Fast Action Plumbing

I'm giving Derek from fast action plumbing 1 star because he completely blew us off. My landlord hired him to come fix our garbage disposal. He was supposed to come on Sunday and texted something came up so he can come Monday at 10 AM. My boyfriend waited for him and he never came. My landlord, him, and me texted and called him multiple times throughout the day. No response. I would never recommend this company if you are looking for someone trustworthy.

Fast action plumbing is a very appropriate name! Derek is always very responsive and considerate with times. Gets the job done well and quickly. He has helped us with both bathroom and kitchen plumbing. I would give 10 stars if it allowed me! Highly recommended!!!

Called Fast Action at 5:30pm to see if they could fix a busted outdoor spigot that had started leaking inside my home. Derek was at my house within the hour and got to work on fixing the ruptured pipe and replacing the cracked spigot. This is hands down the best experience I have had with a plumber ever. I highly recommend Derek and will exclusively use him for all plumbing work moving forward.
Thank you so much for everything!

Derek was super responsive and made himself available immediately! He came to our home and fixed up our faucet super quickly. Great service and great expertise!

Derek was great to work with. We had a vent stack that was damaged by roofers along with another small water pressure issue. He came over right away, and immediately and correctly diagnosed the issues and that they both were simple fixes. Went above and beyond what he needed to do, and charged us a very reasonable rate - far less than I was expecting. Couldn't have been a better experience. Highly, highly recommend.

Derek set an appointment and simply ghosted. He accidentally answered the phone after I called for the third time during our appointment time and then hung up. It was a poor experience having my day wasted waiting for Derek to show when he could have simply communicated.

FAST ACTION PLUMBING -- DO NOT USE!!!! Long story short, horrible communication, water heater not installed to code, damaged my floors, damaged my front door, installed the new water heater in standing water because he was to lazy to drain it, left water heater in front of my condo after I told him not too, left water heater box around the block on the sidewalk & pressured my fiance into paying without providing an invoice. He then said he would wait to cash the check until we received the invoice, but he lied about that too. Refuses to pick up the phone or be responsive to call to come back and redo the job. ABSOLUTE WORST EXPERIENCE...DO NOT USE

UPDATE: The owner just responded to my review 3 weeks ago. He said the employee is no longer with the company...that is NOT TRUE as DEREK is the person who did my job and is the owner! He also stated he didn't charge me for the job, which also IS NOT TRUE. He also caused damage to my unit which he did not reimburse me for...see pics attached. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!

Derek continues to be very responsive and unbelievably helpful for any plumbing needs. His timeliness and expertise equals a value that cannot be beat. I would always recommend Fast Action be the first call you make.

Derek came to the rescue when we needed our new bathroom sinks hooked up before we had our home wedding. He even squeezed in connecting our tub drain! But when we used the tub for the first time we got a text from our downstairs neighbor that there was a water spot on their ceiling below the tub was. Derek blamed the plumber who had done the drain pips (fair enough, maybe it was their fault?), but no-called no-showed several times and eventually told me to go back to the first plumber. I had our GC and a third plumber come out and it turns out Derek did a bad job on sealing the drain, not the plumber who laid the drain pipes. I have pictures to prove it, obvious mistakes and attempts to hack it. It didn't take the new plumber long to do it right, such a shame Derek wouldn't come out and fix his mistake, and even worse that he strung us along for over a month before officially quitting. He could have at least gave me my money back, now I will have to take him to small claims court to prove a point.

NOTE: My first 1-star review ever! I try to only leave reviews when I want to complement a small business. Buyer beware with this one...

We have used Derek for a few different issues over the past couple years and he is extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and quick to respond. He is always the first person we call with plumbing issues and he has never let us down. Highly recommend!

All you need to know: Fast Action Plumbing:

- Lives up to their name and they’re at my place within a few hours.
- They have solved and repaired every problem I have had.
- They’re smart, careful, and deliberate.
- They follow up post visit.
- They are VERY fairly priced.

So grateful for Derek and his team. Save his number in your phone and make him your go to plumber.

Had a great experience with Fast Action Plumbing this morning. Derek showed up exactly on time (early on a Saturday morning!), and had my garbage disposal issue diagnosed in under 5 minutes. Turned out to be an easier fix than I expected, so Derek charged me a fair price for his time and was out the door. I'll 100% reach out to Derek again for future plumbing issues.

