John J Cahill Inc

About us

Since 1890 (you read that right), John J. Cahill, Inc., has become synonymous with quality plumbing solutions throughout Chicago. In fact, we even helped build some of the North Shore's plumbing systems. But we don't stop there; rely on us for all your air conditioning work, boiler and furnace repair and installation, plus kitchen and bathroom remodeling. Our family owned and operated company has been in business more than 124 years. We're still here because we care about our customers and offer the fast, reliable and cost-conscious service they demand. Call us today and we'll help you solve your home's issue no matter how big or small. Homeowners or business owners can call Cahill right away for these services and more: • Boiler and furnace installation and repair • Complete plumbing services • Water heater replacement • Kitchen and bathroom remodeling • Air conditioning and home cooling • Sump pump repair, cleaning and installation We also offer 24-hour emergency services, because we know a busted water pipe can't wait until tomorrow. Whether you are a home owner or the head of a municipality, we have the experience, tools and manpower to handle your plumbing. We'll give you the hard headed advice you need. Tired of your old bathroom or kitchen? Visit our showroom and design center in Evanston and we can help make your kitchen or bathroom functional and beautiful. We only use appliances from the brands you trust like Carrier, Kohler and Lennox. Give us a call today to receive an estimate.

Services we offer

Heating Cooling & Air Conditioning, Kitchen & Bathroom Design & Remodeling Services, Plumbing

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.5130 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
77%
4
8%
3
5%
2
5%
1
5%
Showing 51-75 of 130 reviews
Deb S.
Dec 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$250
The service was performed in a speedy, competent and professional manner.

Wendy M.
Dec 2012
1.0
$300

They did the service on a Sunday when it was about a 100 degrees outside. The kid came out and said he had never seen an air conditioner like mine and he left and did not fix it. They sent a bill for $300.00 and did not even fix anything. I did not contest it as my mother was very ill and I just wrote the check and did away with the service.


The provider's response to my rating is untrue.

There is no other company called John Cahill on Church Street in Evanston. I have lived in this town since 1964, and had always heard they had a sterling reputation. But the "work" they did for me was no work for $300. If they really cared, they could have called me and fixed the problem  or refunded the money. Also, I don't believe we ever called them before because we heard they were expensive. Our regular company came out in the next couple of days and fixed the AC condenser. So we paid twice! 

Response from John J Cahill Inc

"We have no records of ever going there in 2009. There is one record from 05/28/2006 and a bad circuit board was diagnosed. Cost $204.00. It is possible that another co with the same name from up north (no relationship) from up north was called in error"


CANDACE J.
Dec 2012
1.0
In 1997 one of my tenants recommended this company when I was looking for a vendor to handle hvac/boiler service for my 6 flat in Chicago and I also was trying to get bids to replace the old boiler.  They did service the unit once but I decided to go with another vendor for the new unit.  Since then I have used several different companies...one who stopped providing hvac services (Baethke) and the company they sold their customer base to (Deljo).    Fast forward to April 2012...I was looking for a vendor to service 2 complete HVAC systems, 1 standalone furnace and a boiler and I called and left a voice message for Dave Kessler/Service manager to return my call.  After no response I called again and was told he had been on vacation and I left another message.  Please note that there was no message on his voice mail indicating he was out of the office.  Again, no response.  I made other arrangements for A/C unit cleaning.  Because I knew Cahill had a decent reputation i called again on 9/21/12 and left a detailed message concerning the equipment that needed service and requesting a call back to discuss a contract that would cover all the equipment.  Again no response.  I guess they have more customers than they need.
Response from John J Cahill Inc

"I do remember this. After the second call I did return the call to the phone # left on the message. It just rang and rang without a voice mail. We were going through some phone hardware issues at the time and some messages were a bit garbled so it is possible a wrong # was written down. I do apologize as we do not like to alienate our customers ( or potential customers)"


Susan S.
Aug 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,200
Since we moved in, 4 years ago, the upstairs floor has always been 10-15 degrees warmer than the main floor of the house, especially in the summer months. I had hired 3 different service companies who didn't have much of an answer for the problem. Based on the reviews on Angie's List, I called Cahill, and they sent out a very knowledgeable man to assess the problem with my heating/AC. He spent about an hour crawling around and behind the furnace, and ultimately told me he could fix the problem 2 ways. The first was a minor reconfiguration of the ductwork, the second a more comprehensive change in zoning the house. After some discussion, he assured me that he believed the first solution would work great, but if not we could move on to the second solution. A week later the same man came to the house and did the ductwork himself! I was impressed that he was not only diagnosing the problem, but actually doing the labor. The job took a full day, and it cost around $1200, and it completely solved my heating problem! My kids no longer complain about the sweltering heat upstairs, they sleep well at night, and I can keep the main floor at a comfortable temperature as well. This job was well worth the money, and I would recommend Cahill to anyone. They were wonderful.

