix this problem quickly for $4800. I said we would have to think about it. He said if we waited then we could fall behind in the cue or even push into the next week and it could take a long time to get it fixed. Since we had had another company tell us we had a collapsed pipe several year ago that turned out to roots, we wanted a second opinion. The next morning another sewer specialist came out and had it unclogged in about 40 minutes, said there was no sand or collapse. his cost about $250. not the $4800.

Follow up: We were contacted directly by the company and they refunded our money for the first technician coming out and apologized for any problems or suspicion. They also offered to pay for the second company that came out and fixed the clog. In the end I am pleased with this part of our interaction, and the effort of the initial technician.

Mike V.

01/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

Highly recommended bob Oates plumbing.

Bought a fixer upper in the Ballard area a few years ago, my adventure started with bob Oates started with my 80 year old sewer failed in 2013.

They started with a plumber with a drain rotor machine forgot his name after he cables the line, he camera inspected the sewer he showed me the issues, we decided to replace it after their proposal after we got two others and went with bob Oates, from start to finish the whole experience was good.

Fast forward to 2017 we finally wanted to replace
other old plumbing in both bathrooms with a additional in the basement, Sam came out and gave us a proposal on the scope of work.
Sam and his helper efren completed the whole rough in with the time he said.
When we completed our walls, tile and paint/trim they come and set all the fixtures.
So happy to have this project done.

Hopefully we don't need a plumber anytime soon, but if we do we are so glad we have a trusted company in town.

Thank you for all help

Nik A.

04/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

Please look at the 'great' reviews. Lot of reviewers have 1 - 3 reviews only. Some have reviewed Bob Oates as '5' star twice. I encourage you to make a well informed opinion before you hire them. I'm sharing our real experience with their plumber and customer service below.

This is the exact feedback I shared with Bob Oates over a month ago:
----------------------------
We'd a request to help reseal our two sinks in the bathroom and reconnect the bathroom faucets and help install a new faucet in the kitchen and reconnect the garbage disposal.

On 24th Feb the plumber came by and reconnected faucets for one bathroom and applied caulk to the two bathroom sinks. On taking a look at the kitchen faucets I was informed that the piping bracket is of a special kind and the faucet won't reconnect without the need for replacement of the piping under the sink and he would need to research the right way to deal with this. I was billed for an hour, with payment due the next time the kitchen was completed. Before the plumber left I explicitly asked, if he has everything (in parts) that he needs to complete the project on the next visit.

He came again today on Feb 27th and notified me of an alternate way of installing the faucets with existing pipes / brackets by using a specific kind of MIP connector. He gave me the size specification for that particular part and gave me two choices:
1) I can go get the part and he can do the faucet installation the easy way.
2) Charge 350$ for the installation that requires replacing the pipes/brackets with ones that match the faucet better.

I called a few hardware stores nearby and had the plumber speak with them to identify the exact part. The plumber informed me that he's 'almost finished' and waiting upon me to get the part. We were also missing insinkerator quick lock sink mount for installation of the garbage disposal. The first shop I drove to buy the MIP, helped me locate a second shop from which I was able to get the 'quick lock'.

After about 30 mins of driving around, I handed over the parts to the plumber and then was told we needed two of the MIP connectors for both, hot and cold water lines! I then dashed out again to the same store to buy the same part.

After everything was said and done, the job itself was done satisfactorily. I was billed for 3 hours. This seems excessive to me as I was out driving for almost an hour myself while the plumber waited. We clearly spoke on the first visit about any parts that might be needed. I honestly believe the work should not be billed for more than an hour and a half and customer shouldn't be running around fetching parts on a second visit, especially after the plumber is promising to return back with a 'researched' solution.

I'm taking this time to write a detailed feedback in the hopes that other customers are not burdened by unreasonable charges and unnecessary work done by customers.

Sincerely,
FULL NAME redacted
----------------------------

Bob Oates reply:
----------------------------
Hello,
This is John the General Manager. I will look into this first thing in the morning. This is not the way we do business. I have guys that I pay to bring parts to my technicians. We will rectify this with you.
Thank you
----------------------------

Bob Oates call on 3rd March:
Summary: 'Will only charge 1 hour of labor and email me on Saturday'.
Result: I did not hear back.

My follow-up 4 weeks ago:
----------------------------
Hi John,

Hope you are doing fine. We spoke regarding this on 3rd March and I was about to fly out of country for a week. I just wanted to remind you that I've not heard back again since we last spoke. Please let me know if there's anything you need from my side. Hoping we can close on this issue soon.

Regards,
Nik
----------------------------

Bob Oates reply:
----------------------------
Yes. I will check on it today and call you later this afternoon
----------------------------

My follow-up around 27th or 28th March:
----------------------------
Hey John,

I hope you've had enough time to research this issue on your end and have a resolution for us. If I don't hear back by this Friday March 31st, I'll take my complain to other forums as I see fit.

Regards,
Nik
----------------------------

Bob Oates follow up:
----------------------------
Hello, This is Raya today - but I am passing this message on to John and he will follow up with you this afternoon.
----------------------------

Call on 31st March, in summary, 'a check refunding 2 hours of labor was issued and mailed to my address and delivery expected by Tuesday, April 4th.'

Result: NO check received.

I'm out of space here but I followed up one last time and was asked to call or email back for faster response. I've put a good 2+ hours of my life trying my best to reach out and I can't spare any more. There is another reviewer here promised a refund and given a run around.

Please do your research and good luck to you.

Best,
Nik

Jazmine D.

9/17/2020

This is probably the best contractor and project experience I have ever had. I am adding a bathroom and 3 bedrooms to an existing house.I have had a very problematic project the last 3 years, which has been frustrated by Contractors who were incompetent and unprofessional. But when it came to plumbing things went so smooth I almost did not believe it. I went to Angie's list and found Bob Oates and they were able to send out Giovani who was my contractor from start to finish. He came first day and did a quote for me, explained exactly what I would get and how much it would cost without any hidden fees. He then scheduled me for 2 days a week out which he came and completed the plumbing work for the new bathroom addition. The next day I called the city and plumbing passed without any issues. I was happy and impressed. Giovanni was very professional. He assured me he would make sure everything was done right and that it would pass inspection and it did.

I would highly reccomend this company and Giovanni. The price was also fair and they provided all the materials.

michael m.

9/25/2020

Very quick and courteous response to a difficult job! Even a tight crawl space did not deter their willingness to repair our exterior spigots. Would use them again.

Wendy L.

3/18/2019

We called them for a clogged sewer pipe. Very bad service and the guy came had not much experience so he had to call another guy called Anthony to come for help. In the end problem not solved and Anthony still over charged us $50 after we got an official invoice from their office. They are not honest and did not return the $50 as promised. If I could I would give 0 star.

Linda M.

09/01/2020 12:00:00 SA

This company is very responsive, reasonably priced and the installers are great. They called in the morning to schedule a visit to give an estimate, then provided a proposal which I felt was very fair. I okayed it and they left to pick up the two toilets I requested. They returned within a half hour and by noon my project was done! Great experience.

Steven G.

4/21/2017

We contacted Bob Oates in November 2016 due to water in our basement and in April 2017 my basement is still leaking, responses from them are very sporadic, periods where I have to email weekly to get a response 3-4 weeks later, the original problem not fixed and a introduced new problem.

First issue, the original person jammed on us three times, and I was told we shouldn't deal with him, only deal with the front office. Fine, but the front office never phoned me those three times to cancel, just the original person. Direct quote from the company:

I am sorry that you were inconvenienced by a problem that you are having at your house that we are trying to help you with but we did not cause the issue merely trying to get it resolved.

I was told the original person was let go and not authorized to reschedule, but how would I know that as he was the only calling me, not the front office. A new crew arrived to work and did work hard and the work finished in Dec 2016, I paid for that work asap. I had to send pictures to show the inferior work around patching off the floor and wiring and they agreed and came back and patched things up. They did fix an unrelated outdoor faucet problem and took $600 off the original quote which I appreciate.

January 2017 and I am still getting water in the basement, the original problem wasn't fixed so I contact the company. They did come out, I was told I could get a refund or they might have another option, so I agreed to listen. They didn't show up for follow up appointments on February 9th, so I asked for my refund. I gave them one more chance, they came on 3/8, looked, said a new quote was coming. Emails sent on 3/18, 3/23, 3/31, no response on the new quote/proposal. So I ask for the refund. On 4/3 I finally get a response saying refund coming. I respond on 4/15 as I have received no refund, on 4/17, was told:

I will turn in the paperwork today and get the refund moving forward.

4/21, still nothing. I asked for my full refund originally offered in January on March 31st. Original problem not fixed and now my toilet is leaking that they removed to find some pipelines. As well, I have to find another company to fix the original problem, fix drywall.

Company has reached out to me, but only offered to fix things but with no details less
They had know way to know that your entire foundation was leaking behind all the Sheetrock.

Not offering to honor refund offered in January, cut and paste from emails:
February 13
Hello Steven,

I had an emergency on Thursday and was out of the office on Friday. I will go ahead and start the process for the refund.
Thank you

April 3
Yes let me pull up all of the data we have and I will get the ball rolling on that.
Thank you

April 17
I will turn in the paperwork today and get the refund moving forward.

Janet U.

07/03/2020 12:00:00 SA

Go to Bob Oates first! We had a long drawn-out saga that involved several companies doing what seems to be typical in sewer line work -- give an initial reasonable bid for what seems like minor work (scoping and hydrojetting + some spot repairs to the line) and then jack up the estimates astronomically as the scope of work increases. Despite being one of the bigger/heavily advertised companies, once we brought Bob Oates in for a bid they gave us a reasonable price for a much more detailed scope of work on the final stage of our sewer line repair -- roughly $16k to excavate a 10 ft deep hole in challenging circumstances, replace a 10 foot section of old concrete pipe that had been clogged with tree roots and 100 feet of pipe liner from the house to the city main. Other companies were asking closer to 20k for a smaller scope (excavation to 4-5 feet deep). Their pipe liner also comes with a 20 year guarantee. Hopefully we won't need to use them again, but if we ever have problems in another house they will be the first company we call.

Michael A.

9/15/2017

I had a slow leak under my kitchen sink and it was going into the basement. I looked at my Next Door site and found Bob Oats Plumbing, Sewer and Rooter had numerous positive comments. I have them a call in the afternoon and they sent AJ out the next day. He was right on time for the appointment window and diagnosed the problem right away -- a leak in the flexible hose that allows me to pull out my faucet.

AJ said he did not have a replacement hose and it might be difficult to find one. I said I'd like to look and he said he would come back an install it. My faucet was a Honsgrohe and a rare bird in that they do make a replacement stainless braided hose. Most faucet manufacturers do not so the only solution is to replace the faucet.

I picked up the replacement hose that afternoon and AJ was able to come back and install it. Price - $82. I can't say enough about Bob Oates Plumbing and AJ. Thanks!

Tj K.

02/06/2017 12:00:00 SA

So on probably the worse snow day of the last few years we have a sewer scope scheduled. Lot of school closures and many people choosing not to go in if possible.
Well you know where this story is going.
Shane from Bob Oates showed up. Sure an hour late, but with snow falling and 6-8 inches already on the ground on the Eastside, I'm not going to be too darn upset.

We live on the top on a 10 degree incline hill that was already a bit tough to navigate, but Shane made an attempt anyway.

Didn't make it.
So at the bottom of the hill almost a half block away he had to park the truck and the trailer that he didn't need for our scope and bring carry everything up the hill.
After a brief moment of locking the keys in the truck. (Got the door open on the first try too, missed that one for YouTube - cause it was pretty impressive.)

Shane got to work.
He took the time to go do the scope right with us, was able to point out exactly all the areas we need to be concerned about and the reasons for the occurrence in the Drain Line.
Took the time in spite of the snow still falling to go over the next steps and what we can look at in terms on where we may end up in costs.
Also let us know our alternatives and how a follow up clean out would be conducted.
Explained what the timeline would be to conduct the next services, should we want to proceed.

On a day when a cancellation would be more than expected - Shane surprised us with his clear dedication to his job. Impressed with his desire to follow through.

Thanks for a great experience. We will be following up with the group for our service.

Caitlin S.

11/27/2018

Yes, I got the sewer problem solved, thanks to Action Jackson. No, the billing problem with Bob Oates Sewer is not solved -- they still want me to pay them the same amount of $$ (now $500) to not fix the problem as they would have charged to fix it!?

And also, I know when I've been hung up on. This gaslight nonsense about I'm sorry you thought you were hung up on is just absurd. You and your company tried to scam us (over-charged, inflated estimate, repeated lies), and you got pissed when I called you on it. You didn't want to deal with an angry woman so you hung up.

*** For full details - read the original review. It's totally worth it! And could save you thousands of dollars ***

Kay R.

09/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

UPDATE:

Shane came back out to finish a job which required a full jetting, rather than the intended snaking. He arrived promptly during the scheduled time frame, and began work immediately. He would often keep me updated and informed of the progress and would use the scope to view the progress. Eventually there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and Shane not only amazingly cleaned the sewer line, but informed the line conjoins to my neighbors pipes. He even went further into the shared pipe to ensure it was clear for a good portion. Great service and super friendly and informative!
5 stars for Shane, thank you!

Mike R.

11/25/2019

Of course, naturally our crappy old sewer line picked Saturday night to clog up. We'd used Bob Oates back in 2017 and were happy with them then, so I gave them a call. After a bit of phone tag, they said someone would be there in 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Fern (nickname) showed up an hour later ready to go. He first tried just the camera, since sometimes just that will unclog and then they wouldn't have to charge as much. Alas, didn't unclog, so up came the roto-rooter (or whatever you call it.) Fern must have gone back and forth past that soft clog five or six times, using two different claw sizes, and another five or six times with the camera (lots of yanking and shoving). Really weird this soft clog just would *not* unclog. But Fern wouldn't give up, kept telling me he didn't want to leave without seeing a clear, empty pipe. He made use of me, having me flush toilets and run water strategically to keep pipe as full as possible above the clog to add pressure. I was despairing and ready to give up and settle for waiting until Monday and pay more $$ to jet it, but then Fern noticed the water level starting to trickle down, gave it one more go. Damned if that didn't finally do it!
This was on Saturday night, Fern must have been at it for at least an hour and one-half, instead of being home with his wife and three kids. I so appreciate him sticking with it and getting us back to a working sewer system!! You da man, Fern!

P.S. Bob Oates is getting first crack at estimate to line our sewer.

Eric P.

01/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

These guys did a great job.

Nice guy. Fair price. And when they came to do finish the job (which seemed pretty challenging) they got it done on time and stuck to the plan pretty much without having to bust through any other walls etc.

And now we get to use our toilet so that's great.

Will call you guys first for future plumbing needs!

Heather H.

9/26/2016

I had a clogged kitchen drain on Saturday and called them because I used them before and their guy did good work. Left message early afternoon Saturday. I mean, their listing says they are open 24 hours, so I expected someone was monitoring messages and I would get a return call from their on-call person. Now it's Monday morning and my call still has not been returned.

If you have a plumbing issue and you happen to get them on the phone to schedule, that's great. Otherwise, if you have any kind of urgent situation and a live person does not pick up the phone, don't bother. Keep calling plumbers until you get one that answers.

Serena K.

11/14/2019

Yet again Casey saved the day! Bob Oates has really great customer service from the scheduler to the plumber. I have always been able to have someone (usually Casey) come out and fix the problem same day.
Can't say enough good things about this company.
Thank you!

Michael B.

9/23/2016

Our problem was a stopped bathroom sink. Shane come out, was early to the appointment, professional, and very friendly. He assessed the problem & quickly went to work. He was thorough and paid attention to keeping the mess to a minimum. Even asked for cleaning products to help clean up the area after he was through. He also recommended a camera inspection of our main line (which we've never done). Good investment, now we know we won't have to worry about that for some time.

I can't comment on their pricing. Plumbing work is expensive and I didn't compare with any other companies. Very satisfied with this service and I would call them again.

Janet K.

03/11/2020 12:00:00 SA

I had a tough bathtub clog that would not be resolved no matter what I tried. I called Bob Oates plumbing and got an appointment for the same day. The employee who came out was very nice, provided great service and gave me some ideas of how to resolve clogs in the future. The price was more than reasonable. I would absolutely call them again. I only gave it 4 stars because when I made the appointment I was told they would call before coming. I was dog walking and got a call from the employee who was already at my house. My neighbor very nicely found me, picked me up and took me home. All of that could have been avoided if I had gotten a call before arrival.

Dennis M.

6/14/2016

We had sixty year old concrete pipes that were in poor condition. Rather than wait for sewer nightmare, we called three companies for bids. We went with Bob Oates because the estimate was actually free, the bid came in lower, and Aaron was extremely responsive.

We are very pleased with entire experience. The three crews (pipe bursting, pipe lining, and concrete work) were extremely hard-working and communicative. Actually the entire team did a great job communicating with us: Aaron responded to every single email - and there were many - usually in less than 24 hours, and the crew always told us what they planned to do.

