First of all, I take responsibility for hiring these guys. Every other plumber was talking about needing 4-6 days to repipe our home and CR said they could do it in two. I was more focused on getting water service back not realizing that with a company with Rooter in the name , the focus is on speedy repairs and not quality. I got what I paid for. 90% of what they did was good. The other 10% I paid a real licensed plumber to come in and fix. There was poor communication or no communication from the owner ( who I assume is the licensee ) and his guys who are neither journeyman nor English speakers. I asked for them to run a new water service pipe through my foundation. During the walk through Chavo said no problem, he's got the drill. I'm replacing my stucco and that location makes it easier for the demo. I got home from work and his guy Nazario went through my foundation vent because that was faster making it difficult for me with the rest. of the scope of work. It looks terrible. Just poor workmanship.. It was then that I started to realize that they are focused on fast work , not quality work. There were 4-5 poorly done things and a few that were just stupid. . They did try to make it up by doing a few extras no charge like a hose connection and a vent repair. The main cause of me wanting to repipe was a failing manifold in the shower. What did they not do? Replace the shower manifold . I had to go buy one and have them install it after they put new pipe on the faulty manifold. This was after repeat conversations about this specifically . Just because someone says yes doesn't that mean they understand you. After install, it leaked worse than before and I had to remove a wall to access, and had a real plumber fix it, They broke a tile and the leak they left ruined my baseboard and I had to replace it. Again, this is my fault for hiring them after a recommendation from a friend. Without writing an epic tale, they did a few bone headed things that I had to call their boss and make them redo. They were in a hurry. Nazario , who may or may not still work there was disrespectful to my wife and chauvinistically did not listen to her . I had to come home from work early to make them stop and do what was clearly described in the estimate. He was combative and untruthful. He and the crew demonstrated a lack of ability to problem solve or think critically. There is another review illustrating this here. This company is probably very good at emergency repairs where no thinking is involved and they replace like for like copying what was there. For real plumbing, don't go with this company. I am currently a city building inspector . I could cite the code violations, but it was mostly poor workmanship , deviation from the contracted scope or incomplete work. . They were so bad I accused of them of a few things they were innocent of. As time passed I kept finding more things they screwed up. They told me they removed the old pipe. When I went into the crawl space ,3/4 of it was left behind. Nazario said there was no garbage , but I had to crawl underneath and haul it all out, I found another stash of old pipes in the crawl space today prompting this late review. If you need real plumbing, relocation or a layout change , this company is not for you. If you need an emergency replacement or repair done fast they are probably ok, read more

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Beggining of this year we had a collapsed sewer. We were told by Challenge Rooter that they completed a video inspection & per the inspection we needed a trench less replacement. My warranty needed the following information to move forward with a claim: diagnosis, location of failure, location of failure, cause of failure, length of failed portion, length of line & cost of breakdown. According to Rosa from Challenge Rooter they were UNABLE to provide me with these details. (per owner rules EVEN after offering a deposit). Once we decided to go with another plumber we found out that a video inspection was not even possible as it had collapsed about 8 ft into our sewer. This is disappointing & I hope no one goes with this company to get scammed. UPDATE: 12/22/2025 Owner Eucebio commented on posted - stating of back story. Yes, I asked for a price match. I received an original quote then when I decided to go back to challenge rooter a few months later they said we needed a new quote. The new quote was higher than the old - hence the price matching. I find his professionalism inappropriate & disappointing. I'm upset because again, we were told that there was a camera inspection - which was impossible since it was collapsed 8 ft in. I also find it disappointing that my warranty wanted additional details & their team could not provide. I now double do not recommend this company. read more

Challenge Rooter - Plumbing Near Me - Oakland, California

My experience with Challenge rooter was amazing. They were reliable, professional and affordable. They did a great job and everything went as planned. I recomend them without a doubt. read more

