Fast Action Plumbing
Plumber · Cicero, IL · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
Fast Action Plumbing (Derek) holds 4.7★ on Google (149 reviews) but only BBB non-accredited A+; Yelp 1-star reviews allege a $2,000 scam with unreturned apartment keys and 6 documented no-shows in 100-review sample.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Our opinion, based on the 100 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
Lists 24-hour service on its Google profile — and reviewers describe after-hours calls.
What reviewers praise
2am phone pickup and calm walk-through confirmed: answered at 2am during a kitchen leak, guided caller through shutdown, verified safety before an early-morning flight
1 cited review
“It was 2 a.m. and my kitchen had a leak. Most places in the city weren't responding, but Derek picked up right away. He calmly walked me through exactly what to do and made sure I stayed calm the entire time. I had a flight early that morning, and he helped me confirm there were no leaks before I left, all over the phone.”
Same-day sourcing effort: went out of his way to find a part after stores closed and fixed the issue the following day — cited in 1 of 100 analyzed reviews
1 cited review
“Derek was amazing! He came out the same day we reached out to check on our plumbing issue. Even though he didn't have the part and all the stores were closed, he went out of his way the next day to pick it up and fixed everything that same day.”
themeCounts.fast_response=25 across 100 reviews; after-hours and weekend emergency response documented in multiple Yelp reviews
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
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
Serious financial misconduct alleged on Yelp: reviewer claims Derek charged $2,000, caused $2,700 in additional damage, would not return calls, and kept the customer's apartment keys
“PLEASE READ AND DO NOT HIRE --- Derek scammed me out of 2,000 dollars, damages he made to my place are going to cost 2,700 to repair, he will not return any of my calls/messages, and will not return the keys to my apartment he was borrowing to complete the work.”
Red flag
Google rating (4.7★) vs. Yelp pattern of 1-star reviews including fraud allegation — BBB non-accredited, though rated A+; themeCounts.surprise_fees=2 in 100 reviews
“PLEASE READ AND DO NOT HIRE --- Derek scammed me out of 2,000 dollars, damages he made to my place are going to cost 2,700 to repair, he will not return any of my calls/messages, and will not return the keys to my apartment he was borrowing to complete the work.”
1 more cited review
“PLEASE don't call Derek. Had some routine basic repairs needed around the house. My husband contacted Derek and set up an appointment for 10am. After several calls and texts over an hour later he never responded and never showed up. Very unreliable and unprofessional.”
No-show pattern: 6 of 100 reviews flag slow_response; one Yelp reviewer documents Derek failing to respond after multiple calls and texts over an hour past a scheduled appointment
“PLEASE don't call Derek. Had some routine basic repairs needed around the house. My husband contacted Derek and set up an appointment for 10am. After several calls and texts over an hour later he never responded and never showed up. Very unreliable and unprofessional.”
Unprofessional conduct on-site: made derogatory remarks about bathroom smell during toilet repair, pulling shirt over nose the entire time
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“Found Derek from Fast Action Service & Repair on craigslist. Emailed him picture of what I needed repaired. Good response, emailed me right away with price and scheduled service for following day. For the most part his work was fine, I felt he could have came a bit more prepared after knowing what the scope of work was. I had to run to hardware store for saw zaw blades for him. My problem was that the same day …”
“derrick was so unprofessional and rude. he came in for a clogged toilet, which is embarrassing enough. then he proceeded to make very unprofessional remarks about the smell of the bathroom, and kept his shirt pulled over his nose the whole time. i was so embarrassed i didn't know what to say or do, i have never had a plumber behave that way before. i thought it was his job to handle things like that. to make …”
“DO. NOT. USE. I only have one word to describe this guy: SKETCH. We initially contacted Derrick, because we were having issues with our water heater - it was not working. The first appointment that we had with him he cancelled on us last minute and rescheduled for the following day. He arrived and without assessing anything immediately suggested we replace our water heater (this was our own dumb fault for listening …”
Positive
“I rarely write reviews unless I’m truly happy or unhappy. So here it is: It was 2 a.m. and my kitchen had a leak. Most places in the city weren’t responding, but Derek picked up right away. He calmly walked me through exactly what to do and made sure I stayed calm the entire time. I had a flight early that morning, and he helped me confirm there were no leaks before I left, all over the phone. Derek is fantastic. …”
“best plumber experience I’ve had. in and out in under 30 and politely took their shoes off at the front door. very polite and diligent. could not recommend more!”
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
Google 4.7★ vs. multiple Yelp 1-star reviews alleging fraud, no-shows, and retained apartment keys. Reviewer explicitly warns to check Yelp before hiring despite positive Google reviews.
Should you hire Fast Action Plumbing?
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 airtight scheduling and guaranteed arrival times
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
Look elsewhere if
- You're highly price-sensitive
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own Fast Action 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.
Find plumbers near you
Fast Action Plumbingisn't in one of our ranked city guides yet — the nearest covered markets are below.
Nearby: Evanston · Orland Park