Pipe Spy

City required mapping of a non-recorded easement sewer line for ADU application. Heiko (Pipespy owner) attempted to convince the city the pipe was not on our property producing an old sewer map to no avail. Pipespy team arrived on time, scoped the sewer line, marked the location and recorded depth (pipe was not on our property). Crew was friendly and courteous.

While cost was several times higher than other quote, they know what they are doing and a first-rate team. Definitely will give them consideration when the time comes for the sewer lateral work.

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 do a video inspection for free and two, Pipe Spy's bid would be by far the highest.

I was not home when they came for the inspection. I received a call saying they wanted to do an inspection. They did not identify themselves as Pipe Spy. I gave them the OK to do it as many other companies had come to do visual inspections when I wasn't home. I was surprised when I got a $200 invoice from Pipe Spy. I told them that I had already gotten a free video inspection and that their bid was far too high.

They then threatened to sue me and send me to collections if I didn't pay the $200. I really only have myself to blame for since I did initially agree to the $200 inspection but now that I have some experience I would never even consider them again. Pipe Spy can't lose with this arrangement. If you take their overpriced bid they win. If you don't they still get $200 for a service other companies will perform for free. I still have not received the video. There are many companies out there that will perform the work for a far cheaper price, go with one of them.

Pipe Spy replaced the entire sewer system from the house to the city sewer line. They came immediately to help, then scheduled a complete repair, did a perfect job of repair, and left the premises better off than when they started. An excellent company that walks the walk.

Pipe Spy did an excellent job for me. From beginning to end, they were helpful, efficient and effective. James, my contact there, was outstanding at diagnosing what was needed, explaining it clearly, telling me what was needed and how he could get the job done. He stayed in close touch and whenever he said he was going to do something, he did. The workmen came on time and did the job professionally and left the site at least as good as they found it. All in all, this was a first class experience.

My sewer lateral was leaking, so I contacted Pipe Spy (on the recommendation of another company that was unavailable). I was told there first had to be a diagnosis (seemed reasonable) and that they would come camera the line for $200. Guy appears, says he's used a camera and the pipe is entirely clogged with tree roots. He suggests replacing the entire line from the house to the street or removing a section of the line and replacing it.

Both options were in the thousands of dollars. I then called a "roto-rooter" type company, who simply snaked the line and the problem was solved. Interestingly, when I asked Pipe Spy for the video they supposedly took, I was told it mysteriously did not record and they would come back and camera the line again. The "second" video showed there were no excessive tree roots or anything other than typical back up (which is why the snake worked). Beware of this company - they will try to rip you off.

Had to bring the sewer lateral up to code when purchasing a home and Pipe Spy did a very thorough, prompt job! 10/10 would hire them again for any exterior plumbing work that we needed. Made the whole process smooth, from inspection to quote to permitting. Thanks again Pipe Spy!

Pipe Spy recently updated our sewer lines as is required by the City of Berkeley. The building has 8 units, and 8 owners, some in living space, some in work space. Pipe Spy did the work quickly, efficiently, and neatly. The communication with James was excellent, and the crew was professional and diligent. I highly recommend this local company without reservation.

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 and they were very easy to communicate with and work with.

I had a huge job and they were done efficiently and stayed late to keep my sewer working for me. i have only positive things to say about the company interaction, crew and job as well. Everyone was extremely nice and did an excellent job. It passed inspection with no problems and it was done with my complete customer satisfaction. I would recommend them to anyone.

Heiko and his team were amazing! A+++++++ Super punctual and professional. Services: Sewer repair, Pipe repair

Old clay pipes, broken years ago (maple tree roots, the likely culprit), sewage seeping into the ground under the street. not pretty when the rains came and we couldn't run the washing machine and take a shower on the same day for fear of runoff backing up into our shower. Pipe Spy to the rescue (although they're busy -- a big job like this doesn't happen quickly) and here we are in our first full rain of the year and all systems are GO! Heiko and his team were always clean, polite, cooperative, and responsive.

They did a GREAT job rerouting the traffic on our busy street during the job. They replaced our sewer main from the house to the street, and because we had two separate plumbing systems (two-story house) they deftly joined them outside the house and put in separate clean-out valves for each floor. They wiped out our front yard and even put in new sod where the lawn (such as it was) got trashed.

