Top - Notch Plumbing

Glen D.

Not trustworthy.
Don't waste your time.

I spoke with Gordon Retherford on the phone about the job, and I sent him a video.
He made appointments, cancelled them, kept us waiting for over a week, and now he cancelled the job.

It's obvious that he wanted a larger job than this, based on his behavior after speaking to me.
I spoke with him after someone else had called him about the job.
He kept making comments, on the phone, that the job he was being asked to repair might need a ""complete redo"", since he is being asked to repair someone else's work.
He asked for some more photos of the job, (he already had some photos provided to him), so I sent him a complete 3-minute video explaining exactly what was wrong.
I made it clear when I sent the video that the job isn't a complete redo, and that is clearly why he didn't bother to show up at all.
He strung us along and created unnecessary delays for me when the job is important for safety.

I had a construction business for over 2 decades, and I know what the job requires.
I also know the signs when someone is fishing for a larger job, including when they try to find out how much you know, so they can find people who they can overcharge or upsell.
He never said he didn't want a small job, but he also didn't cancel when it was clear that the job is small until over a week later.

Whether or not he can do good work isn't important here: if you can't trust someone, don't give them work.

Carol P.

This company goes above and beyond. They give you exceptional customer service at very reasonable rates. I've had them our for a variety of issues as I have an older home. They have never disappointed me!!

Therese T.

I needed two faucets replaced. They were friendly and came within the timeframe they said they would. They also called to let me know when they were coming over which I appreciated.

Christopher V.

I have had Gordon over to my home several times for repairs, clean outs, and upgrades of fixtures. His work really is TOP NOTCH. He will tell you up-front what the pricing will be and how long it will take. He and his crew are near and clean. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Kimberly Y.

While working on backyard renovations I discovered a leak coming from my irrigation system. Gordon and one other man (I can't recall his name) were able to come out and diagnose the issue. There was a diagnosis fee (that did not go to the total cost of the job); however, I understand that as it took some time and digging for them to find out what all was going on.

After diagnosing the issue, Gordon walked me through what was going on and gave me different solutions. Gordon was to the point and honest in his assessment and recommendation and I didn't feel pressured at all. I went with the more permanent fix, capping pipes and removing the irrigation/drip system. Gordon and the other guy (so sorry I can't remember his name), were approachable, professional, prompt, polite, and reasonable. They had to lift some turf that I had installed less than a year ago but were meticulous and cautious and it looks as if it wasn't touched at all!

Top-Notch plumbing has been the most efficient and the friendliest plumbers I've ever dealt with. While having plumbing issues is never an enjoyable experience for a homeowner, I walk away from this experience with more knowledge on the plumbing at my property thanks to them. I will definitely recommend Top Notch plumbing to others and will be giving them another call in the event that I need a plumber. Thanks guys!

Family B.

We have worked with Top-Notch Plumbing in Escondido for many years. We first used them when we had a line leak under the driveway. Gordon's estimate was competitive and solid. These guys are professional, respectful and don't mess around. They get the job done and it's always been excellent. After our first experience with Gordon, we never looked anywhere else. We have a plumbing issue? We call Top Notch Plumbing. They don't play games with the pricing. It is what they quote. They can do this because they are experts in their field and know what things cost. They just installed a new water heater for us with all the code upgrades. It's beautiful and we are very happy. Local business, been around a long time and super professional. Also, very nice guys!

Alice C.

I did some DIY but couldn't get the plumbing portion done right. Called them and they came in and fixed it. Now it's all to code and everything works great. They're fast and responsive, I highly recommend them and will call them again for sure.

Tom Q.

Gordon installed 3 new Toto toilets in our home. He was prompt and efficient. He gave us a fair price up front and completed the installation quickly and neatly. I would recommend him for any plumbing needs.

Brandy K.

ALERT! DO NOT use Top Notch Plumbing (Gordon R. Is owner) as the only thing too notch about them is the OVERPRICED shotty work. We hired Top Notch Plumbing as we received a referral from this group for them. First of all, when my husband asked them to come and troubleshoot he NEVER mentioned the $140 fee to do so until after arriving at my door. I asked him if the fee would apply to whatever work I had him do and he said NO!!!!!! Most professionals disclose this fee before coming and most apply the fee towards repairs if you decide to go with them!!!!!
NEXT he called my husband and exaggerated the issue at hand so that my husband thought we had an acute emergency. He proceeds to tell my husband that it will cost us $850 for the repair. He asked me to go buy a $125 professional grade fan to dry out the area when he could have and should have just pumped it out himself as a plumber. So, he presents me with a bill for $990 (not including the fan I purchased on my own) & he told me now my kitchen sink, dishwasher and disposal cannot be used and there was about 3 inches of standing water in my sink so we would have to replace the leaking pipe he removed! He said he would call my husband with the estimate for that portion of the work.
Gordon called my husband to tell him that replacing the pipe he removed and ""grading"" where the pipe was would run $5700. My husband asked him why he didn't simply replace the portion of pipe he had removed so as to actually not only stop the leak but fix the issue at hand. He had no valid answer for this.
Needless to say my hubby told him he had overcharged us and he was going to get other quotes for this work he was suggesting we still needed done. Bottom line is what Top Notch Plumbing was going to charge us $5700 to do we got a very honest plumber to do for $200 cash.
The new honest plumber said he agreed that Top Notch Plumbing did not fully do their job and overcharged us. He didn't even know that we had already paid over $1000 for the work + fan that he did half assed leaving us with more work to be done.
PLEASE DO NOT USE TOP NOTCH PLUMBING as they will take advantage and Rob you blind while creating issues that aren't even there so as to get more money from you!!!!!!!!!

Vicky B.

Gordon was recommended to us by a few people in the Escondido FB group, we've had him out to our house twice now. Very honest, reliable, reasonable and nice guy. He's done some simple snaking to replacing a broken pipe underneath our house in the crawl space.