And yet what really blew me away was their integrity. Our original bid included backfill for the hole in the apron of the driveway. But when it came time for the city inspection, it turned out that our entire apron had to be replaced. Aaron told me he would contact the inspector to figure out the situation. Two days later (it was the weekend), he informed us that Bob Oates would replace the entire apron at no additional cost. They honored their bid and then some. Responsive, diligent, and honest...you can't beat that. We highly recommend Bob Oates.

Heather F.

9/23/2020

TJ from Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter dropped by our home right on time to help me diagnose and estimate cost for servicing a clogged external storm drain (city wouldn't touch) and two internal house drains that were slow-draining. TJ was super friendly and professional; what's more, he was able to show me a few quick tricks to improve the flow and left without needing to charge me for an expensive snaking job at this time. If our drains get to the point of needing a professional cleaning, I'll be calling up Bob Oates to come service them!

Maggie L.

3/15/2016

I came to this business after seeing the good reviews on yelp, but was sorely disappointed. When I hired Bob Oates we had agreed upon $250+tax to do the job (cable and video camera). After he arrived, he sprung up me suddenly that $250 was only good for the first hour and that he was going to charge an additional $175 for every additional hour he worked. I was not happy at this surprise. After starting the job and not able to get the plumbing through, he then told me that he needed to wait for his coworker for an additional cable which would be another $100 extra, so I went to grab a meal. When I returned, I discovered that he had done the job while I was gone and was charging me an exorbitant $575 even though they couldn't get it to work (He said he only tried it once, and was refusing to put in the extra effort to make it work). They also initially refused to honor the coupon that was on yelp. But he did in the end. So I paid him the sum, and I tried the plumbing and it was still clogged.

EXPENSIVE, POOR SERVICE, and DIDN'T EVEN WORK.

Very shady and underhanded thing that this business pulled. I will not be coming back to them. Avoid at all costs.

M B.

5/16/2020

Very happy with Jeovany who was very professional at all times, from generating the estimate to actually doing the work. The communication was excellent and all the work was very well done and efficient. Very much recommend Jeovany and Bob Oates for any of your plumbing needs.

Get In M.

8/17/2019

Huge shout out to Casey & his team from Bob Oates. They did a great job installing a sewer pipe extension for a new clean out in our yard, and fast. I like that they were careful moving the plants in my garden. These guys are friendly, courteous, honest and explained to us well the scope of their work proposal/estimate. Good detail is a plus for me. Great communication while doing the work. The price is very competitive, and they also did a follow-up check after the job is done. Again, thanks! I definitely recommend them.

Mandy L.

07/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

I love this team! So great to work with. They have solved all my plumbing issues! I really appreciate their flexibility and responsiveness. They make it very easy to get plumbing work done- which is harder than it sounds! I always refer them when people ask.

Tony K.

1/25/2018

Had this company come by our condo to replace a diverter valve in the bathroom for the shower/tub faucet. I had the part but was traveling for 2 months and couldn't get to it. My wife had them come by and was given a story that they couldn't replace the valve without tearing out the tile. To put it nicely that was horse poo. I'm not a plumber but know my way around plumbing and have done enough to know he/she was lying. I got home and replaced it in under 10 minutes (pulled off the handle and trim ring, shut off the water on the fixture and used a socket to remove the diverter valve). Put it all back together and done. Less than 10 minutes. Whoever the plumber was that came by the house was a liar or literally had no clue what they were doing. Cannot recommend this company at all. They were out to rip my wife off to the tune of thousands of dollars.

Roxmarie M.

9/24/2018

Had two visits from Bob Oates folks. First, a long conversation on the phone with their super patient, knowledgeable phone associate. And then a camera inspection from our house to our outside sewer line. They were so patient discussing a previous backup we had after some other work, and took the time to explain why it may have happened and why it was not a serious concern. He watched the video of the camera run with me and patiently answered all of my questions. Same thing with the bathroom estimate on a different day. They really know what they are talking about and give great service without pressuring you. They are a very busy company. I appreciated this experience.

claes h.

02/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

Is the 2 hour response time rating really accurate since I got NO response in over one day?!

Daniel Z.

8/29/2018

They helped me with a basement plumbing in a timely and respectful manner. The final price wasn't nearly as high as other places. The next time I have an issue, I will definitely be calling Bob Oates.

Jason C.

5/28/2019

We worked with Dewayne to get our side sewer lined. He was very helpful and responsive throughout the entire process. Our neighbor, who also uses the sewer line, was extremely unhelpful for all parties and Dewayne handled that additional complication well. The new liner was mostly on schedule with one unpredictable issue which required the team to dig another hole. We were not charged for that since it wasn't part of the initial quote.

I would gladly work with Dewayne and his team again to address any future issues.

Jason M.

9/15/2017

I called this morning to have someone come out and clear a drain clog. Jeremy showed up 30 minutes early, provided a reasonable estimate and got right to work. In just under and hour he was able to resolve a glitch and get things flowing again.
Plumbers have many of us at a disadvantage as we don't know the depth or intricacies of their work. Jeremy was thoughtful, informative and skilled. Price was as estimated and scope of work was complete. Nice job Bob Oates

Jason P.

5/24/2017

We hired Bob Oates to perform a side sewer repair at our home in Seattle. It was a bit of a tricky job as it required a combination of pipe bursting and liner placement for the portion of the line that led to the wye.

The price was right and the work was performed on time and within budget. Communication was good and we were happy with the results.

Joanna C.

9/18/2018

Trustworthy and reliable services. Wait time may be long though for non-urgent services.

Dave P.

3/16/2016

Sewer backed up. Mess from the two basement floor drains. Called Bob Oates Sewer, because of great Yelp reviews, at 10 am on a Saturday. Jeremy was here by 3. Price was as quoted, $100 Saturday call addition, then a $325 1 hour charge minus a $50 Yelp special. (geez, I'm in the wrong business). Jeremy was bright, engaging, helpful and knowledgeable. He cleared the clog, let me watch the video of my pipes. Apparently 90' from the access point to the city main. (What is that on the side of the pipe? You don't want to know. OK.) I understand I will get a copy of that later. I felt as though Jeremy was going out of his way to avoid finding extra charges. Some providers seem to have a reputation for trying to run up the bill, but I was very comfortable that this was an honest and fair transaction.

Not how I wanted to spend my Saturday afternoon. But Bob Oates Sewer and their good guy Jeremy made it the least unpleasant reasonably possible.

Tom M.

10/22/2018

These folks are awesome! I called them to replace a damaged portion of my main sewer line running through our crawlspace in West Seattle. The did the work quickly and left the area cleaner than before they started. I also had them install a new sewer clean out on the outside of my foundation wall. They ran into an unexpected problem that required the line to be scoped with a camera. I assumed this would increase the cost, but nope... all part of their process.

They operate with integrity and honesty and have smart, competent employees who know how to communicate and offer options and solutions. Highly recommended!!

Travis Y.

3/14/2016

Had a backup issue in one of our toilets and Shane from Bob Oates arrived first thing the next morning to work on it. Although we didn't get the backup fixed due to the proposed work being covered under warranty, Shane did his best to solve the issue without causing any damage, especially to the interior of the house! In fact, that's what I loved about Shane from the moment he showed up...he said something along the lines of I'm going to do everything I can outside so that I don't have to come inside your home.

Later that day I found out that the backup was caused due to a circuit breaker being turned off for some reason (it's a newly constructed home) and so I literally fixed it by switching the power on to the sump pump or whatever it's called.

Either way, the promptness, the professionalism, the sincerity, and the consideration of Shane resulted in this review.

Nicolas P.

9/19/2018

Logged a review and Bob Oates team contacted me (thanks guys). We are in the process of working through outstanding items, I am editing my original entry as a work in progress. Will complete the updated review in a few weeks.

Lee S.

05/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

Just had a shower drain cleared by Shane of Bob Oates Plumbing. He was friendly, completed his work quickly and was very understanding about protecting our floors.

I would definitely recommend them to anyone needing plumber services.

Rachel K.

5/23/2018

If your kitchen sink clogs up, don't call anyone else, just get Isaac over to your house as soon as possible. He didn't make me feel badly for that some food goes down the drain sometimes (unlike the other plumber who came), he didn't blame the problem on some funky pipe routing in my 120 year old house, he unclogged the drain in 5 minutes and he was friendly and cordial all the while. Price was far better than the other estimates I got, too. Thanks!

Janis R.

8/18/2016

These guys always do great work. Fast, efficient and know what they're doing. They are the only plumbing company that I will call.
Highly recommended.

Jeff H.

04/04/2018 12:00:00 SA

I had a disaster--an old water heater exploding one evening and flooding my basement--and I called Bob Oates Sewer and Rooter. Jeovany showed up in less than thirty minutes and immediately got to work, demonstrating what I can honestly say is the gold standard of competence, professionalism, and kindness. He stayed until the job was done--midnight, as it turned out--and certainly won my admiration and respect. He also gave me a set of recommendations for how to avoid problems in the future. What's more, the price was very reasonable. Grade: A+ -- *highly* recommended!

Tesla M.

05/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

Easy scheduling and RFQ through yelp. The technician showed up on time and the office called 30min in advance when the technician was dispatched.

I had a sewer overflow from basement drain and toilet situation. Issac showed up and diagnose the situation with his scope equipment, clear the clog and suggest options. Issac was friendly, honest, professional and knowledgeable. Based on my experience this time, I will definitely use and recommend Bob Oates.

angela c.

4/20/2017

They've gone downhill over the years. While the plumbers they send are usually friendly, informative and a pleasure to work with, our experiences with the managers who provide estimates has been sub-par.

We've had Bob Oates re-line our sewer line twice (two different sections); the first time in 2010 and the second in 2016. Our experience in 2010 was wonderful, which is why we went with them again in 2016 when we needed to re-line another portion of our sewer line. But, we had to do A LOT of follow-up to get their management to respond and get us timely estimates for the work in 2016. And this is a business where you need to act fast, because not acting means laundry piles up, you risk overflows, etc. So now, in 2017, we need to do additional work and replace some pipes, and we gave Bob Oates another chance to bid on the work. But after coming out for the initial consult a few weeks ago, they've gone dark on my husband and neglected to follow-up, despite promising to do so. It was their business to lose, and we're bidding it out to other plumbers right now simply because we haven't heard from them and don't want to expend the energy to chase them down yet again on another job. Sadly, I don't think we'll go back to them again...it's too frustrating when you just want to get the work done and have your plumbing work to manage this level of back and forth with their management.

Neil A.

11/27/2019

TJ and Henry arrived before the scheduled appointment time which was much appreciated. TJ was listened to our concerns about the drain blockage in our laundry room. Henry assisted TJ with running the cable machine through the drain from our toilet and they were able to clear the blockage. After placing toilet back in its original position, they helped clean up the mess that had accumulated on the laundry room floor and in the shower stall from the sewage that had backed up through the drains. TJ and Henry were very professional during the service call. We felt that the final cost of the work that was done was fair. We appreciate the work that they did to clear up the blockage and felt that they did a great job explaining what they were doing and what might have caused the problem in the drains. We would highly recommend Bill Oates Plumbing to any of our friends who may need plumbing work in the future. Great job, TJ and Henry!

Jennifer N.

5/19/2015

There was standing water in our dishwasher this weekend, so we started looking for plumbers! Bob Oates was the only plumber we called on Saturday that actually picked up their phone, and I called quite a few, so props to them for that!

They arrived quickly and fixed the problem without having to run out to the store to get stuff - success in my book!

Justin M.

6/23/2016

Eric and AJ were available on two day's notice, and showed up promptly within their arrival window. They proceeded to provide an estimate to fix the leak under my sink and install a new kitchen faucet. We accepted the estimate and they did a great job on the repair.

Also, they diagnosed the leak from my washer for no extra charge (turns out it was the machine, not the plumbing) and made some recommendations regarding future plumbing matters around the house. They don't do appliance repair so I'll need to find someone else to fix the washer.

Before hiring Bob Oates Sewer, Rooter & Plumbing, I got a couple of other estimates from other plumbers for the same work. Price-wise, Bob Oates' estimate was not the highest or lowest, but it was competitive and the work seems top notch. Eric and AJ were friendly and helpful. I feel like the service provided good value for the money.

Note there is a 3% extra charge if you pay with credit card, but they accept personal checks if you want to avoid the extra 3%.

Jodi W.

3/26/2015

A plumbing emergency skillfully handled. That's what this was.

Picture in your mind's eye, if you will, walking down into your basement on a Satuday afternoon and thinking, Hmmmm...where is that small puddle of water coming from? Then you spend 20 minutes moving the source material you have stacked everywhere to see a slow drip coming from your soil pipe. Yikes! Who you gonna call? Somehow, Ghostbusters, while an entertaining notion, doesn't seem appropriate.

So I get down there with a flash light and a rag start wiping it off to see if I can figure out what's going on. Sweet mother, the drip becomes a stream as I wiped away the last of the rust covering the tiny hole! So I hop on yelp. Called three people. No call back from one and a late call from another.

Bob Oates answering service picked up. They don't know a lot - meaning they couldn't answer, even with managerial support, the question of if the $250 charge that they warn you about is a minimum or a fee. Very different things. Turns out it's a minimum.

Eric was AWESOME! He fixed my issue and made time to run a camera down the pipe for me because I'd had some other issues...and now my soil pipe has a clean bill of health! Don't believe me? Check out the video they e-mailed me later - youtube.com/watch?v=y7Dd….

Minimum charge - $250
Actual labor and parts - $700
Not having your sewage leak into your basement - priceless.

Matt R.

5/27/2015

UPDATE!
We just moved into our new house in Magnolia and were told by the inspector that our water pressure was too high (so high that it could damage our appliances).
I called Bob Oates Plumbing and requested a service call to check it out.
They were able to come out within the next day or two- and arrived shortly before our 8am appointment.

Eric did some tests and confirmed that the water pressure was crazy high (I'm told 70-75psi is normal- ours was reading at 125-130psi).

Eric was quick, courteous, and did a terrific job at explaining what the problem was and how they were going to fix it. I know zero about plumbing- so it was great having a plumber who could explain it in simple terms that I could easily understand. I was really impressed at the transparency he offered when explaining the fix.

Top quality from start to finish.

I would absolutely be a reference for Bob Oates plumbing.

If you are considering using their services- please send me a message on Yelp- as I'd be happy to tell you all about the excellent work they've done for me on the two occasions I've used them for a job.

Yue H.

3/27/2017

This is the second time for us to use this company. It worked both well. They came very soon, and Shane did very good job, and gave us some good suggestion afterwards. Highly recommended!

Brian M.

2/16/2017

I had them come out for a clogged drainage pipe. The tech asked if they told me how much it would be on the phone and I said no. He said it is $250 an hour- to which I was shocked. My service tech then mentioned he would just charge me $100 to look into what the issue was and then charged me $250??? I called and spoke to John who said he would look into. They adjusted it to $195, which the lady on the phone said was the camera scope fee. I still don't get how the guy said $100 and I am still stuck paying $195. I think they need better transparency in pricing.

Trinity L.

3/30/2017

This company was recommended to me. I emailed them - Please stop the leak in my concrete basement. They suggested a French Drain repair to my existing outside drain. They were at my house for part of 1 day and replaced about 10 feet of underground pipe (of total of 100 ft) and dug a Drain pit in the backyard.

Faith F.

07/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

John and Robert we excellent - they arrived later than originally planned, but they still get 5 stars. Here is why:

My tankless water heater stopped heating water on Tuesday. I called and got a Wednesday appointment for arrival between 2 and 4.
John didn't arrive until about 7PM. (minus 2 stars... but wait!)
Starting at about 3:00, Susan (who took my call) at Bob Oates was in contact with me explaining the prior project was pretty big and John's start time was up in the air. When she left for the work day (at about 5:00) she called to give me John's cell phone number in case I needed to get ahold of him (rather than going to the messaging service.) I let her know John could come any time that night as long as he could fix the problem. I didn't want to reschedule.

When John and Robert arrived they were professional and friendly, went to the water heater, did about 15 minutes of trouble shooting, and John figured out the problem - a filter thing - which should be cleaned annually - was gunked up. (it was the first time it had been cleaned in the 7 years I have had it.) John cleaned it, showed me how to clean it in the future. And he was done in about 20 minutes, (5 star work, minus the two stars for the late arrival)

Since it was a quick fix I asked him for a bonus item - I have an outdoor spigot that worked once, then didn't work any longer (you could turn the handle, but no water came out.) In about 30 seconds he figured it out, got a wrench from Robert, and loosened something that was over-tightened, and I got a SECOND item done in about 22 minutes. (plus 1 star, so now we are at 4 stars)
I was grateful for the two fixes, then I asked - do I write a check now or will I be billed? He said it was on the house (I think because the fixes were quick and I wasn't a banshee about the late start) I was just happy to have someone come to the house to fix the problem, and Susan was able to re-set my expectations that the start was going to be up in the air.

I am a new loyal customer of Bob Oates.

Sam C.

