Ability does not pop up as the top result when you search for plumbing companies. After one of the big plumbing companies that rhymes with John Quesadilla blew us off and wanted us to wait 8 hours (!!!) for a quote, we went down the list to one of the smaller companies. Ability is legit, professional, on-time, and did a great job replacing a whole house water filter. The work was done in an out of the way space under the house, but the plumber took pride in his work and ran the copper pipes in a way that looks nicer than what was installed previously. I'd use them again when the need arises. read more

On June 23, 2026, Vince from Ability Plumbing Service came to my house, gave me an estimate and replaced the old kitchen faucet with a new one that I had purchased. Vince was very professional, very courteous and easy to talk to. Also, he was very neat and cleaned up everything. I will definitely use Ability Plumbing again and hopefully, Vince will be at my door. Thank You! read more

Title: Predatory, Overpriced, and Utterly Unreliable - Avoid at All Costs LET ME EDIT MY OLD REVIEW. IT wasn't until just now, that I found out what they did, was a SCAM. I am beyond disgusted with Ability Plumbing and their shady, predatory business practices. They prey on people in urgent situations, overcharge wildly, and then vanish when you actually need them. On 10/20/2023, I had no choice but to use Ability Plumbing because my HOA in Summer Hill, San Diego, only allows them. A technician came out to give me a quote for replacing sinks. The price was steep, but since they were the HOA's contractor, I felt trapped. During this visit, the technician pushed me into replacing my "failed" hot water shut-off valve -- something I didn't even call about -- warning me about "emergency situations" and how critical it would be. His high-pressure pitch worked, and I paid $920 for it (later finding out other reputable plumbers would do it for half the price). But again, my hands were tied due to the HOA. Fast forward to 8/12/2025 -- I had an actual emergency where I needed this expensive shut-off valve. Guess what? It didn't work at all. I called immediately, got voicemail, and later spoke to a woman named Laura who assured me they'd send a tech on 8/13/2025 at 9am. I took off work, sat here waiting, only for Laura to call at 10:30am saying the appointment was canceled because their three technicians were "tied up on another project." This was after knowing my situation and the fact their overpriced "emergency" valve failed me. This is not just bad service -- it's outright scheming. They sold me a part I didn't ask for, at a gouged price, and when the moment came for it to actually protect my home, it failed. And their response? Cancellations and excuses. On their website, they boast about "25 years of experience" and "treating customers like family." Please. Maybe it's 25 years of scamming families. Their actions show zero care, zero respect, and zero accountability. I want someone above Laura to contact me immediately, but frankly, my real advice to anyone reading this: DO NOT use Ability Plumbing unless you enjoy being overcharged, misled, and abandoned in your time of need. read more

Ability Plumbing - Scaming invoice, paid 920$ and it didnt even work when I needed it to. - Plumbing Near Me - El Cajon, California

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After 2 other plumbing companies couldn't figure out what was causing the leak...I called Ability. I talked to Jennifer, I needed a plumber today...she said her plumbers were experienced, she was right! Within 10 minutes the technician found the problem, and had it fixed in 30 minutes! Sorry I called other companies first! Should I need a plumber in the future I will call Ability first!!! I would refer Ability to anyone who has need for a plumber 100%!!! SLParrott, El Cajon read more

Ability Plumbing came out to inspect/clean our tankless water heater and change the timing of the weekly flush. Nathan Mulalley was our tech. He was very friendly, professional, helpful and informative. We have worked with Ability for over a year now. Last April we had to have a complete house repipe. At that time we converted to a tankless water heater. Now we are on a yearly maintenance schedule. Every single person that we have dealt with from Ability has been outstanding. I feel 100% confident in recommending them for your plumbing needs. read more

Knew from time Michael arrived and spent just a few minutes , he knew what he was doing and assessed the problem in a short time. Short time later, it was fixed. Did other minor repairs in a quick fashion knowing exactly where to start and finish. Toilet was not filling and somebody else , a handiman, had wanted to tear a hole in wall to install a joint I didn't need. Glad I listened to my gut and went with this plumber whose rate was slightly higher than handiman but saved me grief and more money in long run. Would use them again. Confident, professional and obviously experienced. Thank you Ability Plumbing and Michael. PS Jennifer a helpful and friendly lady over phone who scheduled me with the right professional based on my needs. read more

