Disappointing experience. Neighbor referral, so I didn't read the reviews before calling as I would have been warned. First repair person missed the service window, so they had someone else come out. Then, I was charged $650 for a service call on a fireplace where he took one look and said he couldn't help me based on the type of fireplace - this was the point of the call, so I don't understand why they even came out. I had a couple other small things that took about 30 minutes to do, but the invoice ended up being for 2.5 hours of work. Apparently, they charge hourly and include travel time, so definitely ask for a quote in advance! read more

New 50 gallon water heater purchase & install This was the third water heater I've purchased and installed from Malcolm Plumbing since 1995. The man who inspected my non-functional 15 year old heater was extremely thorough. He found that water was coming from the roof exhaust and went up on the roof to inspect the cap. He then discovered the angle of the exhaust pipe coming from the heater was causing the water problem. When I decided to buy a new heater he gave me an estimate and took pictures of the old set-up. When the crew came the next morning to do the installation they were exceptionally attentive to details. One thing they did was bring my existing earthquake restraint up to current code by replacing the metal straps and adding two horizontal boards to prevent the heater from moving in that direction. They also cut the flu pipe and realigned it to fix the standing water problem. The model of Rheem heater they installed was a "Classic Series--Professional" which comes with many quality features and a 6 year guarantee. Although the price was a bit more than I expected, it was well worth it given the extra work they did and the overall quality of their work and the heater itself. Plus they gave me a senior discount! All three men showed up in masks and were friendly, well informed and professional. After installation, there was a minor technical problem in getting my copy of the signed invoice but it was resolved by a phone call. read more

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My landlord uses Malcom and said he's had problems with them occasionally over the years. We've been without heat for a few days (steam radiators), and Malcom said they sent someone out and told my landlord "everything looked good." Still no heat. No-one in the building knew when the Technician was here and he didn't ask to enter any units to inspect our radiators. Also, the company did not follow-up to see if our heat was working. Things got ugly today when the technician came back and was on the phone arguing with my landlord, then said "I'm not working for this a**hole anymore" then got into his truck and drove off. So, because of this guy's temper and unprofessionalism, we have no heat. UPDATE: Another Heating Company came and here was the problem: - One valve that should have been OFF was ON - One valve that should have been ON was OFF - The system needed to be reset. Malcom Plumbing obviously doesn't seem to know what they are doing when it comes to steam heat systems. read more

HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!! Charged $466 for a 30 minute job to unclog a drain and replace the p-trap. Said that it was 1.5 hours of labor. Absolutely unreasonable prices. Shop around, and get a better deal! read more

The reason this plumbing firm gets 1 star is because to do the most basic 15-minute job, they charged me over 630 dollars. This was a simple task that I felt like they robbed me on. Charged way to much for labor. read more

First, let me say that I had been a long time customer of Malcolm Plumbing. Second, I have never submitted a yelp review before, but felt that this company deserved a review. I had always thought that their pricing was high, but continued to use them because of a referral Had a problem with our kitchen sink being clogged couple of weeks ago on a Saturday. When I called Malcolm, they wanted to charge me over $800 just to come out. Understand that it was on a Sat, but to charge me 3 times their normal rate, I thought was ridiculous. Called another company and they charged me less than $200 to complete the job and they found out it was just a minor problem. I have found a new plumber moving forward. Maybe some of their customers don't care about high pricing, but if you do, I recommend finding another plumber cause Malcolm just lost a customer for good read more

THESE PEOPLE DO NOT GUARANTEE THEIR WORK. They installed a sewer line. Afterwards, we got a back up, and since they put it in ,we called them. THEY CHARGED US OVER $400 TO SNAKE A DRAIN that they installed. In the process, they unplugged our garage deep freeze and spoiled all the food. Then they initially denied doing it. They did not even repair our issue. The same thing happened within days of them "fixing" the problem, and we called them to come back. "We paid all this $ for you to not resolve anything," we told them. They informed us that they do not guarantee their work. Even if they just came out within a few days, they still will not guarantee that they fixed anything. But, they told us they'd be happy to come back out, but we'd have to pay that $400 again. We called another plumber, because we felt like we were getting swindled. read more

I must first state that I have not used them, however I want to share an experience which I encountered. One of the employees was driving a van and began arguing with a crossing guard because he didn't fully stop when at a school crossing. The crossing guard was letting him know that he needs to fully stop when the sign is being held out. Also, this was a four way stop. The driver started yelling out f-bombs to the crossing guard. This was a time when the children were being let out of school. I cannot tell you how unprofessional this was on the part of the employee. Very Immature! The driver then drove down the block, made a u-turn, cam back up the block and blocked the crossing section of the street, blocking pedestrians. He was taking pictures of the crossing guard - like he's going to report her. For what? Doing her job and trying to keep everyone safe? What a jerk. If this is the mental attitude of the employees towards the public, I would hate to see how they treat their customers. Attached is a picture of van stopped in the middle of the cross walk. read more

