Todd is exceptionally skilled with a snake. My husband (professional electrician) and I (professional painter) are very hands-on people, so we own our own $500.00 snake from Home Depot. Todd says it's crap, and maybe he's right, but it has saved us double or triple its cost over the last five years already! So, when we had a sewer line block at our rental property, we gave snaking a try, but we simply couldn't get the snake to go down the back-to-back toilet connection. We had another company (also on Yelp with 5 star average reviews) come try to snake the drain--you simply have to have a few plumbing contacts in case your favorites are already at work on someone else's emergency. That company spent 4 hours at our property at night, and couldn't get their snake to go down either. Then they told me that the reason they couldn't get their snake down was because the cast-iron mainline below the toilets was plugged and they would need to jackhammer at that spot. After 4 hours, they offered to leave without charging anything, which was awesome, but also suspicious. If they were sure of their assessment, why not offer to credit their work toward the repair? I sent them on their way. I contacted Todd who successfully snaked this exact drain via this difficult back-to-back toilet drain a few years ago, so we knew he could do it again. He came out the next day and put his snake down on the first try. So, he is very, very skilled with a snake! Todd found out that the block was NOT below the toilets but was about 50 feet away and was caused by wet wipes in the sewer main-line. Can you imagine if I had trusted the judgement of that other company and let them jackhammer in the house at the toilet drain?? I'm glad I trusted my instincts and sent them packing. Unfortunately, the block was a soft block, so despite Todd's skills it could not be snaked from that location-- it needed the bigger snake. Todd informed us that this particular section of sewer pipe did not have an exterior clean-out, and he needed one to use his more powerful snake-- going through the toilet drain probably wouldn't work or could cause damage. So we authorized Todd to cut a hole in our driveway, find the sewer line and install a proper clean-out, and then snake the line. He started work that evening, and finished the next day. He charged $1,800.00 for all of his time, which included hours late at night. The full scope of the work completed is as follows: initial visit to snake the drain, discuss our options, jackhammer the concrete, dig out the pipe, install a two-way clean out, reroute a water line that was on top of the sewer pipe, back-fill the hole, compact the earth, re-seat the two toilets, and video the sewer line. Also, Todd's sewer videos are uploaded to YouTube for you to reference whenever you want. Todd has the experience and know-how you need in a plumber and we will be calling him again. I prefer a contractor license, but you have to make your own decisions, and the company that spent 4 hours attempting to snake, and then incorrectly diagnosed the problem and recommended that I jackhammer inside the house for no absolutely reason was licensed (#986372)!!! Todd came out, was no-nonsense, works fast, immediately recognized those guys were idiots, and correctly identified our problem. If you want to know who that was, you can look that license number up here: https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices/CheckLicenseII/LicenseDetail.aspx?LicNum=986372 read more

Called at 9:15pm for a clogged shower drain. I spent over 2 hours trying to unclog it myself to no avail. Called A-1. He came out within 30 minutes and unclogged the drain in less than 10 minutes. Take advice from me just call him and don't waste your time. read more

Todd came by and saw that my kitchen plumbing was going to be difficult. He did his due diligence and added some easy access fittings, snaked the drain and everything was good after that. He wasn't unreasonable about the price at all, very affordable and fair! 100% recommend A-1 Plumbing. read more

Todd is very responsive and extremely competent. I needed an immediate toilet replacement, he came up same day to give me an assessment. Once I had selected the toilet, I wanted, he had it installed in under an hour. I highly recommend him. Professional and quick service. I will be calling him again for any other plumbing issues around my house. read more

Experts in finding the solution to your problem. They respond quickly, and I am grateful to have Tech's like these. You get what you pay for. I will call A-1 for all my future problems. read more

Todd is the hardest worker I've ever seen. His response and communication is excellent. I had a very difficult project and Todd knocked it out like it was nothing. I highly recommend Todd and A1 Plumbing. You won't be disappointed. read more

Did a good job showed up an hour after I called on a Monday after the week end , most time I can't get anyone until Tuesdays.

