My experience with Fast Action Plumbing was a positive one. I had a leak in my bathroom that needed attention and Derek was contacted in the morning and scheduled me in for an evening onsite inspection/remediation. He arrived a little earlier than scheduled, which in this case was a bonus. The issue was resolved very quickly and in the end the total cost was extremely pleasing to the budget. I read some of the negative reviews and while I don't know any of the backstory for those situations I'm hoping there were legitimate reasons, because I've worked with Derek twice and both experiences have been top notch. read more

Wish I could give 0 star. Kept pushing back the start date by 3 days then just never showed up. Said something medical happened which I get but he refused to answer the phone or tell us if we should find someone else or not, just a something happened text and he was never heard from again. Beyond inappropriate, just left us hanging with a gas leak read more

I really dislike giving negative comments and really wish we could work it out with Derek, but unfortunately he left us in a really tough spot. He was great at first, but then he started not showing up on multiple occasions. He kept giving reasons (or excuses) so we gave him the benefit of the doubt. But after 3-4 times of not showing up (leaving us with no water as it needed to be turned off) we had to call someone else to finish the job. We paid him for work that was incomplete and apparently done wrong. After reading reviews on here, looks like this is a pattern with him. Derek if you read this, we were willing to work with you and your schedule. But not calling and not showing up is disrespectful and wasting our time. Hope you figure things out. read more

Woke up to find out I had no hot water! And to make things worse who is open on a Sunday!? I called multiple places in my area that said they were open 24hrs and didn't require an appointment, however, I had to leave a message and wait for a call back. Within 10mins Derek called me back and we discussed what was going on with my water heater. He said he'd come by within 30mins to take a look at it. He arrived at my house and within 30mins he had my water heater up and running! The price was more than reasonable to begin with and then when I mentioned I was military he gave me a GENEROUS discount. It feels good to know people really appreciate the sacrifices our military has made. This company has just won my business. Not only was Derek professional and fair, this company truly appreciates our servicemen! Not only will I be using this company for future repairs, I will also pass on the company name to family and friends! P.S. Still no call back from the other 7 companies in the area (Ukrainian Village) that I left messages with! read more

Derek was awesome to work with. We had a vent stack that was damaged by our roofers and a water pressure issue. He came over right away, and immediately and correctly diagnosed the issues and that they were both simple fixes. He went above and beyond what he needed to do, and charged us a very reasonable rate - far less than what I was expecting. Couldn't have been a better experience. Highly, highly recommend. read more

After some issues with my original appointments, I struggled getting a hold of anyone at the company and I eventually needed to pay even more to hire another plumber to fix my issue. They were great to work with at first but the overall process was very frustrating in the end and cost me more than it should have needing time hire someone else. read more

Derek was a godsend for me and my family recently and helped to salvage a botched job (from another plumber) that needed to be fixed immediately. When I explained the situation to him he even came by our house in the late evening to fix up the job after he had already been working all day. Turns out Derek has been doing plumbing work since he was an early teen and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise. I would recommend him highly for any emergency or general work. read more

Derek was nothing but professional and excellent with his work, follow-up, communication, and promptness. Needed to get some work done ASAP in our bathroom (sink replacement, toilet replacement, and replacing leaking tub faucet and handles), as well installing a new water filtration system for our whole apartment building. Was looking to get a quote done, and he was there at the building within the day, and had a quote that day, and on his schedule to do the work within the next two days. His work was done quickly, clean, and most importantly done right! He was able to find us great solutions, that we were able to purchase ourselves (online and in-store) and he did the installation of helping us save money! Would highly recommend Derek and his team to perform any plumbing work - and looking forward to working with him again! read more

I called Derek on Sunday for an embarrassing clogged toilet. He arrived in an hour, solved the issue in 5 minutes, and gave me useful advice. Fast Actions! The price is less than half of the other quote I got from another plumber. I really appreciate Derek's help. I would definitely call him for any other needs in the future. read more