12/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

We've used Bob Oates a couple of times for sewer blockages, and we always appreciate the quality of service and responsiveness we get. This weekend AJ came out to help with a blockage, and he was prompt, efficient, and extremely helpful. We won't hesitate to use Bob Oates in the future!

N P.

12/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

From my brief experience with them, I would definitely recommend. Had a sewer backup, and they were the only company that was able to quickly respond to the issue. They quoted me a price, and were there when expected. The issue was a little less involved than expected, and I still had to pay the full quoted price, but this is how these things work and I have no qualms with that (just a bummer on my end). Plumber sent to my house went above and beyond in helping out!

Karen B.

8/22/2018

I would like to highly recommend Casey. He arrived early - great for me. He was quick, very professional and friendly. He changed out my garbage disposal, fixed bathroom sink and toilet. Very fair price compared to other plumbing companies I have used. When you have a plumbing problem you want them NOW and I was able to get same day or next day service. Great company! It is also the company used by our condo association for all their plumbing needs.

Karen B
Seattle

Pat D.

05/05/2017 12:00:00 SA

Good company but I had a few challenges. Got scheduled for the next business day when I called. My appointment got lost somehow on the day of service. I called during the window we had scheduled and they had to add me back in the next available time slot that day. But they got out there and solved the problem. The plumber was there for 1 hour. I was overcharged so I spent a few days following up to get that addressed. I'm told the payment will be fixed. The plumber was pleasant and professional.

3/22. Still waiting for the overcharge refund. I've called again and still nothing done to rectify the situation...

4/23. Still waiting for refund from being overcharged. Owner said he'd call me back in an hour...5 days ago.

5/3. Refund came in the mail. Not sure if that was a disorganized phase or the power of looking bad on social media explains what happened. Took some time and effort but I'm happy.

Debbie C.

08/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

Great plumbing experience.
Quick appointment time arranged, for the day after non- emergency call and even moved up earlier.
Then, Giovanni came to do the work. Running toilet and broken kitchen faucet replaced, quickly, efficiently and well done. Price was reasonable and fair. I would highly recommend Bob Oates for plumbing work.

Nicole G.

2/21/2018

I had problem with my garbage disposal. It seemed to not be breaking down food enough to pass through and would leave a rotten smell. KC, who was the serviceman who came out was very courteous and polite - leaving his shoes off before entering my house already earned him bonus points.

As it turned out, nothing was wrong with my disposal (thankfully). I just needed to know how to periodically clean it out. -By the way, I was told to use egg shells to clean out a disposal. That, apparently is a myth. His suggestions were ice (a lot of it), orange/lemon grinds, or bleach. He gave me a few other pointers on keeping my disposal working for a long time. -Another big thing I learned was to let the water run for several seconds after using the food has a chance to rinse all the way down.

Thanks again KC and Bob Oates Sewer and Rooter!

Nicole

Jen S.

01/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

These guys are awesome! If we could give more stars we would. No need to look further.

We had our main water line break. The entire time, they were honest and fair along with ensuring stellar customer service.

We were told that they would not leave until we had water-they held true to their word. They came up with solutions that did not increase the price and they did not leave until after 10pm.

The plumber Jon really knows his stuff-he's extremely competent and fast and will suggest options fairly. We will never look for another plumber again.

Kathy S.

01/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

I needed help on a Saturday. They responded quickly using the messaging feature in Yelp. They scheduled a time and said Shane would call when he was on his way. He called and arrived promptly. I had a backed up kitchen sink. He had to do more then initially thought due to pipe being glued rather than screwed together. Fixed that issue and installed an access point! Snaked the drain and got sink to drain. Dishwasher still not draining. He helped me check the filter and then recommended getting a dishwasher person to take it from there. I appreciated Shane's hard work and desire to do a good job. Would highly recommend this company.

Jessica B.

3/15/2017

I usually don't do these unless a review is really bad. My toilets and bath tubs got backed up around 3 Monday.....So my landlord scheduled a plumber to come by the next day when I got home from work. Issac was at my house at 1:45 when my landlord told me he would be there 2-4. I was really nervous about my dogs bothering him so I ran home and tried to get there as early as I could. I got home around 2:30 and Issac was there. He told me that he had everything fixed and was going to wait until I got home at 3:30 (regular time) to make sure everything worked inside. He was going to wait an hour for me! I thought that was really cool. He was very nice and I would definitely recommend this company to my friends and hold onto this company's name for my new house that I just bought in case anything like this happens again!

Ron G.

10/16/2014

Update, 4/2016 - I had Bob Oates Plumbing out once again and this time it was a disaster. Two guys arrived to clean a kitchen drain, one a trainee. Within minutes of starting to snake he stopped to say he couldn't get the snake to go further and that I must have corrosion in the pipes and he thought they would need to replace some pipes. Now I've seen many guys do snake work and I could tell straight away that he did not have good skills.

He brought in a smaller snake and tried again, put the p-trap back in and ran water. It was still clogged and now water was leaking from the p-trap. He fiddled some more before claiming the washer on the p-trap was bad. He got a new one but instead of placing it and the nut on the pipe and then inserting it into the drain he placed the nut and washer on the drain and then tried to push the p-trap through; which ripped the washer in half!

At this point I am very nervous about these guys working on my plumbing and called their shop. In the mean time they re-snaked the drain two times before claiming I needed to have a water jet clean the pipe out, and that they would need to replace of the pipes as the jet wouldn't go down the pipes as-is.

So they left me with a clogged drain and said another guy would call me in the morning about continuing. They also wasted 2.5 hours of my time; that's how long they were there!

Luckily I remembered hearing about Fritz Drain Service. Fritz was in the area and able to come straight over. He brought in his snake machine and went straight through the p-trap and had the drain cleaned out in ten minutes! I couldn't believe it. And his rate from $122.50; not the minimum $250 Bob Oates had quoted. What was Fritz's secret technique? He used a 1/4 x 50' snake;and the clog was at about 47 feet. Oates used a larger diameter 25 snake. Fritz also told me their heavier cable is really too big for our 1948 pipes.

I called Bob Oates back and asked to speak with Mr Oates; not sure if there really is a Bob Oates at this point. I was given the number for John the manager instead, who did call me back but only made excuses for his crew, never really listening to what i was saying, and made snide remarks about Fritz's Drain Service.

I am DONE with Bob Oates.

By the way, Fritz recommended 'Splash' and 'Archies' for bigger plumbing jobs (other than drains).

old review, I had used them three times with no troubles before the above incident

: after calling numerous 'plumbers' and getting the run around on price, being told it was $75 just to come give me an estimate, etc., I called Bob's.

They were the only one willing to give me an estimate over the phone. Once there, and they were there ahead of the estimated arrival time, the tech surveyed the situation and gave me a firm estimate, which was the same as the phone estimate, and got to work. He was very professional, solved the clogged drain within an hour, and then did a nice job of cleaning up himself.

No plumber is cheap but I feel I got a fair deal with Bob.

Diana M.

03/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

I had a leak coming from the garbage disposal and call Bob Oates in the late evening. They were able to set up an appointment for the next morning. Jeremy was very prompt, assessed the problem, ran back to the office to get a part and returned quickly to replace the faulty disposal in an hour. Jeremy was very professional, and he explained everything that he was doing and why - which I really appreciated. I will definitely call them for plumbing matters in the future.

Ben B.

4/28/2018

I would highly recommend this company. We had a simple drain clog and this company fixed it for half the price that other companies offered in the area. They also replaced a section of pipe free of charge that was damaged. Professional and respectful, this company was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. Every employee I met was genuine, friendly, and helpful. I will definitely call them again in the future if I ever have plumbing issues. Thank you!

Frances S.

4/26/2018

The technician was sent out the day requested and arrived punctually. He snaked the kitchen drain. I had put drain cleaner liquid and bleach into the drain in an attempt to dissolve the clog before calling the plumber. When he opened the pipe, some of the bleach went under the sink. As he was mopping it up with a towel, he ruined his long-sleeved black sweatshirt. He was upset about it. He took the chemicals outside in a canister and dumped them on the street in front of my house. I told the young man that It was not right to dump chemicals in the street. He disagreed. I told him I was sorry about his sweatshirt and he said he was sorry for dumping the chemicals.

I disliked having to deal with this person who didn't seem to have the good sense to wear suitable clothes for the job, didn't care about the environment, and didn't seem to realize that representing a business is more than performing a job correctly. It also involves treating the customer with respect. I received an email receipt for the service, but no follow-up to see if I was pleased.

Bob Oates needs to hire courteous employees, not angry young men. I'm sure he has no idea, because nobody asked and I didn't complain, but here it is. My experience wasn't so great I couldn't find another plumber to do the job for the same price or better. I wish women did these jobs as women usually excel at customer service.

Frank L.

12/13/2019

Trevor came out and first he cleared my main line to the street that was clogged with tree roots. Then he also cleared my kitchen sink line that was clogged with grease. It took 3 cleanings to clear the kitchen line but he kept with it until it was clear. 3 hours but both lines were cleared.

M W.

04/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

The kind of job that is a little nerve-wracking, since it involved cutting a 4x4 section of patio concrete and relining approximately 60' of sewer pipeline.

Living on a small hill with a lot of trees and vegetation, the project was undertaken after several years of maintenance and tree root problems - also two intersecting pipelines due to a previous remodel. Other providers seemed overwhelmed with the problem and possible solutions.

Location of the pipes was accurate and the job was completed without problem, though to envision otherwise presented all manner of nightmare scenarios.
In addition, the work and clean up was excellent.

The project manager answered numerous questions from this nervous owner and communicated well. After some comparable research the charges seemed reasonable.

All in all I am very happy with the work and would not hesitate to recommend this company or call in the future. The job was completed last week.

Geordy R.

10/10/2014 12:00:00 SA

I called Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter late on a Friday afternoon. I had been messing around with a clogged drain since Thursday night and finally threw in the towel and called professional help. They sent someone out in 30 minutes! Konrad was the one showed up. He was clean cut and professional. He came up, checked out the issue and told me how long and how much. He got to work right away and sent his auger down the line. About 10-15 minutes later, the job was done. He put it all back together and cleaned up the mess from the auger. He even cleaned up some of my mess from trying to screw around with this myself for the last day and a half.

There may be cheaper guys out there but I think the price is more than fair, especially considering the responsiveness, professionalism and skill level. I should have just called them first thing this morning instead of wasting my time trying it on my own.

If I have any future plumbing emergencies, these are the guys I'm going to call.

Casey M.

3/24/2018

I had some sewer line problems that started with a clogged toilet and ended in about $700 in charges. It turned out to be a broken line at the foundation that a neighbor kid dug up in an hour and took me four hours to replace including the trip to the plumbing store.

I'm disappointed with many facets of the job.

tinier m.

5/19/2017

Jeremey was on time, courteous, professional, helpful and provided great advice (don't use Costco toilet paper!). The quote to unplug the toilet is higher than I expected so I opted to pay the consultation fee and perform the task myself. I would still recommend Bob Oates Sewer Rooter for more complicated tasks though. I'll give them 3.5 star since I didn't really use their service.

Lorie M.

02/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

The worst feeling ever is to feel at the mercy of someone you dont know to fix somethong you need. Bob Oates was recommended by a plumber i trust. Enter Rick the tecnician! I am now amiring my new faucet, dishwasher and shiney pipe that replaced the old leaky one. Thank you Bob Oates and Rick.
Lorie in Burien

Sean W.

09/05/2020 12:00:00 SA

I had a backed up kitchen drain and could not get it unclogged despite running a small snake about 18 feet down the pipe. I called another highly recommended plumber that was too busy and they recommended Bob Oates plumbing. I am really glad they did. I called in the morning and Dino came out that day. He carefully explained all the options he could perform and was careful to make sure that he was able to keep costs as low as possible. He ran a power snake thru the drain once and found some sludge about 30 feet down the line. He then ran water thru to test it and found it was still backing up, so continued with the snake 3 more times until he reached about 60 feet and found another blockage and everything finally cleared. I was extremely impressed with his dedication to make sure the job was done right. I know it ended up being a much more complicated job than expected but the final price was very reasonable. I highly recommend Dino and Bob Oates plumbing.

Leah S.

03/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

I called yesterday and got an appointment today, which was great. The ladies I talked to on the phone throughout the day were very helpful, and kept me appraised of how the techs' schedule was running whenever I called (I had an appointment to make near the end of their arrival window, so I wanted to know how late they were running, if any).

It turns out I needn't have worried, Jeremy and Giovanni were on time (right in the middle of a 2-4pm window) and very helpful. Sadly, the problem turned out to be with my septic tank, which is not what they do. I happily paid the $75 service charge (which they only charge if there's not other work they do, I'm told) for prompt, courteous, and /honest/ service. They knew right away what the problem was and didn't waste my time or money . . . which means I know who I'll be calling the next time I have a plumbing issue. Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it.

Brad C.

2/19/2018

I had never used Bob Oates before, but contacted them about a downspout drain that I needed snaking, and also a small issue with a toilet. They were able to have somebody to my house the same afternoon, and were able to quickly and efficiently resolve the downspout drain. K.C., the technician, was knowledgeable and friendly. He didn't immediately have the part needed to repair the toilet, but was able to return to my house later that afternoon with the needed part, and made the repair, and also gave me some tips on how to keep things operating smoothly.

Overall, I was impressed and will very likely use them for future plumbing and sewer/rooter needs.

Amanda R.

7/14/2016

Not ideal.

We called to have them check a drain in the basement that was backing up. They quickly moved to the main line and found a block (never snaked or even looked in the original drain that was backing up). They flushed the line, etc. seemed an okay fix. The cost seemed very high ($1,200) especially since they used our water to fill their (near empty) water tank. Maybe that's standard practice...seems odd to me.

There was a strong focus on getting us a quote to put a new lining in the pipe. It was noted a number of times and they even brought out a more official person to give the quote.

Fast forward 24 hours. I run the washing machine, it floods - same drain. Next morning I call, they do arrive promptly (even early). They poke around and end up pushing the camera down the main line again still don't touch the drain that is the one backing up. Nothing in the main line, sure it's not a pretty new line, it has issues. But everything is draining. We run the washer, toilet, sinks, etc. Still draining

At this point we are stumped. I ask, Any ideas what's going on here I'm met with the response, Seems like we came out here today to reiterate you need to line the full main to the city. I stop and ask - But we still don't understand the back up. How do we know a full new lining will prevent this from happening again? Shoulder shrug and another reminder - line the full pipe.

They make their way out. I'm left stumped - But, how do we know that fixes THIS problem - the one we originally called about that they never fixed? Yes, it improves my line, the line is old. But we have not solved the drain backup.

I take matters into my own had. Run through a process of elimination using the various household items that could cause this to happen. 30 minutes later I have solved the mystery. Frustrating indeed, me and my 0 experience solves this yet they can't trouble shoot?

Did my line need the flush - yup pretty sure it did. But sure seemed $$ others seem to say it's a few hundred bucks.

Did they fix what we originally called about - nope. Nor did they seem to care. Long as they sold the full lining of the pipe ($15k) they seemed to think their job was done.
I don't expect them to know the answer right away. Plumbing is hard. You are working blind in areas, water is difficult. But let's be professional here - you are a professional plumber. It is obvious you have not solved the original problem I called you about. How about some process of elimination, logic, probing?

2 stars instead of 1 because :
- They were considerate,
- The initial tech was friendly and seemed to try to fix us up, not his fault there were actually 2 problems and he initially only caught one of them.
- On the return visit a third guy joined seemed knowledgeable. I bet if he were sent on his own we'd have fixed it up fast. He was the closest to pinpointing the true issue and when he did, his superiors brushed it off. Not sure why he seems to be lower on the chain, he's the one with instinct and logic to narrow down to the true issue, not focus on the $15k job I could be sold.
- I was not charged for the second visit

Would I recommend them or use them again NO. But if the third guy were on his own, different company -sure. So if you use them, hope you get him!

Deirdre F.

9/13/2018

They came out to give me a quote, and two weeks later I was calling asking when would I receive the quote. A week later I received a quote for $0. I emailed back asking if the work would be done for free. They responded that they would look into it. A month later still no response. I wouldn't trust this company to do your work.

Aaron N.

09/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

I had an awesome experience with Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter! Sam and Christian came by my condo to provide a free estimate for my leaky faucet, which was at least $100 cheaper than what a competitor quoted me at. They proceeded to fix my issue, assist with an additional toilet issue I had, and gave me advice on a third dishwasher issue. I highly recommend this plumbing company!

Irwin G.

02/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

We just had some work done by this company and they were great. Our project supervisor was Dan and he was absolutely terrific. Our situation was complicated by a horrible neighbor and Dan stepped up to deal with this jerk. The Bob Oates crew performed work on time and in a professional manner.
I would absolutely call them for work in the future.

Emily M.

02/04/2018 12:00:00 SA

I highly recommend Bob Oates. We had to replace our side sewers. They were quick to come out and provide an estimate. Dan took the time to throughly explain everything and talk through different options. We had estimate from a few places and felt this was the best choice because of the approach, the cost and the team. The project was quick and Dan let us know what would happen every step of the way. He was always available for questions and very professional.

