SOS Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning

Barbara B.

I contacted Charles for some handyman work, (hanging an outside light and putting a cover over the dryer vent). He also screwed in 3 screws to hang one Mr Beams light. He did not provide an estimate before the work and charged $150 per hour. He charged $550 for two hours of work. I would never use him again because a) his rates are not handyman rates and I was over charged b) the work could have been performed in one hour. His card notes he has a contractor license, but he does not. He talks a lot and could have been more business /professional and finished the job in one hour. c) Also he should have provided an initial estimate of the work. I was not expecting $550 for these small tasks. He said he wanted his customers to be 100% satisfied but he doesn't respond to what I requested to be 100% satisfied. That is just talk.

Aaron V.

We recently purchased an ADA toilet at a local hardware store and made it clear that we needed it installed as soon as possible. They said that they would call within two days to schedule. Several days later they called to say that they would call within two days to schedule... and so on and so on...

We needed the toilet right away, so we called Charles to help us out. He came promptly and discovered that the toilet would not fit our drain. We would have had to cut into the wall to make it fit.

He knew exactly what we needed and ignored a store clerk which insisted that this product did not even exist. He then drove around (no charge) and found it within hours. It was a special order item. No one else would have bothered...
His assistance was a quality of life issue.

We later had the bathroom tiled. Most of the workers who came to measure our bathroom noticed right away that our toilet was special and made it clear that they would not be able to remove or reinstall it. So we asked Charles over again.
Many people are afraid to touch anything a little different or think out of the box... not Charles.

Several years ago we had a reputable company install an air conditioning system above our sons' bedroom. The condensation hose was installed backwards and dripped into the overflow pan. It overflowed during the first heat wave and caused our sons bedroom ceiling to collapse!!! No one was home at the time. They fixed everything at no charge except the air conditioning which they came over repeatedly to adjust. ""You have a small unit,"" they explained, ""It can only cool to 80 degrees on hot days."" WHAT? We have an under-1000 square foot home! How big a unit did we need?

We called Charles in to take a look. He took care of it right away! ""Air conditioning 101,"" he explained to us. Our home has been cool ever since.

Diane B.

Okay so they come out and remodel our bathrooms about a year ago, charley replaces the electrical plug in my bathroom, about six months ago the plug stopped working, I had repeatedly requested charley to take a look at it, then he wants me to pay for another one!! You replace the faulty product you put in there in the first place!! So I guess it's an extension cord for my bathroom .... lived here five years and plug not a problem, charley replaces it and then comes back to try and charge me again for faulty product!!! Like dealing with a damn tweaker!!! Pissed :)
And the dude trys to argue with me in a parking lot as I am leaving....bullshit I say!! Go rip off someone else ya big joke!

Karl L.

UPDATE....His Contractors License has been suspended ""due to association with another license for failure to comply with an outstanding liability"". This guy, Charles, has not made good on any promise he has made to me. Since he never responded to my calls to repair the damage he caused, I spent nearly $300.00 to have another company come out and fix what turned out to be a faulty wiring job that he did on both of my outdoor air-conditioning units. When I called Charles to ask for reimbursement, he said to fax the invoice to him so he could check it out. I gave him 2 wks to send me a check and now he is in default of repayment. So today I begin the task of filing a complaint to the Board of Contractors and Seeking damages in Small Claims Court. It didn't surprise me at all to find out that his license was suspended 3 years ago! Look for an update in the future. I'll let you all know how it all works out. Just beware and check out his contractor license #959418 at the Board of Contractors website:

https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx

Craig M.

We needed to replace a leaking main valve to our water supply. It was an opportunity to reroute some the sprinkler piping at the same time. Adam from SOS came out, quickly outlined what he would do and provided a quote. The work was excellent, quick and fixed our problem. What more could I ask? SOS also did the work within budget and on schedule. I would definitely use them again.

Becky C.

Yesterday, at a very warm time of the early evening, my heater went on and did not seem to want to go off. I turned off the thermostat and it didn't respond. I panicked, thinking if the heater would not turn off, I had no idea how to stop it. Then it went off. After first thinking that the heater was a goner, I began to consider that perhaps only the thermostat was a goner. Since the heater is over 30 years old, I decided I should have a proper professional look at it to get the correct assessment. I called SOS and left a message, saying it was not an emergency but please get back to me.

Charles called back this morning. He guessed exactly what my problem was, a setting in the thermostat that was incorrect. He had me move that setting and and said, if that didn't fix it, call him back. It worked. All I can say is WOW! When was the last time you got help like that?

Larry t.

Ehhh, back in my day, America was filled with guys like this: hard-working, reliable, straightforward, friendly, and good at what he does. Charles is from that mold. We've had him come out for plumbing problems, heating problems, and to install a split system heating/AC unit in my sound studio. Each time, he has made it out within 24 hours of being called (well, we scheduled dates for the install because there was other construction going on), done a thorough and quality job, and explained just what was going on, what he did, and what he recommends.

A few days ago he came out for the heating problem. His whole day was filled with tough problems, so he ran later than planned, but came over around 6ish and worked upstairs in our A-frame attic where the furnace is until 10 PM, giving the whole thing a monstrous cleaning, since which it has worked beautifully. He even installed a washable filter so we just have to clean it, not replace it. Keep in mind this was a couple of nights before Xmas Eve, when lots of people spend their evenings getting their shopping and holiday preparations done. Instead, Charles was up there in 40 degree weather slugging it out with our dirty furnace for hours.

If you're looking for the guy who always has the slickest-looking technology and a smooth rap, I'm not sure Charles is your guy. But if you want somebody that shows up reliably, uses the tools of the trade, and gets the job done well, you should give him a call.

R. L.

Highly recommended. Charles McDonald is a true professional, skilled plumber. He provides good quality work and very fair prices. Came highly recommended by a craftsman friend. S.O.S. at 3112 Tennessee St. Vallejo / 1-800-200-4767 or 707-544-6620. Came from his Vallejo shop to Vacaville. Excellent work. You can tell he's very experienced. I would guess at least 30 years experience.

Dr. A.

They were pros from start to finish. Their man was at my door within an hour of when I called. Fixed the plumbing leak while explaining what he was doing every step of the way. I would not hesitate to call these guys again.

Diana B.

Charles rocks! Our furnace decided to give out on the first truly cold weekend of the season, and we have a seven-week old baby! We called Charles on Saturday morning and he came over that afternoon to evaluate the problem. As promised, he called back first thing Monday morning with a quote and said he had the parts he needed on his truck, and would be over later in the afternoon. He arrived late in the day (6 p.m.), but said he wanted to make sure to get our job done, as we have an infant in the house.

We had heat back up and running in no time, and Charles offered some great tips on taking care of our furnace. I'd definitely recommend him to others and would certainly call with any future heating/cooling/plumbing issues.