San Jose Sump Pump Repair

We have used Albin's for other plumbing projects. This was not an emergency, so it took a few days for the service. They sent out a plumber who has worked here before and is familiar with our needs. As always, he was prompt, courteous, made suggestions to solve a problem. While he had to come back to finish the project, he did not charge an extra service call.

The estimated price for sealing the crawlspace and putting in the sump pump was $10000. They offered to do my sump pump for $1600. Their estimate was very expensive. A sump pump shouldn't cost $1600. They lowered the cost to $8500 for the sump pump plus sealing the crawlspace with plastic. They wouldn't go any lower than that. I got the crawlspace sealed by another provider for $3000 and then I got a sump pump put in by a plumber for $1100. I was able to get the job done for less than half of their estimate. The person who came out to give the estimate was polite and nice. He seemed like a decent guy. He did a good job with the estimate but their price was just too high. He came over late but he called ahead in advance and they responded to my email. I would not consider them for another quote in the future.

The pump was hard to find, but Enrique found it and installed it as soon as was possible. He fixed a float that needed repair and inspected the sewer line to ensure that it was not blocked. the service men were very polite and respectful. they explained each step carefully and even came before we expected them to (after calling).

It was fine. They are very good. I would recommend them. They are busy so sometimes its hard to get them.

I had used them before and was very pleased so when the sump pump we bought at a local hardware store and installed ourselves did not empty the water from our basement, I called them. They were the only company of the 5 I called who came out the same day and looked at my problem. We have finally had so much rain that it over ran our french drains and started coming into the basement. They came on a Friday and had to order a bigger pump. They returned today, Monday, and are installing it the right way which we did not do. the noise from the old pump was so bad our daughter could not sleep. I am very happy with their service and they are the first company I will call with any future plumbing needs.

Harry Clarke responded with a fair estimate for work to be done for the East Bay MUD certification. Although they were not able to do the work immediately, we agreed on a start date and they followed up as planned.. When working on the sewer lateral, they noticed that the discharge pipe for the sump pump needed work. The work was done promptly at a reasonable price. The tenants/new buyers noted that Harry Clarke was responsive in answering their concerns regarding the sump pump work.

They did come in to do the work, and they had to come back a few times. I can now use my bathroom downstairs.

These guys were better than fabulous. They explained everything that was needed and why. They were great communicators and great workers, and even dealt with a difficult neighbor situation. They could not have been more diligent and concerned. Plus, their prices were extremely competitive - and they offered 10% off their already great pricing. I will NEVER use another plumber.

A menu price estimate was given, which does not break out the labor cost nor the material cost. I asked the company several times to specify what brand and model of sump pump they would use consistent with the estimate. All they would give me, despite repeated requests, is the name of the manufacturer of the pump, not the model number. Therefore I was unable to determine what I was paying for in material and labor costs respectively. I called a handyman who quickly diagnosed the sump pump problem as a clog caused by debris. The debris was removed and the pump now works well. There was no charge by the handyman.

First trip was for the diagnosis. The Plumber assessed that the sump pump was old and underpowered. He recommended a replacement with a pump that would not sporadically work and that would have more "push" to the ejection. The second trip was for the replacement of the sump pump and performed by another plumber. The quoted pump was not going to fit in the space under the utility sink and the new recommended pump was going to cost more than the quote. Furthermore, the larger (taller) pump would require the hole in the bottom shelf under the sink to be enlarged to remove the old sump and drop the new one in place. At the end, the cost was more expensive that I expected, the first plumber hadn't thought through the entire replacement process, but the second plumber was excellent and professional. I had a coupon through Angie's list that offset a little, but as a one time investment, I have a new powerful sump pump that is going to go the distance, and I don't have any more leaks.