Illinois Sewer And Drain

Brian L.

I had a terrible experience with this company. They do not care about the customer or your issue! They just want to make a quick buck.

Water was backing up from the drains in my water heater and washer/dryer closets (they're adjacent rooms) in my rental unit. My tenants called them in on Wednesday 10/18 and Darrin was the plumber who serviced the call. I arrived to meet him to talk about the situation. This is a garden unit and I explained to him all pipes in the unit (including the water heater and washer/dryer pipes/lines) all lead to an ejector pit in the hallway closet. He rodded the drain from the water heater to the pit because it was obvious there was a clog there. I asked him to also rod the drain pipe from the washer/dryer but he was hesitant. He said it didn't need to be rodded. I just wanted to make sure all of those lines were clear. I had to leave and my tenant was working with him at that point. I asked my tenant to make sure the washer/dryer drain was rodded and to send pictures. They told him to do so but I never received pictures so I can't be certain that was done.

After he completed the rodding, we spoke on the phone. He recommended that he redo the pipping for $500 in the ejector pit closet where the ejector was located. He said that could be the cause of the clog. He said the pump was not properly pumping out all the water and over time tissue was accumulating in the pipes that caused the blockage. Sounds farfetched but I guess it could happen. I'm not a pro plumber. He said if he re-pipe the ejector pipes it would prevent that clog from reoccurring again because the pump would run more efficiently or something like that. So I agreed (which in hindsight was a huge mistake) and scheduled to have him come back the following day.

Darrin came back the next day, Thursday (10/19) afternoon. This is when everything went downhill. I wasn't unavailable so my wife went to meet him. It started off fine, my wife was in and out of the unit as she was helping out another tenant. He completed the re-pipping job but then a new issue popped up. The ejector pump wasn't pumping out the water. By this time, I was able to head over to see what was going on. He told me he completed the re-piping and was testing everything out but didn't know why the pump wasn't pumping out the water. He said either the pump went bad or the line from the pump to the sewer was clogged. I questioned how it could have just gone bad since he was just working on it, and he got really defensive. At this point, you could tell he didn't really care. He just wanted to get out of there because he finished his ""re-piping job"". I asked him if maybe he should rod the line going out to the sewer to see if that was the issue, but he refused. Then he tried to scare me by saying it might be a bigger issue if there's a clog in the line and we'll need to knock down a wall. He also said he could put in a new pump, but it would cost another $600-$800. I told him that the pump is only a year old and under warranty, and he said go call the plumber who put it in it has nothing to do with him. I paid Darrin his $500 and he just left. I was still stuck with the problem of backup water in the pit.

So, I had to call in another plumber. When he got there, he questioned why the re-piping was done that way and we all talked to Darrin on the phone and again he was super defensive. As soon as the plumber heard the pump turning on he knew there was no issue with the pump (why didn't Darrin know that?). Eventually, the new plumber rodded the sewer line from the pump and that resolved the issue. He even, reverted Darrin's re-piping ""work"" as that was unnecessary.

The main issue is that Darrin really doesn't care at all about helping the customer. He's just trying to make as much money off you as possible.

I probably didn't even need the re-piping work that he sold me for $500. It's been that way for over 10 years without any issues. After he worked on it, it looked worse than (more 90-degree turns) before. The re-piping wasn't that much of a difference either. Complete rip-off. See the attached pictures.

The other thing is, when he was testing out the system that's when the sewer line got clogged and I think he knew it too, but he just didn't want to take responsibility for it and wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

I will never work with this company ever again. Save yourself a headache and some money, AVOID this company!

Amanda L.

Took advantage of us as new homeowners and overcharged us for a new sump. Unfortunately didn't find out until I had another plumber come by to fix another issue and was told how much it should have been. Now I'm stuck paying off $7,000. They also charged $300 to simply caulk a tub.

Carlos G.

After some heavy rains our house had a little bit of sewage back up in our basement shower. We knew this was not something to wait on, so we called Matt (a friend of ours recommended them). He came about an hour that same afternoon! They inspected and determined that we at the very least needed a sewer clean out installed. We agreed, and they got to working the very next day. They got the clean out installed and we were able to use our water again without worrying. Matt and Illinois Sewer and Drain were super fast to respond and very friendly. And their pricing is very competitive and fair (they beat out another quote we got). I also appreciate that Matt suggested a few other things based on what his team found, but did not push it aggressively.

Nancy O.

Called them from Yelp search and they came out rodded out the main sewer line and told me their was a broken pipe that needs digging and then repair 3300.00 he wanted after charging me for the rodding job! Told him I needed several quotes I.e. a second opinion that's when I found my Plumber! Who recommended a Hydroblast which was a lot less money no broken pipes and fixed the issue! Beware of Plumbers who try n cheat you and this business does! Buyers Beware!

Sheri G.

