First Chicago Plumbing

Dan M.

Excellent service, showed up on time and did quick professional work. They informed me before they came about what I should have so they wouldn't have to come out twice and charge me. Which I appreciated. Highly recommend.

Ken C.

We had a persistent sewer gas issue in our house for a long period over the winter. It was an awful experience that leaked raw sewer smells into the basement, which was subsequently vented into the whole house through the central air system. We were unable to escape outside due to covid and cold, and it led to a miserable wintertime. I would not wish that on anybody.

We had multiple other companies out to try and address the issue, and nobody seemed to offer much help.

We had Eugene and his team out many times to try and address the root cause, and found a whole host of issues, probably caused by the interior drain tile installation (Reliable Basement).

Eugene and team were professional, on-time, patient, and dogged about trying to find the root case. We ultimately found issues with cracked pipes along the drain tile system, a crack in the floor drain, as well as a collapsed pipe on the city side. All of which was difficult to diagnose due to our house being quite old.

I cannot speak highly enough about First Chicago Plumbing, and would never hesitate to get their assistance.

Jesus R.

Wasted my time and money and didn't solve the problem. Frankly I expected top service for the prices they charge ($250 just for diagnosis). They looked at my water heater and quickly concluded that I needed a new pilot assembly. They made me wait a few days because they didn't have the part, and wanted an additional $285 to replace a $35 part. I didn't have a good feeling about the training/experience of these plumbers and I was proven right. The part they replaced wasn't even the problem. They called the manufacturer and were told that it might be the gas valve. All along they did not know how to diagnose the problem by themselves. They relied on the manufacturer for advice both times. Then they offered me to replace the whole unit for $1,680 but at this point I was not interested on their overpriced and unreliable service. In the end I did decide to replace the water heater but I hired a different company who did it for a much more reasonable $300 plus the cost of the water heater.

Carisa M.

First Chicago did great work installing plumbing to our new bathroom and fixing an issue with our gas pipes. They were very organized and responsive and answered any questions I had. They are a super nice, hardworking team and I will definitely hire them for future projects!

Bruce S.

This review is based on numerous plumbing services costing well over a thousand dollars provided on a single day. Two events occurred that never should have happened. The details:

About a week before the work date, the lead plumber (?owner) Eugene, advised me that the main water supply in the house will have to be turned off for some of the various jobs, and he warned that when the water is turned on again it is likely to be discolored and have some sediment. A fair and thoughtful warning. Early in the work day I reminded him of his warning and I suggested that installation of two new replacement kitchen faucets be done last, after the water main had been turned on again and after the system was flushed. Eugene assured me that there would be no problem. A few hours later, Eugene told me that he had installed the first kitchen faucet but it was useless because it was clogged by sediment. Yes, just incredible.

Eugene also installed a new single handle shower faucet. About a day later, I contacted him and complained that there is just a little warm water coming from the shower while before his repair there was an excellent flow of hot water. He answered that it sounds like the faucet got clogged due to rust and sediments from the old plumbing. He recommended to flush the water heater or replace it if it's over 10-12 y.o. but that he'd have to charge me his minimum fee of $150 as he's not responsible for any existing plumbing conditions. I explained that this is not an issue of diminished flow, but rather, the shower handle only turns 90 degrees, from 3 o'clock back to 12 o'clock, and it is supposed to turn 120 degrees. He answered that the shower handle is supposed to be turning from 12-3 ""according to the shower faucet model you got..."" I then sent him the installation pdf documenting that the handle was supposed to turn 120 degrees, that the amount of rotation of the handle is governed by a ""rotational limit stop"" that is adjustable, and a link to a YouTube video showing how this is done. (The rotational limit stop (also known as rotational stop limit) is a safety feature in all modern shower faucets to prevent scalding. It is required according to Chicago plumbing code - § 18-29-417.4.4.) Eugene's response to this? ""The problem is most likely coming from the existing plumbing.""

I adjusted the rotational limit stop and fixed the problem myself.

Just sad. Some other work (even more complicated work) was done very well. Eugene sounds pleasant and he responds quickly. Had just one of the above events occurred, I might have been tempted to shrug it off. But both in one day? The red flags don't get any bigger or brighter.

Neil B.

Highly recommend Eugene and his crew! He was able to provide a rough estimate from photos due to covid. Great communication throughout the project. They replaced old plumbing and installed a new bathtub and then the final trim in for the shower/bath parts. Friendly and kept our place clean.

Greg G.

Very good, showed up on time, did the job nicely, cleaned up after themselves.

Jim O.

Excellent work. Polite, professional, fast, and detailed explanation of the work. Highly Recommend.

T C.

Communication by e-mail seemed to work best - it was quick and clear and left us knowing what to expect. Charges were exactly as quoted, the work was done correctly, and the plumber was able to speak with our home warranty company so the repair could be partially reimbursed. Appointments must be cancelled or re-scheduled at least 24 hours in advance to avoid a cancellation fee.

Michael M.

We've used First Chicago a couple times. Back in May, our sump pump died during some heavy rain. First Chicago was able to get out that day, and put in a new/solid sump pump at a good price. They were very consultative, and walked me through what they were seeing with our new house. They also tested out our backup and showed me that it had died. We liked them so much that we had them come back recently to install a new backup sump pump system. Again, they were great to work with this time as well (shout out to Martin for the great work, and taking the time to walk me through everything.) Will definitely use these guys for all our plumbing needs moving forward.