Diamond Certified Company Report

Allstar Plumbing

Name: Allstar Plumbing
Address: US
Telephone: (408) 290-9870
Rating: 8.6

(408) 290-9870

Contact

Diamond Certified Company Report

Allstar Plumbing

(408) 290-9870

Contact

Diamond certified ratings dashboard

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION i

Customer LOYALTY i

Helpful Expertise i

Company Credentials i

Workers Compensation
Liability Insurance
License Verification
Business Practices
Current Complaint File
Legal & Finance

Phone SURVEY RESPONSES FROM 191 VERIFIED CUSTOMERS i

Ceila M.

VERIFIED Allstar Plumbing CUSTOMER

1 of 191

Quality 10

10 10

Loyalty Yes

CRITIQUE

They were reliable, prompt and they did the job.

Like I said, they were reliable, prompt and they did the job.

Deborah C.

VERIFIED Allstar Plumbing CUSTOMER

2 of 191

Quality 8

8 10

Loyalty Yes

CRITIQUE

I would tell them that it was fine.

He was very helpful. Although, it did take a while, but I do have an old farm house.

David G.

VERIFIED Allstar Plumbing CUSTOMER

3 of 191

Quality 9

9 10

Loyalty Yes

CRITIQUE

They were committed to the job and they stayed on site until it was done and there were no overcharges.

They were accurate in figuring out the problem and everything was done professionally.

Read All 191 Survey Responses at Ratings View

Diamond certified VIDEO PROFILE

Diamond certified company PROFILE

Allstar Plumbing provides a complete range of plumbing services for residential and commercial clients in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda Counties. In addition to installing, maintaining and repairing all types of plumbing fixtures, the company has the training and equipment to work on sewer lines, repair and replace water heaters, install copper piping, and more.

Manager Steve Schafer says much of Allstar Plumbing’s success can be attributed to its “customer first” business approach. “We strive to give our customers the best possible value, and that includes keeping their homes clean and bringing certain issues to their attention so they can avoid costly repairs in the future. We put our clients’ needs before our own and draw upon our years of experience to ensure their satisfaction.”

Allstar Plumbing sends a fully stocked box truck to every jobsite, which Mr. Schafer says is important for ensuring quick, efficient work. “Our trucks carry more than 400 different parts, which saves our customers time and money because we don’t have to run to the store if we need something. Ultimately, we want them to think of us as a one-stop solution for all their plumbing needs.”

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DIAMOND CERTIFIED RESEARCHED CAPABILITIES ON Allstar Plumbing

COMPANY CONTACT

Allstar Plumbing

(408) 290-9870

EMAIL
Map Hours Website OPEN NOW

Service AREA

Santa Clara County
San Mateo County
Alameda County

SERVICES PERFORMED

Plumbing Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Sewer Line Installation & Repair
Water Heater Repair & Replacement
Copper Repiping

BRANDS Supported

Takagi
Rheem
American Standard

CAPABILITIES TABLE

Company Name:	Allstar Plumbing
Website:	www.goallstar.com
Phone Number:	(408) 290-9870
DCID Number:	DCID4082827020
Hours:	Mon – Sun: 7am – 10pm 24/7 Emergency Service Available
Areas Served:	Serving Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda Counties
Managers:	Steve Schafer
# of Employees:	15
License:	732611
Insurance:	Liability Insurance, Workers’ Compensation
Memberships:	Better Business Bureau, HomeAdvisor
Founded:	1996
Areas of Expertise:	Plumbing Installation, Maintenance & Repair; Sewer Line Installation & Repair; Water Heater Repair & Replacement; Copper Repiping
Key Brands:	Takagi, Rheem, American Standard
Customer Type:	Residential, Commercial
Warranties & Guarantees:	Warranties Vary Depending on Job
CC Accepted:

DIAMOND CERTIFIED RESEARCHED ARTICLES ON Allstar Plumbing

A look at Allstar Plumbing’s fleet of service trucks

Company Profile

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Company Philosophy

“Our goal on each job is to create a customer for life, and the best way to accomplish that is to provide excellent work and top-notch customer service at a great value. From the first phone call to our comprehensive follow-up, we adhere to the highest levels of professionalism and workmanship in everything we do.”

