1st Choice Plumbing Heating and Air

Danette H.

Called Friday because my hot water heater went out. Came by Saturday when I got off work to provide me with a recommendation. (I knew it needed to be replaced due to the age and the fact I had to already make repairs on it). Installed new one on Sunday. This was all done according to my schedule. I was not charged any additional price for emergency/Sunday work. Tech who come was Will and I can't say enough about this young man. Very professional, nice, courteous and well mannered. I will definitely recommend 1st Choice to everyone I know and highly recommend you ask for Will. He was great.

Stacy B.

They should not be the 1st choice if you call them in the wee hours of the morning and then they don't answer when you call back minutes later, nor follow up with you for an emergency. Lost my business and found top notch customer service elsewhere.

Kristin V.

Very frustrated after waiting around all morning for someone to show up between 9 and 11. I called to see if they were still going to show up and they didn't even have my appointment down or any record of my information in their system. I just made the appointment on Saturday.

C. W.

We've used 1st Choice Plumbing for four different jobs at our house in the last year. Installed low flow toilets, a sink in a remodeled bathroom and replaced an old water heater. In each of these instances the technician arrived with a great attitude and was very courteous. They were knowledgeable about the job and worked without stopping until the job was done. Incidentally, the guys all showed up in clean uniforms which showed they cared. Additionally, the owners and almost everyone on the crew grew up here in Oceanside.
As a result of the crummy copper pipes put in our home 30 yrs ago and their corrosive action, we have had two water lines break in our slab. 1st Choice replaced all our pipes and faucets from the front yard source to our backyard hose bib. This includes bathrooms, kitchen, etc. They had to open up our walls and ceilings in eight different rooms to gain access for the new water lines.
The good news is that the team members did such a great job that you can't see where the walls/ceilings had been opened. As if it never happened.
1st Choice also installed a self-flushing Halo water filter to help the water heater and the new water lines, but the best part is that we can now drink the tap water anywhere in the house!
Bottom line: we would use 1st Choice Plumbing again and I recommend them to you.

Chuck O.

I was calling around for bids to run a gas line extension from my furnace to the stove, because we are converting from electric. They send a guy out to perform an assessment and estimate a bid. He makes a bunch of measurements and takes a video and says I'll hear back the next day. We are now 1+ week later and I have called multiple times trying to hear word on the bid. Near daily phone calls and each time they answer ""1st Choice Plumbing, how can we make your day better"". The receptionist apologizes and promises me I'll hear word that day and without fail.. ** crickets **. Nothing. It's like they're allergic to business. If the job is too big for them or I'm just not important to them.. I'm not sure, but I've seen enough of their lack of reliability to know that I won't be using them.

Marla R.

2nd time using 1st Choice Plumbing. 1st time for new furnace which Mathew installed....read below.
2nd time for hot water heater and 2 shut off valves. Mathew came out gave me estimate but was not available to install. __________________________________________________________________________
Luis did this job and a mighty good job he did. It was not easy for I am in a condo, upstairs, and in a senior community which frowns on workers in others homes because of water shut off, trucks and noise and anything out of the ordinary.....made it threw this without complaints. lol
This company is owned by 3 brothers (Mathew is one) Luis grew up with the 3 guys and also does construction work. I highly recommended them....they professional and thorough paying attention to detail....and are nice guys too! Check them out!

Gil S.

First of all, I chose this company for two reasons.... local and great yelp reviews. So much for great Yelp reviews. My disabled sister in law needed a new shower kit and valve. Will came out and spent an hour and fleeced us $550 and didn't itemize the bill. So what?...... 1st Choice makes about $400 an HOUR?!! I know damn well that kit and valve didn't cost more than $150.

It gets better..... he left a 15in by 15in. hole in the wall saying ""we don't do drywall sorry""
WTF??!! I have contacted the owner Fernando and after going around with him he wanted to split the cost of the drywall repair with me! Some nerve bro. He finally said he would pay for the repair but still has not returned my last two calls to see when.

Run from these crooks, don't walk. Even if he fixes the drywall, I am contacting the Sacramento Contractors Board and filing a complaint against this company.

John E.

First of all, they charged me $200 for a part I know costs about $100 retail. I'm sure they paid less than that. ( 3/4 inch pressure regulator ) The installation was $250, and only took one hour. So I guess they charge $250/hour, which is higher than the rates I have researched. AND making a fat profit on the part...well I am not satisfied, paying $450 for a simple repair, with a $100 part.

Cee D.

I called 1st Choice plumbing on a Saturday and Fernando (owner?) answered and was very helpful! There was no ""weekend charge"" to do an initial visit and estimate and he had someone at our house within a few hours. Will showed up and was quiet, but very helpful. He identified the problem in our shower and spent most of his Saturday afternoon and evening fixing it. When he discovered that the work would need to be continued because of some parts he needed, he agreed to come back on Sunday to finish the work (again, just regular charges and NO weekend fees). Fernando worked with us to settle on a great price for the 2 days of work to get the project finished. Will definitely call them again for plumbing issues. Very friendly guys, great work, and they are local (which is always good!). :)

Stephen K.

I found this company through a recommendation from a realtor who we are friends with and lives in our neighborhood. I checked them out on the Better Business Bureau's website and they are rated A+ with good reason. Matthew our technician was knowledgeable and efficient. I do a lot of research on the companies I use and this will be my go to company for all of my plumbing needs. They also do restoration work. I am a retired manager with 43 years in the supermarket industry.

Update: March 28, 2016 Unfortunately I have to revise my review. I had initially rated this company 5 stars. Matthew was knowledgeable, efficient, and timely. I was very impressed. Last week I decided to send some minor work to 1st Choice Plumbing again because of my experience before. I called to see if they would do a small job of fixing some leaky faucets. The office informed me of course they could, so I made an appointment for Friday March 25th between 1:00-3:00 PM. No one showed and I never received a phone call. I tried to call, but their 24/7 phone number went unanswered so I left a message for them to call me. It is now 3 days later and no call back. I guess I should thank them because it forced me to go online and learn how to fix my faucets myself, saving me $70 in labor costs plus parts which also saved me money by purchasing them myself at Home Depot. Matthew is a good plumber, but apparently customer service is lacking thus my review changes to a 2 star for only his technical expertise. I have also recommended 1st Choice plumbing on our neighborhood's Facebook webpage (Hidden Trails) when neighbors ask for a reliable plumber. I will no longer do that.