Service area
Cow Hollow plumber for Union Street flats, renovated homes and designer fixtures
Residential plumbing service and repair in Cow Hollow, from Union Street flats to renovated single-family homes.
Lutz Plumbing Inc. is the oldest plumbing company in San Francisco, in business since 1929, and services the Victorian and Edwardian flats and renovated single-family homes of Cow Hollow, from galvanized steel pipe and side sewers to designer fixtures.
Cow Hollow runs along Union Street between Pacific Heights and the Marina, north of our 17th Street shop, with Russian Hill to the east.
Lutz Plumbing serves Cow Hollow for residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC and heating, hydronic and radiant systems, and wellness work, water filtration, steam, sauna, and hydrotherapy. We are the oldest plumbing company in San Francisco, family-owned and licensed since 1929 (CA Contractor License #503971), and our trucks are dispatched from our shop at 3123 17th Street.
Whether it's an emergency, a planned replacement, or a full bath or kitchen remodel through Lutz Bath & Kitchen, we handle it. Call for same-day scheduling where we have availability, or request service online and we'll follow up within one business day. After hours, leave a voicemail and we'll call you back.
Cow Hollow plumbing, from century-old flats to renovated homes
Along Union Street and on the blocks climbing toward Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow's housing stock mixes Victorian and Edwardian flats with substantially renovated single-family homes. The two sit side by side, and sometimes in the same building: a remodeled upper unit over a ground-floor flat that still has much of the plumbing it was built with.
In the older flats, galvanized steel supply lines and cast iron drains bring many of the calls. Galvanized pipe corrodes from the inside, so low pressure, rust-tinted water and pinhole leaks are common, and a cast iron drain that keeps clogging often has scale, corrosion or grease a camera will show. Clay side sewers to the street get the same camera check.
In the renovated homes the work shifts to newer designer bath and kitchen fixtures that need manufacturer-level service, tankless and tank water heaters, and toilet repair. Lutz Plumbing covers both ends of that range with the same crew. A burst pipe or a sewer backup in a flat is an emergency: call (415) 621-4292, and after hours leave a voicemail so a dispatcher can call back.
Kohler and TOTO fixture service in Cow Hollow flats and homes
Cow Hollow mixes Victorian flats with renovated homes, and Lutz Plumbing services Kohler toilets, faucets and showers in both as an Authorized Service Representative for Kohler, whether the job is a remodeled bath or a single new fixture in an older flat. In the older flats we also fit TOTO WASHLET bidet seats to existing toilets, as San Francisco's only factory-trained Authorized Service Representative for TOTO.
- Kohler in flats and renovated homes: authorized service, repair and installation for Kohler toilets, faucets and showers.
- TOTO WASHLET seats on existing toilets: retrofit and service, with the clearances and a nearby outlet confirmed before the seat is ordered.
- Dornbracht and VOLA valves in a remodel: in-wall thermostatic valves set to the manufacturer's spec, and service on the faucets and shower systems afterward.
Lutz Plumbing is an Authorized Service Representative for TOTO, Kohler, ThermaSol, MrSteam, Duravit, Rinnai, Navien, and Viessmann. Lutz Bath & Kitchen, our showroom in the same building as the plumbing shop, was established in 1990 and carries 80+ fixture brands. Our technicians know these products, and because the showroom works directly with the manufacturers, we can reach their technical support teams when a repair needs it.
Services we do often in Cow Hollow
These are six services Lutz Plumbing does often in Cow Hollow, in older flats and renovated homes alike.
Why Cow Hollow neighbors call Lutz
- One crew for a galvanized steel pinhole leak in a flat and a designer valve in a remodeled bath
- Side Sewer Lateral Inspection reports for Cow Hollow sales, with DPW permits handled
- Licensed and insured, CA License #503971
- Plumbing, HVAC, and wellness under one roof
- SF's only Factory-Trained Authorized Service Rep for TOTO
- Family-owned San Francisco shop since 1929
- Zone-based dispatch, no hidden travel fees
Common questions
My Cow Hollow flat still has galvanized pipes. Should I repipe or just fix the leak?
It depends on how far the galvanized pipe has corroded, and Lutz Plumbing tells you which case you are in before any work starts. A single pinhole in otherwise sound pipe can be repaired. Repeated leaks, low pressure and rust-colored water usually mean the galvanized line is failing throughout, and a copper or PEX repipe is the better long-term answer.
Do you do side sewer inspections for a sale in Cow Hollow?
Yes, Lutz Plumbing performs Side Sewer Lateral Inspections (SSLI) and issues the report the city accepts, which San Francisco real estate transactions often require. We run a camera through the line to the city main, and if it needs repair we handle the DPW permits and SFPUC coordination for work under the street.
Can you install a Kohler or TOTO fixture I bought online for my Cow Hollow flat?
Yes, when the fixture is complete and fits the existing rough-in, Lutz Plumbing installs Kohler, TOTO and other fixtures that Cow Hollow owners buy online or through a designer. In an older flat we inspect the shutoff, supply, flange and drain connection first, because a replacement is the right time to correct a weak one.
Do you repair toilets, or only replace them?
Lutz Plumbing repairs toilets whenever repair makes sense. We diagnose running, leaking, loose, weak-flushing and clogged toilets by inspecting the fixture, flange, supply and drain connection, and we do not recommend replacement just because a toilet needs a common service part.