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Shafer Services Air Conditioning Heating & Plumbing Five-star service is our goal every time. It means being on time, exceeding your expectations, providing you with multiple options, and treating you like family - because for us, you are family. Shafer Serves is our philanthropic initiative to provide free HVAC and plumbing services to San Antonio non-profits. It's how we thank those who serve others.
Services
Shafer has installed plumbing, mechanical and HVAC systems for many of San Antonio's more notable building including the Hilton Palacio del Rio, Majestic Theatre, Commerce Plaza and the Metropolitan General Hospital (present-day Methodist Metropolitan Hospital) along with the Milam Building and Tower of the Americas.
Shafer Services Plus will help protect your wine investment with our wine cellar maintenance plan. Many cooling equipment problems can often be detected before breakdowns occur. Twice annual maintenance of your cellar can prevent unexpected failures of your wine cooling equipment and prolong equipment life and performance.
According to the EPA, people spend up to 90% of their lives indoors. It's time to make your indoor air healthier. Air purification systems reduce viruses, bacteria, allergens, pet dander, mold, odors, and air pollutants. We work with the best products on the market, customizing air purification systems to meet your needs.
We'll test before your foundation is repaired to see if that was the source of the damage, and we'll also test after the foundation repair to ensure everything has been remedied. Shafer has built and served San Antonio's plumbing infrastructure for more than 135 years. We want to make sure it's ready for the next 135.
Reviews (34)
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Zachary Eagle
Jun 08, 2022
Tyler initially came over to evaluate the plumbing at our new house. To make a long story short, he was absolutely amazing. He diagnosed the problem quickly and was able to come out the next day with Sergio (also an amazing guy!) and provide a fix for our plumbing. Not only were they able to fix out blockages, but they were also able to troubleshoot additional systems in the house to ensure that our AC and plumbing were good to go. Shafer Services Plus was quick, efficient, friendly, and a absolutely fantastic with regards to their customer interactions. We can't recommend Tyler enough. He is awesome!
Keith Bartolome
May 23, 2022
I needed a whole home plumbing inspection for a new construction home I planned on closing in the next week, so I hired Shafer Services Plus to do it. The inspection was done today on 04/26/22 by Tyler. Even though I couldn't be there in person for the inspection because of work, I am glad I still scheduled the inspection for today. Tyler was amazing and was extremely thorough.

He updated me on what he found during the inspection and really helped me understand and learn what his findings were and what that meant for me as a homeowner. From the phone conversation alone, it felt like I really had a personal advocate in this whole home buying process, and that I was making an informed decision. I wish all contractors and technicians had his level of professionalism and level of motivation.

When I did ask a few questions, he really took the effort and time to answer them without brushing the question aside. Finding good contractors and skilled tradesman is difficult, so I am more than happy to have had Tyler do my plumbing inspection. I will be requesting him for any plumbing services in the future. I hope Shafer Services Plus recognize him for his quality work and professionalism.

Even though he could've given me a brief simplified explanation of the inspection, he went above and beyond to ensure I understood the inspection report before proceeding with closing.
Stewart Dobbelstein Doc Unicorn
May 16, 2022
Mr. Scott, the technician who assisted us, is very professional and explained to me what the issues were in our system. He is the one fully deserved of the 5 star review. The staff at the Shafer Services branch on the other hand, are closer to a 2 star. They really need to learn how to communicate with their customers. I had to call them 3 times in a week to find out what was going on with appointment times and what was going to be replaced and when. Was very frustrating.
Antonio Diaz
May 03, 2022
They installed a mini split for my home 6 months ago and now problems galore. They came to do routine summer inspection of my home AC and magically my thermostat is fried. I come home to AC running on cool but thermostat has the house at 81 degrees. This was the first problem i have with them. Their technicians are liars and have no respect for the elderly. Timeframe provided for service was 10-12 and arrived at 1:30Pm for a second problem.

