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Albion Plumbing & Rooter
Category: Home Services Plumbing Plumbing [Edit]
621 Aileen St(between Shattuck Ave & Dover St)
Oakland, CA 94609
Serving Oakland and surrounding area
Neighborhoods: Rockridge, North Oakland
(510) 652-2185
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 am - 12 am
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
46 reviews for Albion Plumbing & Rooter
46 reviews in English
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Review from kristen b.
Berkeley, CA
1/23/2012
Oh, praise the tiny baby Jesus. Our dishwasher flooded the kitchen last night so I called 3 plumbers this morning-Albion was the only one to respond, and they were out within a few hours. Their technician Sixto had the dishwasher fixed, a tub leak repaired and a sink snaked in around 3 hours. He also gave me a quote for installing a new dishwasher if we need it and a quote for an auto shutoff gas valve for earthquakes. He was really nice, and very knowledgeable.
They charge $125-145 per hour depending on the job, not sure if that is reasonable since I don't have much experience with this, but considering the response speed, professionalism, and amount of work done, I am satisfied! -
Review from Justice Cat ..
Oakland, CA
1/20/2012
You know when you have that nagging feeling that you just got ripped off? I got that with Albion Plumbing.
Based on their great reviews, I scheduled an appointment for them to hook up a new faucet, existing garbage disposal and water filter to a new sink I just had installed. They told me it would take less then two hours + parts.
After nearly five hours they reported that the new faucet I supplied was faulty. Of course, the faulty faucet was absolutely not their fault. However, the amount of time it took them to diagnose the problem was. The plumber first started by replacing all the pipes and fittings that had worked perfectly before they were disconnected from the old sink. Then when the leaking continued, he finally determined that the new faucet was at fault.
In the end, a VERY simple job of hooking up a faucet, garbage disposal and water filter ended up costing me $600!!!
I just feel like a more experienced plumber would have figured it all out in a lot less time and for a lot less money. The next day my husband installed a replacement faucet in 20-minutes and now it all works fine.
I think the lesson here is that these guys are probably fine for a weekend emergency plumbing situation when you expect to pay a lot, but a complete ripoff for other plumbing needs. -
Review from David B.
CA
12/15/2011
Synopsis of my recent experience:
1. Called Monday for Tuesday afternoon appointment
2. They said they would call before 1pm on Tuesday and tell me when they would be over.
3. Angel called at 12:45 on Tuesday and said he would be at the house in 15 minutes.
4. At 1pm he was at the house.
5. At 2:30 it was all done and everything worked great.
Super! -
Review from Laura J.
Oakland, CA
2/20/2012
Giving this review for my mom: Albion arrived on time. They did a thorough assessment of the situation and fixed the problem in a reasonable amount of time, cleaned up after themselves, and even installed my new toilet! I appreciate their friendliness and excellent prices. I would definitely have them back again!
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Review from Jack K.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
Albion did an excellent job on a sewer line emergency cleanout and lateral replacement for us: best bid, very professional, they dealt with crowded-sidewalk and busy-street access problems in a very thorough and expeditious manner -- on-time, on-budget as-quoted, patient & detailed explanations, courteous, couldn't ask for a better plumber.
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Review from chazz l.
San Leandro, CA
5/19/2011
The two employees of Albion Plumbing & Rooter just left. They put on foot covers when they came without me even asking, that was fantastic you rarely get that out of in home service people.
I had a toilet that mysteriously gets clogged when guests came over (old toilet) which they did all the necessary checks and it is working just fine. The same toilet runs all night and day long running up my bill. They magically stopped the water from running by replacing a few things in the tank and probably tightening a few screws. No more running water!! They should change their names to magicians of plumbing because they performed magic in both of my restrooms.
In my master bedroom the sink drain took 10 minutes to drain, they brought in their tools did their thing and now I see a water funnel for the first time when the water drains. Service was fast and reliable.
I'm so glad I didn't listen to the 2 maybe 3 negative comments that a few bitter folks posted. Must be their Karma or they must have posted because they are apart of another company. If you notice the user KKY only has one review. They should be kicked off of Yelp. -
Review from Tim R.
Oakland, CA
9/17/2011
Rooter prices are all over the map. Many rooter services charge $175 or more and won't guarantee their work, even if they have to come back the next day. With the $25 Yelp discount, Albion's two guys cleared my sewer line for $140, cleaned up a godawful mess in my front yard, and gave me a written 90 day warranty. They were on time, professional and courteous. Their minimum charge is also only $65 (half hour) if your problem is really straightforward.
