Big Blue Plumbing

Mary D.

Just had a very disappointing interaction with Big Blue. I have a fairly urgent repair needed for a tankless water heater (which supplies heating for the radiant floor heating system). They scheduled an 'evaluation,' confirmed it, and then two days later said,

""Thank you for booking an appointment for evaluation with us. Unfortunately, after further discussion with our service manager this afternoon, it has become apparent that we do not have the availability to complete your evaluation this week, as we had first anticipated.

The soonest available date is Wednesday, (two weeks from now). All dates prior to this day are booked. If you would like to reschedule for this date, please contact me as soon as possible.""

It is a courteous, form response which says: we don't want to do this kind of work.

I don't mind that, but I do mind that they strung me along. I realize that not every plumber -- (in fact, a very few) -- have the expertise and willingness to work on new technologies, (like radiant floor heating systems and tankless water heaters). But save the advertising and the promises, and be real, and just be an ordinary plumber.

Todd J.

I am an architect in Berkeley and know value in the trades when I see it and experience it. Big Blue replaced our broken sewer lateral and never complained when the job was harder (pipes deeper) than they anticipated. Great at details and communication. 5 star plus

N F.

Big Blue was quick, affordable and professional with our leaking faucet.

Charles C.

Big Blue installed two water heaters last summer for my triplex. The service was good. I don't think the price was too cheap, but the work was done great. He missed one drain pipe out of two, and when I called the lady at the office, he came out the next day and took care of it. Good job, Big Blue!

G G.

Customer service is sweet and helpful on the phone, however, they magically require a fee of $59 just for a technician to do a ""safety check"" to the area before even doing a bid for work. Sorry, not competitive pricing.

Jerry E.

MSK Plumbing seems to be on vacation until August ~20 something, and their answering machine referred me to Big Blue. Based on MSK's reputation, I figured they'd only recommend somebody up to their standards that they trust. Big Blue's info/website indicated that they're open 24/7, so I called for service (on a Sunday). They had a really cheerful lady take a message and said that somebody would contact me ASAP, which made me feel hopeful. Sadly, 24 hours later, nobody has called me (but luckily I was able to resolve my issue without them). Such a complete and utter fail..

Krista G.

Love, love, love Paul and his customer service! Yes, he might be a little bit more than the competitors but it's SO worth it on the customer service side. He knows his stuff inside and out and is willing to take the time necessary to educate you so that you are very clear on all your options.

I had a unique need because I the previous had installed a radiant floor heating system. Although I didn't use it, I wanted to maintain its integrity for resale purposes. Paul Gerrard (owner extraordinaire!) came out to do the estimate. He spent over two hours explaining everything to me which I really appreciated because I like to be extremely educated on every project I take on. He explained my three options and was very thorough in understanding how the radiant floor unit came into play. He was the ONLY provider that discussed how a tankless water heater would work (or not) in coordination with the radiant floor unit.

After receiving three other bids (some of which were cheaper) I chose Paul and Big Blue because of his knowledge and his customer service. It is so hard to find a contractor for projects these days that you can truly trust that they will do what they say. Yes, I paid more than I would have with another provider but I really needed to know that the project was going to be done right the first time and that I was very clear on how it worked in my current setup. Paul made me feel very comfortable. Hell, he even offered to allow my engineering father who was questioning every part of the project, to call his cell with any questions! He sold me with that. The team was meticulous and Paul was sure to oversee everything from beginning to end. We are happily enjoying a much needed extremely hot shower thanks to the tankless water heater!

Ebenezer Coode C.

I wanted to find out how much a new water heater would cost. First they offered an inspection for $60. Then they criticized me for not wanting to pay for services I didn't want (inspection). I said I want good value at reasonable price. They said they don't offer that, only great service at high price. After 10 minutes I got neither an estimate nor an appointment for an estimate.

End result - no estimate, no idea of how they stay in business.

S W.

The guys at Big Blue did a complete repiping on our house, and they did a great job. They were punctual, used high quality materials and did expert, clean, smart work. On top of that, their pricing was very fair and they were pleasant and professional to work with. I highly recommend them. Their bid, work and materials were much better than all other bids we received.

Daniel R.

I made a call last week about getting an estimate for work to be done on my housing cooperative. The lady seemed friendly and she was very helpful, setting up a date and time for which they would come out and inspect the house. She even waived a $69 inspection fee. So when Big Blue did not show up at 8am on Wednesday morning, the time I was assured they'd be here, I wasn't too upset; I just assumed they were late. By the late afternoon, I'd lost my patience. I feel it's good business to contact your customers if you are unable to follow through with appointments. My rating is a 3 star because I am unable to accurately determine Big Blue's quality of service (since they never showed up), and I don't want to tank their yelp rating. Regardless, we've decided to take our business elsewhere.