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Comparative Summary

Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for plumbing companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Allstar Plumbing, keeping clients happy comes down to a three-tiered approach: using top-grade materials, offering long warranties, and employing a team of expert plumbers who show up on time and take care of customers’ homes. “Our goal on every job is to create a happy, satisfied customer for life,” says Manager Steve Schafer. “At the end of the day, we want our clients to think of us as a one-stop solution for their plumbing needs.”

Allstar Plumbing has been providing plumbing services for residential and commercial clients in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda Counties since 1996. In addition to installing, maintaining and repairing plumbing fixtures, the company has the in-house capabilities to work on sewer lines, install copper piping, repair and replace water heaters, and more.

Unlike less experienced plumbing companies that take on too many projects and provide their clients with unrealistic service windows as a result, Allstar Plumbing works with its customers’ schedules whenever possible and stays in contact with them so they know what to expect. “When we set an appointment within a one- to two-hour window, we’ll call right before we come over, and if someone needs us to come out right away, we can usually get a plumber to them within 60 minutes,” explains Mr. Schafer. “We want to be available for our customers at times and prices that work for their lives, even if it’s a weekend or holiday.”

Ultimately, Mr. Schafer sees Allstar Plumbing’s dedication to providing the best possible value as its most important attribute. “The fact that we only use top-grade plumbing products means we’re not the cheapest company out there, but we give long warranties and do every job correctly the first time, so our customers get a great value. We’re consistent and fair, and we follow up after every job to make sure the client is completely satisfied with our work.”

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Industry Info

To find value in a plumbing company, make sure you synchronize its abilities with your needs.

Homeowners often struggle with choosing the right contractors to work on their homes. Prices, specialties, services and personalities differ, and it can be stressful to determine which company can best meet your needs. Steve Schafer, manager of Allstar Plumbing in San Jose, sheds some light on why pricing varies among plumbing companies. “Larger companies often have higher rates than small companies because they have more overhead,” he explains. “Those companies aren’t able to compete with the prices of plumbers who are barely more than handymen or who have small shops.”

Contractors with brick-and-mortar offices may have to charge more for their services to maintain their facilities and employ office staff, but some customers feel more comfortable dealing with a company that has a physical location. Additionally, plumbers who are licensed, insured, bonded and enrolled in continuing education have to charge higher prices than unlicensed contractors or those that only maintain the bare minimum to legally stay in business. Likewise, companies with more than one plumber on staff may be able to offer faster service, more appointment availability and plumbers who specialize in certain aspects of the trade.

Still, Mr. Schafer warns that homeowners need to check the qualifications of any plumbing company they hire. “Just because a plumber works for someone who has a contractor’s license doesn’t mean that person knows what they’re doing,” he says. In fact, companies can hire anyone and allow them to work under the company license, regardless of whether that individual is licensed. That means the onus is on homeowners to vet each company’s business history, employee training and licensing protocol.

When hiring a plumber or other contractor, it’s important to consider your needs and expectations and interview candidates with those details in mind. This will help you coordinate your needs and their offerings of value, professional qualifications, scheduling, and overall service.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much will it cost to fix my plumbing issue?
A: We need to see the problem before we can put a price on the job. We’ll send a qualified technician to your home, and once he determines what needs to be done, he’ll give you a free, no-obligation estimate. If you agree with the estimate, we can usually get started right away.

Q: How quickly can you get to my job?
A: We’re good at working with our clients’ schedules. We’ll set an appointment within a one- to two-hour window and call before we come over. If you want someone to come out right away, we can usually get a plumber to you within 60 minutes.

