Harry Clark Plumbing & Heating

john w.

So we had Harry Clark replace old iron pipes for copper 4 years ago for a small bathroom remodel. At the time we did it, we had a horrible experience. Late, sloppy and way over budget. Once it was over, we decided we would never use them again and moved on. Well 4 years later we are having water pressure issues in the remodeled bathroom. We now learn that 1) they did not replace all the old pipe like they were supposed to (they connected new copper pipe to last 6 feet of iron pipe that was failing to the water heater) and 2) they didn't connect the copper correctly to the iron pipe. End result, a mess that we are now having to redo.

Run away. Incompetent and untrustworthy.

Liz L.

They get 4 stars due to a mixed performance, otherwise they'd get 5 stars.

The good:
1. They provided a quote for installing 2 forced air furnances. The furnances they chose were the correct ones, which I like (Not all bidders made the best recommendation based on our home needs). They did a good job of installing the furnaces and duct work. We're pleased with the timing and follow through to give us a ""tour"" of the system.

2. The staff seems very professional and diligent. The lead guy informed me of what was happening each step of the way. He took special attention to do a good job during in the installation which required him to build on a new ceiling access to the attic. He also identified where he did not have expertise and asked us to complete the carpentry work - which we appreciate - we'd rather have the job done correctly by the right people.

3. The quote was very reasonable, the timing of the job was on par with what they said it would be and the paperwork coming from the office was prompt and complete. The owners are interested in making sure they have high quality services and I understand they're making changes to ensure all of their product offerings meet the same standards.

The downside:
1. They installed a register under cabinetry that did not connect directly to the duct work below the flooring. We are going to have a sheet metal fabricator create a duck for us (I'm not trying to bake inside of my cabinetry) so that we can preserve the beautiful custom cabinets we've just installed. Mind you, we should have had the duct work installed BEFORE the cabinetry, not afterwards. Had I known, I would have put a register in another location, such as the directly on the floor or in another wall.

2. There was an issue with the previously installed furnace in our home that was very difficult to resolve with H. Clark. May have been bad luck at the timing. The follow up on this issue was difficult at best. Having said this, the experience we had installing the new furnace was just excellent.

Additionally, my husband did get a good plumbing quote from them.

Laura O.

I had a great experience with Harry Clark. I got to request the same person several times and for different plumbing problems.

The fellow was respectful, kept things clean, and was very cool with showing me what he was doing.

Later on, I had a plumbing question and they answered it even though it ment they had to do a little online leg work with me and they didn't have to come out -- definately recommend them.

Greg H.

Got a bid that was completely incomprehensible. They kept pushing rebates and neglected to mention the price. They finally gave me a number. They scared me off. These people are in the business of selling you the most expensive system possible instead of giving you quality. The seem to thrive on their rep that they have been in Berkeley for a long time and know what you need.

Jan S.

Arrogant, inept, unprofessional, unethical. Do not use this company. They failed to diagnose a problem and charged me a tremendous amount of money for a placating fix, which clearly didn't fix the problem. I do NOT recommend them at all. They did cash the check right away!

Jonathan S.

This review is based on my experience calling for estimates on a copper re-pipe in Oakland. I called four different companies out (one never showed up) and hired these guys because their estimator, Marcus, was friendly, went over the details carefully AND came back with the best price. I was in a hurry to get the job done and he started and finished on time. I'll call them back.

erik d.

I'll preface my recent bad experience with Harry Clark by saying that I've used these guys twice in the past for heating and I've been very satisfied with their service in that department. They are certainly not the cheapest, but they've been prompt and competent.

I recently used Harry Clark Plumbing to install a new water heater and I have to say I was really disappointed. They charged A LOT of money, which I expected, but I also expected premium sevice. Their communication was terrible and they were completely unwilling to accommodate a few requests I had about the way the job should be done.

I won't go into technical details, but I called the technician 4 TIMES to discuss the job and was blown-off completely. I'm someone who knows a bit about construction and I know that my requests were in line with what I was paying. In the end they just did things the way they felt like doing them. Given the short amount of time that their guys were out at the house and the price of the materials I'm sure they are making real money on this and I know they could have done better.

I'm not saying they're bad at what they do, but I would advise shopping around first before using them. I think that when you pay a premium price you should get great service, and Harry Clark Plumbing really did not deliver.

Jennifer J.

They installed a system for us and we are so incredibly unhappy with the system, and the service. They had to come over 7 times to get it right the first time. I think they sized it wrong for what we want. We're having problems with the heat, but it worked when they were out, so they don't feel there is a problem. They also recommended an extremely efficient furnance, and are now telling me to keep it on (and up to 62) when we're not home to make sure that it can do it's job and heat the house (which defeats the efficiency...we could have bought a cheaper less efficient one and just turned it off when we weren't home.) After paying an arm an a leg with them...we expect to bring in another contractor to fix the problem.

Jeff E.

This was the worst plumber we ever hired. We first called them to replace our water heater. We suffered cold water three days after the installation while waiting for someone to come out again to correct the mistakes made by the initial installer.

We later (and foolishly) used them again to fix a broken flow restrictor valve. They sent the same guy who screwed up all water heater, and he went 2 for 2, this time installing the flow restrictor backwards. He obviously didn't even try a simple 1 minute test that would have shown the problem.

We would NEVER use Harry Clark plumbing again!!!!

JoAnn G.

DO NOT USE THESE GUYS FOR PLUMBING THEIR PRICES ARE CRAZY ONLY USE FOR HEAT AND AIR.

So everyone in my neighborhood loves these guys and recommended them to me for my new furnace and ducting. Well it was good if you don't count the downstairs wall heater they had to replace the pilot on 2 times. But for gas lines and the forced air heat job they did a good job. We ended up replacing but then I asked them to move my washer and dryer hook ups from the lower floor to the upper floor it wasn't so sweet. The layout is the same just one floor up and super easy access. I was told this would cost $2000... and that is after already spending $12,000 with them. I was less than pleased with the price but I was in a hurry so I did it. Well during my kitchen remodel I come to find they reversed the pipes and for the last 2 years I have been washing my dedicates in hot and my regulars on cold. For $2000 bucks you would think they could get the pipe right! To add insult to injury my new plumber fixed it in 10 minutes and said I totally got ripped off for that part of the job. Man and I gave all their workers free protein powder too. Jerks