We have a wonderful 1933 older home with original plumbing that needed a sink replacement with a modern vanity. Thanks to Jeremy with LJ Kruse Company we were able to navigate a very complicated removal and retrofit situation. Jeremy anticipated all angles of the project and we talked about the pros and possible cons of each step. I felt informed and consulted all along the way. The outcome is terrific. read more

Only four stars because the first guy that came around did not correctly diagnose the problem with my wall gas heater: the whole thing needed to be replaced, not just the thermostat. But Jim, the second tech with 29 years experience, did. He came on a Saturday and gave me a thorough explanation that had as much to do with my own safety as comfort. Overall, this seems like a well-run company with excellent customer service. Melinda is nice and competent and will call you and let you know when their people are going to show up. Note: I am a renter, so I can't say whether $175 for a service call or $2k to replace the heater is reasonable or not. read more

I'm the tenant of another reviewer of this company, and my landlord had a quarrel with the price he paid for the work (which I believe is based on a misunderstanding), so I wanted to say a couple of things about this company: 1. My heater was not working and it was COOOLLLLD out; I know they were working their tails off, but they went out of their way to squeeze us in for our initial site visit as quickly as they could. 2. When Paul came out, it was clear he was a very hard worker, but he took the time to explain the issue to me, was polite and professional, and got the evaluation done quickly. Unfortunately a part was needed, so he couldn't fix it that day. 3. The part came in the day before Christmas, and Paul called my cell phone and said there weren't any appointments available for a week, but he'd be happy to come at the end of his scheduled calls and do it for me. ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Unfortunately, I was on a train and there was no one there to let him in, so we couldn't take advantage of this beyond-the-call-of-duty offer. 4. This company cares about service, and they did their job efficiently and well and, contrary to my landlord's misunderstanding, at the estimated rate and with a low mark-up. I would call them again in a heartbeat. read more

Had Joe out this morning to take a look at our water heater and other appliances in our old apartment, make sure nothing was out of sorts. He was super friendly, showed up shortly after the start of the window we were given, taught us a lot, and could not have been more gracious and knowledgeable. I'm taking a star off my review, though, because the ultimate cost of our service call included travel time, which was not mentioned to us upfront. All in all, these guys are great, and certainly more professional than other options offered in the Bay Area. read more

I have been a customer of L J Kruse for over 25 years. They have replaced a 60 year old boiler, two toilets, fixed leaking faucets and replaced drain pipes. All was done to the highest professionalism. I have not have a better contractor. read more

If I can do 0 Star for service, I would. This company was Referred by The Bond, but to my surprise, they have the worst customer service experience I've experienced. After numerous confirmation from my end that week (I called on Monday) that they were going to have a technician out on Friday between 7:30am thru 8:30am, not only did they send out a technician on the wrong date/time for a different problem, but after waiting the day of the actual appointment at 8:30, I had to call to the company and the service rep, Kim, said that the tech is coming in an hour!! This is after waiting an hour from 7:30-8:30am already! Then Kim said that it was Their mistake, but then gets defensive over the phone with me. I've been waiting for an hour and this rep doesn't even see the frustration of their mistake. Then it gets better...I asked to be transferred to the manager, and after talking with Christian, he defends Kim and doesn't see the problem!!! They don't know what listening means.. It's in my experience with my own business, that when you make a mistake, you OWN up to it and do what you can to salvage the relationship. After being very defensive, all Kim can offer was another Monday appointment from 7:30am-8:30am!! Also, when asked if they do Saturday calls, she says they will add an extra fee if that was to happen. Talk about conveniencing the customer for their mistake! Do I risk the chance of waiting again for another hour? I don't think so....there is no trust anymore. Bad business practice!!! read more

So who do you call when a boiler blows in December? L.J. Kruse. Willing to work with a pretty wild existing, closed water radiator system. Even talked me into loving such heat over the dry kind provided by electric and forced-air systems as well as replaced 100 year old radiators and added an energy-efficient programmable thermostat and sensors. read more

Whenever I have plumbing issues that I cant fix myself at work, I call on LJ Kruse. They are very professional and all of their plumbers are very experienced and good at what they do. The turn around time is usually pretty fast. read more

