Technician Fred (Abante): rude fellow with poor knowledge. This time we had a back up in the system, but could not be in person present during Fed's visit. So, he left the service incomplete - removed the roots ( he claims) but did not run the camera, so it is still unclear if there is a damage in the pipe. Instead of running the camera, Fred demands that we have him do the rooting every 6 months! It is absurd - over the last 15 years, the system needed snaking only twice: removing roots ca 2012, and removing a deep-sitting hairball in 2023. Last check up was in Aug 2024, and everything was fine with the system. Fred charged $395 just to run a snake tool! Very unsatisfactory service. The company was better before, but now, go with somebody else. read more

I've been using Abante for over 20 years. I appreciate that they are a family owned company. I have an old home and they have always been able to deal with my existing plumbing, getting it working without pressure or salesmanship. They always have arrived quickly. I'll always call them. read more

$295 just to come out. needed my toilet unclogged and on a saturday they were one of the few who reponded.

Abante just finished a major repiping job at our 6 unit apartment building in Berkeley. They were neat, efficient and terrific craftsmen. They always left the water on at the end of the day so tenants were never without. They were practically dust free when opening plaster walls. They were diplomatic with the tenants. We worked with a T&M agreement and they came in right about where we had estimated. I don't hesitate to recommend them! read more

Fred and company are all about service...Prompt, Professional, and Pleasant! even the day after a holiday week end Great service. I have used them for many years and will continue to do so... read more

My main advice: CALL ABANTI FIRST. Period. Full stop. Sometimes they're busy--but that's how it goes. Do you want the work done right? I do. I'm a bit confused by the negative reviews--I know that you're probably already stressed and grumpy if you need to call a plumber. But I really wish those people took a breath before posting those. I decided to sit down and write this review only because I wanted to support a local business that has always been reliable and fairly priced. We have a persistent issue with tree roots growing into sewage line, and they have been lifesavers. But we've called them for all sorts of things. I have called them AT LEAST once per year for the past 10 YEARS, and they have always been the best. Sometimes their waitlist is longer than usual--but that's just how it goes. Today they fixed 2 faucets and cleared a bathtub clog for SIGNIFICANTLY less than the 2 other companies I've had to use in the recent past (when Abanti was backed up). read more

The service technician, James, is one of the rudest people I have ever interacted with. If you work for a small business, you need to have some customer service skills. I will never work with this company again, and I suggest you avoid them. read more

I've called them three times in the past two years and someone has always picked up my call. They are here in a snap and have shown up at the agreed time all three times. Their prices are reasonable and I don't worry about being taken for a ride. Maybe they treat me extra nice because they've got the HOA contract at my place but I prefer to think the reason we gave it to them is for their excellent service. read more

Worst experience I've ever had with a plumber. I live at the Watergate where they have a business in my building near my apartment I called the owner and ask him to come look at my shut off valves so that I could go buy a good quality shut off valve for $10 apiece at Home Depot he said they had shut off valves were fine and not to worry about it he wouldn't even take the time to come look. I'm sure he knew what I needed. He lives here. I couldn't find the exact shut off valve models myself I needed because I wasn't quite good enough to understand the configuration. I told him I wanted the quality one at Home Depot I wanted a particular brand. I figured he was charging me $500 to install the shut off valve why do I care if I paid $50 or $10 for the parts.When the plumber arrived he had these cheap $2.50 shut off valves that won't last in five years when somebody wants to remodel the faucets they'll have to get new shut off valves or risk leaking and of course there's only one reason to use super cheap shut off valves and that's to guarantee more work down the line for plumbers. I was told at one time they used plastic handles. They all had to be replaced I heard. read more

This is one of the best plumbing companies in Oakland, Fred is responsive and all the guys are fantastic!! Don't wait, call Abante for all your plumbing needs!! read more

I had an emergency water pipe leak underneath my apartment on a Saturday afternoon. The Abante folks came over promptly and fixed it in no time. Can't thank them enough! read more

