JC Plumbing & Rooter
Plumber · San Leandro, CA
Our verdict
BBB-accredited (A+) with one tech, Jose, named across nearly every review; water-heater is the clear specialty (36 of 100 analyzed mention it) and pricing repeatedly beats competitor quotes.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #3 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in Newark, CA · 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
Tankless/water-heater expertise is the signature strength — 36 of 100 reviews mention it, often warranty work with manufacturer coordination
1 cited review
“He was here within a day, diagnosed the problem with Navien tech-support, the problem was a Check valve that needed to be replaced. He ordered the part locally and came back installed it. His final bill for services was $100 less than his initial quote.”
Cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Final bill often comes in at or below quote, beating other plumbers' estimates
1 cited review
“He was here within a day, diagnosed the problem with Navien tech-support, the problem was a Check valve that needed to be replaced. He ordered the part locally and came back installed it. His final bill for services was $100 less than his initial quote.”
Cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Transparent, photo-documented diagnosis and clear communication of options (communication=12)
1 cited review
“Jose was very thorough with his work. Highly recommended! He worked on our Noritz for 4 hours to descale, clean filter and troubleshoot the problem... Great communication and very timely. No need to call anyone else, choose JC!”
Cited in 2 of the 100 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
1-star report of a rude $335 shower-unclog quote with the call ended abruptly — a customer-service complaint to watch
“This guy quotes $335 to just unclog shower drain which had hair and cut the call straight away. To rude, would never approach again”
Phone manner can turn abrupt — one caller was quoted $335 to unclog a shower drain and felt the call was cut off rudely
“This guy quotes $335 to just unclog shower drain which had hair and cut the call straight away. To rude, would never approach again”
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“The owner of this business does not respond to messages over a week that I left. I have been calling him each day to get some clarification on the water heater that he suggested me to buy from a supplier. I had called him many times each day, which is ridiculous that he never had a courtesy to respond to one of my messages. Good thing I did not hired him and today I had to hire another plumber. I will not recommend …”
“Horrible experience with trying to get hold of this business after initial conversation with the owner of the business for a water heater replacement. I had called him many times over a week now and left many messages as I had a question on the water heater before I purchased it from the supplier. He didnot returned any of my calls and nor did he texted. He doesnot have good business ethic as I have been waiting for …”
“I would urge others to be cautious when considering this company. They were performing services at our neighbor's home when an incident occurred involving my husband's company van, which was parked in front of our side street parking. From our front window, I observed one of the workers repeatedly pushing and pulling my husband's van side mirror back and forth. The movement triggered the van's alarm. If the alarm …”
Positive
“Jose diagnosed our sewer problem and fixed it. He arrived quickly and did excellent work for a reasonable price.”
“VERY GOOD experience. You don't want a mediocre or bad experience with a plumber. My Navien tankless water heater suddenly had something wrong with the heating cycle. I looked at the Navien website for authorized repairs and installers and called 3 in the area. 2 never replied, Jose at JC was very prompt. He was here within a day, diagnosed the problem with Navien tech-support, the problem was a Check valve that …”
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: Dec 2025.
Across platforms
Should you hire JC Plumbing & Rooter?
Best for
- Emergency and same-day calls
- Budget-conscious homeowners
- Complex installs and remodels
- Water heater install/repair
Hire if
- You need high-quality work that holds up over time
- You need a plumber who actually shows up when scheduled
Think twice if
- You need guaranteed sub-hour response for true emergencies
- You need airtight scheduling and guaranteed arrival times
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own JC Plumbing & Rooter?
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.