My Experience Working with James Booth
Disclaimer: This page contains my personal account of events based on my firsthand experiences, contemporaneous records in my possession, and publicly available documents. It is intended to distinguish my personal experiences from the public records and business registration information presented elsewhere in the North County Plumbing Listing Transparency Project.
Purpose of This Page
The purpose of this page is to provide my personal account of my experiences working for James Roy Booth and Encinitas Plumbing & Drain.
Elsewhere within the North County Plumbing Listing Transparency Project, I focus on publicly available information such as contractor license records, business registrations, court filings, archived websites, and other verifiable documents. This page is different. It is intended to document events that I personally experienced before, during, and after my employment.
Over the years, I’ve been asked many questions by customers, fellow contractors, suppliers, and members of the community about my history with James Booth, how Encinitas Plumbing came to exist, and the circumstances that ultimately led me to start my own company. Rather than answering those questions individually, I’ve decided to document my recollection of those events in one place.
Everything on this page is presented from my perspective and is based on my firsthand experiences, contemporaneous records in my possession, and supporting documentation where available. Where I reference public records or official documents, I will identify them as such. Where I describe my personal recollection of events, I will make that clear so readers can distinguish between firsthand experience and documented public information.
My goal is not to tell readers what conclusions they should reach. Instead, I encourage anyone interested in this history to review the information presented throughout the Transparency Project—including public records, historical timelines, and this personal account—and draw their own informed conclusions.
I believe transparency, documentation, and allowing people to evaluate the available information for themselves is the fairest approach for everyone involved.
My Employment at Encinitas Plumbing & Drain
I began working for Encinitas Plumbing & Drain because I believed it would be an opportunity to contribute my plumbing experience while helping grow a local plumbing company. At the time, I expected the relationship to be built on professionalism, mutual respect, and the understanding that we were working toward the same goal of providing quality plumbing services to customers throughout North San Diego County.
During my employment, I worked as a service plumber performing residential plumbing repairs, troubleshooting, water heater installations, drain cleaning, fixture replacements, and other plumbing services. My work involved direct interaction with customers, diagnosing plumbing problems, preparing recommendations, and completing repairs in the field.
As my responsibilities grew, I became increasingly involved in generating revenue for the company and representing the business in customers’ homes. My understanding was that my efforts would contribute to the long-term success of the company and that I would be treated fairly under the terms of our working arrangement.
The sections that follow describe my experience with that employment relationship, the events that occurred during my time with the company, and the circumstances that ultimately led to my departure and the creation of Encinitas Plumbing.
My Role and Responsibilities
When I joined Encinitas Plumbing & Drain, I wasn’t simply hired to perform plumbing repairs. I became one of the company’s primary service plumbers and was responsible for representing the business in customers’ homes throughout North San Diego County.
My responsibilities included diagnosing plumbing problems, explaining repair options, preparing estimates, performing plumbing repairs, installing water heaters, replacing fixtures, repairing leaks, troubleshooting drainage issues, and responding to a wide variety of residential plumbing service calls. In many cases, I was the face of the company that customers interacted with from the initial diagnosis through completion of the work.
Beyond performing the plumbing itself, I was responsible for maintaining a professional appearance, building customer confidence, communicating repair recommendations, and delivering the level of service expected from a licensed plumbing contractor. Every completed job reflected not only on me as a plumber, but on the company’s reputation as a whole.
I took pride in producing quality workmanship and treating customers honestly and respectfully. My goal on every service call was to properly diagnose the problem, recommend the most appropriate solution, and complete the work safely, professionally, and in compliance with applicable plumbing codes.
Looking back, I believe the relationships I built with customers, the quality of my workmanship, and the revenue generated through my service work played a significant role in the company’s day-to-day operations during my employment. Those experiences also helped shape the business philosophy that I would later carry forward when founding Encinitas Plumbing.