Worst experience I've had in 30+ years of home ownership. I went with Abante because I'd been told they had a lot of experience of working in the Watergate complex where I live. This job started as a simple matter of replacing the stem on a faucet which was leaking slightly. Abante quoted me $200 over the phone; I emphasized if they thought it might come to more than that I didn't want to do it, as the leak was so minor. But I wanted to be a good citizen and conserve water. Abante assured me no problem. Well, the first problem was Abante told me I had to have the water shut off in the units above and below me and give 48 hours notice through the homeowner association, then call them the day before the water would be shut off to arrange for a tech to come out. I did exactly as they said, calling first thing in the morning the day before, but when I called Abante complained I should have given them more notice, then acted like he was doing me a favor by arranging for a tech to come out the next day. Once the tech arrived he told me he could shut off the water at the shower/tub, no need to have arranged for any more water shutdown. He did that, but as almost as soon as he began working on the stem he commented "I hope I don't break it" but didn't lubricate it or prepare it; almost immediately he broke off part of the stem within the pipe. (I've since learned that although he was using a proper tool for a first try, there was another tool he could have used when he started having difficulties. The tech then spent about 10 minutes trying to loosen the stem, heating it with an acetylene torch (probably not a good idea), then gave up, packed his things and told me he'd have to break through the wall and remove and replace all the pipes involved - escalating a sub-$200 job to a $1000+ job. Now the water would have to be shut off in the building, and the homeowners' association brought in to the mix. I called Abante, and they took NO responsibility for breaking the pipe. Even though they'd never warned me of the risk of breakage, had worked on it poorly and given up quickly, they said "this just happens sometimes and you'll just have to pay for the additional work." When I tried to discuss it or suggest we share some of the expense the owner shouted at me. He wouldn't listen to me at all, and the degree of anger and rigidity I perceived in his voice frightened me Well, that was enough for me. I contacted another plumber - Lunt Marymor - who were upfront about not knowing if they'd be able to remove the stem or would have to replace the whole assembly - but were willing to give removing the stem a try before expanding the job as Abante had said. Happily, their plumber was able to extract the stem, though it took him 45 minutes and quite a bit of effort. He removed the broken piece, replaced the stem, and saved me $800 in the process. I'd think twice about using Abante. The person I spoke to over the phone was rude, blaming, and unpleasant; the technician didn't seem experienced, competent or know when to ask for help . read more

These folks are the ones my landlady chose, years ago, clearly by just opening the phone book and picking the first plumbers listed alphabetically. They are difficult to get ahold of and display zero interest in calling back. Sometimes, when I call, I get someone. Sometimes I get a message asking me to wait while they locate the Nextel customer I am calling. Sometimes they can't hear me. Sometimes it rings and rings, and I leave a message, and NEVER get a call back. Sometimes I get a busy signal - what did I do? Call the PAST? Sometimes it rings twice and then the line goes dead. And, my favorite: sometimes someone picks up, makes meaningless noises (as if a three year old accidentally picked up the phone, which for all I know is exactly what is happening) and hangs up again. Last year they did some work without clearing it with the landlady first, and she refused to pay for it and (she's a real keeper herself) told them to just come back and tear it out. We're still battling over who is going to pay it. What pisses me off is that when I argued that it was not a cosmetic repair but an actual needed repair, and that the landlords should pay it, the guy who runs the company, Fred - who made the call to go ahead with the work without permission in the first place - wouldn't back me up at all and implied to them that it wasn't necessary and that he would be happy to have me pay him instead. And threatened never to come do repairs here again if I didn't. They may be better-behaved to homeowners. Their reaction anytime I make an appointment (at the request of the landlords) is to call the landlords' handyman and do whatever HE says without communicating with me at all. For example, the other week he asked me to make an appointment with them; I did; and then according to them, they called him to find out if he would be there to let them in (why did they think that I called if not to make sure I or another tenant would be there to let them in?) and - supposedly - he said something about how the problem was with the washing machine instead of the sink, and they decided not to come. And *didn't tell me they weren't coming.* And my girlfriend took several hours off work, took the bus home, and waited around for hours without getting a call from them. And left them messages. And got no reply. And I called repeatedly on Saturday, left messages, and never got a reply. I didn't find out what happened until I finally reached them myself on Tuesday - and their reason for not coming sounds like insane bullcrap, frankly. The actual plumbers who work for them do an okay job, but who can ever get one? Hilariously, they have a website that says - in huge red italics - "At Abante Plumbing, Inc. our goal is to be the leading plumbing company throughout the Bay Area region by delivering the highest value and performance - through superior representation, quality, technology, service and support, customization, and financial stability - enabling us to provide YOU with the highest level of satisfaction." I don't know who wrote that, but goddamn is it crazy. Apparently it's not whoever wrote, lower on the page, "Over 90% of our business are from fully satisfied repeated customers." read more

