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3rdGen Heating & Cooling vs Excalibur Rooter And Plumbing
Alameda Plumbing Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
You're comparing an HVAC specialist to a plumbing contractor, so your choice depends entirely on whether you need heating and cooling work or plumbing services.
| 3rdGen Heating & Cooling | Excalibur Rooter And Plumbing | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 | ★ 5.0 |
| Years Licensed | 4 years | 5 years |
| License # | 1086898 | 1072119 |
| Workers' Comp | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | Berkeley, CA | Hayward, CA |
| Website | 3rdgen.io | excaliburrooter.com |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
3rdGen Heating & Cooling
Customers consistently highlight 3rdGen's educational approach and meticulous installation work, with particular emphasis on clean worksites and the owner explaining system options thoroughly.
Excalibur Rooter And Plumbing
Excalibur's customers focus on practical problem-solving and minimal disruption, especially for larger projects like repiping where reducing tenant impact and recommending efficient methods like trenchless repairs stand out.
Key Takeaway: 3rdGen's feedback centers on installation craftsmanship and customer education, while Excalibur's reviews emphasize practical solutions and project management for complex plumbing work affecting multiple units.
Customer Reviews
3rdGen Heating & Cooling
Love 3rd Gen, Devin and the team! They are knowledgeable, professional, kind, and generous. Highly recommend working with them!
I am so glad that I found 3rd Gen Heating & Cooling. The team is smaller so it felt so much more intentional and trustworthy. They pay such great attention to detail, in which they were able to meet m...
I got my HVAC system installed by 3rd gen in 2022, this week the heater stopped working . I gave them a call and Devin and Ceaser visited today to fix the issue. They were at the house right at the ap...
Excalibur Rooter And Plumbing
We recently experienced a main water line leak and needed an urgent repair. We gathered a few quotes, and the first licensed plumber suggested digging up 25 feet of our property for a traditional repa...
As a realtor, reliable vendors are such an important part of my business - and the Excalibur team never disappoints. I have used them on personal projects for my home and have referred them to several...
Feliz and his team did an excellent job of repiping one of my apartments. They changed out the galvanized for copper, with minimal inconvenience to the other tenants. They set the apartment up with it...
Consider 3rdGen Heating & Cooling if...
- ✓ You need HVAC work such as furnace replacement, air conditioning repair, heat pump installation, or mini-split systems rather than plumbing services
- ✓ You're undertaking a heating or cooling upgrade and value a contractor who takes time to explain system options and efficiency tradeoffs in detail
- ✓ Worksite cleanliness during installation is a priority, particularly for indoor projects where dust and debris management matters
- ✓ You're a property manager needing a reliable HVAC partner for multiple residential or commercial units in the Berkeley area
Consider Excalibur Rooter And Plumbing if...
- ✓ You need plumbing work such as water line repairs, drain cleaning, repiping, sewer line replacement, or water heater installation
- ✓ You're facing a major plumbing project like whole-house repiping or sewer replacement and want expertise in trenchless methods that reduce excavation
- ✓ You own a multi-unit property and need a plumber experienced in minimizing disruption to tenants during repairs
- ✓ You're located in Hayward or the broader East Bay and prefer a locally-based plumbing contractor with real estate professional references
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → For 3rdGen: Ask about their experience with your specific HVAC equipment brand and whether they stock common parts for faster repairs
- → For Excalibur: If you're facing a major plumbing project, ask for references from similar-scale work like whole-house repiping or trenchless sewer replacement
- → For either: Ask about their current scheduling availability and whether they charge premium rates for same-day or emergency service
- → For either: Confirm the owner will be present for project assessment and ask how they handle complications discovered mid-project
The Bottom Line
Your decision here is straightforward: choose 3rdGen if you need heating and cooling work, choose Excalibur if you need plumbing services. Both are legitimate, properly licensed contractors with similar business maturity, customer service approaches, and protective insurance coverage. Neither has significant red flags, and both demonstrate responsive scheduling and owner involvement that homeowners value. If you somehow need both HVAC and plumbing work, you'll likely hire both companies for their respective specialties. Focus your evaluation on asking each about their specific experience with your project type rather than comparing them against each other, since they operate in entirely different trades.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No, these contractors operate in different licensed trades. 3rdGen holds an HVAC license and handles heating and cooling systems exclusively, while Excalibur holds a plumbing license for water and sewer work. You'll need to hire each for their respective specialty, or find a different contractor if you're looking for a multi-trade company.
Both contractors have four to five years of licensing, which means moderate but not extensive experience with older building systems. 3rdGen's work with heat pump conversions suggests familiarity with updating older heating systems, while Excalibur's whole-house repiping experience indicates they handle aging galvanized pipe replacement. Ask each specifically about their experience with homes from your building era.
3rdGen is based in Berkeley and Excalibur in Hayward, but both serve Alameda County broadly. Your location within the county shouldn't significantly affect availability from either contractor. Same-day service may be slightly faster if you're closer to their respective base cities, but both demonstrate willingness to travel throughout the East Bay for projects.
Both companies offer same-day service availability according to customer feedback, so responsiveness appears comparable. The more relevant question is whether your emergency is HVAC-related (no heat in winter, AC failure in summer) or plumbing-related (burst pipe, sewer backup), which determines which contractor you need. Both maintain the direct owner involvement that typically speeds decision-making during urgent situations.
Looking for the Best?
See our ranked list of top plumbing contractors in Alameda.
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How We Compare Contractors
License Verification
All license data is sourced from official California CSLB records and verified regularly.
Review Analysis
Customer reviews are aggregated from Google and analyzed to identify patterns in service quality.
Detailed Comparison
We analyze credentials, insurance, experience, and feedback to highlight meaningful differences.
Not all licensed contractors are created equal. While a valid license is the baseline requirement in California, contractors can vary significantly in experience, insurance coverage, and customer satisfaction.
- Experience matters: A contractor with 15+ years of experience has likely encountered and solved problems that newer contractors haven't faced yet.
- Workers' compensation protects you: If a contractor without workers' comp insurance has an employee injured on your property, you could be held liable.
- Reviews reveal patterns: Individual reviews can be misleading, but patterns across many reviews often reveal a contractor's true strengths and weaknesses.
- Bond amounts vary: A contractor's bond provides financial protection if they fail to complete work as agreed. Higher bonds offer more protection.
Taking time to compare contractors on these factors can save you from costly mistakes and help ensure your project is completed by a qualified professional.
Data Sources: License information from California CSLB. Ratings and reviews from Google. Last verified March 12, 2026.
This comparison is based on publicly available information. We recommend getting multiple quotes and verifying all credentials directly before hiring.
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