General SF

I don't usually write reviews but when one needs a good plumber, it's incredibly helpful to have the opinions of others. My experience was exceptional so I'm willing to share it. I have experience doing my own plumbing (replacing faucets, valves, etc...) but I know my limits and knew this job would require a professional. I say this to convey that while I am not a plumber, I do have a bit of knowledge and having worked with contractors a lot, I also have a pretty good idea if someone is trying to sell me something I don't need.

I have a 1930's house in the Sunset District that had a 3' vertical crack in a section of the 4" cast iron drain pipe in the basement. The crack was leaking so I wanted it replaced. This was all that I thought that I needed. But I also knew that the bathtub and kitchen sink were draining slowly. My brother thought they just needed snaking or the traps cleaned out so we didn't think this would be related to the work Yevgeny would do in replacing the cracked pipe.

I called Yevgeny on short notice and when he arrived, he looked at how all of the drain piping was laid out (it's all exposed in the basement) and asked if everything is draining OK in the bathroom above. Interesting, given that I hadn't told him about the slow bath drain. I told him about the bath drain and he told me that he asked because the drain pipes from the bathroom connect to a horizontal section which then takes a sharp 90 degree turn to drain into the 4" cast iron drain pipe that he would be replacing. He explained that the sharp 90 degree turn was a point of constriction that was begging for trouble, if not now, in the future. I don't have to be a plumber to understand this; it was a reasonable concern. Yevgeny merely said he would have done it differently, where it would be a 90 degree turn but more gradual so that it wasn't a point of constriction. Something like making a 90 degree turn over 8" instead of over 2".

Current plumbing standards require the design of systems that allow for improved drainage. Plumbing standards in the 30's weren't as efficient. Yevgeny proposed replacing the 90 degree section as a part of his work replacing the 4" cast iron pipe because it would prevent future problems and he was working on that area so it could easily be made a part of that work. I'm a woman and my brother worries that I will be taken advantage of. But what Yevgeny proposed was reasonable and made sense and I did not get the feeling that he was trying to up-sell me so I agreed.

I am extremely grateful that I did. I don't know how to attach photos in Yelp but if I did, I would. The horizontal pipe that fed into the 90 degree bend was almost completely clogged with material; including lots of metal from pipe interiors. The 4" cast iron pipe was also similarly clogged. I am indebted to Yevgeny for having the experience to recognize a potential problem, the persistence in explaining why it was a potential problem and the wisdom to recognize that due to my suspicious nature toward contractors, I would only arrive at my decision on my own.

Yevgeny did excellent, efficient work, he was meticulous, up to code and insistent on cleaning up everything when the work was done. He also pointed out other areas that I should keep an eye on - not toward gaining more work for himself but taking time to explain what I should be aware of.

My kitchen sink that was draining slowly that we thought was the trap? Yevgeny checked it, the trap was fine. The kitchen has a separate drain system and snaking from under the sink did not help. Yevgeny had to take apart the drain piping in the basement only to find the same problem that the other drain system had; pipes almost completely clogged with rusted metal from the inside of the pipes. He cleaned out the pipes by digging out the clog and snaking and then reassembled everything. This section had previously been serviced by another contractor who should have replaced this rotting pipe section when they worked on it but hadn't.

I once had a tile contractor who was excellent. Early on in the job, he decided he wanted to use a special flexible material over cracks that had formed in the foundation due to earthquakes. The material was expensive and I questioned why it was needed. Years later the tile has held up beautifully and I've stayed in touch with the tile contractor. He said it held up due to the expensive material he put over the cracks. I asked him why he persisted when I was reluctant to approve the material. He told me, "Whenever I do a job, I always think back to past jobs with the pride of knowing that I did my best. If I don't do it right or I take shortcuts, I know I will always think back to, 'that one job' that I know I didn't do right. And that job will always weigh heavily on my mind. I don't want to be haunted by, 'that one job'". Yevgeny is that kind of person. Call him. You're welcome.

Yevgeny is very trustworthy and professional, and he treats my home like his own. He's completed a major electrical upgrade as well as some carpentry and plumbing. Showed me how I could DIY some smaller projects to save some money. Came over immediately when I needed an emergency repair. And referred me over to a roofer when I needed one. Yevgeny is now my go-to contractor for any issue with my home, big or small.

I didn't use them but they gave me valuable advice to fix a doorbell myself. Saved me money. Good to see there are honest companies not trying to take your money for easy fixes most people can do with a little instruction. I would definitely reach out again if it's a more complicated job I cannot do myself.

I highly recommend working with General SF. They helped me diagnose an issue that caused a massive leak in my upstairs and downstairs. In trying to diagnose, I worked with leak detection folks, water remediation folks, plumbers and electricians. I also worked with appliance repair folks and appliance manufacturers to try and ascertain what had caused my leak. General SF worked with me like it was a problem we were both looking to solve. They were the only ones to actually figure out the problem (an issue with a PG&E wire into my home that caused voltage fluctuations and burned out two appliance water lines) and amazingly, did this diagnosis with me (over several weeks) free of cost. I highly recommend them and believe them to be incredibly fair and honest. Five star service.

Kind is an understatement for Yevgeny. He is respectful, thoughtful, and reliable in his work. He helped me replace a ptrap and made himself available to make the repairs in an efficient manner.

Though his pricing was slightly higher than other quotes I received, his attention to detail and patience with explaining every aspect of the fix was invaluable!

I had a simple job - the prongs on an AC plug were unusable - and Yevgeny came right out, quickly replaced the plug, and didn't charge me much for it. Easy peasy. Honest, ethical guy who does good work. Highly recommended!

We recently had a problem with our kitchen faucet that needed to get replaced right away. I called General SF with no hopes to have a technician over the same day. To my surprise, Yevgeniy was over in less than two hours. He carefully inspected our kitchen plumbing and faucet, explained in detail what happened and offered different replacement options. When we chose what we wanted, he went to get the part, came back shortly and completed the installation flawlessly.
I highly recommend this company if you are looking for quick, professional and honest service.

While Yevgeny has not yet done any work for me, I have consulted with him about fixing a leak in my garage. I was blown away by his professionalism and thoughtfulness; he took the time to visit my house unbidden to look into the matter and then provided a detailed explanation of what needed to be done. When I next reached out to him several weeks later, he patiently answered all of my questions and elaborated on a few alternatives. With the knowledge I've gained, I feel much better about the problem.

Yevgeny installed a ceiling lamp in our dining room area in 2016 - we were very happy with his professionalism and expertise then, and my husband posted a positive review soon thereafter.

I'm following up now, 7 years later, because Yevgeny deserves my positive review too. It was time to replace the lamp in our dining room. A good family friend who is a certified electrician just today replaced the lamp that Yevgeny installed. Our family friend curiously asked us who installed the lamp originally, because he was very impressed with the wiring in the ceiling that Yevgeny did. He said "you can always tell if someone did a good job from looking at the wiring."

Thanks Yevgeny for a great job!! Also you might not recall - you very kindly gave us a discount. The lamp was hard to install due its shape and style, and it took a long time to install it, but you accommodated our cost expectations. Thanks so much again!

Detailed with his work. Extremely helpful. Also cuts to the source of the problem and solution. Would definitely recommend.

Shocked to find someone as genuine as Yevgeny. He helped me fix my water issues over the phone and guided me step by step. Amazing person and amazing institution. Recommend 100% for any work you have planned. Yevgeny responds quickly by text and will jump in to help.