Niles · Milwaukee Avenue · Golf Mill · Touhy Avenue
Heating and cooling repair in Niles, IL
Furnaces, central air and rooftop units, for Niles post-war ranches and split-levels and the shops, restaurants and offices on Milwaukee Ave. Family-owned since 1952, with the owner, Rob, still on the calls.
- Licensed, NATE-certified technicians
- Family owned since 1952
- Price agreed before any work starts
All services · 24 in 4 groups
Every heating and cooling service we offer in Niles
24 services in four groups, from a furnace that won't light to a restaurant's make-up air unit.
Heating: furnaces, boilers and heat pumps
A furnace that won't light, a boiler losing pressure, a unit that short-cycles. Diagnosis comes first, and replacement only if the unit is genuinely done.
Furnace and heater repair
Ignition, flame sensors, inducer motors and limit switches, found and fixed on the first visit where the part is on the van.
Boiler service
Hot-water and steam boilers in vintage two-flats and converted lofts: pressure, circulators, zone valves, venting.
Furnace installation and replacement
Sized to the unit, not the brochure. In a high-rise, routed around building rules on venting and access.
Heater maintenance
An autumn tune-up before the first cold snap: burners, heat exchanger check, filters, safeties.
Heat pumps
Repair and installation, including cold-climate units for townhomes moving off gas.
Hybrid heating systems
A heat pump paired with a gas furnace, switching over on the coldest days.
HVAC maintenance plans
Scheduled heating and cooling visits for buildings that want them on the calendar.
- See all heating services
Cooling
Air quality
Partnered with the Best in the Business
About City & Suburban
Who you're actually calling?
One family. Second generation. Since 1952. City & Suburban is run from 1225 N Cleaver St, Chicago, 8.7 miles south-east of Niles' nearest edge. Rob, the owner, still runs the calls and does the diagnosis on the jobs that need it.
1225 N Cleaver St, ChicagoOwner
RobOwner-operator. He runs the calls himself, so the person who quotes is the person accountable.
Family owned
195274 years, family owned, now in its second generation.
Permit record
0Permits on record. Chicago doesn't permit HVAC repair, which is most of what we do.
Working hours
24/7Working hours. Call any time.
Family-owned
Why family-owned matters on a Niles job
- 01You talk to the person who owns the outcome, not a dispatcher reading from a price book.
- 02The office books you in, and reviewers name the people who did it.
- 03Nobody is on commission, so "your furnace is done" means it's done.
- 04Your request isn't sold on to three other contractors.
How we work
The owner on the call
Rob still runs the calls and does the diagnosis on the jobs that need it.
Repair first
If the unit has years left, we say so and repair it.
The price before the work
You hear the price before any work starts.
Google reviews · all 204 read
What customers say about value
We don't publish a price book, because the price depends on the fault. Here is what our 204 Google reviews say instead, counted by what reviewers chose to mention.
- 90name Rob, or say they dealt with the owner directly44%
- 59mention a fast response, a same-day visit or arriving on time29%
- 43call the price fair, reasonable or competitive21%
- 29mention honesty, trust or no pressure to upsell14%
Counted by keyword matching across all 204 Google reviews (export of 31 Aug 2026), so the numbers are approximate. 202 of the 204 are five stars.
Why Chicago homeowners keep calling the same family
The experience with Rob was fantastic from beginning to end! My AC was not functioning correctly and I reached out to him around 9am. By 10am, he called me back, confirmed an appointment, notified me of ETA and arrived as scheduled. Next, he diagnosed the problem and was working immediately- on the spot! Everything was fixed in less than an hour, even as I asked questions along the way (which…
Read moreSame-morning AC repairOur AC unit is an oldie, but apparently a goodie, still kicking after 20 years. We're saving up for a new one but want to extend the life of this one as it died yesterday. City & Suburban was highly recommended by our neighbor. Rob scheduled the appointment literally the following morning after our call. His assessment fee was very reasonable... and you pay nothing if it can't be fixed.
Read moreOld AC repairOutstanding HVAC Service — Above and Beyond I cannot say enough great things about the service we received. Our HVAC technician responded to my text at 10:00 PM the night before the coldest day of the year, which alone speaks volumes about his dedication and professionalism. He arrived on time the very next morning, was incredibly respectful of the tenant and their home, and immediately got to work diagnosing and…
Read moreFast responseRob and Eddie were prompt, professional, and proficient. I got a call back within 10 minutes of reaching out. They scheduled me for the following morning and gave me advice on what to do in the meantime. They made the repair itself quick and painless. Couldn't have asked for more! PS: Whatever digital assistant they're using for intake, it's the first bot I've interacted with that was actually...