Alas, when I called on a Saturday morning just now, the guy said he had lost his wallet and couldn't come until Monday. Don't think I can wait that long to use the commode so I'm having to look elsewhere. -
Review from Lee R.
Oakland, CA
1/14/2011
This week, we found a water leak in the garage. What a disaster ... It could have been.
After calling our regular plumber and three othes we found on Yelp, none of them were available to come out right away. Too bad we found the leak at 5 pm.
Then, my husband called Mike at Albion.
He came to the rescue, literally in minutes, and he found the problem and solved it quickly. I was impressed!
For us, Albion Plumbing really made a difference and they saved the day. We will use their service again ... they were there when we needed them and they did a terrific job without breaking the bank. -
Review from Coyole R.
Oakland, CA
8/10/2011
Got in a jam as my kitchen sink got clogged and all the homemade solutions did not work. I tapped Yelp for a plumber and I found Albion.
Albion was responsive, came quickly, ascertained the issue and handled it in less than 1 hour. Could not have done better. Price was fair.
Michael was professional, courteous and friendly.
If you need a no no nonsense solution to your plumbing needs, you can count on Albion. -
Review from Andi F.
Berkeley, CA
4/30/2011
We called Albion on a Saturday at 4PM when we had a problem with a recently replaced filter causing water leak which caused some flooding, etc. When a call was dispatched to Michael he phoned to say that he was on another job and that he would be 2.5 hours and was that okay?
It was very thoughtful of him to let us know this. Since we had turned off the water and completed water clean-up we were more than happy to wait (as it was Saturday night and hard to find anyone!).
Michael called when he was on his way (earlier than the 2.5 hours), arrived shortly after his call and fixed us in less than 15 minutes!
He was kind and courteous, professional and he even wore slippers on our wood floors.
I would HIGHLY recommend Albion and love using local services! -
Review from Adria W.
Oakland, CA
10/22/2010
A very positive experience! Two lovely plumbers (Moses & a friend, whose name I can't remember) came over within an hour of my phone call to diagnose and fix the kitchen sink. And they cleaned up afterwards, something not all plumbers do! Much appreciated. They also showed some love to my cat. : )
Thank you!!! Sink is working again and I now have advice about how to properly use my garbage disposal -- something neither the installer nor an earlier plumber I'd seen had bothered to tell me.
: ) -
Review from C L.
Oakland, CA
5/4/2011
We first came into contact with this company through the yellow pages about two years ago. The previous plumbers could not solve the problem at the time. We continue to call him for all kinds of jobs small to large. This company is reliable, speedy, and professional. If you want someone with work ethics....call Albion, if you tried the rest, try the best..Albion Plumbing.
obvious1000 -
Review from Laurie L.
Oakland, CA
10/14/2011
Michael is the consummate professional. He came when he said he would. He completed the repair, even though he had to replace two parts, in one visit. When the project threatened to take a little more than 2 hours he offered to complete it without charging for a third hour. I will call Albion whenever I need plumbing work.
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Review from J W.
Emeryville, CA
6/4/2011
They may be perfectly fine plumbers, but they sure are terrible at making and keeping appointments. I called to schedule an appointment, was told "we'll be there at 8:30 on [day]," and then ... nothing. I called at 8:45 and was told "I made a mistake and didn't make the schedule request." So I was late for work for nothing.
I figured I'd give them another chance, so I rescheduled for a Saturday morning. The day before, they called to ask if they could push it back an hour to make room for an earlier job. That was fine. Then the plumber called on Saturday morning to say "This job is taking a long time. I can't be there until 11:45 or 12:00."
Not okay -- not okay for reliability reasons, and not okay because I had to go to work. End of business relationship, and beginning of my first ever Yelp review.
EXCITING UPDATE! They just called to try to apologize and (I think if I'd let them continue) talk me out of this Yelp review, which I'm not interested in. Maybe that's why their reviews are so strong: they call people and try to talk them down from the ledge -- or up from the initial rating, I guess. I appreciate the effort to make good and the apology. Doesn't really change my experience. Hopefully they'll read this, too. -
Review from Chris L.
Orinda, CA
5/13/2010
These guys are great. Yelpers do not lie. We moved into a new home and on day 1, our water main failed. Michael sent a person out who had questions on how to repair or whether to replace. Michael himself then made the trip to our house to assess the situation. We spoke about how we had just moved in and the other guys were quoting thousands of dollars and the need to fully replace the main line.
Michael says, "...if i were you and just moved in here, i'd rather just repair this before putting in a new line. you probably would rather be buying furniture right now right?" He was right on the mark. He could easily have just been like the other guys and went for the big job.
