Oakland, NJ · Bergen County · about 7 mi from our Haledon shop

Plumber & HVACin Oakland, New Jersey.

Oakland pumps its own water from seven borough wells, and about 95% of the borough has no sewer at all: homes drain to septic systems and cesspools. Most houses here are single-family, and more than 80% were built before 1980.

Dispatch 24/7, live
Emergency 90 min or $50 off
Diagnostic $79, credited

Call (866) 737-2830 Get a written price →

★ 4.6 · 443 Google reviews Licensed & insured · NJ #19HC00145700 1-year parts & labor warranty

Rescue technician on a service call in Oakland, New Jersey

Oakland · Bergen County · same-day and 24/7

Emergency promise

minutes to your door,
or $50 off the job

95%: of the borough on septic or cesspools
7: borough wells supply the water
41.4%: of homes built 1940 to 1959
91.0%: of homes are single-family detached

Rescue plumber working on the drain under a kitchen sink

Your water

Seven wells in, a septic tank out

Oakland pumps its own water from borough wells, and about 95% of the borough has no sewer at all. Here is the path most homes' water takes.

7 borough wells
Drawing from glacial sand and gravel, run by the Oakland Water Department.
6 tanks, 72 miles of main
Storage from Andrew Avenue to Camp Todd, with four booster stations.
Your house
Supply piping, water heater, fixtures and the drains out of the house. This is the part we work on.
Septic or cesspool
About 95% of the borough, over 3,000 systems. Tank and field are a septic contractor's work.
Or a borough plant
Small sewered areas drain to 3 borough plants, planned to send flow to NBCUA.

Every drain slow at once? Call before you guess.

One slow drain is usually plumbing. All of them together can be the tank. We'll tell you which it looks like.

24/7 live dispatch$79 diagnostic, credited90 min or $50 off

Call (866) 737-2830 Book online

7 miles from our Haledon shopZIP 07436Covering Ramapo Lake, Rotten Pond, PleasurelandNearby: Franklin Lakes, Mahwah, Pompton Lakes, Wanaque, Wayne, RingwoodDirections

What we see here

Oakland homes, and what they mean for the work

The patterns below come from the town's housing and utilities. The technician still checks your house before saying anything about it.

Oakland, NJ · what shapes the calls

Sewer: About 95% on septicOakland's 2022 wastewater plan counts over 3,000 septic systems and cesspools; only small pockets drain to borough treatment plants.
Water: Seven borough wellsThe Oakland Water Department pumps from wells in glacial sand and gravel and stores water in six tanks.
Built 1940 to 1959: 41.4% of homesThe borough's Round 4 housing plan puts another 31.3% in 1960 to 1979, and only 2.0% from 2010 to 2019.
Single-family detached: 91.0% of homesAlmost every home is its own house with its own water heater, heating system and drain line.

Homes & neighborhoods

Oakland neighborhoods and the homes we work in

A new Rheem furnace and ductwork installed by Rescue in a basement

41.4% built 1940 to 1959
The furnace or boiler has usually been replaced at least once. The supply and drain piping behind it is often original.
91.0% single-family
Almost every home has its own water heater, its own heating system and its own drain line to look after.
Septic under the yard
What goes down the drain matters more here. We handle the plumbing inside, including drain cleaning; the tank and field are a septic contractor's.

Read the full notes on Oakland homes

Oakland became a borough in 1902 and spreads over about 8.77 square miles of the Ramapo valley, with 12,748 people at the 2020 Census. It is a town of houses: the borough's Round 4 housing plan, using 2023 Census estimates, counts 4,687 homes, and 91.0% of them are single-family detached. More than nine in ten are owner-occupied.

Most of that housing went up after the war. In the same table, 41.4% of homes were built from 1940 to 1959 and 31.3% from 1960 to 1979, with 9.1% older still. Only 2.0% date from 2010 to 2019. A house from the 1950s or 1960s has usually had its furnace or boiler replaced at least once, but the supply and drain piping behind it is often original, and that is where leaks and slow drains start. Our furnace and boiler and heating pages cover replacements in houses of that age.