Questions... 1) Have your toilet exploded? http://tinyurl.com/bmptue6 2) Have your shower leaked and used your sheet rock walls as an absorbent? 3) Have you had green goo, dirt, & pebbles bubble up from your bathroom sink? That's a YES to all 3 questions for me!! My bathroom must have had some bad Feng Shui because each one of the above happened to me. I bet you can't say the same! I had to call these guys up each time, it's a recommendation by my building manager. My open-end answers to above... 1) They did nothing because my toilet was on recall and I never got the notification. Replaced for free under warranty. Thank goodness, no one was injured!! 2) They did nothing because the leak was a user error. I called a contractor to replace the wet/moldy sheet rocks and added in safety splash gear around the corners of the tub. 3A) They came over and wasn't successful the first time because they push the snake across to my neighbors unit, snagged a rug and got stuck. That's 10 feet of snake into my neighbors apartment! She was pissed! 3B) The second time they came over, they had to use both my neighbors bathroom and mine to ensure the snake doesn't cut open unnecessary pipes. 15 minutes later, out comes a big ball of hair with goo, gunk, etc. It's a boy! Yea, that's how big it was. It was a build-up between all the units in my section of the building that has been accumulating hair in the main pipe. Why the mid-level rating? Because it's not my choice of plumbing vendors. They don't communicate very well. Between the dispatcher to the service workers and back to me, I didn't feel like they talked me through anything, which left me confused. Though they are less expensive than other plumbers, I'm not sure I would use them if the building manager didn't tell me to do so. Let's just hope I don't have to call them again. Bad bathroom juju - BE GONE! read more

My water heater began leaking and I immediately called Abante on a Sunday afternoon hoping to leave a message. Someone answered my call and ended up apologizing for being unable to come out that day, but promised to come out the next day which was President's Day holiday! Heck, I was just happy that someone actually took my call on a Sunday! They came out about 10a and left after lunch after leaving behind a new water heater and a drip pan. My only gripe was that this job seemed to be on the high side (about $1500), but maybe that's because they came out on a holiday to replace the water heater. read more

Abante was recommended by a colleague as I was trying to settle on a plumber to fix a water leak somewhere in the crawl space at home. I was told someone would call a half hour before arriving. Even though the plumber was a couple of hours later than the general time I had been told, the advance phone call was very helpful. The plumber was great. He listened to my diagnosis, did a little checking, including an expedition under the house (not for the faint-of-heart!), decided the problem was the relief valve on the water heater, and replaced said valve. The charge was reasonable, and the service was excellent. I've already recommended Abante to another colleague, and plan to have them back for some scheduled maintenance...and it's great having my water back! read more

I have used Abante well over a dozen times since 1999, and always had a good experience. They've replaced a water heater, gas lines, put in new bathroom fixtures, cleaned out - multiple times - a root-clogged sewer line, and fixed the stuff I've screwed up in my lame attempts at being Mr Fix-it. The sewer line problems seem to always happen when visitors are staying over, and generally over the holidays, and Abante has been very prompt (always within a couple of hours) and very reasonable with their fees in those situations, at a time when you could really be at the mercy of a plumber. read more

Over the years (10+) the Abante crew have helped me with myriad problems, be it main drain, sink, shower, water heater. They always do a great job and they are competitively priced - that's how I found them to begin with. On one occasion, I had to call them to come and fix a problem that another plumbing outfit did not resolve properly. I cannot say enough about how great these guys are, and special kudos to Aldo who is a super-star in my book. read more

Disappointed with the unprofessional way of handling business. This review is not for their work. I made an appointment the day before with another company to handle a clogged sink and they never showed up. The next day I called three companies and the driver for Abante showed up few minutes after the other company arrived, while the third company I called never even called back to inform of not coming, a similar case of the previous day. The Abante dispatcher called very intrigued that how dare I call others when I called them.... Politely I asked for an estimate, something he offered at the initial call, while the other company was doing the same. He started rising his voice and insulting me. Seriously? Abante plumbing has anger issues and dislikes the competition. If they were reasonable they would provide their bid and allow me to choose. I am glad I did not give them my business since if their staff is so disrespectful toward their customers I cannot imagine how their work would be handled. read more

I've used Abante for years. In the past they were responsive, reasonably priced, and got the job done. NO MORE! I don't know what changed? Outrageous prices. Didn't fix a leak. Seems like they are plumbers to stay away from. read more

