R.B. Travis Plumbing & Construction

I’ve had this company to my 40 year old home, 4 times now in the last 2 years. I can’t imagine calling another plumbing company. Starting with Nancy, answering the phone to get the information, to each of their long term professional, polite, personable, knowledgable, employees I’ve met, I couldn’t be happier with the employees and the results of their work. They replaced a sump pump, installed a new water heater, fixed a dripping bathtub faucet, and yesterday, replaced the plumbing under my kitchen sink.

My external water service pipe was leaking slowly that caused my water bill doubled. I had insurance for my external water pipe separately from my home insurance, and they send R.B. Travis Plumbing over to take care of my issue. R.B. Travis plumbing did decent job. Thank you for your prompt communication and work quality.

Very professional and proactive in reaching out to set up an appointment to get me a quote. Plumber who came out even put a boot on his shoes prior to coming into my house. The secretary who scheduled the appointment and the plumber who came out were both very nice.
However, their quotes were just ridiculous; four stars because the prices are ridiculous. I asked for a quote for a simple cartridge replacement which I was going to fix on my own. The price quoted was $ 325. The work took me about ten minutes to do myself. I am not opposed to this business but just keep in mind to get multiple quotes.

I also have an Emergency Home Service and needed a clean-​out done on my sewer line. Appointment over the phone was smooth and plumbers were dispatched within 24 hours.
The plumbers arrived within their time frame widow and completed the job in approximately one hour. This is only a first time experience, however, the service was so professional, that I will probably use Rb Travis for all my plumbing needs now.

I have an Emergency Home Service and whenever I have a plumbing problem, which I’ve had many since the house is 61 years old, I can always rely on RB Travis to come to the rescue IMMEDIATELY… I am very thankful that they take into consideration that my Dad is 90 years old and needs to have his facilities working, otherwise it’s very hard on him. They always make a supreme effort and I appreciate that so much. I am happy to report that every single service call has been met with exceptional professionalism and great communications from the home office. I like having someone that I can talk to that is always available when the plumbers are on a job and who makes the effort to get back to me as soon as possible so I know exactly what is going to happen and when they are coming and they always call ahead just to make sure that I know they are on the way… They are also very knowledgeable and have given me suggestions and ideas that will improve my situation. I have been happy during the 3 years of time that I have used R.B. Travis Plumbing.

The service provided was professional punctual and excellent. Care was taken to make sure everything worked outside and inside the house. I am a most satisfied customer
Herb Pomarantz
San Jose

RB Travis has been out to my property three times in the last 1 ½ weeks, and they still haven’t been able to locate the leak in my main water line — much less fix it.
1. The first time, I showed the plumber the wet patch in the yard and told him there could be two leaks. Instead of digging starting in the middle of the wet patch, he dug some 6 – 8 feet above it and went upstream. He gave up saying he couldn’t find the leak and needed to send out a «locator» person.
2. The second time, the locator person came out and found a leak in my sprinkler line (that I already knew about and that I had already shut off the valve to it) some 18 feet above the wet patch. He turned on the valve to my sprinkler line that was already shut off to find a leak that he didn’t need to. He did not touch base with me before leaving my property, and he did not even check to see that the dial on my water meter was still turning due to a leak in my main line. The man in charge, Hank, later apologized and promised that they would fix it right the next time they come out.
3. After I fixed the leak in my sprinkler line, the dispatcher said that she would send out both the locator and the plumber to locate and fix my leak. She said «they» (implying more than one person) would work on it. Today, only the plumber showed up (no locator person). He thought he was sent out to fix my sprinkler leak — duh. He still didn’t know where the leak in the main was line was and left without doing anything. So why did RB Travis even bother to send out a plumber to fix something when he doesn’t even know where/​what to fix?
And now, the dispatcher Lisa tells me that they can’t and won’t send out the locator until a week from today — due to the locator’s «lack of availability». After I told her that I was very dissatisfied with their service, Hank called back and still said that they could not get a locator out until a week later.
(Hank went through great lengths to explain that RB Travis doesn’t have their own locator, and that they have to call on 3^rd party services to locate water leaks for them. Just now, I know it’s a outright lie because the locator that came to my house on 10÷15÷15 was a RB Travis employee who filled out a proposal for repair on RB Travis official form/​paperwork)
After screwing up royally twice already, you’d figure they would try harder — whatever it takes — to make it right quickly, but no… they don’t even try.
This outfit has very bad communication among themselves. They don’t relay messages /​information from one person to another. They promise customers things that they don’t intend to deliver — or don’t deliver what they promise. When I called them on it, Hank backpedaled and said they have a certain «procedure» they follow.
The way RB Travis has a two person scheme of plumber vs. locator is very inefficient, draws out the diagnosis and repair process, resulting in higher charges for customer and takes forever to get anything fixed.
It’s been 1 ½ week already since they first came out to service me, and it’ll be another week before they come back. For 2 ½ weeks, my pipe is leaking water into the ground — and water is EXPENSIVE in California these days.
+++++ Update ++++++++++++++
RB Travis was able to bring a locator out 2 days earlier than planned, and they sent the plumber back to fix the leak. Altogether, it took RB Travis four visits and two weeks to fix the leak in my water main.