All of our neighbors told us how much they appreciated the courtesy of the workers. I see some reviews here with complaints about inadequate warning about parking restrictions and we did not have that experience. The necessary signs went up on the Friday prior to the job starting the following week. High recommendations! Thanks, Heiko. The job came in at exactly the estimated amount. That's more than we can say for every contractor we have ever worked with.

Stellar service! Great crew! Excellent work! Plumbers are overwhelmingly busy especially because of the pandemic backlogs. but Pipe Spy stepped up to help me deal with sewer lateral requirements I had to meet in a very short timeline. We passed City inspections, as Pipe Spy guaranteed! And know that you are dealing with at least 2 decades of sewer lateral experience with this company whom I first met in the late 90's as a realtor needing their services for my sellers to comply with Albany's sewer lateral ordinance. They could well be considered ' pioneers' in this area of plumbing. All attributable to owner Heiko! No less than 10 STARS! For owner and his company!

I called today to request information regarding cement work and was glad that Lindsay answered the phone. She was extremely knowledgeable, professional, and helpful in getting the ball rolling in the right direction. Thank you Lindsay, you're the best!

Pipe Spy does not provide required 24 hrs notice on street for necessary car removal to access main sewer line, Although working on Perkins Street, Oakland all week from 8/30 - 9/3/21 the crew simply moved No Parking sidewalk signs an hour before work began each day to the necessary location. Neighbors spoke to "crew supervisor" along with his support staff requesting prior days notice so they could comply. His response was "not my job".

Pipe Spy helped us navigate the EBMUD's sewer certification process for our small HOA. They came out twice to help us prepare for the pressure test with EBMUD and finally discovered that our property was exempt from the sewer certification requirements. They even got us a written statement from EBMUD confirming we could skip the test. Their due diligence saved us a pretty penny! Thank you James and Alex!

Our 117-year-old house has complicated sewer laterals to the main house, the cottage, and the spa. Paul Cooper and his crew were prompt, thorough, and highly professional to map and analyze our system, find a lateral clogged by roots, clear the problem, and give us guidance about how to maintain our system and anticipate future problems.

From the moment I made my appointment, the service was stellar. These folks are honest and efficient too! Highly recommend!

After getting several Private Sewer Lateral Compliance quotes in the area, we decided to go with Pipe Spy due to their professionalism, focus on PSL work (only) and efficiency. From the initial in person inspection by Sonny to the detailed follow up by him and the team at Pipe Spy (including sewer lateral maps, additional visit in person to go over our questions), we knew we were in good hands. Sonny and the Pipe Spy team (Lynsey is fantastic) responded to all our questions and calls and reassured us that even they were booking 6-8 weeks out for PSL work, our PSL compliance would be done before our deadline. An estimated 3 day job only took 2 days thanks to Walter, the foreman and his hard working and efficient crew.

The Pipe Spy team was organized, friendly and focused on being COVID-safe. Our PSL compliance was a tough job (12ft dig, easement right at our property line) but Pipe Spy got it done and left our garden in great condition. If you need to get your PSL work done, hire Pipe Spy!

Two gentleman from this company came to do some work near my residence. Three weeks prior the city came out and worked on the sewer on the street outside, but put the manhole cover back in such a way that cars driving it over it now made it thud. City refused to help or even acknowledge the issue! I saw the two Pipe Spy guys, ran out, and let them know what was happening.

They knew exactly what I was talking about, were super friendly, and made sure the cover now does not thud when cars go over it. I couldn't be happier! Very professional and polite!

Working with Pipe Spy was a really great experience. Our HOA needed to replace an exterior sewer lateral, while we needed to find a separate plumbing contractor for an interior line replacement too. For the exterior sewer lateral, Sonny B., the Pipe Spy estimator came out, ran a series of video cameras and did all of the exterior diagnostic work. He explained what he'd found and gave us a really fair price, with a detailed line item estimate.

Last week, when the work began, the Pipe Spy team was all hands on deck. They were strategic about how they attacked the sewer line replacement.from the City main sewer connector.from the cleanout inside the condominium courtyard.and from another midpoint excavation on the sidewalk, in between. They stayed late into the evening on days one and two.and the job was done, ahead of schedule.