The other thing that sets Oakland apart is underground. With most homes on septic, what goes down the drains matters more than in a sewered town. Grease and wipes that would clog a sewer lateral elsewhere can also stress a septic system here. We handle the plumbing inside the house, from fixtures and water heaters to drain cleaning on the house side; the tank and field are a septic contractor's work, not ours.

PSE&G supplies electricity and gas in Oakland. Its work stops at the meter. Piping on the house side belongs to the owner, and that is where a new range, a dryer or an oil-to-gas conversion (where gas is available on your street) calls for gas line work.

Your drains

Where does your drain go?

In Oakland the answer changes what a backup means. Tap yours.

Septic or cesspoolBorough sewerNot sure

95%of the borough, over 3,000 systems

One slow drain is plumbing. All of them may be the tank.

We clear the lines inside the house and tell you which it looks like. The tank and field are a septic contractor's work.

Call (866) 737-2830 Drain cleaning →

3small borough treatment plants

A camera finds the spot

In the sewered pockets around Skyview-Hibrook, Chapel Hill and Oakwood Knolls, a camera inspection shows where a line is blocked or broken.

Call (866) 737-2830 Sewer line repair →

$79diagnostic, credited to the repair

We'll sort it out

Tell us what backs up and when. A technician finds the actual problem and prices the fix in writing before any work starts.

Call (866) 737-2830 Drain cleaning →

Water & utilities

Who supplies Oakland, and what the water does

ElectricPSE&G

GasPSE&G

WaterBorough wells

SewerMostly septic

Dates that shaped the work here

1999Floyd
About $5.3 million in municipal damages along the Ramapo.
2011Irene
Homes moved off foundations; river rescues in Oakland.
2022Veolia franchise
Ordinance gives Veolia consent to serve part of the borough.
2024Plant upgrades
Three treatment plants upgraded for an NBCUA connection.

Seven borough wells
The Oakland Water Department pumps from glacial sand and gravel, stores water in six tanks and moves it through 72 miles of main.
About 95% on septic
Over 3,000 systems. In the small sewered areas, a camera through sewer line repair shows where a backup is.
The Ramapo floods
Floyd caused about $5.3 million in municipal damages in 1999. A sump pump with battery backup is sensible anywhere equipment sits in the basement.

Read the full notes on Oakland water, sewer and storms

Oakland runs its own water. The Borough of Oakland Water Department pumps from seven wells in glacial sand and gravel, holds water in six tanks from Andrew Avenue to Camp Todd, and moves it through 72 miles of main. State records also list water bought from Pompton Lakes MUA and Hackensack Water Co. In 2022 the borough adopted an ordinance giving Veolia Water New Jersey consent to serve a portion of Oakland, so check your bill to see which supplier is yours.

Wastewater is the unusual part. The borough's 2022 wastewater plan says about 95% of Oakland is on private septic systems and cesspools, more than 3,000 of them. Only small areas drain to three borough-owned treatment plants: Skyview-Hibrook, Chapel Hill and Oakwood Knolls. The plan proposes retiring those plants and pumping their flow to the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority along Route 202, and the housing plan lists treatment-plant upgrades for that connection as completed in 2024. If you are in a sewered area and a line backs up, a camera inspection through sewer line repair shows where the problem is.

The Ramapo River runs through town, and it floods. The Army Corps of Engineers describes frequent floods from Pompton Lake upstream to West Oakland Avenue, and says Floyd caused about $5.3 million in municipal damages in 1999. After Irene in 2011, The Oakland Journal reported homes moved off their foundations and river rescues. A sump pump with battery backup is sensible anywhere with equipment in the basement, and for a burst pipe, emergency pipe repair comes with our guarantee: on site within 90 minutes of your emergency call, or $50 off.

Ramapo River

Three times the Ramapo came into town

The Army Corps of Engineers describes frequent floods along the Ramapo from Pompton Lake upstream to West Oakland Avenue.

1999Tropical Storm FloydAbout $5.3 million in municipal damages, by the Army Corps' count.
2005October rainsThe Ramapo flooded many homes and streets; Pleasureland was bracing again by January.
2011Hurricane IreneHomes were moved off their foundations, and there were river rescues.

