We had a major plumbing issue and got a quote from another nationwide company. I was pretty out of my depth to know if this was an appropriate amount or if I was being fleeced. I reached out to my brother-in-law, who does plumbing, and he said it was a fair amount. Still, he lives in another state and wanted a second opinion here in Chicago. I found VanderBosch because they ranked high on Google when I asked about the job. Actually, they had a whole blog post about the service and I learned a lot. Jordan called me back and let me run down the whole project and told me what they would charge. I walked away from the conversation really wanting to give the job to VanderBosch, but Jordan is a straight-shooter and told me that they couldn't finish the job as fast as his competitor (for boring, but significant reasons). So, this competitor to the initial company took the time to call me back, listen to my issue, give me the straight facts, and all because he was so focused on the well-being of a potential customer that in the end, couldn't even book his company. Why can't everybody be like this? This is some real "city of big shoulder" stuff from a Chicago-based company. In the end, I wasn't able to hire VanDerBosch, but they have a down payment on a future customer. read more

Van Der Bosch Plumbing's Hugh, Jordan and crew did an excellent job running the plumbing & exhaust lines for my new laundry room! Their professionalism and skilled staff is the main reason why these guys are my GO TO plumbers for every one of my projects. read more

VanDerBosch Plumbing - New Laundry Room. New Plumbing & Exhaust. - Plumbing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Van Der Bosch serviced the radiators in my condo. Upfront proposal and pricing - invoice matched quote Techs were courteous - clean I would recommend them to anyone seeking to replace control valves on old radiators read more

Van Der Bosch Plumbing are the best plumbers I have ever worked with. Every person I have worked with from the owner Hugh, back office staff, and service technician have been great. We are a small self managed condo association so we rely on good service companies to make sure all of our buildings systems run properly. Our condo association has starting using these guys to handle nearly every plumbing service need we have. They now contracted with us to clean kitchen drain lines and grease traps for us as well as service and maintain our water booster pumps. We no longer use different companies for each of these things like in the past. These guys can do it all. I have found all of their prices to be fair and the quality of work exceeds any other company I have hired. One thing I really like when they clean a line is they then camera scope it to verify that the job has been successful instead of assuming. This camera scoping definitively determined that only one of the two drain lines had a sag in it which was what causes the backups and the need for it to be power-jetting twice a year. By finding this out we now save money every year not jetting the properly pitched line as often just because we need to jet the sagging one more often. This reputation of excellent work on the building has lead to them being hired by the unit owners themselves. Van Der Bosch has been hired by many of the unit owners including myself to do work within their units for things such as replacing old hot water tanks. You are usually not happy when you need to call a plumber but if you need to, these are the people to call. read more

Crooks. Work was performed on September 01, 2011. We had some clogged water supply pipes after having to replace our building's water heater (turning back the water dislodged sediment, which then was pushed up against various valves and connections in the system. I called the previous Friday, and talked to Hugh, the owner. He said he couldn't get anyone out until the following Wednesday. He also told me that his people no longer work weekends, as his website claims. One of his people shows up on Wednesday shows up to scope out the work, explains the worst case scenario for each issue, then quotes prices for each item. We swallowed hard, and agreed to have them do the work. Then they say they can't come back until the following Tuesday. My building neighbor persuades him to get someone here the next morning. My neighbor tells Hugh that he has a business meeting out of the building and might not be back in time to give the guy the check, and Hugh says to just mail it. They show up at 11:45 and start to work on the clogged shower line. I was asked to show one of the guys where the water cutoff was in the basement. By the time I get back upstairs (10 at the absolute maximum), the water is running. Clearly this is not the worst case scenario (where they would have had to open up the wall). Cost: $435. For 10 minutes work. The other two issues were handled almost as quickly, and they were finished in 60 minutes. Total cost: $1342.54, strictly for labor, no materials. Then the guy says that he needs a check. I explain that the building was paying for this, and my neighbor was told by Hugh that if he wasn't back in time that he could mail the check. The guy says "Why can't you pay, then get reimbursed?" Given that the project was being paid for by the building and my neighbor negotiated the pricing, I wasn't about to do that. We paid the bill, because we agreed to pay the prices they quoted, but we clearly were taken for a ride. Van der Bosch claims their approach of a fixed price for a job is fairer than time & material, but that's not true for for at least some plumbing issues. They clearly emphasized how difficult and costly the job could become, but purposely avoided saying that there was a high probability that the fix would as easy as it turned out to be. They took advantage of their experience in this type of repair and our lack of same. We got ripped off by Van der Bosch. read more

