We called Brian based on a neighbor's recommendation, and were immediately put at ease on the phone. He is professional and clear, he managed my expectations as far as schedule and pricing, and he arrived in the stated half-hour window. He is fully equipped, and we were comfortable with the pricing and service guarantee. In our case, we had a problem, but not an emergency. Brian was able to come within 2 days, and he listened closely when my husband told him exactly how far we had gone already in our due diligence. That saved him several steps in his own investigation, which saved us time, and he was able to finish the job in two hours. He had everything he needed in his truck, too -- a rolling plumber's supply store. By his own admission, he's a clean freak, and he took care not to track anything into our house, or impact anything more than the job required. Turns out we had to go in through the siding - we had expected as much, so we gave permission. Once we had was confirmed where the issue was, Brian worked quickly and efficiently to fix the problem. Also he gave us a referral to a person who can help us put the siding back on, if we need it. :-) Our cabin was expanded casually over the past 50 years, and we suspect much of the work was done by the previous owner (without professional help), so there's a lot that's questionable; I felt that Brian's "chalkboard" showing how plumbing is usually connected, and where our problem could be, showed me that even our crazy pipes and connectors could be tested systematically and ultimately repaired. We were relieved to work with someone whose price sheet, invoices, and initial consult all matched each other. I love having something to point to, to say "This is what you told us we get." He is also concerned with not wasting water, which adds to his appeal in my book; gives him an extra reason to do the job right the first time. We are confident that Brian will stand behind his commitments, and will cal him again. read more

I got connected to Brian through a very high-end bathroom, plumbing fixtures company who said he was the absolute best. And in my experience, he absolutely is. Spent a lot of time telling me exactly what his process was and his level of detail is insane. And then he showed up exactly on time did exactly what he said he was gonna do and was one of the most meticulous plumbers Ive have had the privilege of working with. He has my highest recommendation. read more

After many attempts with other plumbing services, Brian was the only one that was able to fix my leaky bathroom sinks. He throughly diagnosed the issue, helped me find the obscure part I needed, and made time to do the repairs in an efficient and skillful manner. Brian is the best at his craft and I will no longer need another plumber; Brian is now our go-to guy! I highly recommend. read more

I called on Marin Plumbing to replace our water heater. Brian was extremely knowledgeable and thorough. He explained every aspect of the job. The price was exactly what he quoted and the workmanship was outstanding. Just a few of the high points: The new water heater was less expensive than through the big box hardware store; he pulled the permit for us; he upgraded the anchoring of earthquake straps; he soldered all connections (instead of using pressure clamps); he installed ball valves on major connectors so we can swap-out parts in the future without turning off water to the house. When the inspector looked at the work, he said "This is absolutely beautiful. Tremendous job." Nuff said. read more

Brian is a fantastic and reliable professional who takes the time to explain how things work and doesn't try and sell you unnecessary parts or repair jobs. Instead he explains your options and how you can do things cost effectively while not sacrificing quality. His knowledge is broad beyond just plumbing, but did an excellent job at fixing all of my plumbing problems and I'll always call him first in the future. read more

Brian is a real professional, honest, efficient, truly committed to excellent customer service. I highly recommend him. He handles everything himself so he is accountable, and doesn't carry overhead other companies do. read more

Brian at Marin Plumber turned out to a be a furtuitous find. After seeing his truck down the street at a neighbors, I decided to give him a call to fix a few minor plumbing issuies which were listed in my home owners inspection report (after buying a home in Petaluma). At first I was surprised to find out he charged for his time to do an estimate; however, his professional manner and level of skill / expertise was clear. Plumbers can be an interesting bunch and I only want quality folks working in my home / around the family. Brian is the honest hard-working professional you'd want around your home. I gave him a try and he started with resealing a toilet. I thought I'd start there and based on his performance continue elsewhere. He did an excellent job. Saved me money on stuff I didn't need, and pointed out things that needed to be done. He was VERY fast (good deal for the price per hour), clean, and knowledgeable. I was so impressed I went through the whole house's plumbing. Worth every penny. I learned where all the important shut off switches are, what repairs are worth it or not, and a schedule of when items can be updated (or when they might break). He even knew the failure points in two of my automatic flush toilets; which, can reak havic down the road. I also appreciated all the pointers and items he showed me that I could do on my own time (small home Depot stuff). He also gave me free parts to fix small stuff on my own. Honestly, I'd encourage everyone to book an hour of his time / expertise and just walk around your home. You'll save a lot of headaches, time, and money with his feedback. In sum, take a chance! You'll like this guy. read more

