24/7 emergency plumbing

I do not recommend using this company. The technician was unprofessional and aggressive when I inquired about lowering the cost.
I was very unimpressed with their customer service.

These are the same guys on the front of the Yellow Pages. All the various Bell Plumbing businesses on Unilocal are really the same company (CSLB Contractor #823 991).
Bell replaced a sewer lateral on 5-​April-​2010 under City of Berkeley Permit 10 – 1093. As it turns out Bell had a ‘rough’ city inspection, but never scheduled a final inspection. Because of this limbo I had to put up a $ 4500 bond at the City to guarantee the completion of the work.
Rather than fixing the permit oversight I’ve been lead on a month long goose chase. I call Bell at least once a week, and if I get anyone on the line, they promise the issue will be resolved by Friday. Needless to say they don’t return my calls if I leave a message. Jim in Bell’s customer service handled the issue. Ryan D was the original installer.
Update: now they hang up on me when I call. They’ve wasted hours of my time.
Update: I filed a claim with their contractor’s bond company. Bell tried hard to wiggle out of it but finally caved in under the pressure. On top of that the City inspector gave them a lecture for tardiness.

Called Bell to get an estimate on clearing a shower drain (clogged with hair). They said they didn’t do estimates over the phone and would send someone out to look at the job and then give a no-​obligation quote on-​site. I knew where this was heading and that there is a higher likelihood that someone would go forward and pay for services with the plumber inside their house already. They quoted $ 249 to clear a drain which is at least $ 100 over other plumbers. I said no and the plumber left. Called another company who quoted $ 149 over the phone — we’ll see what happens.

My tenants called to say they had a broken pipe that connected to the garbage disposal and in a pinch, I looked online and found Bell Plumbing. Granted they did not have the best Unilocal review but I went with them anyway hoping that I would have better luck than other Unilocal reviewers. I was WRONG! The plumber called after examining the situation to say that I would need a lot of work done. Since my tenants are moving out in a month and we are remodeling, I told him to perform a fix for it to work for the next month. He did mention that he’s not guaranteeing anything but I would think a fix = none leaking pipe that actually drains. $ 225 later, the leak was fixed but now sink does not drain. I called both the plumber and the shop manager and both said that they addressed the issue, which is the leak but did not guarantee that the sink will drain. My tenants never had a drainage issue until the new pipe was installed. Am I misundering that a fix would mean that the drain actually works? The told me that they can go back and snake the drain and normally that would cost $ 180 but they’re willing to cut me some slack and charge $ 125. Shouldn’t the plumber have called if he sees that the drain is not draining to see if I wanted him to snake it? I would not recommend them!!!

Best Practice for Bell Plumbing: KICK THEM OUT BEFORE THEY START
I scheduled Bell to check my gas fireplace which was not working. «Mohammad» showed up and said he would have to charge me $ 189 to perform a 15-​minute diagnostic to determine the problem and any repair cost would be additional. (Unreal)
I knew this was dishonest because I’ve had it repaired before about 7 years ago for $ 80 when I first bought the unit. I immediately called Apollo Heating and Plumbing who quoted $ 60 for the check up on it. I scheduled Apollo for Friday and sent Mohammad packin’ his tool-​box down the hill. (What a joke). I then called Bell’s office and spoke to Arthur Gonzales, Manager. I explained the whole experience & non-​competitive quote I just had with Mohammad. All he said was «Sorry that you feel that way» & then hung up. He did not even listen, show any type of concern or offer any explanation or apology.
The next call I made was to our association office which represents 400 condominiums with fireplace units. Bell has been removed from the homeowner’s association recommended list. I also work for one of the largest apartment residence organizations in the country as well as the Bay Area. I will advise everyone — do not use. STAY AWAY.

My landlord picked these guys to do a major pipe replacement job in the flat above us (which, of course, means they were in our unit’s ceilings). Supposedly, they were the cheaper of the two plumbers he works with.
Sure, they replaced the pipes above with great new copper ones, but they trashed our place (including our bathroom floors), used our dishtowels to the point I had to throw them out, and used one of our expensive knives to cut in the ceiling. They broke frames and lights without telling us about it and — the ultimate — removed our toilet for a newfound repair need, leaving us without bathroom access overnight as they decided to clock out before completing the work.
I understand that plumbing is complicated, and fixing one leak might lead to two more, but there are certain liberties you don’t take with someone’s personal belongings or TOILET. Unfortunately, Bell took all the liberties they needed and left us to clean up the horrific mess they left behind.

I could not have been more impressed by the quality and professionalism of Bell Plumbing! I chose them simply because I’d seen their van outside a neighbor’s house recently. What a great pick, though!
We had a major sewer problem that needed urgent attention as well as a few more minor issues that had accumulated over recent months. In particular, I want to credit Roderick. He worked diligently and teanciously to triage the major problem, then he supervised a small crew of workers who replaced our main sewer pipe and took care of the more minor issues.
Roderick and the whole Bell Plumbing team were extremely courteous, punctual, and considerate. I would highly recommend this company and will be calling them again in the future (espcially after I felt exploited by the George Salet Plumbing some months earlier). One very satisfied customer!