I do not leave reviews ever, so just writing this is a testament to service. 5 stars is an understatement. Derek was professional, prompt, and drove all over the city to find the part I needed to repair our water heater. HIGHLY recommend

We had a leak under our sink on a Sunday afternoon and Derek came within the hour to fix it up. He was respectful of our wishes for him to wear a mask due to COVID-19 and even took his shoes off before entering our condo. He was great to talk to as he quickly fixed our leak and even added extra seal coating to our sink as a precaution. Would definitely recommend Derek to anyone who is in need of a plumber!

UPDATE: Just used Derek again (6 months later) to fix a leak at a neighboring condo unit and to assess damage in our unit. As always he was fast and professional and even called later in the day to answer a few questions I had. Will definitely continue to recommend him in the future!

Derek was wonderful, from start to finish. I called him regarding a plumbing problem and he was at my house to fix the problem within 2 hours. Not only did he have a mask and gloves on but he removed his shoes immediately and put plastic down to protect my flooring. When he was finished with the job he made sure to clean up and wipe down everything he touched. Not only was he very knowledgeable and professional, but he was almost $200 cheaper than the other big name plumbers you always see on TV. Highly recommend.

After having multiple companies reschedule / no show, had an amazing experience with Fast Action Plumbing / Derek. I called on a Saturday morning and he was able to swing by within 15 minutes to check out the situation. Based on what needed to get done, he scheduled time for Sunday morning - showed up on time and got everything handled. Overall a great experience and I'd highly recommend Fast Action.

Derek was awesome! Super responsive and even came out on a Sunday morning during a snowstorm. Was very honest and told us that we actually didn't need the service done that we had called him for -- after he had already purchased the parts and everything! Greatly appreciated his honesty. Would highly recommend Derek with Fast Action for any plumbing needs!

Derek was wonderful and I could not recommend him more. Scheduling an appointment was simple, he came out the next morning, provided the estimate, and the work was done that day. He was efficient, friendly and professional and the price was transparent and reasonable. I will definitely be using him for all future installs and repairs!

Derek, his responsiveness, his punctuality, his efficiency and quickness, and his safety during this time of COVID not only deserves a positive review but also a recommendation to my entire network in need of his services. Derek will be our go to plumber for me and for my entire condo moving forward. Thank you for helping us out in a pinch!!!

Derek and his team were great. They showed up next day, texted before, and were right on time. They fixed a stinky bathroom that we had by fixing the wax seal on our toilet. He was super friendly and, at my request, showed me a few other plumbing tips around the house. I'll definitely be using them again.

Derek and Fast Action Plumbing were great. I had a major clog in our basement drain for our water heater. Derek was out within 30 min and had it fixed in no time. Very reasonably priced. I will definitely be calling them again when I need any additional plumbing services.

My experience with Fast Action Plumbing was a positive one. I had a leak in my bathroom that needed attention and Derek was contacted in the morning and scheduled me in for an evening onsite inspection/remediation.

He arrived a little earlier than scheduled, which in this case was a bonus. The issue was resolved very quickly and in the end the total cost was extremely pleasing to the budget.

I needed a plumber for my units and Derek was easy to work with on my project. He responded right away and was able to make an appointment right away which is nice when you have water issues. When he came to the property he was professional and quick with the work. I will be recommending him to my friends and thought it would be nice to leave him a review because I think other people will benefit from using his services.

Derek was extremely responsive and thorough. This is the best experience I have had with a plumber as he was able to come to my house quickly and diagnose/fix the problem very quickly. I highly recommend Derek and will exclusively use him for all plumbing work moving forward. So glad I found him!

I had a leaky valve on our water valve for our home humidifier. I called Derek and left a message. He called me back within 15 min. and after I explained the issue he told me to check a few things and that should solve the issue. Sure enough problem solved. He was even in my neighborhood and could have come over, made this minor repair and charged me $100 easily but instead he helped me solve this issue and even followed up later that day to see if it worked.

I would call him again for any plumbing issues at our condo building or in our unit.

We have used Derek multiple times now and he has been very responsive and gets the job done well and quickly. He also went out of his way to give us a follow up call to make sure things were still working properly. Would definitely recommended!

We needed a new toilet and Derek was able to install it the next day. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, he wasn't able to make it to our original appointment, but he called me and was able to come a little later in the day. He really made an effort to get in contact with us and help us out; even working after 6pm to get things done. He was very friendly and didn't mind our son being there and asking questions.

Had a great experience with Derek! I called due to an issue with a backed up kitchen sink, and needed help asap as I was worried it would overflow. Derek was able to come by immediately and get everything resolved within a half hour. Very professional and reasonably priced - would definitely recommend!