Do not use this plumbing company! They wanted to charge me $500 for a small job that I discovered I could do myself in about 20 minutes. All I needed was to replace the pop-up thing in the drain of my bathroom sink. They said it would take a while to "locate" the matching piece (it's brushed chrome -- not exactly a wacky, hard-to-find color.) I did some research myself and found the matching piece online in 10 minutes! Now, I'm out the $80 they charged just to come out and give me that astronomical estimate, but I'd rather pay that than $500!! I know plumbers are infamous for over-charging, but this is ridiculous. I almost wonder if they were taking advantage of me because I'm a woman. Well, guess what! I'm doin' it myself! :) If you do end up using these guys, just make sure they're not trying to take advantage of you -- a small job should not cost this much. read more

Our HOA contacted Van Der Bosch Plumbing to do some type of repair on our plumbing for the entire condo. They came early in the morning, sometime before noon, and had all our water shut off for more than 8 hours and when the technician left, my kitchen sink water was not turned back on. Not only that, but I wasn't getting the same amount of hot water I was receiving prior to the repair for the shower. The water is now lukewarm at best rather than it being the normal hot water from before the repair. I called the company and a woman picked up the phone, and while I was talking to her, all I got was silence on the phone and I had to keep asking if she was still on the line. She was rude and never addressed what was going on or what the problem was. The first thing she asked for was my full name and phone number and said a technician will call and get back to me, instead of just contacting the technician who just left. She didn't try to be helpful at all, just asked for my contact info and told me to wait for a call. HOW is that being helpful and what are you doing to help solve the problem??? I was willing to provide her the address where the repair was being made so at least she could quickly look up the technician and notify him from her end to come back and turn the water back on since he just recently left the site. Shouldn't they have a log for each day of which technician is scheduled for which repairs??? I'm not about to sit here and wait for them to call me back for who knows how long, when she could have easily contacted the technician on their work phone to resolve this. It's frustrating because not only did we have our water shut off for several hours, the technician didn't even turn it back on properly. I had to get my landlord involved and now still waiting for this issue to be resolved. read more

I had an underground water leak, VDB came out and gave an estimate on the repair. After hiring them to do the job, they were very professional and were really honest and knowledgeable on what the issue was. After consulting with many other plumbers, VDB seemed to me as being not only fair on the repair costs but also seemed to me as being honest and not trying to hustle me. After getting a job done 10yrs ago, that was half "A**". I seen the work that VDB was doing and knew it would be done right and that put my mind at ease. I strongly would recommend them for any service needs. read more

*BEWARE* VAN DER BOSCH PUTS THE "CON" IN CON ARTIST! If you love getting ripped off, rude employees and the bait 'n switch, these guys are for you. Here is how they operate. They will not give you an estimate over the phone, which is not that uncommon I know, but they tell you its for your "own good." They do tell you if they come out, give you a quote and you don't use them they will charge you a "fee." However, THEY WONT TELL YOU HOW MUCH THE FEE IS!!!!! So when they get there, they look over your job and quote you a HUGE PRICE. They figure that most people are clueless to plumbing (and they are right) and most figure that plumbers over charge anyways, so odds are you will take them up on their offer. HOWEVER, if you don't take them up, they still get their fee. For us it was $80 for 10 mins of consultation. NICE WORK HUH?????? THEY ARE COMPLETE RIP OFF CON ARTISTS!!!!! They were going to charge me $1500 to reconnect my sink. I have called 2 other places who estimate it will cost $200-$300. Yes...you read that right. They play the odds, maybe you take their high price and they win, or if you dont take their offer they still get their fee. They are rude, insulting and liars. BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE!!!. Look at my other Yelps. I am pretty fair, these guys are bad news read more

Had a leaky toilet that we've fixed once before, and decided to have a professional look at it (as well as some other small bathroom issues). Talked to Hugh on a Friday afternoon and he came by the next day. It's one thing to have a professional do the work, but the fact that he took time to explain the problems, recommend products, and offer a few DIY tips made it worth so much more than what he charged. While he was working on it, we picked his brain about bathroom remodeling and he had some great advice about how far to go for the type of condo we live in. Guarantees his work, told us he's accessible if anything goes wrong, and super friendly. read more

I used this company to install a tankless water heater some time back. They were very prompt at coming out. After consulting with them I decided on a tankless water heater as I like the concept a lot. After a number of visits the work was completed, but I have since had plumbers into my house who have noted a number of issues. The gas line that was installed was not done so correctly, the water line attached to the old pipe is incorrect and will cause corrosion due to the two different types of metals. I have called in an attempt to get this corrected, but have yet to hear back. I also found out that the tankless heater installed did not apply for the federal credit despite being told it would. Be aware of this company. Work initially seemed pretty good. read more