We own a rental in the West Town neighborhood and needed a new water heater. Had never used Fast Action Plumbing but this was urgent. Derek was very responsive and definitely lived up to the company name. They did an excellent job and were reasonable. Don't know much about plumbing and feel that I've been taken advantage of and over charged in the past. Not so with this company. They did an excellent, efficient job and remained patient, professional and communicative throughout the process. My tenant, who had recent interactions with other area plumbers, commented that she would give these plumbers "5 stars for kindness and personality", and so would I. They went above and beyond. Highly recommend! read more

Derek was highly recommended to me by several people I trust. He communicates well and gets to the bottom line quickly. I wanted to work with him and initially trusted him. The problem I had is he never showed up to do the work we agreed upon. After agreeing upon the scope of work and a price he rescheduled three times using various excuses. At one point he said he was on his way to my place and would be here in 30 minutes. He never showed up and simply stopped responding. In hindsight never contacting would've saved me a lot of wasted time. Derek is a great talker but if a better opportunity comes his way it's very possible he'll tell you whatever you want to hear without ever doing any work. read more

Derek was scheduled to show up to my home for a leaking sink that was flooding our floor that he recently repaired. I didn't ask for a handout or free service, I told him we'd pay him his usual fee to come back and fix the issue that was still happening. He never showed and didn't respond to any calls/texts as instructed on his site and voice mail. Extremely disappointed and had to scramble to find another plumber. Very unprofessional and he obviously doesn't stand behind his work. read more

Fast Action Plumbing - Water Heater Installation/Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

TL;DR: Derek ghosted me and my wife in the middle of a plumbing emergency, on a Sunday, leaving us to scramble to find someone else with no warning. NOT RECOMMENDED. Without hyperbole, this is the least professional experience I've ever had with a tradesperson. I called Derek last week for a clogged sink that kept slowly rising. He responded immediately and was at my home in an hour. While he was draining the sink, however, I happened to walk into the room and noticed that the entire cabinet was filled with about 1/4 inch of water. He cleaned it up with no damage, but it was still very shocking that he allowed this to happen in the first place. That evening, he said he was unable to clear the clog and would have to come back the following morning with different tools. The next day, he showed up about an hour later than we scheduled. He tried to snake the pipe with the same 60 foot cable he'd used the night before. After futzing with it for a while, he then said he couldn't proceed without shutting the water for our whole building off (this proved later to be false). He then said that he had another job to get to and would come back later in the day. After he left, my wife and I got permission from our condo board to shut the water off, and tried MULTIPLE times to get in touch with Derek. We called and texted numerous, numerous times. He totally ghosted us - would not respond to our texts or phone calls. We even tried calling him from a different number, which he answered, but when he heard our voices, he hung up immediately. Keep in mind that the water in our kitchen sink was rising, so this was something of an emergency. Derek totally left me and my wife in the lurch, and we had to scramble to find someone else to come by. We also discovered that he left his broken 60 foot cable in the middle of the street in front of our house. (Our replacement plumber told us that a cable like that probably cost around $200. After Derek's piss-poor, reprehensible service, I have to cop to a little schadenfreude.) When we finally got another plumber to come do the work, he said there was no need at all to shut the water off and had the clog fixed within a half an hour. I have no idea what Derek was thinking. My only assumption is that in the middle of the job, he realized he was not a good enough plumber to handle the issue in front of him, and was too embarrassed to say anything. A note to Derek, if he reads this: I would not have left this negative review if you had behaved more professionally. Even filling my cabinet with water I would have forgiven if you had just been forthcoming. If you had just said you didn't think you could handle the job and maybe recommended another plumber to call, you'd have one less bad review on Yelp. I see other people on here with similar complaints. Do you really think this is a professional (not to mention ethical) way to run a business? Based on your behavior, you seem to have an issue with pride. Maybe that will prevent you from adhering to good advice but I'll posit some anyway: remember that your customers are people, each of whom deserve respect as well as good service. You gave us neither. EDITED TO ADD: After having this review up for a month, Derek decided to respond to me privately through Yelp. He denied nothing, but did have this to say: "I'm so sorry that you feel like I ghosted you. When I told you 3 times that I wasn't gay, you threatened me with a bad review. This is not right. I'm happy to do a job professionally but I can't handle your aggression." This response, aside from being categorically untrue, is steeped in homophobia. My initial review, not a word of which was untrue, must have wounded Derek's pride yet again and his poor, fragile masculinity must have been so injured by this that he decided to retaliate with the tactics of a not-very-bright third-grader. As if implying that I'm gay will wound me back. I happen to be heterosexual, but I'm also a socio-culturally evolved enough person to recognize that implying someone is gay as if it's pejorative is the action of a bigot. Initially, I was inclined to think that Derek was a somewhat inept plumber and maybe a bit too prideful. Now I'm inclined to believe he is an out-and-out terrible person. read more