Called Kruse yesterday - had used them once before. They told us we needed to be available today between 9am and noon. Took time off work to be available - no one contacted us. Noon rolls around so we called dispatch to make inquiries. They claim their plumber "called" our number and kept getting a busy signal. Only contact number we provided was a cell phone with voice mail. No voice mails; no missed calls. Someone is either lying on their end, or is too stupid to operate a telephone in this day & age, and our problem remains. After they floated the idea of a "reschedule," told them, I'd prefer to share my experience on Yelp. If you expect some minimum respect for your time, professionalism, and think it not too much for an outfit successfully to execute on their required 3-hour window, do not use Kruse. read more

I wouldn't even call this Company. If you do call them be sure to get an itemized quote line by line and make sure it includes everything needed. Don't have them do anything without a permit.... their work needs to checked by an inspector. The work was incomplete, sold us out-dated equipment, charged us for work they did not do, ran gas lines without a permit and then lied to us, did not even do proper grounding. I gave them one star because they showed up. read more

I have worked with L.J. Kruse for over seven years at my college campus. I have found their pricing to be competitive and their service outstanding. From the time I call/e-mail requesting service to the time a project is complete I always have a comforting experience. The negative reviews I see on Yelp are completely contrary to anything I have ever experienced with L.J. Kruse. read more

I am writing this review on behalf of my father who had a broken water boiler heater in his church mission home. This heater is over 50 years old and I had a really hard time finding a service company that is able to fix the old heater. I am so happy to find LJ Kruse who could actually service it. The service tech Dave came in prepared with every tools and replacement parts in his company truck. He was able to identify the issues with the heater and replaced some necessary parts. Dave was honest, kind and professional and he was able to get the old heater running. Now the tenants and church members in the mission home are all happy that the rooms are warm during the cold winter! If this company can fix an old school heater like what my father had, they can definitely fix any of your heating problems. read more

Shortly after this review, I was contacted by Kruse to apologize for the poor service call. Apparently there was an internal miscommunication about the fact that this unit (and the maker) was discontinued, and the contractor on site wasn't clear about his charge. I offered that I had asked for a service call, and that the plumber had at least shown up for that call. Kruse reimbursed the second hour of the service call. I appreciated that they apologized and were interested in making sure I was satisfied. read more

Kruse Plumbing has been without a doubt the most competent and professional plumbing company we have worked with over our many years in Berkeley. We have always found their team to be effective problem solvers. We recently had a major problem with our hybrid water heater/furnace system. The plumber who came to diagnose the problem had precisely the history and experience with the system that was required to make the needed repair. And he also had the expertise to retrofit the broken part-- on the spot-- when the new replacement part turned out to be nonfunctional! We highly recommend Kruse. read more

I'm very happy with the service I received! Fixing my home heating ended up being a third of what they first estimated. They always answer the phone and provide great service. I have a lot of respect for LJ Kruse and will gladly give them my 5 stars. **Margie is hilarious and great. read more

BAD SERVICE! I read the negative reviews, but decided to give them business anyway (BAD CHOICE!). I was the first appointment of the day (between 7:30 and 8:00 am) since I was willing to wait 2 weeks for service. Took time off of work to be home. At 10:30, I called for status and was told the technician was still tied up at earlier appointments and would be late. I cancelled, and didn't even get an apology or attempt at rescheduling. read more

I hired LJ Kruse to help with plumbing work on my new house because the guys who came out to provide quotes were so punctual, professional, and conscientious. But when it actually came to doing the work, the guy who came out was just okay. He charged A LOT ($170 per hour, which he rounded up to the next full hour, and to which he tacked on his travel time to my house), he wasn't particularly speedy, and he could have done a better job anticipating problems I would have after he left and doing little things to avoid damage to the floors, walls, and brand new appliances in my beautiful new house. I don't plan to hire them again. read more

Stay Away! These guys are terrible. They are considered a "premium plumber", meaning more expensive and therefore presumably better. They did a moderate-sized job for me and were nothing but trouble. Too much of the work was done incorrectly and it took many return visits for them to get it from half-right to mostly-right. They damaged some tile work in the house far from where they we ostensibly working, then refused to fix it. When their fixtures made noise and ultimately broke down, they were nearly impossible to get back to the house to make things right. What an ordeal. Their sales guy "Steve Bergendahl" was courteous and professional, until he got paid. Then he became hard to reach and difficult to rely on. read more

