Winnetka · Hubbard Woods · Downtown Winnetka · Indian Hill
Heating and cooling repair in Winnetka, IL
Boilers and radiators, furnaces, central air and ductless systems, for Winnetka older houses, large newer houses and the shops in Hubbard Woods and on Elm 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 Winnetka
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, 13.2 miles south of Winnetka's 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 Winnetka 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
We've relied on City & Suburban Heating & Cooling for years when it came to HVAC repairs on old systems (old home and new) but the current AC/furnace we had was getting very close to the end of its life. After City & Suburban came out to repair our condenser unit this summer, we could have kept sinking money into repairs but we didn't want to be forced into an…
Read moreOld-home systemsRob has taken great care of our HVAC systems for several years. During his most recent seasonal service it became clear it was the right time to replace the almost 20-year-old AC units. Rob put together a reasonable estimate using top of the line equipment. The install crew was friendly, professional and showed up on time. They get full marks for hauling the equipment up five flights of stairs to…
Read moreSeasonal serviceWhen another company purported that I needed to replace my central air conditioning unit, I called Rob from City and Suburban for a second opinion. He quickly diagnosed the problem as a minor leak that could be repaired quickly, and he restored the unit to life at a fraction of the cost that I would have otherwise paid. The air conditioner continued to operate for years, by the way.
Read moreAC second opinionOur furnace broke yesterday. We had appts with multiple companies and the one that came out first gave us a quote on a broken part. We almost went with them, but the appt window they offered for the repair would have been too long to wait. The next appt we had was with Rob from City & Suburban Heating & Cooling.
Read moreFurnace 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 an older house, a large new one and a shop
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
Boiler or forced air
Older Winnetka houses often still heat with a boiler and radiators; newer ones run furnaces.
- 02
Two or more systems
Large houses can run a furnace and AC for each floor or wing, so a repair starts with finding which one has failed.
- 03
Cooling an older house
Radiator-heated houses have no ducts for central air, so cooling usually means ductless mini-splits.
- 04
Architect-designed houses
In houses by architects like Maher, Griffin and Van Bergen, new equipment has to be placed with care inside and out.
- 05
Shops in Hubbard Woods
Shops in Hubbard Woods and on Elm Street run rooftop units or small furnaces, so opening 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 Winnetka 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 Winnetka 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.
Winnetka, district by district · 4 districts
Glencoe to Kenilworth, Northfield to Lake Michigan
District edges are approximate, because sources draw them differently.
- Township
- New Trier Township
- ZIP codes
- 60093
- Our shop
- 1225 N Cleaver St, Chicago
- Permits
- The Village of Winnetka, which sets its own rules. Chicago's permit file doesn't cover Winnetka
01Hubbard Woods
Shops and houses around the Hubbard Woods Metra stop, at the north end of the village.
What the HVAC work looks like
Rooftop units for shops, boilers and furnaces in older houses.
02Downtown Winnetka
Shops on Elm Street by the Winnetka Metra stop, with the Village Green nearby.
What the HVAC work looks like
Rooftop units for shops, furnaces and central air in houses.
03Indian Hill
Houses around the Indian Hill Metra stop, at the south end of the village.
What the HVAC work looks like
Boilers and radiators in older houses, ductless cooling.
04Crow Island
Houses around the Saarinen-designed Crow Island School, a National Historic Landmark.
What the HVAC work looks like
Furnaces and central air, zoned systems in larger houses.
Start here · 4 building types
What heats and cools your Winnetka building
Find your building and see what heats and cools it.
- OLDER HOUSE
Older house
What heats and cools it
Often a boiler and radiators, with a furnace or ductless cooling added later.
- LARGE HOME
Large newer house
What heats and cools it
Two or more furnaces and AC systems, zoned by floor, with condensers beside the house.
- MID-CENTURY
Mid-century house
What heats and cools it
A furnace with central air, in the basement. The condenser sits beside the house.
- RETAIL
Village shop
What heats and cools it
Rooftop units or a furnace for the shops in Hubbard Woods and on Elm Street.
Nearby · 4 neighborhoods
Neighborhoods next to Winnetka
We work across Chicago and the suburbs. Each neighborhood has its own page, written for its buildings.
Glencoe
Large older houses to the north. The village line runs through 58 homes.
Kenilworth
Older houses on large lots to the south.
Wilmette
Older houses east of Ridge and post-war ranches to the west, past Kenilworth.
Northfield
Larger houses on wooded lots to the west.
The permit record, honestly · Winnetka
Why there's no permit chart for Winnetka
Winnetka is outside Chicago, so the City's permit file stops at its border. Here is what we can honestly say about permits there.
Winnetka HVAC permits
The Village of Winnetka issues its own building permits and doesn't publish them as open data, so there's no count to chart for Winnetka.
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
Winnetka HVAC, answered
Didn't find your question?
Call (773) 238-3838Since 1952Family owned, licensed, NATE-certified
01Is the boiler in my older Winnetka house worth repairing, or does it need replacing?
Often it's worth repairing. We diagnose first, and where the boiler has years left, we say so. Replacement is quoted only when the repair stops making sense.
02Do you come out to Winnetka from Chicago?
Yes. Winnetka is on our service area list, about 13 miles north of the shop at 1225 N Cleaver St, and Rob runs the calls from there.
03Can you cool an older Winnetka house without ductwork?
Usually, yes. Radiator-heated houses have no ducts for central air, so cooling means ductless mini-splits, placed to suit the house.
04Does HVAC work in Winnetka need a permit?
Installing or replacing a furnace or air conditioning does: the Village of Winnetka asks for the equipment's specs and where it goes. 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 boiler, furnace or condenser to hand, and tell us what it's doing. In a larger house, tell us which floor or wing has the problem.
- 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