
James Caccia Plumbing Inc
About us
In 1979, James Caccia started a plumbing business with old-fashion values of providing residents high-quality services at honest rates. Three decades later, James Caccia Plumbing Inc., a family owned and operated business based in San Mateo County, is committed to maintaining those principles. Our clients know they can count on a team of licensed plumbers to be knowledgeable, highly professional and efficient in every job. We are Better Business Bureau accredited company. We have received A+ rating from the BBB of San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Costal California. Word-of-mouth recommendations are the cornerstone of our business.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Apartment plumbing, Backflow testing and certification, Bathroom remodeling, Boiler repair, Commercial TI plumbing, Emergency Service Drain Cleaning, Faucets, Garbage disposals, Gas line services, Hydrojetting, Leak Detection & repairs, Repipe services, Restaurant plumbing, Septic tank plumbing, Sewer line repairs, Slab leak plumbing, Slab tank plumbing, Sump pumps, Tankless water heaters, Toilet repair, Trenches repair, Water filtration, Water heater repair, Water softeners, and sinks, fixtures
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
---|---|---|
87% | ||
9% | ||
2% | ||
1% | ||
1% |
Having used Caccia Plumbing 2x now, I have two main gripes - they are significantly more expensive than other plumbers, and they always seem to be upselling you.
Regarding price. I had a couple estimates for this work. One from another plumber was for approximately $625, including all the parts. The initial estimate from Caccia was $1300! When I pressed the estimator on this he told me how great their employees are, etc. and also that there is a markup on the pump itself. I then asked if I could just buy the pump from Amazon, since I knew it is sold there, and have them install it, to which he answered yes. Fine, but this also let me know just how much they markup the parts. The quote for an install only, without parts, was $550. I was able to purchase the pump at Amazon for about $220, so in the worst case they were effectively charging me $750 for a $220 part, a markup of over %200. Even if I give them the benefit of doubt and assume that they could have only gotten the part for list price, which is $512 according to Amazon, they were still trying to charge me a nearly 50% markup on the part.
I ended up going with Caccia in spite of the higher price because I had used them before and knew that the quality of their work was good. When he came today to do the work I saw the upselling in action. First thing the plumber did was to suggest that we should also get a bypass value installed on the hot-water line above the pump so that if we needed to get it serviced in the future, as he claimed we would, it would be much easier and not require emptying all the water from the plumbing. The suggested cost was $270! First of all, that seems awfully high to install a simple valve in a piece of pipe, and also if it was so important why didn't the guy who came out to do the estimate suggest it then so that I'd have a clearer picture of possible charges. While I could have told him "no, I don't want it" his argument seemed to make sense and I was at an informational disadvantage relative to him, so I assumed his recommendation was sound and had him go ahead. Then, after he finished up he made mention of the big whirlpool tub we have in our master bath and expressed his doubts that our HW heater had the capacity to completely fill it, at least not without using up all the hot water for the rest of the household. He then started offering suggestions for how to address the issue - tankless HW heater, new and larger HW heater, etc. What the h***? I only had him here for a simple job, not to try to sell me on additional future work. I can't help but feel that it's kind of a slimy practice, like something you'd expect to experience at a car dealership - "hey, you should really get that undercoating applied before you leave the showroom".
In the end, these two factors (price and the upselling) will likely lead me to not use Caccia again, despite the fact that I think the quality of their work is high. The upselling is also why I gave a "C" for professionalism even though the employee who came today was otherwise quite professional.
Caccia's price was a little higher than another quote I got, but the work was thorough, honest and I can sleep well tonight knowing the leak was repaired same day. Angelo basically treated our home like his own.
Anyway, they came on schedule and everything worked perfectly with the exception of the concrete repair - when they no-showed on the Monday it was supposed to happen. I called the office and they were helpful and someone came out two days later to repair the concrete that had been removed. They took care of all the permit work and cleaned up afterward. I was very satisfied with the experience.
I couldn't believe the damage to my pipes - they let me see the clog. I was shocked any water drained in my house at all.
The price seemed very high for the amount of work, but I was selling the house and didn't want to try another service provider who might take several days to come over.
Sure enough it broke down in a few months. They showed me the line they carry and the difference was clear; it was nice design and clearly higher quality metal parts.They installed it and it worked fine for a year.
But then stated to spin a little. I called Caccia and they sent Ross out quickly. He spent about 2 hours of heavy effort reinstalling the faucet and adding a new attachment that would secure it better. He explained his challenges, what he was doing, and how he had fixed it.
Caccia covered it under warranty.
Even if they are on the high end of pricing, they offer quality, have great people, and stand by their work.
A clean (emphasis on the word clean) plumber (Joseph) arrived, punctual and prepared. I took him into my kitchen and bathroom- pointed out the broken garbage disposal and clogged bathroom sink. Joseph inspected the garbage disposal and diagnosed the problem. He suggested that I replace it with a new one- I agreed since I hadn't replaced it for over 9 years. Joseph installed the new one, did a few quality control steps and made sure I was happy with my new disposal before he went into my bathroom to work on the sink.
In the bathroom, he unclogged the sink within 20 minutes and asked me to turn the sink on and off- to make sure I was satisfied with his workmanship. Joseph said he had over 30 mins before his next appointment and asked if he could conduct an overall home inspection of my plumbing. During his inspection, he pointed out 3 things:1. my water heater was over 16 years old and that the average water heater lasts less than 12. He just told me to be aware of that fact and suggested that I research the benefits of tankless water heaters. He explained how it conserves energy, and that you never run out of hot water with a tankless.2. There was a steady drip coming from a hose bib- in my backyard. He fixed it for me- thank you!3. He checked the water pressure on the house- said it was high. suggested I install a pressure reducing valve. it would help preserve the plumbing in the house.
Since Caccia Plumbing was here- I have researched tankless water heaters and when this one goes, I will probably invest in a tankless.
Moreover, I had a great experience with Caccia Plumbing. They have been my family's plumber for over 20 years. They're local, honest, reasonably priced and always perform excellent- high quality service.
Licensing
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