I was worried they wouldn't find the leak and I'd end up just spending more money while they dug up my yard. Michael's team found the leak, put in a new section of pipe, all within estimate, saving me the overcharged estimates of the other guys.
He has a customer for life. Why can't all contractors act this way?
UPDATE: 6 months later we recommended Albion and Michael to our neighbors. They raved about him in the same way. Husband out of town and wife unsure what to do about full system backup. Michael rushed out, calmed her, deliver quality at a good price and office staff was incredibly nice to her. She still talks about them. -
Review from J D.
Oakland, CA
8/25/2009
Call them.
My morning started out poorly. We'd moved into a new house and the previous owners had not paid their water bill. We had gone through the online signup for service, but evidently it did not take.
The water was shut off this morning. After a call and chat with EBMUD, they told me I could go turn it back on myself or wait for their service between 8am and 5pm tomorrow. Desperate for a morning shower, I went to try and threw out my previously injured back. No water, bad back. Not good.
I hobbled to the office, made it through the day and came home. My DH was not able to get the water back on either. We are somewhat tool deprived and when they turned it off it was OFF.
A call to Albion and all was well. Michael dropped by on his way home, after an hour during which one could reasonably expect quick service. He got the water back on in short order and would not charge us. I hesitate to put that in, but he didn't and he was very nice.
Now, I have had a long hot bath that has soothed some of my pain away and am enjoying a glass of ice water. Tomorrow, I can get ready for work, brush my teeth, and be ready to take on another day.
Service like this matters. I will certainly call Albion in the future for any plumbing need and recommend them to friends in the area. -
Review from Cat B.
Alameda, CA
8/27/2009
As a new homeowner, we finally had our first problem - plumbing. I called Michael early on a Saturday morning after being referred by an Oakland City Council member and he was willing to come out the same day. A minor glitch in our plans prevented it but Michael came out a few days later when my husband and I were actually going to be home.
Michael and his employee were incredibly professional and courteous. You can tell that Michael really cares about finding the root of the problem and fixing it in a timely manner.
We will not hesitate to call Michael at Albion Plumbing again if we have any other plumbing problems! -
Review from Danthemilliondollarma n.
El Cerrito, CA
1/27/2011
Had a clogged toilet, were at location within about 20 minutes after calling- Snaked the toilet and unclogged it within 10 minutes which was great. Told me it was $165 per hr and then after was charged $140 with Yelp dicount and told that is the min. charged even for 15 minutes of work. Happy with service not with price.
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Review from Laurel L.
Berkeley, CA
6/30/2011
Michael and his crew are great. Our contractor used them for a fairly large kitchen and two-bath remodel at our house. We ended up needing some extra work done (unrelated to the remodel) and Michael as prompt and very fair in his price. He even went to the City of Berkeley twice for me to deal with an inspection problem that had nothing to do with his work. Really, I can't recommend them highly enough.
Oh, and if you get a chance, ask Michael about his daughter...she is an amazing young woman. -
Review from Terry P.
Emeryville, CA
2/25/2010
Once again, Yelpers came to my rescue--by sending me directly to Michael. So thank you, reviewers! This guy's definitely a great find. My dishwashing sink at the commercial kitchen was backed up--and I had a corporate group of 30 coming to cook together in a couple of hours. I'd done everything I could think of to clear it, to no avail. Called, and within record time (for any plumber I've ever encountered), Michael arrived. Took a look at the problem, took control, and very efficiently and neatly fixed it in an hour's time. Charged me the Yelp rate--a nice discount--and gave me tips for keeping the drain running free. I couldn't believe, after experiences with rooter companies in the past, how great this was.
But the story doesn't end there. The group arrived, we got going on our cooking projects, and then started doing the dishes. The commercial dishwasher was also backed up. What a disaster, and by now it's nearly 8 PM, things are piling up badly. Called Michael again--and again he came within an hour or so, despite having started his day 13 hours before, and fixed the problem, which turned out to be a completely separate issue from the earlier clog.
I highly recommend Michael; my only fear is that he will get too busy helping other Yelpers to be as available next time I have an emergency. He also does bigger projects, and I am going to have him bid on one I'm working on, to replace our hot water heater with an on-demand version. -
Review from bethany h.
Albany, CA
12/21/2010
Albion plumbing came very quickly and provided great service. I'm a fan.
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Review from Michael P.
Oakland, CA
12/2/2009
Good experience overall, though price seemed a bit high. Michael informed us that we had an old water heater with a pilot problem, and installed a 50-gallon water heater. The retail price of the water heater (on sale from a couple of online outlets in the area) was around $600-700, and Michael charged $1160 for the unit installed plus old unit hauled away. I was expecting ~$300 for labor, rather than ~$450-500.