Read moreNext-morning repair
We'd love to hear about your experience – write a review
- 5 Star Service
- Transparent Pricing
- Financing
- Certified Professional
- Top Quality Work
The process · 6 steps
What happens when you call
From the first call to a warm apartment, in six steps
01/ 06
01 You call, Rob listens
Tell us the make of the furnace or condenser and what it's doing. A good description often narrows it down on the phone.
02 Pick a time
We're available 24/7. If your building has rules on access, like elevator or work hours, tell us and we book around them.
03 On-site diagnosis
The technician finds the actual fault: ignition, pressure, refrigerant, airflow or controls.
04 Honest price, repair first
You hear the price before any work. If the unit has years left, we say so and repair it.
05 We fix it
Repairs done on the spot where the part is on the van. Installs are scheduled and quoted separately.
06 Good to go
The system is tested through a full cycle before we leave, and you know what to watch for.
Swipe or use the arrows to see all 6 steps
Scope & price · 6 factors
The same repair costs differently in a ranch, a split-level and a restaurant
We don't publish a price book, and we're not going to invent one here. What we can show you is what moves the number.
How we price
- The person who diagnoses is the person who quotes.
- You hear the price before any work starts.
- No flat-rate price book, no commissioned adviser.
- Where the unit has years left, the quote is for a repair.
"What does a new furnace cost?"
$6,807Chicago median
Median reported value of 81 central-furnace replacement permits in Chicago over 24 months. That's the whole project's construction value, not a quote. Yours depends on the factors below.
Factor · why it changes the work
- 01
Original or replaced system
Most Niles houses went up in the 1950s and 60s; some still run older furnaces and others newer ones, so the age changes the job.
- 02
Furnace on the lower level
In a split-level the furnace often sits on the lower level, and the upstairs rooms can run warmer in summer.
- 03
Narrow side yards
Condensers sit in narrow side yards beside ranches and split-levels, which sets how a replacement comes in.
- 04
Restaurants on Milwaukee
Restaurants along Milwaukee Ave run kitchen exhaust and make-up air with the rooftop units, so work is booked around service hours.
- 05
Offices and stores
Offices and stores on Touhy and around Golf Mill run rooftop units, so roof access and business hours set the work.
- 06
Repair or replace
The biggest swing of all. Where the unit has years left, we say so.
How to choose · 5 checks
Five questions that sort Niles HVAC companies
Ask them of anyone you call, including us.
5 kinds of HVAC company
Who you'll meet, and what limits each of them
Service businesses can't be compared on features. They differ in how they're run, and that decides who answers the phone and how the price is set.
- Where we fit
Family-owned, since 1952
- Who you talk to
- The owner, Rob, or someone who works directly with him
- How the price is set
- A price for the actual fault, agreed before any work starts
- Fits best when
- Condo, house, loft and restaurant work where you want one accountable person
- 02
National franchise
- Who you talk to
- A call centre, then the technician dispatched
- How the price is set
- Often a flat-rate price book, sometimes with membership plans
- Fits best when
- Standard repairs where speed of dispatch matters most
- 03
One-van independent
- Who you talk to
- The owner, who is also the only technician
- How the price is set
- Their own quote, often good value
- Fits best when
- Small jobs that can wait. One person means a January no-heat call can take days
- 04
Lead marketplace
- Who you talk to
- A website that passes your request to several contractors
- How the price is set
- Whatever each contractor who calls back quotes
- Fits best when
- You want several quotes fast and don't mind not choosing who calls
- 05
Large mechanical contractor
- Who you talk to
- A project manager or estimator
- How the price is set
- Bids against drawings and specifications
- Fits best when
- Tower central plants, base-building systems and new construction
Where we fit, honestly
City & Suburban is a family-owned Chicago company. In Niles we're the right call for condo, house, loft and restaurant heating and cooling: repairs, boilers, furnaces, central air and make-up air. Tower central plants and new-build mechanical systems are for the big mechanical contractors, and we'll tell you so.
Niles, district by district · 4 districts
Glenview and Morton Grove to Chicago, Park Ridge to Skokie
District edges are approximate, because sources draw them differently.
