How South Bay Water Heater Connect works

What this service is

South Bay Water Heater Connect is a free referral service for Santa Clara County homeowners. We publish local information about water heater costs, permits, and rebates, and we connect homeowners who call us with independent local contractors who do the work.

We are not a plumbing contractor. We do not install, repair, or sell water heaters, and no one from this service will come to your home. The contractor you are connected with is an independent business — they quote the job, do the work, pull the permit, and warranty their own installation.

What happens when you call

1. You call (408) 555-0100. Calls may be recorded for quality and training purposes (see our privacy policy).
2. We ask a few routing questions — your city, whether it's an emergency (leak, no hot water), your current unit's type and fuel, and what you're considering.
3. We connect you with an independent local contractor who serves your area and handles that type of work. From there, you deal directly with the contractor: scheduling, the on-site assessment, the quote, and the decision.
4. You pay the contractor directly, only if you hire them, at the price in their quote.

How we make money

This is the part most referral sites hide, so here it is plainly:

Contractors pay us for the introduction. When a homeowner is connected with a contractor through this service, the contractor pays South Bay Water Heater Connect a fee for that referral — typically a flat amount per connected call or a fee for the lead. That fee is the contractor's marketing cost, the same category as their advertising.

Three things follow from how we're paid:

• You pay us nothing. There is no charge to homeowners at any point — not for the call, not for the connection, not added to your invoice.
• Our fee does not depend on what you buy. Whether you choose a $1,800 standard tank or a $6,000 tankless conversion, our referral fee is the same category of flat fee. We have no financial interest in steering you to a more expensive job, a particular brand, or a particular fuel type.
• Contractors are not paying for praise. This site does not publish reviews or rankings of contractors, and no contractor can pay for a better position in our information pages.

If a contractor relationship ever ends — for example, because of homeowner complaints — we stop routing calls to them. Your feedback after a job is the main quality signal we have, and we use it.

Checking the contractor yourself

We connect you with licensed California contractors, but you should always verify before work starts — it's free and takes a minute:

• Look up the license on the Contractors State License Board site (cslb.ca.gov) using the number on the quote. Water heater work is plumbing work (C-36 classification).
• Confirm the permit is part of the quote, and that a final city inspection is included. See permits and code.
• Get the full installed price in writing, including haul-away of the old unit.

Questions

Call (408) 555-0100 or see our contact page.