I highly recommend Challenge Rooter. These guys are amazing and did such a great job. My sewer pipe was broken in 2 places. They made a big job seem like a small one. They took care of redirecting traffic on the street. They even handled the city permits and inspectors. It took them 2 days to excavate and replace 60 ft of sewer lateral. All while adhering to the city's regulations and guidelines. Eusebio was very knowledgeable, honest, and really friendly. He answered all my questions, and I didn't feel pressured by him. Overall, they went above and beyond what was required redoing the concrete and even installing extra cleanouts. All for a great and affordable price. I am very impressed, and my expectations have been exceeded. In the future, when I need construction work done on my house, I will definitely be coming back to Challenge Rooter. read more

Bad customer service - rude and combative - They make it hard to communicate then give you a hard time

Excellent service . They explain me very clearly. People are very nice . The price is fair Recommend .

professional and knowledgeable. Responsive to emails or calls. We have used their services over the years in Berkeley and Oakland. Always happy with the work and timelines. read more

They are experts at their trade. Excellent Customer Service. Explained everything to me and their work is known by the city as the inspector was there for no more than 5 minutes and looked over the work and signed off without incident. The staff must have took pictures of the before and after as when they were done they made things look better than when they began! I was in Awe! The communication with their office representative, Rosa, was a true Treat! I look forward to doing more business with them in the future and recommend them to all. We are from another city, so to be first timers in. Berkeley and to receive this level of service restores more of my Hope in Humanity! Thank you Challenge Rooter! It was an Honor working with you! read more

I recently hired Challenge Rooter to put in a new sewer lateral at a house I bought in Castro Valley. I met with the crew in the morning to get them going, but then I had to take off to keep an eye on another job. When I came back in the late afternoon, I was shocked to see that they had moved the existing sewer clean-outs and put two new ones right at the bottom of the front steps! It looked terrible AND presented a major tripping hazard (look at the pictures and you'll see what I mean.) I brought this up to the management, thinking they'd realize the mistake and fix it. But instead, they said they had to move the clean-outs there to meet code requirements. They also said it had passed inspection. I got my hands on a diagram from the county inspector that clearly showed the clean-outs could be placed anywhere from 2 to 10 feet from the house--the clean-outs could have been put in a safer spot. They said since they were compliant per CVSans, they would move the clean-outs for an additional $2,800. I felt that they should relocate the clean-out for free. I shorted their invoice by $2,000 thinking I was going to have to hire another company to correct their work. We did end up coming to an agreement which was more reasonable. I paid the remainder of the amount owed and they charged a small additional amount to move the clean-outs. In retrospect, they offered their service at a reasonable rate and performed solid work. However, I don't feel that their team exercised sound judgment in the placement of the clean-outs and I wish I had been present to approve where the clean-outs were placed. So... There it is. This was my experience. I hope it will help inform your decision. Good Luck ! read more

Challenge Rooter - Here you can see the clean-outs at the bottom of the front steps. - Plumbing Near Me - Oakland, California

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We used Challenge for the required PSL work at our house in Oakland. We got quotes from four different local companies, but went with Challenge because they offered the best combination of price and service. And they didn't disappoint! They were very easy to communicate with, handled all of the permits and certificates, were always on time, worked hard, cleaned everything up, etc. Would recommend! read more

Challenge Rooter completed a laundry project for me - Pipe replacement , laundry box install, and gas line move. Chevo, Nizario and Team do impressive work in my opinion. Rosa responded quickly to my scheduling questions, and the team got it completed to my expectations and will be calling them again if I have any other projects. Challenge Rooter is competitively priced and their work is A++, I'm really impressed with their responsiveness and getting the job completed. Support their business, highly recommended! read more

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Had them install our sewer lateral and they were quick and did a quality job. Very happy with how everything came out. Their communication during the process was great. They were also a great value. Thank you Chevo and Team! Would highly recommend! read more