MB K.
Aug 2012
2.0
$800
I don't care for these people. They always slam the previous work and the pricing is ridiculous. I don't care for companies who try to elevate themselves by diminishing the prior people's work. Too arrogant.

Jonathan L.
Jun 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,200
Needed to replace Central Air and Forced Heat Gas Furnace in a 2000 square foot home.Went through Angie's list and found 3 local and reputable firms, and after the quotes, Cahill was about $1000 less expensive for similar systems.
They took out the old furnace, A/C coil, and outside condenser and installed the new system. They were very methodical in the installation, and every wire was tied back, every seem sealed, and a very professional job with everything installed exactly as promised.
Very happy with the result, and would use them again.

Paule V.
May 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I would rate them highly since I have no problems with my heater after they had fixed it. I would rate their price a little low since I felt that the charged me a little bit more for very little work and I would us them again in the future.

KIM E.
Mar 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,500
I love everything about Cahill except the price. They are a union shop, and boy that shows up on the billing.

What I get in return, however, is prompt service, qualified plumbers and work that they stand behind. I've used Cahill for 15 years on my 1950s ranch (where every pipe, frankly, is due for replacement).

I called Cahill on a Saturday in a panic because I had no hot water and lots of cold water flooding my basement floor. I'd been through this once before--why can't hot water heater manufacturers build in a warning light when the d*** thing is about to expire??--and so I was pretty clear on the situation.

They came out right away, were extremely courteous and professional, and installed a new energy-efficient hot water heater by noon. To paint a fuller picture, both our bathrooms were under construction, I had just installed new carpeting in the basement rec room and I was feeling a little panicky at incurring yet another substantial house project (and worried about my investment in the carpeting). Their prompt response prevented my carpeting from being ruined and their positive attitude was really what I needed.

As I said, they are expensive but qualified. On the rare occasion I've had a problem with a job they did, they take care of it with little hassle. I really appreciate that in this day and age, when everyone seems to be focused on today's profits at the expense of building a long term relationship. They will continue to get my business.

Devora F.
Feb 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$120
It has always gone fine.

NANCY S.
Feb 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They are expensive, but they are top of the line. They are more than compatent they are excellent. It's worth the price. They are a rather big company.

Lisa N.
Jan 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
I have used them on many occasions and they perform a variety of plumbing tasks. I will use them again in the future.

Michael A.
Jan 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They are terrific.  They’re always on time.  They do good work.  They have good service people.  The price is a little high but it’s worth it because of all the other stuff they do.  They’re outstanding in every category.

Mary B.
Dec 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
Was on time 
Was ready to just repair faucet but that couldn't be done 
wore booties to protect carpet (company policy) 
finished quickly - everything needed was in the toolbox or truck 
cleanup was spotless. 
a bit more expensive but worth every penny. 

Greg C.
Dec 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,700
I'm a MEP Engineer and Project Manager in commercial construction contracting, so I've more than a-little experience in these types of things.  We obtained about 1/2 dozen bids all form reputable firms.  Cahill was not the lowest but represented the best value.  Their salesman/project manager, Dave Charles, assisted me in selecting the correct equipment and helped to make sure that the new equipment was compatible with our existing equipment.  I was confident we were getting the best value for our buck and was never worried we were getting ripped by being sold a bill of goods and a lot of extra expensive new equipment that we really didn’t need. Cahill is definitely on our short list of contractors to call for HVAC - and the only contract we call for plumbing.

Greg C.
Dec 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$350
I'm a MEP Engineer and Project Manager in commercial construction contracting, so I've more than a-little experience in these types of things.  I feel like I can call Cahill's plumbing service desk and get a licensed and insured professional plumber (w/ a service truck) dispatched in a timely fashion to help with w/ our misc. home plumbing needs.

They are certainly not the cheapest, but we get what we pay for? and when it comes to plumbing we're not taking any chances. It's that simple for us, when we need a plumber, we call Cahill.

ROBERT M.
Aug 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
Every service call and repair has been handled professionally and on time.  They are not cheap but when I have obtained costs from other firms, they have been competitive.