Fantastic service! Our hot water heater was leaking and Derek came and replaced it quickly. He was really professional and he also charged less than half of what another plumber in the Bucktown-Wicker Park quoted. read more

Derek saved us in a pinch - we needed our new sinks hooked up before our in-home wedding and were blown off by another plumber. He also squeezed in connecting the tub to the drain. We were very happy. Until the first bath and our downstairs neighbors letting us know there was a water spot on their ceiling. This is where Derek dropped the ball. He scheduled several times to come out but always blew me off (sometimes telling me ahead of time, sometimes telling me after the fact). He even tried to block my number - calling went straight to his voicemail. I called back from my wife's phone and he picked up immediately ("uh, uh..."). Eventually, he told me that he thought it would be best for me to go with another plumber. I hired another plumber and we discovered he did a terrible job in sealing the drain assembly (I have pictures as proof). read more

It seems rather odd that Derek can run a business and be comfortable ignoring clients after initial communication and scheduling. Not only is it bad for the reputation of the service offered, but it is inconsiderate to the client wasting their time. There are consistent costumers sharing the same type of feedback. Might be a good guy for a particular job, but I feel bad for my friend that recommended his work because he made a bad impression with terrible communication. read more

This was the best experience I've had with calling someone out of the phone book when I needed a home service/repair. It was Saturday morning - Jan 17. That morning apparently everybody's pipes were freezing and bursting. I had two pipes burst early morning. I couldn't get anyone to come out until I got a hold of these guys. Quick response and Amazing service - and very reasonably priced: These are the ones to go with! read more

My in-sinkerator shut down months ago and I essentially stopped using that side of the sink. But I had to use it here and there and it was cause a backup and nasty smell. I called Fast Action after reading the great reviews on Yelp and got a hold of Derek around 10am. He arrived within 30 minutes with all of the equipment, tools, and got straight to work. He had me back up and running in no time and even made sure the last electrical issue got resolved. On top of the stellar service, Derek is a great dude and we had some cool conversations about travel and skydiving. I never wish plumbing issues on anyone, but if you are in need of plumbing services, Fast Action is the way to go! read more

Derek provided top notch work and a fair price for a plumbing issue I had that others couldn't fix. He was professional, courteous & efficient with his time. I highly recommend his services. read more

Derek heard me out as I described my 3 small problems then he checked the pipes and valves, etc. to see and analyze for himself. He explained what could be done to fix the problems and let me decide what I wanted him to do. He and helper were punctual, polite, straightforward, did not rush and did not loiter. I had been impressed by his prompt response to my original email and was just as impressed by him and his helper, Bob, in person. So glad I could use the Fast Action Plumbing coupon offer on Angie's List. read more

Called fast action plumbing out on a weekend. A tenant had an issue with the sink backing up into the shower due to a stubborn clog. We were contacted that he was running behind on a previous job, totally appreciate the communication. He successfully unblocked the drain with in 15 min! Pricing was reasonable, he was informative, and reliable. We will definitely recommend, as well as use his services in the future! Thanks Derek! read more

