Sewer Master, A Private Sewer Lateral Contractor

Nelson M.

TLDR: Vincent is my kinda guy to work with, I'd recommend working with him if something comes up.

We had just bought a place out in Berkeley and was getting quotes for sewer lateral replacement since it was assumed we needed it. Had scheduled for a couple people to come out and give me their opinion where I had gotten quotes of 6k+ to address. Out of all of them, Vincent was the only one that had the insight and the detailed oriented thinking to realize we may be exempt. Vincent started conversations with the city and eventually got me the certificate based on the exemption he argued for.

Never met this guy in person since I just instructed him to swing by the house while I was at work but I owe him a beer since he literally saved me thousands of dollars after what paying him for his services for obtaining the cert.

Mark M.

We needed to have our sewer lateral replaced before moving. We shopped around and found good reviews for Sewer Master. Vincent's timely responses and professionalism in conducting the assessment were impressive. After he left, I texted my partner, ""Vincent really knows his stuff!"" and he eventually won our business. He took care of everything behind the scenes, and within a few weeks, everything was done, including obtaining the required certificate, completely free of friction. Our property looked great after the work was completed. The cost was very reasonable (exactly what Vincent estimated), and the crew left very few traces of the substantial work they did on our property while we were away. We won't have to do this again, but if we did, we would go to Sewer Master.

Reid M.

If you need a sewer lateral certificate and don't think your old pipes will pass the test Vincent at Sewer Masters is the guy to call.

Last year the City of Berkeley notified me that I needed a lateral certificate on a small commercial building that was built in the 1930s. I had four companies come by and send their cameras down the sewer. All 4 companies instantly spotted clay pipes and said the only way to pass the lateral test would be to replace them. With the sewer line entirely under concrete pipe bursting was the recommended replacement method.

Price estimates varied widely with the big name companies coming in very high. Sewer Masters and another smaller company were fairly close in price but after meeting Vincent when he came out for his inspection I felt most comfortable going with him.

Vincent's crew was great. They showed up on time and worked quickly. They blocked off the area they were working in to keep passers by safe but kept paths open for people to get by both on the sidewalk and in and out of the building.

The crew ended up having to do more digging than they expected but they stayed late and finished the job in one day. They also did an excellent job of matching the concrete finish in the areas where they had to cut holes in it to pull the new pipe through.

Recently, we've been having sewer backup issues at another Berkeley building. After clearing a blockage one of the big rooter companies videoed the sewer and found collapsing clay pipes out in the street. They came back with an expensive estimate to replace the pipes so I called Vincent in again.

Vincent came out the next day, videoed the pipes and found the failing area but said that the lateral in the street was most likely the City's responsibility. He immediately emailed his contact in public works who confirmed that the ""lower lateral"" was Berkeley's responsibility.

Vincent's honesty saved us a lot of money.

Jasmine M.

Thank you Sewer Master!, Vincent is a expert in his field and saved me from wasting my time and money!

Amy T.

Thank you, Vincent, for making 2 trips to my home to do a quick camera inspection of the sewer lateral. To be clear, Vincent came out before the appointment and did the inspection. I wasn't notified initially, so I was skeptical/uncertain as to what happened. No offense, but when do service providers provide a service without telling you that it was done and you had no idea that it was happening before the appointment time?

Needless to say, he rolled up over again after listening to my concerns. He was transparent and allowed me to record the camera inspection. Also, he gave some very helpful insight on a drain pipe that we did have issues with months ago. OK, let's be clear... Sewer Master only works with sewers... not any other type of pipe, so I really appreciate his patience in dealing with our inexperience.

Natalie W.

If you need an honest sewer guy to arrange your sewer test with EBMUD, hire Vincent at Sewer Master. He is totally honest and very knowledgeable.
We are so grateful for the job he did obtaining our certificate from EBMUD. Unfortunately, many sewer companies are treating the pressure test requirement as a way to pad costs and inflate the price to the homeowner. We wanted to sell our house with the certificate in place, not leave it for the new owner. We got 4 bids. The scope of work and price were vastly different. We chose Vincent at Sewer Master and are so grateful that we did.

Daniel S.

VINCENT and the team at Sewer Master Bay Area are THE ONE to call!

We needed estimates to obtain an EBMUD PSL certification up against the deadline. Where other companies simply eyeballed the job and tossed out an estimate for full replacement (w/o even properly identifying the location of the existing lateral), Vincent conducted a thorough TV inspection and locate on the existing line, concluding it was not likely to need full replacement. He provided an accurate estimate for the needed work.

Vincent is straightforward, honest, an expert at his trade, and Sewer Master delivered on time exactly as promised - PSL certificate obtained in less than a week!

He went above and beyond for us in several ways, including adjusting the price proactively when slightly less work than initially anticipated was required.

We'll happily go right to Sewer Master for any future needs without messing around with other companies. Thanks to Vincent for the great service!

Edwin D.

In short: Sewer Master is a fantastic, local contractor that specializes in the EBMUD private sewer lateral certification process. Vincent and his crew do great work, are responsive and easy to communicate with, and provide competitive pricing.

My project included the repair of a clean-out on my property, the repair of my private sewer lateral's connection to the City mainline, and a pressure test for EBMUD. I got six quotes from different contractors and ended up choosing Sewer Master because they demonstrated the best understanding of the scope with their detailed written proposal and reasonable bid.

I paid the deposit online via credit card, without additional fee, and Vincent had a crew out at my house doing work within a few days. The crew did a great job minimizing damage to the surrounding vegetation and left the work area spotless after every shift. The line passed the pressure test with no issues and they did a great job replacing all of the concrete pavement afterwards. Sewer Master coordinated all payments and inspections with EBMUD and I received my certificate a few days later.

I would definitely recommend Sewer Master to anyone who's home is in need of any type of sewer work. It can be a stressful and confusing process and having a reliable and transparent contractor is a life saver.

Alexis B.

Vincent is clearly an Oakland veteran who deeply understands the intricacies of Oakland's sewer system. He was prompt, reliable, straightforward and a clear expert. Look no further!

Victoria R.

Vincent Gaines the owner was very attentive to the issue of replacing my old sewer for a new one. He showed me on camera so I could see the reason why I was having plumbing issues. He dug up cement and replaced it nicely. He took a piece of my lawn up and was careful putting it back. His guys left my yard better than it was before. Very honest man.