Charlie genuinely cares about doing the right thing and educating his clients so that they are armed to better handle their homes. His prices are more than fair and his work reflects his many years of experience. If you want it done right- call Charlie. Long Story: I called a half dozen companies on a Sunday when I found water surging out of one of my laundry room drains. I was given lead times and soft commitments of 12-24 hours by everyone until Charlie. He helped me troubleshot right then and there, which is a level of care that you will not get from a larger company. We spent 20 minutes troubleshooting my system over the phone before determining that he needed to come out. He even suggested a temporary solution I could implement myself to prevent additional water in the area until his arrival; it worked. Once onsite, he was able to diagnose a complex issue (that was entirely behind the wall) quickly. We discussed the pro/cons of several solutions and he was able estimate the cost of the repair on the spot. Doing my own research after the fact, the price was very fair. During the repair, Charlie was polite , professional, hard working, and a pleasure to have doing work in my home. I would highly recommend him to those in need of plumbing, sewage, or heating solutions. read more

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Never called me back even when I did get hold of him after 2 days. He then promises to call that evening but nothing. after 5 Days I gave up. Cannot recommend. read more

I couldn't be more thankful for Charlie the plumber and his services. I had a tenant call me at 7pm and tell me that there was a leak in the roof, I asked him to send me a video and what I saw horrified me. There was water raining down out of the ceiling and gushing out of the baseboards. How does water gush out of the baseboards is beyond me but it was happening. I called Charlie, he picked up right away, calmed me down and told me where the water shut off valve might be. He showed up 20 minutes later, educated me on what was the potential issue and the quickest way to get the issue resolved. My issue was fixed in less than a couple of hours. He has competitive rates and will take the time to educate you about your plumbing and how to fix minor issues and most impportantly he is trustworthy as he wants to build a good reputation for good work. I now have a guy, that is knowledgeable, licensed, and reliable, I will be a customer for life. Thank you Charlie read more

Water Pipe Froze in my townhouse. I cut the drywall myself and identified the leak myself. I called around to about 10 places getting estimates, how they charge ( flat vs. time) rates, etc. I chose Charlie because of the good reviews on Yelp, and because he actually listened to me on the phone. He knew i did all the grunt work already and all he would need to do is come in and do a quick pipe splice. Everyone else wanted to send an inspector ( even after i sent pictures) I am thankful for all the honest reviews on Charlie. This guy is the man. Very knowlegable. Very fair. Very quick. He was in and out in less than 30 minutes. He did necessary inspection, , verified the leak, cut pipe, replaced, and made sure work was done before leaving. Don't be scared by lack of the overall number of reviews here. There was only 30 reviews when I looked. He is his own operation. He doesnt have to pay all the operation fees for people to answer his phone, scheduling, payroll....all those things that other companies have to charge you for. Charlie is exactly what a good plumber should be. An experienced craftsman who knows exactly how to fix problems in a quick manner for a fair price. I will never go to anyone else. read more

Rats! I gave Charlie a great review the one time I used his service but this second time around was a WHOLE different story. I called him for a number of small to large projects ranging from a leaky pipe to replacing radiators to installing central air. He wasted 6 days telling me he had a project to finish and would call me back. I finally realized he was just putting me off. Bad on me for believing him! But why do this? Why not just tell me "not interested"? What a jerk! read more

5 stars through out and I am happy to give him another 5 star review! My tenant had a backed up tub. I tried with some home remedies but seriously nothing was moving this water. I tried something through the sink too and accidentally broke the plastic seal and that was when I knew I was in over my head and had to call the pros. I pulled up Yelp and called Charlie at 9pm. His answering machine tells you to call his cell but since my tenant was ok with waiting until the morning I decided to wait. The next morning I called him bright and early and he told me he would be by later that day. I called him later asking for an update and he said that I had a stubborn rust blockage and that it bent his wire! He said he was on his way to the store to get another one but he was very determined to unblock it. Later that day he called to give me a report that he had cleared the drain, my tenant said he did a great job and very professional. I'm so happy that I called him and that he ended up being a great honest guy. He could have charged me extra for a new wire. He could have said that it was worse that it was because of where the block was. But he didn't. Honest man. Great guy. He even took the time to explain to me how my plumbing structure was in my bathroom! I never knew! Call him if you need him for plumbing. I'll update when I need him for heating services (which honestly I hope is a long time from now!). Thanks Charlie. read more

