1st Call Plumbing & AC
Plumber · San Antonio, TX
Our verdict
4.9 stars on 2,022 Google reviews; 79 of 100 analyzed are 5-star but 14 are 1-star — fast response praised in 28 reviews, yet pricing disputes (including $2,700 water heater charge) and no-show incidents also documented.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #6 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in San Antonio, TX · compare all →
Our opinion, based on the 100 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
What reviewers praise
Fast response cited in 28 of 100 reviews — same-day and within-the-hour dispatch confirmed across multiple emergency situations
2 cited reviews
“I called with an urgent repair need today. The office staff were very helpful and courteous and got me on the schedule for a tech to get to me within an hour. The tech arrived promptly when they said they would be here.”
“Greg and Fred arrived quickly and were very knowledgeable and friendly. They got things taken care of, and went above and beyond, even doing an outstanding job applying new insulation for me.”
Cited in 4 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Repeat-customer loyalty demonstrated — multiple reviewers cite years of ongoing use with consistent technician quality
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
What reviewers report — the concerns
Other directories bury these. We think you should read them before you call. Every concern below comes from the reviews it cites.
Red flag
No-show with multiple reschedules confirmed in 1 review — tech appeared, said too cold to diagnose, rescheduled twice, then no-showed without calling
“More like last call... Tech arrived for scheduled appointment and stated it wasn't warm enough to perform any diagnostics on AC. He rescheduled the appointment for 4:00-7:00PM, but had to reschedule for 7:00-8:00PM and then no-showed and never called.”
Pricing complaints in 6 of 100 reviews — $2,700 water heater install charged (comparable models ~$700-800 at Home Depot); elderly customer also cited for price inflation
“My daughter just had a water heater replaced for $2700 that I paid for... Similar models at Home Depot were $7-800. meaning they charged about $2000 for 2hrs labor and they couldn't supply any paper work with the install.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“When I spoke to Daniel this afternoon to schedule my appointment to have a technician come out to see a drip in my water heater expansion tank, I was hopeful. Even when I received a late call from him to let me know the technician was still 25 minutes out, I was still hoping everything would work out. But then I got a call from the technician and nope. Without looking at a single thing, the tech proceeded to tell me …”
“I had the unfortunate experience with a water leak on the home side of my water meter. I called this company and several others as well in order to get the best price for my repairs, That's what we do as home owners. They told me they could come out this afternoon and give me a free estimate. I took them up on it. I had already dug out the the exposed water leak. They arrived and the tech got out his truck …”
“I had water pipes that burst with the Texas Snow Storm, Uri. I called 1st Call Plumbing because they sent me a flyer, and represented themselves as a "Family Owned" business. When the technician came, my "Free Estimate" was a contract he presented at the curb. $175.00/hr. for leak detection with a 4 hour minimum ($700.00) and a repair cost of $595.00/hr for repairs with a 4 hour minimum ($2,380.00). Then there was …”
Positive
“This is the second time I’ve used 1st Call Plumbing, and I continue to be very impressed with their service. They respond quickly and are able to get technicians out in a timely manner. Every technician I’ve worked with has been very knowledgeable and takes the time to thoroughly explain the problem and the solution. Their pricing is also reasonable. They have definitely become my go-to company for any plumbing …”
“Today SAWS came to my home and said there was a leak on the city cutoff and they replaced it but found that there was also a large leak on the customer side too and after showing me, I realized that this was an true emergency issue and I needed help quick!! I looked at several Companies online and something was making me look again at 1st Call Plumbing. I never done business with them before but I still decided to …”
Quotes are reproduced verbatim from public reviews on the platforms shown; we select which to feature, and selection reflects our editorial judgment. Report a quote that doesn't match its source ↗
The rating picture
Our sample skews heavily toward critical reviews — it disagrees with the Google average shown above.
Newest review in our sample: Mar 2026.
Across platforms
Should you hire 1st Call Plumbing & AC?
Best for
- Emergency and burst pipe repair
Hire if
- You need fast same-day or after-hours response
- You need high-quality work that holds up over time
Think twice if
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need airtight scheduling and guaranteed arrival times
Look elsewhere if
- You're highly price-sensitive
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own 1st Call Plumbing & AC?
You can respond to our analysis, correct business facts, or dispute the accuracy of a quoted review. Responses that check out get published on this page, and factual errors get corrected — see our corrections policy. We don't remove accurate quotes, but we'll re-run your assessment as your reviews change.
More plumbers in San Antonio, TX
PlumbSmartHIRERanked #5 of 15 in San Antonio · 4.9 stars, 1,067 reviews; 95% 5-star, 97% positive sentiment — after-hours underground pip…Mr. Plumber Plumbing Co.CONDITIONALRanked #7 of 15 in San Antonio · 4.8★ across 1,781 reviews with 86% five-star ratings; strong water heater specialty (25 me…See all 15 plumbers we've reviewed in San Antonio, TX →
Nearby: San Antonio · Bulverde · New Braunfels · Helotes