About Us
Why Choose The Great
American Plumbing Co, Inc?
Do you need professional, reliable plumbing in Alameda, Santa Clara, or San Mateo Counties? Call The Great American Plumbing Co, Inc and we’ll send an experienced technician to assess your situation and provide you with a practical solution.
At The Great American Plumbing Co, Inc we are serious about what we do. With more than 36 years in the plumbing industry, we offer a wide range of expert services, we offer practical and comprehensive solutions to our customers. Plumbing issues are a fact of life, but through it all, we are there to lend a hand and keep your household or business running with as little disruption as possible.
Valerie and Mark McGinnis
Daughter Savannah McGinnis is one of the company’s technicians
Who We Are
Is this the right plumbing company for your emergency?
The Great American Plumbing Company was founded in San Jose in 1983 by Mark McGinnis. He started as a small, one-man operation, charging people $15 per drain, per hour. Through hard work and good service, Mark quickly grew the company into the largest locally owned plumbing company in the Bay Area. We are proudly still a locally-owned, family-run business.
When Mark McGinnnis unexpectedly died of a heart attack in January 2020 at age 60, wife Valerie McGinnis wasn’t sure what would happen to the company. That all changed when she met with grief-stricken employees the following Monday morning.
“They were beside themselves,” McGinnis says. “When I saw the looks on the faces of all these grown men, that’s when I decided to keep going. I couldn’t just walk away from almost 20 families.”
That decision set in motion an emotionally and physically exhausting journey for McGinnis and her five children, three of whom joined the company to keep it traveling on the path envisioned by their father: Savannah, 20; Steven, 28; and Charles, 31.
“I went from being a ‘class mother’ at my kids’ schools and a stay-at-home mom to a full-time employee,” McGinnis says. “It was very difficult to step into Mark’s shoes because he did almost everything. Between the long hours and dealing with things I didn’t know a lot about, like finances, money for payroll and materials, it was very challenging. I was putting in 14 hours a day on some days.
“We all kind of worked into areas that fit our strong suits and then it got easier,” she adds. “I also hired an outside payroll service, a CPA and other professionals to get things done right. Now I mainly take calls and handle customers, which is a much better mix than it was in the beginning.”
Big Shoes to Fill
The family had giant-size shoes to fill. For decades, Mark was a fixture in the plumbing and drain cleaning arena in the San Francisco Bay Area, a skilled technician who slowly but surely built a business — and a brand — by pledging to unclog drains for $15. He strongly believed in embracing new technology, comprehensive training for employees, and never leaving a job unfinished, no matter how difficult.
“We still get calls every day from customers who say, ‘My plumber is here and can’t get my drain open, and he says you’re the only company that can help me,’” McGinnis says. “Mark was very big on never leaving a customer with a clogged drain. We just don’t do that. Ever. Period.”
Mark also possessed the proverbial heart of gold, always willing to tackle drain issues that other plumbers wouldn’t touch or give free plumbing advice to customers.
Customer Service Comes before Everything Else
If every customer we meet doesn’t feel like they’ve had a positive experience, then we haven’t done our job right. Our goal is to create customers for life after that first service call, so making you feel like you’re the only customer we have is paramount. We have worked hard to make that a priority in our day to day service and that is why we have an extensive existing customer base that returns year after year.
As of 2022 we actually have 3rd generation customers!
Our team and technicians treat your home with the utmost respect, are polite and courteous during every communication, and explain exactly what we will be doing before we do it. We are very proud to say that the majority of our technicians have been with us for over 20 years! Not many trade companies can say this! Our new team members also go through background checks and drug tests before they can be selected to represent The Great American Plumbing Co, Inc name!
For your plumbing needs, the only choice is
The Great American Plumbing Co, Inc.
Call us today and we will set up an appointment to find the solution you need!