Steve N.

11/25/2016

Thanksgiving evening, we discovered our washing machine wasn't draining properly. We called Bob Oates on Friday, and had Shane out that afternoon. it was a simple fix, as we expected, but Shane was professional and great to work with. We'd definitely use Bob Oates [and Shane] again.

Lucia C.

01/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

My drain clogged and I couldn't drain bathroom, kitchen or basement drains. I called another company and they could not come in for another week. When I called Oates at 9:30 in the morning, saying that I have to leave for work at 2pm, they said they could send in a technitian between 12noon and 2pm. I was pleasantly surprised that Shane showed up even earlier, by 11:30. The whole process was fast, drain is working great and I've even gotten tips for further maintenance.

Clare S.

08/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

So far, Bob Oates has been great to work with. We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel and we also have a new baby so my mind is all over the place!

Susan has been so gracious with helping me reschedule and get plumbers out to our house in the small time windows that I have available. She really has taken about 8 calls from me in 1.5 days. Thank you Susan for not hanging up on me!

Robert was the plumber that came to our house. He was super helpful and very knowledgeable about what needed to be done. He gave me what I think are fair estimates for the work and was great about answering ALL my questions.

I look forward to having Robert back to finish up our kitchen this next week.

Amberly A.

10/24/2018

I scheduled an appointment through Yelp while I was in Europe a few weeks ago. I just bought a house and knew we would be doing some kitchen and bathroom updating. Really the whole house probably needs plumbing updated. Bob Oates was a company I reached out to just based on the excellent reviews here on Yelp. Of the three companies I contacted I kind of thought they would come out the clear winner but you know, best to shop around when it comes to big projects like this.
I scheduled the appointment for an estimate over Yelp, as I mentioned. My plans changed and they even let me move up the appointment by a few days. My appointment was between 8-9am Monday and by 8:50 nobody had showed up. I called to ask if anyone was coming and they said that their tech was sick and that they had tried calling me the day before but that my phone just rang and never went to voicemail. Sure, I get it, it's possible. I was a little bit frustrated that nobody had tried calling a few hours later or even the morning of my appointment. Or why not try contacting me through Yelp since I scheduled the appointment here? I agreed to reschedule for today, same time, and gave them my e-mail in case they needed to contact me again and couldn't get a hold of me via telephone.
At 8:50am today no one has showed up. I called again and they said the tech was coming but probably had an emergency call to handle. Was no one going to call me and tell me? E-mail me? I waited until almost 10:30am before just calling and canceling the appointment. I let the woman who answered know that I had an appointment between 8-9am and no one has shown up, I can't wait around any longer I need to cancel. No apology, no attempt to earn my business. Just, sure we can cancel that for you.
I wasted two mornings in a row, sitting at home for an appointment I made two weeks ago. This was a disappointing experience.

Lorelei W.

6/18/2016

Sewer pump relocated from inside to outside. Picture speaks for themselves. See tinyurl.com/zhgoj8t and tinyurl.com/gvgyb4k. Their first attempt they installed piping sticking out of the house that made our faucet useless - and was ugly. The second attempt they drilled a hole below grade (you can't see) that wasn't filled in with concrete even though they had concrete on site. The site supervisor was arrogant. When we outlined our concerns, asked for it to be fixed, and noted we would be posting a review of their work, they call our request a childish threat. Oh, and we were able to look up the model of the pump afterwards, the markup made me feel cheated. We are thoroughly dissatisfied with their work and customer service.

MM G.

7/28/2017

The dispatcher was very quick to get us on the schedule. The technician did a very good job, was fast, and knowledgeable. We had a bit of a pricing hiccup, but it was taken care of right away after a quick call. A high quality company!

Andrew S.

11/21/2016

The Bob Oates guy spent a half hour checking out the problem and concluded it needed a $2K+ replacement. That's a lot so I got a second opinion. In less than two minutes, the other guy proved that diagnoses wrong...over the phone. 45 minutes of work and a cheap part later and it was fixed for $200ish. I don't know if Bob Oates was intentionally dishonest or just incompetent but consider getting a second opinion yourself.

Update: I received a follow up call after a couple of weeks and they were very apologetic. It seems that the technician may have been newer to the company and should have given additional options in the estimate (which they admitted was high) and should have performed the simple test up front (which they obviously did not). They offered to put a credit on my account which I appreciate. So my experience may not be indicative of the company as a whole.

Mike H.

06/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

Called today (Saturday) for a clogged toilet we couldn't get to drain. Was told the serviceman would call in 2-4 hours when he was on his way. Four and an half hours called them back and they said the serviceman was in his way. I advised them I was hopeful the repairman would call me so I could give directions to our place since most GPS give the wrong directions. The response I got was he will call if he gets lost in a very short unprofessional tone. Guess what the GPS got the repairman lost.

Shane was my repair tech that showed up after we chatted on the phone and he used Google maps as I suggested to him to find us.

Shane was AWESOME and even talked with our twin boys that are very inquisitive and can be in the way according to some. If I was rating Shane he would get 5+ stars--he was great!!!!

I can only give 4 stars for the delayed response and the unprofessional customer service from the call center.

Anne C.

11/27/2017

Jeovanny made a service call to our condo building to investigate a plumbing issue in one unit and to cable out and drain a kitchen sink in another. He was very professional and courteous. He went above and beyond explaining a plumbing issue to an absent landlord by phone.

Tim B.

11/13/2017

Awesome plumbers were sent to my home.
A few weeks ago at my rental property has having sewer smells inside of it.

Sam and Efren came out to investigate my home, my house is from the 1920's and mostly original everything, they went in the small crawl space access and found that the old steel pipes for the waste lines were cracked and leaking, so I braved it and went in there for a look for myself they were spot on of what was happing down there.

They asked me how I wanted to have the issue taken care of, he said either they could repair the sections that are failing, or redo all the old lines with new ones, because of the shape the 100 year old plumbing was in.

I ended up replacing all the waste lines for my small 1 bathroom house and since I was having things opened up the walls and such I asked if they could replace water lines also, price was not to expensive compared to the remodeling I did 2 years ago at my house by another company.

They did fantastic work, clean up nicely and have not had any issues after work was completed.

Would highly recommend Sam and Efren!!!
Thanks bob Oates!

Scott R.

6/14/2019

I have nothing but good things to say about Bob Oats Plumbing! They were fast, quick, thorough, and friendly. Their employee Daniel was courteous and patient, and willing to answer all my questions while he worked out our issues. I would highly recommend both Daniel and Bob Oats to take care of any plumbing issues you need!

David C.

9/17/2019

We had a small but concerning water leak coming from our ceiling. I called a few places and most of them could come in a week. I called Bob Oates at the recommendation of a colleague and they came same day. They were on time, courteous, professional, efficient, and transparent about the price each step of the way. The technician ended up cutting a small hole in the ceiling and quickly diagnosed that the problem was likely a seal on the upstairs toilet. Sure enough a new seal did the trick. The whole visit was about a half hour and the cost was around $400, much less than we were expecting. We'd highly recommend Bob Oates.

El Grande M.

8/13/2014

It takes exceptional, or exceptionally horrible, service to get someone to review a place right after the experience. Bob Oates Plumbing was the former.

The plumber who came out, Jeremy, was extremely honest and professional, as well as very exacting in pinpointing the source of the plumbing problem. After clearing out the clog (and not making fun of me for trying to use a cheap-o snake and plunger to try and fix it myself), he gave me a couple of good options for maintenance. Will definitely recommend this place to anyone that asks.

Plus, a happy plunger, named Poopy, as a mascot? Awesome.

Celeste G.

03/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

This crew is amazing. Giovanni is my hero. He was super responsive, professional and worked his tail off to get us back in service. We had a major install by this company a little while ago, and as soon as we had an issue, I was able to contact them immediately. If you are looking to relocate a sewer pump, install a pump, or get your toilets flushing again, this is your team.

Sandra D.

10/11/2019 12:00:00 SA

On Monday morning October 7, Casey and TJ from Bob Oates plumbing came to jet out our 3 interior under slab drain lines that had gotten blocked at the outflow with mud and silt. Both he and his assistant were courteous, articulate, friendly and extremely helpful! 10 stars if I could give that many! They also jetted out two additional exterior drain lines so that all systems are flowing now. There has been a huge construction project going on next door to the north of our home since June of 2018, on a steep slope with year round flowing underground water. Additionally, gutters had not been installed on the 4,000 sq. ft building until recently. Our home is at the bottom of the slope, 4' from the property line. Casey noted as he arrived that the entire exterior soils along the N and E sides of our basement were completely saturated with water. He put cameras down the interior drains and discovered the drain line blockage several feet back at the outflow. Since no tree roots were visible and the drains are essentially self cleaning due to the high volume of water running underground through the hillside, we speculated that the blockage was due to construction run off from the large home development project next to us. This was verified later by the property owner and they have offered to pay for this service call. Quick intervention from Casey and T.J. saved us from flooding. Do not hesitate to call Bob Oates when you have a problem. They are PROS! I have worked with them for years and have never been disappointed.

Amy C.

8/23/2017

Issac is a great guy. He came on time and very reasonable price. He did a very good job and helping me to resolve my toilet blocking issues. It was a very tough one.
I recommend him.

Vanessa H.

8/13/2019

George and Fern saved my bacon!! They are the best - high commitment to solve the plumbing blockage with creative solutions. There was a soft blockage in a difficult spot in my plumbing. A different plumber (PriCor) couldn't fix it initially and suggested an $8K solution to dig out and remove 5' of the pipe. George and Fern came later that day and resolved it with a traditional auger method. They came to my rescue and didn't stop until they completely resolve it. Thank you George, Fern and Bob Oates!!

Chris F.

10/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Prompt service, able to do an assessment/estimate the day after we called and complete the work the day after that. Tech was really friendly and did a great/efficient job draining and hauling our leaky water heater. I thought we had discussed also unclogging a bathroom sink and replacing the shower drain since he was going to be here anyway, and thought those were included in the initial estimate we were given. Day of, it turned out the estimate was just for taking away the water heater so it felt a bit expensive, but with the yelp $50 discount and voucher deal I didn't make a fuss. A bit annoying to add two small jobs to my own to-do list, but both relatively simple and quick with a trip to Home Depot.

Charles K.

7/21/2016

Same day appointment was made for my rental property in Seattle that had a drain blockage. Had I had time I would have taken care of it myself, but I wanted to get the matter resolved for my tenants as quick as possible in the event it was a main sewer line issue (fortunately it was just a secondary line).

The guys were polite and on time and respected the flooring by taking their shoes off on the carpeted area. They first assessed the issue to their best ability, isolated the most likely cause and was able to unclog the line. They wiped down the shower and bath floors when they were done with the testing. Plus they offer a 15 day warranty from the same drain having blockage (as long as it's not a new material introduced into the system) for whatever that is worth.

4 stars total:

5 ***** stars for actual service and addressing the issue

4 **** stars for value as opposed to other companies for like service ($275 out the door) one secondary drain blockage.

3 *** for payment process. Their new iPad payment system was giving the guys a difficult time to process the payments (took more than 10 minutes and a phone call to the main office). PLUS, they informed me that a credit card payment would be assessed an ADDITIONAL 3% FEE (I was surprised that a company this size would have this policy). Had the CS rep informed me of this little nugget over the phone at the time I made the appointment, I would have just brought a check.

Besides the payment issue which I suspect will be a non-issue once they have all the staff trained and bugs worked out, the experience is a solid 4.5 stars!

Ronnie A.

12/14/2016

Excellent service all around! I would recommend them to anyone in the puget sound area.

George P.

12/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Quick, clean and efficient. They snaked our basement drain and took care of everything.

Kurt G.

2/16/2017

Arrived on time. Analyzed the problem, explained it in layman's terms, and recommended solution, with quote. Worked quickly, cleared drain, and recommended maintenance solution to avoid future visits. Friendly, personable, professional.

Mary S.

7/15/2019

We called Bob Oates when our toilet overflowed one morning, and they arrived quickly the same day to take care of it. We ended up hiring them to replace our sewer line, and they were great. They worked well past dark to complete the job and make sure everything was working, and all the staff were super polite and respectful. Because they did such a great job, I also hired them to replace the faucet in my bathroom. I definitely recommend this company.

Amanda O.

07/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

Jeovany M. was very thoughtful, helpful and prompt! He was able fix a problem with my shower pressure, and determined what was causing the ongoing problem. Jeovany is very friendly and easy to work with. Hopefully I won't have any more problems anytime soon, but if needed, I'll be calling Bob Oates.

Anna H.

1/25/2017

We just had a great experience with Bob Oates. The first plumber they sent couldn't fix the problem so he called someone in the company with more experience who came by to assess the situation. Then they sent another guy who specialized in our particular problem, so three heads all working together over multiple hours and they still kept it under $700. We really appreciated the honesty and integrity. The only downside was that initially we had an afternoon window of 4-6pm but by 5:45 the guy hadn't shown up yet so I cancelled not wanting to start a plumbing job at night. Thankfully it wasn't an emergency.

Dan F.

10/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

They were able to schedule me an appointment when I called on a Sunday evening, they showed up right in the middle of their arrival window, were extremely professional and courteous. They were also very upfront about their rates, and gave me a couple suggestions on long term fixes for my clogged French drain. Couldn't ask for better service!

Jason L.

12/24/2016

There was a leak in the shower head in my bathroom. It's supposed to be a very easy fix. The problem is the nut in the handle bar is rusty and stuck. I tried the Allen wrench myself and it wouldn't work. The plumbers from Bob Oates helped cut the handle bar. Then we realized the cartridge inside the handle bar also got stuck. Cut the cartridge too. The replacement part bought from Home Depot didn't stop the leak and the plumber went to Home Depot and bought another one. Finally got the issue fixed. Their service could be a little bit expensive. But it's around Christmas time and it's a bit harder to get help in time. Bob Oates sent the plumbers to our home on the next day after I called. Overall I'm very happy with it.

Lorne J.

6/29/2020

Like the review from Tommy N, I really wanted to like this local company. We had a partial sewer line replacement. It's difficult to compare bids with a complex project like this so we elected to go with the local guys. While we have no problem (yet) with the quality of the work we were stunned to see their crew mostly hang out in their trucks and not doing work. Often times there would be one person working and 2-3 others hanging out in their trucks. Finally, on at least one occasion workers were overheard telling their supervisor to put them down for highly inflated time on the job rather then actual time. I know, I'm retired and watched the whole thing. When I called them out on this their response was you accepted the bid and we don't work by the hour. I would avoid this company, their business model is to exact as much money as possible from the client and they obviously grossly over-estimate the needed amount of time necessary to complete the job hoping the client isn't savvy enough to notice. And then thumb their nose at the customer when they receive a complaint. I won't make that mistake with them again, I'll go elsewhere.

Roshan G.

09/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

Called, got my questions answered, and an appointment within a week. Tech came exactly on time. Very professional, quick, and efficient - and fixed a few small extra things he saw as a courtesy. Cleaned up everything before he left, charged exactly what was estimated. Awesome! Think I found my new plumber.

Darren L.

12/13/2016

Called this morning and got scheduled for someone to come out almost immediately. 30 mins later Shane showed up and was really friendly and courteous. All together it only took a few minutes for him to snake the drain and pull out what was clogging the tub. No gimmicks or anything just took care of my problem and was on his way. I'm still baffled by how easy and professional this was. Super polite and friendly service. Will call Bob Oates again the next time we have a problem.

Kris J.

5/13/2019

Casey & Willem at Bob Oates Plumbing are top notch when it comes to solving plumbing issues! They were courteous, arrived promptly, assessed the situation, and resolved the clogged tub drain in some very old plumbing quickly. They made sure the drain functioned properly and cleaned up the water before they left. This is not the first time I have called Bob Oates and it will not be the last as is the case with old pipes. Thank you Casey & Willem, see you next year!

Zach Q.

12/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

I've had experience with 3-4 sewer/drain companies and up until now, I wouldn't say any of them were great. However, my experience with Bob Oates today was top notch. Booking was easy via email, the tech Shane communicated well, arrived on time, did great work and promptly fixed the issue. Will use them again, for sure.

Cammy H.

05/02/2019 12:00:00 SA

I couldn't be happier with the excellent service we received from Bob Oats Plumbing today. When I called yesterday, I was given next day options that fit into my schedule. Casey arrived right on time! He easily analyzed the problems and gave me a couple of options, with quotes. In no time at all my issues were fixed and Casey left our home very clean and problem free. Casey is amazing! With a smile on his face, a can do spirit and answers to ALL my questions, Casey provided a relaxed and very professional experience for me today! I will definitely use Bob Oats Plumbing in the future. Thank you, Casey!

Lei Y.

11/27/2017

I used this company twice. Last year I spent $4,000 and thought the sewer line problem was solved. Within 15 months the problem came again and this time they charged me $7,000 to replace another part of sewer line. I've heard that the problem might arise again because the rest of the line shared between I and my neighbor is still not replaced. National average to replace the sewer line is $106 per foot but this company charged me more than $300 per foot. It's just like robbery. I know it's a well-known company and easy to win trust from clients. But you can't cheat and frighten your client like this!

