Pilsen · 18th Street · East Pilsen · Harrison Park
Heating and cooling repair in Pilsen, Chicago
Boilers and radiators, furnaces, central air and ductless systems, for Pilsen brick two-flats, cottages, shops with flats above and the kitchens on 18th Street. 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 Pilsen
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, about three miles north of Pilsen, a straight run down Ashland Avenue. 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 Pilsen 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
Great company. I called on a Sunday night because my furnace wasn’t working. The repair person was here first thing on Monday morning. Absolutely fantastic. He was friendly and knowledgeable and got my furnace running very quickly. He then reviewed various options with me for the future. It was very easy to send my payment via Zelle. Could not have gone better.
Read moreFurnace repairThree times, my experience with Suburban Heating and Cooling has exceeded my expectations. The first time I found them as a quick search, my heat went out on a Saturday morning. He was here at 9am that day to fix it. Kind, prompt, and knowledgeable. He explained what he was doing, what he thought about my old furnace, and we agreed to keep fixing it.
Read moreOld furnace repairCity and suburban came recommended to me when my furnace kept going out several years ago. My landlord was sending his guy to fix this chronic issue where it kept going out, they'd fix it, it'd go out again. It was a very cold winter for me. Rob responded quickly to my message and set up an appointment. He came, identified the problem, double-checked his work and was back with…
Read moreFurnace repair, rentalVery quick response and was clear on the issue and solution! Rob came out to our place to assess the issue on our furnace and fixed it within a same day! He was transparent on the status of the furnace and provided the solution of the issue im having right away. Definitely found a local business who I can rely on that will come back for sure!
Read moreSame-day furnace 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 two-flat, a cottage and a storefront
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
Below-street basements
Many Pilsen houses sit below the raised street, so the boiler or furnace is in a low basement and access sets the time.
- 02
Boiler or forced air
Pilsen's 19th-century brick two-flats often still heat with a boiler and radiators, a different job from a furnace repair.
- 03
Older equipment
In Pilsen's oldest flats the first job can be finding the part, or telling you straight when there isn't one.
- 04
Cooling without ducts
Pilsen's boiler-heated flats have no ducts for central air, so cooling usually means ductless mini-splits.
- 05
Shops on 18th Street
Bakeries and restaurants run rooftop units and kitchen make-up air, so visits are booked around opening hours.
- 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 Pilsen 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 Pilsen 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.
Pilsen, district by district · 4 districts
16th Street to the Stevenson, Western Avenue to the river
District edges are approximate, because sources draw them differently.
- Community area
- Lower West Side (31)
- ZIP codes
- 60608, 60616
- City wards
- 25, 12
- Our shop
- 1225 N Cleaver St, Chicago
- Permits
- City of Chicago Department of Buildings. HVAC repair, diagnosis and maintenance need no permit
0118th Street
Bakeries, taquerias and murals along the main street, with flats above the shops.
What the HVAC work looks like
Rooftop units, kitchen make-up air, furnaces upstairs.
02East Pilsen
The arts district along Halsted Street, with studios in old brick commercial buildings.
What the HVAC work looks like
Split systems and rooftop units in studios and lofts.
03Harrison Park
Brick two-flats and cottages around the park and the National Museum of Mexican Art.
What the HVAC work looks like
Boilers and radiators, furnaces in low basements.
04Heart of Chicago
The south-west corner, Ashland to Western below the rail line, around Oakley Avenue.
What the HVAC work looks like
Furnaces in frame houses, boilers in the brick two-flats.
Start here · 4 building types
What heats and cools your Pilsen building
Find your building and see what heats and cools it.
- TWO-FLAT
Brick two-flat
What heats and cools it
A shared boiler and radiators, or a furnace per flat. Condensers on the garage or in the gangway.
- COTTAGE
Brick or frame cottage
What heats and cools it
Often below the street, with the furnace or boiler in a low basement. Duct runs are short and tight.
- MIXED-USE
Shop with flats above
What heats and cools it
A rooftop unit or split for the store downstairs and a furnace or boiler for the flats.
- COMMERCIAL
Restaurant or bakery
What heats and cools it
Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and make-up air on 18th Street, worked around opening hours.
Nearby · 3 neighborhoods
Neighborhoods next to Pilsen
We work across Chicago and the suburbs. Each neighborhood has its own page, written for its buildings.
University Village
Newer townhomes and condos north of the 16th St tracks, around Roosevelt Rd.
Bridgeport
Workers' cottages and two-flats south across the river.
Little Village
Bungalows and two-flats to the west, past Western Ave.
The permit record, honestly · Pilsen
Why you won't find us in the City's permit file
Chicago doesn't require a permit to repair, diagnose or maintain heating and cooling, which is most of what we do. This is what the City's permit file does show for Pilsen, and where it comes from.
Data sourceCity of Chicago building permits (dataset ydr8-5enu), 13 Oct 2024 to 14 Oct 2026, inside the Pilsen boundary on this page: 737 permits, of which 12 mention HVAC equipment. Shown as counts, never by address.
Pilsen HVAC permits, 24 months
12Pilsen permits in 24 months that even mention HVAC equipment.
A permit can name more than one kind of equipment, so the rows can add up to more than 12.
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.
Chicago doesn't require a permit to repair, diagnose or maintain heating and cooling, which is most of what we do. The 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
Pilsen HVAC, answered
Didn't find your question?
Call (773) 238-3838Since 1952Family owned, licensed, NATE-certified
01Is the old boiler in my Pilsen two-flat worth repairing?
Often it is. We diagnose first, and where the boiler has years left, we say so. Replacement is quoted only when the repair stops making sense.
02How far is your shop from Pilsen?
About three miles. The shop is at 1225 N Cleaver St in West Town, and Ashland Avenue runs from there straight into Pilsen. Rob runs the calls himself.
03Can you work on a furnace in a below-street basement?
Yes. Tell us when you call that the basement sits below the street, so we know about low ceilings and tight stairs before we arrive.
04Does HVAC repair in Chicago need a permit?
No. Chicago doesn't require a permit to repair, diagnose or maintain heating and cooling. Permits cover installs and construction, so a company's permit count says little about its repair work.
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 boiler, furnace or condenser to hand, and tell us what it's doing. In a below-street basement, mention how we get down to it.
- 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