Cabrillo Plumbing, Heating & Air
Company Overview
Since 1961, Cabrillo has provided exceptional plumbing, drain cleaning, heating, and air conditioning services to the Peninsula, South Bay, and San Francisco communities. Known as ""The People You Want in Your Home,"" our distinctive red trucks are a familiar sight in the area. We hand-pick our plumbers and HVAC technicians to guarantee you receive top-quality service. Here are a few compelling reasons to call us for your next home repair: Your call is answered live 24/7 We offer Saturday service without extra fees Same-day service and installations available We accommodate your schedule We conduct drug screenings for all our staff Locally owned and operated for over 61 years
In 1957, a small hardware store named Cabrillo Hardware and Plumbing Supplies was established by Abraham Kent. In 1959, Cabrillo moved to the Sunset District due to a need for more space.
Looking ahead, Mr. Kent shifted his focus. He obtained his Plumbing Contractor's license in 1961. By 1963, he phased out the hardware side of his business, focusing entirely on plumbing repair and remodeling. In June 1976, Michael, Mr. Kent's son, assumed control of the business.
Cabrillo grew consistently over the years with plumbing as its main focus. In September 1990, Cabrillo joined forces with Meehan Plumbing, managed by Jeff Meehan.
Business Services
- Bathtub installation
- Bathtub repair
- Drain installation
- Drain repair
- Faucet installation
- Faucet repair
- Garbage disposal installation
- Garbage disposal repair
- Gas line installation
- Gas line repair
- Hot water recirculation pump installation
- Hot water recirculation pump repair
- HVAC installation or replacement
- HVAC system repair
- HVAC system maintenance
- Plumbing inspection
- Plumbing installation or replacement
- Plumbing repair
- Sewer installation
- Sewer repair
- Shower installation
- Shower repair
- Sink installation
- Sink repair
- Sump pump installation
- Sump pump repair
- Toilet installation
- Toilet repair
- Water heater installation
- Water heater repair
- Water pipe installation
- Water pipe repair
Business Location & Hours
Mon: | Open 24 hours |
Tue: | Open 24 hours |
Wed: | Open 24 hours |
Thu: | Open 24 hours |
Fri: | Open 24 hours |
Sat: | Open 24 hours |
Sun: | Open 24 hours |
Recommended Customer Reviews

Pete from Cabrillo plumbing installed my new toilet today - very professional and honest. They were running a little late, but were updating me all the time - really appreciate that. Highly recommend them.

I'd give these guys a 5 star for marketing, a 4 star for service and 2 for their pricing. Their ads in the phone book suck you in but what gets you is all of the stickers that they place all over the water heater and anything else they get their hands on. So when desperation happens and your sh$t goes down they're the go-to guys. Unfortunately the marketing comes at a price. Expect to pay 40% more than the smaller guys(wow for all that you'd expect them to be buying superbowl spots and sponsoring yacht races). And when they get there they talk down to you like you'll never even come close to getting what the problem is. The guy that did some work for us talked to me like I need to spend 2 semesters at the ivy-league of HVAC to even begin to get what he was talking about.shop around

Cabrillo is not the cheapest, but I've used them twice now for plumbing projects and can say they are far better (and more honest) than any other plumbing company out there.
There was some dry rot near a house outlet, which I assumed was water leaking into the wall. Turns out it wasn't the case and they didn't sell me an unnecessary pipe repair.
I have a downspout pipe which fills up with crud and has to be taken apart and cleaned out every year. Previously, Roto Rooter just came and snaked it, and in a year it was full of crud again. Cabrillo put a cap at the bottom so it can be opened and be more accessible (i.e. future cleaning will be easier and cheaper).
Neighbors were stealing our water (including to fill a cement mixer during a remodel)! Cabrillo put a locking cap on the outside, but the plumber told me that skeleton keys are easy to buy, and he put a switch inside to turn off the water, as well as an extra bracket to mount the hose more securely.
Cabrillo has always shown up on time, done an excellent job, and have had very courteous and helpful plumbers.
EDIT: They also stand by their work. We bought a new faucet from Cabrillo and it failed. Even though I'm fairly sure it was well out of warranty, Cabrillo fixed it at no charge the same day we called them.

Not sure why the aggregate stars are so low, because I have had nothing but great service from Cabrillo regarding a chronic toilet clog problem. Since the beginning of this year I've had to call Cabrillo out numerous times (I think we're at the fifth visit now) to unclog a toilet that probably needs to be replaced at this point. Each time both the customer service on the phone and in my home was excellent. They did everything they could to accomodate my schedule and to figure out what the problem was with my toilet. In fact, for two of the visits they didn't charge me because the problem kept recurring. Short of removing the toilet and searching for blockage, they did all they could. I highly recommend their service.

We have been very happy with our Cabrillo service. We are repeat customers because their service and quality are fantastic. Their technicians are very courteous and knowledgeable. They seem to be higher-priced, but they seem to know their stuff.

We had a clogged kitchen sink and after numerous tries to unclog it ourselves, we were forced to get a plumber. We called Cabrillo and they were able to get someone out that day. They were in and out in about 20 minutes. It was painless. There was a cost for an estimate but they told us that up front prior to our committing to using them. Overall it was a positive experience and I would recommend them.

Very professional, genuinely caring, solved the problem and very courteous. Can't say anything bad. When I need a plumber I'll definitely call them again.

P.S.
Reliability overview:
I just did a 'star' count among the reviews and the mediocre-to-low ratings outnumber the high ones; meaning, at best, inconsistency is bad business. Correct me if I 'm wrong.
#2: The service call was not to repair the furnace.
#3 Violation of safety code was not urgently expressed immediately to us at the time of the service call.

I called to get an estimate for a new heating system and the guy came out and took measurements. The price keep spiraling up and up as he tested where I would say something was too much. I called to get the information on all the measurements and possibilities was told all I could get was the price until I paid for their services. How could i compare their $30,000 heating system to the $12-15,000 quote I got from other venders without seeing what kind of golden pipes with diamond studs they would use...

I needed a new water heater (replace failing old one with similar basic new one) and called Cabrillo because the previous owner used them and because I wanted a larger company, having been burned before by the one-man-operation thing.
My single star rating is due to one factor: price. I'll say right away, in every other aspect they seem fine. The guy was super nice, as was the lady I booked the appointment with. The guy was late for my appointment (scheduled for 4-6pm but they arrived at 6:45pm) but that was not a problem for me.
I should have seen the first red flag when I made the appointment. They charge $29.95 just to come and give and estimate. That's kind of ridiculous, nobody charges for giving an estimate....on anything. But I said yes, thinking I would most likely use them for the job and they do refund it by applying it toward service you have them do.
They gave me an estimate for $2,495.00 which is completely outrageous. The water heater unit itself is around $380-400 (I've researched online) and there is nothing special about the location or accessibility of my water heater. I do live up three flights of stairs so possibly and extra $50 or something for that, but still.
Before going over the estimate the guy did say, ""We're not the cheapest ones out there"" (understatement, and 2nd red flag) and he also said, ""We give the estimate as a total cost rather than breaking it down into x amount of hours, cost for each piece of hardware, etc."" That was a big red flag #3. Very convenient for them because the customer doesn't know exactly where they are being ripped off.
Two other estimates came in at $1,000 and $1,200. These are in line with what I would have expected.
Bottom line, please don't call Cabrillo. I can't stand the idea of a rip off house like this getting business because people don't know any better. I don't mind paying a little extra for certain value-adds that various companies might offer, but this place is a rip off plain and simple.