They were pulling out of my driveway when my wife was turning in. Refused to acknowledge her and drove off. They said no one was home. Regional manager replaced more than once. Has a lot to say about this company that continues to disappoint. Will not do business again with them. They were contracted by Lowes and they will be hearing from me as to the type of company they recommend to carry their name and quality of work.
Alex Maxwell
Apr 22, 2022
5 star review for Tyler who did a great job providing a clean professional installation on my water softener and filtration system. It's clear he takes pride in the service he renders. Enjoyed the experience so much that I will be using him as my go to for anything plumbing. 4 star review for the company (Didn't want Tyler to suffer for something out of his control). The price for installation only was a great deal more than I was expecting to have to pay ($1,000+).
Anne Marie Oliver
Apr 17, 2022
Darius was incredible to work with! He informed of us the issue and showed us a video of the interior of our pipes that helped us make the decision to move forward with a complete clean out. He was so friendly, on time and incredibly educated in his field! Services: Outdoor plumbing system repair, Plumbing leak detection, Plumbing pipe repair
Jessica Thompson
Apr 16, 2022
These guys are absolutely amazing! 10/10 in all areas! I had the pleasure of working with Grant and Nick and a few others, the last two days after a blocked pipe backed up into my shower and toilet. They all went above and beyond! They were kind, informative, professional, hardworking, and just overall rockstars! I live in a house that was built in the 60s that still has original cast iron pipes.

They are much more prone to getting blockages and it was definitely a tricky situation. During the process my other toilet was accidentally damaged and these guys immediately brought it to our attention and with out hesitation said they would replace and install a new. They did so and made sure to get a brand new of same grade color and quality of my original!

They got the blockage out even though it was much more difficult than they thought and they still only charged me the initial quote! Not one penny more! Stand up! They even made sure that my pets were safe and secured at all times and cleaned up after themselves! These guys will be my plumbers for life no question!
Linda Clark
Apr 11, 2022
This company seems to truly go the extra mile for each customer. My technician explained everything needed for the repair and arranged a good time for both of us. He's very motivated and thorough. I'll ask for him next time! Service: A/C system repair
Valentine L.
Mar 15, 2022
Excellent work and good job Shafer Services. Your technician (John Collins) was great as well. A $60 service visit to inspect and check my A/C unit as it began making noise recently - happily remained $60. I've been poked in the eyes recently by a company from Kyle TX and sought somebody I could trust. Enter Shafer Services. Thanks again and hope to see y'all soon, but not too soon. Sincerely, The Lugos
Larry S.
Feb 18, 2022
In December 2021, we heard water running/leaking in the wall downstairs in our custom built home, now 18 years young! We felt we needed a really good plumber to locate the leak and then propose options to fix whatever the problem might be. We NEVER saw any damp spot on the wall. We decided to have Shafer come out because their online information said they could detect leaks. Shafer sent a tradesman plumber along with an assistant (seems they all have one).

The work began. We removed everything from the downstairs coat closet and they cut through the drywall in the closet, which exposed a manifold where the water coming into the home gets redirected. They used some type of "sounding device" attempting to locate the leak. The coat closet is positioned down the foyer hall from the front door and is by the family room. it's also located approximately 12 feet (on a direct line) from the kitchen sink. Next, they invade the cabinet wall and drywall under the kitchen sink by removing 2 foot by 2 foot cabinet and drywall pieces.

They determined that the leak was a foundation leak. if you've never had one in Texas, feel fortunate. From the kitchen sink, the water line also runs in the opposite direction to the point where it services the refrigerator for water and icemaker. The line dead-ends there. So, to be certain where the leak was they pulled out the refrierator and cut the drywall behind it too.

We now have three (3) places where they've destroyed drywall. While under the sink, the plumber looks at our garbage disposal and quickly states that it's one of the cheapest ones made and it's NOT stainless steal so is probably already rusting. It's worked fine for 18 years and was still working; however, we told them to go ahead and replace it.

Big mistake! When we got the bill for the leak detection and new garbage disposal, they charged us $891 for the garbage disposal alone! We researched online and found the same disposal for $270, so they charged us $621 for twenty minutes work to install it. Outrageous. yes, we think so! So, now, we're $2700 and change into this ordeal. Oh, and the leak isn't fixed yet.