I got home from a long day at work to find a broken kitchen faucet. Having a household of 6 means we use that faucet A LOT so I needed a quick fix. After calling 4 companies with no answering services I was pleased to hear Fast Action Plumbings message to text them my problem. Within an hour Derek responded that he could come by the next morning. He fixed the faucet in no time. Derek was fast, friendly and affordable. A triple threat in plumbing! Will definitely be using him in the future and recommending to all my friends.

For $95, Derek had my kitchen sink unclogged and leak free in under 30 mins. He also gave me good tips on keeping clogs from happening and how to maintain my kitchen disposal. I called at 7:30 and he was able to come by at 10:30. I’ve used Power Plumbing in the past and they’ve charged me 3x as much and have generally not been easy to work with. I’d recommend Fast Action Plumbing to my family and friends. Derek was no BS and figured out my problem efficiently. And I didn’t feel swindled.

THE BEST and MOST RELIABLE plumbers in Chicago!
I could not express my gratitude for their service in a short amount of time- ON MEMORIAL DAY too...

Derek exceeded my expectations and was available right away! He also clarified that it wouldn't cost more if he comes on Memorial Day or another day.

BOOK THEM and don't call anyone else- I will definitely keep them on my top businesses to call if I have any plumbing issues with my condo!

This is what happened- One of the busiest weekends of the year, I found that the pipe underneath my kitchen sink was leaking and it got to the point where in the same day the sync stopped having water towards the faucet completely. I thought I could probably wait after the busy Memorial day weekend but I was also out of town and didn't want any problems with the neighbors downstairs in case the pipe would burst. I called many, many companies...
For me the most important thing is to have a service that I trust and a person that I can call anytime. Many companies said that they could come in 3-4 days but were not available on Memorial Day. They're gonna be on my speed dial for home support!

When I talked to Derek he said he could come the 1st thing in the morning. He fixed it VERY FAST and my worries got resolved within minutes once he arrived!

If I could give it 10 stars ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ or a million stars! And trust me, I'm a picky and economical consumer!

Derek and his team did a great job and really helped me out in a tight spot. I called late afternoon on a Wednesday and the replacement water heater was installed and functional by early morning next day. 10/10 would recommend.

We had an emergency on Sunday that our shower valve cartridge was broken and stuck in the valve. We couldn’t turn the water on considering water may gush out from that valve and cause water damage to the walls. I was lucky enough to find Derek. He came within 2 hours and was able to take the cartridge out however since the housing was chipped by us, he couldn’t salvage it. He came back today and changed the valve for us. What a life saver! He is very experienced, personable, and reasonably priced. On top of that, he was available on a Sunday evening. I can’t express how much I appreciate his business in our neighborhood. I highly recommend.

Derek came over within an hour of calling (the day after a holiday none the less!). He explained the issue and and showed me how to fix it in the future. Work was inexpensive and Derek made me feel at ease and confident in his ability.

After a horrible experience with another plumber who failed to install our new dishwasher, Derek was able to come out the next day, only to find out the the water line was broken which he could not fix that day. Because he did want to help us fast, he came back 2 days later (on Father’s Day!) and replaced the water line and re-installed the dishwasher.

FAST ACTION is right! I tried all the DIY fixes for a tub that wouldn't drain with no luck. I called Derek at 3:15pm and he must have been close by because he was at my apartment in 5 minutes. Unclogged the tub and was out by 3:30pm! Miracle worker!

I texted Derek on a Monday, he showed up on Tuesday and provided a free estimate to install a kitchen faucet, swap out a garbage disposal, and fix a leaking toilet. His price was very fair, and he was very professional. He came back the following Sunday, working around my toddler's nap schedule, and was done within an hour. I would definitely recommend Fast Action Plumbing.

We had the most wonderful experience with Derick at Fast Action Plumbing. I would HIGHLY recommend him. He is reachable almost 24/7 via cell phone and is very responsive. He is thorough, a real professional. He works directly with many management companies so if you have a condo he will liaison with your management company to schedule water shut-off if that’s what you need. Ours was an emergency situation and since I’d just had surgery and needed things fixed immediately and when Derick found out the details of my situation he offered to fix things for free. He has a heart of gold and is such a good man, I would trust him in my house alone - if you need a plumber, Derick at Fast Action Plumbing is your man!

We had an unknown leak in our basement utility closet. Plumber was here five minutes after we called, determined the problem was just a valve we hadn’t set properly. Didn’t even charge us. Great guy!

Had an issue with kitchen sink, called Derek and made an appointment for the next day. He arrived on time, was professional and fixed the issue quickly. He’s honest and reasonably priced (and was sweet to the dog too). Highly recommend.