Todd is the best ever! He is everything a person could want. Prompt & very reasonable. Plus he does a great job. Margaret Pfeifer read more

Todd is the best ,fast in responding and fast in fixing the problem and get the job done . He is the only plumber I am calling from now and later. read more

This is the second time I had Todd come out for a plumbing issue and both times he fixed the problem quickly. I would recommend Todd any time for same day fast service! read more

Todd, great guy, and he knows plumbing, and his prices are reasonable. He fixed our toilet and I'm very happy, I will definitely use A-1 Plumbing again. read more

I called A-1 Plumbing on Christmas Day for an emergency where I had to turn off the water to the entire building After calling American Home Shield (my home warranty company) and 10 other companies Todd was willing to come out and do the repair. He was pleasant and completed everything he could with the warehouses closed. I would highly suggest him for all of your plumbing needs. read more

What can I say Todd does excellent work and I plan on using him again in the future to help maintain my rental property in El Caljon. Why the two starts you ask, well. . . I setup an appointment for repair between 10-12 noon on monday. At 12:30 I gave Todd a call, he said he was running late on a job. Ok I get it, but you need to call your customers if your going to be late. Anyhow he showed up at 1:20 and did complete the repair in a very professional manner. But as the old saying goes timeliness matters. So unfortunately I have to deduct one star. But as far as the work outstanding, and the price was very fair. read more

Had a bad leak underneath my kitchen sink and he was there and ready to go! And new exactly what was wrong ! He was great! 5 stars definitely recommend this company! read more

Todd was amazing. We had a major leak in the main water line and the first plumbers that our insurance company suggested wanted to bust up the concrete and wouldn't get to it until next week, which would have left us without running water until then. Todd's out of the box thinking came up with a workable solution and he did it all on a Sunday, which has made us converts to the Church of Todd. We really valued his experience and know who to call if something else comes up in the future. read more

Todd saved us thousands of dollars and was like Galileo on his problem-solving abilities. He actually constructed a pulley system in the attic to place a water heater that was an an impossible position. Highly recommend and keep up the good work! Bruce W read more

I love this guy! He is no nonsense - just get it done. We have a 1958 house with cast iron plumbing. The shower drain started running slow, so I called a big chain company to clear it. They tried but were unsuccessful. Their suggestion was to jackhammer the floor in my bathroom to replace some of the pipes to the tune of $3500. I called our friends that have an older home nearby and asked them if they had a referral. Thank God they recommended A-1. Todd came out and knew instantly what to do. We gave him permission to open up the wall to access the vent. Cut a hole in it, snake in, drain cleared! Twenty minutes. Now we will put an access panel in the wall because for sure there will be a next time! Todd is an old-school problem solver with a work ethic that is hard to find these days. Thank goodness he's here. read more

Great plumber. Straight to the point and does the job right. Todd removed 50 ft. of cast iron pipe under my house and replaced it. It took him and one of his workers 4.5 hours to do the job. Shorter than expected The cost of the job was less than what other plumbers quoted. If you want high quality work and good value. Todd is the guy read more

I'm glad some people had a good experience with Todd, I did not. His work is sub-par and he seems like he is just tired of being a plumber. He replaced a toilet but lost the hardware for the lid. He tried to use other hardware that didn't allow the lid to open all the way and therefore the lid couldn't remain up. He was about to leave when I pointed this out to him and he said he had already been on the job too long (about an hour) and would have to come back in the morning. The toilet he replaced worked fine but he said it was old and used too much water. It is unprofessional to remove a functioning toilet and replace it with a toilet that isn't yet operational. He returned the next morning and fixed the seat but didn't replace a faucet that had a slow leak and an outdated drain. He returned the next day and only did the faucet. He said he would return the following day for the drain but showed up three days later and walked right into the house without knocking. He's excuse was that he called and said that he would be here in an hour so he thought he could walk right in. I had received a message from him three hours earlier stating he would be at the house in an hour. He finally finished a total of about four hours of work over the coarse of six days. The work is fine, not great but not terrible either. He did leave a mess in his work are despite his ad stating he, "cleans up". I will not be using him again. read more