Aside from this issue though, good service (timely, informative, courteous). -
Review from Michael C.
Oakland, CA
6/20/2011
Michael and Albion Plumbing did excellent jobs for both of my large plumbing projects: 1. complete replacement of all of my aging pipes. 2. complete sewer lateral replacement. They did the jobs in a surprisingly quick manner, they did a great job cleaning up, and the prices were very reasonable. I also really appreciate how Michael convinced against doing some unneccessary work for other possible projects. I chose Albion Plumbing due to positive recommendations from folks I know, and now I've become a big fan. Thank you.
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Review from Kelley G.
Oakland, CA
4/2/2011
On a Sunday, two weeks back, our basement sump pump failed. Our basement flooded knocking out our water heater. I called the plumber who had done work for the previous owner but there was no answer, I called another plumber who had done work here a couple of years back. No answer. I then called Albion. Michael answered saying he would finish a job in Pleasanton and then he'd come out. He arrived promptly and diagnosed the problem with the water heater and fixed it. We discussed the sump pump issue and I asked if he would go ahead and correct the problem (the discharge line was both the wrong size and incorrectly installed). He reminded me of the cost potential for doing this given that it was a weekend but I gave him the go ahead. He fixed the problem and the end cost was reasonable for a Sunday with parts and labor.
I wholly recommend Michael and Albion Plumbing. -
Review from Lauren P.
Oakland, CA
11/23/2010
It's never a good sign when the garbage disposal starts to whine. Mine was making some pretty scary noises and just generally having issues. Michael set up a time to come over, but ended up being a couple hours late. Why the great rating, then? He stayed in touch, gave me a helluva deal and was courteous and competent throughout. Highly recommended!
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Review from Owen O.
Oakland, CA
4/11/2011
I called Albion at 6am with a clogged toilet. Then at 6:20 the plunger finally worked and it came unclogged but wasn't working well. Mike from Albion still came out by 7 and took a look. He checked the mainline and wound up fixing it by just doing a better job with the plunger. After all that hassle, no charge!
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Review from KK Y.
Oakland, CA
2/18/2011
They came to inspect a leak in the bathroom. We weren't sure if the leak was coming from the toilet seal or the shower. After they inspected the bathroom and the basement where the water was leaking they proceeded to change the toilet seal. Initially quoted as $125 per hour labor and parts he actually wasn't "working on the toillet" but inspecting it and charged me for an hour and a half labor. He added caulk to the inside of the shower valve cover but the problem wasn't solved. Too much talking and not enough working I feel ripped off for $200 that I could have literally flushed down the toilet! I wouldn't recommend them to anyone who has a clue about plumbing. Upon leaving Michael suggested to call someone else to caulk the shower for $100, maybe that would work. I reminded him that the leak wasn't fixed but he just ignored me. He kept trying to guess what the problem was..maybe the roof? No, it still leaks without rain..He wasted time between phone calls with other customers all on my time/dime.
Don't be taken advantage of by this weak excuse of a plumber.
Very unprofessional and gauging the public is not acceptable.
They claim that they'll "fix it" the only thing they will fix is your wallet by taking your money out of your wallet!
Owners response is a lie, they never sent 2 plumbers, even the 1 plumber took 3 times the amount of time. Michael made false statements in his detailed report response to the Better Business Bureau (after I filed a case).
Now, because Michael "claimed" to refund the money, the BBB has closed the case. I had to pay $20 to put a "stop payment" on that check!
Don't be fooled, check carefully other reviews, he ripped off 2 others (and those are the ones who take the time/effort to complain. Most people feel embarrassed or ashamed and don't want to admit being made a fool of.
As a member of the Rental Housing Association of Northern California, California Apartment Association and Lower bottom Neighborhood Association I urge you not to use Albion.
Please consider using PELICAN PLUMBERS who are honest, hard working and outstanding plumbers who believe in servicing people, not their wallets.Comment from Michael G. of Albion Plumbing & Rooter 2/28/2011
It was never our intention to rip off or upset you. We are… More » -
Review from stephanie s.
Oakland, CA
6/27/2010
After trying several home repairs, we called Michael for a big kitchen pipe clog on a Saturday and he came out and fixed it like magic. Friendly, skilled, fast, and came on short notice on the weekend! Kind of unbelievable. Hopefully we won't need a lot of plumbing repairs in the future, but if we do, he's on our speed dial.
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Review from Jeff K.
Oakland, CA
5/17/2010
Yelp comes through with something that's so hard to find these days: a competent contractor! I needed three new sinks hooked up and Michael came out the same day for an estimate. He made sure he was there when my countertops were installed so the holes were drilled correctly, and then he and his crew did the work a day later. They cleaned up after themselves and everything's working as it should. Michael was professional, polite, and was always on-time or even early!