Eucebio and his team did an excellent job replacing our sewer lateral after we got an unexpected notice from EBMUD and wanted to replace it quickly. I initially contacted them on Yelp and they came right out for a free estimate and camera inspection. They spoke to my fiancé and showed him the root intrusion in the pipe. They walked him through the whole process and sent out a very detailed estimate the next day. We signed it and they immediately got permits and started work 2 days later. Even with the challenge of being on a long, steep hill with difficult pipe access (we had a jungle in our back yard and they had to dig in the back corner), they finished in 2 days and sent us the EBMUD compliance certificate. They were in contact with us every step of the way with email updates. They left the yard in better condition than when they began. Highly recommend Challenge Rooter! Prior to finding them I messaged and called a few companies who never got back to me or I played message/phone tag with. We had one other well-reviewed company come out before Challenge Rooter, but they did the inspection when we weren't home, gave us a vague quote with incorrect information (they told us we had a clay pipe (which we knew was incorrect & Challenge confirmed). Both companies came in with a quote at the same price but I'm glad we picked Challenge. read more

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My wife and I recently bought a home in Oakland that required a sewer lateral replacement and sidewalk repair for compliance with the City of Oakland. Our plumber contact recommended Challenge Rooter. We received three bids, but of the three Challenge did the most due diligence in scoping our home to provide the most complete and accurate proposal. However, before we were able to do any work on these items, we found out that we had a significant water leak in the main service connection to our house. Challenge came to our home (along with the owner himself) on a Saturday with only one day's notice and worked all day to run a new line from the water meter to our home. While doing the work, we also asked them to install a new sump pump at a low point adjacent to our garage (where we were experiencing water pooling issues during the recent storms) to discharge excess water to the street. During the process, the team took excellent direction on our preferences. The final work product was not only functional but also done in a way to minimize the visual impact of pipes and other equipment, which we greatly appreciated. When it came time to do the sewer lateral replacement and sidewalk repair, Challenge Rooter took care of all the scheduling of inspections with the City of Oakland and EBMUD. Part of the work also entailed accessing our neighbor's property, and our neighbor wanted to ensure that the work would be done with care and their property restored. Challenge Rooter was extremely respectful of our neighbor's and our requests, restored the work perfectly, and cleaned up all the dirt that was excavated. At the end of the day, there ended up being some work done that technically was not needed for City compliance, but Challenge Rooter removed that scope of work from their initial proposal, even though they spent labor and resources to complete the work. The team at Challenge Rooter is highly professional, hard-working, honest, and does great work. Rosa who works at the office is great and makes sure that all of the billing, scheduling and coordination is seamless. She answered all of our questions and made sure that we were taken care of. We highly recommend Challenge Rooter! read more

Can I say "excellent" on my sewer lateral with Challenge Rooter? They were recommended to me for their efficient service. Of course, I needed to double check with YELP and saw a 5 star agreement. The only delay was on the part of the City of Oakland which is notoriously late with permit approval. The work was somewhat complicated by the sewer line which was 14 feet below the street but they managed to still complete the job in one day and stuck to their initial estimate. I highly recommend Challenge Rooter and would also like to put in a commendation for Rosa, the office manager who was on top of communication and updates. read more

I have rercently had major plumbing work done both at my home and at my business, meeting with several plumbing companies. I used Challenge Rooter because we were having a massive back at work which shut down several toilets, sinks, dishwashers and cleaning areas we use for our business. I was genuinly surprised with the level of professionalism, the ability to quickly identify the problem and the transparency to showing us the problem with the camera. We are a dog daycare facility and about once a year we need to snake the lines professionally, these will be my yearly go to guys. Kind, honest, and a family business. Support local and support honest workers. read more

If you have a big job and want it done right at a reasonable price, stop what you're doing a pick up the phone to call Challenge Rooter! I was hoping to find a good plumber when it came to replacing my lateral sewage line. I had bought my own snake because of how often my main sewage line was clogging. I called challenge rooter after reading good Yelp reviews. They came out and did a camera inspection....for FREE!!!! All other plumbers I called wanted $250-265 just for the inspection! They quoted me a $6900 for a trench less install. On the day of the install, we hit some trouble, as they discovered my sewage line was surrounded by concrete. The only way to replace my line was to do a full trench. I told them we will continue the work, and they had my yard put back together until they could do the work the following week. It took them 2 days and it costed & $13,000...I was worried because they had to breakup my friends t walkway...However, their level of professionalism was superb. They worked fast and when they left, you couldn't even tell my yard had been worked on! Later on, a delivery person walked on the concrete that was still wet and left footprints in my walkway. Challenge Rooter had techs out 2 days later to fix the issue for no additional charge and it looked great! Thank you Challenge Rooter for giving us peace of mind throughout the whole process and providing an excellent level of service and professionalism! read more