I’ve used Derrick for 2 jobs. He was responsive and does quality work. He is also honest and fair; I called Derrick after another plumber gave an estimate that sounded like he was trying to make up work. I didn’t say anything about the first estimate, and Derrick diagnosed the problem as a relatively simple fix and did the job the next day.

I know what it's like to feel a little bit lost and a lot overwhelmed when you're looking for someone to do work on your house. I am very happy that I saw Derek's post on NextDoor and gave him a shout out. He came and gave me a free estimate for installing a hose on my back deck (an unusual request, I know). We then set a time for him to come and start the work a few days later. He was communicative on the day of the job to ask if pushing back an hour would work (instead of just showing up late with no updates). He arrived and worked quickly and even let me know that he'd be able to do the work for a bit cheaper than quoted b/c the pipe was easier to access than he anticipated. I mean, who does that?! I then asked him about one other thing that had been an ongoing issue -- a dripping noise that I had long been hearing behind one of my walls. He assured me that it was nothing to worry about and explained why it was making that noise. He definitely could have used scare tactics to convince me to rip the whole wall out and replace pipes, but instead he was honest and said it was not something I needed to worry about. Again, who does that?! This guy is just a good, honest dude and you should feel confident about making the call!

Made appointment with Derek but he was a no-show and there was no response to my request for his reason for no show.

In response to your reply below, I never told you anything about other plumbers coming to my place, let alone 13 other plumbers! You were the first plumber I contacted. And you did not tell me that you could not make it. You sent me a text asking for my address and I responded with the address but you didn't show the next day.

A few days ago I had water coming in from my upstairs neighbors unit. I happened upon Fast Action Plumbing, I called and got an answer right away. I was told they were finishing up at a job and would be by in 2 hours. He hit this estimate dead on, when they arrived they were very professional and removed their boots without me even asking. They came in and took a look at my unit then went upstairs to find the source of the issue. After coming back he even looked at a side issue I had with a leaky toilet, in 30 seconds he had it diagnosed as a loose supply line and tightened it, because of how simple it was to fix he didn’t even charge me. They then told me they had figured out my neighbors issue and would have it fixed within the hour once they grabbed parts. Before leaving he looked for water damage in my unit and was completely honest with me and told me it would dry out and should result in no water damage. If your looking for a quality and honest plumber in Chicago look no further. He has won my bid for any future work I need by being honest, friendly, and knowledgeable.

TL;DR: Derek ghosted me and my wife in the middle of a plumbing emergency, on a Sunday, leaving us to scramble to find someone else with no warning. NOT RECOMMENDED.

Without hyperbole, this is the least professional experience I've ever had with a tradesperson. I called Derek last week for a clogged sink that kept slowly rising. He responded immediately and was at my home in an hour. While he was draining the sink, however, I happened to walk into the room and noticed that the entire cabinet was filled with about 1/4 inch of water. He cleaned it up with no damage, but it was still very shocking that he allowed this to happen in the first place. That evening, he said he was unable to clear the clog and would have to come back the following morning with different tools.

The next day, he showed up about an hour later than we scheduled. He tried to snake the pipe with the same 60 foot cable he'd used the night before. After futzing with it for a while, he then said he couldn't proceed without shutting the water for our whole building off (this proved later to be false). He then said that he had another job to get to and would come back later in the day. After he left, my wife and I got permission from our condo board to shut the water off, and tried MULTIPLE times to get in touch with Derek. We called and texted numerous, numerous times. He totally ghosted us - would not respond to our texts or phone calls. We even tried calling him from a different number, which he answered, but when he heard our voices, he hung up immediately. Keep in mind that the water in our kitchen sink was rising, so this was something of an emergency. Derek totally left me and my wife in the lurch, and we had to scramble to find someone else to come by. We also discovered that he left his broken 60 foot cable in the middle of the street in front of our house. (Our replacement plumber told us that a cable like that probably cost around $200. After Derek's piss-poor, reprehensible service, I have to cop to a little schadenfreude.)

When we finally got another plumber to come do the work, he said there was no need at all to shut the water off and had the clog fixed within a half an hour. I have no idea what Derek was thinking. My only assumption is that in the middle of the job, he realized he was not a good enough plumber to handle the issue in front of him, and was too embarrassed to say anything.

A note to Derek, if he reads this: I would not have left this negative review if you had behaved more professionally. Even filling my cabinet with water I would have forgiven if you had just been forthcoming. If you had just said you didn't think you could handle the job and maybe recommended another plumber to call, you'd have one less bad review on Yelp. I see other people on here with similar complaints. Do you really think this is a professional (not to mention ethical) way to run a business? Based on your behavior, you seem to have an issue with pride. Maybe that will prevent you from adhering to good advice but I'll posit some anyway: remember that your customers are people, each of whom deserve respect as well as good service. You gave us neither.