Compensation and Employment Arrangement
When I began working for Encinitas Plumbing & Drain, my understanding was that my compensation would be based on a 50/50 revenue-sharing arrangement. I accepted that arrangement with the expectation that if I worked hard, produced quality work, and generated business for the company, I would share fairly in the success of the jobs I completed.
Because my compensation was directly tied to the work I performed, I was motivated to provide excellent customer service, accurately diagnose plumbing problems, complete high-quality repairs, and build lasting relationships with customers. I viewed the arrangement as more of a partnership in producing successful jobs than a traditional hourly position.
As time went on, I began to question whether I was being compensated in accordance with my understanding of our agreement. Those concerns ultimately led to disagreements regarding wages and compensation.
After my employment ended, I pursued a claim through the California Labor Commission regarding wages that I believed remained unpaid. That process is discussed in more detail later on this page.
The compensation issues I experienced became one of the defining events that ultimately led me to establish Encinitas Plumbing. When I started my own company, I made a commitment that transparency, clearly defined agreements, and treating employees and customers fairly would be foundational principles of the business.
The Working Relationship
When I first began working for Encinitas Plumbing & Drain, I was optimistic about the opportunity. I believed I had found a place where I could contribute my experience as a service plumber, help grow the business, and build a long-term professional relationship based on trust and mutual respect.
As time went on, however, I found that my expectations and the reality of the working relationship began to diverge. Like many small businesses, the company faced operational challenges, and those challenges often affected scheduling, communication, customer service, and day-to-day operations. As one of the primary service plumbers, I frequently found myself working to keep jobs moving, maintain customer confidence, and ensure work was completed professionally despite those challenges.
I took pride in representing the company to its customers. Every homeowner I met judged the company based on the professionalism, workmanship, and communication they received from me. I believed that protecting the company’s reputation meant being honest with customers, arriving prepared, completing quality work, and standing behind the services we provided.
Over time, differences developed regarding expectations, communication, compensation, and the overall direction of the business. Those differences gradually eroded the trust that I believed was necessary for the working relationship to continue successfully.
Although I was disappointed that the relationship ultimately came to an end, the experience reinforced principles I had already come to value through years of business ownership. It reaffirmed my belief that successful businesses are built on leadership, transparency, accountability, clearly defined processes, quality workmanship, and treating both customers and employees fairly. Those principles became the foundation upon which I built Encinitas Plumbing.
Events Leading to My Departure
As my time with Encinitas Plumbing & Drain progressed, I became increasingly concerned that the working relationship was no longer aligned with the expectations I had when I joined the company. What I had hoped would become a long-term professional opportunity gradually developed into a series of disagreements regarding compensation, communication, management, and the direction of the business.
Although I remained committed to serving customers professionally and completing quality plumbing work, I found it increasingly difficult to reconcile what I believed had been agreed upon with the way our working relationship was evolving. I continued performing my responsibilities while attempting to resolve those concerns, but over time it became clear to me that our differences were unlikely to be resolved.
During my approximately nine months with the company, I became one of its primary service plumbers. Based on the 50/50 compensation arrangement under which I worked and the compensation I received during that period, I estimate I generated well into six figures in service revenue for the company. Although I no longer have my payroll records, I retained my paychecks for years after my employment and recall earning more than $90,000 during that time. Those facts reinforced my belief that I had become a valuable and trusted member of the business.
Eventually, my employment with Encinitas Plumbing & Drain came to an end. Following my departure, I took steps to pursue what I believed were outstanding employment-related matters through the appropriate legal and administrative channels, including the California Labor Commission. Those proceedings are discussed in greater detail later on this page.
Although my employment ultimately came to an end through circumstances outside my control, it became the catalyst for establishing Encinitas Plumbing. Rather than continuing to focus on the disagreements surrounding my departure, I chose to build a company based on the principles I believed were most important: professionalism, transparency, clear communication, quality workmanship, and treating customers with honesty and respect.
Looking back, while the circumstances surrounding my departure were difficult, they also provided the opportunity to build the business that I had envisioned from the beginning.