I just got my tankless water heater installed by Hugh from VanDer Bosch and couldn't be more pleased. Professional and courteous complete with boot-covers to protect my carpeting! A very clean job and a huge truck full of tools made for a quick experience. I plan on calling them again if I need a plumber. read more

I use these guys both professionally and personally. Hugh is always available To take my call and get me scheduled quick. We referr all our customers that require a good plumber. Joseph is an amazing technician that doesn't mind getting dirty. Great job guys, we will see you when we close on our new house. Dan read more

The best! Showed up at exactly the time they promised they would. We had them replace our 40 gallon water heater in our grooming shop With an 80 gallon. The plumber who installed the 40 gallon said we could not get an 80 gallon. John came in the week before, measured, then explained how we could have the 80 gallon. Worked out every thing they needed to and installed it for a very fair price. We will definitely use them as our new plumber and recommend them to everyone we know. read more

I am very impressed and grateful for the very professional services of Van Der Bosch Plumbing. We just bought our house and we needed a gas line put in for out grill and not only dis they do an outstanding neat job, they did it for less than half the price another plumber quoted. Very professional, on time, And knowledgable staff. So good we just had them come back to evaluate and maintain our heating system and advise on a low water pressure issue. Hugh, showed up exactly on time, he determined our heating system was in good order and did not require servicing, and gave great advice as to why we had a low water pressure issue and how best to resolve it. He refused to accept any payment for the visit. I was stunned and very grateful for his time and great advice. They will be our plumbers for as long as we are here and highly recommend their services to all. read more

Pipe under kitchen sink developed a leak after a garbage disposal was incorrectly installed last December by another plumbing firm.I called Van Der Bosch Plumbing since I frequently see their trucks in the neighborhood.An actual person answered the phone who was polite,kind and very professional.I was offered an appointment the same afternoon.The Plummer called before he arrived to assure the appointment was convenient for me.He was prompt,polite and very professional.He quickly diagnosed the problem and just as quickly did the necessary repair.He wore shoe covers into my house and did a complete clean up after the job was done.The pipe no longer leaks at all and the disposal works perfectly.I was extremely pleased with every aspect of the repair.I will definitely call Van Der Bosch Plumbing for all my future pluming needs. read more

I had a leaking outdoor spigot so I called Vanderbosch for a replacement. They came out right away and gave me the option for repair instead of replacement. Their plumber saved me approximately $350.00. By repairing it . That money will come in handy for my families Christmas presents. read more

These guys are the best. They have been instrumental in helping us get set up in our first home. Upfront and honest. We've never had a problem getting a prompt response from them. Their work been amazing and we trust them with all our plumbing needs. A few examples: - Hugh has personally come out to help when we needed work done and they were swamped. - They do free estimates and talk to us before doing stuff that will cost a ton. - Actual quote from one of their techs, "I could do this for you but it'll cost at least $300. I recommend you do it yourself. It's not hard to do and I'll show you what parts to get" Look, plumbing work is rarely fun. It's often unexpected and can cost a lot to get it done well. I appreciate working with Van Der Bosch cause I know I'm not going to have to worry about how long its going to take and whether it'll get done well. Now if I could just find a general contractor like them... read more

Stay away from this company. Set up a date for a technician to come out and service my unit a week in advance. The day the technician arrives he looks at my unit and says I would wait it looks good to me. After I tell him I really need to get it done he say well it's going to be $450 dollars. After agreeing to the ridiculous price he tells me, you know what I just got a call about a building that has no hot water can we reschedule. I kind of got the impression he really didn't want to do the work. The worst part is I took the day from work to be here and now he doesn't want to do the work. All I can say is lazy and super unprofessional. read more

Paid $300 to get our drain unclogged. They were friendly and fixed the drain, but way overpriced for what amounted to a half hour of work. Made the mistake of calling them back recently when we needed the leaky hot and cold valves replaced in our bathroom sink, and a small metal piece of the drain replaced. They quoted me $536.34 for the valves, and $436.94 to replace a broken piece of the drain...IN WRITING. "You're kidding me." I said. "How long will this take, a day?" I asked. "45 minutes" was the reply. Yep, that's almost $1K for 45 minutes of work! I got two other estimates after that, and both were under $300. Finally went with Rocket Plumbing, who fixed the valves for $285, and theb replaced the broken drain part in about 2 minutes for free. ***update 12/30/2014*** VDB contacted me (see below) about this review justifying the estimate w/step-by-step detail. I give them one more star for friendliness and sincerity, and I have no doubt their plumbers are very well-trained. However I stand by my review and that $950+ for this work is exorbitant. Also, my understanding was that the 45 min. was for the total amount of work, not just the drain. In fairness to VDB, it took Rocket over an hour to do the both jobs, but again the work cost a fraction of what VDB wanted to charge. read more

