Trusted Plumbers in San Mateo – Genteel Plumbers

There’s a reason people in San Mateo keep calling Genteel Plumbers. We’re not the biggest. We don’t have the flashiest trucks. But we show up, we do the job right, and we treat your house like it’s our own.

Honestly, a lot of folks call us after they’ve had a bad experience with a bigger company. Too many of them treat you like a number, send random techs who don’t explain anything, and charge more than they said they would. We’ve heard it again and again—from families in Hillsdale, renters in Shoreview, even restaurant owners near downtown.

Let’s be real—plumbing issues are a pain. A leak, a backed-up drain, no hot water… none of it happens when it’s convenient. And the last thing you want is to call someone who takes three days to show up or hits you with a big surprise bill at the end.

That’s where Genteel Plumbers comes in. We’re local. We’re fast. We treat you and your home with respect. We’ve helped folks all over San Mateo from – Shoreview to Baywood – deal with clogged drains, old pipes, busted water heaters, and everything in between.

We’re not some big national chain. No holding music. No waiting weeks. Just honest work, done by real people who actually pick up the phone.

👷 Who We Are

We started Genteel Plumbers because we were tired of hearing stories from neighbors who felt ripped off or ignored by other plumbers. You deserve better. You deserve someone who explains the work, shows up when they say they will, and doesn’t try to sell you stuff you don’t need.

We live in San Mateo. We raise our families here. And most of our business comes from word-of-mouth. People trust us because we’re clear, friendly, and fix the problem the right way.

Services We Offer

Below are the services we offer every day to homeowners, and landlords across San Mateo. Whether it’s an emergency or something that’s been bothering you for a while, give Genteel Plumbers a call.

24/7 Emergency Plumbing

Plumbing problems don’t care what time it is. If a pipe bursts at 3AM, you’re not going to wait until Monday. That’s why Genteel Plumbers is available 24/7. We’ve been called out in the middle of dinner and even during holidays.

One family in the Highlands called us when their washing machine pipe broke on Christmas Eve. Water was pouring into the garage. We were there in 30 minutes, shut it off, fixed the pipe, and helped them avoid thousands in damage.

Don’t wait. If it’s flooding, leaking, or spraying, call us anytime—really.

Sewer & Drain Cleaning

Slow drains aren’t just annoying—they usually mean something’s brewing in your pipes. Food, hair, grease, tree roots… we’ve seen drains clogged by Legos and even a dog toy.

We use the right tools to clear the problem fast. And we don’t just poke a hole—we clear the whole line. If there’s something deeper down the pipe, we can camera inspect it and show you what’s going on.

From backed-up sinks in Hayward Park to main sewer line clogs in Baywood, Genteel Plumbers has fixed it all.

Hydro Jetting

Sometimes regular drain cleaning isn’t enough. That’s when we bring out the big guns – hydro jetting. This is a high-pressure water system that blasts gunk, grease, roots, and buildup right off your pipe walls.

It’s especially helpful for older San Mateo homes with original clay or cast iron pipes. One commercial client near downtown had constant backups. After hydro jetting, their pipes were flowing like new.

It’s safe, clean, and super effective.

Leak Detection & Repair

Some leaks you can see—like the puddle under your sink. Others hide behind walls, under slabs, or in ceilings. These ones can get expensive if you don’t catch them early.

We use specialized equipment to hear leaks through walls and concrete. One homeowner near Beresford had a $600 water bill and couldn’t figure out why. Turned out to be a pinhole leak in a pipe under their kitchen floor. We found it, cut a small section, and had it fixed the same day.

If your water bill is creeping up or you notice a musty smell or damp walls—call us.

Plumbing Repiping Services

Old pipes don’t last forever. If your water is discolored, smells weird, or your pressure drops every time someone else turns on a faucet, your house may need our repiping services.

We’ve helped homes in Shoreview and the San Mateo Hills replace old galvanized and copper pipes with modern PEX or copper piping. We handle everything—walls, patching, clean-up—and most homes are done in under a week.

Repiping isn’t glamorous, but it solves tons of headaches before they start.

Tankless Water Heater Installation

No one likes cold showers. Tankless water heaters give you endless hot water and save space. Plus, they’re energy efficient and can cut down your gas bill over time.

We recently installed one in a three-bathroom house in Laurelwood where the family kept running out of hot water. Now they can all shower back-to-back with no problem.

If your water heater is 10+ years old or you’re just tired of running out, it might be time to upgrade.

Toilet Repair & Installation

Running toilet? Won’t flush? Leaking around the base? We fix them all—sometimes in under 30 minutes.

We’ve also replaced old, water-wasting models with newer, low-flow toilets that save money and look better. One landlord off 5th Ave had us swap out six old units across his rentals. Zero problems since.

From quick fixes to full replacements, Genteel Plumbers handles it.

Trenchless Sewer Replacement

This one’s a game-changer. If your sewer line is broken, you don’t have to dig up your whole yard anymore. With trenchless replacement, we pull a new pipe through the old one—no massive trench, no ruined driveway.

We did this for a couple in Baywood Knolls who were quoted $20K by another company for full excavation. We did it for less, finished in two days, and left their front yard looking untouched.

Ask us if your home is a good fit for trenchless.

Water Heater Repair & Replacement

No hot water? Strange noise coming from the heater? A small leak around the base?

Genteel Plumbers repairs and replaces both tank and tankless water heaters. If it’s something simple—like a pilot light or bad valve—we’ll fix it. If it’s too far gone, we’ll replace it with something better.

We’re familiar with the water types in San Mateo too, which means we install systems that last longer and handle our mineral content better.

🏆 Why Choose Genteel Plumbers?

There are lots of plumbers in San Mateo. But here’s why people choose Genteel Plumbers again and again:

• We’re real locals. We live here. We care. You might’ve seen our truck at Borel Park or outside Mollie Stone’s.
• No surprise pricing. We tell you the cost up front. No mystery fees, no games.
• We explain stuff. You won’t be left guessing what we did or why.
• We clean up. When we leave, it’ll be cleaner than when we showed up.
• We’re licensed and insured. And we actually stand behind our work.

Plumbing isn’t just our job—it’s what we’re good at. And we’re proud of how we treat people. We’ve earned every 5-star review the hard way: by showing up, doing the work right, and being nice about it.

📍 Areas We Serve in San Mateo

• Baywood
• Shoreview
• Hayward Park
• North Central
• Laurelwood
• Beresford
• San Mateo Highlands
• Downtown San Mateo
• Hillsdale
• 19th Ave Park
• And surrounding areas

Helpful Local Info:

• City of San Mateo Permit Info
• PG&E Water Heater Rebates