These guys were great. They responded immediately to a hot water leak we had in our residence. Nico, Richie, Steven, and Braden were outstanding in their work and understanding of the problem. Steven pinpointed the exact location of the water leak. Nico went the ‘extra mile’ in carefully explaining not only the specifics of our plumbing issue but how he would go about fixing the leak.
We highly recommend these guys and their company for any plumbing issues you may have.

This time Unilocal let me down. Had a busted pipe just outside of my foundation at 6pm. I shut off the water, googled an emergency plumber, and called R.B. Travis. I was told nobody could come until the next day. I made an appointment for 12:30 and took off a half days work. The plumber, who was nice and professional, arrived at 2:30.
This company gives estimates using a flat rate, with no breakdown of labor and parts. I was in a bind, needing water for my family. I paid too much for the quick fix, and won’t use the company again. Too bad.

I called R B Travis when I needed a plumber to run a gas line to my kitchen. They were prompt and courteous (and have a sense of humor which I like a lot). They got an estimate to me right away and were extremely proactive about keeping in contact throughout the project. They did an amazing job with the gas line, new plumbing under the sink, and even stayed late into the evening to get my appliances installed on time. During the project, a couple of problems came up in the house unrelated to the contracted job. Rick was able to take care of these other issues, saving me from making more calls and setting up additional appointments… super handy! They did draw the line at folding laundry and cooking dinner… oh well… you can’t have everything ;-)
Hire these guys!!!

I called R. B Travis Plumbing on a Sunday morning frantic for service to address a backed up plumbing issue throughout the house. I left a message and ended up continuing to call around. I ended up scheduling an apt with Rooter Rooter (RR), who wanted $ 270 for the first hour and $ 68 for each 15 minutes afterwards. I wasn’t happy about the quote, but again, I was desperate to get it fixed.
Rick called me back minutes after I scheduled the appointment and without making any promises, said he’d see what he could do. He called me back 15 minutes later and said that not only was he sending someone out, but they would be providing me service 1.5 hours sooner than RR. To top it off, they were going to charge $ 240 to fix the issue. Again, remember this is the Sunday rate.
The plumber arrived earlier than quoted and did an excellent job fixing the problem. I’m so grateful to Rick and the RB Travis team for saving my Sunday and for doing so at a reasonable rate. They will definitely have my future plumbing business.

I live in Concord, had supply line break between meter and house and called the warranty company who called RBTravis. They were at my door within 3 hours and worked into the darkness till it was found and fixed. They then found a second leak, apparently they both had been going on for some time, and fixed that too. Many thanks to Dwayne, Josh and Jacob, they were there when they said they would be, fixed everything and left it in way better shape then they found it. Great to deal with these folks

We live in TH, we had a leak outside the home, HOA said its owner responsibility we are paying $ 305 a month HOA a month and get «babkas».
So I called a plumbing company the guy was really nice but said since he needs to replace the pips all the way to the meter, he need a city permit. It’s Friday and he can do it only on Monday. The cost will be $ 700.00 where $ 200 goes for the permit. I did remember we had purchased special insurance through San Jose Water Company, it’s a third party and the cost is $ 60.00 a year, $ 5.00 a month. I called the company they took the report I said it urgent someone will call us in the next 2 hours. R. B Travis called they asked if it can wait until Monday we said «No». The guy showed up Saturday at 8am he did an excellent job, no city permit was required. He worked for 4.5 hours and it did not cost us a thing insurance covered. Since they do such a good job I will use them in the near future.

R.B. Travis remodeled our master bathroom six years ago. They did such an outstanding job for a very reasonable price that ever since then we have never even gotten competing bids when we’ve had any plumbing needs. They just completed another bathroom remodel in our house last month. Another outstanding job. There are several things that impress us about R.B. Travis. Once they start your job, they are there until it’s complete. No starting the work, demolishing your bath, and then rushing off to six other jobs like many contractors do. If they tell you a crew is going to be there at 8:00 am they are there when they say, every time. But most important of all, Rick and his crew will do whatever they can to make sure you are completely satisfied with their work without sticking you with costly «change orders» just to get the job done right, and in my experience that’s rare with contractors. They take great pride in their work and it shows in the finished product. We could not recommend them more highly.