I have a special heater and Kruse is the only company in the area who knows how to work on it. They came out to fix it, were pleasant but expensive, refused to give me the warrenty, and did unauthorized work, which made it impossible for me to change the filter. I asked them to undo the unauthorized work when I later found I could not access the filter. They would come again only if I would pay them for another service call. Also, when I called to set up an appointment, on a Wednesday, they told me to call back on Saturday. I called Saturday and they were closed "for the holiday weekend." I called on Monday and they gave me nothing but hassles and were rude to boot. They take advantage of the fact that they are the only servicer of my special heater in the area. I got a friend to undo their work. read more

The property management company I work for just used Kruse Plumbing for a sewer problem we were having at one of our properties. I found the office dispatch workers to be helpful and responsive and the plumbers did a great job. I recommend them and will use them again in the future. read more

Very prompt and professional , also pleasant and took pride in his work..may i add very very fair price.Thank you again Joseph for awesome customer service. read more

LJ Kruse rocks! My family has been using Kruse for 50+ years on our apartment building. They have the best customer service and are incredibly skilled both in plumbing and HVAC. They are respectful of the tenants and do their best to accommodate their needs. Thank you for the years of service. read more

LJ Kruse is the best! I have used their services on many occasions and have always been very happy with their prompt and professional expertise. Most recently, Joe saved me when I thought I was in store for a new furnace. He came within 2 hours of my call, on a very cold and rainy day, and was able to replace the needed part within 20 minutes. I was so happy and relieved! Thank you LJ Kruse for being my "go to" company for all my plumbing needs. I have your number listed as #1 for my emergency contacts for home repair. read more

I have been an LJ Kruse Company customer for almost 8 years. I have stuck with them because they are good, they are dependable, and they stand by their work. They have replaced my furnace, installed a toilet, installed a seismic gas shutoff valve, and diagnosed and fixed various plumbing problems I have had. In all cases, I have been happy with their work. Most recently, I had them come by the house when I had a plumbing backflow issue. I called them at 8:15 am to report my plumbing "emergency" and they dispatched a technician to my house by 10 am. Jeremy immediately diagnosed the issue (tree root balls) and had all the equipment in his truck to get the issue fixed. Also, this past year, my old furnace died just before Thanksgiving. I really needed a new furnace installed in a short time window (before Thanksgiving day). Kruse immediately dispatched an estimator. They gave me a quote that was reasonable and had my furnace installed on the day before Thanksgiving. This was no easy feat since they were out of stock on the furnace that I wanted. They went out of their way to locate one in San Jose and shipped it down immediately. They dispatched their technician Joel who worked all day to get the furnace installed (on Thanksgiving eve when most people don't work past noon). I really appreciated Joel's effort and dedication on this one! I had heat for Thanksgiving dinner! Finally, in addition to having great technicians in the field, their back office is great. I have alway found that their scheduling and dispatcher are friendly and accomodating. I have never had any billing issues with Kruse. The bills are done accurately and timely. I especially appreciated their help with the paperwork for my furnace. they provided all the documentation I needed to get my Federal tax credit, PG&E rebate, and union rebate. I had a similar experience a few years back when they installed a new toilet and they provided all the paperwork I needed to get my EBMUD rebate. The only knock on these guys is that they are not cheap. Their billing rates are standard market rates for union technicians. In my books, however, they're worth it. They get the job done right everytime. I highly recommend them for plumbing and HVAC work. read more

I was very impressed with this company. Curteous, professional, prompt and great work. The technician was outstanding and we will use them again. He fixed our boiler and it is working better than ever. read more

I'd give JIm from Kruse TEN stars. Did the job, suggested an improvement, cleaned up, did it all in record time, and he was cheerful and efficient. One of the best guys around. THANKS!! read more

I run a very old commercial building in Berkeley, and we have used Kruse exclusively for all of our plumbing needs for many years. They are so awesome! In projects both big and small, they always provide professional and excellent service. From fixing leaking faucets to making emergency repairs to large pipes that spontaneously cracked open, they will take care of it. read more

Ramon and Ben N. are great. I have used Kruse for over ten years--put in furnace, and many other plumbing trips between two homes. Although Kruse is higher priced, the technicians are very professional and are worth the investment. Responsive, on time, explain things well, and excellent at their trade. I always use Kruse. -- Roberta read more