To fix the leak they wanted to run pexpipe from the closet through the ceiling and down the wall in the kitchen, drill through the bottom of the cabinets and over to the sink. The old line would be capped off. But, they couldn't assure us that they wouldn't have to cut the wall in the hall that backs to the kitchen. Now folks, these walls have been faux painted and would never be the same again.

They also were unsure how much more damage they would need to do to the closet drywall or the ceiling. Their estimate for the repair, which did NOT include repairing the drywall or cabinet piece under the sink was over $6000 MORE. As this point we told them NOT to proceed. After the garbage disposal fiasco, we felt our head was being ripped off by this company. Fortunately, this story has somewhat of a positive ending.

Bear in mind, Shafer is a 130 year old company, but we were told by the plumber, "Mr. Shafer has overhead". we understand companies need to make money, but fairness seems foreign to these folks. The good news is that we located another company in Schertz, TX. they sent out a tradesman plumber, who quickly stated he didn't want to cut anymore drywall inside the house.

He found a different route to run the pexpipe and to make a long story shorter, he not only thought outside the box, but worked magic. He ran the pexpipe from the cold water line coming into the hot water heater in the garage up through the "unfinished" attic above the garage down the wall (had to cut a 10"x15" piece in the garage drywall (NOT inside the house) and connected the water line back up to the line that feeds the ice maker behind the refrigerator which then back feeds the water back to the kitchen sink. Alas. the problem was fixed.

He was outstanding and extremely respectful the whole time while treating our home with the type of TLC everyone would want. Oh, and his repair cost was 1/3 of Shafer's estimate. I believe we can honestly say that Shafer Services is solely out for Shafer Services and they don't mind taking your hard-earned money if you let them. So, be careful out there. Our sincere thanks to the Schertz company and their wonderful plumbers. they enabled us to have a Much Merrier Christmas!
Carlos J.
Feb 05, 2022
At about 4:15 pm on 2/4/22 we discovered a leak on the side of the house. A section of PVC pipe had burst. The pipe was used for filling the pool. It had its own valve and connected to the copper feed from the street. I cut off the water at the street and then started calling plumbers. Schaffer, which I called about 4:45 pm, was the only one of three companies we called that could make it out the same day. (Everyone was very busy because of freezing weather).

They said they'd be here between 5pm and 7pm. They were here around 5:45pm. They capped the copper that fed the PVC and we were done. They also did a number of other checks. The phone attendant was really courteous, and took the time to find an available plumber, after I explained that it was probably a 20-minute job at best (which it was). The plumber, John, was professional, courteous, and explained everything to us perfectly clearly regarding what we needed to do next, etc.

I couldn't have been happier with the response and the service, especially with the prospect of going without water for anywhere from 2 to 5 days again (After the Feb 21 snow event/loss of water). The invoice we received in email was detailed, and included a number of high quality photos of the repair site. After a really, really bad experience with another A/C and plumbing company last year, Schaffer was a refreshing change.
Greg Davis
Jan 30, 2022
John was great! He had been out in November on an emergency call (did a great job) so we were happy to see him dispatched to us. He was on time, polite, took the time to explain everything to us and then did a thorough job with the project. We will definitely be calling Shafer Services Plus again when a plumbing need comes up. Services: Toilet repair, Faucet repair, Plumbing leak detection, Drain cleaning, Shower repair
Anthony Rosas
Jan 19, 2022
I had a great experience beginning to end with everyone I dealt with. From the people who answered the phone to the multiple technicians that came out to check my AC unit. They gave me multiple options and explained everything thoroughly. They never rushed their work or explanations. I will personally be using this company for any AC/plumbing needs moving forward.