Challenge Rooter - Full trench with cleanouts - Plumbing Near Me - Oakland, California

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I am extremely happy with Challenge! I needed a new sewer lateral installed and the old pipe ran under a concrete walkway I had poured last year. Three other trenchless contractors insisted they had to saw or jackhammer through the new slab to make the new connection at the house. When the Challenge plumber came to estimate the job, he understood completely my concerns about hacking-up my new walkway, and said they could do the job without touching the slab. Not only that, but the Challenge bid was at least half the cost of the other contractors (they don't spend $$ on fancy advertising, color brochures or fancy business cards). Their man took the time to work with me and to preserve my new, expensive, walkway. That is reason I chose them. He and his crew did exactly as he said; they didn't disturb the walkway; they were able to install the new lateral cleanly, to code, and to my satisfaction. All the guys were careful around the landscaping, they completely cleaned up my front yard and the street. One day in-n-out. The inspector came by the next day and passed the work. I couldn't be happier! And a shout-out to Rosa in the office: she responded to all my emails & texts with real answers and made sure all the county requirements were met. Thanks Rosa! read more

I hired Challenge Rooter to handle the sewer lateral repair after my home purchase in Berkeley. They were very easy to work with, communicative and timely. I would definitely recommend them. read more

We received quotes with the purchase of our new house for a sewer lateral replacement and sidewalk repair from Challenge Rooter. Challenge Rooter didn't mess around - they were super efficient and excellent to work with. During the scheduling process we were super annoying clients, and actually rescheduled the project... three times? Rosa was totally understanding, flexible, and an absolute pleasure to talk to and work with. Our Sewer Lateral and Sidewalk Project was completely done in 2-business days and Challenge Rooter took care of everything with the City of Oakland. We even had a miscommunication about the Sidewalk Replacement and Challenge Rooter knocked a few bucks off to make us feel great about the entire project. Our yard and landscape was ***immaculate*** afterwards. Thanks Rosa & Challenge Rooter!!! read more

Challenge Rooter has been our go-to guys for over 6 years. Challenge installed our electric water heater, replaced the gas and drain lines, and recently completed the sewer lateral replacement. It passed the city inspection with no problems. Thank you for a great job! read more

We used challenge rooter for a sewer lateral job in oakland - they responded quickly to our request for an estimate, and once we decided to go with them (they happened to be the cheapest option by about $800), they simply showed up and did the job in two days. No complaints, and everything is working as it should almost two years later! Definitely recommended. read more

Professional, efficient and great communication. They replace sidewalk concrete and get it inspected along with sewer lateral service. Would use them again! read more

We contracted with this company for sewer lateral repair on a house we recently purchased. Once we signed the contract they applied for the necessary permits and were able to start within a week. It took them two days to complete the work, including inspection. In addition to being prompt in completing the project, they left the premises in impeccable condition and were always responsive to calls and emails throughout the process. Very easy company to work with. I highly recommend. read more

After researching and getting estimates from at least six plumbing and trenchless sewer line companies, we decided to choose Challenge Rooter, for a complete new sewer lateral in a Berkeley home. And we're very glad we did! Not only did they have the best competitive price (other companies were quoting double or almost triple!), including a free estimate, but their office representative Rosa, was very patient and informative of all the questions we had. We were well informed of the entire process. They were very professional, completing the project in one day, and cleaned up all the debris, and we had our City certificate e-mailed in less than 2 weeks. Their cement paving skills are also very impressive! I highly recommend them! read more

