Quick Comparison
| Firm | Founded / Tenure & Credentials | Services & Specialties | Geographic Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| L.J. Kruse Co. | 1916 (Louis J. Kruse founder, son of a German immigrant who came to California to mine the Sierra gold fields); Edward H. Kruse second-generation post-1946; David Kruse President 1986-2015 (now Chairman); Andy Kruse President 2015-2022 (now Board); current fourth-generation leadership Nathan Kruse, Ben Kruse, Will Kruse | CSLB #405523, #310414 (Plumbing, HVAC, Boiler, Hot Water Heating, Steam Fitting, Fire Protection, Refrigeration, Sanitation Systems, Sheet Metal); BBB Accredited | 920 Pardee Street Berkeley base; Fremont plus all five Bay Area counties |
| Valley Plumbing Home Center, Inc. | 1982 (founder lineage); incorporated 1998-07-15; current President Mike Cheney; family-owned operation | CSLB #437867 (expires 2027-03-31); BBB Accredited | 272 Rose Avenue Pleasanton base (94566); Fremont plus East Bay (Pleasanton, Dublin, Danville, Livermore, Walnut Creek, San Ramon) |
| Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter, LLC | 1994 (Mike Counsil founder, second-generation plumber trained by his father); 30-plus years owner-operated; Mike now training his son to carry on family tradition | CSLB #679261, #1068927, #1054382 (Plumbing); BBB Accredited | 1915 O'Toole Way San Jose base; Fremont plus South Bay |
| Allstate Plumbing Company | 1993 (founder lineage); 33 years continuous family-owned and operated | CSLB plumbing classification; BBB Accredited | Fremont/Bay Area base; Fremont plus East Bay and South Bay |
1. L.J. Kruse Co.
- Address: 920 Pardee Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 (Fremont service)
- Phone: (510) 644-0260
- Founder: Louis J. Kruse (founded 1916; son of a German immigrant who came to California to mine the Sierra foothills gold fields); Edward H. Kruse second-generation (post-1946 fast post-war growth); David Kruse third-generation (President 1986-2015, now Chairman of the Board); Andy Kruse third-generation (President 2015-2022, now Board of Directors); current fourth-generation managers Nathan Kruse, Ben Kruse, and Will Kruse
- Operating Since: 1916 (110 years; East Bay plumbing contractor celebrating four generations and 100+ years in business)
- License: CSLB #405523, #310414 (Plumbing, HVAC, Boiler, Hot Water Heating, Steam Fitting, Fire Protection, Refrigeration, Sanitation Systems, Sheet Metal); BBB Accredited
- Service area: Fremont plus all five Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin)
- Website: ljkruse.com
Four Kruse Family Generations Across 110 Years
Louis J. Kruse founded the firm in 1916. Louis was the son of a German immigrant who came to California to mine the gold fields of the Sierra foothills. After Louis’s death in 1946, his son Edward H. Kruse directed the firm’s fast post-war growth as second-generation leader. David Kruse served as President from 1986 to 2015 and now serves as Chairman of the Board. Andy Kruse served as President from 2015 to 2022 and now sits on the Board of Directors. The fourth-generation current managers are Nathan Kruse, Ben Kruse, and Will Kruse.
Berkeley Base With Five-County Bay Area Reach
The 920 Pardee Street Berkeley headquarters speeds dispatch reach across all five Bay Area counties. Service extends through Fremont plus the East Bay, San Francisco, the Peninsula, Santa Clara County, and Marin. The four-generation Kruse family operating tenure plus multi-trade credentialing supports broad regional service depth across Northern California.
Multi-Trade CSLB #405523 and #310414 Plus 110-Year Compliance Record
L.J. Kruse Co. operates under CSLB licenses #405523 and #310414. Combined classifications cover Plumbing, HVAC, Boiler, Hot Water Heating and Steam Fitting, Fire Protection, Refrigeration, Sanitation Systems, and Sheet Metal. Multi-classification credentialing supports unified residential and commercial mechanical-trade work. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification.
