MGM Plumbing Service

Molly K.

In general, I'm a pretty optimistic, positive reviewer so I feel bad writing reviews when they're not 4 or 5 stars, and I will say that Michael is a very friendly person and a hard worker. However, there are two things that bothered me about the work I did with him:

--Not good ""clean technique""--he was not using plastic gloves, he was using fabric gloves and touching door handles and equipment after working with pipes that flush fecal matter. (Later, when I did a bigger job with a mainstream plumbing contractor, I noticed that they had great ""clean technique"" and changed disposable gloves after touching sewer pipes.)

--I did a small job with him involving a pump system for the cottage behind my house, and during the time he was working with me, we realized that there was a bigger job that would have to be done, a sewer lateral. (In Oakland, where I live, homeowners have to pay for the job all the way to from the house to the central sewer line that runs down the middle of the street, whereas in Berkeley, homeowners have to only pay from their house to the sidewalk.) Although Michael's estimate was lower than the company that I ultimately used to do the job, the company I used explained the costs, which included city permits, EBMUD inspections, etc. It was also explained to me (and I confirmed independently) that in January 2013 a law was passed that in order to sell a house in Oakland, the homeowner must show proof that she replaced the sewer lateral. This means that if a homeowner does the job without permits and inspections, she will have to get it done AGAIN, this time with permits and inspections, to be able to sell her house.
So... if I had done the job with MGM, I would ultimately have had to redo it when I wanted to sell the house. The cheaper job would have been penny wise but pound foolish. I think if MGM was truly a great plumber, they should have known about this law, passed over 6 months before we talked about the job, and advised me the pros and cons of doing with them or a company that would pull the permits.

Michael is a nice person--funny and warm and he definitely works hard. I think he'd be fine to do smaller jobs or bigger jobs if you are on a serious budget and don't need the most professional approach. Just make sure you are clear-headed when you decide on a tradesperson--and I know that can be difficult if you have sewage backing up into your house. Good luck!

Ishmael M.

do not use these guys!!! waste of time and money!!! not qualified. not licensed. avoid!!! i will not waste time with my story. i will just say do not use mgm plumbing.

Akilah B.

So it is now day 13 and the job that I contracted MGM Plumbing to do is still not completed in full, regardless of Michael being paid in full! There has been NO contact from Michael regarding an explanation of why he scheduled numerous times to be at my home, but was rather a no show, then failed to communicate with me altogether as a paying customer (while he continues to solicit & complete other jobs). As it is garbage day tomorrow, I have decided to trash the crap he left in my driveway which now smells due to being wet by the rain. Keep in mind that if you do decide to retain Michael's services; you may also have to haul his trash!

I've loaded some photos for those of you who like visuals.

Maureen B.

Michael is a sweet, smart and honest business owner as well as a very knowledgable plumber. He showed up when he said he would, made sure to take time to explain everything thoroughly to me as we went thorough the process of short and long term options to address the sediment that had built up in my pipes (resulting in a toilet that wouldn't stop running and messed up water pressure all over the house) and gave me a really fast and thorough assessment. We agreed on a great solution, he was mindful of the ""ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"" lens as he went through everything! For a VERY fair price, they swapped out several pipes that needed to complete the conversion the previous owners had started to copper, made sure every sink, shower and the toilet were running well...and he even noticed that my dryer had been shedding lint all under the house (near the pilot light of the water heater) and took the time to clean it and replace the hose to stop the problem. He was fast, great and very very fair! Call Michael, you won't regret it!

J D.

Michael and his work crew came to fix my broken water heater and he did a wonderful job. He left my garage (where heater is located) cleaner than he found it!! He was on time and did an all around great job, not to mention his rates were more than fair. I recommend you call him 510.355.4595 if you have problems with your plumbing, heating or any other maintenance work you need done.

MadDawg C.

We were hoping it would be a simple snake job. But is it ever?

Our home was built in the 40's and still had the original terracotta sewer line. Roots had completely penetrated it in multiple places, causing ruptures and blockages. It had to be replaced.

We called Michael on the advice of a neighbor. We were thrilled with his expertise, professionalism, thorough explanations and documentation of the problem(s) and solution, and fair rates. He worked us through the sticker shock (remember, we thought it would be a run of the mill clog). His workers are sweethearts. The crew respected my time, privacy, and my property. Considering what a big problem we had, the whole thing turned out to be a really positive experience.

And if you hire Michael, be forewarned - the man is PROMPT! If he says he's going to be there at 7:00 am, you'll see his truck pull up at 6:59.