It was truly impressive! They take their work seriously, but with a sense of humor too.hire them and you'll find out what I mean.your mission, should you decide to accept it. Thanks Sonny, Pedro, Alex and Team Pipe Spy.

Pipespy responded right away to schedule an appointment for sewer and drainage issues. James was terrific calling in advance, on time, personable and very knowledgeable about where to investigate. I recommend Pipespy.

Excellent work. Replaced ~120 LF of sewer line using the pipe burst & trenchless method. Everything went smoothly. Had to be careful about a gas line at one of the pits - no problems. Conscientious about the quality of work and appreciate the clean-up and restoration of disturbed areas. There are disturbed areas, mostly landscaped areas, but the trenchless method reduces it significantly. Got 4 bids for this project and Pipe Spy was the highest bid; #2 bidder was close in price. Pipe Spy specializes in this work and it shows and I'm glad I went with them.

Pipe Spy was SUPER! easy to schedule for estimate. Sonny came on time, and was so kind, professional and efficient. He did a great job. Trusted him immediately. I highly recommend this company for any job.

Pipe Spy is an organized, efficient, and focused company. They were a pleasure to deal with and offer an important service at a reasonable price. While repairing a redwood deck, the sewer clean-out was uncovered and it seemed like a good time to inspect the lateral. A quick phone call to Pipe Spy and Alex was able to schedule an inspection in just a few days, which was very helpful in not slowing down the deck contractor's work. Heiko arrived on schedule, did the video inspection and showed us what he was finding on the video screen.

As suspected, the original 100 year-old terra cotta sewer lateral had several displacements and one collapsed section. Heiko provided a detailed estimate the next morning via email and we returned the signed estimate via email, too. The trenchless replacement was scheduled promptly and completed in one day. Due to the depth of the city sewer line, it took the crew longer than expected to uncover that connection.

They also had to dig another hole to uncover the collapsed section of the lateral. This required the crew to partially dismantle a stone path. The trenchless replacement process itself is fascinating. After the new lateral was in place and connected, the Pipe Spy crew did an excellent job of filling all the excavated dirt and restoring the stone path.

They cleaned up carefully and left the path and yard looking undisturbed. A video inspection and pressure test were completed the next day and took less than an hour. Alex, Heiko, and all of the Pipe Spy folks we met were friendly and professional. The were good at communicating price and schedule, they arrived on-time, and stayed until the job was finished. They submitted the inspection to the City and handled all the paperwork. If you want sewer replacement done right, on-time, and at a reasonable price, call Pipe Spy.

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 sewer line replacement issues.

We declined nothing. We expected an estimate, requested an estimate, and even gave our email address to receive an estimate. Second, the homeowner is my roommate and was standing next to me during part of the appointment. This was clearly stated. To imply there was some sneaky ploy by a renter is disingenuous. Once again, the dishonesty here is concerning. Lastly, I emailed two months after the appointment to ask about the estimate and received no response.

I get very busy during the days and often emails are the easiest, most efficient, and most trackable method for me to communicate, especially if I am requesting information like a very late promised written estimate. And yet the owner, in his response, seems to be admitting that his own email portal is unreliable and I should have called? And how vague is a request asking where my estimate is?

If you do not want people to use the email portal, perhaps remove it rather than blaming clients for using it. And it's sad that my email request received no response and instead it took this review to receive a response, which shows either unreliable service or pure disorganization or both. It appears I dodged a bullet by not receiving an estimate as this company is completely unreliable in word and deed.

Searched for a plumbing company to repair leaking natural gas lines in an older building (1928) in Oakland. I reached out to Pipe Spy Inc. via Yelp; they responded very quickly. I explained what I needed and they advised they did not do this work. However. they referred me to Ocelot Plumbing, also of Oakland. I contacted Ocelot, advised they were referred, and they visited to review the job. We decided to use Ocelot Plumbing and they did a great job - thank you Pipe Spy Inc.

I had concerns about an offset in the upper sewer lateral of my 75+ year old house. James came with the CCTV camera, did a thorough inspection and explained that the problem was minor. It actually didn't need immediate repair work in my situation. The three other companies I called for quotes didn't bring camera equipment to inspect the line, and gave wildly varying quotes speculating where the offset actually was on the property.

