Five Cities Plumbing
Plumber · Lompoc, CA · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
Excellent at emergency response and workmanship when they show up, but ownership behavior and no-show incidents create genuine risk for a 2am burst pipe situation.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #12 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in San Luis Obispo, CA · compare all →
Our opinion, based on the 31 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
Lists 24-hour service on its Google profile — and reviewers describe after-hours calls.
What reviewers praise
Multiple same-day/rapid emergency responses even outside business hours: 2 reviewers mention showing up within an hour or 'last minute' availability
Cited in 2 of the 31 reviews we analyzed.
High workmanship quality: 6 reviewers specifically praise solving complex problems correctly and 'doing it right the first time'
1 cited review
“straightforward, honest, and actually fixed the problem”
Cited in 6 of the 31 reviews we analyzed — 5 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Professional technician behavior during jobs: customers praise politeness, cleanliness, efficiency and lack of upselling on successful visits
1 cited review
“straightforward, honest, and actually fixed the problem”
Cited in 3 of the 31 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Repeat customer loyalty from satisfied clients: 2 reviewers explicitly state returning to company multiple times
Cited in 2 of the 31 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
2 confirmed no-show/non-responsive incidents on scheduled appointments: one scheduled for Friday morning rescheduled to 4-6pm with no arrival; one scheduled for Tuesday never arrived after Monday emergency call
“delayed multiple times and never came, said Tuesday”
Cited in 2 of the 31 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Owner/management hostility documented: owner Chad accused customer of fraud, refused to honor 30-day guarantee, left job incomplete after verbal altercation with profanity and speeding away
“delayed multiple times and never came, said Tuesday”
Red flag
Severe quality control failure in one job: 10+ hour visit with asbestos exposure, ceiling damage, alleged missing tools, and customer respiratory illness reported; company refused refund for air testing
Cited in 1 of the 31 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
High platform discrepancy: Google 4.8/5 vs Yelp 2.3/5 indicates systematic difference in customer experience or review population; Yelp reviews contain multiple severe complaints absent from Google
Pricing significantly higher than local competitors: one reviewer paid $2,100 vs $1,000 elsewhere for septic pumping; another paid $2,750 quote vs $215 actual cost from Five Cities for same drain issue
Cited in 2 of the 31 reviews we analyzed.
Inconsistent communication about appointment windows: one reviewer received 10-11am window, called at 11:45 with no arrival, then told 4-6pm window, then no-show at all
Cited in 1 of the 31 reviews we analyzed.
Installation quality issues documented: one reviewer reports cartridge installed incorrectly by Five Cities, confirmed by replacement plumber within 30-day period
“delayed multiple times and never came, said Tuesday”
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 5 of the 31 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“BE WARE!! the gas company red-Tagged my water heater because the said it wasn't venting correctly and I needed a plumb to fix the problem.Roto- Rooter. came out and said that my piping was installed incorrectly and need to be taken out of the wall re-piped and that I needed a new water heater. all this for $5967.00 and the even wanted to charge me $29.00 for the bid!!!! I called Quality plumbing and Rick came out. …”
“I would give this company zero stars if I could. We had a simple drip drip leak in the bathroom wall that started to leak water into both bathrooms so we called this company based on a past reputation. If I had simply taken 5 minutes of my time to look at the reviews here and on the Better Business Bureau site, it would have saved thousands of dollars and mine and my family's future health. I called on a Monday, …”
“Set Appointment Thursday night for for Friday morning. Received a call from dispatcher giving me a window of 10-11am, at 11:45 I called to see where they were and dispatcher said they weren't able to come until later, she called me back and said they would be there between 4-6pm, they didn't show up. Now I get to go through a weekend with no toilet or pay overtime rates, don't waste your time.”
Positive
“I have had Five Cities Plumbing complete several major jobs for me in the last couple of years. They have ALWAYS responded & taken care of everything as soon as I call. Everyone is friendly & professional-I will ALWAYS depend on this company!”
“Very happy customer! These guys took care of business, done right the first time. Returning customer for sure! :)”
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 2025.
Across platforms
Google 4.8/5 (26 reviews) vs Yelp 2.3/5 (10 reviews) shows 2.5-star gap. Yelp contains repeated allegations of no-shows, overpricing, poor communication, and one catastrophic service failure; Google reviews mostly praise rapid response and quality. This suggests either fundamentally different customer segments or selective review populations, but reflects genuine service inconsistency.
Should you hire Five Cities Plumbing?
Best for
- Whole-house repiping
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 predictable, consistent service across every visit
- 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're highly price-sensitive
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own Five Cities 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.
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