Beyond expectations! My third project with Challenge Rooter was the biggest yet: to replace and upgrade the drainage system from the back patio, through the yard, to the street. PLUS during the same 3 days replace approx. 115 ft. of old clay pipe sewer lateral, including permit and inspection fees, excavation, proper traffic control, necessary concrete removal and replacement, replacing city WYE connection, obtaining the sewer lateral compliance test, off-hauling debris, cleaning work area, and more than can describe here. Basically, everything that needed to be done was done well! This was a relief, as my abundant past experiences with contractors, plumbers and other professional services often required me to keep a close eye to avoid pitfalls. With Challenge Rooter, Chebo the owner, Rosa and staff in the office, and the highly-experienced teams of workers maintained clear communication throughout the process, were responsive to any questions I might have, and the scheduling was precise. The big equipment came and went on time exactly as needed. The scope of project was clarified at the beginning, and the price and timing was completed as agreed. I could not be happier. read more

Challenge Rooter - Sewer Lateral in excavated section - Plumbing Near Me - Oakland, California

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Challenge Rooter diagnosed our problem right away and replaced some pipes, sewer lateral, clean-out drains and concrete walkways. It was a big job, and the skilled crew as well as the office staff were thorough and professional throughout the process. PGE and EBMUD approved the work, and we received a compliance certificate the day after inspection. We give Challenge Rooter our highest recommendation. read more

Challenge Rooter are masters of their craft! I needed our sewer lateral replaced for our recently purchased 1965 Ranch House. Chebo came out and scoped our line and made the best offer for trenchless replacement. He was fair and transparent from start to finish. Thanks go to Rosa who promptly replied to any office inquiries. This was greatly appreciated given my tight work schedule. Within one business day of signing the contract a huge crew descended upon the house and proceeded to dig trenches. The work was completed at the end of day 2. The crew was affable, timely and professional! If you need similar work done, I'd highly recommend them to you. read more

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This company came heavy and got the job done properly when I needed a new sewer lateral connection done at the house. The pricing was the best around and I would recommend them in a heartbeat for any job within their scope. read more

I enjoyed working with them to have my 115ft long PSL replaced. read more

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Excellent consultation and services on finding draining issues and proposing alternatives. You can trust them. Lead technician Eucebio is outstanding. read more

Anyone looking for a great trustworthy, punctual plumber for a big Sewer Lateral Job these guys are IT! They came on time, didn't beat around the bush. Gave a straight forward quote with detailed on the whole job. Super nice folks. Permits, Materials all one stop shop! They came on the day of the appointment, brought the whole crew out, everyone was polite and hard working for sure. These guys did what they said they will do and put it all back together beautifully! They definitely over deliver for sure! I expected the job to be completed in two days and they did it all in one. Eucebio ,Chevo and Team were very professional and constantly communicated with me. These guys really know what they are doing trust me I met a lot of lousy plumbers and these guys really set high standards for the rest to learn from. Trust no one else, Challenge Rooter is your go-to!! Highly Recommend them for anyone who is looking to do a Sewer Lateral Job for their house. They will not disappoint! read more

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We contacted Challenge Rooter as a result of wanting to receive the CV Sanitation grant for sewer lateral repair. The application process required getting 3 quotes from three vendors. Challenge Rooter was on the approved list, but what stood out for us was that we saw their truck and crew doing an extensive repair on Stanton Av. Challenge was amazing from the time we contacted them initially to setup the appointment to Rosa's handling of all the quotes and scheduling/completing the work done to ours and CV Sanitation's satisfaction. Their professionalism gave us the confidence in selecting them well over the other vendors. Another quote was lower but the vendor required multiple reschedulings (how would that translate to getting the actual work done?). We had no such concerns regarding Challenge Rooter and they delivered on their promise. Thanks so much, Challenge Rooter! read more

