As always, Jason Buss did an excellent job of installing a filter on my tankless water heater last Friday, August 7, which he put in last February. I always ask for Jason if possible, because he is so knowledgeable, carefully explaining any questions that I may have, and always doing exemplary work, as he has done so many times over the past several years. He is an excellent plumber and has my highest recommendation. read more

This used to be a good company, but now they're all about sales. High-pressure sales and the upsell. They recently lost all their credibility with me by being dishonest me with me while trying to sell me something. That was on the same day they took eight hours to clear one drain. They cleared it quickly, but they left everything open so they could bring in a salesman to sell me something more and the thing took all fucking day. I could not shower or defecate because I had to wait for their salesman to come. And the salesman would not leave when I asked him politely. I like them before when they were a family business who thought about their customers. read more

They left my lines open and they were sucking air only ..not sure if my boiler is ok ..try someone else they didn't take responsibility for what they did .My boiler was fine .I only wanted annual maintenance done .They were trying to charge me 400% mark up on a part and claimed they were giving me a deal.Very spotty work and potentially my pump is now damaged..Seriously do not get this guy to do your boiler.My house is now cold and it is about to be winter.My husband usually did the maintenance on it but recently passed away .I really needed to trust someone..look for real professionals..Not this guy ..ever read more

I was having issues with my toilet flooding. They sent a plumber who ran an auger through my toilet and said the problem was fixed - but that I needed a new toilet bc the one I had was 30+ years old. He said when flushing I needed to hold down the handle to complete a full flush which I did do. But the toilet flooded again a few days later. I called them back to let them know that the problem persisted, they sent the same guy back who said they were going to charge me for addressing the same issue. Of course I refused to pay something that should have been fixed by following his instructions (holding handle down for full flush). This guy got an attitude and then said the toilet was flooding bc it was old. When I asked him, what happened to holding down the handle for full flushing, he became rude and got an attitude. It's very unethical of them to charge $169 for a service that was not going to resolve the issue. He should have told me, the toilet was the cause instead of charging me for the auger service which didn't solve anything. I feel robbed, use another company. read more

Our water heater went out. The upside to First Choice: 1. Same day service 2. Service Rep polite, helpful. Downside: Water heater replacement: $3,000! (Water heater cost: $500.00. Easy access) Make a living: Yes! Make a killing: No! read more

I've been using First Choice for years for all plumbing issues. Just off the top of my head they've fixed the sinks (kitchen and bathroom), fixed the toilet, replaced the water regulator, replaced the water heater (and made it up to code), etc. They're the only company I trust and I've used most of the plumbing companies that service Riverside [All Pro, Magnolia, Avis (aka: Service Champions)]. I'm always happy with their work, and there's only been one time in all the years I've been calling them that I wasn't impressed with one tech's work, but I haven't seen him anymore. Their technicians are always polite and willing to explain every detail and answer any question you have. They're never pushy about how much time they spend answering your questions or how long a job takes to get it done right. The prices may seem outrageous but it's a technical job that not anyone can just do and the cost of raw materials is going up all the time. I'd rather pay someone who is fully bonded and licensed and can speak for their work legally than a weekend DIYer who can't guarantee their labor. I'm not a fan of them charging a service fee just for their technicians to come out, but I understand. It used to be $59 and now it's $89 so it's one of those things where if you don't like the quote, etc. you're out $89 either way. They do waive the service fee if you accept the job. Also, if you have a technician you prefer, you can ask for them to come instead of a random tech. I always get Jacob, or Jason. They're great! read more

Our hot water heater was replaced by First Choice a few days ago. They did a great job of delivering and installing a new water heater. The price was comparable and turned out to be a little less than we initially thought it would be. The service was very professional. Thank you First Choice. read more

Our fridge died and made a huge mess in our house. Appears to be due to very hard water clogging the lines with mineral deposits. First Choice came out immediately and helped fix the damage, and install a water treatment system for us. Luis and Jerrod were at our house for almost 10 hours, but they made sure the repairs were done and - most importantly - done RIGHT! Polite, professional, and helpful, they are a great team! We have used this business for almost ten years at two different houses, and they have never let us down. As repeat customers, we highly recommend them! read more

First Choice is the best choice for all heating/ air conditioning and plumbing. I have had multiple issues from air conditioning going out during the summer heat wave to the water heater needing to be replaced and now valves needing replaced in home due to leaks. Not to worry, First Choice always comes to the rescue and has repaired it all. If you need an honest, reliable and knowledgeable plumbing/heating and air conditioning repair, First Choice is the best. read more