PLEASE READ AND DO NOT HIRE --- Derek scammed me out of 2,000 dollars, damages he made to my place are going to cost 2,700 to repair, he will not return any of my calls/messages, and will not return the keys to my apartment he was borrowing to complete the work. Let me start off by saying that I truly never write bad reviews, however, I cannot express how much damage Derek did. I read the many positive reviews on Google for this company, and was excited to give Derek my business, despite more negative reviews on Yelp (please go check Yelp before deciding to go with this company.) I needed three jobs done: fixing of a tub drain, pipework to install a washer/dryer, and rerouting of a radiator. The job was going to cost 3,500 dollars in total. From the beginning Derek was hard to communicate with (very spotty responding to texts, wouldn't give me exact days/times for work, etc...) but I figured if the work is done well, the bad communication doesn't matter. However, it became quickly clear that the work that he needed to do was over his skill level, and this is where the problems began. Derek did the radiator work incorrectly, which he admitted to himself, so we were trying to get him to come back over and fix it, but he stopped replying all together. He also did the piping incorrectly for the washer/dryer, and will not return the keys to my apartment that I lent to him to do work more easily. Please know that this headache went on for roughly two months. If I did get ahold of him, he would make endless excuses about why he was ignoring me (all of which I don't believe.) He told me I needed to close up the wall he had opened to finish the work, so I paid 500 dollars for that to be closed, only for it to now need to be re-opened to correct his errors. Once it was apparent that Derek refused to respond to any text, calls, or messages, I had to involve other plumbers from different companies to finish his work. I got quotes from three different companies, all of whom told me that the work was done completely wrong and it would need to be redone entirely. I know this is a long review, and I normally pass these reviews off as disgruntled or aggressive customers when I am looking for services myself. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT hire him. If you need a small job that can be done all in one shot, I assume he is likely fine for that, but please know that if you need anything even remotely challenging done, he will stop replying to you entirely and run away with your keys, and half of the payment. Thank you for reading if you made it all the way down here. Also, I don't know why my account says San Fran, since I had to make an account just to write this review, but I do live in Chicago. read more

I could not be more pleased with the service I got from Derek at Fast Action! Recently I came home to a water pipe that burst in my basement and I had water everywhere... Being new to Chicago and not having a regular plumber I could call I wasn't really sure what to do. So I searched Yelp to try and find one, and after calling multiple companies either without an answer or getting an outrageous quote I found Derek at Fast Action and man am I sure I met him!! Derek answered right away and I told him what had happened. He told me not to worry that he would come out right away and take a look at it for free and then offer me an idea of how long and how much it would cost to fix and replace everything. He was very thorough with everything and I felt real comfortable talking to him about what it would take to do the job...He really made me feel like I could trust him! After his estimate I felt he was the man for the job! Derek got right to work and had everything fixed and cleaned within a few hours. I hope I never have to call him again but if I do I know he will get the job done! I highly recommend Derek and Fast Action Plumbing for all your plumbing and service needs! read more

I've used Derrick for 2 jobs. He was responsive and does quality work. He is also honest and fair; I called Derrick after another plumber gave an estimate that sounded like he was trying to make up work. I didn't say anything about the first estimate, and Derrick diagnosed the problem as a relatively simple fix and did the job the next day. read more

Sewer water was backing up at our floor drain. Gross! They arrived on time and in a matter of an hour were able to get to the root of the problem - no pun intended. We had a huge amount of roots growing on our pipes and they were able to clear it all out. I definitely recommend and look forward to working with them for all our future plumbing issues. read more

Fast Action Plumbing - Water Heater Installation/Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I called Derek to help with frozen pipes. He was very helpful and provided tips over the phone. He said he would be able to come that afternoon. But, thanks to his good advice, we were able to defrost the pipes without a professional actually coming out. Really appreciate Derek's expertise and friendly advice!! read more