Q: Will you have to leave my job to get parts or tools?
A: No. We were the first company in our area to use box trucks instead of plumbing vans, which means we can carry all the necessary parts and tools with us. Our trucks carry more than 400 different parts, so we never have to run to the store for something simple, which saves our customers time and money.

Q: Do you recommend copper or PEX for repiping?
A: That depends on the job and your preference, but most people don’t save enough money by using PEX for it to be worth the potential problems, like the fact that it’s prone to leaking and damage. We prefer using Type L copper piping for replacement pipes.

Q: Will you have to tear up my yard for a sewer line replacement?
A: It depends on your property and other jobsite specifics. However, even if we have to excavate the entire sewer line, we’ll remove the lawn in sections and put it back when we’re done. The only problem is if the inspection is really far out from the repair, the lawn may start to die, but we’ll do our best to not let that happen. We can do trenchless sewer replacement if necessary, but it’s not always the best option. If there’s any back-grading or bellies in the existing line and we pull it in, it’ll follow those existing grades and bellies and you’ll fail your inspection. We can use an in-line camera to help avoid those problems, though.

Q: Do you offer emergency services?
A: Yes. Our office is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 10pm, but we take calls 24/7. We only take off Christmas and New Year’s Day, and there’s no additional charge for service calls on nights, weekends or holidays.

Q: Do you offer any discounts?
A: We give a 10 percent discount to senior citizens and military veterans. We also have a coupon page on our website that has different types of discounts.

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SELECTED PHOTOS FROM Allstar Plumbing

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DIAMOND CERTIFIED EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR ADVICE & TIPS FROM Steve Schafer

Expert CONTRIBUTOR PROFILE

Steve Schafer is a manager at Allstar Plumbing, a Diamond Certified company. He can be reached at (408) 290-9870 or by email.

Steve Schafer: A Helping Heart

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

When Steve Schafer first got into plumbing, he was merely looking for a steady paycheck, but in the end, his career turned out to be more rewarding than he’d ever expected. “After being in construction for several years, I suddenly found myself out of work,” he remembers. “I heard that plumbers made pretty good money, so I applied for a job. After I got started, I found that I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the fact that I got to help people every day. I also enjoyed the problem-solving aspect. It wasn’t all leaky faucets—I really had to use my brain!”

Not long after starting in the industry, Steve got hired at Allstar Plumbing, where he continues to work 20 years later as a manager. After more than two decades as a plumbing professional, Steve says his favorite part of his job is still the opportunity to help people. “I enjoy being able to come out and ‘save the day’ for our customers. It’s always rewarding to bail someone out of a tough situation, and that’s what we get to do every day.”

A resident of Willow Glen, Steve expresses his appreciation for the positive attributes of his locale. “The weather is beautiful here and it’s a really diverse area. Being a suburb of San Jose, it’s not quite the city and not quite the country, so it’s a nice mixture. Plus, there’s a lot of old plumbing to fix, so there’s job security.”

Outside of work, Steve engages in a variety of hobbies and pastimes. “I like watching movies, playing guitar and hanging out with my dog, Zoey,” he says. “I also enjoy fishing and getting out and exploring the Bay Area—there’s certainly a lot to see.” Additionally, Steve likes to stay in touch with his daughter, Tyler, who resides in Washington.

In his life and career, Steve says his passion for helping others goes beyond being on the clock. “Besides helping people in our work, some of the other Allstar employees and I are involved with charitable causes like Sacred Heart’s Pack a Back program and Operation ELF. We also hold fundraising events for various charity organizations—things like barbecues, car washes and poker tournaments. That way, we’re able to both help people with their plumbing problems and make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate in our community.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
A: Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life in San Jose.

Q: Music or talk radio?
A: I like them both—it just depends on what mood I’m in.

Q: Do you collect anything?
A: Movies.

Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: “Tombstone.”

Q: What do you like on your pizza?
A: Pepperoni and extra cheese.