Just weeks before these events, James Booth traveled to Australia to visit his father, who was experiencing health issues. During his absence, he left me with the company phone and entrusted me with answering incoming customer calls, scheduling service appointments, and managing the day-to-day operation of the business while he was away. Nothing during that period led me to believe our working relationship was about to end.
Given the level of trust he had placed in me only weeks earlier, the events that followed were difficult for me to understand.
The Van Theft and Loss of My Tools
The disappearance of the company work van assigned to me occurred the night before a scheduled government audit involving the company. The van had been parked outside my residence and contained my personal plumbing tools, which represented years of investment in my trade and were essential to earning my living.
The timing immediately stood out to me because the van disappeared only hours before the audit was scheduled to take place. The van was reported stolen and recovered only a short time later.
While the responding police officer was investigating the incident, James Booth explained that the van had been located after one of the company’s customers called to ask why it had been parked in front of the customer’s home throughout the morning. According to Booth, that call led to the van being recovered. I have no independent knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the recovery beyond what was discussed at the scene. I also recall the responding officer commenting that it seemed quite a convenient coincidence that the van had been parked in front of one of the company’s customers’ homes and ultimately reported by that customer.
When the vehicle was recovered, my personal plumbing tools were gone. I also noticed that several ceramic toilet tank lids, which had originally been stored in the rear cargo area alongside my tools, had been carefully moved to the front passenger side floorboard. Based on what I personally observed, the contents of the van did not appear to have been simply tossed around during the theft. I found that unusual.
While the responding police officer was still present, I began pointing out that my power tools were missing and describing what I had observed inside the recovered van, including that the fragile toilet tank lids had been carefully relocated from the rear cargo area to the front passenger-side floorboard. As I was explaining my observations, I recall James Booth shushing me, presumably so the responding officer would not hear what I was saying. He then whispered to me not to discuss the matter and assured me that his insurance would cover the loss of my tools.
Several weeks later, I followed up regarding the insurance claim for my tools and was informed that they would not be covered. Around that same time, I also asked James Booth about the outcome of the government audit. As I remember it, he told me the company had been assessed approximately $6500, which he attributed to issues involving “payroll taxes.” Although I no longer have documentation confirming the specific basis for the assessment.
Not long after those conversations, my employment with Encinitas Plumbing & Drain came to an end. Between the end of my employment in May 2019 and the registration of the Encinitas Plumbing fictitious business name on July 1st, 2019, I spent considerable time reflecting on everything that had occurred over the preceding weeks. Looking back at the disappearance of the company van, the loss of my tools, the government audit, the denial of insurance coverage for my tools, my wage dispute and my termination, I came to believe those events were interconnected in ways I had not fully appreciated at the time.
That period of reflection ultimately led me to move forward with building my own plumbing company. Registering the Encinitas Plumbing name was not an impulsive decision. It reflected my determination to build a business based on professionalism, transparency, accountability, and treating both employees and customers fairly. I also believed I could compete successfully based on the quality of my work, the relationships I had built with customers, and the reputation I had earned in the field.
The Labor Commissioner Claim
Following the end of my employment, I filed a wage claim with the California Labor Commission because I believed I had not been fully compensated under my understanding of my employment arrangement.
My claim included unpaid compensation that I believed was owed to me, including concerns regarding deductions and compensation practices that I disputed during my employment.
As the process progressed, the matter became increasingly complicated. The dispute expanded beyond the wage issues themselves and included disagreements regarding my work performance, the circumstances surrounding my employment, and other issues raised during the proceedings.
As the process continued, I concluded that pursuing the claim would require a substantial investment of additional time, resources, and legal effort. Ultimately, I made the difficult decision to discontinue pursuing the claim and focus my energy on building my own business instead.
Although I chose not to continue the Labor Commissioner proceedings, the experience reinforced the importance of operating a business with clear agreements, transparent compensation practices, and professionalism. Those principles continue to guide how I operate Encinitas Plumbing today.