Marin Plumbing - Plumbing Near Me - Novato, California

I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a Plummer. I am new to the area and found Marin plumbing online. The owner Brian is local and shared some great info on Novato. He was professional, knowledgeable and detail oriented. Moreover price is fair and his service is exceptional. read more

Brian works very slow. His initial visit for an hour was $300 just for consulting on replacing gas tank water heater. He then took almost 2.5 hours reviewing and measuring for implementing tankless gas water heater and charged me $500 plus. Brian then told me that installing a tankless will cost 8k to 14k and that he needed at least half the amount ($5k) as a deposit before he can begin working on the project. He said that by law he can only ask for $1k for deposit but he did not want to proceed with my project without a $5k upfront fee. He then still demanded $500 for his assessment. Bottomline, I gave Brian $800+ for just a lot of talk and issues on my old house. My takeaway: Brian is slow and expensive. Give him at most 15min to provide an estimate. He will give you an orientation, show you his credentials, his licenses and insurance, etc but the time spent is money out the door. I made a critical mistake of giving him options to consider and he spent 4 hours deciding between tank or tankless. 4 hours x $200 = $800. In fact, Brian took 2.5 hours figuring out where to install tankless water heater... read more

Brian is just the kind of professional that I love to work with. He's very, very timely in his communications, which is very much appreciated these days because that is so rare. He always shows up at the time he says he will be there. We did a bathroom remodel and Brian did the rough-in plumbing valves and then at the end of the job came back and put in the shower and sink fixtures and a Toto toilet. If you've ever installed a Toto toilet, you know that it is a pain in the butt. Brian did an awesome job with everything. I'm very happy to call Brian whenever I need a plumber and I'm very happy to refer him to anybody because he is very competent and has excellent communication skills. Thanks, Brian!! read more

For some people, a cheap price is all that matters. They do not mind inferior parts, recurring problems, missed appointments or messes left behind. Brian is a "Professional" plumber and his charges reflect that. I would put plumber disasters close to the top on my list of things to avoid. I have used plumbers in the past that made me very nervous. Brian always explains how much his service is upfront and if things go wrong, he sticks to it. He offers an annual package of services (including some preventative maintenance) which turns out to be a good deal for any owner of an older home like mine. Like any "membership", if you don't use it, then then you paid too much. For me, it worked out well. For me, he has replaced a faucet, fixed a bathtub drain, and cleared our upstairs drains. The bathtub turned out to be a problem which he spent several hours fixing -- but he stuck to his quoted price. When he leaves, you can't tell there was ever a plumber there. read more

We have used Brian with Marin Plumbing twice and have been very satisfied. He is responsive, friendly and professional. His work has been excellent. read more

Found Marin Plumbing on Yelp. Brian was the only plumber to call me back out of 6 people I called. He work with my elderly parents and explain everything to them. My mother said he was on time, clean, efficient and very sweet. I also have called him to work on my bathroom toilet. Called me right back, explain everything on the phone in detail on what to expect and how much. read more

Same deal, Brian gave us the talk on customer service and his tiered pricing model. He came to clean out our drain and fixed a broken elbo on our faucet. When I called him a month later to tell him the elbo was leaking he said he had no record of it and that it would cost the same again for him to come out and look at it. It took him a day to get back to me and told me it would take him a few days to get to our house since he was so busy and should use him as a secondary resource. So much for paying extra for customer service? Brian is more of a salesman than an plumber. Don't let his stick get the best of you! read more