Malcolm Plumbing & Mechanical - Van from Malcom Plumbing & Mechanical stopping in the crosswalk trying to bully a crossing guard. - Plumbing Near Me - San Francisco, California

At $250 per hour they are too expensive for me to consider using them to complete the job that they diagnosed for a charge of $500. I have a master's degree and make about $50 per hour. In my next life maybe I should consider going to plumbers school. read more

They charge $225 per hour (which I knew but had to use them as they are the only ones authorized to shut off water in my condo building). They also charged me 30 minutes additional time for the travel to get to my condo, which they did not tell me in advance. (why would I pay $112.50 for driving over to my place?). To replace a kitchen faucet and the valve under the sink ended up costing $868. I have replaced faucets and valves before by plumbers (not handymen) and it costs about $100 for each. When I called them to ask about the invoice , they removed the 30 travel time charge. When I said that it should not have taken 3 hours to shut off water, replace a valve and a faucet and turn on the water, the owner began to have a very demeaning tone and at one point started yelling at me. That stereotype way men try to bully women because they think we don't know anything about plumbing. The owner also mentioned that their plumbers are part of a union and they pays their plumbers a living wages and benefits. I'm all for that. I'm a teacher, (union, benefits and retirement) and I don't make $868 for 3.5 hours of work and I certainly don't get paid for the drive time to my school. In addition, the plumber who came was young (probably not a super experienced plumber). The faucet started to leak after he left. I had to call their emergency number the next day (as it was Saturday). He came back to fix it (no additional charge) however I had to change my weekend plans and wait 45minutes as he did the repair. He was an OK plumber but if you are going to charge $225 don't take 3 hours to do a 1 1/2 hour job and don't make me stressed over night because the hose was leaking all night long and waste my Saturday. I do not recommend them. They are overpriced, take too long to do the work and the owner used a loud and demeaning. read more

I'm sure they are reasonably competent, but their prices are outrageous. $736 to clear a line that wasn't even clogged (so it should have been easy.) Charged for about double the time they were here. When we protested, they refused to adjust the bill and threatened to turn us over to a collection agency. If you're desperate and don't mind being charged double what anyone else would charge, call these guys. You can be sure I won't call them again. read more

I had a shower that was not regulating temperature properly - would randomly spew out scalding hot water. I tried working with a different plumber first, but he kept postponing and I was worried about scalding. Malcolm plumbing was able to fix within 2 days. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that they were definitely not cheap. I know I could have got the job done for a LOT less money. That said, they gave me a somewhat accurate quote before they showed up. I was just desperate for a fix. read more

Just used Malcolm Plumbing for the first time after being referred to them by my next-door neighbor. The office is very organized. I left a message asking for a non-emergency service call with their answering service on the weekend. The office called me promptly at 8:30AM Monday morning. We set up an appointment with a time window of 10am-noon. At 10:15 I got an email saying the plumber was on his way, and he arrived a few minutes later. He was able to repair the problem (toilet bowl needed a new seal) quickly and without making a mess. My only complaint was the price - $211 for less than a 1/2 hour visit to install a part that cost under $5. But prices are high in SF and its not clear than another plumber would have been any cheaper. I would gladly use Malcolm Plumbing again. read more

My radiant floor heating wasn't working for some reason. Malcolm plumbing was very professional and sent Anthony over. He was great, was excellent at diagnosing a complicated situation with 6 different zones. It could have been any number of different things. Anthony took a very methodical approach and fixed multiple problems. I'm very grateful for finding Anthony and Malcolm Plumbing. read more

Vadim came out to repair my boiler which feeds hot water to my radiators. He is very knowledgeable and had all the right tools, and did a great job. I would give 5 stars but they are quite expensive, and the job took longer than they estimated. However, they treat their workers well (union wages), so the extra expense is probably worth it. read more

This is the only plumber that called me back on a holiday weekend when our radiant floor heating system went offline. They sent a professional who arrived on time, explained the complexity of the work, gave an estimate via iPad, and then fixed the problem. Their administrative staff have it together too. These are my go-to plumbers now. read more