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Todd was easy too woork with. I was having floor laid in my Mom's House and the toilet couldn't be shut off and was leaking. I called Todd at about 8 am and he said he'd be here by eleven. He showed up on time fixed the problem. His price was fair & he did a great job. Thanks Todd for helping me out so quickly. read more

Thank God for Todd! After I accidentally had a half lemon go down my disposal and block up my drains and after 30 minutes of me trying to plunge away, I called A1 Plumbing. I was having a special occasion gathering that evening and really needed my sink to by cleared and working. Todd told me the time he'd be there, texted me he was on his way and arrived promptly at the time she said he would. He was in and out in no time and he saved the day. I will definitely be using his services from now on. Ellie P. read more

Did a great job! Called Todd and he was out within hours. There was a huge leak under the house that drained gray water. He was able to access the situation, video it (to show us), and went right to work. The damage under the house was so severe, that he called someone to drain out the water and clean up the smell. On New Year's Eve, he came and finished the job. I would use him and recommend him to everyone! Amazing work ethic, honest, and hard worker! read more

Great service. He snaked out the mainline multiple times and we found roots. He ended up digging up the line and replacing part of the mainline at an affordable rate. If you want someone who is down to Earth and honest hire this company!!! PS, I use to be a plumber, so know what's up. read more

The owner Todd came to fix my shower blockage. I was in a jam and needed a fix right away before my guests arrived. He was able to come over within the hour and help me out. He charged a little more than a big name company, but unlike this competitor who advertises to come out in 60 minutes, he actually did it. My problem was a little more complicated and he handled it, and he was kind not to up-charge me from his original quote. He'll have my repeat business. read more

This guy is great. No stress. He showed up when he said he would, did what we needed him to do (assess a toilet that wasn't flushing and then replace it) and all of that for a very reasonable price. We've had him back a couple of times for other plumbing issues. So nice to have someone reliable!!! read more

I am not sure about his ability since mostly all I got from him was how everything was screwed up and him ranting. I know things were screwed up--that is why I called a plumber. I thought my wife was just being sensitive about her not wanting to deal with him, but when I finally met him I understood--he is curmudgeonly, loud, and full of tirades. It was like having your loud-mouthed uncle corner you to tell you about his views on whatever at a family holiday--unpleasant. I assume he knows his business but all I got were reasons that he couldn't do the job...or didn't want to. He DID get another company to come and power plunge the line and I got a video of that from the other company. When he finally got around to looking at putting the toilet back on, he said there was no correct way to do it ( it is very true that the person who originally installed it screwed it up in several ways, thus I was looking for professional help) and eventually, I just sent him away and had to fix it myself with the advice from a Home Depot guy. Now, it could be that he didn't want to put his name on the line for what was going to be jury-rigged--and that is fine--but I was looking for solutions to get the only toilet working again after 24 hours of it not working. When I had a different plumbing problem a week later I did NOT call him back and instead went with a Bill Howe contractor who was polite, thorough, and pleasant. Also, Todd does not take credit cards which was inconvenient. read more

Todd did some great work at our house. Our tub was a disaster and he had to remove a whole pipe out. He came on time, was easy to get along with and did a great job all around. read more

Todd has helped me with several projects at my property in Normal Heights over the past 2 years. Each time he is reliable, friendly, fast and affordable. He can get any job done quickly and with minimum mess and disturbance (in my case to tenants). He always responds to a call in less than an hour and comes out ASAP. First visit he came in the middle of a rain storm in December and got the job done in 30 minutes. He will give you an honest and fair assesment and price estimate and does not change it after the jobs done. He carrys all his own tools and is equiped for almost any type job on the spot. I will continue to use his services for my own house and 2 rentals. He would be any property managers best friend. Fast, Reliable friendly, trustworthy & fair pricing. read more