While Brian is "professional" and thorough, he is in it for the money only. He came to my house and, even before he looked at my toilet he tried to sell me a program which signed him up for some time to come. He then looked at our toilet and wanted $500 for a tank rebuild. I gave him the minimum and sent him on his way. I got Chuck from Preferred within an hour of calling and he fixed it for $129. So do NOT call Marin Plumbing! They will try to rip you off! read more

Confusing pricing model, more time spent talking than working, "Smooth-talked" my 86-year-old mother in law and then greatly overcharged for a simple clearing of a kitchen drain ($357!). Refused to refund the overcharged amount after two written requests, and when the exact same problem reoccurred about a month later, refused to stand by his origninal work...no satisfaction guarantee whatsoever. Also, was amazingly rude to my wife on the phone, belligerent and condescending.. Steer clear and don't be hoodwinked by this "fixed price bandit" the way we were. read more

Our gardener lacerated a copper pipe leading to the sprinkler system and insisted on fixing it himself. It didn't work and he wound up clogging whole system with copper and solder shavings left inside the pipe. Brian trouble shot the problem patiently and efficiently while explaining the whole process as he worked. My gardener showed up in the middle of the process claiming that it wasn't his fault. Brian carefully and with neutral bias talked him down patiently explaining the problem and the probability of where the clog in the system originated. Brian's professionalism and willingness to discuss possible reasons for the system failure over the phone is what prompted me to choose him in the first place. He is fully equipped, prompt, clean, and communicates well: a rare class act. read more

I was wowed by the professionalism of Brian with Marin Plumbing. When he first called to make an appointment, he gave me a two hour window for his arrival. He even offered to come do the work on the weekend! He then called me as he was leaving his previous job to narrow down the time for my window. Unlike those cable companies who leave you hanging around all day, he was there the first minute of my window which was 11 to 1, he was there at 11. To be honest, when he called he was there waiting for me! Talk about being on time! Fantastic. I appreciate the fact that he considers my time valuable. I also must mention that he entered the house in booties as to not track dirt into the house. To a clean freak like me, I knew that meant he would leave the apartment in a better shape then when he arrived. He was meticulous in his work laying down blankets and towels around the work area. He was able to assess the work needed and walks you through all the options and prices before beginning his work. I really appreciated knowing what the why behind the work needed and pricing. He is extremely fair with the pricing options. He makes sure that you are comfortable with the work he plans to do. Now to the important stuff. He knows what he is doing. I know, I know that is expected with a plumber correct? Well, sadly a lot of plumbers go out and put a "band-aid" on the real issue. They may be cheaper at first, but you will pay for it in the long run. You know that saying, you get what you pay for? That is a wise adage to think of when you are choosing your plumber. Someone may give you a lower quote to get your business, but do you really want a quick fix when it comes to a toilet not working a pipe burst. I don't want to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. Brian is from Marin County, and has worked in the business for 24 years. He is an expert in his field. As the owner of Marin Plumbing, he answers calls and arrives with a truck full needed parts and tools. Unlike plumbers, who need to leave a job for parts and come back, he is like a retail store on wheels. When your time is concerned, that makes a big difference. Okay, so pricing. He is priced on par with his competitors. Sure, there may be plumbers who offer cheaper rates, but again how are they able to offer those prices? Brian is fantastic when walking you through the price options. I also appreciated knowing the how and why behind the quotes. He has you agree to the prices before he starts the work. Here is the best part, at the end he will walk you through the work he did and what that entailed. I was delighted with Brian as a plumber. I would absolutely recommend him to friends and family. There are two things I will always defer to the experts for, car maintenance and house maintenance. I will certainly call Marin Plumbing the next time I'm in need of a professional plumber. read more

Well this is officially my first time to make a review on yelp. Marin plumbing was referred to me by a friend (after a insanely high quote from another plumber) and I was so pleased with the service that I felt obliged to write a review. Its amazing when I read the other reviews that people can have such dramatic different experiences than what I had. The information about what was wrong, the cost etc was explained very clearly. I agreed with the work and it was done as it was said and I was very happy with it. Thank you Brian, you are our plumber read more

