Pipe Spy
Company Overview
Our expertise at Pipe Spy lies in sewer lateral compliance, repair, and replacement operating out of Berkley, Oakland, and Alameda, CA. Our team offers complimentary visual estimates for work above ground. We cater to every aspect of your outdoor plumbing needs, which include repairs and maintenance, trenchless sewer repair, and water line installation. Our team boasts a total of 40 years of experience in ensuring compliance for Bay Area sewer laterals catering to both residential and commercial clients.
At Pipe Spy, we emphasize the principle of Competence in Action, demonstrating our focus on quality service, professionalism, and excellence for our customers. A pair of local plumbing professionals were pioneers in trenchless technology, reducing the cost of sewer lateral replacement by up to 50% compared to traditional methods. They joined forces to create a single plumbing entity resulting in the formation of Pipe Spy. They introduced inspectors in East Bay cities to the benefits of this technology and facilitated the approval process from local sanitary districts, which saved property owners significant amounts in costs.
Operating from our Oakland location, we proudly serve the East Bay community by delivering value, service excellence, and cost savings. Many of our talented and committed staff have been part of Pipe Spy for more than 5 years, and some have been with us for up to 15 years! We strive to build on our successful history to continue providing the unique Pipe Spy Advantage for our clients.
Heiko Dzierzon, one of our founders launched Pipe Spy with his business partner, Paul Cooper. He has more than 30 years of experience in plumbing, Heiko resides and operates in the East Bay. Heiko enjoys cycling and loves dining at the many cafes and restaurants in the East Bay.
Their effective work as solo plumbers inspired Paul and Heiko to see the specific problems related to sewer lateral repairs for homeowners in the Bay Area. They introduced trenchless sewer repair technology to our region, and Pipe Spy is proud to remain our position as leaders in plumbing and sewer repair technology.
Business Services
- Plumbing inspection
- Plumbing installation or replacement
- Plumbing repair
- Sewer installation
- Sewer repair
- Water pipe installation
- Water pipe repair
Business Location & Hours
Mon: | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
Tue: | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
Wed: | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
Thu: | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
Fri: | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
Sat: | Closed |
Sun: | Closed |
Recommended Customer Reviews

This company and their personnel were amazing. They kept me informed, went out of their way to make sure nothing was disrupted and all was put back in its original place with nothing damaged. This included tying back a plant, removing and replanting a plant, moving gravel, etc. They kept me informed every step of the way and they were very easy to communicate with and work with. I had a huge job and they were done efficiently and stayed late to keep my sewer working for me. i have only positive things to say about the company interaction, crew and job as well. Everyone was extremely nice and did an excellent job. It passed inspection with no problems and it was done with my complete customer satisfaction. I would recommend them to anyone.

Sonny did the initial inspection to give us an estimate. He responded quickly to our email questions afterwards.
Gabriel and crew came to do the sewer lateral work on the date specified. They were courteous and efficient, and showed us what they were doing before, during, and after. They dug the hole for the pipe opening, and also cut out the originally cracked portion of the cement so the final cement block looked nice. Because it may rain during the night, they covered up the holes outside the house and next to the sidewalk before the city and EBMUD inspectors came the next day. They coiled up the water hose neatly after use, cleared all the dirt and took away the debris before they left.
Sonny called later in the day to ask if the work went well. He sent us the EBMUD compliance certificate and the city permit when they became available. All in all, it was a pleasant experience with Pipe Spy.

