Windy City Rooter

zak a.

Our water supply had blown out in the winter resulting in a water bill of thousands of dollars. It was unable to detect the problem to an untrained eye, but we had these guys come out and they were able to immediately arrive to the site and have this problem solved within 6 hours of diagnosing the problem. This was a big job, so i consider this to be incredibly fast. They had to dig a line from the street side all the way to the building and dismantle a fence and run new water lines all the way from the street into the middle of the basement. Not only did they do a great job but also they are going to mediate the situation between us and the insurance company so we don't have to lose thousands on this. Altogether very knowledgeable, professional, and keeps customer service a priority. Call these guys when the s*^%t hits the fan and you will be in good hands!

Johnny K.

Had a sewage pipe that was seemingly backed up again after a different plumber supposedly ""fixed it"". Turns out the previous plumber did not fix the root issue. Max and his crew came out (on a Thanksgiving weekend no-less) and fixed the issue and even helped me navigate the insurance claim process. Can't thank them enough for taking care of this major issue quickly and efficiently.

Reggie L.

My family had a plumbing emergency and reached out to multiple plumbing companies in the North Shore area. Windy City Rooter was the first to show up but while he arrived, we had another (more affordable) plumber call and say that he was on the way. My wife decided to tell the plumber from Windy City Rooter that she didn't need his service since we had another plumber on the way. That 2nd plumber tried to work on the clog in our main sewer but was unsuccessful. He recommended calling another company more capable of handling heavy duty repairs. My wife decided to call Windy City Rooter back and within an hour and a half, they showed up for the 2nd time, this time with Max the owner. I feel that most plumbing companies would not have returned after being turned away initially. We were appreciative that Max and his company came back.
Within an hour, Max and his son assessed the cause of our problems. We needed a complete sewer line replacement due to terrible root issues and a collapsed pipe He walked me through multiple options and the various costs for each. We made the decision to go ahead with WCR after getting approval from our insurance company. Max and his company were quick to organize and plan out the repair. Early the next morning, one of Max's sons, Cort, showed up bright and early with a crew of men and heavy machinery to start working. The guys were all prompt, professional, and friendly. Within a few days, their crew was able to finish a complete sewer replacement which would have taken over a week for most other companies.
Throughout the process, Max was on the phone keeping me updated and even constantly communicating with the claims adjuster.
My family has the utmost respect for Max and his company because of their responsiveness, quality of work, speed, and overall affordability. We highly recommend them to anyone who has plumbing needs.

Hamad H.

Really more of 2.5 but I rounded up.

The Good: Quick to reply, the owner cares about the business and making customers happy. The scheduling/online team are great. Free, no obligation quotes.

The Bad: Like any company with employees (vs solo plumber) it can be hit and miss with the quality of the plumber you get and unfortunately I got a miss. I had a drip on my bathtub faucet and I figured while they were there I'd have them flush my water heater.

Cost: Their prices are NOT CHEAP. Expect to pay around $250/hr for even basic tasks and don't expect even the smallest job to run you under $300. My faucet drip and water heater flush cost almost $600. Keep in mind my water heater is electric and has a drain right next to it. Probably the easiest water heater to drain. Maybe the prices are high to compensate for the people that do not hire them after a quote. They do quote you up front and businesses are free to charge as they please..not docking them for this. Just sharing to give an idea of cost.

The mediocre: Did not seem very prepared or professional. Don't expect ""white glove"" service with shoe covers, sweeping after or any of those bells and whistles. I'm not docking them stars for this, but I have paid less and gotten better service before.

Side note: Also I noticed many of the 5 star reviews are for times when Max (the owner) was at the job site. Most (if not all) the 1 star reviews are at times when he wasn't.

My outcome: As soon as they left the drip they ""fixed"" started again. Long story short I hired someone else to do it right as I was in a hurry. Owner called, apologized and offered a small discount (under 20%) that didn't even cover what I paid the other guy to fix it right.

The verdict: If you need someone in a pinch, go for it. They will show up and they have good availability. However, I would definitely shop around and get a few quotes before going with them on any major jobs. For minor jobs don't expect the best bang for your buck.

Would I hire again: Maybe....but I would definitely be very particular about getting everything in writing and getting multiple quotes before starting the work.

Someone else would have probably given a 1 star review and disputed with the credit card company, but I did appreciate their responsiveness.....but sometimes getting the job done right is more important than proactive follow up.

A J.

We have all heard the commercials, ""we drain your pipes, not your wallet"". Do yourselves a favor get 2 estimates before any work is done. WCR was 60% higher, yes you read that right, more than double the cost of a local plumber. I had the work done by a local plumber and saved hundreds. The local plumber did a great job as well. WCR is way overpriced.

Mohammad A.

They get your job done and arrive on time but they quote a price out of the blue & they are way overpriced, you can't even tell how did they come up with the price, its a roughly quote out of the guy mind who came that day.
I paid off the price because I just wanted to get it done otherwise I would definitely have it done with another company.

Molly S.

Windy City Rooter came out just a few hours after we had a flash flood. They unclogged a main drain within minutes. They also came back a few days later to upgrade our sump pump and install a back-up system, in which they were honest about our options and didn't try to up-sell us the most expensive option, but truly encouraged us to upgrade what was necessary so the flooding didn't happen again. Basically they got us the best bang for our buck without breaking the bank. They were professional, approachable, reliable, and efficient. I would recommend them to everyone I know.

Dan R.

Nice work, very professional. Fair price, although plumbing work is not cheap, I could not repair this leak in the wall.

Heidi M.

Quick to respond! And very helpful and honest! Answered every question and have good recommendations on how to fix the problem.

Abbey G.

Fast response l.
Polite, efficient, beyond competent. Reasonable costs and they followed CDC Covid guidelines.?