Mountain View Neighborhood Plumbing Guide

Mountain View is a city with a remarkable range of housing ages and construction styles. Here is what we have learned from years of working inside these homes.

Old Mountain View and Downtown (94041)

The blocks surrounding Castro Street and the Caltrain station make up some of Mountain View's earliest residential development. You will find homes here dating back to the early 1900s, including Craftsman bungalows, Victorian cottages, and early California ranch houses. These older properties often have layered plumbing, where original galvanized supply lines sit alongside copper sections added during bathroom remodels in the 1970s or 1980s. Mixed pipe materials corrode faster at connection points, which is one reason why homes in this area experience pinhole leaks and low water pressure more frequently.

The compact lot sizes near Dana Street, View Street, and Church Street also mean that sewer laterals run shorter distances to the city main, but they are often among the oldest lines in the city. Cast iron and clay pipe from before the 1960s is common. If you have noticed slow drains throughout the house or sewage odors in the yard, a camera inspection can tell you exactly what is happening underground without any digging.

Monta Loma and Fairview Eichlers (94043)

Monta Loma is home to roughly 200 Eichler homes built in 1954, along with similar mid-century designs from builders Mackay and Mardell on surrounding streets. This neighborhood is one of the most architecturally distinct in the South Bay, and the plumbing inside these homes reflects their unique construction.

Eichler homes are built on concrete slab foundations with radiant floor heating embedded in the slab. That means supply lines often run through or under the concrete rather than through crawl spaces or walls like conventional homes. When a copper line develops a pinhole leak under the slab, you may not see water pooling, but you will notice a warm spot on the floor or an unexplained increase in your water bill. We use electronic leak detection and thermal imaging to locate slab leaks in Eichler homes without tearing up floors unnecessarily.

Repiping an Eichler requires a different approach than a standard home. Because breaking into the slab is invasive and expensive, we typically reroute new PEX supply lines through the attic space or along interior walls, keeping disruption to a minimum while preserving the home's mid-century character. Our team has hands-on experience with Eichler plumbing layouts across the South Bay, including homes in Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood.

Cuesta Park, Sylvan Park, and South Mountain View (94040)

The neighborhoods south of El Camino Real and west of Highway 85, including Cuesta Park, Sylvan Park, and the Cuernavaca area, are a mix of 1950s to 1970s ranch homes, newer townhome developments, and some apartment conversions. Homes here are predominantly single-story on slab foundations, with original copper or early PEX supply lines depending on the decade of construction.

Common calls from this area include water heater replacements (many original units from the 1990s and 2000s are reaching end of life), garbage disposal failures, and slow bathroom drains from years of mineral buildup in cast iron waste lines. The proximity to Cuesta Park and its mature landscaping means tree root intrusion in sewer laterals is a regular issue for homes along Cuesta Drive, Bonita Avenue, and Miramonte Avenue.

Rex Manor, Waverly Park, and Central Mountain View (94040)

Rex Manor is known for its quiet streets, traffic circles, and 1960s ranch-style homes. Waverly Park, just to the south, has a similar housing profile with slightly larger lots and a family-oriented atmosphere. Many homes in both neighborhoods have their original copper supply lines, which are generally in good shape but susceptible to pinhole leaks as they approach 60 years of age.

The Bell Meadows Eichler tract sits within this area as well, with roughly 53 larger Eichler homes built in the early 1970s along Trophy Drive and Eichler Court. These later Eichlers feature four-bedroom floor plans with enclosed atriums, and their plumbing tends to be in better condition than the older Monta Loma models simply due to age. However, original water heaters, faucets, and fixtures in Bell Meadows homes are now 50+ years old and commonly need replacement or upgrading.

North Whisman, Slater, and North Mountain View (94043)

The neighborhoods north of Central Expressway, including North Whisman, Slater, Stierlin Estates, and the area along Whisman Road, sit closest to the major tech campuses and the Shoreline area. Housing here is a mix of 1950s to 1960s single-family homes, newer condo and townhome communities, and some light commercial conversions.

Older single-family homes in this area share the same mid-century plumbing characteristics as Monta Loma: galvanized or copper supply lines, cast iron drain pipes, and slab-on-grade foundations. The newer condo developments typically use PEX supply lines and ABS drain pipes, which require less maintenance but may still develop issues at connection points or with builder-grade fixtures that wear faster than expected.

How Mountain View's Water Affects Your Plumbing

Mountain View has a distinct water supply that sets it apart from most other South Bay cities. Understanding where your water comes from matters because it directly impacts how long your water heater lasts, how quickly scale builds up on fixtures, and whether your home would benefit from a water treatment system.

• Hetch Hetchy surface water (87% of Mountain View's supply): Which comes from Sierra Nevada snowmelt stored in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite. This water is naturally soft to moderately hard, generally landing below 120 mg/L of calcium carbonate. For context, that is significantly softer than the valley groundwater that many San Jose neighborhoods receive, which averages 376 mg/L and can spike above 500 mg/L.
• Santa Clara Valley Water District supply (about 10%): A blend of imported water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and locally captured surface water. Hardness levels vary depending on the blend ratio at any given time.
• City groundwater wells (about 3%): These tap into the deeper aquifer under the valley floor. This water tends to be harder than the Hetch Hetchy supply and is distributed in specific zones within the city.

Most Mountain View homes enjoy softer water than their neighbors in San Jose, Campbell, or Santa Clara, which is why water heaters tend to last a bit longer here and scale buildup on showerheads is less severe.

However, Mountain View's water supply can shift between sources seasonally and during drought years. If you are in a zone that receives groundwater or Valley Water blends, you may still notice white deposits on fixtures, spotting on glass shower doors, and sediment in your water heater tank. We test water hardness as part of our water heater service visits and can recommend a treatment system if your home is in a harder-water zone.

Same-Day Emergency Plumbing in Mountain View

When a slab leak surfaces at 6 AM or your sewer backs up on a weekend, response time matters. Our team dispatches directly from 228 San Jose Ave in San Jose, near the Highway 87 and 280 interchange. That gives us fast access to every part of Mountain View:

• Old Mountain View and Downtown (94041): 15 to 20 minutes via Central Expressway or El Camino Real.
• Monta Loma and North Mountain View (94043): 15 to 20 minutes via Highway 85 North to Central Expressway or El Camino Real.
• Cuesta Park, Sylvan Park, and South Mountain View (94040): 15 to 18 minutes via Highway 85 North to the El Camino Real exit.
• Rex Manor, Waverly Park, and Bell Meadows (94040): 15 to 20 minutes via Highway 85 to Fremont Avenue or El Monte Road.
• North Whisman and Shoreline area (94043): 18 to 22 minutes via Highway 85 North to Highway 101 North.

We prioritize active water leaks and sewer backups to minimize damage to your home. Our trucks carry the parts and equipment to resolve most emergencies on the first visit, so you are not waiting on a second appointment while water sits on your hardwood floors or a backed-up sewer line puts your family's health at risk.

Call (408) 470-3051 for same-day emergency plumbing service in Mountain View.