2. Valley Plumbing Home Center, Inc.
- Address: 272 Rose Avenue, Pleasanton, CA 94566 (Fremont service)
- Phone: (925) 462-2261
- Founder: Founder lineage 1982-01-01 (started locally); incorporated 1998-07-15; current President Mike Cheney; family-owned operation
- Operating Since: 1982 (44 years)
- License: CSLB #437867 (expires 2027-03-31); BBB Accredited
- Service area: Fremont plus East Bay (Pleasanton, Dublin, Danville, Livermore, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Castro Valley, Hayward, Union City)
- Website: valleyplumbinginc.com
44 Years of Family-Owned Valley Plumbing Operation
Valley Plumbing Home Center was established January 1, 1982 and incorporated July 15, 1998. Across 44 years of continuous operation, the firm has grown from a family-owned business into a corporation that retains the original family-business feeling. Mike Cheney currently serves as President. The company motto “Integrity Before Profit” guides hiring and service-quality standards.
Pleasanton Base With East Bay Reach
The 272 Rose Avenue Pleasanton headquarters enables rapid dispatch across the East Bay. Service extends through Fremont plus Pleasanton, Dublin, Danville, Livermore, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Castro Valley, Hayward, and Union City. Service depth covers full residential and commercial plumbing.
CSLB #437867 Plus 44-Year Compliance Record
Valley Plumbing Home Center operates under CSLB license #437867 with current expiration 2027-03-31. The 44-year continuous operating tenure supports a verifiable compliance record. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification.
3. Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter, LLC
- Address: 1915 O’Toole Way, San Jose, CA 95131 (Fremont service)
- Phone: (408) 998-6900
- Founder: Mike Counsil (founded 1994; second-generation plumber trained by his father); 30-plus years owner-operated; Mike now training his son to carry on family tradition (third-generation transition in progress)
- Operating Since: 1994 (32 years; 50 employees)
- License: CSLB #679261, #1068927, #1054382 (Plumbing); BBB Accredited
- Service area: Fremont plus South Bay (San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Milpitas, Newark, Union City)
- Website: mcplumbing.com
Two-Plus Counsil Family Generations Across 32 Years
Mike Counsil founded Mike Counsil Plumbing in 1994 as a second-generation plumber trained by his father. Across 32 years of owner-operated continuous service, the firm has grown to 50 employees. Mike is now training his son to carry on the family tradition, supporting the third-generation transition. The combined father-Mike-son trade lineage covers two-plus generations of plumbing-trade depth across the firm’s continuous family ownership.
San Jose Base With South Bay and Fremont Reach
The 1915 O’Toole Way San Jose headquarters extends dispatch reach across the South Bay including Fremont. Service extends through Fremont plus San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Milpitas, Newark, and Union City.
Triple CSLB License Plus Drug-Tested Background-Checked Staff
Mike Counsil Plumbing operates under three CSLB licenses (#679261, #1068927, #1054382) all with Plumbing classification. All technicians are drug tested and background checked. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification.
4. Allstate Plumbing Company
- Address: Fremont/Bay Area, CA
- Phone: (510) 651-5677
- Founder: Founder lineage 1993; 33 years continuous family-owned and operated
- Operating Since: 1993 (33 years)
- License: CSLB plumbing classification; BBB Accredited
- Service area: Fremont plus East Bay (Hayward, Union City, Newark, Milpitas, San Leandro, Castro Valley) and South Bay (San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale)
- Website: Allstate Plumbing Company
33 Years of Family-Owned Allstate Operation
Allstate Plumbing Company has operated as a family-owned and operated business since 1993. Across 33 years of continuous family ownership, the firm has built a Fremont and Bay Area coverage area covering East Bay and South Bay residential and commercial markets.
Fremont/Bay Area Operating Base
Allstate Plumbing operates from a Fremont/Bay Area base. The position brings dispatch within across Fremont plus the East Bay (Hayward, Union City, Newark, Milpitas, San Leandro, Castro Valley) and South Bay (San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale).
CSLB Plumbing Classification Plus 33-Year Compliance Record
Allstate Plumbing operates under California Contractors State License Board plumbing classification credentialing. The 33-year continuous family-owned operating tenure supports a verifiable compliance record. BBB Accreditation provides third-party reputation verification.
Reference Notes
California plumbing licensing runs through the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). CSLB issues sequentially numbered contractor licenses with classification suffixes including C-36 (Plumbing), C-20 (Warm Air Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning), C-42 (Sanitation Systems), C-43 (Sheet Metal), and C-55 (Water Conditioning). Verification runs through the CSLB public license search at cslb.ca.gov. The City of Fremont Building and Safety Department issues building permits within Fremont city limits. Alameda County Water District handles water service connections plus annual backflow-prevention testing across the Fremont area.