Hosting a Party for 17 people on a Saturday and the kitchen sink was totally clogged just hours before the party was to begin. The snake we tried from OSH did nothing, nor did conventional drain cleaners and plunging. I called Francisco Martinez (owner) at 11:00 a.m. and he arrived within 20 minutes! He got right down to business and cleared the clog (60 feet into the sewer line). Within an hour we were back in business and the cost was less than $100! Honestly, I can't imagine this working any better and the price being more fair. Great service, very reasonable pricing, no-nonsense Professionalism; I couldn't ask for anything more! GREAT JOB!!!!! read more

I have been using Abante plumbing for several years. They do a good job but are very expensive. Responsive to emergencies. Most recently they replaced a kitchen faucet for me. I was not able to be present for a faucet change out and tried to manage by phone. Their practice is to take your hardware away with them unless you specify. When I returned home, the faucet was not there. When I inquired, they said that my agent told them to put it in the dumpster...which was not true...they never asked about it, they just took it...and then when I asked for it back, they told me "I needed to take responsibility" for the situation because I did not specifically tell them to leave it there. Who does that. Put it this way, they were not responsive to this mistake and told me to get plumbing services elsewhere. So if you want to be treated unprofessionally, get service done with Abante. read more

Awesome company! Prompt and 24/7 service for emergencies. I have used Abante for the past 12 years and they are affordable plumbers that consistenly provide excellent service. Don't think twice! read more

I had Francisco from Abante come and replace a water heater. He did a great job and price comparison showed that he gave me a good deal. Absolutely no problem. However, when I arranged with Abante to install a new toilet, it was only by chance literally as they drove to the installation that I learned their quoted price had gone up $100 because 'the supplier had quoted them the wrong price'! Rather than 'eating' their mistake in failing to get the correct price for me, they expected me to pay. Well, noooooo... So they were not willing to stand behind their quote and, of course, I had no way of knowing if their story was true or not. I canceled the deal. Too bad, because they are nice people. Bad business decision on their part. My advice: confirm any quote before they begin work. read more

The boss of Abante Plumbing @ 4 Admiral Dr. Emeryville, CA , is arrogant & rude. They do not guarantee their work. We had used their service in January 2011 & they had to return in March 2011. They would not give a discount for the rework & threatened to lien the property if I failed to pay. They could not identify the stoppage, only that they had "pushed" it through. I will NEVER use them again. They got their payments, but I DO NOT recommend them read more

Yikes, Dani. I have managed two different buildings over the last 10 years, and I will never call anyone but Abante. According to your description, you called them no less than seven times. Really? Not once in ten years have I even had to leave a message. Not once in ten years have I had to wait for service. They are here within a matter of hours or I can easily make an appointment. EVERYONE who I have worked with there, without exception, has been very professional, tidy, repectful of tenants' apartments, friendly, and on and on. Plus they don't rob you by charging $160 per hour like other services. Your problem is not with Abante, it's with your landlord. You should not be calling contractors to have repairs made, the landlord or manager should. Responsible landlords/managers will respond quickly and make sure the work gets done right. I call Abante because I want to have work done quickly and done right. It sounds like you have a really crappy landlord. Submit requests for repairs in writing from now on. If they're not fulfilled in a reasonable amount of time you are within your rights to have the repairs made, pay for it yourself, and deduct it from your rent. You can also withhold your rent in an escrow account until repairs are made. Find the number for Emeryville's rent board and call them. Don't bag on a good business because your landlord is a criminal. read more

I had the same problem where the 510 number just rang and rang (this was on a Saturday morning when my sewer line was clogged). I found the 925 number on their website, left a message, and got a friendly and courteous call back within 15 minutes. $99 minimum for rooter service, which is in the ballpark, but they couldn't come for 4 hours and I'd already gotten a slightly cheaper quote from Gladiator, who said they could come in just an hour or two. read more

Aldo has cleared our root-infested sewer line a few times over the past year. He is always professional and helpful. He always offer us advice on handling our plumbing challenges with affordable solutions. Everyone on our block has sewer line issues, so I'm glad I can call Abante Plumbing whenever the roots in the line cause a clog. read more

We have been using Abante for many years and they have never failed us. We live in an area with lots of roots and my house is over 50 years old. The men who come out to clear our drains never give up, no matter how hopeless it may seem. And, yes, they charge far less than average and deliver far better service than average. In truth, they are excellent in every way. read more