Starting My Own Company
Following the end of my employment in late May 2019, my immediate goal was simply to continue working and provide for my family. At that point, I was not planning to start a company called Encinitas Plumbing.
On June 20, 2019, I incorporated First Choice General Contracting. My intention was to establish a new business so I could continue working independently while I attempted to resolve the compensation issues that remained from my prior employment.
In the weeks that followed, I made repeated efforts to collect the compensation that I believed I was still owed. During those discussions, I was told that payment was being withheld because the company allegedly had to return to repair work that I had previously completed.
Those conversations caused me to become concerned about my professional reputation. Based on what I was being told, I believed customers I had worked with had been contacted and that negative statements were being made regarding my workmanship. Whether those statements were accurate or not, I recognized that my reputation would be one of my most valuable assets going forward.
That realization prompted me to research available business names. When I discovered that Encinitas Plumbing was available, I registered the fictitious business name on July 1, 2019, under First Choice General Contracting.
As my new business continued to grow, the Encinitas Plumbing name became the primary brand under which I operated. The fictitious business name was added to my contractor’s license after it was issued later that year, and on March 10, 2020, I formally changed the corporate name from First Choice General Contracting to Encinitas Plumbing.
Looking back, that evolution reflects how the company came to exist. It was not created to replace my former employer or capitalize on an existing business. It evolved over time as I rebuilt my career, established my own customer base, and developed a company founded on the principles of transparency, professionalism, and quality workmanship.
The 2021-2022 Litigation
In 2021, approximately two years after establishing Encinitas Plumbing, my former employer filed a civil lawsuit involving my company and me personally.
Defending the lawsuit required a significant investment of time, financial resources, and attention. Rather than scaling back operations, I made the decision to continue investing in the business while defending the litigation.
One of the most significant decisions I made during that time was hiring Susanne Holle, a personal friend of approximately five years at the time, to help answer phones, coordinate scheduling, and manage customer communications. My objective was simple: continue serving our customers, grow the business, and generate the revenue necessary to defend the lawsuit while maintaining the level of service our customers expected.
Although the litigation created additional challenges for a young company, Encinitas Plumbing continued to grow throughout that period. Looking back, that experience reinforced my determination to build a resilient business capable of overcoming significant legal and financial challenges without compromising customer service.
The litigation ultimately concluded in 2022. The court records relating to the case are public records, and I encourage anyone interested in the details to review those records directly rather than relying on summaries or secondhand accounts.
The experience also reinforced my commitment to documenting events carefully, preserving records, and allowing official documents to speak for themselves. That philosophy continues to guide both my business practices and the North County Plumbing Listing Transparency Project.
Late 2022 — Documented Navien Warranty Dispute & Subsequent Business Closure
In late 2022, I was contacted by a homeowner whose residence I had previously serviced while employed by James Booth at Encinitas Plumbing & Drain. The customer had been told she needed to pay approximately $1,600 for a replacement heat exchanger on a Navien tankless water heater. Based on the circumstances described to me and my inspection of the installation, I believed the component should have been eligible for manufacturer warranty coverage if the installation met Navien’s requirements.
The customer hired Encinitas Plumbing to evaluate the system. During that project, I documented the installation and published a detailed article explaining the warranty concerns and the basis for my conclusions. That article remains publicly available and continues to be accessible online.
The customer ultimately stopped payment on the installation check, resulting in a financial loss to Encinitas Plumbing. Approximately four months later, in February 2023, Encinitas Plumbing & Drain ceased operations, according to California public records.
I cannot state that these events caused the company to close, and no public record establishes the reason for the business’s closure. However, the sequence of events is part of the documented chronology. The closure occurred shortly after the warranty dispute became public and before James Booth later became publicly associated with RetroFlow Plumbing, LLC through California business registration and contractor licensing records.
Supporting Documentation
The following materials were created or became publicly available during the events described above and are provided so readers can review the underlying documentation for themselves.