Todd at A-1 Plumbing is my new go-to guy. I had a broken water pressure regulator and called him last Saturday afternoon. He showed up promptly with all the parts necessary to fix my problem. After looking over my specific issue, we both realized that it was a bit more work that I described over the phone. Instead of leaving me high and dry, Todd stuck through it and persevered through completion. Todd was careful working around my plants and took the proper precautions during the entire job. Another cool thing is Todd let me stand around and ask questions while he was working. I value this as I want to learn the first time, so I can save a few bucks by DIY'ing if a similar issue ever pops up. Overall, I'd recommend Todd to anyone in San Diego County that needs a plumber. read more

Todd really saved our Christmas this year. He's done some work at the house before, and when our tub and shower flanges decided to pack it in for the holidays, Todd was able to come out and fix the leak straight away. He's honest about the problems and pricing, and the work is quality. We've had some pretty shoddy work done on the house before at twice the cost, and if it weren't for Todd, I'd be sulking and bathing in a basin right now. He's absolutely the go-to guy for plumbing in San Diego. read more

Called around noon, says he will be there at 9:30 pm. It was 9:45 and he still has not showed. I had to call him to see what was up. He said he was very busy at another job, which was understandable since my problem wasn't an emergency anyway. He was there the next day 15 min early. We had a clog at our business and he fixed it. He also did some repair work to our drains on the floor. It was $150 for about two hours of his time, which I didn't think was too bad since it sure saves me a trip to home depot and rent a snake that would have costed 50$ a day and I would have not known what I was doing. All in all, I would call again. He seems to know what he's doing. read more

I have used this company twice, he came out at 8 p.m to unclog a sewer drain. He answers the phone, communicates and was on time and was very knowledgeable. He fixed the problem in about 15 minutes and walked us through the whole process. I would highly recommend this company too anyone read more

Arrived half an hour late. Asked to use my ladder even though he had one on his truck. Charged $125 for a simple drain clean. Doesn't take plastic. Had to dig out the checkbook. Haven't had to do that in years. Stated "that will be $150 or $125 if you leave a review on Yelp". Well, here it is. Bottom line for my experience: not horrible, but not great. I'll try someone else next time. read more

Our friend Betty referred us to Todd. He came out same-day and quickly diagnosed our problem -- a leak in a 1/2" copper pipe in the crawl space. Our crawl space is very small, you can only get around on your belly, and he was a bit gun-shy about going down there, but who can blame him? He once got trapped under his truck while changing the transmission and barely made it out with only a couple of broken ribs. So I offered to go down with him and show him where the leak was. He was nice enough to crawl through the whole space with me and look at some of our old cast iron pipes on the other side of the house, and give me some tips for maintenance and inspection. Once Todd found the exact point of the leak he had me go back out and turn the water on and off for him as he worked. He used a simple clamp and rubber patch to fix the pipe. Easier and cheaper than cutting the copper pipe, which could have turned into an expensive job quickly. I appreciated the economical solution. And it should last for years, by which time the entire pipe will likely need replacing. At Todd's recommendation we replaced the pressure regulator, which was nearing the end of its life and had likely worsened the leak in the pipe. Problem solved, at a good price too. My only complaints? He was late, which is understandable given the nature of his work. But he did call ahead. And he didn't discuss costs up front, just wanted to dive in and fix things, but I can't blame him for that. A couple of minor issues, really. Todd is a loud east-coast kinda guy, blunt and direct, but honest and friendly, and he knows his plumbing. We liked him a lot, and will use him again, without hesitation. I would give a bonus star if I could for his tricked-out old-school step van. Sweet. Recommended. read more

My wife and I could not figure out why our toilet was constantly running after each use and we were manually correcting the problem multiple times a day. We called A-1 and within an hour dude was at the house and he corrected the issue in two minutes. I really appreciate the prompt response and extra points for style with the rig he showed up in. read more

Definitely recommend these guys! We had a late night emergency and they were quick to respond. More importantly, they helped recommend a restoration company and even helped transition the work to the new crew. Todd called me every step of the way to give me an update and help me feel comfortable about what was happening. This means a lot since this was my mom & dad's home. Check them out! I will recommend this company to friends and family in the area. Thank you! read more