David B.

4/29/2019

I've used them twice now and both times they were great, no regrets, I definitely recommend them. Casey from Bob Oates came out to my house today to clear a blocked sewage line and he was amazing. He took the time to show me every inch of our line to the street, talked to me about the cause of the backups, gave me some options to consider for the long term, and called in another tech to assess the issue and give me an estimate to consider repairs for the future. Their prices are probably not the lowest but I've paid more for similar work unfortunately so I think they are in the range of typical prices. I've read some of the negative reviews on here and most seem to deal with price. I can't speak to their experience but I've used them twice now and both times both estimates were exact.

David H.

4/22/2016

Bob Oates rebated $156 of the overcharge I felt took advantage of my tenants & properly matched his fixed price quote of $550 vs excess over-billed. Still high priced for replacement of a faucet but credit to Bob for being attentive to the complaint & rebating the overcharge. Tenants seem pleased with new faucet in kitchen & I wish to acknowledge Bob's responsiveness & good customer service!

Elma B.

11/26/2016

I highly recommend Bob Oates Plumbing. They made themselves available at a very short notice! I had multiple clogged items - and Jeremy evaluated the problem and fixed them in no time. Jeremy was courteous and professional. He also shared lots of tips to prevent future glogs - Thank You Jeremy. You are the Best. Happy Holidays! Elma.

K B.

11/18/2016

New disposal installed in the same day!
The first guy showed up almost an hour prior to my 2 hr appt. window. I wasn't home, so over the phone he was aggressively trying to get me to spend 3x more (warranties, replacement parts, over quoted for the service compared to when I called in). He left because he would have to wait for my appt window. I decided to buy my own replacement and the second person they sent Daniel was easier to work with. He got it done quickly and helped me us the yelp promotion to save a little. I would use them again, but it would be great if they all got on the same program.

Landry C.

09/06/2017 12:00:00 SA

I would have given this company negative stars if I had the option. A few months ago I needed help with a leaky outdoor faucet. Bob Oates sent a plumber to my house, and they put two giant holes in my wall and told me a water line wasn't connected to the faucet. He charged me for the service and gave me a quote of $2,000 to fix the connection (I did not pay for the follow up service). A week later I came to find out the plumber completely misdiagnosed my outdoor faucet issue. After finding out from an actual legitimate source that the plumber gave me false information, I reached out to Bob Oates general manager to request a full refund and repair of my drywall. The general manager was difficult to work with to get the drywall patched (i.e. cancelations and reschedules with drywall specialist which lead me to miss work several times). They finally repaired my wall, but failed to follow up on the refund. After multiple attempts to get my money back, the general manager strung me along for weeks in hopes that I would back off. I still have not received my refund. Worst customer service ever.

Ross D.

3/15/2019

We had a shared sewer line that was quickly failing and we got three estimates. Unlike one of the other companies, Bob Oates did not charge for scoping the line and gave a few options on repairs, ranging from fixing only the urgent matter (failed segment of pipe) to adding multiple clean-outs where there were none before, to adding a pipe liner to keep root intrusion at bay. We and our neighbors chose a middle-of-the-road option and there was no upsell pressure from Bob Oates. The work was prompt and the clean-up thorough. They were not the cheapest bid, but since theirs was the only bid that was clearly explained, they still may have been the best value.

Lari L.

03/12/2019 12:00:00 SA

I discovered a slow leak behind a wall containing a number of pipes, both drainage and hot & cold water lines, just on the other side of our hot water heater.
Jeovany came out, determined which pipe was leaking, and provided an estimate for the work to fix it. When I scheduled the repair, he was the one to come do the work, along with an assistant (Mike?).
My criteria for a 5 star job is: on-time, on-budget, quality work, quality communication. Jeovany and co-worker hit all these, including being quite clear about the extent of the dry wall cutting and confirming that I was ok with that, and understanding that the follow up drywall repair would be outside their scope.
Moreover, Jeovany went the extra mile by:
1) suggesting they also cap off an unused Washer hookup the leaking pipes fed into,
2) adding in hot and cold shut-off values at the top of the water heater on the other side of the wall.
Kudos! Jeovany is professional, friendly, great on the teamwork (treats assistant well), and most important--does high quality work. Thanks, guys!

Mehdi Z.

10/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

Knowledgeable, fast, on time and keen on solving my not so easy clogged drain predicament. Will definitely call back next time I am in need of a plumber.

Stephen C.

01/02/2010 12:00:00 SA

This is an updated review.
These guys are really prompt and get things done well. I had a bad experience with one employee, who I've never seen again. They have done at least 5 jobs for me and only one was a negative experience. The quotes have been competitive and the service prompt and complete.

Raquel A.

2/27/2019

Dewayne, Joevany, and Mike just came out to my home and jetted my sewer line. Not only did Dewayne quickly respond to me at anytime of the day, I was so impressed with his professionalism and he made me feel secure about the plumbing job. Joevany and Mike were so knowledgeable, friendly, hard working, and educated me about maintenance in plumbing and as a first home buyer I learned from them for future maintenance work and how to prevent a sewer clogged from happening again. I would recommend them to anyone. They are honest plumbers and I have met so many! Thank you again for helping me with my emergency.

Sandy S.

11/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

I called Bob Oates for a weekend sewer crisis and they came, and got my drains flowing. For that I am giving them some stars because plumber AJ did a competent job. Stop there! Don't call them for anything big! Because when they came back during the week to investigate the cause of the back-up I was told I needed a $6k clean-out installed in my driveway just to be able to see inside the pipes, so that he could tell me what other work needed to be done! After my contractor friend expressed skepticism, I called some other sewer companies and got some great advice: 1-stay away from Bob Oates and 2-it was just a block formed by toilet paper and too many teenagers. So glad I didn't spend my retirement savings on this unnecessary project from this unethical company.

Papillong S.

12/14/2012

They charged me $245 for a snake job. Other companies are around $100 range. I totally got screwed and the snake job didn't fix the problem. It was a pipe issue - rather than sending me a written scope of work, they sent a plumber out there w/out my understanding or consent for doing the job. I was given a verbal quote.

The office girls were inefficient. They called us twice to get our billing information...the plumber had transposed my credit card numbers. Total unorganized and lack of communication between their staff.

Also, they are NOT certified with the Better Business Bureau.

Lara L.

1/24/2019

We live in a 1920s Ballard home, which falls prey to the old concrete plumbing and multiple upgrade fixes over the years. Tyler A. came out to assess a back flow issue in our basement. We were not an easy fix but Tyler continued to sleuth through all the potential problems until he found the culprit. Tyler was incredibly conscientious about keeping his work as contained and clean as possible with such a dirty job before him. He is an excellent communicator, is great to work with, and I can't recommend him highly enough!

Raul H.

5/14/2012

I would not recommend Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter. Their prices are quite high and they charge hidden fees.

When I called for an estimate, no one mentioned the $50 service charge, $20 truck operating surcharge, or the $135 diagnosis fee (though it was mentioned promptly by the tech when he arrived). Getting a diagnosis & estimate set me back $224.48 with tax in return for which I got a quote of $1,200 to replace a shower valve (parts included).

I decided not to use Bob Oates. In the end, I was able to get it done for $650 ($250 parts, $400 labor) with another contractor.

Pipi L.

2/26/2011

My sewer saga continues:

My experience with Doug at Bob Oates plumbing couldn't have been better. He gave me a reasonable bid to replace 100 feet of sewer line with a trenchless approach. The job was big, but we weren't inconvenienced at all. We all take flushing for granted until we can't do it.

I highly recommend this company.

Damon F.

12/27/2016

I had Bob Oates come out last week. They charged me for a sewer snake and camera for $325 + $100 weekend additional fee. They didnt use the camera which was supposed to be included in fee. At end of hour the guy said he had used up hour and that he would send someone out next week to do camera.

I believe I was charged for something I was not provided. The fee for just snake without camera should have been less.

Sean N.

11/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

There is a reason a company gets multiple 5 star reviews. It's because of their outstanding customer service. From the moment I called, to the moment the truck left my driveway ( 5 minutes ago) I received nothing but outstanding service at extremely reasonable pricing. Shane was great, on time, thoughtful, and informative. I called 3 places before making a decision and I am so glad I chose to give my business to Bob Oates. I will use them anytime I have the need for a plumber and I will recommend them to anyone I know who needs a plumber, They are an outstanding company.

Paul H.

5/13/2018

I've used them twice now. Both times they were professional, quick and got the job done with minimal fuss or interruption of my day. I consider them my go to for plumbing now.

Katie M.

11/02/2015 12:00:00 SA

Bob Oates (more specifically, Daniel and Cameron) saved the day (Month, actually).

We started experiencing some drain backup in our basement (could not use master shower, kitchen sink, dishwasher, laundry room sink or washing machine) so we called our Home Warranty company to send someone out to fix it. The first company (Incompetent Company #1) sent a technician that was absolutely worthless! He charged us $75.00 to tell us that he didn't know what the problem was, but that it would most likely be a collapsed pipe and might cost about $13,000. He offered no solutions or help and just said Sorry, I can't help you. Obviously, not what we were hoping to hear.

I called Home Warranty back, and requested another company (More Incompetent Company #2). The first guy was HOURS late and never called, etc. to say he was on the way. He finally arrived, found an issue at about 50' with the snake and was going to have a camera guy come out the following week. This is where it started to go downhill. The camera guy first brought the wrong size camera and was going to have to come back another day. I called them and said that was unacceptable as my husband had taken the day off to be there. They ended up driving out another camera and the guy came back later that night. He said that he found a collapse at 10' and that we would have to jackhammer up our basement to fix it. We said OK and they were scheduled to come out the next week. The day before he came, we requested that they double check his work as we were concerned about jack hammering up the concrete in our house without a 100% conviction of the location of the problem. We were informed that he was no longer with the company and that they would send another guy out the next day to figure it out. When he showed up, he said that the problem was NOT in the floor (SERIOUSLY?!?) but in the wall. However, they couldn't take care of it then, but would have to come back out another day. This is now trip # 4 and a MONTH later. He comes out a few days later and cuts a hole in the drywall of my finished basement. Oops. That isn't where the problem was! Now they have to go through the wall behind my shower, which would ruin the bathroom and cause us to have to replace the shower. However, they couldn't do it then (of course) and would have to come back out...

This was where we drew the line. We had now waited over a Month for this problem to be fixed without being able to use our kitchen at all, do any laundry or use the master shower.

I called Bob Oates in desperation around 2:00 in the afternoon on the day that the other guys cut a hole in my wall. They quoted me $250 to send someone out that night to at least try and get the clog (or whatever) open. Daniel and Cameron showed up ON TIME and were extremely professional and really knew what they were talking about. They asked us if either company tried going at the clog from another location (both other companies only went through the laundry drain). He then proceeded to try to unclog from multiple other locations and finally was able to get it unclogged after going through the top floor master bathroom!

They gave us the impression that they were going to do whatever they needed to do to make sure that we got working plumbing again that night, and stayed well later than they were originally supposed to. Bob Oates even re-arranged other appointments that evening in order to give them enough time to stay and help us... Excellent service.

Unfortunately, the problem isn't totally fixed as we need to get the lines Hydro-Jetted, but we will be calling Bob Oates soon to get it done! I won't go anywhere else.

Thank you Bob Oates and Daniel and Cameron. You rescued us when we were so frustrated and at the end of our ropes, and we couldn't be more grateful.

My ONLY criticism is that the woman on the phone quoted us $250 for the after hour service which was wrong as it ended up being over $400. I would make sure that the person who is quoting the service has the prices correct, as that was a little frustrating. However, it was well worth it!

Carol A.

8/31/2017

We had an estimate done where Jeovany had gone under the house, taken pictures of the hole in the pipe and gave an estimate of $1950 - $40 for parts and the rest for 8 hours of labor. We scheduled for Friday but he had an emergency call so we rescheduled for Monday but he was sick so we rescheduled for Tuesday which was not a big deal as we have a second 1/2 bath. When he was here doing the work he was great, very polite and hard working and was done in half the time as there were no problems and he was able to do some of the things that he had thought would take a couple of hours in minutes. When he was done after only 4 + hours I was super excited because most of the estimate had been for labor, however the bill was over $2000. When I questioned it I was told it was because the space was so small. I would have thought that was taken into consideration in the estimate. Would it have been $4000 if it had taken the full 8 hours? So I'm happy the work was done and Jeovany was great but the pricing ....

Thank you for your quick response. My Dad owned a garage door business for years before he retired and I do understand the difference between flat rate and hourly. I think the issue was that the estimate was presented with the labor amount associated with the 8 hours of work. To a customer that implies a certain cost per hour, say $200 which might seem fair in an estimate situation. The customer should have it explained that the amount next to the 8 hours of labor is not for 8 hours of labor but is a flat amount for the job. We always made that very clear between installs (flat rate) and repairs. I understand your explanation but it was not presented that way in the estimate.

Joni M.

9/25/2015

I had a backed up main line pushing water through my shower drain after a load of laundry. I called at 2:00 pm on a Thursday and was given a 2 hour window from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Shane promptly arrived at 4:15 pm to not only clear our clog but he gave us helpful suggestions to avoid future clogging problems. We will be using them again...but hopefully not:)

Wendy H.

10/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

I am so impressed with the professionalism and promptness of this company and I am hard to impress. From my first phone interaction I was pleased with the attentive service I received. The appontment was scheduled for the following morning and the plumber arrived right on time. He was able to fix the problem quickly and he was very knowledgable and courteous.
I will not hesitiate to call them again and I will be telling my friends to do the same.

Dorian S.

6/25/2018

I could not recommend someone more highly. If you need any plumbing work done in Seattle these guys are the best! Sam and Efren did a fantastic job on my place. They were extremely professional, courteous, and trustworthy. They were always quick to respond. They worked quickly and answered all my questions. They gave me a quote and lived up to the pricing. Choosing anyone else would be a mistake!

Allen K.

03/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

Really impressed with Ellis from Bob Oates this morning. He showed up on time, looked at the toilet, and knew what was wrong almost immediately. Thankfully, it was only the wax ring on the toilet base, so it was a quick fix. He got right at it, and 1 hour later, all good to go! Thanks Ellis! Really helped us out this morning!

Shelley P.

01/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Highly recommended! We had a plugged-up sink and Shane was very helpful. What could have been a serious problem turned out to be easily solvable thanks to his expertise. He also provided a drain solution to help keep the drain clear. Excellent service.

Gina R.

11/15/2016

We've had an ongoing problem with clogged drains. We knew where the problem was, but couldn't get anyone to bid on fixing it, as it required cutting up the driveway, a retaining wall, and tons of digging. We just lived with it and called various companies to unclog it when necessary. The last go around, we called Bob Oates. They scoped the pipes and cleared the clog, cheaper than we've ever paid. Before they left, their estimator arrived to give us a bid on fixing the problem permanently. They came back a week later and did a great job, disturbing as little concrete and landscape as possible. And although it wasn't cheap, (what is?!) it was less than we thought it would cost. All their employees we dealt with were great. We would highly recommend this company.

Linda V.

5/24/2016

Shane from Bob Oats did a sewer inspection on a home we are thinking of purchasing. He arrived on time, efficiently completed the work and identified repair work which had been improperly installed by the previous contractor. Had these problems not been identified, we would have likely incurred significant problems in the near future. Thanks to Shane we can now go back to the current owner of the house and negotiate the repair work that must be done on the sewer.

Diane G.

1/31/2018

I sent a request for a price quote for a drainage problem that I had and got a quick response. The plumber arrived promptly, assessed the situation and got to work. He was completely finished and the bathroom back the way it was supposed to be in less than 2 hours. He was very personable and professional. I would like to commend him but I forgot his name Bob Oates, look it up and let him know that I thought he did a good job!

Dean W.

12/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

Service for my backed up sewer the same day that I called, and even though I'm on borrowed time, until I need to do a bigger project the two guys that came out to my house helped me think through options for getting the bigger fix (replace part of the main) done for the best cost. Overall, I'm happy I called them.

Gar-Yun H.

12/29/2016

Bob Oates is great! Our condo's kitchen sink flooded at night, and we hadn't used the faucet nor the dishwasher that day, so there was likely a clog in the main drain line. I called a few plumbers the next morning that were booked a few days out, but was able to get someone from Bob Oates to come take a look at the sink drain within an hour of calling. Giovanni was the plumber, and he was really helpful and friendly. Turns out the drain clog had resolved itself overnight, so he ended up not charging us anything (typically $70 or so for an inspection during week hours). Will definitely contact Bob Oates again if anything pops up.

Sarah D.

8/31/2016

Background:
Our basement was flooding from the bathroom toilet due to a clog in the line and my husband had already snaked it (he rented a machine) 2 times. We have old pipes and generally need to snake them about every 6 months due to root balls or just plain gunk build up. This time the problem wasn't completely resolved and we were worried. We purchased a special offer from Angie's list - $235 for a snake, camera and drain cleaning. We've had really bad experiences with plumbers before so I did a lot of research before going with Bob Oates.