Overpriced, rude, dishonest, and not professional. Received an email 10 min before they were scheduled to say the plumber was on his way, and that he is not yet a plumber, but currently in plumbing school. First, if the plumber is a student, you have a duty to tell me that before arrival. And then I called to ask if there was any other plumber available (naturally I wanted someone experienced, as we just expensive water damage), and was completely told off and scoffed at by the staff, saying it was "just a disposal" and I can't get someone else. Then I talked to the owner Matt, who accused me of being rude and offensive (literally the last adjectives anyone would use to describe me), and asked me if I was going to yell at the plumber when he came. I'm sorry, but WHAT? Re dishonesty: When I set up the appointment, I had asked them around how much it should cost, and they said it was impossible to tell me (my sink disposal broke) until they came. When the plumber actually came, he quoted me $534 for 1.5 hrs of work, which is ridiculous, even for SF standards. He also told me that the sink disposal replacement was basically a flat fee. SO, Malcolm plumbing knew it would cost $534, and just refused to tell me beforehand because I'm sure they know it's overpriced. BUT, once you take off work and go through the effort to have the plumber there, they know you're just going to pay it, no matter how much it is and even if you know you're getting ripped off. I looked up other SF plumbing companies later and found out that replacing a disposal should cost far less. So stay far away, unless you want to get ripped off, get yelled at, and have a plumbing student fix your pipes. FYI, the one star is for the plumber, who was nice and seemed to have nothing to do with the actual pricing. Zero stars for everything else. read more

I've worked with these guys for about three years caring for the maintenance and repair of our early 1900s Pacific Heights condo building which has been no small feat. From leaks to new boilers to removal of ancient, decaying flu stacks coming out of our boiler room, Matt and Kevin have managed it all. I've found their prices competitive, their advice sound and their work effective. All valuable attributes when you've got no shortage of old building problems and 10 equally opinionated home owners to contend with. My girl Ruth at the reception desk is also a gem and always makes sure I get a call back and my issues addressed. read more

I can't say enough about this company & it's all good. Called them to do a back flow inspection on my boiler which another company had me waiting over 3 weeks & never returned my calls. They had the request done in 3 days & so I need a new boiler because mine has only been running for 95years The owner Matt I believe that's his name took the time out for me & answered all the ?'s my husband & I had re; a new one. The other company wouldn't even respond to numerous phone calls to them. Which I didn't need at the time believe me!!! & The receptionist is so helpful & professional & would call back when she said she would THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Michelle the admin. Manager is so pleasant to deal with & remembers their previous clients which add a personal touch to spending lots of $$$$ But a job done right is what I'm looking for & you get what you pay for. Ok enough!!!!! This is not a sales pitch just a happy customer So too 40,000$ for a. New boiler Sticker shock Malcolm team has done a full estimate for me re; boiler But again. I thank you because I know the job will be done correctly. read more

Fantastic service. Called at one, they were with me by two. Matt and Mike arrived and sorted out the blocked sink quickly. They had all the tools with them so no messing around waiting for them to fetch things and charging more. We would definitely use again. read more

I called Malcolm Plumbing to repair a leaky shower head. I thought it would be an easy repair. The plumber spent 1.5 hours wrestling with it, only to decide that he needed to order a repair kit. He billed for 2 hours. I ordered the repair kit, and then had another plumber from Malcolm plumbing come by to install it. After 1 hour of his time (billed for 1.5), he said it didn't work and applied some silicon in the hopes that that would help. It did not. Exasperated, I called another plumber on the recommendation of a friend. He took one look at the leak and informed me it couldn't be fixed because the leak was coming from a single, unreplaceable piece. He did not even charge me for the time since it was only 10 minutes, but I still paid him for his trouble. It cost me $40 from a good plumber to find out I needed a new shower head, but then I received a bill for $1000 from Malcolm Plumbing for the time of their two plumbers who did not realize that my showered was not repairable. At no point did either plumber from Malcolm Plumbing suggest that repair was not worth the cost; when I asked, they assured me that it was worth it because my showered was discontinued and could not be replaced. I asked Malcolm Plumbing to lower my bill a bit since they completely failed at their job. I heard nothing back. I called again to follow up, and they again said they would follow up. I've now heard nothing. So for $1000 and several hours of my time, I've gotten nothing from Malcolm Plumbing other than the lessons in finding a good plumber. read more

I don't really use Yelp that much as you'll see by my "Yelp Scores". After my terrible experience with Malcolm Plumbing though I felt obligated to find that password and log back in so I could share my opinion so you don't make a big mistake. These guys are terrible! They sent out some junior guy who didn't know what he was doing to service a water heater. A pretty simple job for someone who knows what they're doing. I went into the laundry to see how the work was progressing and he's got the cover off the heater, bits and pieces on the floor and he's on the phone to the office asking someone back at the office something like "Is that the red wire or the black wire..?" Huh? The work was poor, slow and therefore expensive (no discount for having an inexperienced junior guy on the job) and they couldn't care less about customer satisfaction. When I called to go over the expensive bill I subsequently received, their front office people were rude and dismissive. Avoid at all costs. read more