I've had Derek come out a few times now to fix different things in my house. He's always done a really great job and has been very efficient. He's fixed my leaking toilet, cleared the roots out of the clogged pipes in my basement (which was a huge job), and installed a tub faucet. He is also very easy to schedule and is on time. I will continue to call him when any plumbing issue comes up in the future! read more

I needed a plumber for my units and Derek was easy to work with on my project. He responded right away and was able to make an appointment right away which is nice when you have water issues. When he came to the property he was professional and quick with the work. I will be recommending him to my friends and thought it would be nice to leave him a review because I think other people will benefit from using his services. read more

DO. NOT. USE. I only have one word to describe this guy: SKETCH. We initially contacted Derrick, because we were having issues with our water heater - it was not working. The first appointment that we had with him he cancelled on us last minute and rescheduled for the following day. He arrived and without assessing anything immediately suggested we replace our water heater (this was our own dumb fault for listening to him). He left to get "new" water heater, came back, replaced it and left. The new water heater worked for about 20 minutes. We reached out to him the following morning and he said he would be back that evening to fix. He was here for about 20 minutes and then said he had to step outside to make a phone call. 30 minutes later we received a phone call that he had left and would be back the following day to fix. ZERO explanation and he didn't even bother to turn off the water he left running in our bathroom. He came back the following morning to try and "fix" an issue with the sensor. Mind you, it is a supposed to be a brand new water heater. Worked for 20 minutes and then stopped again. He came back that afternoon and now said it was an issue with our vents. Why weren't the vents checked in the very beginning!? So now, we purchased a brand new water heater when all along it was actually just a clogged vent...? We had hot water for 2 days and then it quite working again. We have reached out to Derrick NUMEROUS times to try to get him back over here, so he can resolve this issue for us but he has COMPLETELY ghosted us. He stopped answering our phone calls and texts. We paid $1700 for a water heater that DOES NOT WORK. The other one star reviews are 100% accurate in their descriptions of how poorly Derrick's skills as a plumber are and how unprofessional he actually is. If you notice, there are only 1 star and 5 star reviews on his page. All 5 star reviews are typically grouped around the same date. I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau and will do everything possible to make sure this does not happen to anyone else. read more

Derek is unreliable, and as another reviewer posted not true to his appointments. This is the second time I have now taken work off only to be blown off. The first time he at least cancelled after he was already an hour late, this time no show no call no text. There are plenty of reputable services in the area that at least respect people's time enough to cancel in a timely fashion. Do NOT waste your time like I did! Watch a YouTube video, you got this. read more

Fast Action Plumbing - The worst... - Water Heater Installation/Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fast Action Plumbing // Derek is my go to plumber. I first found Fast Action Plumbing through a simple google search and gave them a call a year or so ago. This is not the first plumber I've called but is likely to be only one i'll call from now on (I had worked with at least 3 other plumbers before I had called him for various other things). I've paid Fast Action for two house visits / fixes and they have come to my house four times. The first time I called was to replace my ejector pump and to clear out the sump well. Derek did a great job and the install went well without a single issue. He then came back the next day to fix the flanges in my toilets because he noticed they were leaking when he was on site. The second time I called, was to replace my kitchen faucet. I called around 7pm and Fast Action was at my home by 9pm, this was not an emergency and I wasnt charged for an emergency visit). I had not bought my new faucet yet and so Derek offered to pick it up from home depot on his way in (that is: I would buy it online and he would just pick it up (meaning he was not trying to mark up the cost of the part in any way whosoever). I ended up going to home depot myself just because i wanted to see the faucet before deciding which I wanted. When Derek arrived, he completed the replacement in less than 30 minutes and the faucet was installed perfectly. Unfortunately we also also discovered that my disposer was leaking and needed to be replaced (it was 15+ years old and was only expected to last 10 years). I was weary of spending more money and so I decided to do the install my self. I went ahead and did that, and of course screwed it up. I called Derek again and asked him to come out and fix my mistakes. He came out the next day and sorted out any issues I had and comped me the visit fee for his second time out. Derek is fast, affordable, trustworthy, and (most importantly) I believe he takes a great deal of pride in his work. He prices up front and does not waver from that. Derek takes pride in his work and does everything in his ability to make sure what ever he touches is golden by time he is done, regardless of it is in scope or not. My brothers who have also contracted Derek have said the same, we all have had fantastic experiences with Derek and are happy customers. We would not work with anyone else. read more