I had spotted a leak under our home and we called First Choice, our company that we rely upon. They came right out and Jason was able to find the leak...a pin hole leak in a copper pipe. He had it fixed in no time at all and as always, he was pleasant and provided service with a smile. One of the many reasons this company is always our "First Choice" for our home needs! read more

I had used First Choice back when they were Ballard Heating and Air. At some point the family split and so did the companies. A couple months ago I was having an issue with our furnace, the blower wasn't working properly and cold air was coming out. The technician arrived and after about 15 minutes told me I needed a circuit board. He had one on the truck; the part and labor would be about $850. I asked him how long it would take, he told me 45 minutes. I searched for the part on the internet and found it new for $300-$350. I than called Steve Ballard and asked him why I was being charged $500 for less than an hour labor. He told me they are in business to make profit on the parts and he would do the job for $650. As I had done business when them for years, ever purchasing 2 installed units I didn't appreciate the fact they had tried to take advantage of me. Besides that I still thought the price was too high. I made a couple calls and got someone else out that same day. He did a full diagnostic and determined the board was probably fine and replaced a switching unit. The total price for the part, labor including the diagnostic was $149. It's been fine ever since. So these guys tried to over charge me for something I didn't even need. read more

I guess it depends on whom they send out. The gentleman had diagnostics even before checking the issues. Coming for a standard $89.00 to $199 clean out service became sell up to over $3,100.00. That was not new plumbing It was just access to clean a blockage. He lost interest in since on the spot I did not agree to the 2,900.00 additional cost. read more

We had First Choice come out because we noticed there was no airflow from the vents. After a thorough diagnostic workup, our technician, Sam, not only explained and showed me everything, he also took the time to re-explain the situation to my husband. It wasn't very good news...our old ass A/C and furnace were pieces of dookie and would need to be replaced. First of all, Sam was quite a cool and kind dude. He took the time to try and match one of our other bids however, unfortunately, after much consideration, we went through Costco for our new system because of the rebates and perks. This decision wasn't taken lightly and I would HIGHLY recommend First Choice. The customer service from making the initial appointment to the very last call Sam made to us has been excellent and kind. Kindness goes a long way in our home. Thank you. read more

Jacob did an outstanding job! He works quickly and explained everything to me as well as all of the costs before he started. He has excellent customer service skills and is a real asset to First Choice. read more

We had an emergency on the 2nd of July two days before the fourth. It seems our piping to the air conditioner from our 20 year old Rudd Air conditioner started freezing up and temps had been over a hundred degrees. I called 3 places the night before 2 were suppose to be 7x24 and would call me in the morning. Only the friendly folks at First Choice did. All the others blew me off. Turns out First Choice was working Sunday because of the temps and upcoming holiday on Monday. I asked about the service call and it was $89 for the Sunday non normal hours and it would be waived if repairs were made. So we arranged for them to come by I was to be the 2nd stop of the day and they would call between 10 and 11 approximately 30 minutes before arrival. And to my amazement that's exactly what they did! Plus showed up on time. The gentleman was here no more than 5 minutes and he diagnosed the problem with a valve sticking and recommended replacement. There are 2 in the system so I had him replace both. I also had about half the freon I was suppose to have and he filled my system. They also told me about my old fan motor and to keep an eye on it for any issues. They were excellent and I told them I wanted to be on a seasonal schedule for heating and cooling checkups. Even Steve Ballard the owner came by. The are indeed my First Choice in Heating and Cooling. read more

I had an unusual problem with my heating system that several outfits were unable to resolve. First Choice stuck with me until the problem was fixed correctly. I appreciate their perseverance and would highly recommend them. They are definitely my "First Choice" ! read more

First Choice is certainly our...first choice! We've been using their very professional and expert plumbers for several years now. From the first call to job completion, the company and staff are always great to work with. Knowledgeable, polite, timely, reasonably priced and will give you their 110%! We've been extremely fortunate to have Sam help us with our plumbing needs in the past, and most recently, Jason. Both have been awesome! We highly recommend First Choice! read more

Do not call this company....we called First Choice for our A/C...we were told that we needed to purchase a new system because ours was not fixable. The new system would be at least $7000.00.....we called someone else out for a second opinion....our system is working with no replacement needed. I waited at least 30 days to write this review because I do not like to give bad reviews, but I feel the consumer needs to be warned about this company wanting to sell new systems instead of fixing a problem that was a easy fix. read more

Just finished a complete re-pipe of our home. First Choice employees showed up on time every day. Sam was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. He kept us informed throughout the process. By the time the job was completed, they had addressed every concern we had. We made one call to the office and Gigi quickly returned our call and it was obvious that they would not be fully satisfied until we were fully satisfied. While nobody wants to require a plumbing expert, it is nice to know that First Choice is out there. They are a trusted team of professionals; people like Sam and Gigi, working in the office and in the field to ensure that their customers know that they are in good hands at a fair price. read more