Great service. He came on the day of the napa earth quake. Fixed the minor earthquake damage to my plumbing quickly. Fortunately it was a simple fix so price was reasonable for a Sunday eve emergency call. read more

I've used Brian's Marin Plumbing many times for a variety of plumbing needs over the past at least 10 years. He's always been honest and direct. He's clearly and carefully explained the needed fix, the cost, and likely repair time. He's kept me updated as his work proceeded. He's very polite and takes great care to leave my home spotless when his job is done. Marin Plumbing is my go-to plumber. A+ service. read more

I am a licensed landscape contractor here in Marin County. I have worked with Brian on multiple jobs. Brian is always professional. Brian works hard and gets the job done. Brian is very pleasant. Brian is good person. The last job we did we all passed inspection with flying colors. Thank you Brian read more

I was referred to Brian at Marin Plumbing by our contractor. We were very impressed by his professionalism, his follow up and his meticulous attention to detail. He also takes the time to explain his diagnosis and suggestions for repair and/ or improvement. We appreciate the personal service and highly recommend Brian at Marin Plumbing. read more

I had a problem with my in-warranty hot water heater this week. Brian Cooke, owner of Marin Plumbing came out and was highly professional, explained how he worked and assured me he would do his best to either repair or replace the HWH. After thorough inspection, it turned out not to be my HWH, but a leak in the roof which was dripping into the insulation of the heater. Instead of walking away, because it isn't his problem, Brian helped me make a plan to have the leak temporarily repaired, time to let the heater dry out and after that, he will come out, inspect and turn on the gas line. I'm in camping mode but Marin Plumbing went above and beyond in service and I know I will be a repeat customer in the future. Thanks so much for the help and advice. Lynn Wills Los Robles Mobile Home Park read more

Marin Plumbing was timely, thorough and more than far in their pricing. I asked him respond to an emergency which he did within 45 minutes changing his schedule to fix my problem. He had all the equipment needed to diagnosis the situation including a pipe camera, multiple mechanical "snakes", etc. which many of his competition lack. Although the pricing is a bit complex he explained it completely only charging me for the time he was working. He actually gave me more service than I paid for which I greatly appreciated. I appreciated working with an experienced owner of the company. read more

About a year ago, I called Brian because it was a Saturday, and I needed someone right away. I was exhausted and in a time crunch. That simple kitchen faucet cost me almost $600. I knew as soon as he got here what a rip off it was, but needed the work done.At that time,Brian, who spent more time talking and selling then working, told me the dishwasher valve was frozen, and wanted some rediculous amount to fix it.I said no. A year later,my handy man just told me that it is not frozen. I watched him turn it. DON'T FALL FOR BRIAN'S SCEEM. All of my neighbors asked about him, and I warned them all off. read more

Even as one of his special customers who paid his membership price, he still would overcharge for items not on his list! Over $400 to install two basic toilets?! I felt taken advantage of... read more

I couldn't agree with the other two negative reviews more. He first attempted to sell us on this package when all we needed was a simple repair. He "fixed" the leak and then overcharged us. When his repair broke he wouldn't stand behind it, stating that we should have signed up for his program. Because of his attitude problem, he has missed out on a good deal of business from us. TwO THUMBS DOWN! read more

I came to use Marin Plumbing because I needed a licensed plumber to come out and do calculations on a gas line for a new fire bowl. I went to my REALTOR's website and found their local recommendations page and Marin Plumbing was on the list. I called and scheduled an appointment for Brian to come out and do the calcs required. Brian spent about 3 hours at my house exploring ALL existing lines and doing all the required calculations. When the calcs were brought to the town to get a permit for a new gas line (my existing lines, it turned out, could not handle the load required for the fire bowl we ordered according the the fire bowl manufacturer), the lady at the city said Brian's calcs were "perfect". Permit in hand, Brian proceeded to install the new gas line....with great care and attention to detail. The other crews doing other parts of our backyard renovation project really liked working with Brian. Another part of our backyard renovation included installing a new drip irrigation system. For this purpose, the Landscaper suggested that we run a new water line to a new place on our home. Brian came back and did this project quickly and effectively. His attention to detail is excellent and he's just a really "good guy" to work with and I felt very comfortable having him in and around our home. If anyone were to ask me for a plumber recommendation, I would enthusiastically tell them about Marin Plumbing. read more