Ease of making an appointment:
I initially sent an on-line request over the weekend but didn't receive a response so I called on Monday afternoon and was given a time of 8 am the next morning. The scheduler advised I simply needed to provide the order number to the technician when he arrived. It was very quick and easy. I should mention she failed to advise me that the $235 did not include tax and as others have posted - if you use your card there is an additional 3% service charge. I'm sure Angies list mentions something about tax and I just missed it.

Service:
Jeremy arrived on time and was very helpful and knowledgable. My husband was very impressed with the quality of the machinery. He said Jeremy took the time to explain everything he was doing and seeing on the camera. Jeremy was straight forward and honest - a refreshing change from past experiences. He explained our long term options and offered to have someone follow up for a free estimate. It's been 36 hours and no back-up! Jeremy was awesome!

Overall:
We will definitely use Bob Oates again and highly recommend them. Their prices are very reasonable and they seem to really pride themselves in being honest and doing the job right!

Greg W.

3/30/2016

Shane did an excellent job helping over the weekend when our basement flooded and helping us identify not only the best way to solve our immediate problem but also video to help us see what part was in our line and where the city stub was located. Costs were as quoted so we appreciated no surprises. Great work overall.

Angie H.

8/28/2018

We were very happy with Sam and Efron at Bob Oates. They called before they came, showed up on time, and were very professional. They diagnosed the problem right away (rusty vertical plumbing) and even cleaned all the rust out of the shower and aerators in the bathrooms and kitchen without changing us a dime. They gave us a very fair and reasonable quote and gave us a couple options on how to proceed. I highly recommend them and we will be using them in the future when it's time to replace our old galvanized pipes. For now though, they fixed our issue for minimal cost.

Jill H.

8/21/2018

We own a rental house in Seattle, but live in Los Angeles. When the sewer line went out, we called on several sewer companies remotely. Bob Oates came recommended by our Real Estate Agent - she used them personally and knew of others that was happy with their work as well. Bob Oates beat the next lowest quote by about $3,000. Since they do techniques such as pipe lining and pulling pipes they were not as destructive to our yard and patio as other companies would have been. We worked with Dan, he was very good at communicating with us and our tenants on when they would be there, water being shut off, and always getting back to us in a timely manner with our questions. We highly recommend Bob Oates Sewer and Rooter! Thank you Bob Oates!

Shiho C.

10/16/2015

I could schedule an appointment the next day. Tech was a little later than what was promised but the office contacted me ahead of time and let me know that he was on his way. He fixed the issue and the price was reasonable.

Dry P.

8/20/2018

Needed my sewer line fixed. It keep getting clogged. They explained the problem answered all my questions. Within two weeks from when I called it was relined and working great.

Mr. P.

07/09/2013 12:00:00 SA

Unfortunately, my experience with Bob Oates was not the best.

I called about a problem with my water line and they got a guy out there promptly to take a look. The guy who showed up was very friendly and immediately diagnosed the problem. And he very smartly suggested that it might be best to just replace the water line itself (a known issue). So far so good.

Sadly, that is where things took a turn for the worst. He said he'd need to call an estimator to come out. Great. But from there, everything went downhill. From the get-go, the estimator was clearly in sell mode. Again, the problem was with the water line and sprinkler system in the front of the house. The estimator however was obsessed with my sewer line (back of the house). He went on and on about how it had to be replaced because it just had to be chock full of roots, etc., and how this was really going to be expensive. He even went so far as to say he had looked it up ahead of time and how it was really going to make it a big job.

Luckily for me, I had gotten this very same sewer line video scoped two months prior and knew there was no issue. Strangely, though, when I told him this (as well as pointing out that I had not called about the sewer anyway), he told me I was wrong. Based purely on his imagination (because again, no one was interested in the sewer but him), he told me that there had to be a problem and the video couldn't have been accurate. BIG WARNING SIGN.

In any case, I finally managed to get him to focus on our actual problem. He gave us a quote and asked us if we wanted to get started. When I told him that his quote was $3,000.00 more than a prior quote we had received for the same service, his response was poor. I quote: Well then why are you wasting my time? Seriously. That is what he said. He then went on and on about how the other guy was clearly scamming us because he had not done an underground utilities location yet (odd given that e had not done one yet either). So I tell him fair enough, can you do a location and give me a written quote? He says he will and then send me a written quote.

After he leaves, I call the other place (Rick Moore at Fox Plumbing) and ask about the location stuff. Their response? Location services is a free city service and if something is in the way, we will just go around it. No difference in price. Not only that, but Rick actually seemed like an upstanding, honest guy. It made the choice an easy one. The fact that I never heard from Bob Oates again (no location, no estimate, no call, no nothing) also made the choice easier.

In any case, Fox came out and did the job the next week and everything is rosy (sewer included). I will not hesitate to use them again. Bob Oates on the other hand has lost my trust and thus my future business. I give them two stars because their tech seemed nice and arrived promptly. Negative three stars, however, for their estimator who was the absolute epitome of a pushy, bad salesman.

Silad O.

3/25/2015

I called Bob Oates Sewer, Rooter, & Plumbing on a Tuesday night around 6:00 p.m. Seeing on yelp how they had great reviews and all so customer care picks up say we can send a plumber to you tonight but for a fee of $250.00? I was confused saying well your services say 24hrs she replied yes but you are calling after 5:00p.m so are now we are after hours she tells me that regular hours 7 to 5 which there is a show up fee than tells me some one from our office will call you tomorrow Wednesday came never heard from them. I don't know about everyone else but I work till 3p.m. then I'll be lucky to home by 3:50 so I never even got there plumbing services sad ended up calling another plumber service

Dane W.

8/17/2015

My experience with Bob Oates Plumbing was great! I had a kitchen sink that was clogged up pretty bad. I called them a little before 1:00, and they had someone out to my house by 2:30. After about a half hour, Konrad had everything cleaned out and running. All-in-all, it was a painless experience. I highly recommend them!

Paul F.

01/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

I had the pleasant experience with John from Bob Oates yesterday. John was very pleasant and extremely helpful. I had a few issues, one that was urgent regarding a leaking sewer line. He fixed all three and provided some extra information and service as part of his time since he was there. I will be using him again shortly to do some other work we discussed while he was on site. Best plumbing experience I've had and reasonably priced.

Alex W.

2/14/2017

No response after last contact. I should not pay the remaining bill until the issue is being taking care of. Lesson learned.

Pat L.

12/28/2015

2nd time I have used Bob Oates services. I called around 9am asking for help with my 12-year old hot water heater not providing hot water. I was initially scheduled for appointment the next day, which was fine. 10 minutes later I get a call back, due to a cancellation someone could come immediately - and that's what happened! Daniel arrived, assessed the problem (new water heater needed), installed it and done. Very professional, knowledgeable and nice. He gave me hot water heater 101 education in a pleasant manner and answered all of my questions,
I love this company, it's a small-locally owned business. I would give them more than five stars if I could.

Robert H.

3/23/2017

Bob Oates plumbing saves the day. Had a main line blockage over the weekend. Shane from Bob Oates was on site within 2hrs and got us back online in less than an hour. Very professional and thorough. Hope I don't need again for awhile but if I do I'll be calling again. Thank you Shane

Rob D.

5/23/2016

Mysterious price quote changes

We had a clogged drain and made the situation worse by loosing our snake in the drain. It went a few feet down and was not reachable. Of course this happened after 3:00pm on a Friday. Called Bob Oates. Told that a $100 fee (weekend and after hours would be added to the standard fee). Not happy that this would be a minimum of around $350, but I understood and was willing to pay. I explained about the snake and asked if they had strong magnets or other retrieval tools and was assured that they did and was not an uncommon problem.

Technician shows up (don't think he was a plumber, because he later said you will need a plumber to fix this) and he tells me that the office 'dispatcher' is incompetent and doesn't know her pricing. $100 weekend fee plus $60 or more job after hours premium. Probably should have let him go then, but wanted the sink fixed and stupidly agreed. Guy seemed like he didn't know what he was doing. He did unclog the drain but said no way to retrieve your cable will need the office to call you next week and schedule a plumber and tear apart your walls.

Call today from the same dispatcher. Tell her what happened and that technician said she doesn't know the pricing. Her response was priceless: they may have a different price book in the truck that I am not aware of. Be careful with this one.

I am not sure yet if it can or cannot be retrieved without tearing apart the walls, but don't like being told one thing on the phone and another in person with a very different price.

J L.

01/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

Shane was prompt, efficient and professional. He worked to clear the clogged drain and got it cleared and was neat as well. Very good technician. He also answered questions courteously and gave instructions on how to keep the drain clear. Thanks, Shane!

Colin S D.

2/28/2017

My wife and I are very happy with the service and professionalism the OATES team showed when replacing our saniflo ejector pump. I highly recommend their team and always refer family friends to check them out.

Sophie V.

7/13/2015

Nothing but 5 stars all throughout the visit by Robert. I waited through the weekend( why do toilets break late Friday's?) for a normal appointment,which fortunately came first thing Monday. Robert was courteous and efficient,and had the necessary parts to quickly fix the toilet and tell me that I had an option to get a better up to date part that wasn't central to the problem. There was no sales pressure,it just made sense to get it when he explained how the new part worked better. The guarantee on the work is great also. I will be calling Bob Oates for any future plumbing crisis.

Adam B.

3/30/2018

We had a blocked sink in our new house and Casey fixed it lickety split. Great service, fast response, and personable staff.

K M.

08/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

Overall, a positive experience. Luckily, the sewer blockage had run its course and we only had to pay for a camera to check the pipes. They ran on time. I didn't give five stars simply because they offer three online coupons, but they really don't want to accept them, unless you mention them when you book. That's not clearly stated. I didn't know what work would be done, so I was waiting to see which coupon was most applicable. They did honor it, but not really graciously. Also, when I inquired about an estimate for an outside access point for our sewer line, that needed to be another appointment, which I found confusing.

If I needed to, I'd probably use them again. I would just suggest a more upfront approach towards the customer. Plumbing, especially sewer problems can stressful and costly. Customers want a really transparent approach to feel comfortable.

T C.

11/14/2014

They came out the same day and fixed a clogged bathroom sink. Very nice and professional service tech. They seemed to be very expensive. They fixed the problem quickly and cleaned up any mess.

Salsera S.

10/16/2017

The plumber who they sent, Jeovany was super nice, quick, and efficient and gave me good advice on how to fix our leak.

Stephanie G.

2/26/2018

This is an ethical company. I highly, highly recommend. Andrew was patient and talked us through every step of the process on a sewer repair bid. He was clear, fair, honest and kind. I am really struck by their professionalism.

Owen L.

02/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had a backed up sewer line and called Bob Oates on a Saturday morning. The kind receptionist transferred our call to a tech right away. After the tech assured us they could handle the problem, the receptionist scheduled Jeremy to come over within two hours. Jeremy presented himself professionally and was a pleasure to work with through the entire process! Within 30 min of setting up, Jeremy was able to rooter out the drain and solve the problem! It was overall a great experience! Jeremy was on time, knowledgeable and friendly. Jeremy gave us good advice to unclog another slow moving tub drain in another part of the house. He was careful to put on shoe covers when he came into our house and did a great job cleaning up after the work was completed. We highly recommend Bob Oates and Jeremy. We will definitely call Bob Oates in the future!!

James N.

1/29/2016

badplumbers.org/consumer…

Read this before you read any other review. You will get an education on what questions to ask any plumbing company, not just this criminal.

There is hardly sn hourly rate plumber out there. And most drain cleanings you can do yourself. Just google or YouTube it. Basic plumbing is not hard at all. But that is not what I thought at first. Using Oates to camera and clean a simple cleanout ran me $600 plus. I could have done it myself with a 25 foot manual drain wand $29...from any hardware store. 15 minutes. $600.

Total ripoff. Hope when Bob goes to Hell he wont burn but stew in eternal sewage.

Hilary S.

12/29/2016

Bob is very fast to respond and get appointments scheduled. I've used them for a few recent issues and they are very honest, don't overcharge or try to sell you services you don't need. They are my go-to!

Brad S.

12/28/2015

These guys are great. I had 2 other plumbers come over and could not figure out how to fix my hot water problem, they told me I either needed a whole new tank or at least a $300+ fix. . Erik came out and fixed it in about 10 minutes flat FOR FREE.. He knew how to adjust the locking temp gauge and the others just didn't..They thought it was just broken and/or wanted to gauge me for $$$. Call Erik!!!

brad s.

7/18/2015

I called on a Friday morning at 8:30am to fix our garbage disposal and they had someone at our door by 10am. Konrad was professional and knowledgeable and fixed the problem in under an hour. As a first time customer who was self referred by YELP, I received a $50 coupon for their service.

Liz D.

4/27/2017

Prompt and professional. Isaac arrived an hour early for our appointment. Our home was built in the 40's/50's and the plumbing is outdated to say the least. We experience back ups in the upstairs bathroom on occasion and this time around we decided to call bob Oates for some professional help. Highly recommend this company!!!

Katie C.

12/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

I had a great experience with Jeremy. He was very professional and knowledgeable. I appreciated his integrity, excellent advice and good nature.

Kirman T.

11/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

Wrong diagnosis. Huge estimate. Unpleasant discussion. Great outcome with a different plumber:

After my friend and I installed a new tub and then left for home (far away) there was a leak. Rather than travel again, I opted to hire a plumber and a friend offered Bob Oates name. For $70 they appear at the site, evaluate the problem and then call with a bid. Their bid was $800. The man at the site described the work needed, but it made no sense to me. I asked him to wait and called the company. They called the site man and then called me back to say they could lower the price to $675, and described the work needed (lots-including rebuilding part of the drain line), which again didn't fit my sense of the problem. They got mad at my questioning their diagnosis and quit.

I called another plumber, one I'd worked with before and trusted. He came out and found it was the tub spout that was improperly installed. He fixed it with an different type of spout which took less than an hour. He charged me $100.

Mary S.

10/15/2014

After A long weekend away, I came home to a shower still filled with 4 day old water. I called Bob Oates Plumbing, ant Mark arrived to check out the problem. He was clean cut, professional and determined. On his first attempt, the line jammed, so he dragged up the largest auger he had. Unfortunately, this was too big to fit through the drain. He repaired the original line, and after repeated attempts, he got the problem solved. The price was fair and I plan on calling them in the future for my plumbing needs.

William T.

4/27/2017

My sewer was clogged in a bad way, basement flooding and the smell was so horrible that we had to stay at Best Western Motel in Lynwood for a few days. After calling several companies on a Sunday morning (most unwilling to come out until Monday I might add) I finally found Bob Oates and i'm glad I did. John referred me to Aaron who came out, put a camera down my line and found roots and broken pipe. Aaron discussed many options to us and we both agreed that lining the pipe was the best option. Bright and early on the following morning I was surprised to see a crew of young men getting busy to resolve my issue. Man did the work fast! My sewer line was finally opened and thankfully the basement flooding was virtually gone by the end of the day. On Tuesday the crew came with the liner and installed 15 feet to restore my line. Wednesday them came and finished the liner pipe. Thursday the inspector came out and signed off on the work and by the end of Friday it looked like nothing ever happened. The speed, the care and the professionalism was beyond great and I had a VERY positive experience with Bob Oates and would not hesitate to recommend them to my friends and family.

Fred M.

10/17/2016

We had to arrange a quick appointment to resolve a house sale inspection issue.Shane showed up on time and quickly resolved the issue. I was very happy with the service and we would use Bob Oates again.

Chris P.

4/13/2017

Professional and responsive. They called me earlier than expected because of a cancellation and was able to quickly replace my pressure reducing valve.

Ann C.

8/25/2017

I hired Bob Oates to do a complete re-plumbing of my house. Their bid was reasonable and they got the job done faster than estimated. Sam and Chris were great to work with. I highly recommend them for any size job.

D Z.

08/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

Team Oates did an amazing job repairing our collapsed sewer line. It involved two 14 foot holes dug in very tight spots, negotiation with the neighbor since the line was shared, and reconstructing the landscaping when it was all said and done. They were caring and accommodating keeping us very much in the loop sometimes hour to hour. You may take your sewer line for granted and when it goes wrong you have little recourse. I am happy we chose Bob Oates as they were quick, kind, and did it right. I highly recommend them.

Tricia F.

11/03/2014 12:00:00 SA

Kudos to Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter. With a call first thing this morning, they provided a reasonable window (12-2) to come by. Jeremy arrived 20 minutes early, and had the problem (a nasty hair ball lodged past the pee trap) resolved in less than 10 minutes. I appreciated his candor about what had happened and his DIY suggestions to prevent recurrence. Calling a plumber never conjures up warm fuzzies, but this experience encouraged hope. If I ever have another plumbing issue, I will be sure to call Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter.

Stephan J.

