Compare Local Pros
Simply Plumbing And Rooter vs R B Travis
Alameda Plumbing Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
Simply Plumbing And Rooter brings 17 years of experience but lacks workers comp, while R B Travis has only 4 years licensed yet carries full insurance coverage.
| Simply Plumbing And Rooter | R B Travis | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 | ★ 4.8 |
| Years Licensed | 17 years | 4 years |
| License # | 923441 | 1084502 |
| Workers' Comp | — | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | Hayward, CA | Livermore, CA |
| Website | simplyplumbingandrooter.com | www.serviceexperts.com |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
Simply Plumbing And Rooter
Customers emphasize Simply Plumbing And Rooter's exceptional response speed and accessibility, with multiple reports of technicians arriving within an hour of contact.
R B Travis
Customers consistently highlight R B Travis's systematic communication practices, including advance arrival notices, thorough problem explanations, and clean worksite maintenance.
Key Takeaway: Simply Plumbing And Rooter is praised for rapid emergency response and direct owner involvement, while R B Travis receives feedback about methodical processes and educational approach to explaining repairs.
Customer Reviews
Simply Plumbing And Rooter
Carlos was my knight in shining armor! He was at my house with an hour of contacting him after a prior. Plumber stood me up two days in a row came and assessed the situation with my toilet. Explain t...
Carlos came out to replace my garbage disposal. He was very professional & prompt. Communicates clearly and responds quickly. Garbage disposal still working great!
I've used the services of Simply Plumbing & Rooter for my Hayward and San Jose rental properties: install new water heater and haul away the old one, install a water line for the refrigerator automati...
R B Travis
Excellent work and we appreciate his professionalism
Have made multiple calls over more than 3 years. Consistently received expert service. Shoutout for Cody. Professional, good listener, fast and knowledgeable about his job. I would recommend RBTravis ...
Outstanding service from Javier at R.B. Travis. HomeServe scheduled R.B. Travis to fix two clogged sinks in my home (kitchen and bathroom). Javier called ahead, arrived on time, and went above and be...
Consider Simply Plumbing And Rooter if...
- ✓ You're facing a complex diagnostic challenge where a problem source isn't immediately obvious and you value a contractor who has likely seen similar situations over nearly two decades of work.
- ✓ Your homeowner's insurance policy explicitly covers contractor injuries and you've confirmed this with your agent, making the workers comp gap less concerning.
- ✓ You prioritize ultra-fast response times for urgent situations like leaks or failures, where same-day or hour-level response matters more than process formality.
- ✓ You prefer working directly with experienced ownership rather than rotating technicians from a growing service fleet.
Consider R B Travis if...
- ✓ You want clear liability protection and prefer not to expose your homeowner's insurance to potential contractor injury claims on your property.
- ✓ You're coordinating plumbing work through a home warranty provider and need a contractor with established experience navigating those approval processes.
- ✓ Your project is straightforward and you value systematic communication practices, advance scheduling notices, and detailed explanations over raw years of field experience.
- ✓ You prefer a contractor with documented insurance compliance and are willing to trade some experience depth for complete risk coverage.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → Ask Simply Plumbing And Rooter how they handle liability if a worker is injured, and confirm with your homeowner's insurance whether your policy covers contractor injuries and how a claim would affect your rates.
- → Ask R B Travis for references from projects similar to yours in complexity, particularly if your situation involves older plumbing or potential hidden complications.
- → Ask both contractors about their typical diagnostic process for your specific issue and how they handle unexpected complications discovered during work.
- → Ask Simply Plumbing And Rooter who specifically will be performing the work given high owner involvement, and ask R B Travis about crew stability and how long their current technicians have been with the company.
The Bottom Line
For most homeowners, R B Travis is the safer choice because workers compensation coverage protects you from significant liability exposure, and 4 years of licensing is sufficient for standard residential plumbing work. Their systematic communication and clean work practices suggest reliable service delivery. However, if you're facing a complex diagnostic problem, have older plumbing with potential hidden issues, or need emergency response within hours, Simply Plumbing And Rooter's 17 years of hands-on experience offers real advantages—but only proceed after confirming your homeowner's insurance covers contractor injuries and understanding how a claim would affect your policy. Don't dismiss the workers comp gap as mere paperwork; verify your actual liability exposure before hiring.
Get Up to 3 Free Quotes
Compare prices from licensed, verified contractors
Frequently Asked Questions
For straightforward replacements in accessible locations with modern plumbing, the experience gap matters less. However, if your water heater is in a tight crawlspace, connected to older galvanized pipes, or requires rerouting gas lines, Simply Plumbing And Rooter's 17 years means they've encountered and solved similar complications many times before. R B Travis can handle standard installations competently but has less pattern recognition for unusual situations.
This depends entirely on your homeowner's insurance policy. If a technician is seriously injured on your property and the company lacks workers comp, your homeowner's insurance typically becomes the primary coverage, which could lead to a claim against your policy. Contact your insurance agent to understand your specific exposure before hiring any contractor without workers comp. This is a real liability issue, not just paperwork.
Customer feedback suggests Simply Plumbing And Rooter responds faster to urgent requests, with reports of arrival within an hour. Their high owner involvement likely means more flexible scheduling for emergencies. R B Travis emphasizes scheduled appointments with advance notice, which works well for planned projects but may be less suited to true emergency response where minutes matter.
R B Travis provides workers compensation coverage, which protects you from liability if someone gets hurt on your property. They also have established processes for working with home warranty companies if that's relevant to your situation. For straightforward projects where insurance compliance matters more than deep diagnostic experience, these factors can outweigh the experience difference. If your project is complex or unusual, Simply Plumbing And Rooter's additional 13 years of field experience becomes more valuable despite the insurance gap.
Looking for the Best?
See our ranked list of top plumbing contractors in Alameda.
Other Alameda Plumbing Contractors Comparisons
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.
Get in Touch
Have questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.