Marin Plumbing

Wendy L.

Brian came out promptly to deal with a water pipe leak and give an estimate for replacing a water heater in our newly-bought house. As we sorted out what scope of work we could afford, he gave us a few estimates covering a range of options and prices. The estimates incorporated a big picture view of fixes that needed to be done now, fixes that could wait, and pre-emptive improvements that, in the long run, would save us money and headaches and make our new place nicer to live in every day. In addition to a water heater replacement, we had him do a whole house re-pipe (2 bathrooms water only, water main from meter to house, kitchen sink, laundry sink, washing machine, 4 hose faucets) and lateral sewer line replacement.

Brian's estimates seemed high at first, but in the end he was absolutely worth it. He rolled with surprises that came up in the course of the work, which with other plumbers may well have cost us extra in money and hassle, and he threw in several little extras, like a new kitchen combination sprayer/faucet, that make our quality of life much better. (He gave us a discounted price for installing new appliances, too.) The hot water pipe leak was the initial problem. After a professional leak detection guy couldn't pinpoint where the leak was, Brian said he could replace just the hot water pipe, but that we should think about replacing the cold water pipe since it was old and might spring a leak too. Since we were having the walls opened for electrical work, doing a whole house repipe now would get the mess over with before we moved in. The lateral sewer replacement was another pre-emptive fix. The front yard was already a mess, but we had plans to have it landscaped during remodeling. When he showed us tree root intrusions on video from the camera he'd sent down the pipe, he said the short-term solution would be to have him roto-rooter the pipe every couple of years. Laying a new sewer pipe from the front of the house to the main line would, in the long run, minimize chances that we'd have to dig up the landscaping to deal with sewer problems. Brian communicated clearly throughout about what our options were and what we could expect for our money. He kept us informed about what stage of work he was completing or about to start, so that we were able to coordinate his work with that of other contractors. He took excellent care of us and our budget.

Victoria O.

I was wowed by the professionalism of Brian with Marin Plumbing. When he first called to make an appointment, he gave me a two hour window for his arrival. He even offered to come do the work on the weekend! He then called me as he was leaving his previous job to narrow down the time for my window. Unlike those cable companies who leave you hanging around all day, he was there the first minute of my window which was 11 to 1, he was there at 11. To be honest, when he called he was there waiting for me! Talk about being on time! Fantastic. I appreciate the fact that he considers my time valuable.

I also must mention that he entered the house in booties as to not track dirt into the house. To a clean freak like me, I knew that meant he would leave the apartment in a better shape then when he arrived. He was meticulous in his work laying down blankets and towels around the work area. He was able to assess the work needed and walks you through all the options and prices before beginning his work. I really appreciated knowing what the why behind the work needed and pricing. He is extremely fair with the pricing options. He makes sure that you are comfortable with the work he plans to do.

Now to the important stuff. He knows what he is doing. I know, I know that is expected with a plumber correct? Well, sadly a lot of plumbers go out and put a ""band-aid"" on the real issue. They may be cheaper at first, but you will pay for it in the long run. You know that saying, you get what you pay for? That is a wise adage to think of when you are choosing your plumber. Someone may give you a lower quote to get your business, but do you really want a quick fix when it comes to a toilet not working a pipe burst. I don't want to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. Brian is from Marin County, and has worked in the business for 24 years. He is an expert in his field. As the owner of Marin Plumbing, he answers calls and arrives with a truck full needed parts and tools. Unlike plumbers, who need to leave a job for parts and come back, he is like a retail store on wheels. When your time is concerned, that makes a big difference.

Okay, so pricing. He is priced on par with his competitors. Sure, there may be plumbers who offer cheaper rates, but again how are they able to offer those prices? Brian is fantastic when walking you through the price options. I also appreciated knowing the how and why behind the quotes. He has you agree to the prices before he starts the work. Here is the best part, at the end he will walk you through the work he did and what that entailed.

I was delighted with Brian as a plumber. I would absolutely recommend him to friends and family. There are two things I will always defer to the experts for, car maintenance and house maintenance. I will certainly call Marin Plumbing the next time I'm in need of a professional plumber.

Paula P.

Even as one of his special customers who paid his membership price, he still would overcharge for items not on his list! Over $400 to install two basic toilets?! I felt taken advantage of...

T D.

Same deal, Brian gave us the talk on customer service and his tiered pricing model. He came to clean out our drain and fixed a broken elbo on our faucet. When I called him a month later to tell him the elbo was leaking he said he had no record of it and that it would cost the same again for him to come out and look at it. It took him a day to get back to me and told me it would take him a few days to get to our house since he was so busy and should use him as a secondary resource. So much for paying extra for customer service? Brian is more of a salesman than an plumber. Don't let his stick get the best of you!

Michael B.

Marin Plumbing, Brian, was very professional. Had options and costs for a no nonsense explanation. In my case, I do a lot of work around the house myself. But plumbing isn't high on my list of what I'm good at. On Time, Cleans Up. And We are planning a remodel next spring and our General Contractor will have to use Brian for our plumbing needs.

Carol G.

About a year ago, I called Brian because it was a Saturday, and I needed someone right away. I was exhausted and in a time crunch. That simple kitchen faucet cost me almost $600. I knew as soon as he got here what a rip off it was, but needed the work done.At that time,Brian, who spent more time talking and selling then working, told me the dishwasher valve was frozen, and wanted some rediculous amount to fix it.I said no. A year later,my handy man just told me that it is not frozen. I watched him turn it. DON'T FALL FOR BRIAN'S SCEEM. All of my neighbors asked about him, and I warned them all off.

Samantha H.

Brian Cooke is generous with his time and money! He donated a full filter system to Golden Poppy Preschool & Infant Center at no charge. This altruistic donation benefited the children and teachers alike!

Alana N.

Like the others, it seemed like a simple, basic job. When he came out to replace a kitchen faucet, Brian Cooke helped me feel better about plumbers --after some recent shocking incompetence and rudeness elsewhere. I am signing up for Marin Plumber's Diamond program because after the sting of prior experience I want to be able to make a habit of having service that listens well to my needs, anticipates my needs, clearly explains options, and follows through with an outcome I can feel good with. I appreciate Brian's attentiveness to the solidity of his business as well as to fulfilling his immediate task. He takes time to explain, yes he does --on HIS time, not MY meter. Bravo on an excellent job.

Rhys L.

For some people, a cheap price is all that matters. They do not mind inferior parts, recurring problems, missed appointments or messes left behind.

Brian is a ""Professional"" plumber and his charges reflect that. I would put plumber disasters close to the top on my list of things to avoid. I have used plumbers in the past that made me very nervous.

Brian always explains how much his service is upfront and if things go wrong, he sticks to it. He offers an annual package of services (including some preventative maintenance) which turns out to be a good deal for any owner of an older home like mine. Like any ""membership"", if you don't use it, then then you paid too much. For me, it worked out well.

For me, he has replaced a faucet, fixed a bathtub drain, and cleared our upstairs drains. The bathtub turned out to be a problem which he spent several hours fixing -- but he stuck to his quoted price.

When he leaves, you can't tell there was ever a plumber there.

Lenny T.

I couldn't agree with the other two negative reviews more. He first attempted to sell us on this package when all we needed was a simple repair. He ""fixed"" the leak and then overcharged us. When his repair broke he wouldn't stand behind it, stating that we should have signed up for his program. Because of his attitude problem, he has missed out on a good deal of business from us. TwO THUMBS DOWN!