We received two quotes for replacing the clay pipes for our sewer lateral from our recently purchased house to the street. Challenge Rooter came out within days of being contacted, were on time, and did a thorough inspection, including scoping through the pipelines in the house and street, and using sensors to determine exactly where the pipes were located. Their quote came in a HALF of the other quotes. They scheduled the project within 10 days, came out on time, and finished in one day. They did a great job, accepted my credit card, and forwarded the city certificate within a day of completion of the job. Altogether a wonderful experience. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. read more

Chevo came to do a sewer lateral quote for me and he was very helpful and honest. He took the time to explain to me what's going on and what needs to be done. Whenever I need a plumber I'll be calling Chevo! read more

I recently purchased a home and needed to replace the sewer lateral and do some sidewalk repairs. Challenge Rooter did a fantastic job. They had excellent communication and offered competitive pricing. I would certainly reccommend them to anyone looking to do so similar work! read more

Rosa saved the day!!!!!!!!! I found out I had to get some server lateral certificate while I was IN escrow. CR Gabe me two quick quotes and I ended up needing the lesser quote. They were fast, honest and tremendously helpful! Rosa even negotiated with the city of Oakland for me so that she could learn the new rules as well as help me! She took my stress level from 100 to zero! Thank you Rosa and CR! read more

Challenge Rooter After heavy plant roots caused a sewer line back-up that flooded a downstairs room in my house--a traumatic situation for any homeowner--a builder friend recommended that I call Challenge Rooter. They had a truck out here within 90 minutes of my call. Evelio analyzed and explained the situation to me clearly, and recommended snaking the line as an immediate solution until a new sewer lateral could be installed. His quick action stopped the flooding and I had plumbing again that same afternoon! Challenge specializes in pipeless repair and they know their stuff. When Jeronimo, Francisco and Sebastian arrived to install the new lateral, about three weeks later, I was impressed by how well they worked together--handling a tricky job smoothly, troubleshooting the old plumbing as they went, and paying close attention to detail. All in all, the way they worked gave me confidence I'd found the right team! And when done, the cleanup was impeccable. They cared about their work and wanted to get everything right. Evelio even came back a few days later to adjust one of the cleanout lids, and further explained how they'd made some of their decisions on how to handle the job in order to prevent future backups. All in all, very heads-up and helpful. I'd recommend these guys without hesitation! That's not always true of contractors today--finding an outfit who'll do reliable work at a reasonable price--and all up to code. Challenge made the whole job almost a pleasure. Starting with Rosa, the office manager, whose clear-minded behind-the-scenes work in getting me a bid, then lining up permits and inspections was all done in a most agreeable manner. Made working with Challenge an enjoyable experience throughout. I want to thank them again--and give them my best recommendation! read more

So impressed with this business and the service! We smelled something in our backyard at the beginning of the week...something that smelled like sewage and our hearts dropped. No one wants to find out about sewage problems from bad smells...so, we called Challenge Rooter who was referred to us by someone in the business who we trust. First off, so responsive and he offered to come same day! It was our scheduling that made it difficult, but we met him three days later. He was prompt, diligent and thorough. Checked our pipes, lateral and everything under the house to confirm there were no cracks or leaks. Walked the backyard with us and guessed where the easement began. We sniffed the air a few times together and, not sensing any foul odors, he guessed it might have been a dead animal. I have a ton of peace of mind and confidence that nothing is wrong. Grateful for Chavo's and Challenge Rooter's help! read more

This is a long overdue review. Really sorry about that. Challenge Rooter was recommended to us by a realtor friend. We used Challenge at two different locations last Fall and in early October. One job called for a new sewer lateral in San Leandro and the other was a sewer pipe repair in Berkeley. Challenge took care of everything on the sewer lateral. The crew was on time and the actual work was completed as scheduled. The City inspector, however, was not very timely and it took weeks to get our final sign-off. Challenge's work was done to our complete satisfaction. The much smaller repair job was done within a few hours. Challenge helped us with a sewer pipe offset; no problems since they excavated and replaced a two foot section of piping. Both experiences with Challenge were great. We will use them in the future and we highly recommend them to anyone requiring plumbing services. read more