Big Blue Plumbing
Plumber · Alameda, CA · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
4.7★ across 573 reviews but 33% of sampled reviews are negative — slow_response (10) and surprise/expensive fees recur; multiple emergency appointments were cancelled last-minute.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Our opinion, based on the 100 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
Advertises 24-hour service on its Google profile — no reviews we analyzed mention after-hours response either way.
What reviewers praise
fast_response cited 14x — technicians like Nate arrive on time and courteous; one 8-hour first-day job earned praise
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Large-job workmanship praised — water/gas/sewer line replacements done extraordinarily well with clean sites
1 cited review
“The work has been done extraordinarily well and the job sites were left clean (in one instance the tech went above and beyond, cleaning up the site from previous plumbers' work)”
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
Emergency reliability is shaky — they cancelled an overnight water-heater-flood appointment via text, citing a scheduling change
“Called these guys with an emergency when a water heater flooded my condo in the evening. They confirmed they could make an appointment the next morning. Overnight they texted me that they were “canceling the appointment due to a scheduling change.””
Red flag
5-week unresolved radiant-heat failure left a customer in a freezing house after a once-trusted relationship soured
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
$85 estimate fee charged just to quote a routine tankless flush — surprise_fees signal
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Scheduling and dispatch repeatedly break down — appointments missed, rescheduled at last moment, customers must chase confirmations
“My wife took time off from work to meet with the plumber but the plumber never showed. I had to call them to find out what the deal was and dispatch could not locate the plumber and so we had to reschedule.”
Cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Pricing complaints recur — $525 for a half-hour hose-bib swap and an $85 quote fee cited as poor value
“the plumber arrived at 11:00 and called me for a $525 estimate for approval. I made a big mistake and approved that amount before asking how long the repair would take... The repair was done in 1/2 hr or a couple minutes longer.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 7 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“Do not recommend. Horrible communication. I had to repeatedly call them back to get scheduling confirmations, which kept getting delayed. It is very clear that if I had not followed up, they never would have.”
“I'm sorry to have to write this, as BigBlue was formerly a fine company that I was very happy with. They installed a radiant heating system 6 years ago and their CS was excellent on the rare occasion that there were issues with the system. They responded quickly and got things fixed quickly. However, when we had a massive failure of the system In early November 2024, they completely let me down and left me with a …”
“I have previously reviewed Big Blue, giving them a glowing 5 STAR. This is a follow up review. Big Blue has done work for us on a two large jobs (replacing water lines, gas lines, and sewer line for two seperate houses)a year ago. When the technicians were working on a job they were professional, courteous, thorough, and informative. The work has been done extraordinarily well and the job sites were left clean …”
Positive
“I can't say enough good things about this company. They are professional, friendly, efficient, and hard working. We have a pretty serious plumbing situation that will require more work, but on day one the team came out and worked their you-know-whats off for about 8 hours. They explained everything to us clearly and gave us multiple options on how to proceed before starting anything. I have never had such a positive …”
“So yesterday I decided to resolve a minor issue in the bathroom. I called Big Blue Plumbing, fully expecting an appointment in 1-2 weeks. But, I was offered a 1-3pm window THAT day. Nathan arrived 5 mins early, spent 2 hours repairing the problem and giving me options should it recur. He was very personable and I loved the little biography I was sent before his arrival. My dog loved him. Thanks Big Blue”
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: Dec 2024.
Across platforms
Google 4.7★ overall, but the Yelp-heavy negative sample (33% negative) shows scheduling failures and overpricing not reflected in the headline rating.
Should you hire Big Blue Plumbing?
Hire if
- You need high-quality work that holds up over time
- You need fast same-day or after-hours response
Think twice if
- You want detailed upfront explanations
- 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 Big Blue Plumbing?
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.
Find plumbers near you
Big Blue Plumbingisn't in one of our ranked city guides yet — the nearest covered markets are below.
Nearby: Daly City · Richmond · San Rafael