L J Kruse

Ben S.

Had Joe out this morning to take a look at our water heater and other appliances in our old apartment, make sure nothing was out of sorts. He was super friendly, showed up shortly after the start of the window we were given, taught us a lot, and could not have been more gracious and knowledgeable.

I'm taking a star off my review, though, because the ultimate cost of our service call included travel time, which was not mentioned to us upfront. All in all, these guys are great, and certainly more professional than other options offered in the Bay Area.

Ellen S.

In 2011, Kruse came to fix the ignition of my heater which was slow to ignite. Heater came on, I paid, he left and within hours--same problem. Their next guy diagnosed a different problem, a pilot issue, ""fixed"" it by cleaning burner and electrode, charged me 223. and left. Within hours, problem was the same. Each technician was very nice and carefully explained the problem, but the diagnosis was wrong both times and the repair NOT EFFECTIVE so over 500. spent with nothing for it--live and learn. Won't call again.

Lydia T.

Good work, but pricey ($170/hour and they include 15 min travel time). I wish I had googled around for coupons because I found one just now for $50 off any plumbing, heating or cooling repair. And they have several more restrictive coupons on their website.

Sandra C.

We have used Kruse plumbing extensively for minor and major plumbing for a rental property in the El Cerrito Hills. Every technician that has serviced our needs have been extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They really enjoy their work. Our last experience, the 30 year + hot water and heater combo unit had gone out. We expected to hear that we would need to replace the entire unit. Instead, oil and cleaning, and we are up and running. Greg, one of the principals at Kruse plumbing, is my go to guy! He has a great memory and his knowledge and integrity is the combination a layman could only hope for.

Laura K.

I'd give JIm from Kruse TEN stars. Did the job, suggested an improvement, cleaned up, did it all in record time, and he was cheerful and efficient. One of the best guys around. THANKS!!

Kalena G.

When my water went out 5 1/2 years ago, I called Kruse as they are a Berkeley institution - what a mistake! They talked me into a Baxi Lunar which they claimed is an up-and-coming brand. Five years later, it went out just after the warranty expired due to a diaphragm problem. Now, 4 months after replacing the diaphragm, it has gone out again - in the middle of winter, of course. When I called Kruse (on a Saturday), the voicemail stated that if the call was prior to 4 p.m., they would call back the same day. You guessed it - no call back. When I called on Monday, I was told by the Service Dept. that they close at noon on Saturdays - so why didn't the voicemail message say that (no answer about that from Kruse). Of course, it was going to take a while to get a service person out so I went with another water heater repair service that was more responsive. Don't ever get a Baxi as no one carries parts for it; it is a Canadian company and it takes 3-4 days to get parts.

Debra S.

We have been very happy with L.J. Kruse .... I work for a church in Oakland, and we have had many different issues in which we needed a plumbing company. First we had several gas leaks both below and above ground. They figured out where they were and fixed all of them. Our water bill was extremely high, and L.J. Kruse determined we had over 14 toilets with leaks, they fixed all of them. We have had them fix and replace garbage disposals and faucet leaks. Also, they replaced waste lines under our rectory. In addition to all of that, they also have replaced wall heaters for us and a gas furnace.

Every person that they have sent to us has been extremely professional, and just great to work with during all of these different types of issues. At first I was going to name names; however they are all great, so I don't want to leave anyone out!

Finally, I have been so happy with their services at my place of work, that I have now just used them at my home .... again the service was excellent!

I would completely recommend this company for all plumbing needs.

Jacob W.

I have worked with L.J. Kruse for over seven years at my college campus. I have found their pricing to be competitive and their service outstanding. From the time I call/e-mail requesting service to the time a project is complete I always have a comforting experience.

The negative reviews I see on Yelp are completely contrary to anything I have ever experienced with L.J. Kruse.

Yelp U.

Stay Away!

These guys are terrible. They are considered a ""premium plumber"", meaning more expensive and therefore presumably better. They did a moderate-sized job for me and were nothing but trouble. Too much of the work was done incorrectly and it took many return visits for them to get it from half-right to mostly-right. They damaged some tile work in the house far from where they we ostensibly working, then refused to fix it. When their fixtures made noise and ultimately broke down, they were nearly impossible to get back to the house to make things right. What an ordeal.

Their sales guy ""Steve Bergendahl"" was courteous and professional, until he got paid. Then he became hard to reach and difficult to rely on.

Don M.

I hired LJ Kruse to help with plumbing work on my new house because the guys who came out to provide quotes were so punctual, professional, and conscientious. But when it actually came to doing the work, the guy who came out was just okay. He charged A LOT ($170 per hour, which he rounded up to the next full hour, and to which he tacked on his travel time to my house), he wasn't particularly speedy, and he could have done a better job anticipating problems I would have after he left and doing little things to avoid damage to the floors, walls, and brand new appliances in my beautiful new house. I don't plan to hire them again.