- Township
- Maine Township · Niles Township
- ZIP codes
- 60714
- Our shop
- 1225 N Cleaver St, Chicago
- Permits
- The Village of Niles, which sets its own rules. Chicago's permit file doesn't cover Niles
01Milwaukee Avenue
The diagonal main street, with shops, restaurants and offices from Touhy up past Golf Mill.
What the HVAC work looks like
Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and make-up air.
02Golf Mill
Golf Mill Shopping Center, open since 1960, and the houses around it.
What the HVAC work looks like
Rooftop units for stores, furnaces in the houses.
03Touhy Avenue
Houses and shops along Touhy, by the Leaning Tower of Niles and its YMCA.
What the HVAC work looks like
Furnaces and central air in post-war houses.
04Tam O'Shanter
Post-war houses near the Tam O'Shanter golf course and the North Branch of the Chicago River.
What the HVAC work looks like
Furnaces and central air, condensers beside the house.
Start here · 4 building types
What heats and cools your Niles building
Find your building and see what heats and cools it.
- RANCH
Post-war ranch
What heats and cools it
A furnace with central air, in the basement or a utility room. The condenser sits beside the house.
- SPLIT-LEVEL
Split-level
What heats and cools it
A furnace on the lower level with central air. Upper rooms can run warmer in summer.
- RESTAURANT
Restaurant
What heats and cools it
Rooftop units with kitchen exhaust and make-up air, scheduled around service hours.
- OFFICE
Office or store
What heats and cools it
Rooftop units for the offices and stores along Milwaukee Ave, Touhy and at Golf Mill.
Nearby · 4 neighborhoods
Neighborhoods next to Niles
We work across Chicago and the suburbs. Each neighborhood has its own page, written for its buildings.
Glenview
Post-war houses and The Glen's newer homes to the north.
Morton Grove
Post-war houses and bungalows to the north-east.
Skokie
Post-war houses, brick bungalows and flats to the east.
Park Ridge
Older brick houses, ranches and new builds to the west and south-west.
The permit record, honestly · Niles
Why there's no permit chart for Niles
Niles is outside Chicago, so the City's permit file stops at its border. Here is what we can honestly say about permits there.
Niles HVAC permits
The Village of Niles issues its own building permits and doesn't publish them as open data, so there's no count to chart for Niles.
The honest context
0Permits on record for City & Suburban. We said we'd be honest.
1,539Firms that pull HVAC permits citywide, across 4,888 permits in 24 months.
Outside Chicago, each suburb sets its own permit rules, mostly for installs and replacements. Either way, a permit file measures construction, not service. So when a company waves a permit count at you, ask how much of their work is repair.
FAQs · 5 questions
Niles HVAC, answered
Didn't find your question?
Call (773) 238-3838Since 1952Family owned, licensed, NATE-certified
01Is the furnace in my Niles ranch worth repairing, or does it need replacing?
Often it's worth repairing. We diagnose first, and where the furnace has years left, we say so. Replacement is quoted only when the repair stops making sense.
02Do you come out to Niles from Chicago?
Yes. Niles is on our service area list, about 9 miles north-west of the shop at 1225 N Cleaver St, and Rob runs the calls from there.
03Do you service restaurants on Milwaukee Avenue?
Yes. Commercial repairs and make-up air are on our list of services. Tell us your service hours when you call, so we can work around them.
04Does HVAC work in Niles need a permit?
It depends on the job. The Village of Niles sets its own permit rules, mostly for installs and replacements. A repair or tune-up is a different job. Ask whoever quotes an install who pulls the permit.
05What are your hours?
Our working hours are 24/7. Call (773) 238-3838.
Your next step
No heat, no cooling, or just a question?
Have the make of your furnace or condenser to hand, and tell us what it's doing. For a restaurant on Milwaukee, tell us your service hours.
- 4.98204 Google reviews
- 1952Family owned, second generation
- 24/7Working hours
- RobThe owner, on the calls
Have these ready when you call
Call (773) 238-3838- 01The make of your furnace, boiler or condenser, from the label on the unit
- 02What it's doing: no heat, no cooling, a noise, a smell, short-cycling
- 03In a high-rise: your building's work hours and how to book the freight elevator
- 04For a condo: your association's contact if they need a certificate of insurance
- 05A photo of the unit's data plate and the thermostat screen
- 06For a restaurant: your service hours, so we can work around them