I would highly recommend Shafer to anyone who needs AC or plumbing services. It is obvious that they pride themselves in excellent customer service. I worked with AB, Fabian, and Augie who all were awesome!
Jim White
Jan 05, 2022
Josh installed a new wine chiller in my wine cellar. He did an exceptional job. He was prompt, efficient and very knowledgeable. I was completely satisfied and highly recommend him.
Taylor Thrift
Dec 23, 2021
We were extremely happy with our service from Shafer Services! Tyler Marks was amazing. He took is time teaching us about our home plumbing and trouble shooting different issues. He was very thorough and detail oriented. He was very knowledgeable and helpful when considering the different issues we had. I would recommend Shafer services and will be specifically asking for Tyler Marks as a technician due to his exceptional work.
Jenicia S. Beckstrand
Dec 22, 2021
Extremely great customer service and the technician was very knowledgeable. He took the time to walk me through everything and answer all my questions. I really appreciated the recommendations of updates/add ons we could do with out feeling pressured to do them. Highly recommend to anyone!
Carla R.
Dec 07, 2021
Call the company on a Monday they were able to send a tech that day-the tech arrive introduced himself was professional I explain to him that my garbage disposal had not been working for a week I told him I had pressed the reset button nothing no type of sound or anything I also informed him that the disposal had been smoking he immediately told me The engine was burned out he looked inside the disposal he said there was something jamming it and basically said it would cost 880+ dollars to repair, asked why so much he stated he's a licensed plumber. Called my mom to complain her neighbor came over that evening looked at the disposal stated it was jammed got a steel pipe manipulated the inside and now the disposal works fine!
Rudy G.
Nov 22, 2021
I called to get my water softener repaired for a 50.00 diagnostic fee. It was a sham, no attempt to diagnose or repair. It was a sales pitch to buy their water softeners and I paid 50 buck to hear it.
Michael H.
Aug 12, 2021
Called about a waterline leak their ad said they had equipment to locate a leak made an appoint for 3-5 pm Tech called at 11:00 to say he was at my house 10 minutes later he said $1200 to tear the walls to find the leak and $2-5 k to fix Tech said that they didn't have the equipment to find leaks This bit of information unfortunately cost me $60 Miscommunication and corporate plumbers False ad info
Amy W.
Apr 13, 2021
We learned today that Shafer Services in San Antonio, Texas has been scamming us on our A/C system for 5 years. Claiming to need to replace parts under warranty so they could charge us expensive labor. We caught them in a lie when our A/C certified contractor took a look and saw the leak in the coil they were claiming to need to fix at a cost of $1200 was perfectly fine.

By the way the same coil was replaced one year earlier. They claim it's bad from the manufacturer. There was no leak at all. Then they went to the trouble to try to cover it up. We recorded everything and have proof of the fraud. However, sadly we also learned that most A/C companies do the same. They will confidently tell you to get a second opinion because they are all in on it. my contractor fixed what they broke in trying to cover their tracks for $125 My advice if you've also been having lots of trouble with your A/C according to Shafer or any of these scam companies, is to ask for proof of what is broken and then when they try to show that proof, hire a contractor who is A/C certified to verify it.

Our contractor told us exactly what they would do, word for word and that is exactly what they tried to pull on us. Do not trust them. We originally trusted them and gave them five stars all over the internet. We fell for this little scam where they pretend to save you from everyone else and then they just start scamming you with their "regular maintenance" and fixes when issues come up. And I promise, there will be issues.
Me A.
Jan 06, 2021
I contacted them for an estimate. Technician was professional, explained everything, courteous. Bid was given, I applied for financing and was approved because my initial research had given me an estimated budget of 10k and estimate was much higher than anticipated. I had already scheduled 2 other estimates and figured they would all be very close but I liked the technician from Shafer and fully intended to use them.

Other bids were 9400.00 and 11.000. I contacted the Tech. to get a break down of the bid so I could see why Shafer was so much higher ( 16000.00 ). I didn't get a breakdown, had to ask specifics and was given them without issue. Nothing wrong with Shafer that I know of. Just much more expensive than competitors. The bid I took for 11000 added cosmetic covers for the wiring and hoses, surge protectors and extended warranty.
Bradley O.
Nov 21, 2020
The company is outstanding. We purchased a service plan with our new a/c heater install. The last man at our house had said in order to replace a wire from the heat pump to the attic a special Higher Boss would need to come see the proposed work. I took off Wednesday from work only to learn from Rio the scheduler that the requested inspection had never been scheduled.