The Ramapo has come into Oakland before. Is your sump pump ready?

We install and replace sump pumps with battery backup, and check gas equipment after water has been in the basement.

24/7 live dispatch$79 diagnostic, credited90 min or $50 off

Call (866) 737-2830 Book online

Permits

Permits in Oakland: we handle them

When a job needs a permit, Rescue files it and takes care of the inspection. Most repairs don't need one, and we tell you which yours is before any work starts. How NJ permits work.

Before we arrive

An emergency in Oakland: what to do first

Three things that limit the damage while the van is on the way.

Water: shut the main
A burst pipe or a failed water heater is usually stopped at the main shutoff, typically where the water line enters the basement. Our shutoff guide shows how to find it. Then call us.
Gas smell: get out first
Don't flip switches or use the phone inside. Leave the house, then call your gas utility's emergency line or 911 from outside. Once the utility has made it safe, we handle the repair. See gas line service.
No heat: three quick checks
Check the thermostat batteries and setting, the furnace or boiler switch and breaker, and a clogged filter on a furnace. If it's still down, call. No heat in freezing weather gets a van now, any hour. See furnace repair.

How we price

You see the number before we start

Every visit works the same way, in Oakland and everywhere else we go.

$79Diagnostic

A licensed technician on site finds the actual problem
The full price in writing before work starts
The $79 comes off the total when you go ahead

If you decide not to go ahead, the $79 is all you pay. Every job carries a one-year parts and labor warranty, and when a job needs a permit we file it as part of the work. Technicians are background-checked. NJ Master HVACR Contractor Lic. #19HC00145700 · bonded · insured · $2M liability coverage.

Rebates in Oakland

PSE&G supplies both electricity and gas in Oakland, so its residential programs are the ones that apply, including rebates on qualifying furnaces, boilers, central air, heat pumps and water heaters. Eligibility and amounts change, so check before you buy.

The federal 25C tax credit for this equipment ended for anything placed in service after December 31, 2025, so utility programs are what remain. Current details are on our NJ rebates page.

Everything we do

Services available in Oakland

Every service page carries published prices. What changes from house to house is what the technician finds, and you see that in writing before anyone starts. See also our Bergen County page.

Plumbing and HVAC in Oakland: the questions we get

My Oakland house is on septic. Can Rescue still clear my drains?

Yes, for the plumbing inside the house: sinks, tubs, toilets and the drain line out of the house. About 95% of Oakland is on septic or cesspools, according to the borough's 2022 wastewater plan, so if every fixture backs up at once the problem may be in the tank or field, which is a septic contractor's job. We'll tell you which it looks like.

Who supplies my water in Oakland?

Most of the borough is served by the Oakland Water Department, which pumps from seven borough wells. A 2022 ordinance gave Veolia Water New Jersey consent to serve a portion of Oakland, so your water bill is the quickest way to check. Inside the house, from the meter on, the piping is yours.

The Ramapo runs behind my street. How do I protect the equipment in my basement?

The Army Corps of Engineers describes frequent floods along the Ramapo from Pompton Lake upstream to West Oakland Avenue, and Floyd alone caused about $5.3 million in municipal damages in 1999. Start with a sump pump that has a battery backup, and when a furnace, boiler or water heater on the floor is due for replacement, ask us about raising it. After water has been in the basement, have gas equipment checked before it runs again.

How fast can you get to an emergency in Oakland?

Dispatch runs 24 hours a day with a real person answering, and an emergency in Oakland goes out from our shop at 2 John St in Haledon. Our published commitment is a technician on site within 90 minutes of your emergency call, or $50 off the job.

What does a visit cost?

The diagnostic is $79. A licensed technician finds the actual problem and prices the repair in writing before any work starts. Go ahead with the job and the $79 comes off the total; decide not to, and $79 is all you pay.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. NJ Master HVACR Contractor License #19HC00145700, bonded, and insured with $2M in liability coverage. Our technicians are background-checked, and the work carries a one-year parts and labor warranty.

Need someone in Oakland?

A real dispatcher, any hour of any day.