I'm like most people in that I look at and rely on reviews all the time however, I rarely take the time the leave a review myself so, here is an attempt to do better. This is my experience with Big City Plumbing and why I cannot recommend them.
I was experiencing some intermittent issues with both water pressure & hot water availability in parts of my home and called Big City Plumbing after finding them via reviews on Google & Reddit. They came out within a couple of days and diagnosed my issues as being a bad PRV valve and shower cartridge. The gentlemen seemed knowledgeable & confident and could complete the work that day for a reasonable amount of money so they started work. They ended up replacing the PRV valve in my front yard first and that seemed to go smoothly. The shower cartridge did not go as well. After 40mins of brute force banging the plumber informed me that it was not coming out due to the fact that it was old and they would need to replace the entire shower valve by either cutting into the tile from the front or cutting into the closet from behind. We agreed that it would be easier repairing the closet drywall then the shower tile so they went in that direction.
The two plumbers spent about 5hrs that day completing the work. After using the shower that night I noticed the new valve was wet. Upon further testing I discovered it was dripping down inside my wall anytime the shower was turned on. To their credit, they sent someone back out promptly the next day to fix this new issue they had created however, it was done using different materials and also now included blocking & strapping that wasn't present initially. It left me wondering why it wasn't done that way to begin with.
There was a certain level of janky (for lack of a better word) to the finished work...at least to my untrained eye. Out of curiosity I elicited some feedback from folks who know more about plumbing then I do and their feedback was not kind:
"That looks like a homeowner did it, not a experienced plumber. I would be embarrassed, then he puts galvanized on the bottom not brass wow."
"It's janky...using a valve that requires sweating onto in a house where everything else is already PEX seems strange"
"I give this install a 2.7/10 it is guaranteed to lead to problems within 1-3 years"
"Next level Jank 2.0"
"No way this was an actual plumber."
A few days after their work was complete my intermittent issues with both hot water & low pressure were back so, back to square one. I called them back up and requested a different plumber as I did not have much confidence in the original one due to both the misdiagnosis and brand new leaking shower valve he left me with. The next fella who came out ended up suggesting that my issues may be due to a bad cartridge at the kitchen sink, the master bath tub, and a second shower upstairs as they were all original to the home. He stated that they would most likely run into the same issue in removing the cartridges and would have to cut into the drywall in two more areas to replace the entire valves just like they did in the first shower. He also recommended replacing the hot water heater as it was an old unit original to the home as well. He made sure to mention when giving me the proposal that doing all this work may still not fix my issues and that at least they were not charging me for this final visit.
Needless to say at this point but, I did not choose to have Big City Plumbing do any additional work. I just lived with the issues for a bit longer and then started fresh with another plumbing company who was able to get the issues resolved. Incidentally, they were also able to replace all of the remaining original cartridges while they were here and had no issues pulling them out in a matter of minutes and therefore, did not have to replace any more valves or cut into any tile or drywall.
Anyways, that was my experience and of course, yours may vary however, at least it's out there now and may just help someone in the future who is in need of a plumber.
Bette Delgado
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March 04, 2026
Called Big City Plumbing after notifications from SAWS about excessive water usage. Chris & James performed a leak detection inside my home. Nothing inside was found. Water meter was still showing "running". Overnight water was flowing front yard down driveway into street. Called; spoke w Rafaela & Alyssa regarding visible leak. James returned to provide a contract to repair. Big City Plumbing took care of the steps w the office staff notifying me of what to expect. Excavation crew was mindful of saving flagstone & where dirt was placed. Chris & James returned to install a new main waterline from meter to house. Excavation crew backfilled & repositioned flagstone. This entire process was well organized w/o any issues. The owner of company came by to check in w me. This process could not have been better! Will definitely use Big City Plumbing if need arises
Jose J Rivera
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April 10, 2026
Great prompt service from first call with Raffaella to Cris and James professionally completing the job in excellence. Raffaella explained everything right away, clearly, and in detail. She had no issues, giving me an estimate over the phone and it was the most competitive price out of seven companies that I called. Cris confirmed everything on site. No BS, no surprises. It is so awesome to still be able to find a company like this one where what they tell you on the phone is what you get. I definitely recommend them.
A Exume
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May 07, 2026
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Big City Plumbing in San Antonio. From beginning to end, the entire experience was exceptional during a very difficult plumbing situation.
Their team demonstrated extraordinary courtesy, kindness, professionalism, and integrity throughout the entire process. Communication was absolutely outstanding — we received frequent updates on timelines, prompt responses to questions, and immediate notification of any unexpected delays. That level of transparency and respect for the customer is rare and deeply appreciated.
A very special thank you to Rafaela, Alissa, and Patricia in the office, who were consistently compassionate, organized, reassuring, and incredibly helpful every step of the way. Their professionalism and warmth made a stressful situation much easier to navigate.
And heartfelt gratitude to Gerald, whose plumbing work in the field was truly superb. The quality of workmanship, attention to detail, and dedication to doing the job correctly were outstanding. The service provided was excellent in every respect.
Their pricing was also a tremendous value for the caliber of service and workmanship delivered. Big City Plumbing has absolutely earned my trust and highest recommendation.
I would recommend this company without hesitation to any family member, friend, or colleague as the very first plumbing company to call.
Thank you again to the entire Big City Plumbing team for helping us through such a challenging problem with professionalism, kindness, and excellence.