Van der Bosch is excellent. They have solved problems that other plumbers could not on more than one occasion. As a result, I wound up paying for two plumbers (the jokers and then van der Bosch). They are extremely careful in your house and do not leave a mess. Yes they charge first-time customers to come out for an estimate and as do many good plumbers. Once you are in their customer base you do not pay that fee again. The money you will save because it will be done right the first time is significant. I had a serious leak. The first plumber that came wanted $4,000 to re-plumb the master bath because the "old plumbing was not done right". Van der Bosch found the real problem, repaired it and charged $1,000.00. read more

After endless trial and error, resolution has finally been had on my condo's plumbing issues. The man who came today addressed all the plumbing to-do's. Thanks to Joe from Van Der Bosch Plumbing, who articulately conveyed a detailed analysis of the issues and an effective approach for how to resolve them, the kitchen has fully been restored and is back to full working order. That includes the kitchen sink, dishwasher and laundry. I am beyond grateful. It was not a cheap endeavor, but worth the release and relief his quality work provided. read more

Called them with an emergency today - a gas leak in my daughter's room that ultimately led People's Gas to shut off our gas (and heat) in the middle of Chicago winter. Hugh arrived an hour earlier than expected, inspected all the problem points (four separate leaks), and issued us a quote for $1200. He worked for 6 straight hours completely dismantling and reinstalling the piping to my boiler, my water heater, my dryer, and the furnace we have on our second floor. He even did me the courtesy of hanging around until People's Gas came back, just in case they had any issues and refused to turn the heat back on. Needless to say, we're warm again, and I'm in Hugh's debt. Despite finding a few surprises along the way, when bill time came, it was exactly what was quoted. Look, I'm not a plumber, so I can't tell you if there are better prices out there for the work that Hugh did. A lot of people seem to think Van Der Bosch is overpriced, but when the time comes to do a job, they over-deliver. Feel free to shop around, but if you want a job that will definitely be well done, give 'em a call. read more

We've used them twice now (2nd bath sink) and just now with our master shower. John came out and gave an estimate and then came right back once I had approval from our landlords to do the work. On time, pleasant to work with and clean! Great company, I highly recommend them. read more

Extremely friendly and professional. They were able to come out within 24 hours after a botched job from the Plumbing doctor and did great work. Very happy with their service and work! read more

Had an appointment this morning and John came out (I'm pretty sure that's his name). He asked if I was told about the diagnosis fee and I had not been informed prior so I was a bit shocked. The job was at a condo for one of my clients so I was not at liberty to approve the charge. After trying to get a hold of my client, to no avail, John kindly and very quickly fixed the problem at no charge. My client may have other issues and I will absolutely be calling them back to do the work. I am also in the process of buying a new home and I will not hesitate to call them if I have any issues. It is amazing how a small courtesy can go a long way, a true mark of great customer service! read more

I was able to set up an onsite survey for my building; the owner came out; and he guaranteed I'd receive the quotes for initial service plus a long-term service plan the following day. A week later I was still waiting. I emailed, called, and put in an inquiry through their site. Still nothing. Waste of time.. moving on. read more

Van Der Bosch is the best plumber to call if you want to be absolutely screwed. The plumber quoted me $400 to replace the water source tube to a toilet tank. It cost $10, and took me 30 minutes to complete the job myself. I highly recommend calling them if you're not too attached to your money. To their credit, they're very responsive, but if you grossly overcharged your customers, you'd answer the phone quickly too! read more

DON"T EVEN CALL. While the phone people are very nice, and the appt was set up promptly. We were quoted almost $1000 to cut out and replace about an 6 inch piece of pipe that needed a valve removed. I COULD DO THIS MYSELF. When I called the company for an explanation I was told they charge by the job, not be the complexity. If you have more money than sense, this is your company. UPDATE: Just got an estimate from a licensed, reputable, recommended plumber: $125.00. read more

Outstanding customer service! And I greatly appreciate that they provide free estimates. I will definitely use them again for any future plumbing issues. read more

I spoke with Hugh and he said he would send Joe out for an estimate on our condo plumbing issues. Joe came out in the freezing cold and got the roots out of our main line. He was professional, honest, and gave me multiple option on ways to help maintain the line. I will defiantly call them again for our yearly maintenance and any other problems we have. Thank you Joe! read more