Which was odd because I recall the servicing tech/install man calling to get me scheduled the week prior when he was here. Inititally the dispatch lady said they'd have someone come out next week which meant another Wed day off. But she called around and the team came that VERY DAY to do the wiring upgrade. I was very impressed by the entire crew: the install manager and the technicians who installed the new wiring.
William P.
Sep 30, 2019
**************UPDATE************* Some time after the initial review was written, I received an apology from Chase Anderson, the CEO of Shafer Services. He said they had made a mistake, and offered to pay for the labor himself. After an email or two, I received a check for more than $1500, and am satisfied with the deal. Thank you Shafer Services.
Robbo L.
May 08, 2019
I had a known issue with my AC and was calling schaefer services for a competitive bid on a repair. I called them because they had installed the original unit several years ago. When I called I asked about a free estimate as was offered by several other companies. Their office Indicated they could do that. Once the technician arrived he proceeded to go examine the unit, but when he came back to confirm the original diagnosis, then informed me of a $60 dispatch fee and a $115 labor charge, " as he doesn't give a quote without doing the work needed to determine the failure cause." I informed him that this was supposed to be a free call.

You then check his records and agreed that the dispatch fee had been waived. But that he still had to charge me labor. I foolishly paid him anyway but subsequent calls to his office said that they could do nothing without the manager's approval who was out of town. Multiple calls later had no results and the manager never returned the calls. I never would have called them if I knew there was a charge and he should have told me before he did any work that would require a charge. Totally untrustworthy.
Chad H.
Nov 14, 2018
Horrible first impression! I called on a Monday and made an appointment for Wednesday between 3-5 pm. During the scheduling of the call all they said was that I would receive a message when someone was on the way. On Wednesday I took off work early to be at my house by 3 pm as I had agreed to. At 4:30 pm, I called and asked if someone would be coming.

They then explained they had a policy that if nobody answered the phone, they would not come which was not explained on the day that I called to make the appointment. My phone had died during the day and i didn't receive their call or their message. I understand why they would be hesitant to show up without speaking to someone because they have probably been burned before.

That is the cost of doing business and they gave me a window of time but did not explain their policy or show up when they said they would. Apparently they have no regard for the value of my time. Hopefully their technicians do better work than their administrative staff!
Robert F.
Nov 01, 2018
Had Shafer come in to add sediment traps on gas lines to my two water heaters and two furnaces. He did the water heaters, but said he had no idea how to do the furnace. I had to call in another company, who did a great job on the furnaces. I had to stay home two days instead of one. Totally disappointed. To top it all off, he only lit the pilot for one of the two water heaters. The cold shower did not make my wife happy. I also had to spend time in the hot attic to light it. Complained via their email and they never ever contacted me back.
Jodie M.
Sep 14, 2018
I heard about this company from KTSA. We had several bids and decided to go with Shafer Services due to their expertise. I like the fact that a apprentice isn't doing a major install. They are professionals, with integrity. We are now life long customer's.
Lisa & Len T.
Aug 08, 2018
Augie and Gregory were at our house yesterday to replace a bad TXV. Their customer service skills are exemplary - very prompt, polite, and professional. They both took the time to thoroughly explain the repair, technical items necessary (I am an engineer and appreciate their time to explain details). Exceptional work and attitude the entire time - I commend them for their hard work! Please extend my thanks to them for their efforts. Great company to deal with!
Erin T.
Dec 07, 2016
Shafer is, simply, the best. They never try to add charges or do work you don't need unless you ask. They inspect and clean up even in areas around the site where they work. Attention to detail, and professional, caring service is always the norm for Shafer. We've done business with them for years, and not only do they treat my family like theirs, they treat me (a woman) like an equal, and a respected, valued individual, with specific requirements for our home, and our life. Rodney Smith was the initial visit this time, and he showed us each area where our AC/Heat was having problems.

He recommended an estimator come out, and Robert Buchwalter was here the next day. Instead of trying to repair a 12 year-old system, we opted for an upgraded replacement system. Not only did Robert help us choose, he made sure we knew about the available rebates, and kept us up to date with the steps to come. As soon as we secured financing (it's expensive to replace an environmental system) with some great help from Sandra Arce, Shafer was able to schedule us within the week, and get our new unit installed in ONE DAY! John Noriega, with his partner Armando were on site all day, and not only were they friendly and professional, they were very clean and quiet - our toddler slept through his normal nap less than 15 feet from where they were working!