Wow. Clearly, these guys don't need (and certainly don't deserve) any business. I contacted them about a quote for a large boiler installation at my company. Matt (one of the owners) didn't show up for two appointments in a row and clearly didn't care. When I called him 15 minutes after the second appointment time had passed, he dismissively and abruptly said "I'm in a bank, I'll call you back!" To which I replied, "you know what Matt, please don't bother". His reply, "Laaaate...click!" Flabbergasted doesn't begin to describe how I feel. I can't believe this guy is an owner, because he certainly isn't a business man. I take solace in karma however and I'm taking $50k+ project and all my ongoing and extensive plumbing needs elsewhere and if you're reading this review, I'd suggest you do the same. read more

I had a poor experience with Malcolm Plumbing. My initial meeting was good and they sent a subcontractor to conduct a camera inspection. After that they I could not get them to communicate with me about my plumbing problems any more. I called repeatedly for more than a month trying to get them to give me an assessment or estimate for repair work. There were many excuses but nobody ever gave me any assessment or estimate. I was able to acquire the camera footage but only by going to their office personally and asking for it. The only time they *actually* called me after the camera inspection was three months later asking me to pay the bill (which they had never mailed). So $500 for a subcontracted camera inspection with no assessment, no professional opinion, and a lot of time wasted before finding another plumber who would do the work. I found the whole experience unprofessional and beyond unhelpful - a ripoff. read more

I highly recommend using Malcolm Plumbing & Mechanical - very professional and responsive. Matt is the owner and he definitely makes customer service his top priority. His crew spent 3 days in our home replacing our boiler and they were amazing. His entire team is professional and very respectful, showed up on time and left our home clean and spotless. I would highly recommend using Malcolm Plumbing read more

Malcolm Plumbing is the best in town. I'm the third generation San Franciscan using them and I've never had a problem they couldn't fix immediately! read more

The best plumbing experience ever. I live in an 1865 building with a very old water baseboard heating system and these guys knew all about it. Prompt and reasonable. read more

I am a newly single, home owning women, that had not had to take care of any home repairs on my own ever, so when I had a massive leak I didn't know what to do. I was referred to Malcom Plumbing and soon after I called they arrived at my home and were so kind and patient to explain all that was wrong. They did the repair in a timely fashion and the cost was so reasonable that I almost fell over. Matt thank you thank you thank you, I'll be forever grateful for your kindness and your quick response. Now I'm gonna go take a bath. read more

I have used this company for over 20 years and they have always come through for me and my plumbing problems. Always pleasant even at 2 am in the morning when the house was flooding ! Its great to see a familiar face and know you are safe and they will do the job right. Matt and Kevin run a good shop! Thanks S in SF read more

Super awesome, nice people, reasonable rates. They have done a lot at the building I manage, and it's always done right.

Malcolm plumbing is the best great service and great price. They always do a fantastic job I love them so much Kevin is a great guy fantastic bussiness.. best plumbing in the Bay Area let me tell you!!! read more

I don't know if these are good plumbers or not. I called to have an estimate and the guy said someone would call me back in a day or so. Nobody called back. A few days later I called again and he said sorry, someone will call you, and nobody called back. Not a great way to run a business. read more

We used Malcolm Plumbing to properly insulate our radiant floor heating in a new home. The seller hadn't properly completed the system and our plumbing inspection had given us a quote and scope of work that was almost double what we got from Malcolm Plumbing, who let us know we could achieve good results without completely revamping the work. Both times they came out, we received an email telling us exactly who was arriving (with a photo) and when, which is nice to get for security reasons. They arrived on time, gave great service, and always followed up via email. They are one of the few plumbers in the city who seem fully comfortable with radiant floor systems. read more

Kitchen drain leaking into laundry sink on floor below. Yuck. Called Malcolm Plumbing who sent over Bobby, plumber extraordinaire. Bobby took care to keep his work area clean, analyzed the problem, told me what steps he'd be taking and then quickly and efficiently fixed the leak. Yay, no more messy drain water going where it should not. Bobby also snaked out the rest of the pipe to ensure that all would drain perfectly. All-in-all, a great job! read more

We had plumbing issues in our old home. Matt and his crew came out, on time, and gave us an exceptional excellent service. Being picky about the work that happens to our home, Malcolm Plumbing was patient, explained what needed to be done, and got the job done right the first time with our satisfaction. I will definitely pass the word about Malcolm Plumbing and will call Matt to fix our old home again. You have our vote for customer satisfaction. read more

malcolm knocked out all of my plumbing needs for my kitchen remodel in one day. Fast, efficient, and high quality, thats tuff to beat. highly recommended. read more