I was happy to pay the fee for the camera inspection as it gave me peace of mind and saved me thousands of dollars. James was great about explaining the situation and did not try to sell me work I didn't need. I would recommend PipeSpy to anyone seeking an accurate and reasonable quote.

We'd just moved into our apartment and began experiencing problems with the water heater and leaking pipes in the kitchen and bathroom. We called Pipe Spy and while they only offer sewer services, Paul came out and checked on things for us anyway. He was so knowledgeable and generous with the information he shared. He made sure we were safe and referred us to a local general plumber who came out the next day and fixed all the issues within a couple of hours. We're so grateful to have had him stop by. We now know who to call for sewer issues if we ever need them. Thanks Pipe Spy!

I was absolutely impressed by PipeSpy from beginning to end. From the initial phone conversation, 1st visit to assess the situation and finally, to Pedro and his crew and the e cells that job they did in one day. I totally recommend this company and their tram.

This is a superbly profession company that is also extremely focused on relationships. We are a small HOA in Oakland that needed to comply with EBMUD's sewer lateral regulations. They took us through the whole confusing process with clarity and transparency. We initially received a few different bids (from different companies) for the work and received conflicting recommendations. Sonny came out a second time at no charge to ensure we felt comfortable with his findings. We couldn't be more happy with the bidding process, the work (neat, efficient, organized), and the final outcome. If I could give 6 stars, I would.

Hard to believe that I didn't call Pipe Spy years ago when problems started with the lateral line. I would have saved myself much trouble and expense! They came out and EXPERTLY cleared the line. That was a relief. No longer and emergency situation. Then they took care of installing the new one in the same toally professional manner. To say I was impressed is an understatement. Highly recommended!

Imagine an auto shop where you "paid" for an "inspection" only to be told they've found the problem but won't give you the details. because you might seek competitive bids. They instead would like you to choose them to do the work.

Pipe Spy replaced the sewer lateral at my house last week. They did it trenchless pipe and our landscaping wasn't disturbed at all. I would give them 10 stars if that was an option! Their estimate was fair. Maybe slightly higher than one other. But you get what you pay for! The quality of their work was exceptional. The crew was on time, super efficient, and super clean.

I've NEVER seen a contractor clean as they went along, and leave the job so spotless at the end of the day. And I noticed that they were so skilled and well coordinated as a team that they barely had to talk to each other while working (it's noisy work, opening the street and sidewalk etc) and all of the guys stayed on task every moment. I was a construction manager for 20 years so I have a lot to compare, and Pipe Spy is the best Contractor I've ever seen.

Pipe Spy are the best contractors that we've ever worked with. They replaced our entire sewer lateral in September of 2020. Sonny and his crew made it so easy for us to get this major improvement taken care of. We simply called, said hello when they arrived, said bye when they left, and received our certificate from EBMUD at the end. Pipe Spy even improved everything they demolished and replaced, including our sewer clean out, sidewalk, and landscaping. They even removed some unsightly asphalt as a favor. The cost of the job was completely inline with what we expected. We highly recommend Pipe Spy for sewer lateral work!

Pipe Spy did our sewer lateral a few years ago and they've fixed a few things here and there on our 100+ year old house. They've been super easy to work with, very professional and transparent with the work they did. They were quick, efficient, honest, reliable and pleasant, I wouldn't call anyone else.

I am a local Realtor that contracted Pipe Spy to replace a sewer Lat. They are awesome and responsive! Buyer had a clog the other day, Paul sent a crew out within an hr and determined it was the City of Oakland's system that was bagged up. Paul gave me numbers of who to call.they came out and my clients are happier than ever. Paul also checked back with me to ensure all was handled by the city.great follow-up.great client service! I highly recommend

From the first contact with the office to set up an appointment, to the end, our experience with Pipe Spy was awesome. Up front and reasonable costs, to a very professional crew and an outstanding owner.

Amazing experience. They were quick, clean, organized and at the same time very reasonably priced. I did not expect the whole process of changing the pipe and getting the certificate goes so well and seamlessly. I highly recommend PipeSpy!

Yes you do you demanded payment I paid you Your company is in the rip your face off You do the work at a premium price Your in the sewer business Many companies do the work for 1/2 your price.