Two additional employees made rapid delivery of needed supplies, and Steve Duffy, a supervisor, was sure to stop by and look everything over near the close of the day. Follow-up inspection was quick and polite 3 days later, and ensured everything was working. The new system is awesome, and we couldn't be happier. Shafer may seem a little pricey (they're not for the extremely high level of quality they bring), but they stand behind everything they do, and will go the extra mile for their customers. *As far as the other lady (Carol A.) with the water heater charge - just wondering what all happened, because the same happened to us (it was our first encounter with Shafer) almost 6 years ago, and they didn't charge us anything like that, and they told us on the phone there would be a service charge no matter what if they came out.

This past visit, it was $95.00, for ten times as much work as turning on a water heater. We don't have to look for any other business to do what Shafer does, because they're the best!
Lisa T.
Nov 30, 2016
Rodney Smith is a professional, clean cut service man. He regularly maintains our 4 units and troubleshoots when needed. This company employs reps who are polite, professional and prompt. Happy with the service for several years.
Andrea T.
Apr 28, 2016
My toilet was backed up, and I called Shafer to come and fix it. The two plumbers that came out were extremely courteous and polite. He tried a short snake from the toilet which did not solve the problem. He then told me that the next step was taking the toilet apart and snaking which would cost SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS. I was flabbergasted, to say the least.

He guaranteed that this would fix the toilet unless the pipes were broken. I asked them to take a peek under the house and see if there was a mess under the house (I have pier and beam) so I could make a better decision. One of the plumbers then told me that they could snake from the vent on the roof and it would save me $200. I am not sure why they would not suggest that at first, since it cost less.

It still cost me a little over $400, and I feel pretty sure I could have gotten someone to snake it for about $150 or $200 and solved the problem. He did offer the option of leaving with me paying only for the service call if I thought that I could find a better price, but I went ahead and told them to do it since they were already here. Bottom line: I think that their prices are outrageous.*****Quick update*******my pipes got clogged up again, and I found a different plumber (Barrera's Pumbing 210-927-3481) and they came and did the EXACT SAME THING and charged me $110, and explained that when a house sits vacant for awhile, the pipes crust up and then when you use them again, the deposits start moving again and clog up the pipes.

They told me that my pipes clogged up again because I put in a washer, and so the deposits sitting in those pipes caused it to clog again. (so yes. Barerra's climbed up the ladder and snaked from the vent on the roof, and charged $110, instead of $443.) This is WAY DIFFERENT from what Shafer told me, which amounted to me having to spend thousands on new pipes because the old pipes could never sustain a washer/sink/toilet.

Call Barrerra's.they are professional, polite, and charge a fair price instead of extortion. Barrera's Plumbing 210-927-3481. I give Barrera's plumbing FIVE STARS! :)
Kevin M.
Aug 12, 2014
AC started blowing warm air. Called Shafer and San Antonio air to get me a couple quotes to repair. Shafer tech gave a diagnostics of all refrigerant has leaked out. Leaked at condenser. Leak unrepairable. Also evaporative unit needs some work. Will need entire outside unit replaced and repairs to upstairs unit. Would send a sales rep to offer different pricing points to replace all. San Antonio Air comes out.

Everything checks out just fine. No rust, refrigerant is full. Did find the circuit breaker to the condenser had flipped off. He reset that and had cold air right then. Charged $49 and recommended I get an electrician to replace circuit switch. Sales guy came out to give pricing options. Told him his tech was either stupid or a liar. Requested and given a refund of my service call since I did not really get the type of service I expected. Apologized and departed
Jill A.
Feb 07, 2013
Shafer Services: A Poem Toilet Broke. Super sad. Bob came out. Super glad. Rigged it quick. Did the trick. Calling them again when our toilet's sick. (Great friendly service, low service charge, and very fast repair!)
Jacque S.
Jan 10, 2013
Great Service by Chris. This was a routine check and thank heavens he was here. Found a leak that he was able to fix. I had no idea. Thorough check of all plumbing issues. Thank you Chris.