I've used Joe from Illinois Sewer and Drain a few times since finding him on Thumb Tack, when you find someone who has really fair rates and is Extremely great at what he does, you keep them and Pass the info along to friends and neighbors, that's what I'm doing here, cuz I don't wanna see anyone else out there getting taken advantage of anymore. He works really hard to make sure you are totally taken care of and has the knowledge it take to do that. I had a new Rheem water heater blow a seal and shoot water across my basement like Niagara Falls, couldn't find my receipt for Home Depot where I bought the darn thing, and was getting the run around, I went on ThumbTack and found Joe. I love them both! ThumbTack for finding these Great Companies, and Illinois Sewer and Drain For Coming So Quick And Fixing The Problem so I could take a shower and wash clothes again after cleaning up all that water. He even repaired my ejector pump, that was also pretty new, instead of telling me I need another one, cuz the lever wasn't working right. Once you use Joe, I PROMISE U, YOU'LL NEVER USE ANOTHER PLUMBER, cuz No One cam hold a Candle to this guy, He is the Bomb (The Best), Forget The Rest, he's the Real Deal. Look I'm the most honest person I know, there are 2 types of people out there, those who know Joe, and those who wish they did the 1st time, before getting burned. I will Never Use Anyone But Him, as long as I live in IL. Going somewhere warm took a U-Turn when my son and twin 5yr old demons moved in with me, now I'm kinda stuck here, where we have 2 Seasons, Winter and Construction. Thank God I do have a Plumber now that I can depend on. As God is my Witness, Trust Me, U will Not B Sorry. The only thing I get out of this, is that good feeling in my heart that over done a great thing by sharing my story. I have more of them, but I don't wanna write a book, I just want all who read this to know about him cuz I believe God rewards u on the other side, when u do good things on this side. I always try to help out people, and usually get burned, but I am what I am, and that's Not Gonna Change Me It's who I am and the way I was raised, to treat people the way, I'd like to be treated. I wish someone would of told me about Joe when I 1st moved here from Wheeling, I had to go thru some bad apples in the basket till I finally found the pick of the Crop. If you're reading this Joe, I'm President of your Fan Club, just saying! Yours Very Truly, Sheri G, Lake Villa, IL.

Sindy M.

We had a leaking drain in our kitchen sink on a Thursday. That same day we had a very reputable company initially come out. They wrongfully diagnose the matter, overcharge me and did a shoddy job --- that was an understatement. I was taken advantage of and quoted a big unnecessary job that was ""requiring"" to tear down a wall and remove the brand new boiler we replaced last year for new parts. I came to find out on the following day, that because I had denied the ""big work"" and opted for just the needed repair. My hot water was not working (an issue that wasn't an issue before.) Cue Joel and his company **LIFESAVERS!!** Joel came out immediately and was able to identify and explain the problem to me. Joel educated me, showed me everything and even encouraged me to take pictures of the shoddy work performed by the other company. If it wasn't for Joel, I wouldn't have known that my boiler was completely turned off including the pilot. Apparently this is a tactic many scamming plumbers do to pressure and panic you into having the big work done. To describe how honest and sincere Joel was would be hard. Joel was the complete opposite of how this reputable company was. Joel could have easily taken advantage of my urgent plumbing issue and of not having hot water for almost two days but Joel didn't. His prices are honestly fair and the service was really excellent. Joel was fast, efficient, and very professional. My rate for this company would be a 10/10. Let's be honest, now a days you can't find honest, experienced contractors and Joel and his company are seriously just that. I would absolutely recommend them...nope scratch that, I would **Highly Recommend** them. If you want to feel like you are in good hands, then this is the company for you. Joel's company is now my go-to and what a relief is this!

Mario M.

Just moved into a new home and already had clogged-up sewage lines that went into the outside septic. Problems detected, extensive repairs and replacement of serious chunks of pipe both inside and outside, with high quality workmanship. Their team sprung into action and completed a job ( consisted of 2 separate locations of home) that should have taken at least 2 days in one day! Illinois sewer also went above and beyond taking care of many details and keeping me informed along the way. The landscaping wasn't left a complete disaster, & left in a manageable state. Overall I am completely happy with all members of their team, and especially wanted to send a huge thank you to Joel for driving his team to success. Thanks!

Debbie K.

I wish I found this plumbing company a long time ago. Incredibly responsive, honest, experienced premium service and reasonable prices. Bob, Matt and his team members at Illinois Sewer and Drain made the experience of having Sewer pipes replaced an easy experience. Assessed my plumbing issues correctly and resolved them quickly. I found them to be very skilled experienced plumbers. Bob explained everything to me in clear detail, was very responsive to my phone calls, terrific communication. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for plumbing services regardless how big or small the job is. So glad I found them!

Hasan K.

Darrin and Carlos saved my house. My sump pump(s) failed in the recent heavy rainfall and they replaced the old cheap broken pumps that the previous owner DIYed with a nice cast iron pump and a maintenance free battery backup, just in time for another heavy rainfall. They addressed several errors made in the installation of the original pumps. They were quick, clean, efficient, and friendly. The price was literally half of what another company quoted me. Could not be happier with their work and professionalism!

Natalie D.

My su-pump gave out on the rainiest day ever, I found his name on a site left a message and they got in touch with me ASAP and I said I hope he could come quickly and they did..the gentlemen was polite, respectful and did the job fast and got my new one in. I highly recommend this company.