If I could give a 10-out-of-5, I would. Jerry at Ability Plumbing is the BEST! I've been through a million plumbers in my day and Ability is the only plumbing service that I can trust to be professional, super friendly, show up on time (and give me a lead time which I love), complete the work in a timely manner and do so for a fair price with outstanding service and sincere care. Most recently, Jerry went above and beyond. He was at my house fixing something else and offered to unscrew my showerhead, clean it out, and then screw it back on for better performance. It's the little things that make a difference! Thank you! read more

So many GREAT things about Ability... but the personal, real, down to earth service is truly some of the best I've ever known (& my standards are high). We were given instant undivided attn straight from the top. Michael (owner), Tim, Joel & Laura all helped us feel calm & taken care of. Not only did they easily handle our new Toliet/Supply pick up, they even did extras like finally fixing our pesky loose sink faucet! A++ ALL AROUND!! Michael runs his company with the spirit of excellence, customer first mission & a family spirit. They all communicated promptly, clearly & safely to help us. Its fantastic to find a contractor who is definitely on your side! DON T HESITATE TO CALL THEM FOR ANY NEEDS! They are the best I've known!! Kept us CALM & CARED FOR during a stressful time: FIXED IT ALL ~ EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE read more

Ability Plumbing - Our new toilet installation. - Plumbing Near Me - El Cajon, California

Price point is wayyyy off here! $967.00 for an hour and a half work. We had a leaky pipe in our shower. They easily approached the problem from the ceiling, in the garage below. They cut a hole in the garage ceiling, cut out 2 feet of PVC pipe and replaced the PVC pipe. Don't get me wrong...they were competent and did their job...but $967?!?! My husband immediately called the company after they left and initially spoke with a dispatcher, who claimed that we would get a call back from the business owner. That was about a month ago, so here I am, on Yelp, trying to warn everyone to shop around before you get way overcharge for plumbing work that turned out to be a simple fix. read more

Tim M. was amazing! I needed a new toilet and within 1 day it was purchased and installed! Definitely a 5 star review

I have been aware for some time that I was going to need to replace my septic system. Due to living next to a water way this became a very expensive endeavor, I saved $50,000.00 and it finally because time to start the job. As I was waiting for this job to be performed it seemed the expenses just kept going up and up and all of a sudden the $50,000.00 was gone and I was at my wits end. I have now tapped out all my resources, and I still needed to have the plumbing hooked back up. I figured a several hundred dollars, can't stop now, I called Ability Plumbing, whom was recommended by a friend, and they went out to my house to perform the inspection and found many, issues that were unexpected. Michael the owner and his technician came to my work personally to show me pictures and tell me what was going on. Needless to say we were no longer at a few hundred dollars. I honestly thought this was my last straw I just could not take anymore. Days into this process my boyfriend was diagnosed with lung cancer. Michael said can I give you a hug and then he said I will work with you the best I can to get this price down as low as possible. This was on a Friday. I cried all weekend not knowing how I was going to get through this when Monday morning Michael called again and told me that he thought about it over the weekend and that he was going to donate the job to me. It took me so much by surprise, I didn't even know what to say. Needless to say, if you want a company with compassion, who you can trust this is the company. Kandy "Kim" Pauley read more

It was a pleasure having Tim work on our plumbing requests. He was on time, friendly, informative, knowledgeable, attentive and caring. He worked efficiently and cleaned up all areas where he had worked (garage, two bathrooms and the kitchen). We are very pleased with the repairs and installations he made. We also appreciated that this company uses better made brands of parts as opposed to cheaper big box brands. read more

The customer service I received from Ability Plumbing company was terrible. The lady who was helping me scheduling the appointment made me feel like I was asking for free service. Her tone on the phone was very rude. She even scheduled the appointment without my consent. I found out the plumber was coming an hr before they showed up to my front door. The company charges for a consultation. I only used them because they service the water system for my condominium complex. I don't recommend them, and I don't think I'll use them again. Bill Howe has great customer service. read more

Revan and his team were friendly and hard working. They stayed late to resolve an issue with one of our toilets connections to the new drain insert. I definitely recommend them as we received many quotes and Ability came in the lowest and highest quality. read more

Gave me a quote of 4500$ for a 500$ job. the warranty for over a year was a 1000$. the 500$ company has a 25 year warranty. DO NOT GET SCAMMED!!! Talk about padding and upsale! Thank goodness the insurance inspector told me it should only cost 500$. read more