Brian came out promptly to deal with a water pipe leak and give an estimate for replacing a water heater in our newly-bought house. As we sorted out what scope of work we could afford, he gave us a few estimates covering a range of options and prices. The estimates incorporated a big picture view of fixes that needed to be done now, fixes that could wait, and pre-emptive improvements that, in the long run, would save us money and headaches and make our new place nicer to live in every day. In addition to a water heater replacement, we had him do a whole house re-pipe (2 bathrooms water only, water main from meter to house, kitchen sink, laundry sink, washing machine, 4 hose faucets) and lateral sewer line replacement. Brian's estimates seemed high at first, but in the end he was absolutely worth it. He rolled with surprises that came up in the course of the work, which with other plumbers may well have cost us extra in money and hassle, and he threw in several little extras, like a new kitchen combination sprayer/faucet, that make our quality of life much better. (He gave us a discounted price for installing new appliances, too.) The hot water pipe leak was the initial problem. After a professional leak detection guy couldn't pinpoint where the leak was, Brian said he could replace just the hot water pipe, but that we should think about replacing the cold water pipe since it was old and might spring a leak too. Since we were having the walls opened for electrical work, doing a whole house repipe now would get the mess over with before we moved in. The lateral sewer replacement was another pre-emptive fix. The front yard was already a mess, but we had plans to have it landscaped during remodeling. When he showed us tree root intrusions on video from the camera he'd sent down the pipe, he said the short-term solution would be to have him roto-rooter the pipe every couple of years. Laying a new sewer pipe from the front of the house to the main line would, in the long run, minimize chances that we'd have to dig up the landscaping to deal with sewer problems. Brian communicated clearly throughout about what our options were and what we could expect for our money. He kept us informed about what stage of work he was completing or about to start, so that we were able to coordinate his work with that of other contractors. He took excellent care of us and our budget. read more

Like the others, it seemed like a simple, basic job. When he came out to replace a kitchen faucet, Brian Cooke helped me feel better about plumbers --after some recent shocking incompetence and rudeness elsewhere. I am signing up for Marin Plumber's Diamond program because after the sting of prior experience I want to be able to make a habit of having service that listens well to my needs, anticipates my needs, clearly explains options, and follows through with an outcome I can feel good with. I appreciate Brian's attentiveness to the solidity of his business as well as to fulfilling his immediate task. He takes time to explain, yes he does --on HIS time, not MY meter. Bravo on an excellent job. read more

Brian Cooke is generous with his time and money! He donated a full filter system to Golden Poppy Preschool & Infant Center at no charge. This altruistic donation benefited the children and teachers alike! read more

Marin Plumbing, Brian, was very professional. Had options and costs for a no nonsense explanation. In my case, I do a lot of work around the house myself. But plumbing isn't high on my list of what I'm good at. On Time, Cleans Up. And We are planning a remodel next spring and our General Contractor will have to use Brian for our plumbing needs. read more

We had an emergency with our sewer system and Brian from Marin Plumbing helped us out and did a great job. Very transparent about the pricing and the steps he will do to diagnose and fix the problem. Extremely friendly, arrived on time and did a very clean job. read more

My garbage disposal died and the sink almost overflowed from the backup. I was frantic so I looked for a plumber and ended up calling Marin Plumbing. I was told that in order to diagnose the problem I would be charged $59.00 but before doing any work the technician wrote down to the penny the cost to fix my disposal. He was prompt and courteous, and an effective communicator. I really needed help and I trust Marin Plumbing. I was very satisfied and have recommended him to my family and friends. read more