2/16/2016

I had a blocked downspout at my house causing the gutters to overflow. I emailed Bob Oates on a Sunday evening to request an appointment and had a quick response the next morning. I was given a two hour window for the service call. They were also kind enough to give a 30 minute warning when the drain tech was on the way. Shane arrived exactly at 10am, the start of the two hour window for arrival which was great. After a quick review of the problem, Shane was able to jet my downspout and removed the blockage. He was also able to confirm water was again free flowing. The appointment took 50 minutes and the experience was great. I highly recommend this company for any sewer and drain related issues. I believe they also have 24 HR service calls for those more urgent plumbing emergencies. They also have a 10% Yelp discount for new customers, which was a significant savings on the service!

Sandy N.

6/21/2015

I have nothing but praise for this company. The workman arrived on time, cleared up the problem, and didn't leave a mess. The office worked with us so we could take advantage of an offer on Angie's List. Next time I need a plumber, I'll call Bob Oates.

Kim S.

1/17/2017

I had a clogged bathtub drain, I called right before they closed Mon and they were able to come out first thing Tues morning. It was fixed quickly. Isaac also put my sink pipes back together! My only complaint is that they don't tell you about the 3% credit card charge when you make the appt. No additional charges if paying by check but couldn't find checkbook.

Don E.

01/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

Both sinks in my condo bathroom suddenly developed fully clogged drains on a day when I was expecting visitors within a few hours. Building maintenance was unable to fix it after two hours of attempted snaking. Several frantic calls to local plumbers failed to find a reputable one who could guarantee quick same-day service - until I luckily happened to reach Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter. They dispatched Drain Technician Jeremy, who arrived in half an hour, confidently sized up the problem, quoted a price for the attempt, and proceeded to clear the clog with a snake in a few minutes, saving the day. This is a company I will definitely recommend to others and think of first for future plumbing problems.

Sabrina M.

7/26/2016

The man who came to look at the pipes was nice but never sent me the estimate. I called a week later to report I was still waiting. That was at least 3 weeks ago. I give up.

Taylor M.

12/17/2016

Called in with a backing up sink, got same day service! The plumber was courteous and professional. Would highly recommend.

Juliana S.

05/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

Looking at reviews for Rooter people was scary. There were so many bad reviews for other companies! I read Bob Oates reviews and they were primarily great! And any review that wasn't so great, the company directly addressed. I liked that.

Every sewer problem is an emergency. I called at 11 a.m., and they were able to get someone here by noon! Jeremy explained everything he needed to do and was patient and knowledgeable. He quoted everything before he started the work. I am very happy with this company and the work they did. I'm so glad I took the time to read the reviews. Thanks so much!

Teagen D.

4/27/2016

We called Bob Oates last week when our sewer backed up while running a load of laundry. We called Monday morning and Shane came out to our house Monday afternoon. The problem ended up being a lot more complex than originally thought (whoever originally installed our plumbing many years ago didn't do a great job) and Shane worked tirelessly to get it fixed. Great service, great price...we are very happy customers. Thank you Shane and Bob Oats Plumbing!

Elle P.

1/20/2011

Whew... scratch my previous review. Bob Oates is the same kind of plumber as Beacon and Southwest. Bummer.

Seth W.

10/18/2013

I did not actually receive services from Bob Oates, rather my neighbor did. However, these guys were really nice, took some time to explain what they were doing to me. They were quick and seemingly got the job done right using some really cool non-invasive equipment.

Rachael P.

12/14/2015

Our basement drain flooded last week and nasty water rose up from the floor a few inches. We soaked up the water and knew this was something we couldn't fix ourselves. After reading some Yelp reviews and talking to some friends, we gave Bob Oates a call. Making the appointment was easy, and they had one available the next day. I even got a call an hour later asking if we wanted an appointment earlier since they had a cancellation. They gave a 2 hour window for the appointment, but the best part is that they call you when the technician is actually leaving for your house. So no waiting around the house until they show up. This is super helpful when taking time off work for an appointment. Shane got to the house right when they said he would, and he was truly a pleasure to work with. He was friendly, helpful, and explained everything (including costs) before he did it. He answered all of our questions and gave very honest advice. He roto-rooted our main drain and also our shower drain very quickly and made no mess whatsoever. The whole thing took about 2 hours and we were thrilled. He also gave us advice for future work/preventative maintenance. There was even a Yelp deal that helped save a little money, so check that out before you make the appointment. It was $155 for $200 worth of plumbing work. I think in all our bill was about $400, which was a bit of a shock at first, but you get what you pay for. There is no such thing as a cheap plumber. Call Bob Oates. You wont be disappointed.

J D.

11/25/2015

used them to install a new WC , they showed up on time and did a flawless install and removal of that must be a 1930's toilet

Chris G.

03/12/2014 12:00:00 SA

Called yesterday to set up an appointment to have my rental unit unclogged. They came out that next morning and unclogged a big hairball! Jeremy was friendly on the phone, took care of the clog quickly and they even had a coupon online to use! Great service. Thanks again!

Janell D.

07/01/2014 12:00:00 SA

These guys are great!! They were responsive, friendly and very prompt. Konrad came over same day and did an awesome job clearing out our blocked sewer line. He showed me the camera feed and took the time to explain and answer questions. Their prices are great and service top notch. Call them!

Gordon S.

09/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

Like others, I was pleased with their friendliness, promptness, price and ability to clear a clogged sewer and video the line. They identified a potential problem at a transition in the sewer line and offered to provide a quote to do the repair work. After delays and me requesting from them twice to send a quote for the work, I never received a response and so didn't pursue any further. Now, 6 months later, the sewer line is clogged again - I figure I will have to find someone else that actually wants the business. I'd give 3.5 stars if that was an option, but 4 is too much.

UPDATE: Bob contacted me based on this review. There seems to have been an email issue resulting in me not getting the original estimate. (Though it still seems odd that a business wouldn't follow up on a quote having not heard back from me...)

Bob offered to have a crew come to the property, and re-clean the sewer at no cost, and provided the estimate to do the repair work. They were willing to set up a return to do the work today. In any case, I had also lined up another company to provide an estimate (slightly lower) and they were able to get rolling.

I would consider using Bob Oates again in the future.

Corey H.

02/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

Highly recommended! A crew with integrity!
Honest, timely, thorough and priced right. What else could you ask for?! I will call on Bob Oates again.
I grew up in the construction business and have built and owned and/or rented several homes. This wasn't my first 'plumbing rodeo' and Bob Oates crew ensured this escapade was a smooth and safe ride.
I had a sewer line issue on a Sunday evening in January... not a good day/time of year to have such an issue. John answered the phone when I called Sunday evening and had their awesome water jet and camera guy on the scene in very short order. They had my home back in working order that night with a proper diagnosis and prescription. We are a family of four with two kids, so you can imagine how important it was to get back online quickly. The next day their execution crew came out and Andrew gave me a very reasonable bid and they had the whole job done in a couple of days. They kept me well informed, showed up when they said they would, kept the job site clean, took care of permitting and inspection and added a new clean out. Integrity and honesty from every person on the crew (from the phones to the jetting, camera, excavation, pipe fitters and management). If you need a good crew, call Bob Oates!

Cindy H.

1/15/2015

We had a main line break in our yard and Bob Oates Plumbing came out same day to give us an estimate that was straight forward and in line with other estimates we received. They came out the next day to do the work and John and his team were on time, professional and friendly. Best of all, they stayed within the estimate. I will definitely call them again should we have additional plumbing needs!

Noel S.

5/31/2016

I never thought I would say I love a plumber, but I love Bob Oates Plumbing! Shane and AJ were professional and really easy to deal with. I will definitely call them again.

Rory S.

12/29/2016

Shane came out this morning to troubleshoot and fix a drain issue that caused in overflow in our basement. He was very professional and communicative. He helped me understand how our plumbing system worked and also clarified his thought process in identifying the drainage backup. He quickly fixed our issue and gave some helpful tips on keeping our pipes and drainage system healthy. Thanks Shane!

David D.

1/31/2013

Sadly, we had two plumbing problems a week apart. Happily, our neighbors recommended Bob Oates! John came out a week ago and fixed our main drain, and Mark came out today to fix our toilet drain. They were both prompt, friendly and knowledgeable, and explained to me what the problems were and what they were doing to fix them. Highly recommended!

casey b.

10/18/2010

Professional workers, no uncomfortables feelings leaving them in the house unattended. Detailed description of all the work needed & done in terms that I couls understand. All equipment needed on hand, no oh I gotta come back later for a part I forgot Owner, Bob Oates even called me himself to make sure that I was happy! These guys pay attention to detail!!

Travis M.

7/27/2012

Ask for Mark. He was super fast and professional. He also went out of his way to help me with a side project at no extra charge. Super great experience overall.

C M.

10/20/2018

We have (now 'had') a very old sewer that backs up if roots are not removed once per year. We regrettably delayed this year's sewer clean out and came home one evening to find the sewer had backed up into the basement. Of course it was the one super rainy night in weeks so others were having sewer issues and all 24/7 plumbers were busy. We called half a dozen 24/7 plumbers, and Bob Oates was the only one of two where a person answered rather than a service or answering machine, and was the only one willing and available to come out late at night to unplug the main line. Connor arrived around 10PM after finishing another after-hours job, and very efficiently unplugged the main line sewer, clearing out over 100 feet of roots. And he did this with professionalism and smiles, and (unlike some of our prior experiences with other companies) never once complained about the weather or our finicky sewer nor the difficulty of the task. Also unlike other companies we have used in the past, he did not try to 'push' more services, including main line repair. He did say he had opened the main line as an emergency service but recommended we follow up with a hydro clean to remove all the roots and prevent another near-term backup. I called the next morning and was able to schedule this the next day - with Connor again. To be honest, we have been putting off replacing our main line, in part because of the high cost (we have gotten several bids over the past few years) and in part because we have never felt fully confident with the knowledge and professionalism of the company - most seemed only too eager to charge us a ton of money to replace the main line, and less eager to deal with the idiosyncrasies of an old sewer line on a slope. But we had such a positive experience with Bob Oates' emergency service and scheduling that we decided to get a bid from them, which we were able to schedule within 24 hours of the hydroclean. Andrew came out, video'd the line and called us to express significant concern about the sewer condition and to schedule a time to sit down with us to go over the video and the bid. This was the first company that took time to review in person and in great detail the video, the repair process, and the bid. And Andrew was the first person from any company who had intelligent answers to all of our questions. And the bid was the lowest one we had received in the last couple of years - and already included addressing issues that other companies had said would be a 'potential upcharge'. Further, we were able to schedule the mainline repair within the following week, and Andrew followed up with us by phone to provide explanation of findings and answer any questions. Other bids over the years had potential up charges and/or higher costs in part because they did not have long enough camera equipment to assess the main line all the way to the city main, in part because they didn't do or think to do a simple dye test to confirm how our downspouts drained into the mainline, in part because their trenchless approaches required multiple large holes (one bid involved tearing up a part of our deck, digging a 15 foot deep hole in the middle of the yard and a hole in the sidewalk). Bob Oates' company was able to line all the old concrete mainline from house to city mainline with a single 4x4x4 foot hole in the sidewalk.

Brad A.

4/27/2016

Read the reviews, selected Bob Oates, called in and they had next day appointments available. Jumped on it and Jeremy arrived right when they said he would be at my house. He promptly unplugged the drainage system while making sure to not damage the pipes. Quick and painless except for the dollars but that comes with the territory. I will use them again!

Tom D.

08/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

Service was prompt, efficient, and our problem was solved the same day. Shane was Great! He was courteous, knowledgeable, and explained in detail the work that was needed. The cost for the project seemed a bit high, but we were in a situation in which we needed an immediate fix. Based on research done after the job was completed, the pricing seemed to exceed the scope of the work. I would definitely use Bob Oates again, but if afforded the luxury of time, would have gotten a competing bid.

Emily H.

12/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

My first one star review...ouch. I feel like a one star review should only be doled out when you've really tried to like a place, and really tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but they do nothing but let you down. Bob Oates, I'm lookin' at you.

They first came out to take a look at our tankless water heater a couple years ago. It had been putting out a putrid sulfur smell, and the technician pulled out a filter inside which he said he need to change periodically. Fast forward to this fall, when the smell had returned (in truth it never fully went away, but now it had come with a vengeance). We also had a broken shower handle that needed fixing, so we called Bob Oates again. A technician came out, and I showed him the water heater filter they had changed the last time. He scoffed a little, and said, Who told you that was the problem? implying that we'd previously conferred with a fly-by-night, incompetent plumber. Umm, you guys did, I told him. He said the problem was not the filter, and that he'd need to flush out the tank, but didn't have the tools to do so, so he'd come back another time. He also needed to special order a part for the shower, and they would follow up on a good time to come flush the water heater. So, I figured things were on their way.

Three weeks later, I still hadn't heard back. I called them, and the dispatcher/receptionist said, Oh yeah, I see you on the list. The technician is on a call, so I'll have him call you back when he's done. No one called back. A couple days later I tried again, I'll have the technician get back to you. Again, no one called me back. I was getting irritated, so I had my boyfriend call. The receptionist told him, The reason we haven't called you is that we were waiting for the shower part to come in, but if you want we can come fix the water heater in the meantime. So...over a month after the original appointment, my boyfriend took the day off and the technician came back to fix the water heater. This time, he said he said it would be too difficult to rig up a system to flush the tank (initially he told me he'd just have to connect some hoses but now he said he had to do some welding in there), and we should just try washing out the filter again. Okay, color me confused, because that's exactly what he said we did wrong the last time. Anyway, he rinsed out the filter, and said they'd follow up about the shower. Later that evening, the bad smell was back, so obviously the filter method (still) does not work.

We didn't hear anything for about a week, but then on a random Wednesday my boyfriend got a call while he was in California, The shower part came in and someone is on their way to your house. I was at work, and my boyfriend was in a different state, and this was the first we were actually hearing from them with no warning. He told them no one was around, and we had no idea that they were coming, and that they should give me a call to schedule because he would be traveling for the next week. He gave them my phone number, and the receptionist said they would call me. Well, I never received that call, and I am tired of chasing after them, so I gave up.

I will say that we were not charged for any of this. But we did take valuable time off work in hopes of getting things fixed, and I'd happily pay a premium if we could actually receive the repairs we wanted. You shouldn't have to call a business repeatedly like a pathetic teenager, begging them to let you pay them for a service. So, there you have it, Bob Oates you have the dubious honor of receiving my first one-star review.

Justin B.

7/22/2014

Konrad Just stopped by to check out the drain below the back yard downspout. I had dug some of it up and tried to unclog it with the hose, but no luck.

We live in an older house- 1950s with concrete drains. Konrad explained that these sometimes have U shaped traps and the regular rooter would likely break the pipes or just not make the turn, so he would have to jet it instead- which was more expensive.

BUT, instead of jumping in with the more expensive option, he offered to dig it out just to make sure- an it turned out the pipes had been capped off! He just saved me about $400! Ill be digging a ditch and laying new pipe tonight, but Im glad to do it rather than forking over a bunch of money for something that wouldn't have solved the problem anyway.

Bonus- Konrad also gave me a shopping list so i would know exactly what parts to get a the hardware store to run the new pipes over to connect to a working drain.

Big thanks and shout out to Konrad with Bob Oates Sewer and Rooter!

Aditya B.

07/05/2018 12:00:00 SA

I had issues my sewer and during camera work it came to light that I would need to replace/repair drainage pipe. Because of shared pipe between my neighbor and I, it made process more difficult as I wanted to get everything done while the hole was open. I worked with Andrew, who did an excellent job explaining that the earlier estimate given by his ex-team member was off because he did not consider proximity to the telephone pole and other factors. It was not happy news, but Andrew did really great work. He explained in detail the whole process. He patiently worked with my neighbor as they were to dig a large hole from her side and couple of her large bushes had to be cut down. Crew did excellent job. On time, clean work. There were lot of curve balls during the project and Andrew kept me up to date. It was not an easy job any means. I had other quotes too but no one came close to in detail analysis and honesty about price. Work was done on time and even my neighbor who was worried about high price point, was happy and thankful about effort and quality of work.

Christian S.

05/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

They were on time, professional and did a great job helping me figure out what was wrong with a side sewer line that was backing up. It ending up being a pretty simple clearing and there was no pressure to do anything extra that wasn't necessary. They made some good recommendations for preventative things we could do on our own and things that they could do to help down the road. Again, all advice was giving without any big sales push, just good information. I would highly recommend Bob Oates if you are having drain issues.

Margot T.

06/02/2015 12:00:00 SA

Bob Oates plumber just left after 3 hours of work- charging us $1240. He said that we had to pay for the hourly rate of two people bc he was not yet a journey man and that the journey man sat and watched, but didn't do anything. He said that it was $170/hour for each guy. Labor was $60 and they round up to the hour . So our 3.2 hours got bumped to 4 hours. I'm livid and hoping the owner contacts me ASAP to refund the charges.

Peter H.