Derek is outstanding. He was on time the 2 times he came over. Very reasonable prices. This a company that should number one on everybody’s list. I recommend Derek and his services with the highest marks

Derek was very helpful, he was able to troubleshoot my problem over the phone. I recommend him for all future projects!

I was drawn to this business because of the good reviews here on Google. I scheduled an appointment for someone to take a look at a leaky kitchen sink. The morning of, no one arrived at the scheduled time. When I texted to confirm they were still coming, I had no response. I then went on Yelp and read a lot of stories of the same thing happening to other people. I immediately found a different plumber. This company seems very sketchy, would not recommend.

Avoid at all costs. Didn't install our building's water heater correctly forcing us to hire an actual professional and pay $1,000s in repairs. Also doesnt know how to install a ground wire which is something your average 13 year old can figure out with ease. A blind, one legged, half dead cocker spaniel would be a better plumber. A cocker spaniel could also not return your calls just as well as this guy. Likely pursuing this matter in small claims court. Read the yelp reviews for more one star reviews.

Edit: 4/7/19
Reply to response below:
Hi Derek. You didn't install a water heater at 1324-26 W Hood Ave recently? I think I can prove you did and that it was defective and the installation was done incorrectly. Also that you did not honor an installation warranty or return phone calls regarding the situation. You can call us back and fix this without extra headache for both sides or look forward to receiving a copy of the court summons and formal complaint very soon.

I had an emergency kitchen job that needed to be addressed in a condo building, change out existing pvc to steel piping under the sink. After two attempts two services like home advisor and angies list, Derek and Fast Action Plumbing came to the rescue. My new go to guy for tenant plumbing!

Derrick saved me and my wife from chronic headaches when he found the source of a leak inside a wall with black mold. He handled the situation quickly in a very professional manner. Our headaches are gone...Thank you Derrick.

Derek has done multiple jobs for me and literally was the only plumber who could solve my hot water issue after many others tried.
Would recommend him to everyone!

Laurie Dimakos

Derek was incredibly responsive (on a Sunday) and was quickly able to diagnose and fix my water heater. I highly recommend him.

Derek was able to quickly assess the problem and fix it at a reasonable cost. I hope I don't have to call him again but if I do have a plumbing issue then he will be the one I go to.

Good experience. Derek was fast, professional and reasonably priced. Will use Fast Action Plumbing next time I need a plumber

Derek was on effective and efficient solving a couple plumbing problems in my bathroom. He was affable, nice to my child and is a neighbor.

Derek was responsive and efficient! Great experience working with him. On top of that, he charges very reasonable rates.

Best plumber I’ve ever used! Derrick is Very knowledgable, FAST, and professional. I will not call another plumber again! Definitely the best plumber experience ever!

Derek was very quick to come out and fix our leaking shower head. Would definitely recommend!

Had a problem drain, Derek answered my call in the morning, told me he'd be there in the afternoon. Showed up when he said he would and unclogged the drain. What else could you ask for?

Super fast response time and extremely efficient in their work. We had a new sink and disposal hooked up. Definitely calling these guys when the next thing comes up!

Called at 10:30 in the morning and Derek was here before noon! Fixed the problem and gave great advice on another potential issue. Fast and efficient. Would highly recommend.

Derek and team are awesome. Wouldn't hesitate to use them again! I highly recommend them to anyone.

Didn't show up to scheduled appointment. Didn't warn us, wouldn't pick up the phone even when we called 20+ times, didn't respond to texts. We left work early to be there for him and he never showed up.

Derek can out as soon as I called and was able to provide a resolution within 24 hours. Friendly and reasonable pricing.

Great experience! Derek was on on time and charged half price of the other other companies. Highly recommended!

Really nice guy. Very responsive and was able to help with part of the job over the phone to help save money. Would definitely recommend.

He was amazing! Reasonable and so nice! Really great work. Very impressed and trustworthy. I would recommend him over anyone in the city.

Super fast in getting here and getting the job done. Left no mess and honest prices compared to the insane quotes of the competition. Highly recommend.

Fast Action! Called the man late on a Monday night, and he was at my place 8 am on Tuesday! Outstanding!

Fast, professional, and accommodating. Came on a weekend to fix my sink and needed basically no notice

Very personable and knowledgeable. Detected my leak and repaired it. I would highly recommend.....

Quick, honest, and effective. Will use these guys again!

Great, reliable and friendly service!

Great and fast service - would reccomend!

Really fast and professional! Thank you!

Great service!

Great Service!