Sam answered all my questions in a way a lay person could understand because I wanted to know how my system worked. In other words, the workmanship was great but, in addition to all that, I would like to emphasize his attitude, demeanor and personality. For me, these traits towards customer service outweighs the technical perfections, imperfections, systems etc. There are perceptions out there of service technicians out to get you for anything. I can say for sure, Sam is as genuine as it gets. He cares. He went above and beyond straightening out what the last technician didn't do correctly. Material stuff can be fixed. Customer service/satisfaction is earned and is very subjective to each customer. I would like to commend Sam and his company. Sam is the kind of person you would want on your team because they are the front liners and they can really give an impression of the company. I would definitely recommend First choice to anyone, and if you get lucky enough, you'll end up with Sam working on your system. read more

We appreciate the courteous office staff, Gigi is always courteous and considerate making quick and promp appointments. The Ballard's have always solved any plumbing problems we have had, our home was built in the 60's and we have a very large tree in our yard. They are honest, helpful, promp, and courteous! I highly recommend First Choice Plumbing Heating & AC! read more

Have provided excellent service to us for almost 20 years. Take care of furnace and air conditioner annually and have had few problems. Recently needed help with a cold furnace on Saturday and got immediate help that took through the weekend when new parts were available. A. Smith read more

I chose First Choice to do AC maintenance on my 5 year old system and to determine why my airflow and thermostat were acting up. The technician seemed competant and knowlegeable because he gave me a mini lecture on my AC. He even had me touch the outside of the unit which to me felt ice cold but the technician thought it was normal and doing it's job . When i told him about the abnormal thermostat readings, he was baffled and just changed the battery and did his socalled maintenance. Within two weeks, I had First Choice come back out because my evaporator coil had been completely frozen with ice the entire time. This time, another more experienced technician discovered the unit was frozen. Good thing I was watching him because I noticed something behind him he had pulled out. It was a very dirty and clogged filter that was never cleaned by the first technician. I asked him why the filter wasn't cleaned and his response was "good question." Within a half hour and after talking to his boss, he gave me two options: He said that due to poor installation, the only thing that will fix the problem are either a new evaporator coil for nearly $3000 or a new valve for $900. He told me the evaporator coil is in stock and can be installed tomorrow or you can wait 7-10 days for a new valve. I nearly choked in disbelief and felt like a victim of dishonesty. An evaporator coil does not cost nearly 3 grand for a 5 ton system...no way. And a valve for $900 is outrageous. Since he couldn't do anything with a frozen coil, he said he had to return in the morning to fix it. I told him I had to think about it. The next day, I had another business check the AC out and the technician determined the coils were fine and very clean, pressures were normal, valve fine. The likely cause was the difference in outdoor temperature and thermostat setting during the night which is common during the hot summer months. I paid $90.00 and the AC is running just fine. read more

After having one company tell me we need to replace the entire unit and then another company saying everything was fine, I went to this company for a third opinion and they concluded that the wires needed to be replaced because they were burnt and they were able to fix my unit without any issues read more

Needed my water heater repaired. Speedy service, and he also fixed two other things I needed fixing. Jason was the tecnician who came to my house. Very friendly. I will call them for any future plumbing needs. I totally recommend them. read more

I'm very happy with the staff and great service. Entire staff is wonderful, very friendly and helpful, and Ryan and Jacob, the gentlement who came out to service my AC unit were the best. They were very knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. They made sure they diagnosed the problem properly and didn't leave till they took care of the problem. Glad I found you and thank you so much!! read more

I have used First Choice for many years and have always been satisfied with their work and their pricing. Steve himself has come out sometimes, and other times it's been his employees, but they are always knowledgeable and friendly. We have replaced a complete AC unit, done some service calls on another unit that is pretty old and still running well, some tuneup stuff, etc. When that AC unit went out he laid out our different options and prices and when we opted for the new one it was installed within a few hours, during a heat wave, after hours. He also removed my crummy builder-grade low-flow toilets and put in some real nice toilets that actually do their job, and for a very good price. I definitely recommend First Choice. read more

These guys are experienced and knowledgeable. Another company thought a major expensive repair was needed, In actuality no repair was needed. read more

This company over charges for their service. Get additional estimates before choosing them.