Old clay pipes, broken years ago (maple tree roots, the likely culprit), sewage seeping into the ground under the street ... not pretty when the rains came and we couldn't run the washing machine and take a shower on the same day for fear of runoff backing up into our shower. Pipe Spy to the rescue (although they're busy -- a big job like this doesn't happen quickly) and here we are in our first full rain of the year and all systems are GO! Heiko and his team were always clean, polite, cooperative, and responsive. They did a GREAT job rerouting the traffic on our busy street during the job. They replaced our sewer main from the house to the street, and because we had two separate plumbing systems (two-story house) they deftly joined them outside the house and put in separate clean-out valves for each floor. They wiped out our front yard and even put in new sod where the lawn (such as it was) got trashed. All of our neighbors told us how much they appreciated the courtesy of the workers. I see some reviews here with complaints about inadequate warning about parking restrictions and we did not have that experience. The necessary signs went up on the Friday prior to the job starting the following week. High recommendations! Thanks, Heiko. The job came in at exactly the estimated amount. That's more than we can say for every contractor we have ever worked with.

Stellar service !Great crew! Excellent work!
Plumbers are overwhelmingly busy especially because of the pandemic backlogs... but Pipe Spy stepped up to help me deal with sewer lateral requirements I had to meet in a very short timeline.
We passed City inspections, as Pipe Spy guaranteed!
And know that you are dealing with at least 2 decades of sewer lateral experience with this company whom I first met in the late 90's as a realtor needing their services for my sellers to comply with Albany's sewer lateral ordinance .
They could well be considered ' pioneers' in this area of plumbing.
All attributable to owner Heiko!
No less than 10 STARS!! For owner and his company!!!

I called today to request information regarding cement work and was glad that Lindsay answered the phone. She was extremely knowledgeable, professional, and helpful in getting the ball rolling in the right direction. Thank you Lindsay, you're the best!

Pipe Spy does not provide required 24 hrs notice on street for necessary car removal to access main sewer line,
Although working on Perkins Street, Oakland all week from 8/30 - 9/3/21 the crew simply moved No Parking sidewalk signs an hour before work began each day to the necessary location.
Neighbors spoke to ""crew supervisor"" along with his support staff requesting prior days notice so they could comply. His response was ""not my job"".

Our 117-year-old house has complicated sewer laterals to the main house, the cottage, and the spa. Paul Cooper and his crew were prompt, thorough, and highly professional to map and analyze our system, find a lateral clogged by roots, clear the problem, and give us guidance about how to maintain our system and anticipate future problems.

After getting several Private Sewer Lateral Compliance quotes in the area, we decided to go with Pipe Spy due to their professionalism, focus on PSL work (only) and efficiency. From the initial in person inspection by Sonny to the detailed follow up by him and the team at Pipe Spy (including sewer lateral maps, additional visit in person to go over our questions), we knew we were in good hands. Sonny and the Pipe Spy team (Lynsey is fantastic) responded to all our questions and calls and reassured us that even they were booking 6-8 weeks out for PSL work, our PSL compliance would be done before our deadline. An estimated 3 day job only took 2 days thanks to Walter, the foreman and his hard working and efficient crew. The Pipe Spy team was organized, friendly and focused on being COVID-safe. Our PSL compliance was a tough job (12ft dig, easement right at our property line) but Pipe Spy got it done and left our garden in great condition. If you need to get your PSL work done, hire Pipe Spy!

Working with Pipe Spy was a really great experience. Our HOA needed to replace an exterior sewer lateral, while we needed to find a separate plumbing contractor for an interior line replacement too. For the exterior sewer lateral, Sonny B., the Pipe Spy estimator came out, ran a series of video cameras and did all of the exterior diagnostic work. He explained what he'd found and gave us a really fair price, with a detailed line item estimate. Last week, when the work began, the Pipe Spy team was all hands on deck. They were strategic about how they attacked the sewer line replacement......from the City main sewer connector....from the cleanout inside the condominium courtyard.....and from another midpoint excavation on the sidewalk, in between. They stayed late into the evening on days one and two......and the job was done, ahead of schedule. It was truly impressive!! They take their work seriously, but with a sense of humor too.......hire them and you'll find out what I mean.....your mission, should you decide to accept it. Thanks Sonny, Pedro, Alex and Team Pipe Spy........

Pipespy responded right away to schedule an appointment for sewer and drainage issues.
James was terrific calling in advance, on time, personable and very knowledgeable about where to investigate.
I recommend Pipespy .