I had an issue with my sump pump early on a Sunday, and woke up to sewage water flowing into my basement. I was able to get a hold of Charlie right away, and I really appreciated that he first took the time over the phone to troubleshoot the problem by having me try a couple things (ensuring there was power, checking the breakers, verifying that the motor was working and then unplugging it so it wouldn't burn out). After we determined that I actually needed him to come out and work on it, he was able to quickly fit me into his day since this was a huge priority for me. Once he got here, he spent a lot of time explaining exactly what he was going to do and why, which really put me at ease. Once he found the issue with the pump, he showed me how the issue was caused by my washing machine dumping water straight into my standpipe and how the resulting lint and fibers accumulated enough over time to seize the motor. He then gave me suggestions on how to prevent this in the future and how often I need to consider replacing my pumps. Overall, extremely professional, great work done quickly, and informative advice on how to prevent future issues. read more

I've found my plumber. We've been having a drain that keeps on clogging. Charlie came out the same day - arriving when he said he'd arrive. He explained everything he was doing along the way. When it took longer than he had expected (we have a tricky drain, which I knew from the last plumber and not being able to fix it myself), he didn't complain he just said they would keep working until they fixed. it. It was 5pm when he started - 7:30 when he finished. He gave me a fair price on it and advice on the problem, without trying to sell me anything else. I've had to call a plumber a few times in Chicago and haven't been happy with any of the experiences. I'm happy to have finally found a guy. read more

I needed a new water heater and Charlie (the owner) came out and gave us our options. He was really good about explaining everything. We decided to go with Charlie because not only was he refered to us from a plumbing supplier, but because we just seemed to click with him. The job was scheduled, he was right time, worked clean and got the job done RIGHT. I am going to recommend him to everyone looking for an honest, reliable and experienced plumber. As it turns out Charlies whole family has been in the plumbing business for over 90 years. If your looking for a GREAT plumber call Charlie, you will not be disappointed. read more

On Monday my hot water tank died. I called a number of plumbers but only 1 was willing to work around my schedule, and that was Charlie. He could have met me in the early afternoon, but I couldnt get out of work so he agreed to stop by in the evening after he finished another job. Even though his other job ran extremely late, he was still willing to swing by at 9:30pm to take a look....I REPEAT, HE DID SAME DAY SERVICE AT 9:30PM! Well the heater needed replaced, so he had me purchase the tank directly from his supplier, which was great as I could put it on my card, then I paid him for the labor with a check. Tank itself was cheaper than what I could find online, and the price on the labor was totally fair. Bottom line, if you need a plumber call Charlie.....I guarantee you will be pleased with his work, price and professionalism...He's a hell of a nice guy too. read more

Another 5 stars for Charlie. This time it was the furnace rather than the water heater-- but the result was the same. Super fast, super friendly, and a price that I trust was more than fair. The only time I've used anyone else to fix anything for me was when I couldn't reach him and needed someone quick, and I've never felt this level of trust with anyone else. Thanks again, Charlie! read more

The plumbing on the lower level of my place went haywire a couple of weeks ago and there was a smelly overflow of water coming out of the drain where my furnace and hot water heater drained condensation. I called Charlie in a bit of a panic and left a message. I waited a couple of hours and called back, and he picked up to let me know he was working on another job and would call me back. Charlie called back around 9:30pm and told me that the issue is most likely related to my sump pump. I told Charlie I had to leave for work at a certain time the next day so he said he could come over in the morning. In the meanwhile, he told me not to run any water on the lower level. When Charlie came over, he checked the electrical connection first, which was fine, and eventually found out that the sump pump had died. So right away, he ran out to grab a new one and came back quickly to begin replacing the pump. When he tested the new sump pump, it still didn't work, and he ended up finding a clog in the pipes. He fixed that issue right away. Charlie finished right by the time I had to leave for work. Throughout the process, he took the time to explain what he was doing and gave me some tips along the way, which was much appreciated by this first time home buyer. It was nice to experience someone so thorough and nice... Plus, Charlie gave me a good price on the services. It's nice to know he's close to my 'hood. I'd give him a call again if I ran into any other plumbing issues. read more

