Old houses are rewarding to work on and full of surprises behind the walls. We are open 24/7, and we put a flat-rate written estimate in your hand before we start. Each repair we make is warranted for at least a year.
Lead and Galvanized Water Lines in Evanston
Evanston pumps and treats its own water from Lake Michigan, and the city also supplies Skokie and other neighbors. The water leaving the plant is clean, but many older Evanston homes still have lead service lines or galvanized pipe inside. The city runs lead service line replacement programs, including a cost share for the private side, so check with the city about what applies to your address.
Inside the house, galvanized pipe rusts shut over time and leaves you with weak pressure and brown water after a shutoff. When it is time, we quote Repiping in copper or PEX, room by room or the whole house, and protect the old plaster and floors while we work. Smaller leaks and failed valves are everyday Plumbing Repair for us.
Combined Sewers and Evanston Basements
Most of Evanston is on a combined sewer system that carries rain and sewage together. In a big storm, a basement drain is the lowest outlet in the house, and that is where the backup shows up. The first step is knowing what your own line looks like: we rod to the street and run a Sewer Camera Inspection before and after. Old clay laterals under Evanston's mature elms and oaks are often full of roots.
If the camera shows a broken or sagging section, we price Sewer Repair & Replacement in writing before we dig. Rodding a home’s main line out to the street comes with a 1-year warranty.
Boilers and Radiators in Evanston's Older Homes
Many Evanston houses and two-flats are still heated by hot-water or steam boilers feeding cast-iron radiators. We handle Boiler Repair & Replacement, from leaking valves and circulators to a full replacement when the old unit is done. We also repair and replace Water Heaters, mostly Bradford White, including models that fit the cramped basements these homes are known for.
Plumbing Services in Evanston
Repiping
Evanston’s Victorians and foursquares often still carry galvanized lines that narrow with rust every year. We replace them in copper or PEX, run new pipe through closets and chases where we can, and open only what we must, so you get full pressure back without losing the plaster and trim that make the house special.
Boiler Repair & Replacement
A cold radiator or a boiler that keeps shutting down is more than a comfort problem in an Evanston January. We track down failed circulators, zone valves, expansion tanks and leaking fittings, and when a boiler has reached the end, we size the replacement to the radiators already in the house.
Sewer Camera Inspection
Buying a two-flat or a century-old house near downtown? A camera run down the lateral before closing shows roots, cracked clay and offset joints while you can still negotiate. Owners use the same footage to plan repairs on their own schedule instead of after a backup soaks the basement.
Drain Cleaning
Cast-iron drains in older Evanston homes build up scale inside until kitchen and laundry lines slow to a crawl. We clear the line with the right cable for the pipe size, test the flow afterward, and tell you honestly whether the pipe itself is still in good shape.
Water Heaters
Basements in Evanston’s older homes are rarely roomy, and the water heater often sits wedged beside a chimney or stairway. We install Bradford White tanks that fit the space and vent correctly, haul the old unit away, and back our labor on top of the manufacturer’s warranty.
Leak Detection
Plaster ceilings and hardwood floors hide a slow leak until the stain appears. We trace the source with targeted testing before cutting anything, so the repair opening is small and in the right spot, which matters a great deal in a house with original finishes worth keeping.
24/7 Emergency Plumbing
A burst pipe in an outside wall or a floor drain backing up during a lakefront storm does not wait for business hours. A real person answers our phone around the clock and can talk you through shutting off the water while we get someone scheduled to you.
Our Step-by-Step Process in Evanston
Working in Evanston usually means working in a house that has been lived in, and added on to, for a century. Our process is built around that: clear communication before we arrive, an honest look at what is behind the walls, and a price in writing before a single fitting gets cut. Here is what to expect when you call.
- 1
Talk to a Real Person
When you call (224) 567-2501, a real person picks up, day or night. We ask what is happening, whether the water needs to be shut off right away, and a little about the house. Then we book a 2-hour arrival window that works for you, whether you are home near Central Street or at the office downtown.
- 2
Know When We’re Coming
You get a notice as soon as your tech is scheduled, and a text 30 minutes before arrival. That helps in Evanston, where street parking, alley garages and shared two-flat entrances can take some coordinating. If you need to move a car or unlock a back door, you have time to do it.
- 3
A Look and a Flat-Rate Price
The tech introduces himself, looks at the problem and explains what he finds, including anything unusual about old piping or past repairs by earlier owners. Coming out to look costs you nothing. Before any work starts, you get a flat-rate written estimate, and that is the price you pay.
- 4
Careful Work Inside the House
Tarps go down from the door to the work area, and we keep floors, rugs and woodwork covered. On sewer jobs, we run a camera before and after rodding so you can see the line go from blocked to clear. If you want some background first, read Common Plumbing Problems in Older Chicagoland Homes.
- 5
Paperwork, Payment and Warranty
We leave the work area cleaner than we found it. Your invoice and paperwork arrive by email, so the records stay with the house. Use cash, check, a credit card or Zelle to pay. Afterward we ask for a review so Evanston neighbors know what to expect.
Why Choose Master Pro Plumber in Evanston
Evanston has no shortage of plumbing companies, and plenty are franchises sending whoever happens to be free. We have been locally owned since 1989, we are not part of a chain, and we treat a hundred-year-old house, its plaster and its radiators as the irreplaceable things they are.
- Long experience with steam and hot-water boilers, from a weeping radiator valve to a full replacement.
- Galvanized-to-copper repiping planned room by room, with walls opened only where the pipe actually runs.
- Camera inspections on combined-sewer laterals, so you know what your line looks like before the next storm.
Seniors get 10% off labor, and financing is available on repipes and boilers. Whether you live in a two-flat or near the lakefront, one call reaches a real person.
Why We Love Working in Evanston, IL
Evanston has a lot of personality: a university town, a lakefront town and a place where people take real pride in their old houses. Our work takes us all over the city, and a few places stand out every time we drive past them.
- Grosse Point Lighthouse: Built in 1873 after a string of shipwrecks off the Evanston shore, the lighthouse on Sheridan Road is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most recognizable sights on the North Shore.
- Lighthouse Beach: Right beside the lighthouse, this stretch of sand takes its name from its neighbor. On a summer evening it is easy to see why Evanston families keep coming back to this part of the lakefront.
- Charles Gates Dawes House: The mansion on Greenwood Street was home to Vice President Charles Dawes for more than four decades. Today it houses the Evanston History Center, which keeps the city’s story alive through house tours and archives.
- Merrick Rose Garden: This free public garden on Oak Avenue is a quiet surprise near downtown, with beds of roses that show what patient care can do for something old and well loved.
We are proud that so many Evanston homeowners trust us with houses that have stood for generations.
Common Plumbing Jobs in Evanston
- Galvanized-to-copper repiping
- Boiler and radiator repairs
- Sewer rodding under mature trees
- Water heater replacement in tight basements
- Cast-iron drain and stack repair