Pipe Spy
Plumber · Berkeley, CA · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
4.9★ on 198 Google reviews with BBB A+ accredited — sewer lateral specialist handling EBMUD compliance projects; 55 sewer mentions in 100 analyzed reviews with fast_response=19 and communication=11, but 7 reviews note above-average pricing.
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 ↗
Lists 24-hour service on its Google profile — and reviewers describe after-hours calls.
What reviewers praise
Sewer lateral expertise recognized across 55 of 100 analyzed reviews — team navigates EBMUD compliance paperwork, HOA coordination, and hillside trench restoration while matching original stamped concrete.
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Honest diagnosis on record — Sonny declined to resell unnecessary repiping that a prior company quoted at "huge amount of money" and fixed an overflowing sewer without the unneeded work.
1 cited review
“Sonny came out last year to deal with an overflowing sewer, needless to say it was a huge mess and he fixed it with obvious knowledge of the situation. He were prompt, same day, and Sonny was kind, honest (the most important quality) and professional. when I say honestly, some other company a few months before our situation, said all our pipes needed to re-piped, and quoted us a huge amount of money. Sonny said we didn't need new pipes.”
Communication and site cleanup praised in multiple reviews — team informed customers daily, restored landscaping including replanting and gravel, stayed late to keep sewer running (themeCounts.communication=11).
2 cited reviews
“This company and their personnel were amazing. They kept me informed, went out of their way to make sure nothing was disrupted and all was put back in its original place with nothing damaged. This included tying back a plant, removing and replanting a plant, moving gravel, etc. They kept me informed every step of the way.”
“James Hall-Gallagher and his team did an excellent job on our sewer lateral project. While the work required some trenching, the area was restored so perfectly it looked completely untouched. The team was highly professional and honest. For instance, one of the supervisors not only fixed the immediate issue but also pointed out an additional leak.”
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 Yelp review (2-star) describes a failed inspection requiring the entire driveway to be re-dug with a secondary crew — finish work left "terrible" with the driveway looking "almost laughable."
“We had a major job done, the entire driveway was dug up and pipes replaced, and the workers were great. BUT a bad inspection and the whole thing had to be dug back up and fixed. Then they rushed with a secondary crew and the finish is terrible. The driveway looks awful.”
Pricing runs above market — reviewer chose them over a cheaper bid and noted it was worth it, but another confirmed "more expensive" upfront; 1 of 7 cheap-plumber mentions explicitly notes cost (themeCounts.expensive=1).
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“I just hired pipe spy to look into a problem at a friends restaurant. They only have a camera for larger pipes and we needed a camera for 2 inch or so. No go for pipe spy and it cost us 150. I have worked for a few plumbing co and we had a camera to inspect smaller waste lines... Not happy at all!”
“Of the many estimates I received, Pipe Spy was by far the highest and more than twice the amount of the company I ended up using. It is not necessary to pay a $200 fee for a camera inspection as there are many companies that will do this for free. While I did agree to the $200 inspection that would be taken off my total if I accepted their bid there were two things I didn't know. One, there are companies that will …”
“Spent time meeting to get an estimate and then never heard from them again. Lack of responsiveness or follow up is never a good look. Update to address owner's response: The owner's lengthy response is mystifying, and I can only guess his employees are equally dishonest to him as they are to clients. We never declined anything. I took an hour or more out of my workday to meet with their plumber to review our …”
Positive
“The team is professional, communicates clearly and often about what is happening. They clean up any mess each day, leaving the house clean and accessible. They delt with our city required sewer lateral on our 130 year old house and were aware of all possible issues. They did a terrific job even completing designs in the new cement to match our stamped cement. Amazing!”
“I've used Pipe Spy for 30+ years as a real estate professional They know what they're doing, always do a great job, Friendly and easy to worth with. In my opinion, the best in the business!”
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: Nov 2025.
Across platforms
Should you hire Pipe Spy?
Best for
- Emergency and same-day calls
- Sewer line repair and replacement
Hire if
- You need high-quality work that holds up over time
- You need clear communication and upfront explanations
Think twice if
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need guaranteed sub-hour response for true emergencies
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own Pipe Spy?
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
Pipe Spyisn't in one of our ranked city guides yet — the nearest covered markets are below.
Nearby: Richmond · Daly City · San Rafael