We woke up this morning to find both of our sinks backed up and tried everything we knew, including Drano. Nothing worked. I went online to Yelp for plumbers located near me. I found Abante Rooter and Plumbing. It had four stars but as I read the reviews I was confident that the reviews were legitimate as well as solid. I called, told them the problem, and made arrangements for them to come to the house. They arrived promptly. The man who came (I didn't get his name) worked diligently, found the problem, corrected the problem and the price was more than fair. I highly recommend Abante. read more

The building maintenance folks referred me to Abante. I have needed their services twice in the past three months for two separate repairs needed. They provided same-day service, charged a reliable fee and I have met three different, polite, and friendly service technicians that were patient enough to explain things and procedures I would rather not touch myself. They also trusted us as new clients to be invoiced. It's my pleasure to make sure they get paid in a timely manner. They are now our office's regular plumbing service. read more

I would not recommend this company. Our sewer lateral broke and we called them out. They did not fix the problem and left us with NO PLUMBING all weekend, promising to call Monday. We left four messages on Monday with no response and finally called another plumber who was able to get our plumbing up and running that day. I left a message asking for a partial refund because Abante charged us $750 for essentially only digging a hole in our yard, but again no response. The second company we hired had to fix Abante's botched job at installing a clean out. Terrible company. read more

I called Abante for a clogged kitchen sink, don't have the tools to fix it myself. The owner lives in the same building ( Watergate in Emeryville), so I called them for convenience. It took him exactly 8 minutes to unclog the sink, he didn't have to replace anything. He charged me $119 for the 8 minutes work, I thought that was unfair, Rip off!!! Not recommended. Make sure to get the estimate before they start the work!!! read more

I've been using Abante for years. They replaced a bunch of old galvanized piping with copper which vastly improved the water pressure in our 1939 vintage home, and the price way, way below my expectations. They've fixed plugged up sinks, toilets, replaced toilet mechanism, etc. Their staff arrives on time, work very cleanly (as you can imagine, not an easy thing with a stopped up drain). I just recommended them to a friend yesterday so I figured I'd put in a review here as well. read more

Used them for years to help support my ancient plumbing, very dependable

I have been using Abante's services for at least 5 years. If I need them the same day they manage to get there. It's about the standard $100 for the visit, so I often save up things that need to be done so that when I have to have them come it's more cost effective. Their workers are friendly, professional, knowledgeable. I recommend them to friends all the time. update: 2017. Moises just taught me how to clear out the pipe of metal debris so I can fix it in a few minutes rather than call them up again. Thanks! I'm not sure why there are negative reviews, perhaps it's because of variation in individual plumbers, but it works for me. read more

I have been using Abante Plumbing for 2 years now. They have always been reliable and great at coming out in a timely manner (especially for those emergencies!). I have felt comfortable in dealing with Aldo and they have been able to fix any problem we've ever had, including a broken sewage line just one week ago! read more

My husband and I have been resients of Dublin for many years. One of the hardest things is to find companies that have really good service. One of the companies we use at least once a year for snaking the drains and any other repairs is Abante Plumbing. The first time we called them it was the night befoore Thanksgiving 6 years ago. They sent someone out that nght and took care of our problem. Imagine dinner for 22 and no toilets, etc.... Aldo and his crew are always polite, and give perfect work and beleive it (really) great SERVICE!!!!!!! We have had bad incidents in the past get any work done on the drains and pipes, but not with Abante. Our house is now 53 years old and the plumbing can be tempermental. Dan & Maria Murray read more

I am a home owner in El Cerrito. I have had two satisfactory visits three years apart for my main sewer line. My visits were each scheduled the same day I called. Abante showed up on time, the workers were friendly, down to earth, and did the work efficiently, leaving things clean when they drove off. Rates are reasonable. - Norm F. read more

Abante Rooter and Plumbing did a great job for us extending a water line and fixing our bathroom plumbing which broke down and kept the water running. After the great job they did fixing our bathroom leak at a very reasonable price, we decided to hire them again for another project which was to extend our water line in our back yard to provide water for our vegetable garden. They did a wonderful job and for far less money than we expected it would cost. Abante is very reliable, honest, professional and extremely knowledgeable about plumbing repairs. They are also very competitive in their pricing and were the lowest cost of all the plumbers we called. I would highly recommend Abante for any plumbing needs and I continue to do that with all my friends who need a plumber. Don't hesitate, just call them! Sid N San Ramon read more