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Review from Bowie R.
Burlingame, CA
2/16/2011
Really happy with Albion Plumbing. We had a minor plumbing emergency and called these guys--they came within 2 hours and had the problem fixed within 10 minutes. Saved us a lot of work, definitely glad we called and we will use them again!
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Review from Sue L.
Oakland, CA
1/13/2011
Michael is a stand-up guy who does what he says he's going to do and really cares about getting the job done right. At first I was worried: he was supposed to come on a Friday to camera my line but never showed. Turns out he got stuck in Chicago on a flight back home. He was late the next day so I was pretty much ready to bolt. *However* I'm really glad I did wait: once Michael arrived he was *present* in every way. He got to the problem, wrote me up that Saturday, got a crew to my house promptly on Monday morning and six guys worked for 8 hours putting in a new main line. About a half hour after the crew left I heard a noise outside: it was Michael inspecting all the work. This guy doesn't mess around. He inspects everything that he's not hands on involved in. A few days later, upon completion, he came to my house and ran *everything* to make sure it all worked before considering the job to be completed. I'd strongly recommend this company and would not hesitate to have them do work on my place again.
Update: Lucky me--had to get a drain snaked (unrelated) a week later. Michael answered the phone at night, came the next morning and fixed the problem. I heart Albion and Michael!!!!!! -
Review from Seth C.
Berkeley, CA
8/3/2011
Showed up on time, the same morning I called about a broken faucet, worked quickly and cleanly, and even chose a new faucet based on my requirements that was even better than I'd hoped for, when I had no time to run out for a new one myself. The price was reasonable and the worker was friendly without being intrusive. I would definitely call Albion again in the future.
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Review from C. G.
Oakland, CA
10/8/2011
called based on recommendations quoted $220 and no yelp discount. said could today stuck at a job, couldn't tomorrow, and told me to call someone else.
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Review from Kevin D.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 2/3/2011
Another year, another need for plumbing services. Called up Michael about a leak with the water heater. He came out promptly, fixed the leak and didn't ask for payment due to the simple fix! Great service. Will be the plumbing company of choice for many years to come.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/15/2010
So on Friday night I notice a bunch of water flowing out of my front lawn, I think, That's odd. It's… Read more »
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Review from Cyril K.
Oakland, CA
11/27/2009
Plumbing issues always seem to happen during holidays for me- day after thanksgiving when three other calls to various plumbers went unanswered for a "toilet/plumbing back up issue" Michael responded promptly by phone and arrived at my house exactly when he said he would be there later on that day.
He is knowledgeable, polite and very professional. He is also willing to walk you through all the possibilities to find the solution to the problem.
Please call Albion Plumbing, I do not think you will be disappointed. -
Review from Eric P.
Emeryville, CA
2/16/2010
Great experience! I was having issues with the bathtub clogging. Michael, one of the owners showed up and solved the problem within a very reasonable time. He was courteous and very professional. He also honred the $25 discount for mentioning that I found out about his company on Yelp.
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Review from Robert K.
Columbia, SC
4/16/2010
This guy is terrific! He came out the same day afterhours, got right to work, and was done quickly. His charge was extremely reasonable given the time of day. I'd use him again and recommend him to anyone who needs a timely, polite, quick and skilled plumber.
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Review from Lisa S.
Berkeley, CA
6/1/2011
Excellent, quick service, good prices. Very nice people at this company as well, an added bonus.
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Review from Erik D.
Berkeley, CA
12/1/2010
Terrific experience! Clogged kitchen sink wouldn't yield to my home arsenal (Drano, plunger, and incantations). Found these guys on Yelp, and they had me back to draining bliss in no time. Very punctual, friendly, and efficient, I would definitely use them again. They also gave me the Yelp discount and a teacher discount. Double bonus.
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Review from Valary C.
Oakland, CA
4/9/2011
Michael at Albion Plumbing is fantastic. I had him replace all my galvanized pipes with copper in my 100+ year old home and he did a great job. He gave me an estimate which was very reasonable for the size of the job, he and his crew showed up exactly when he said they would and they completed the job in 2 days just as he had quoted. Usually, because my house is so old when a project is started it takes twice as long and always goes over budget not on this project. When do you actually get a quote for a job and it comes in on budget and on time? Rest assured that if you have Michael at Albion Plumbing do a job for you it will be done in a very professional manner and with excellent workmanship. I'm so happy to now be able to run the dishwasher and the washing machine at the SAME time! Thank you Michael.