From the moment I met Michael, I knew he was good peoples' and his team brought the same energy! Danny, Trent, Miguel and Zach all went above and beyond to complete the job. These guys were working outside from 8 am-3-5 pm daily during the hottest week so far this summer and their jovial personalities didn't waver for a second! Overall, the entire service was affordable, reliable and efficiently done; most importantly we feel confident our system is good for decades to come. Thank you guys! read more

We needed to have old cast iron pipes under our house replaced. We had contacted and gotten quotes from several other plumbing companies. Michael the owner was the one that came out to do the initial inspection for Ability. Which was not the case for any of the other companies. Immediately knew he was good people. They gave us a slightly lower quote then other companies for the work that needed to be done. I very much felt like all the other companies were trying to up sell. I did not get that from Michael. We had been quoted by others that it would be maybe a couple of weeks to complete. Ability had a team of like 10 guys there on day one right before Christmas. We only went an afternoon without water and plumbing. They got the whole job done even with holidays in between in about a week. Absolutely amazing the amount of work they were able to do in a very short amount of time. Every person on their team is professional, helpful, and courteous. The work that was done was absolutely top notch and I would HIGHLY recommend them for any plumbing issue big or small. read more

Ability Plumbing provided an excellent experience with our bathroom remodel! Michael sat with us and went over what we wanted for our shower and vanity, and gave us exactly what we were looking for. Jerry supervised the entire project from framing the shower to installing all of the new plumbing and fixtures. We will use Ability Plumbing for all of our plumbing needs! read more

Tim came out on time and fixed the valve, gave me a few tips to save me from having it happen again. He was very knowledgeable and professional, I will certainly call Ability next time for my plumbing needs. read more

I had a slow leak coming from my water main to my house. Michael & Jordan came to my rescue and traced the pipe, dug it up and replaced the broken segment. They also replaced my valve and leaking spigot, all while getting rained on. They were fast, reasonable and left everything looking nice and neat! read more

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Michael & his crew are A+ on service & knowledge! They are my go to guys for plumbing!

If you're looking to be gouged with extreme prices and be shocked, then use this company. We used them for a second time thinking that the cost for the first time was unique. Their work is good, but their prices don't match to the size of repair or the time to repair. For $967, the repair may have been $40 in parts and 1.5 hours of work. 2 plumbers are unnecessary for this repair. If you calculate $40 of sewer plastic pipe, 1.5 hours at $150/hr with 2 people, cost should be about $490. I was expecting no more than $650. I asked to speak to the owners or managers and didn't get a call back. Terrible customer service by ownership/managers!!! I will not be using their services again and warn future customers. I had taken time off from work and authorized to proceed since I didn't want to start all over with another plumber. I felt like they know when customers are in a bind and take advantage of them. So disappointed!!!! read more

Ability Plumbing - Small repair pic - Plumbing Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Darn, the kitchen sink was clogged and try as I may, getting it unclogged wasn't going to happen. Since I have used Ability Plumbing in the past, I gave them a call. They were able to get someone scheduled to come out in the afternoon the same day. Great, and Jashua was on time and wanted to know the problem and what I may have done. He promptly identified the problem and explained what he would do. Soon the drain was cleared and he suggested ways to help avoid the problem in the future. He was polite, listed, efficient, neat and thorough. He served as a good ambassador for the company. read more

I had a very good experience working with Michael and Ability Plumbing. We had a leak in our washing machine drain line and Jordan came out to snake it for us. It worked for a while but as it was very old with hard clogs, we knew it would ultimately have to be replaced eventually. When it clogged again, Michael came back out to check it again at no cost and while snaking the very fragile pipe - it broke. He replaced the pipe from cast iron to ABS at ZERO charge to me since it broke while he was working. No issues since. We had Michael come back and bid for a replacement of our entire sewer system. He took me step by step through what he saw, what he recommended and cleared a pretty big clog along the way while charging me very little. Although we decided to move forward with a different company for the big job due to financial reasons alone, Michael and his team deserve recognition for their customer service, responsiveness and willingness to help. It felt honest and that is not always the norm with some tradesman. Highly recommend. read more

Called Michael the Owner of Ability yesterday and let him know that I was having water heater issues. He came by at 5pm and diagnosed the problem. I opted for a full replacement for a 12 year old water heater . He had a guy on site by 9:30 am today . His team member Joel arrived as promised and started the project. It was professionally installed after about Three hours. When he was done Joel hauled away the old water heater and cleaned up the surrounding area. It was left as he found it. I have used Ability for a home remodel and have used them for some additional plumbing projects around the house and business. I would 100% recommend this company . They are excellent to deal with . read more

They just installed a new toilet at our place. Jordan was very professional, clean and efficient. I wouldn't go anywhere else!

