D. Martel Plumbing Service & Repair
Plumber · Citrus Heights, CA
Our verdict
4.7 Google stars (102 reviews) with BBB A+ accreditation; water heater specialist (24 mentions) and fast same-day service in 23 reviews, but 8 of 98 analyzed are 1-star with documented upsell complaints and a no-callback incident.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Our opinion, based on the 98 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
What reviewers praise
Water heater expertise with same-day turnaround — 24 water-heater mentions, including tankless installs; one reviewer had hot water again by Thursday afternoon after Tuesday diagnosis.
1 cited review
“Dan came out on a Tuesday to check it out and was back Thursday to swap it out with a tankless and I had hot water again by Thursday afternoon. Excellent service and workmanship, fair price, and fast!”
Cited in 3 of the 98 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Weekend emergency responsiveness — technician Dan dispatched immediately on a weekend water leak; fast_response theme in 23 of 98 analyzed reviews.
1 cited review
“As we had water leaking problem outside the house and only noticed over the weekend, and called a few plumbing services, DMartel had the fastest responses and sent us their technician Dan right away.”
Cited in 2 of the 98 reviews we analyzed — 1 cited review not excerpted here.
Fair pricing confirmed in 9 reviews; BBB A+ accredited with no disclosed complaint counts.
1 cited review
“Dan came out on a Tuesday to check it out and was back Thursday to swap it out with a tankless and I had hot water again by Thursday afternoon. Excellent service and workmanship, fair price, and fast!”
Cited in 2 of the 98 reviews we analyzed — 1 cited review not excerpted here.
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
Require itemized cost breakdown before signing: one reviewer was pressured to initial a lump-sum price before the wall was opened and technician could not provide a cost breakdown.
“They want you to initial the price charged before they even open up the wall to see the problem or else they will leave. When I asked the technician for the complete breakdown, he informed me he didn't have all the prices and had to go back to the offi”
Red flag
Technician bad-mouthing competitors documented in at least 1 review as a manipulation tactic to justify upsell.
Cited in 1 of the 98 reviews we analyzed.
Upsell pressure documented: one reviewer's technician pushed unnecessary parts, was contradicted by both the original installer and the manufacturer when customer followed up independently.
Cited in 1 of the 98 reviews we analyzed.
Occasional no-callback: one reviewer left a message and received zero callback, losing a $5,000 job; slow_response flagged in 2 of 98 analyzed reviews.
“Called left a message , no call back at all. Gave my $5,000.00 business to another plumber your loss.”
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 3 of the 98 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“I called DMartel Plumbing on in December to seek specific service/product, etc. The technician that came out spent much of our conversation bad-mouthing competitors whom I won’t mention names, claiming they were unreliable to position their own service as superior. This felt manipulative rather than helpful. Despite clearly stating my needs and budget, they aggressively pushed an unnecessary upsell for bad mouthing …”
“July 27, 2023 (Posting on behalf of my mother-in-law) I want to share a personal experience with D Martel Plumbing at my home in El Dorado Hills. Based on my experience with this company, I would not recommend using them. I strongly suggest you don't sign anything unless you have a complete breakdown of costs, parts, labor and any warranty. They want you to initial the price charged before they even open up the …”
“Unfortunately our experience with D-Martel plumbing was not good. When all was said and done, they sold us both service and parts that were not needed. In addition the amount quoted was $100 less than the amount charged when the job was complete. I would have refused to pay the additional dollars, but I was not here when the check was written. I called and spoke with the owner, who did nothing to resolve my …”
Positive
“Just had leaking pipe repair in kitchen and they just replaced our daughter Laura Bradford's garbage Disposal...I can't say enough positive things about them...so nice even woman in office...so friendly...excellent service neat and tidy...positive attitudes!!!thank you!!!”
“We are loyal customers. In the past, Martel plumbing replaced our water heater and fixed our leaky copper pipes. Lately there is a weird throttling when turning on faucet. My husband called in the morning and a technician arrived in an hour. Turned out its a stupid thing with our faucet valve. He didn't even charge us. They are local, fast reliable and honest. Truly the best in el dorado hills.”
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
Newest review in our sample: Feb 2026.
Across platforms
Should you hire D. Martel Plumbing Service & Repair?
Best for
- Water heater install/repair
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 need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need detailed walkthroughs and written estimates before work starts
Look elsewhere if
- You can find better-priced options nearby
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own D. Martel Plumbing Service & Repair?
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D. Martel Plumbing Service & Repairisn't in one of our ranked city guides yet — the nearest covered markets are below.
Nearby: Rescue · Diamond Springs · Cool