Expert articles

Caveats for Trenchless Sewer Replacement

By Steve Schafer of
Allstar Plumbing

SAN JOSE — Trenchless technology has made the process of sewer line replacement much quicker and simpler than it once was. This is especially true of instances where a sewer line runs underneath a driveway or lawn, as the trenchless method spares homeowners the need to excavate the entire pipe. Instead, two holes are created (one of either side of the line) and a new, flexible polyethylene replacement line is pulled through the old pipe using a technique known as “pipe bursting.” This method has many benefits, but there are some limits to its application, so it’s important to know about these when planning your sewer replacement project.

One consideration is whether there is adequate clearance for the work to be performed. At either end of the pipe, there needs to be enough room to place the machinery used to pull the new line through. Another consideration is whether or not the sewer line runs straight. If there are too many changes in the pipe’s direction, the pipe bursting machine may not be able to make it through those bends. Likewise, drastic changes in direction can be a problem—while a 45-degree turn may be feasible, a 90-degree turn is too severe.

Another issue that can complicate things is if the existing pipe has one or more “bellies,” or areas of the line that slope backward, which can cause sewage to collect and create blockages. Since the new sewer line must be pulled through the old pipe, if there are any bellies, the same problems will persist. For this reason, trenchless replacement isn’t recommended if there are bellies in the line.

To make sure the trenchless method is appropriate for your sewer line replacement project, it’s important to have a plumber assess the jobsite and perform a full video inspection of your line. This will allow the plumber to verify proper clearance, check for any bellies and confirm that trenchless replacement is a feasible solution for your sewer problem.
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Expert video tip

Video: Trenchless Sewer Replacement Caveats

With Steve Schafer of
Allstar Plumbing

Complete Video Transcription

SAN JOSE — Host, Sarah Rutan: Trenchless sewer replacement can be a great option if you have certain plumbing issues, but it’s not always a feasible solution. Today we’re in San Jose with Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Steve Schafer of Allstar Plumbing to learn more.

Diamond Certified Expert Contributor, Steve Schafer: Trenchless sewer lines are something that is spoken of quite often these days and for a lot of reasons, it’s a good idea. If you need to – if your sewer line runs under a asphalt or a driveway or a nice area that – of vegetation or planter area – yeah – trenchless might be a good idea. There are some things that you need to be aware of, though. The first of which, is that two holes have to be dug and there has to be room to get at least 20’ of pipe in one end and the machine in the other. So, that is one thing that you are going to need to consider. The other thing, too, is that there are situations where trenchless might not be a good idea.

One of those is if you have too many changes in direction in your existing sewer line, the pipe bursting machine might not make it through those bends. Now, a 45 is okay usually. A 90° and maybe not. The other thing that you need to be aware of is that if your existing line has, what’s called a belly, then it’s not going to work and here’s why: a belly is where a part of the sewer line is actually backwards graded. It doesn’t slope down; it slopes backwards. And that will collect sewage and block – and create blockages and – and what not. Now, if you are to go ahead and pipe burst through that, the new pipe will follow the same pipe as the old pipe which means, now, your brand new sewer line will also have bellies that can create blockages.

One of the way – one of the things that we want to do if we’re ever going to bid a trenchless sewer line is that we want to make sure we get a video camera down the line first, before we even talk about it. Then, once we’re done, we’re going to want to camera it again prior to the city inspection and make sure that all the seams are good and that there are bellies in the line. And that is actually required by the city inspectors. Almost every city in the Bay Area, the inspector wants to see a video shoot of the inside of the line to make sure that there are no bellies. Now, assuming that you don’t have any bellies and that you have room for the excavation for the two points – the beginning and the end point, then yes, trenchless might be a good option for you and it’s usually less expensive than, you know, digging the whole trench by, you know, by hand or with an excavator.

Host, Sarah Rutan: To learn more from local, top rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified Expert Reports at experts.diamondcertified.info.
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Allstar Plumbing WEBSITE AND EXTERNAL FEED

COMPANY WEBSITE

www.goallstar.com

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