Your San Francisco home, explained

The price of a repipe depends on your home's size, how many bathrooms and fixtures it has, how accessible the existing lines are (an open crawlspace is far easier than finished walls or a slab), and whether you choose copper or PEX. Pre-1960 San Francisco homes often still have corroded galvanized-steel supply lines, which is the most common reason for a full repipe.

We don't guess at a number over the phone — a Cabrillo plumber inspects first, then gives you one flat, upfront price before any work begins.

Learn more about whole-home repiping, or get a free second opinion on a quote you already have.

In San Francisco and most Peninsula cities, the property owner is responsible for the sewer lateral — the pipe running from your building to the city's main in the street. Many older laterals are clay or cast iron and crack or take on root intrusion over the decades. Some cities also require a compliance certificate when a home changes hands.

A sewer camera inspection shows the exact condition before you buy, sell, or repair — and points to the right sewer line repair if one is needed.

Once a year — ideally in early fall, before the heating season starts. Annual service keeps the system safe (a technician checks the heat exchanger and combustion), holds onto its efficiency, and is often required to keep the manufacturer's warranty valid.

Our maintenance membership bundles the yearly tune-up so you never have to remember it, or you can book a one-time furnace service whenever you need it.

Several programs can stack: California's TECH Clean California and BayREN Home+ offer point-of-sale heat-pump rebates, and income-qualified households may also access HEEHRA / HEAR rebates. Amounts and eligibility change over time, so we confirm exactly what you qualify for before you commit.

Curious what the switch might save you? Try our gas → electric savings calculator, or see current rebate stacking and explore heat pumps.

Keep windows closed and run your system's fan so the air keeps circulating through the filter. Upgrade to the highest-MERV filter your equipment can handle (often MERV 13), and add a whole-home air purifier for the finer smoke particles a standard filter misses.

We'll tell you the best-rated filter your specific system supports without choking off airflow. Explore whole-home air purification and air filtration.

A tankless (gas) heater delivers endless hot water from a compact, wall-mounted unit — a good fit when you want to keep gas and save space. A heat-pump (hybrid electric) heater is dramatically more efficient and qualifies for electrification rebates, but it needs adequate space, surrounding air volume, and a reasonable ambient temperature to work well.

The right choice comes down to your fuel, available space, and whether you're electrifying. Compare heat-pump water heaters and tankless installation, or dig deeper in the Learning Center.

Panel-upgrade cost is driven by the new capacity you need (for example moving from 100A to 200A), whether the main service and meter require coordination with PG&E, permit and inspection requirements, and any knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring that needs remediation in an older San Francisco home.

After a licensed Cabrillo electrician assesses your panel, you get one upfront price — never a vague range that changes mid-job.

See panel upgrades and knob-and-tube replacement.

Yes — especially when you've been told to replace an entire system, when a repair quote feels high, or when the diagnosis just doesn't add up. A second opinion costs you nothing here, and it often surfaces a smaller, cheaper fix.

That's why we offer a genuine free second opinion: no pressure, just a clear, written assessment so you can decide with confidence.

Yes. Financing lets you spread the cost of a larger repair or a new system into manageable monthly payments, so an unexpected breakdown doesn't have to wait. We'll walk you through the options and show how they pair with any rebates you qualify for.

Explore financing and current savings.