Fremont-area residential housing reflects more than 65 years of construction since the city’s 1956 incorporation through the merger of Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs districts. Pre-1980 housing remains in the historic Mission San Jose, Niles Canyon, and Centerville districts. The 1980s-2000s drove the master-planned-community expansion that transformed Fremont into the Bay Area’s fourth-largest city. Ardenwood, Northgate, Glenmoor, Sundale, Cherry-Guardino, the Warm Springs/South Fremont innovation district, and the broader Mission San Jose hills account for the bulk of post-1980 residential stock. Slab-on-grade construction throughout the suburban tracts, copper-and-PEX supply piping in newer construction, plus hard-water mineral content from Alameda County Water District supply driving water heater service shape recurring service categories. Hayward Fault seismic considerations additionally influence pipe-replacement and gas-line work patterns.
The four firms profiled cover four positions on the Fremont market arc. L.J. Kruse Co. leads tenure with four Kruse family generations across 110 years since Louis J. Kruse’s 1916 founding. Louis was the son of a German immigrant who mined the Sierra gold fields. Current fourth-generation managers Nathan, Ben, and Will Kruse run daily operations. Valley Plumbing Home Center follows with 44 years of continuous operation since 1982 under President Mike Cheney from a Pleasanton base, supported by CSLB #437867. Mike Counsil Plumbing brings 32 years of two-plus-generation Counsil family operation since Mike Counsil founded the firm in 1994. Mike now trains his son to carry on the family tradition. Allstate Plumbing Company runs 33 years of family-owned operation since 1993 across Fremont plus East Bay and South Bay markets.
Verification paths run through cslb.ca.gov, BBB Bay Area listings, the PHCC of California directory, and the City of Fremont Building and Safety contractor records. Long-tenure five-county Bay Area mechanical-trade service since 1916 fits L.J. Kruse Co. Four-decade East Bay plumbing service since 1982 fits Valley Plumbing Home Center. Two-plus-generation South Bay plumbing since 1994 fits Mike Counsil Plumbing. Three-decade East Bay plus South Bay residential and commercial service since 1993 fits Allstate Plumbing. National rollup brands operating in the Bay Area (Authority Brands’ Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Neighborly’s Mr. Rooter, Service Experts, Roto-Rooter, Wrench Group, Redwood Services, Master Trades Group, ARS, Apex Service Partners, Turnpoint Services) sit outside the four-firm independent profile.
Selection Methodology
Selection follows four criteria. First, continuous family ownership or founder-operator continuity outside the national rollup pattern. Second, verifiable CSLB C-36 Plumbing classification cross-checked through the CSLB public lookup. Third, BBB Accreditation or equivalent third-party rating. Fourth, minimum 10-year continuous operating tenure with documented Fremont service coverage. Firms acquired by national franchise networks (Authority Brands’ Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Neighborly’s Mr. Rooter, Service Experts, Roto-Rooter, Wrench Group, Redwood Services, Master Trades Group, ARS, Turnpoint Services) are excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a Fremont plumber’s license?
Use the California Contractors State License Board public license search at cslb.ca.gov. Search by license number or business name. Confirm active C-36 Plumbing classification, expiration date, bonding, and workers’ compensation coverage before authorizing work.
What credentials should a Fremont plumber hold?
At minimum: CSLB C-36 Plumbing classification plus general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Specialty work (gas line, backflow prevention, fire sprinkler, sewer lateral, water heater installation, sanitation systems, HVAC) may require additional CSLB classifications such as C-20 (HVAC), C-42 (Sanitation Systems), C-43 (Sheet Metal), or C-55 (Water Conditioning).
How can I tell if a Fremont plumber is locally owned versus a national rollup?
Check ownership disclosures and acquisition history. National franchise brands typically operate under parent-company branding. Search the firm name plus “acquired” or “parent company” to surface ownership structure. The four firms in this directory all run as independent locally-owned operators.
When should I call an emergency plumber in Fremont?
Burst pipes, sewer backups, gas leaks, no-water events, slab leak events, and water heater failures justify after-hours dispatch. Hayward Fault seismic events plus hard-water mineral content drive water heater service demand across the Fremont area. Each firm in this directory offers either 24/7 emergency service or structured after-hours response.
Editorial Note
Compiled by the editorial team. Firm details cross-verified through state license databases, BBB business profiles, and firm-published websites where available. License numbers should be re-verified through the CSLB public lookup before authorizing work. Information current as of the date below; firm details may change without notice. Last updated: 2026-05-10.