I have to agree with Alan B’s review. We had a total plumbing catastrophe on a Sunday (backed-​up sewer pipe just before a massive rainstorm, which led to rainwater coming into the garage and first floor).
They came out right away and assessed the problem, which turned out to be much bigger than anyone had realized. They did an enormous job for a reasonable price, plus they worked very quickly, cleanly, and professionally (which is saying something when it comes to a plumber).
Their prices are on the higher side to be sure, but when you have major structural work to be done, you want it done right and done right the first time. And their prices were WAY more reasonable than Cabrillo, who have gouged me more than once.
Everyone they sent was super-​professional and trustworthy. They did not do (or press for) work that did not need to be done. Their subcontractors were all terrific. And their warranty is long (35 years) and solid.
If you have a small job, you might want to get somebody smaller to do it. But if you need a major pipe replacement, Bell is as good as it gets.

This place is a university for scam artists and con men. I consider myself a pretty handy guy, but with a FT job, kids, and other commitments I’d just as soon call a good plumber when something in the home goes awry. I had a pipe that simply needed replacing (around 20ft in length). I had identified the problem, called BELL PLUMBING and proceeded to get an estimate. They wanted $ 4800 for a job that was done by another plumber (a plumber I quickly called after receiving this scam of a quote) for $ 900. THAT’S OVER A 400% MARK-​UP!!!
When I asked the ‘supervisor’ who came out to assist the regular guy Bell had sent out to assess the problem and to give an estimate, I asked, «Why is this so expensive?» His reply was a joke– straight out of a Union Labor Playbook…“Well it’s a 3 – 4 man job… one guy to measure the pipe, one guy to cut the pipe, one to adjust the fittings.“
The sad part is, these guys get their price by preying on the elderly and those that trust these guys are earnest in their estimates…
I tried to complain directly to the owner «Sam Milbie»…he was never there. And I am in the office every day at 6:30 AM and I called Bell Plumbing consistently when they would open their doors in the AM.
This company is nothing more than a gang of thieves.
I’d hate to see people lose their jobs, but considering everyone there seems to tow the company line, I’d love nothing more that to see this company go tits-​up and be forced to shut it’s doors.

Horrible!!! My toilet downstairs wasn’t flushing properly which is a sign that something was clogged. There is tree roots that run near the pipe going to the street. When the Bell plumber arrived we explained what was going on & I also advised about the tree roots. Before I go any further we used Bell some years ago we had the same tree and the same roots. The last time they came they ran the snake & cleared the issue for $ 225. After advising the plumber about the roots he explained that in 80% of all cases the tree roots will break their eqiuipment & that we would be liable. Then he went on to say he could do some Hydro Flush to clear the issue without involving his equipment. He then went on to advise the hydro flush was $ 650. He was able to quote all of this without looking at the pipe outside or even the toilet on the inside… we told him no thanks.
After seaching through old papers we found a reciept from Discount Plumbing & Heating. The plumber from discount came out in less than an hour. Ran the snake & stayed to monitor the clog was clear… in less than 45 minutes the clog was fixed & the bill was $ 200.

Yes they are expensive but I was in a real bind as my toilet overflowed. They came out and found out it was a main sewer line that they did not have the equiipment to fix. I was NOT charged for the service call nor was someone else in my complex that they saw at the same time

They just left. I didn’t use them. They wanted to charge me $ 450 to unclog my bathroom sink and bathtub. I had to use them before to replace an exploded water heater. They never put anything down to protect the carpet and used two different types of pipe, which is a no-​no in the plumbing world.

This happened several months ago but I finally got it together to join Unilocal and tell the story. Do not use Bell, they ripped us off!!! Should have checked their rating or looked around but when its an emergency… I should have called the district attorney or gone to small claims but it took me months to complain on Unilocal so thats why none of the other stuff happened.
One weekend we heard water swishing around in our bathroom ceiling. Afraid the ceiling was going to fall in (happened in an apartment I once lived) I looked up emergency plumbers. Responding to the full page ad of Bell plumbing telling me how quickly they would respond I phoned them to be told no one could come until the next day. (I can’t remember why I didn’t call anyone else). The guy came and quoted me $ 1100. for the whole job. I can only claim temporary insanity (or maybe it’s permanent) for agreeing. My husband is the kind who just wants things done and will just throw money at it, I usually research things to death then can’t decide. Anyway I just wanted it fixed and gave him a deposit The guy came back the next day with a helper and tore a big hole in the ceiling and declared plumbing wasn’t the problem it was the dryer duct that was leaking. I then asked him what I owed and he told me $ 1100!!! I argued with him but he said he had submitted the paper work and he had to charge that much. I con’t to argue with him and he brought it down a couple of hundred dollars but he insinuated it was coming out of his pocket. Hah! I ended up paying $ 800.00 for the one hour it took to tear a hole in my ceiling and I was left with nothing fixed and a hole-​this has to be criminal. I can only imagine at what they are netting in this scam with some of the unsuspecting elderly of the community. I want to add that he actually thought he was charging me $ 900. but he subtracted the deposit wrong. Again the insanity attack and I wrote him a check vowing to go to BBB (see above about just getting around to Unilocal,probably wont happen).
I got someone off craigs list who spent about a day redoing the whole vent system and charged $ 400. and have had no problems since.
Since then have found a new plumber who charged $ 75.00 for having to rip the whole toilet out after my husband dropped my make up down it.
Read Unilocal!
DO NOT USE BELL PLUMBING!!!
RIP OFF!!!
–CJ