Van Der Bosch plumbing ran a gas line to our inclosed porch. Their staff responded immediately and commissioned Joe to do the work. He assessed the task and worked fast and professionally. Once completed, he, as we did, took pride in the job done. The charge was reasonable and we surely would use them again and recommend their expertise strongly. read more

I called Vanderbosch for a 9 unit Condo building in Chicago. We have a boiler which provides our heat and no one knew when was the last time it was cleaned and serviced. John C. was the technician sent out to do an estimate and the final job. Our Condo President and I were very impressed with his professionalism and patience at explaining our options. We decided on a "major" cleaning and safety inspection. It took John C. most of the day to clean and inspect our boiler which was a mess. His thoroughness also found a compromised"relay switch" which could of failed at any time. The work ethic displayed was outstanding. I was updated as necessary as to the progress of the job. After the cleaning, John C. consulted the owner Hugh Hodur to help determine the best settings because our current settings were no longer efficient. During the whole process pictures were taken as to have a baseline comparison. Thank you Hugh Hodur and John C. for an outstanding experience. I am very impressed and plan on recommending your company to everyone that I know. read more

Recently, a catch basin went out in my three unit building. I had a few estimates come in and Van Der Bosch was by far the most professional outfit and took care of my problem. They moved swiftly to meet my needs. Thanks guys. You have all of my business!! read more

The employee I talked to yesterday was terribly rude. I have no idea about their pricing as I didn't go beyond the rude staff. But based on this experience, I would never hire them for a job. I'll find a different plumber, thanks. read more

My husband and I just bought a new house that needed some work done. We probably had the original plumbing in the house from when it was built in 1969. Needless to say we had some issues. Joe was sent to work at the house and he was great. Very professional and honest. We also needed a new Hot Water Heater. It was from 1991. They gave a great price and came out again to install. Overall I would recommend them for any plumbing issues. Honest and professional are 2 very important qualities in anything. read more

After interviewing 4 other plumbers that left me less than impressed I was pleasantly surprised at the professionalism of Van Der Bosch plumbing. They are efficient and employ the most modern techniques available. And their price is quite reasonable.. I highly recommend them! read more

Van Der Bosch charged me $80 to give me an estimate to replace my kitchen sink. They rescheduled this appointment twice. They then gave me an estimate of $900, which is double what I paid Larsen & Sons (on Damen near Lawrence) to do the same work. Van Der Bosch kept my $80. Buyer beware. read more

I had a problem where 7 years ago a plumber working on my sewer main had pic ax'd my water main which runs 1ft above my 7 ft below grade sewer main. That old prob started turning my front lawn into a fountain a few days ago - after 7yrs. Van Der Bosch came out and gave me the best quote presented by John who btw was very professional. After deciding to have Van Der Bosch perform the work. I called Matt at Van Der Bosch who was very understand in regards to our timing needs and was able to schedule the repair within a few days. On the day of repair, the same knowledgable professional person (John) who gave me the quote came out to perform the repair. During the repair, he was courteous and communicated the status of the repair very well! Also when he had to come into our house he wore clean foot coverings "shoe booties" to prevent bringing in the mud and clay into the house. They were able to find where the original repair had been done incorrectly and communicate what needed to be done. I am very happy with Van Der Bosch and would recommended them to anyone in need of a plumber!! read more

These people are the worst "plumbers" ever! Actually, I doubt that the workers are actual plumbers rather just workers. I contracted with them to clear a clogged main drain. Guy came out said it would cost $647.00 and guaranteed that the job would be done. Well after 4 hours he could not clear the main and did not understand why. He kept telling me to, "bear with him while he tried to figure it out." Well, he called his office and got a guy to bring out an additional 25ft of rod. I live in the city and it is only 45ft total from the house to the street, yet this guy apparently did not know this. Without my approval he added $200.00 to the bill. After an additional 2 hours he still did not have the line rodded! So, after a total of 6 hours and a still clogged drain, he decides to tell me that they need to put in an additional clean out station in the middle of my front lawn! (I had one already) He wanted to charge $1700.00 to do this and again guaranteed that the line would be clear after that! Thank goodness I called another plumber after he left and the new plumber came immediately. The new plumber got the line open in 40 minutes, put a camera down there and determined that there was a shift in the main pipe on the city side. Pulled a permit the next day, had an inspector out to look at the camera view and within 3 weeks the city repaired the entire thing. Needless to say, VanDerBosch is the WORST PLUMBER IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA! read more