Hello I live in Concord, CA and have purchased the CCWD insurance and am now having problems with the sewer. We had a back up that was immediately repaired. After having this snaked out the technician recommended we have a sewer camera inspection. Which took place the day after. They have been VERY helpful thoughtout the process. Dealing with the insurance co. was a drag. But at the end of the day I did get word that the main sewer needs replacement because of cracks and root intrustion. Something I would have never known if it wasn’t for R.B. Travis coming to my rescue. So even though it’s kind of pricey to repair the insurance is paying for a good portion and I’m stuck a minor bill mainly for permit cost. I really appreciated the service provided by R. B Travis and look forward to working with them in the future. Thanks VC

I met these folks in 2012, when the water pipes under the concrete slab failed (again & a few feet away from the first repair, years before). Since the home is a condo, the HOA had already been using R. B. Travis to reroute the water lines up and through the ceilings. What a job (!) and it was very comforting to know they knew the lay of the land. They were efficient; fortunately, the condo was empty at the time, but the crew was great and they cleaned up well after themselves.
Fast-​forward to March, 2013 and guess what? There is the same problem in another condo, which turns out to actually be a townhouse, meaning I own the land beneath and the HOA says, «Sorry!» After discovering, through another plumbing company, that the warm concrete floor was a broken pipe underneath, I called Travis. By the time the first plumber could start to conference on getting me a bid, Travis Co. was bringing in the leak locator guy. In a few days the broken pipe was rerouted, not the whole system, to save me some money (my choice). The walls were repaired and they took the time to look at and address some minor issues along the way. Again, the crew was great and while there, they installed a new kitchen faucet, saving another service call.
Then, I found out they are not just a plumbing company, which made sense, since they brought in the drywall crew. I will definitely call them for future projects.
Thanks, R. B. Travis!

Woke up Thursday morning to a lake in my front yard. Called the insurance carrier provided by the CCWD program for underground pipe breaks. Within two hours I received a call from R. B Travis who said they would be out between 1 and 3. They arrived at 2:30 and within two hours the jobs was done and the area cleaned up. My thanks to the two great plumbers who were polite and informative and did a great job. I’ll sure use them again.

One of my favourite jokes begins with a Question: What the difference between the Yiddish and the British? The British leave and don’t say goodbye, while the Yiddish say goodbye, but never leave!
Our recent experience with RB Travis Plumbing had plenty of Yiddishkeit. It all begin late Saturday Afternoon when Gayle noticed a small puddle of standing water on the cement slab in the garage and next to the washing machine. I wiped it up thinking that it came from a nearby leaking water container, but along the way she noticed seepage from below the concrete and through a few cracks.
On late Sunday afternoon when the Contractor that completed a previous addition on the House came by, we found out that we had a broken pipe between the hot water heater and the washing machine. The root cause was a previous construction practice of securing copper pipe with a galvanized steel stake, which causes long term damage (over many years) thanks to the resulting electrolysis. Not only was it affecting this pipe, but other hot and cold water sections in the original parts of the house were also suspect.
In between, we had no idea was going on. Grasping at straws, we started with an Water District sponsored insurance policy that covers the exterior piping from the Street to the House. We called the insurance company and they sent out RB Travis Plumbing to take a look. We made an appointment and the friendly technician arrived promptly at 11 AM on Sunday.
He finally pulled out at around 1:30 PM. Some of that time was spent trying to reach the insurance company who confirmed that garage piping was not covered as it’s considered internal. Another good chunk of time was taken up by their unsolicited decision to see if the external piping was leaking. This later turned into an offer of a $ 390 «deal» to do a leak check and on top of what insurance might or might not cover. At a single click per hour (with the valves closed) and without Gayle’s approval, and a more in depth appraisal, I politely declined. All of this occurred in slow motion and with interlude times where the guy just sat in his truck for minutes on end.
What I think was going on is that the Technician was relatively new to the profession and drew the short end of the seniority stick on this beautiful Sunday. That might explain why there was a colleague on the phone with him the whole way and my feeling that we were all in over our head. And boy was I relieved when he finally left! I was stressed about the issue and felt that this Plumber’s visit was a long exercise in treading water.
In the end and with the later expert help of Gayle’s General Contractor (and his Plumber who had also previously worked on the House), we opted for a relatively extensive re-​piping of the Original House of which the lines would run up, over, down, and without involving the slab. It wasn’t cheap, but it was one of those times that we swallowed hard and agreed to «Make It So».
In Summary, here is what I re-​learned:
— In «older» homes, stuff happens and at the least opportune time. Most of the time, the fix is not easy or cheap, and the only choice is to get it done.
— Home Insurance doesn’t cover «wear and tear» and special insurance does nothing at worst, and is of limited help at best.
— You don’t miss the water you need for showers, flushing, laundry, and dishes until you’re forced to shut turn the valve off.
— DANCE WITH THE ONE THAT BRUNG YA. In other words, if you have a trusted Contractor that you’ve used in the past, call him/​her first. In this case, ours knew the House, quickly diagnosed the issue, and got things rolling immediately.
— Beware of well meaning Contractors contacted by the Insurance Company or picked out of the «phone book». I have actually had very good luck if it’s a simple job that I know exactly what needs to be done. But for complicated situations as the one described above, it could end up as an expensive and prolonged babysitting experience.