Ysleta Northam
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June 01, 2026
My 1st time using Big City plumbing and I'm impressed. Chris is very nice and explained both problems clearly to me. I really like the professionalism and patience he showed. And office staff too very courteous and friendly. Thank you so much.
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I'm like most people in that I look at and rely on reviews all the time however, I rarely take the time the leave a review myself so, here is an attempt to do better. This is my experience with Big City Plumbing and why I cannot recommend them. I was experiencing some intermittent issues with both water pressure & hot water availability in parts of my home and called Big City Plumbing after finding them via reviews on Google & Reddit. They came out within a couple of days and diagnosed my issues as being a bad PRV valve and shower cartridge. The gentlemen seemed knowledgeable & confident and could complete the work that day for a reasonable amount of money so they started work. They ended up replacing the PRV valve in my front yard first and that seemed to go smoothly. The shower cartridge did not go as well. After 40mins of brute force banging the plumber informed me that it was not coming out due to the fact that it was old and they would need to replace the entire shower valve by either cutting into the tile from the front or cutting into the closet from behind. We agreed that it would be easier repairing the closet drywall then the shower tile so they went in that direction. The two plumbers spent about 5hrs that day completing the work. After using the shower that night I noticed the new valve was wet. Upon further testing I discovered it was dripping down inside my wall anytime the shower was turned on. To their credit, they sent someone back out promptly the next day to fix this new issue they had created however, it was done using different materials and also now included blocking & strapping that wasn't present initially. It left me wondering why it wasn't done that way to begin with. There was a certain level of janky (for lack of a better word) to the finished work...at least to my untrained eye. Out of curiosity I elicited some feedback from folks who know more about plumbing then I do and their feedback was not kind: "That looks like a homeowner did it, not a experienced plumber. I would be embarrassed, then he puts galvanized on the bottom not brass wow." "It's janky...using a valve that requires sweating onto in a house where everything else is already PEX seems strange" "I give this install a 2.7/10 it is guaranteed to lead to problems within 1-3 years" "Next level Jank 2.0" "No way this was an actual plumber." A few days after their work was complete my intermittent issues with both hot water & low pressure were back so, back to square one. I called them back up and requested a different plumber as I did not have much confidence in the original one due to both the misdiagnosis and brand new leaking shower valve he left me with. The next fella who came out ended up suggesting that my issues may be due to a bad cartridge at the kitchen sink, the master bath tub, and a second shower upstairs as they were all original to the home. He stated that they would most likely run into the same issue in removing the cartridges and would have to cut into the drywall in two more areas to replace the entire valves just like they did in the first shower. He also recommended replacing the hot water heater as it was an old unit original to the home as well. He made sure to mention when giving me the proposal that doing all this work may still not fix my issues and that at least they were not charging me for this final visit. Needless to say at this point but, I did not choose to have Big City Plumbing do any additional work. I just lived with the issues for a bit longer and then started fresh with another plumbing company who was able to get the issues resolved. Incidentally, they were also able to replace all of the remaining original cartridges while they were here and had no issues pulling them out in a matter of minutes and therefore, did not have to replace any more valves or cut into any tile or drywall. Anyways, that was my experience and of course, yours may vary however, at least it's out there now and may just help someone in the future who is in need of a plumber.
Called Big City Plumbing after notifications from SAWS about excessive water usage. Chris & James performed a leak detection inside my home. Nothing inside was found. Water meter was still showing "running". Overnight water was flowing front yard down driveway into street. Called; spoke w Rafaela & Alyssa regarding visible leak. James returned to provide a contract to repair. Big City Plumbing took care of the steps w the office staff notifying me of what to expect. Excavation crew was mindful of saving flagstone & where dirt was placed. Chris & James returned to install a new main waterline from meter to house. Excavation crew backfilled & repositioned flagstone. This entire process was well organized w/o any issues. The owner of company came by to check in w me. This process could not have been better! Will definitely use Big City Plumbing if need arises
Great prompt service from first call with Raffaella to Cris and James professionally completing the job in excellence. Raffaella explained everything right away, clearly, and in detail. She had no issues, giving me an estimate over the phone and it was the most competitive price out of seven companies that I called. Cris confirmed everything on site. No BS, no surprises. It is so awesome to still be able to find a company like this one where what they tell you on the phone is what you get. I definitely recommend them.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Big City Plumbing in San Antonio. From beginning to end, the entire experience was exceptional during a very difficult plumbing situation. Their team demonstrated extraordinary courtesy, kindness, professionalism, and integrity throughout the entire process. Communication was absolutely outstanding — we received frequent updates on timelines, prompt responses to questions, and immediate notification of any unexpected delays. That level of transparency and respect for the customer is rare and deeply appreciated. A very special thank you to Rafaela, Alissa, and Patricia in the office, who were consistently compassionate, organized, reassuring, and incredibly helpful every step of the way. Their professionalism and warmth made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. And heartfelt gratitude to Gerald, whose plumbing work in the field was truly superb. The quality of workmanship, attention to detail, and dedication to doing the job correctly were outstanding. The service provided was excellent in every respect. Their pricing was also a tremendous value for the caliber of service and workmanship delivered. Big City Plumbing has absolutely earned my trust and highest recommendation. I would recommend this company without hesitation to any family member, friend, or colleague as the very first plumbing company to call. Thank you again to the entire Big City Plumbing team for helping us through such a challenging problem with professionalism, kindness, and excellence.
My 1st time using Big City plumbing and I'm impressed. Chris is very nice and explained both problems clearly to me. I really like the professionalism and patience he showed. And office staff too very courteous and friendly. Thank you so much.