We have been using the services of Charlie's Plumbing for several years now and have been so happy with the service we have received. We have used him for furnace issues, as well as plumbing. He always calls us right back, is able to address the issue promptly and has reasonable rates. With our 100 year old building, we keep him busy! read more

We had called Charlie Saturday night after my husband accidentally drilled a pinhole in one of our water pipes. He answered right away and said the earliest he could come out was first thing the next morning (Superbowl Sunday, mind you!). After talking through what had happened with my husband, he recognized that my husband, although not a plumber was fairly handy. He suggested that the fix was very easy and could walk through what was needed if my husband wanted to save money and do it himself. He told him exactly what parts/tools were needed and told my husband to call him back if he had any questions or if he changed his mind and wanted him to come out to fix the pipe. My husband ended up calling him with a few additional questions, and was able to fix the pipe himself. Charlie asked him to send a picture and even offered his assistance with helping to put up drywall. Charlie could have just chosen to quote us the price and come out to fix the pipe, but instead recognized that my husband had the skills to fix it himself. We want to say thank you to Charlie for all the help and also for the reassurance that my husband need to make the repair himself. We will 100% be calling Charlie if any future needs arise, or if any friends need recommendations. Thank you Charlie!! read more

There are few people who I can think of who are willing to help and give their time and energy without expecting something in return. I decided to open a yelp account because of the service I just received in the form of a telephone consultation I had with Charlie. I think others can benefit fromngreat services like the ones he's willing to offer. He's accessible, calls back quickly, and extremely knowledgeable. We had our hot water heater suddenly shutdown, I reset it and then called Charlie. Although I simply had to wait for the many gallons to heat from ice cold to hot, Charlie walked me through a number of things to also check as well as when to potentially get a new H2O heater. For now, we dodged a bullet, but I appreciated his willingness to help and will contact him for any future HVAC, plumbing, and sewage issues. Thank you, Charlie. You're one of a kind! read more

Called Charlie three times and left a message on his voicemail. Unfortunately he never got back to me.

After speaking with a few HVAC companies with a high price just to come and do an inspection, and getting answering machines and no call back from a few others, I was relieved to hear from Charlie. A genuinely nice guy. He said he could come by within the hour to check out my bum heater (and it's the middle of winter!). My landlord was able to get in touch with his regular guy before Charlie came, so it turns out we did not need his services. But I cannot say enough how I appreciate his willingness to help and overall kindness throughout the whole thing. I will certainly go to him in the future! read more

I first met Charlie in January of 1994 during a week that the high temp never broke 0. I had just taken possession of my first house and was about to get a crash course in plumbing. A pipe had ruptured and was leaking inside the wall. Charlie came right over, found the leak and repaired it. Once the water was flowing again, I had every faucet in the building dripping to avoid another broken pipe, and discovered that the water was backing up & flooding the basement. Charlie came back the next day and rodded the sewer line. I have gotten pretty good at sweating copper pipes since then, even toilet repair, and installing a water heater in that first building I owned. The ancient water heater in building that I'm in now finally tapped out this past week. It was in a tighter dirt crawl space and wasn't just a simple swap-out. I contacted Charlie this past Saturday and expected that I would have to wait to fit into his schedule for this week. He told me to contact his supplier to purchase the water heater and that he would pick it up and install it Monday morning. True to his word, he was at my place right on time ( a rarity with contractors) and installed it. He hit a few snags with the piping and exhaust and wound up staying longer than anticipated. He never tried to alter the price of the install because of it, and even fitted new water and gas shut-off valves for me. It is rare to find a solid, stand up guy like Charlie in the world of contractors out there, so if you need any plumbing work done - I strongly recommend contacting him. read more