October 8, 2022 — Facebook post documenting the inspection
Contemporaneous documentation published immediately after the inspection.
This Facebook post was published on October 8, 2022, shortly after my inspection of the water heater. It documents the installation deficiencies I observed, explains why I believed the installation would not qualify for manufacturer warranty coverage based on the installation I inspected, and summarizes information that the homeowner reported to me during the service call.
View the original Facebook post →
February 2023 — California business records
California public records showing that Encinitas Plumbing & Drain later ceased operations.
Related Timeline
For a broader chronology of the Encinitas Plumbing name and the businesses associated with it, see the History of the Encinitas Plumbing Name page.
Events Following the Lawsuit
Following the conclusion of the 2021–2022 litigation, I hoped that both businesses would simply move forward independently. My focus remained on growing Encinitas Plumbing, serving our customers, and continuing to build a reputation based on quality workmanship, professionalism, and transparency.
Over time, however, I continued to encounter information online and in the marketplace that prompted additional questions. As I researched business registrations, contractor license records, archived websites, online business listings, and other publicly available information, I began documenting what I found for my own records.
What started as an effort to better understand the history of the businesses involved gradually evolved into a much broader review of online plumbing listings throughout North San Diego County. During that research, I identified numerous listings that appeared to use virtual offices, lead-generation practices, inactive business locations, or other information that I believed could make it difficult for consumers to determine whether a plumbing company was truly local.
Those findings ultimately became the foundation for what is now the North County Plumbing Listing Transparency Project. Rather than relying on opinions or rumors, I chose to organize publicly available records, historical timelines, and my own firsthand experiences into a resource that allows readers to review the information for themselves.
My objective has never been to tell people which company they should hire. Instead, it is to encourage consumers to verify contractor licenses, business registrations, physical business locations, and other publicly available information so they can make informed decisions when selecting a plumbing contractor.
Supporting Documents and Public Records
Throughout this page, I have referenced both my personal experiences and publicly available records. Whenever possible, I believe readers should review the original source documents rather than relying solely on my interpretation of events.
As this project continues to grow, I will be adding additional documents, timelines, photographs, archived webpages, contractor licensing records, business registrations, court filings, correspondence, and other materials that help document the history described throughout this website.
My long-term goal is to make as much of the historical record available as possible so readers can independently verify the information presented here. Rather than asking anyone to simply accept my account, I encourage everyone to review the available evidence and draw their own conclusions.
If you have historical documents, records, photographs, or other information that you believe would improve the accuracy or completeness of this project, I welcome constructive feedback. My goal is for this project to remain as accurate, factual, and well documented as possible.
Some of the resources available within the North County Plumbing Listing Transparency Project include:
- Encinitas Plumbing & Drain History Timeline
- Business Registration & Corporate Timeline
- Contractor License History
- Court Records & Litigation Documents
- Archived Websites & Historical Screenshots
- North County Plumbing Listing Reviews
- My Personal Account: Working for James Booth
I encourage every reader to examine the available records carefully, verify the information independently, and draw their own conclusions based on the evidence.
Transparency is most meaningful when information is openly available for review. My goal is not to ask anyone to simply accept my perspective, but to provide enough documentation so that homeowners, contractors, journalists, regulators, and other interested parties can evaluate the historical record for themselves.
If you have additional information, historical records, or documentation that you believe would improve the accuracy or completeness of this project, I welcome constructive feedback. My goal is to preserve an accurate historical record and make the supporting documentation available so readers can independently evaluate the facts and draw their own conclusions.
This Historical Archive Is Ongoing
The pages within this historical archive are continuously being expanded as additional records, correspondence, photographs, public records and supporting documents are organized and reviewed.
My goal is to preserve an accurate chronological account of the events described throughout this website. As additional information becomes available, existing pages may be updated and new pages may be added to provide additional context.
If you found this information helpful, please consider checking back periodically as this historical archive continues to grow.
Last Updated: June 27, 2026
This page may be updated periodically as additional records and historical documentation become available.