We have been using Ability Plumbing- San Diego for several years. we don't have anything but great things to say about this company and their staff. They are very honest and upfront. read more

I contacted Ability plumbing as they had great reviews, and I was extremely pleased. They showed up right on time, price was great, and Josh the tech was excellent and very quick. 5 Stars!!!! read more

The first project they did for me was quite large, well done, and at a reasonable price. The next time I called, they wanted $60 and my credit card # just to show up, saying the $60 would go toward work if I had it done. Their plumber was on time and gave me an estimate of almost $1100 which I knew was exhorbitant but I ok'd because I had just had a bad accident and wanted the stuff done. So project #1 was replace a 2 handled lav faucet. I supplied a new Moen faucet and they supplied 2 angle stops and 2 supply lines. Faucet was easy access and no need to move anything as unit was empty. Project #2 was snake out 35' of kitchen drain line. Easy access from outside cleanout. Plumber was here for about 2 hours and added 3% to the original estimate because I used a credit card--no mention ahead of time. I requested an itemized paper receipt and he told me I'd have to talk to the office as they are "paper free". So I called the office and was told their system wasn't set up to do that. I insisted so was told they would work on it. Well, in spite of numerous email communications where I've been told they have mailed it twice, and emailed it also, I have no receipt. I agreed to pay it, no problem, but want a receipt and am getting BS. They are appallingly expensive. read more

UPDATE: Hummm, I was very happy initially, but then realized how much I had been gouged and his employee didn't do a good job. My project was under the house, so I had no idea what was actually going on down there. When I found out, I was not happy. I will never use Ability Plumbing again. Sky high charges and inferior work. UGH. read more

The communication from the office to the text messages of arrival time was exceptional. The plumbing technician was very cordial and had a great professional demeanor. He spent quite a bit of time evaluating and assessing our situation with the plumbing camera. It was worth the money spent to figure out our problem. Thank you for your professionalism all the way around. read more

I needed a professional plumber to repair or replace my tub drain stopper & repairing or replacing the handle. The tub handle was very hard to open & close, the technician knew exactly why it was hard to operate, he repaired. It works as it should now, very easy to open & close the handle. He replaced the tub drain stopper too. The new one is much easier to operate. The technician was very welcoming to my questions, thank you for such good service. read more

Mike and Ability Plumbing came recommended by another contractor who had done some work for us. During a bathroom remodel our installer found some plumbing issues with our 67 yr old house. Mike and crew came out, evaluated the problem/s and found some other things that were better addressed before the bathroom remodels were completed. They spent several days here completing the work. Shout outs to Zack,Trent, Danny & Miguel for the great work. Anyone asking about plumbing work will be referred to you! read more

Michael was simply a great professional and kind person. Was able to diagnose the leak I had and save me thousands on a potential worse leak and damage. Highly recommend this company. read more