I called on a Saturday morning and Charlie was at my home within a couple hours. He solved our issue with the sink and charged a very reasonable price. Super friendly, too. He will definitely be my go-to guy for plumbing issues down the road. read more

He was available and came when he promised. HOWEVER, his prices are a bit RIDICULOUS and I noticed that he charges a bit much just to do simple service. He did change one of my faucet's in the basement; but I thought the Labor and the cost of the part was a bit EXCESSIVE. We decided to call a different handyman because of the last experience we had. If you're really desperate and have money to spare - give him a call ... Sorry my .02 read more

Came out right away and fixed my tenants furnace. Explained exactly why is wasn't working and showed me how he was going to fix it. A great experience overall. I would highly recommend. read more

My water stopped running in my entire condo building (4 residential units and 2 commercial units) at 7 AM yesterday. I spent the morning trying to get in touch with the city only for them to tell me that I need to talk to a plumber. I called 4 different plumbers around the city of Chicago; left voicemails for everyone. I finally come across Charlie at about 2 PM. I call him and his cell phone number in listed on his voicemail, so I get in touch with him right away. He is at my building at 3 PM. He tells me exactly what I need to do next and exactly what I need to do to prevent the problem in the future by 3:30 PM. Charlie is extremely knowledgeable, honest and helpful. He bestowed information upon me that helped me speak intelligently to the city about the problem. The problem ended up being a city issue, but without Charlie I would have been given the run around again. I explained to them clearly what Charlie told me and the city worked all night fixing the problem for the building (hat's off to them as well, see "City of Chicago"). My building's water service was restored by 5 AM this morning. I have to assume that working with Charlie on heating or sewage would be just as positive of an experience. If you are looking for plumbing, heating or sewage service, you will be doing yourself a disservice if you do not call Charlie. It's when you lose a service like water that you realize how important and how blessed we are to have clean water in the City of Chicago and I am happy to know that I now "got a guy" in the plumbing business that I can trust and it's Charlie. Thanks again, Charlie, for all of your help. Quick update: Charlie just called me again this morning to double check and make sure that I had running water. This is a gentleman that genuinely cares about his customers as people. I cannot say enough about him. read more

Charlie was the fourth plumber I called to get a quote; I left a message and he called me back later that day. He was the most courteous and the most professional plumber I spoke with over the phone that day. After explaining my problem, he told me how I could fix the issue myself and save myself the money he would have charged. It was actually simple fix that required $5 worth of parts and 15 minutes! I just appreciate the fact that Charlie was willing to help me help myself, so to speak, rather than taking advantage of me by charging me to come out for a 15 minute job. I believe its a sign of high professional and personal integrity. Needless to say, if I have another plumbing problem in the future, Charlie will be the first plumber I will call. Thanks Charlie! read more

Charlie has been our plumber for 20+ years. Recently we had a water tank blow out in our old house, which we now rent. Charlie was on location within two hours of my call on 2-14-18 which was a major snow storm school closing day. Charlie was excellent with the new tenant and very helpful with sending me photo's of what he was doing and in a conference call with a plumbing supply house to make sure the proper equipment was ordered. A true professional and a real nice guy. read more

I called Charlie this past Friday when my furnace stopped functioning and left a message for him on his cell phone. Shortly thereafter I received a call back and he was on site within a half hour. Unfortunately the age of my furnace caused a couple of issues, including sourcing the parts. Though one of the stores was closed by the time one of the issues became apparent, he promptly showed up first thing the next morning part in hand. His customer service was exemplary and he addressed all my questions during the repair. Quality work at a reasonable price. Will be using him for all my plumbing and hvac repairs from now on. read more

Charlie did a great job! He was on time, very professional and got the job done right.