I live in Fairfax, my water heater recently began to leak under my house. I supply building materials to the tile trades, and have heard only good things about Brian with Marin Plumbing. When I have a project, I simply want it done right the first time so I don't have to worry about it again. So I called Brian of Marin Plumbing. He met with me at my house and was VERY thorough. He explained all the available options to help me make the best decision for my needs. We decided to go tankless after discussing all the options. The installation simply looks awesome. Looks like plumbing art tastefully mounted on the side of my house. Couldn't have asked for a better job. There are many plumbers out there, BRIAN IS A REAL PLUMBER!!! I will only recommend Marin Plumbing to my clients, soooooo happy. Thanks Brian, you nailed it!!! read more

I should have listened to the other folks posting their displeasure with Marin Plumbing. The comments displayed compelled me to write my own post. I just bought a house and when we went to change out two toilets with new ones, we saw a lot of water under it and wanted advice before we proceeded. We called Marin Plumbing as our third choice after leaving messages for two others. They never called back so Brian answered the phone and I felt comfortable moving forward. Before meeting him in person, he explained his customer service policy, the importance of treating the customer with respect and dignity, and that he would waive the fee for coming to my house. He called prior to our scheduled day to postpone and reschedule. I didn't have an emergency so I agreed and it was fine. On the day of our appointment, he called me 10 minutes before and explained why he was going to be late - he was doing the billing in his office and needed time to get to me. It was 45 minutes later when he arrived. At this point, a red flag went up about said "customer service". He then pulled out marketing materials about joining his preferred club, and all the laminated pages about his knowledge of plumbing and that he was insured and bonded. This schpeel took about 20 minutes. He then put down the charge for the visit and I reminded him that he would waive that charge when we talked over the phone. He said he forgot but that he would honor that discount of $69. He then went over pricing and let's just say I was surprised....$299 for each toilet installation. Since I thought I had plumbing problems my husband couldn't fix, I agreed. The water department told me a toilet install should be $125 not including parts if needed. I thought I was having a problem wanted to do the right thing by getting an expert to look at the mess we had under one of the toilets. At this point, we talked about the sewer line and being insecure about it, I asked for the service to take a peek inside of it. An extra charge but I wanted to know for peace of mind. (I probably should have done it before I bought the house.) He started with the check of the sewer line and he had really updated equipment. It took two hours, where he marked outside where the intrusions were located (minor in my eyes but in his, it could fail any moment!) and a copy of the recorded video of the whole sewer line. It was $400 but again, worth it for peace of mind. He then got started on the toilets. Come to find out, there was nothing unusual and it was installed without issues. The water we found was due to a broken wax seal and didn't damage the floor as it was on a concrete slab. Whew! On the second toilet, it was pretty easy except when he removed the toilet, it needed another anchor bolted down as the previous one disintegrated. I watched him as he fixed it. He used a thin item which looked like a large round gasket with holes in it and then used a drill to drill two bolts into the pipe in the floor. I think it took all of 15 minutes. He then installed the toilet without issue. At this point, he was at my house from 10:45 am - 5 pm finishing the work. My husband came home at this point where Brian took him outside and explained the intrusions in the sewer line that he marked on the driveway. When Brian came back, we started to take care of billing. Guess what? He charged me $150 for that large round gasket thing and the drilling of the two bolts that took 15 minutes. I asked twice why that is an extra charge, and he underlined a word in the line item for a toilet install and said that was $150. There was no mention of this extra charge as I watched him do the whole thing. Also, the line item listed all the things he will do to install a toilet with one price, there was no $150 anywhere except on the bottom near the total. This was the final red flag that went up but I didn't start to get sick in my stomach until I went to bed and thought about my experience. So, for $1100, I got two toilets installed and my sewer looked at. I couldn't stop thinking about my husband and that look he gave me as I handed over my credit card for payment. Oh how dumb I feel. But it's my own fault. If I had only listened to Yelp and the Water Dept........Please take my word and do not hire Marin Plumbing. Seriously read and take into consideration my post here on Yelp. I don't post things unless I am really moved to warn others. read more