UNEXPECTED SUPRISE It was time again to review my monthly water bill and pay it. To my shock it was 3 times the cost of the previous months. I walked the house to listen to see if I could find a leak causing the change in the water bill. Nothing was apparent WHAT TO DO NEXT? I called the water company and they looked on their digital readings and confirmed that there seemed to be a large leak somewhere according to the digital meter on their end. This kind of under ground leak is called a slab leak. My sister told me she knew someone that did not fix a slab leak for two years to avoid the cost fixing it and paid the higher cost monthly. This person ended up getting so sick two years later they ended up in the hospital with black mold poisoning. I was not going to let tht happen to me. I needed help to solve this. SEARCH FOR A PLUMBER I spent a few hours looking through reviews on Yelp. I did searches for "reliable,", "honest", "reasonable", "fair". I found a long list and started reading all of the reviews. I finally chose Ability Plumbing because of a story I read in there of how Mike the owner had helped an stranded old woman that needed a ride to the trolley and no one would help her and he helped her get giving her a ride to the trolley. This review was written by someone that did not have Ability Plumbing fix a plumbing issue but was impressed by the chivalry Mike offered. That tells me a lot about Mike and his character.that character flows up into the Ability Plumbing business owned by Mike.. PLUMBING WORK ESTIMATE Mike came and reviewed the house and sent me an estimate. I had one other plumbing company send an estimate and it was ballpark same as Ability Plumbing. I did not expect a bargain basement estimate but feared it could be over $10,000 to fix. This was not the case thank goodness. Note, I was not looking for a bargain deal. Any plumber that offered a too good to be true price would in my view probably end up with leaks I would have to deal with down the line. THE SLAB LEAK IS FIXED NOW, WORK DONE WAS EXCEPTIONAL Mike and his team Chris, and Tim arrived on time there was also a representative from CPL (a leak detection company that works with Mike to help isolate the slab leak). The leak was not easy to find but they found it. Some companies want to dig up the cement and go into the underground pipes. This is very expensive $10,000 plus. Progressive plumbers like Mike at Ability Plumbing replumb the piping with a new above ground (creatively hidden in existing drywall solutions). They do this by cutting minimal holes into the wall and running state of the art plastic piping through the walls. Mike and his team replumbed my complete cold water delivery system at the estimated rate he had quoted me on. Ability Plumbing worked fast and were professional and accurate and the holes they cut in the wall were as minimal to accomplish the cold water reroute which later resulted in minimal work for me to spackle and paint the holes post work. ABOVE AND BEYOND. Mike included in the estimate the cost to put in a water shut off valve at my garage entrance and a water pressure valve. This was unexpected and included in the bid that the other plumbing company did not, making the Ability Plumbing bid more reasonable. Chris one of the plumber assistants cut the holes needed in the drywall for the job square and when the plumbing rework was done he screwed the drywall back into the wall. I was so impressed by this and it was totally unexpected and made it easy so I was able to do the post spackle prep work myself to repaint the areas that needed to be cut into the drywall for the water reroute without having to pay a company to come in and do the post finish work for me. This is a big cost savings. I was able to spackle all of the holes cut out myself thanks to Chris's work done to put the drywall back and screw each piece in place (thank you Chris!). I also had a leaking faucet in the patio that Mike had Tim fix at no cost. Mike left the team in the morning to work the plumbing reroute work and came back later to inspect the work done. Mike was very was very thorough in his inspection and made sure that everything was done at a top notch quality level. All I can say is "Wow!" I am so happy with the work done and would definitely have Ability Plumbing do future jobs. read more

Ability Plumbing - Shows the above and beyond work Chris did to enable me to do the post work patch up work myself saving me a lot of money. - Plumbing Near Me - El Cajon, California

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The entire crew at Ability Plumbing is amazing. I had extensive work done and and had them come out multiple times for various projects. They were always incredibly responsive, professional, and thorough with their inspections and completion of work. I couldn't be happier with everything they did to help get my property back in shape! Highly recommend! read more

Quick, efficient, and easy to work with. I found a leak in my ceiling on Saturday, called them Monday morning, and had a tech out by Monday afternoon. The tech, Jordan, was professional and very courteous of my home. I will definitely reach out to them again for any future plumbing needs. read more

I had a clogged kitchen line. The technician came out promptly, was professional and competent, and snaked the line. He recommended a jetting of the line which I'm considering. I'm very happy with the service, I will be calling again when I need plumbing services. Thank you Jordan! read more

Very professional! I had a great first experience with Ability Plumbing. I have a slipper tub leaking due to rambunctious bathers (grandchildren). The pipe connecting to the drain had come unattached. When I called because it wasn't an emergency, I received a time that was a day away. (When an appointment opened up earlier, they called me to offer an earlier appointment, but I stayed with my original time.). I was texted a photo of the technician coming to my home before the appointment. Upon arrival, he introduced himself and immediately put booties over his shoes. He thoroughly explained what needed to be done, had the needed part on his truck, and made the repair within the hour. Polite, Professional, Efficient, and Effective visit! Thank you! Ability Plumbing will be my next choice when I need services again. read more

Mike and his team came and replaced a broken water heater the next day! The charged what they quoted. They were friendly and on time. Our new tankless water heater works great! I will use them for future plumbing needs read more