11/23/2015

Had a leak in our garage that had been going in for a bit and needed fixing. Called them and they came very quickly to take a look at it and give me an estimate. In two hours he fixed the problem and gave us peace of mind in a very polite and professional manner. Only thing unfortunate that happened was our garage got flooded when he accidentally mistook the neighbor's water shut off for ours. Still he did his best to help clean up as much as possible. In general, would gladly call again for help in the future on plumbing related problems.

Christine Y.

02/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

Well! I'm from Kent but the property that needs scoping is in Seattle to be clear. I was so stressed out at that time due to water issues to remember the names of the guys that I talked too. This isn't a lie. A guy told me to call one of your guys for a free scope then I call that guy and he doesn't know what I'm talking about. You need to communicate. I call back the guy who told me a free scope and he told me he will communicate to the other guy to give me free scope but never told him.

eric w.

1/28/2016

We had Shane come out to do some routine maintenance / cleaning of the sewer line. It was overall a great experience -- he was able to come out as soon as the day after I made the appointment, was on time, friendly + knowledgeable, and communicated all the steps they were doing. He was at our place for less than an hour, and they did a great job cleaning up. We got the video from him less than 24 hours later. We've had several companies do these kinds of jobs over the last 5-10 years, and can't recommend these guys or Shane highly enough. Great work!

Renee S.

12/14/2015

Plumbing issues are never fun and are typically expensive. If you live in the Seattle area, call Bob Oates!! Tonight Daniel (the technician) came out and helped me figure out the best and most economical way to fix my leaking kitchen faucet. A few months ago, Mark helped with leaky toilet issues. I am so impressed by the company for their ability to: schedule, show up on time, offer fair quotes/prices, and be flexible about staying until the problem is resolved. I will use them EVERY time!!

Ann M.

9/24/2015

Great folks. Thorough and inexpensive. We've used other folks with more name recognition but Bob Oates did a more thorough job and THEN stuck a camera down the line to make sure it was clean, and THEN want back at a trouble spot with a larger attachment. We will use them again if the roots come back.

Erin W.

07/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Have lived in a 1920's rental N. Seattle and have had multiple plumbing issues with the house since we moved in almost 5 years ago. This time it was a problem of the toilet backing up into the adjacent bathtub (gross). We've also had issues with standing water in the bathroom sink, kitchen sink, and overflow coming out of the main drain clean out on the side patio. It's nothing to have a plumber out here every 6-12 months because of the clay pipes, root issues, and age of the plumbing. My landlord (great landlord btw) has even been over several times himself to snake the line. Bob Oates Plumbing has been over before and suggested cleaning the pipes all the way to the road to prevent future issues. I believe the landlord just had them snake down a few feet to save money. In the long run- it would have been good to listen to them the first time because we've had multiple plumbing issues since for the same reasons. Long story short- Shane and AJ came by and did a water jet on the pipes all the way to the main sewer line under our street. They showed me the video footage from the sewer scope throughout the entire pipe from the main drain clean out to the street and explained the variance of piping, some maintenance issues, where there needed to be a repair, and best of all- no roots- all the way to the street! While I can't comment on the bill (very happy I'm a renter today) I can comment on the level of service. They were professional, good humored, and educational. Top notch company and people. I will know who to call when we do own a home!

Daniel B.

12/11/2013 12:00:00 SA

Arrived and solved the problem quickly and had lots of good advice to avoid the problem in the future. Konrad did a great job.

Kim V.

11/24/2012

The night before my man left for a work trip, our basement tub started backing up with water. Having grown up with delicate plumbing, I thought it was simply a clog.
I was not happy about this, since the last time I used a plumber at another house he ended up tearing up the neighbor's bathroom and it was a big mess. I am happy to say my experience with Bob Oates was quite the opposite!

I called the number, and a very nice and patient woman answered, and scheduled me for an appointment the next morning.

The plumber showed up on time, and didn't complain about the 20 steps AND a ramp he had to lug the rooter machine up to get to the house. Oh, and we have about 15 steps to go down to the basement. He cleared the drain, and then scoped it. Turns out 3 trees had grown through the concrete pipes in the house, completely breaking a 1 foot section! Can you say disaster?

So with this size of a job, I can say I think I have met the entire staff at Bob Oates. I had them at the house all day every day for over 3 weeks. I met the rookie, the pros, the concrete guy, and all were great to work with. It's not easy to have plumbers camped out at your house for this long, but we joked and made the best of it. I had no problem giving them a key and knowing they would take care of the place when I was out. They took great care in doing their work outside only if possible, and keeping us with the use of water while they worked.

Everything is flushing and flowing just fine now, and if we ever had another issue, I would not hesitate to call them again. Thanks guys!

Soren N.

03/12/2013 12:00:00 SA

Always a good choice in Seattle. Bob (owner) trains his staff personally and goes out of his way to make sure that his team is doing exceptional work.

I would venture to guess that the one or two bad reviews on this business are from people who are extremely difficult to please. I've never had a problem with this company nor do I expect I ever will.

Kathryn N.

8/26/2014

I am changing my review to the most negative possible. Turns out their quick service and assurances did not fix the problem. My basement flooded with sewage again 3 weeks after I shelled out for what they assured me would be a fix. When I called them again to unblock it, it only lasted....3 days. At which point they made me a bid to replace all the lines...which, even discounting the price of the second two fixes was 25% higher than the two other bids. Forget these guys. Not even a complaint to Better Business shaped them up.

Patrick A.

02/08/2017 12:00:00 SA

They did a fine job. However I had two partial rolls of quarters on a shelf near where they were working (I know because I put them there the night before after doing laundry) and now they're gone. I looked all around hoping that maybe they had just fallen. I triple checked the shelf and everything under it, hoping to not have to write this review. Nope, nowhere to be found. These guys took maybe $12 worth of quarters and seriously inconvenienced our evening as we have two small children and had planned on doing laundry tonight. Now we have to make a special trip to the bank to get more quarters, just so these guys could help themselves to a $12 tip. And now I have to look through everything to make sure that they didn't take anything else. I'm furious! (I called before posting this and was unsatisfied with the lack of urgency in the response. I'm sure he didn't take your quarters. then a reluctant reimbursement. Not enough!)

Elaine E.

05/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

I've had issues with my main line backing up off and on for years but have generally been able to snake it out myself. I tried yesterday with no success so gave up and called the professionals. I called Bob Oates based on the Yelp reviews and was pleasantly surprised to find they had an opening this afternoon. Jeremy came out and solved the problem plus I got a $50 rebate for mentioning Yelp. Jeremy was professional and pleasant. He explained what he was doing and showed me on the scope where my pipes had deteriorated past the point of no return. He then called a colleague to come out and give me an estimate on pipe replacement as well as liner installation. Definitely would do business with this company again.

Julie L.

2/20/2014

I am a property manager and I recently started using Bob Oates for my plumbing needs at the properties that I manage. Their customer service has been great. Their prices seem reasonable, and they are responsive. I have even had some of my residents make a point of complimenting how nice it was to work with them.

Lisa V.

01/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

I found this company on Angie's list and hired them to fix sewer lines at two different properties. They responded quickly to my request for the initial appointments, provided the estimates very promptly and were able to schedule both jobs within the time frame we needed which was almost immediately. Both yards needed major demolition in order to get to the sewer pipes and in each case, they left the yards looking great-even hosing down the walkways! I will hire them for all of our plumbing needs from now on.

Carla H.

8/26/2013

We had a leak and they were amazing. They were friendly, prompt, reasonably priced and a great help with the insurance adjuster. We love them!

Robert H.

12/13/2016

I had a clogged down spout drain next to my garage (easy access). I told the dispatcher that this was an outside drain and not a $250 job. She said the plummer wound give me a quote when he arrived. I also told them I lived down a steep driveway so don't send a big truck. When the guy got to the house he refused to drive down the driveway. He said the job was $250 which is some kind of standard charge for a clogged drain.frustrated at this point i just said go ahead. Big mistake. He couldn't fix the problem. He needed other equipment in his truck but wouldn't drive down the driveway. He then told me he would need another person to help him, another $300. I told him to forget it. When the accountant called me the next day over a 10 cent error on the check I complained about the whole situation. The Manager on his own initiative called me. He said I got charged the wrong price and he would check with the plumber and call me back the next day. No call. I finally called him back several times after the rain started and drain backed up again. Still no call back. If you don't like getting ripped off do not use this guys.

Barry B.

01/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

While out of the country, a tenant called to tell us that their top floor kitchen sink was bubbling up black goo. Our handyman could not get through the turns in the pipe so I called roto-rooter. They could get someone out quickly but would not quote a price until they were on-site. I know that routine all too well and had no desire to have zero expectation of cost. I called Bob Oates and they sent someone out that afternoon. Shane called when he arrived and then after he assessed and finally when the line was clear. It cost exactly what we were quoted and Shane did not try to oversell. Unfortunately, I had another opportunity with Bob Oates the following week. We had slow draining kitchen sink at our own house and fearing the worst, called Bob Oates again. They actually never called back but I tried the number that I had been called from the previous week. Shane answered - it turned out to be his cell phone. While I never did get a call back from the office, Shane, on his day off (on a holiday weekend), went into work, picked up his truck and arrived ahead of schedule. He proceeded to clean the main line of years of food build up, etc. and then scoped it with me watching to show absolutely no issue with the line. Whew! Again, he did not try to sell me on work that was not needed. Fortunately, it turned out that neither problem was serious and I appreciated that I did not experience the horror story of rooter companies anxiously trying to convince customer of collapsed lines or other extremely expensive fixes that sometimes may not exist. I hope to not have any further issues, but if I do, I will call Bob Oates and ask for Shane.

Robin B.

10/09/2014 12:00:00 SA

Very good experience dealing with Bob Oates Sewer Co. They were the only one of three companies I contacted (phone message and emails) to call back. They set up an appointment for two days later and let me know a 2 hour window when they would show up. Although they were running late the office called to let me know. When they showed up they were efficient, got right to work and let me know that (fortunately) our side sewer was clear and looked to be in good shape. They ran a camera and pin pointed connection spots. They took their time and answered all my questions. The guys were intelligent, friendly, and did their best to be helpful. I recommend trying Bob Oates.

Rob N.

4/23/2016

Wow! I couldn't have been more pleased with Bob Oates' responsiveness and quality work. My handyman recommended I call them. When we ran several appliances at once, our main waste line out to the street backed-up into our basement floor drain and basement bathtub. Bob Oates came out and provided an estimate that recommended they dig outside, replace some of the pipe, and flush the line. I wanted to get a second opinion and called several other sewer line repair companies that had received good reviews. After talking with the others, it was clear that I wanted Bob Oates to handle the project because they were much more timely and responsive, plus their rate was competitive. After further discussions with the manager of the project, who was fantastic to work with, Aaron Flint, I decided to have them replace the entire sewer line. I'm glad I made the investment and if I had to do it all over again, I would definitely use Bob Oates.

Casey H.

8/21/2014

I have a hot water heater install. I felt they did a very good job answering all my questions, open communication and trusted that the plumber had good experience I could trust. Also thought they were reasonable with price.

Joel M.

03/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

Ask for Mark. He was wonderful and really did everything he could while helping us look for a flushed ring. Classy guy and great service.

Seahawk S.

01/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

After the technician showed at my home, I asked for his name. I was able to use the state L & I website to look him up. I should have done more research before calling Bob Oates by reading the reviews but we needed someone to get to our home fast and they sent someone right away. I found no current license for their technician because the one they had several years ago was expired. Just goes to show you can't always trust the claims of every business and have to look out for yourself on your own time. very sketchy and disappointing. Luckily the guy did an okay job for the outlandish rate but had something been broken I don't know how insurance would cover an unlicensed plumber doing the job. Since discovering this I was able to find another review of bob oates using a different plumber with no license. The state website also showed they've been fined a few times for the same. Talk about dishonest!

I gave one star for the tech guy being polite enough. We will not be using Bob Oates again.

Jim S.

3/28/2013

Do not use Bob Oates. They made multiple mistakes, taking over a month
to find a problem that was there from the beginning. I own a restaurant, and their inability to locatethe source of a sewage smell cost me thousands of dollars in lost revenue and reputation. When they finally sent out an experienced locator, the sewage that had accumulated underneath the building s foundation from a broken main pipe could only be removed from a vac truck. And I still ended up paying for their services because of washington state contract law. Avoid dealing with major plumbing companies. Use someonelike Soreanos instead. Southwest, Beacon and Bob Oates operate on the edge of legality, and use barely trained apprentice plumbers but charge on average $150-200 per hour and more. Do not sign contracts, pay by the hour and use only journeyman or master plumbers.
Reply to Bob Oates: They came out in November and missed the pipe break. Smell continue and got worse. Came out agai a week before Christmas, missed the break again but recommended a $1000 fix that. I had Soreanos do for $200 less. However, Oates's recommendation was wrong as the smell remained and got worse during one of our busier times of the years. That resulted in dozens of customer walkouts, including a private New Year's Eve party. I had Oates come out with the camera a 3rd time, requesting that they bring out a truly experienced plumber. And they found the break on Jan. 2nd. So I requested they fix it and take responsibility for all the previous costs . They fixed it, but started much later then planned, keeping my business closed longer, and took no responsibility for their previous
mistakes. So much for their guarantee.

Robert K.

05/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

The plumber (Mark) showed up on time. Diagnosed the problem. Fixed it. Very reasonable price. All done in a very polite and professional manner. Now, if only more service companies operated like this. Don't shop around, don't ask your friends and neighbors, just call these guys.

Doug G.

12/02/2013 12:00:00 SA

If only 0 stars were an option. I actually received service from Oates, and the mostly good reviews here on Yelp are completely the opposite of my experience. This consisted of (1) finding the place where my sewer was blocked from a collapse, (2) telling me how much it would cost to replace the trouble spot, including repair or replacement of 4 concrete steps, which MIGHT have to be removed for the repair, (3) sending me a written proposal that cleverly omitted the agreed concrete work--walk, stairs, etc, (4) telling me the critical work could start right away (I had 7 people awaiting sewer use), (5) an apology for the oversight/miscommunication about the bait-n-switch, and a promise to correct it and start work immediately, (6) a complete failure to start the job that afternoon as promised, or to correct the proposal to what we had verbally agreed. When they finally admitted they weren't starting, I contacted 3 others with the outline of the job. All 3 were lower, hard bids. I took the lowest with good references (as good as Oates), and they were amazing. Got straight on the job, communicated well about what was happening, completed it--including concrete walk, as stair issue was irrelevant. Bad news? When they got there, the lower unit--which only could have been accessed by Oates--had been left wide open, for anyone to enter and take computer, tv, etc. from. Also, the sewage that they had been hired to remove was still in place. After asking the various apologetic technicians/fieldpersons about it, I got a call from Mr. Oates himself, who (A) falsely claimed that he was on site and saw the door closed (ONLY they had the key to that unit), (B) threatened me with a lien if I didn't pay his bill for the cleanup that they never did, and (C) raised his voice and said I had better pay the entire bill or else. Yes, I will contact the Contractors' License Board, no I do not appreciate a business/owner who is threatening and yelling and who fails to take responsibility for the unprofessionalism of his family/employees, and yes, you should look elsewhere for dependable and affordable service. Sewer Friendly, Alki Sewer, and Green T were all completely professional, even the ones that didn't get the job...I would go with any of them. The one who had to clean up Oates' nasty mess (and deal with my pissed off tenant directly) was a dream, coordinate the professional carpet and house cleaners made necessary by Oates, and will get my business again.

Ann G.

1/21/2014

I used this company for cleaning up a sewer backup at my rental property. First, they run the snakes through the toilet and I spent about $450. They told me that I have tree roots in the sewer line and I need to install the cleanout to run power jet. I looked at the video and I agreed so I order them to do the work for another $3700. Then they told me that they still cannot clean my sewer line because there are concretes in my clay pipe so I need to spend another $5000 to dig up the sidewalk to replace portion of my clay pipe. I felt very suspicious at this moment since I looked at the video the first time and there was definitely no concrete in the sewer line. So I asked another company to check and confirmed that I only have roots and Bob Oats didn't do a good on power jets or maybe even didn't even run power jets. So I asked Tyler (the project manager) that I want to be onsite when they are running power jets the next morning. After requesting him a time frame through email and phone call, he still scheduled a time that I couldn't be there. At this moment, I think this company is trying to prevent me from seeing their work. So I called the owner and thought maybe he cares about his company's reputation and would work with me. It turned out I was totally wrong. Bob Oats was so rude on the phone. When I told him that I will hire another company to double check their power jet work since his company refused to let me see their work in person. He shouted at me Are you accusing my company for creating unnecessary work? We have hundreds of customers! Don't call my company again! I was just stunned after the phone call. The worst customer service I have ever seen. His super defensive behavior is also very suspicious. After that, I never heard from this company but they charged the remaining balance on my credit card (first given to them for paying half before the job) without asking. There was no email or phone call or letter from this company to tell me the status of the job. I finally had the other company to run the camera through the new cleanout, the roots were mostly gone but they left quite a few big ones there. Obviously, there are no concretes in the sewer line!! Bob Oats was indeed trying to cheat customers!