One of the lines to my hot water tank was dripping water, so we had to turn it off. I called Derek, and he A) called me right back, B) fit me in his busy schedule and C) showed up on time! He fixed the problem swiftly, and for a reasonable price. Looks like I have found myself a new plumber! Yay! read more

Derek from Fast Action Plumbing was fantastic and we highly recommend his services. Late at night, we had a leak surface from the neighbors above, causing dripping from the ceiling and walls. Derek responded after hours to assess the problem and address next steps. He was over first thing in morning to fix the leak. Derek was very courteous, polite, and took all safety precautions related to Covid wearing a face-mask. read more

PLEASE don't call Derek. Had some routine basic repairs needed around the house. My husband contacted Derek and set up an appointment for 10am. After several calls and texts over an hour later he never responded and never showed up. Very unreliable and unprofessional. Please read through all the reviews as the good ones seem to be hiding several people who experienced the same issue. read more

Derek was so great! He did a bunch of intensive plumbing work to reroute a gas line and adapt a drain + water line for a new laundry room, replaced my main pipe, and a bunch of other tasks that were small but reasonably life-changing. His quote was well under what another plumber had estimated, and the job came up under the estimated price once he started the job and found more efficient ways to get some things finished. One thing that I really appreciated was that Derek never tried to sell me on things that weren't necessary and that I didn't ask for, but was also really open to providing options when I expressed interest in doing things in a more intensive way that would be a better investment and taking care of things that might not be urgent but a good idea. He was super efficient and really nice and fun and did a really great job. I ended up calling him back to do a bunch of small fixes and tweaks once the main job was done, and now my house feels better in every way! He is also a fun and nice person that I enjoyed having around in my space. Wore a mask and was all-around considerate. Would highly recommend Derek for major tasks or small fixes, you will not regret it! read more

Fast Action is great, highly recommend. Derek is very responsive, knowledgeable and very affordable. I called derek regarding a problem and he was out to fix the problem that day. He was also much cheaper than other plumbers I had called for the same issue. If you need plumbing work done then call derek!! read more

We had something set up to have some work done, then the day off the appointment, they texted me saying they'd be here at 11:30 am- No one ever showed up. I tried to get in contact w/ them but, no response whatsoever. I understand that in these kinds of cases, plumbers will usually go to a different job (usually one that pays them more money versus one that will pay them less) but I would've completely understood IF they called or texted me & were honest. If they would've told me they had to cancel, I would've just rescheduled it but I took a day off work (with no pay) to stay home for this...and got totally ditched. read more

Derek was such a pleasure to work with. I had called about our shower not draining and he came out within a couple of hours of the call. When he was here I asked him about our sink & disposal too--both of which he fixed on the spot. I HIGHLY recommend this company and their prices are incredibly reasonable compared to many other places. read more

I don't know much about plumbing so when I found leakage down in my basement I was a little worried. I did some research on google and came across fast action plumbing. I gave him a call around 5pm and he came within an hours time. He came to check out the leakage and realized that we had a clogged tub. He resolved the issue and answered all my questions. I would definitely call him again for any plumbing issues. Thanks Derek. read more

Fast Action Plumbing is that -- fast. These guys know what they are doing. I called them on a Sunday morning -- Derek is the nice fellow I spoke with, I believe. Our guest bathroom toilet was leaking badly. He and his assistant were at our place within a half hour. They fixed the problem quickly and efficiently. The price was fair and the service friendly and professional. I would not hesitate to call them again. Excellent. Peter G. Wicker Park Chicago, IL read more