Todd came out right away to help me remove a kitchen faucet that I didn't have the right tools to get out. He was clean and worked fast, then after he was finished removing the faucet he actually stayed around and showed us how to install our new faucet on our own to save some money. We were very happy with service and would refer him to others. read more

A-1 plumbing and Todd were wonderful. I had to coordinate some work done between A-1 and a tenant that lived quite a distance from me and Todd was able accommodate us both. He was quick, polite, came on time and followed up with me directly. I appreciate all his hard work and will definitely be using him in the future. I recommend Todd to anyone looking for a plumber. Thank you! read more

Something is funky in my pipes. I get it, I own an older home (1940's). Well, funky is good for a bass line, but bad for piping. Anytime we ran the w/d, it was backing out through a work sink in the garage, and the kitchen sink was backing up, too. My husband tried to fix it, but nothing worked. After several days without the w/d or the d/w running (we couldn't even wash by hand, without doing it in the bathtub), I called Todd. He was able to come out the same day, and even come out in the evening (so my husband could tell him what he'd been trying and pouring down the drain). He was able to come at 6 p.m., snaked a pipe (50 ft), and presto-whammo! No more floods in the garage. The best part? It was only $115. I don't think I've ever been so excited to write a check. I'm going to be calling him for all my plumbing needs. PS, I am sick with the flu and in the middle of law school finals, so I really can't emphasize how amazing he is -- I'm unnaturally grouchy right now, and he still made me really happy. read more

Todd from A-1 Plumbing did two jobs on two different days for my mother in-law (she doesn't know I'm writing this review and would probably fear retaliation if she did. She didn't want him back anyhow after the 2nd experience). I inspected his work and thought the 2nd job was performed poorly and overpriced. I emailed him the following letter and photos and after over a week without a response decided to post this review. Someone else wrote that Todd "is a loud east-coast kinda guy, blunt and direct", I noticed this too but also the fact he doesn't seem to care what you say; it's all about him. The invoices are written sloppily (not good for the customer) but on the 2nd receipt what I've discerned is this: 1) Remove & replace cold water S/O (switch out?, shut off?) valve? (No valve was replaced under the sink and the kitchen faucet uses a dual hot & cold valve so I don't know what this means. The supply line tee fitting appears new, maybe that's what it is). 2) Install air gap, kitchen sink with 7/8" rubber hose. About $15 in parts. That's it, the simplest and cheapest plumbing job imaginable....at a cost of $325. But that's not all: The supply line tee fitting was left leaking and the air gap was installed crooked with stripped threads and without the gasket supplied. Incredible. It makes one think that maybe Todd was under the influence or something. The email I wrote: Hello Todd, I am writing in regards to your visits to XXXXX XXXXX's home on XXXXXX Dr. Your job on 11-15-17 was to prepare the under-the-kitchen-sink plumbing for a dishwasher install. Please refer to the attached photos Image 0) The cost for this work (especially how bad it is) is astronomical. It is a very basic and easy job. Image 1) The air gap installed this badly? Image 2) And left off the gasket? Image 3) The plastic threads are stripped. I installed the gasket, carefully adjusted and tightened the air gap to make it flush and the seal watertight. Image 4) This connection is leaking. I repaired it. Image 5) It appears you might have replaced a compression sleeve. I first switched the line but then it leaked on the other side. Image 6) The installation of the branch tailpiece was unnecessary, as code permits the drain line going to the waste disposal inlet. (It appears this was not installed that day) Image 7) Image "Receipt 11-7-17") In addition, your previous work on the 7th is pretty high although performed satisfactorily. The leak repair was costly and the bathtub stem repair is overpriced, especially for a one-man business. Per the kitchen work, I am anticipating you will refund XXXXX XXXXX accordingly, and reconsider the high costs associated with the bathtub repair. Sincerely, XXXXX XXXXX Again, one week later and no response from Todd. If he should respond to this review with denial or excuses, don't believe it. read more

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