I hired/sent a plumber from LJ kruse to fix a drain in my elderly mother's kitchen. He not only expertly fixed the drain, but since he had time left in the hour, he went around and inspected a couple of other problem areas for her. One area he said there was no problem, but in another area we wound up fixing her toilet. She said that toilet has never worked better now! In addition, he was very respectful of the house and was neat and clean. He showed up on time and did not overcharge her. Very satisfied with the work they did for my mom! They were able to please my very picky elderly mom...a big plus. Definitely recommend them. read more

Justin came by and made a very thorough visit of all the improvements that needed to be made in terms of tankless heater and moving our hydronic boiler. Could not have been more thorough and competent in his assessment. Also recommended a lower cost solution than I had considered, which added to his credibility. A real pro. read more

We were able to get an appointment quickly and Ramon came on time. He was friendly and fixed our kitchen sink problem, and sketched out what would be involved for some other work that we are considering. As a bonus he performed a quick repair on our shower for free. read more

We have used Kruse plumbing extensively for minor and major plumbing for a rental property in the El Cerrito Hills. Every technician that has serviced our needs have been extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They really enjoy their work. Our last experience, the 30 year + hot water and heater combo unit had gone out. We expected to hear that we would need to replace the entire unit. Instead, oil and cleaning, and we are up and running. Greg, one of the principals at Kruse plumbing, is my go to guy! He has a great memory and his knowledge and integrity is the combination a layman could only hope for. read more

Very impressed with the response from owner Ben Kruse. After posting the review, he did what he said, was very quick to reply and tore up the bill we were sent. I just hope the next worker they send out is conscientious like Ben. read more

We have been very happy with L.J. Kruse .... I work for a church in Oakland, and we have had many different issues in which we needed a plumbing company. First we had several gas leaks both below and above ground. They figured out where they were and fixed all of them. Our water bill was extremely high, and L.J. Kruse determined we had over 14 toilets with leaks, they fixed all of them. We have had them fix and replace garbage disposals and faucet leaks. Also, they replaced waste lines under our rectory. In addition to all of that, they also have replaced wall heaters for us and a gas furnace. Every person that they have sent to us has been extremely professional, and just great to work with during all of these different types of issues. At first I was going to name names; however they are all great, so I don't want to leave anyone out! Finally, I have been so happy with their services at my place of work, that I have now just used them at my home .... again the service was excellent! I would completely recommend this company for all plumbing needs. read more

Thank you to Joe Perry! He was great. Very professional ... patiently explaining to me exactly what he was doing every step of the way. We finally have water pressure thanks to the new faucet Joe installed. Although there was a little snafu regarding Kruse's arrival time, they more than made up for it by sending Joe! And Andy (the owner's son) was incredibly kind and helpful. We spoke a few times on the phone and he couldn't have been more professional and patient. I will definitely recommend Kruse to others with plumbing issues. THANK YOU, KRUSE PLUMBING!!!!!! Kelly M. read more

In 2011, Kruse came to fix the ignition of my heater which was slow to ignite. Heater came on, I paid, he left and within hours--same problem. Their next guy diagnosed a different problem, a pilot issue, "fixed" it by cleaning burner and electrode, charged me 223. and left. Within hours, problem was the same. Each technician was very nice and carefully explained the problem, but the diagnosis was wrong both times and the repair NOT EFFECTIVE so over 500. spent with nothing for it--live and learn. Won't call again. read more

Good work, but pricey ($170/hour and they include 15 min travel time). I wish I had googled around for coupons because I found one just now for $50 off any plumbing, heating or cooling repair. And they have several more restrictive coupons on their website. read more

We have been using LJ Kruse for our plumbing and heating repairs for over 20 years and have never been disappointed. We replaced our faucets with the Chicago brand in 1990. Although they are great, they do need maintenance now and again which is where LJ Kruse comes in. They know exactly what they're doing and even have Chicago faucet replacement parts in stock. Last week a fantastic plumber named Ramon came over and replaced the leaking stem. Ramon was knowledgeable and efficient and everything works great. Thank you LJ Kruse. read more

We needed the Dr. House of plumbers .. diagnose a "moving target" of a plumbing problem. They checked out all the usual suspects and more .. Jose R. was great in resolving a problem we had chased for months with other plumbers. read more

I've been using Kruse for almost seven years and appreciate the great customer service from Greg.