Ryan H.
Jul 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$20,000
I spent a big amount.  They were knowledgeable.  There weren’t a lot of things that they didn’t know about how they were going to approach.  So while I was interviewing them, they had nearly solid reasonable answers for everything.  They were confident while I was talking to them.  When I spoke to other handymen, they had to think about how to do various things when I interviewed them.  They seemed like they do things the right way.  They had sub contractors come in and while I think they were good, you won’t get the same response from the primary company.  We used all the plumbing fixtures from the sub contractor and he was super punctual and on time.  He was very good.  The primary company was fine and I didn’t really have any problems with them but they didn’t quite get the door ordered in before the holidays and all the companies were on vacation.  So we had to wait for two or three weeks.  It’s not wrong but if they were on top of it, the wait would have been lesser.  I think I will use their services again in the future.

Cynthia F.
Jun 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
The gentleman who came out, promptly, to give us the estimate was thorough and professional.  While he was there, we asked for estimates of other, various small plumbing/remodeling jobs and he accommodated us.  After a week or more, I phoned to get the estimates and finally received a phone call with the numbers.  The costs were so much higher than other estimates.  After going with another company who did a great job, we're glad we didn't pay more.  We used to use Cahill for all our plumbing needs, but have since switched because they cost so much more than others.  But in the past, their work has been mostly pretty good, so I wouldn't hesitate to use them if I had no choice.

BARBARA W.
May 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$850

They came out when they said they would and found out the problem.  They ordered the part and came back and put it on.  They did a fine job.  They've done all the work on our water heater and so forth.


Raymond C.
Mar 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$20,000
We gutted the bathroom completely and they did electrical, plumbing, carpentry and tiling. They did everything except for painting. The work has been superb. They were wonderful. They were trustworthy and very good at what they did. Their workers, service, professionalism and the clean-up stood out to us. We would not have any hesitancy in recommending them to the others or hiring them to do future projects as they were great. Everyone was great in all of the different areas of work that had to be done. They worked together as a team with an appropriate timing. They came when they said that they would come. They were expensive but it was totally worth it as we pay for what we get. Also, the kitchen required a lot of appliances and fixtures.

NANCY S.
Jan 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
They are fabulous. They are not inexpensive, but they are excellent. They do very good work and you can absolutely trust them. Our furnace wasn’t turning on. They went inside the machine and found a connecting wire and they fixed it the first time. I am not sure if any other company would have found it that fast. They could have just told us that the boiler is broken down, but they didn’t do that. You can absolutely trust what they say. They have the expertise and they take your problem personally. Their price is high, but you get what you pay for.

JESSICA J.
Dec 2010
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,900
Overall it went well. It took a little while to get a response on our request for a quote. But after two phone calls, the estimator came out to look at the job, just to make sure he understood it. The price, we believe, was on the high side, but we wanted to use a local company. The quality of the work was good. Overall, I was satisfied with the experience. The quality of the work is certainly good. It just took a little while to get the initial response.

Mary R.
Nov 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$667
We are very satisfied with their work and the clean up afterwards. I'll probably begin to use them for my annual heating & A/C check-ups.

NANCY S.
Oct 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
We ended up having extensive work done. They gave us a real good bid, but my board over ruled me who was a good plumber but not a careful worker. I would have preferred to have Cahill, but the board wanted to save money. I think that they are excellent plumbers and heating specialists. I think the technicians that I have met have all been there a long time, they get to know your building and John J does the estimating himself. He is very fair and knowledgeable. I like them very much, they are my plumber of choice so whenever I can I use them. We had a problem with our hot water heater, it kept going out when we thought we had repaired it. They took it upon themselves to find out what was going on. It was such a peculiar problem that I think only Cahill would have found it. It was so deep in the system and they found it. They are very thorough, you get what you pay for. Everyone I have recommended them to has been thrilled. Their prices are high and their punctuality is remarkable. I am terribly spoiled by them, other plumbers never show up when they say they will. I am incredibly impressed with them.

MARTHA P.
Aug 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
I have used Cahill for over 30 years. Though considered more $$ thwey have always been reliable and have done a very good wrok - never have to have a call back. In emergencies they have neen extemely helpful.
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Showing 51-75 of 130

Licensing

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FAQ

John J Cahill Inc is currently rated 4.5 overall out of 5.
John J Cahill Inc accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, John J Cahill Inc does not offer free project estimates.
No, John J Cahill Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, John J Cahill Inc does not offer a senior discount.
No, John J Cahill Inc does not offer emergency services.
No, John J Cahill Inc does not offer warranties.

Contact Information

1515 Church St, Evanston, IL 60201

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