American Vintage Home Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
Plumber · Evanston, IL · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
Excellent workmanship and communication from individual technicians, but a company-wide pattern of aggressive upselling, hidden fees, and reliability failures that make them risky for emergencies.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #15 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in Evanston, IL · compare all →
Our opinion, based on the 187 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
Advertises 24-hour service on its Google profile — no reviews we analyzed mention after-hours response either way.
What reviewers praise
Technicians are knowledgeable and thorough in diagnosis and explanation. 8 reviews praise courteous, professional staff who take time to explain problems and educate homeowners.
2 cited reviews
“took the time to thoroughly diagnose and explain what was going on”
“Gabriel was very courteous and professional. fantastic job on installation”
Cited in 7 of the 187 reviews we analyzed — 5 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Strong installation and repair workmanship for HVAC, boilers, and plumbing systems. 7 reviews specifically praise quality of work completed.
1 cited review
“Gabriel was very courteous and professional. fantastic job on installation”
Cited in 7 of the 187 reviews we analyzed — 6 cited reviews not excerpted here.
What reviewers report — the concerns
Other directories bury these. We think you should read them before you call. Every concern below comes from the reviews it cites.
Red flag
Deceptive billing practices and bait-and-switch tactics documented across multiple reviews. Company quotes low initial price, then discovers 'new problems' mid-work to dramatically increase cost (one sewer line job went from $8,000 to $18,000). Multiple reports of technicians using fake upsells and customers being charged despite explicit cancellation agreements.
Cited in 3 of the 187 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
No-show appointments with no customer notification. 2 separate reviews (October 2025) report technician failed to arrive on scheduled dates, with no advance call, and company offered no compensation or accountability.
Cited in 1 of the 187 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Potential pattern of predatory installation practices, particularly with oversized equipment. One review suggests technician sold prior homeowners an oversized water heater that couldn't be vented safely, leading to years of carbon monoxide exposure; another customer with prematurely failed SpacePak coil suspects faulty install but company refuses warranty assistance.
Cited in 2 of the 187 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Aggressive upselling from specific technicians. One review explicitly identifies technician Curtis as running scams (inflated parts pricing, fabricated problems like 'broken kill switch'). Another review mentions trainee was present during these incidents, suggesting company-wide practice.
“charged $300 for $30 thermostat, quote was scam for $59 part”
Systematic overcharging and hidden fees. 6 reviews document technicians quoting inflated prices for simple tasks: $300 for a $30 thermostat, $185 for a $10 thermocouple, $700 to replace a $250 faucet, $290 'exploration fee' not disclosed upfront.
“charged $300 for $30 thermostat, quote was scam for $59 part”
Cited in 5 of the 187 reviews we analyzed.
Reliability declining, especially for scheduled maintenance appointments. 3 reviews from long-term customers report missed appointments with no advance notice or follow-up.
Cited in 2 of the 187 reviews we analyzed.
Installation quality failures with refusal to take responsibility. 2 reviews describe incorrectly installed water heaters with carbon monoxide leaks and premature coil failures, with company refusing refunds or repairs.
Cited in 2 of the 187 reviews we analyzed.
Poor follow-through on diagnostics and warranty claims. 2 reviews report incomplete or incorrect diagnoses and issues going unresolved despite multiple service calls.
Cited in 2 of the 187 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 14 of the 187 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“just had them here for an annual checkup on our furnace. I've never had one of these where the technician didn't change the thermocouple as part of the routine service. the technician said he didn't do it and it was just about to go bad but it would cost an additional $185 on top of the $199 service call. I've changed them before myself and it's a $10 part that installs in a couple of minutes. I doubt I will use …”
“Deceptive service fee. I was quoted $109 for a service fee, when the tech arrived he explained that fee was simply for arriving and that to assess my radiators would require an additional "exploration fee" ($290) which was not mentioned when I scheduled the appointment. Had this "exploration fee" been explained prior I would have chosen another company, as it was I paid the service fee and sent them away, a waste …”
“Deceptive Practices / Fraud Alert DO NOT HIRE American Vintage Home (AVH) has engaged in deceptive practices in order to charge me more money than initially quoted. It appears they are using a bait and switch method where the initial quote was lower in order to secure the contract; however, the ensuing work then "uncovered a new problem" that more than doubled the initial quote. AVH was hired July 20th 2021, to …”
Positive
“I had a consultation with Alejandro from American Vintage Home, and it was a great experience. He was very informative and took the time to thoroughly diagnose the heating issues in our condo with steam radiators. I really appreciated the care and attention he put into explaining what was going on and helping us understand our options. Thank you, Alejandro, very pleased with the service!”
“We engaged American Vintage Home to replace the sump pump / backup-pump, battery plus control-unit. It wasn't cheap, but it is an insurance, we live in a flat area and the water has to go somewhere. Tony did a great job, explained what he intends to do, gave us an estimate and days later he had all the parts and installed the new setup to our satisfaction. We picked the wifi-enable version to keep us updated on what …”
Quotes are reproduced verbatim from public reviews on the platforms shown; we select which to feature, and selection reflects our editorial judgment. Report a quote that doesn't match its source ↗
The rating picture
Our sample skews heavily toward critical reviews — it disagrees with the Google average shown above.
Newest review in our sample: Feb 2026.
Across platforms
Severe rating divergence: Google 4.8/5 (2335 reviews) vs. Yelp 2.8/5 (100 reviews). Yelp reviews consistently document overcharging, deceptive practices, no-shows, and installation failures that Google reviews largely omit. This 2-point gap suggests either selective Google review removal or that dissatisfied customers are more likely to post detailed complaints on Yelp.
Should you hire American Vintage Home Heating, Cooling & Plumbing?
Best for
- Drain and sewer work
Hire if
- You need high-quality work that holds up over time
- You need fast same-day or after-hours response
Think twice if
- You need predictable, consistent service across every visit
- You want detailed upfront explanations
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need airtight scheduling and guaranteed arrival times
Look elsewhere if
- You're highly price-sensitive
- You need this for a complex or high-stakes install
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own American Vintage Home Heating, Cooling & Plumbing?
You can respond to our analysis, correct business facts, or dispute the accuracy of a quoted review. Responses that check out get published on this page, and factual errors get corrected — see our corrections policy. We don't remove accurate quotes, but we'll re-run your assessment as your reviews change.
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