one sunday morning a couple years ago when i still was working in a busy downtown bar/​restaurant…
i am told by my dishwasher/​morning clean up guy that some
drunken office donkey bitch has flushed her compact down the toilet (again) and it’s stuck in there.
AAAAH!
the toilet is going to have to come out and be replaced.
so, i call bell plumbing…
he gets there looks at the toilet (yup, its a compact) these are his exact words «i can do it for $ 1200»
i start laughing and start to walk outta the ladies room.
he is like «what?»
i tell him «dude, get outta here»
then he comes outta the ladies room and then proceeds to tell me that he «called down to the office» and can lower the price to $ 800!
i keep on laughing…
and i say
«man, why in the hell would i let you royally F*CK me $ 800, is it gonna hurt a little less than $ 1200… dude, LEAVE!»
i might be wearing chef’s whites, but my stepdad is a general contractor.

I agree with what others have said as well. I had a stopped up toilet and it’s happened before and ran me $ 70 to fix it through O’Grady’s Plumbing. Well, O’Grady’s was busy and didn’t get back to me and I was desperate with the stomach flu so, I called Bell. Yes, they did get here in 30 minutes and they fixed the toilet in about 5 minutes. It was just toilet paper. I’d tried the plunger but I must have that female disease where you’re incapable of fixing something by yourself… sigh! I mentioned their $ 15 off add in the Yellow Pages and he said that he could then do it for $ 175! As I was ready to faint and told him what I’d paid before and who I’d used, he then came down to $ 125 and said it was the best he could do. Since he was there and I was sick, I paid it but I wouldn’t call them again. If I’d known that was their minimum when I called, I would have passed. So, I learned a valuable lesson… ask for a rate when you call!

Like most of the other people here, I agree that these guys are way too expensive.
My neighbor’s sink was leaking so she called Bell plumbing. They fixed her sink and told her to let me know that my sink was leaking from the back of the house. (I had no water leakage under the sink.) So I called them up to come and take care of it.
The person on the phone was courteous and I had a plumber at my house in 30 minutes. It was the same guy who did my neighbor’s sink. He checked my pipes and found nothing leaking. My sink was clogged, so I thought maybe that had something to do with it. I had tried to plunge it myself earlier and had no success. Twenty minutes later my sink is fixed (by snaking it) and my sink trap was clean. Then I got the bill. $ 225! I could have gone to the hardware store and paid $ 20 bucks for my own snake and done it myself.
I asked how it could be so much since my neighbor only paid $ 75 to fix her leaking sink. The plumber said that I had a clog, not a leak. WTF?
The only positives were the quick arrival times and that the plumber was nice and cleaned up after he left.
I will never use this company again. There are other plumbers that will come out anytime of the day or night, and for less money. I called Ace Plumbing afterward and they said they estimated the price to be around $ 100. I also called Magic Plumbing and they quoted me $ 125.
So why would I use Bell Plumbing ever again?

WOW, these guys are so expensive. Granted, they can get to your house in 30 minutes, but you sure will pay for it! If you have a serious emergency, cal them. If you just need sink unplugged or a toilet adjusted, stay far away from them, they charge so much money for the smallest things!

They came by and did a free estimate of my toilet. Only a little plastic piece needed replacement, which they wanted to charge me about $ 150! What a ripoff! I just brought the piece to the HW store and did it myself.

It seems to me that there are two kinds of plumber that you might want to call. For my money, the most important kind is one who you call at three in the morning when there is water (or something _​much_​worse) spraying all over your basement.
If you need this plumber, one who will show up quickly and get the problem solved so you can get back to sleep, call Bell. They give fast service and their people are in general much more experienced than the people who work for most of the companies in SF. Plus, they are typically very nice guys who are willing to work their asses off.
I own a retail business in an old (1907) building in the Mission. The plumbing is in really poor condition and we’ve had all kinds of exciting problems with it. I’ve been using Bell for almost six years now and they’ve always been a great help when I needed them (like the time there was a. .. substance. .. was coming out of the toilet. Three days before Christmas year before last.) and they’re rates are pretty much in line with the other companies in SF.
The other kind of pulmber is one who you call to actually _​change_​the plumbing in your house. You know, put in a new sink, move your bathroom from one side of the house to the other, and so on. The folks at Bell can do this kind of work and often do but. .. they can be a little expensive. You can probably get a better price from a small (i.e. one to three person) operation but do make sure they’re licenced and that they’ll do the work with all the right permits.
On the other hand, if you don’t mind paying a little more, Bell will do a great job, 100% in line with current building code, and will all the right permits.
Anyway, here’s hoping you don’t ever need to call a plumber at three in the morning (or three days before Christmas).