After the polar vortex passed and Chicago thawed, our (along with everyone in the midwest's) pipe froze and split. After getting on 10 waitlists on a Friday morning to have a plumber fix our pipe, Charlie answered his phone right away and showed up an hour later. He finished quickly and we were able to turn our water back on. Thanks so much! read more

Two friends had recommended Charlie to me in connection with a burst pipe. I ended up getting that fixed with an emergency plumber, but then I discovered that the pilot light had gone out on the water heater as a result of the boyfriend's and my panicked attempts to shut the water off. Over the phone (and at no charge), Charlie instructed my boyfriend exactly how to get the water heater back up and running and provided helpful education about the heater. Outstanding service! We'll be using him for our next plumbing project without a doubt. read more

I've been calling for three days and I keep getting a message that the mailbox is full. Charlie needs to delete his voicemails otherwise how can he provide a service to customers if he doesn't answer the phone or if you can't leave a message? read more

Charlie is amazing! Not only did he quote me a price $150 lower than everyone else I called but he came out to do the job 30mins after we hung up the phone. He did an amazing job and was on his way! Everyone that we called quoted us a ridiculous price and went on and on about how long it would take. Charlie had the job done in less than 45 mins! I will never use another plumber again. Thank you so much Charlie! read more

Charlie is a class act. Incredibly polite, came out the day after Christmas, and took care of my plumbing issue in no time flat. The price was perfectly fair, and I simply cannot recommend him enough. read more

Charlie has serviced our furnace on one occasion, gave me excellent advice about going with cheaper furnace filters, and provided over-the-phone advice/troubleshooting on several other occasions free of charge. He is a great, honest guy. Be patient when you leave messages - he's also a busy guy. Charlie is definitely not looking to take advantage of you at all - if there is a cheap fix, he'll tell you about it. read more

Charlie is very knowledgeable, professional, he really knows his craft! Charlie has done a lot of work for me over the years, He always explains what is going on and any opportunity to you. read more

Charlie was not only able to fix our plumbing problem, but he did it in less than two hours of me calling him. Other plumbers wouldn't even consider coming the same day and I was calling on a friday late afternoon. He fixed the issue and explained everything that he did. Highly recommend using him. read more

I had two plumbing issues so I called Charlie based on his high yelp ratings. I told him about my issues, one with my toilet, the other my kitchen sink and he was out to help within 2 hours. Once he got here, he was very explanatory with the issues and was in and out quickly. I definitely recommend Charlie and will absolutely be using him again if I having plumbing or heating issues. read more

Charlie is extremely thorough with his work and offers very reasonable prices. When he came to give me a quote to replace my leaking jetted bathtub, he offered to also install water supply shut off valves and an access panels in order to correct the building code violations the original builders of my condo made. Even with this additional work, his total quote was around the same or cheaper than other plumbers who quoted me for only replacing the tub. You may have to wait a little though for non urgent projects like mine because he is extremely busy but it's worth the wait. read more

My heater stopped working on a cold Saturday afternoon. I was worried I would either have to wait until Monday morning or pay a lot for emergency service. Fortunately, I called Charlie first based on good reviews. He was on site within 30 minutes and fixed the heater right away. The cost was very reasonable and probably a great deal for a weekend. I would definitely hire him again. read more

Charlie never returned my call, twice, for a frozen pipes and for a broken heater. I tried Charlie. Sorry Charlie, City & Suburban Heating & Cooling did call me back. They are in my hood as well and they were sexcellent. read more

First of all, he and his guys were on-time and got the job done quick as can be. Since we had taken time off of work to meet them, this was a big plus. Not only did Charlie come out on the weekend to walk through our water heater / radiator challenge before the work started, but he took extra time to explain the actual system to us. It's not often that your plumber will take time to make sure that YOU know how your plumbing works. We really appreciated it. We'll certainly call him again if we need a plumber. read more

I spoke with Charlie for a good 10-15 minutes in regards to some fumes and odor issues coming from our bathroom and drain. He gave me a few good helpful tips first to try before actually scheduling him to come out there. He was very thorough with his step by step instructions. It's great to have an honest plumber. I would highly recommend calling him first compared to the big name companies who are going to charge you fees and such. read more