Horrible company do not use . Just bought a home in the area 1 1/2 months ago , within the first two weeks my hot water heater pilot went out . I called first choice plumbing . When he came out they told me about a pipe that broke and slowly leaked into the water heater causing rust and corrosion . After speaking with the plumber found out the water heater could not be fixed and had to be replaced . I was given a price of $1750 , then I contacted my home owners insurance company because I have accidental breakage coverage . While I'm on the phone with the insurance company the owner / manager of first choice heater and plumbing called and left a voicemail asking if I was wasting his plumbers time demanding my credit card info , which I immediately did call back and give . The insurance company did say they would cover the costs minus the detectable , just needed to do a follow up phone call with the plumber who did the work , which took 10 days to call back the insurance agent ! And when I tried to contact them myself they were VERY rude and sounded inconvenienced . So when he finally made the phone call he made no mention of the broken pipe above the heater and instead told them that my 3 year old water heater in my 3 year old house was over 10 years old and this was regular wear and tear . Due to this phone call my insurance company called me and told me they could not cover the costs because it was 10 years old and regular wear and tear. I find them to be extremely unprofessional that they would demand my payment 10 min after agreed upon price and 10 days later feel inconvenienced to talk to my insurance company and give false report because of his mood or lack of memory . Customer service should always come first . I have many friends and family who recently bought in this area and will never recommend them to anyone ! read more

DO NOT USE these rip off artists. Charged me $282 to replace a run capacitor that costs $11.06 purchased on-line. Called this sham of a business out to look at our air conditioner that wasn't working. Told me it would cost $59 just to look at it, but that would be waived if the repairs were competed by them. No problem. Owner Steve Ballard himself showed up with his repair guy. Started taking unit apart and instantly said "It's the run capacitor". I ask how much is the part... He said "oh let me think". Part'll run you about $278 and both units will have to be done. Since only one was not working - agreed to fixing the one only. Glad I only had one fixed or I would be even more sick today.! Invoice was $282 and not itemized. So the part is $11, where is the rest of the $271 coming from. Labor?? for a 20 minute part change?? Nothing else was looked at and the diagnostic fee was to be waived. i called a couple other businesses and inquired what they would charge. By the feedback i recieved I was overcharged by $100-$150. Before I realized I was being scammed, asked for estimate for 2 new units - stupid me!!! This company and Mr Ballard will never see that close to $10,000 job... based on more legitmate estimates. Mr Ballard's estimate almost $3,000 more than 2 other company's. Fool me once.. DON'T BE FOOLED!!! read more

A little pricey!!! Needed to replace water heater which was covered under insurance plan up to 1000.00, which should have covered whole cost of course they needed 250.00 on top of ins. After calling around approx 800. For new heater & install. The 2 guys who came out to install Ray & Sam were very nice. They did a great job, they were very personable, quick and clean they knew what they were doing !!!!! read more

During the middle of a heat wave, my air conditioning went out. The crew arrived the following morning after a phone call from the company. They diligently reviewed my system and included me in the process. I appreciated that extra effort, especially since it's my money. By noon, cold air was once again following through our home. (Happy wife, happy life!!). I am by no means an air condition expert but I've been around long enough to know some of the gimmicks used to inflate customer bills. I found this company to be fair and honest in their dealings with me. I was advised about the service call costs and that amount was later applied to the repair bill. Communication was excellent and I was very satisfied with the outcome. Because of their professionalism, I have added this company to my list of service providers for the next time that service is needed. read more

I will definitely use First Choice for all my heating and air conditioning needs in the future. Their small family business attitude provided me quick service and trustworthy attention. I really appreciate that they didn't try to upsell me or provide services I didn't need. I really like how the service tech. explained everything to me in a way that I could understand and he answered all my questions. I would recommend them to any of my family or friends! Thanks First Choice!! read more

My experience with them have always been outstanding service!! They are not ripoffs like the rest of the plumbing company's in riverside! I've been with them for 4 years never had a issue. Thanks a lot guys for all your hard work - C read more

Very disappointed in the service! I have used First Choice in the past for AC work and they did an excellent job, however, this time they gave me very poor service! They told me they would be out between 11:00 am and 1 p.m.. By 1:30 pm they had not arrived and I checked my phone. I found a message that First Choice called at 12:00 stating they were on their way. I called and the rude receptionist told me now it would not be until 3:00pm because since I did not answer the phone they went to the next call. When I told her someone should have been here by 1 with or without me answering the phone, she argued with me the whole time. I wasted most of my day, waiting for them, only to have them skip my stated appointment time. Then I have a receptionist, instead of apologizing for the inconvenience, argue with me and tell me I am wrong. No one told me I had to answer the phone call nor did they tell me when they left a message they were skipping my appointment. I don't know if there has been a change in personnel, but First Choice is unreliable! Beware! read more