Old Town · Old Town Triangle · Wells Street · Sedgwick
Heating and cooling repair in Old Town, Chicago
Furnaces, boilers and radiators, central air and rooftop units, for Old Town condos, worker's cottages, Victorian row houses and Wells Street restaurants. 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 Old Town
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, 0.9 miles south-west of Old Town's corner at North Ave and Halsted. 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 Old Town 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
City & Suburban Heating & Cooling is excellent! From repairs to general maintenance, upkeep, assessments, and inspections, their team has consistently delivered top-notch service. Scheduling is always convenient, and their pricing is honest, fair, and transparent—no surprises or upsells. Rob, in particular, has been a lifesaver over the years. He’s kept my AC unit running smoothly for several seasons, extending its life far beyond what I expected.
Read moreRepairs & maintenanceThe experience with Rob was fantastic from beginning to end! My AC was not functioning correctly and I reached out to him around 9am. By 10am, he called me back, confirmed an appointment, notified me of ETA and arrived as scheduled. Next, he diagnosed the problem and was working immediately- on the spot! Everything was fixed in less than an hour, even as I asked questions along the way (which…
Read moreSame-morning AC repairCan’t recommend these guys enough. Rob came out the next day after me calling and quickly diagnosed the issue and was fully transparent on options and pricing. I decided on a full replacement due to age/status of the AC unit so Sam and Eddie came out two days later and took care of the entire project quickly. They were communicative and professional the entire time and provided me with all…
Read moreAC replacementI have been using City & Suburban (Rob) for 8yrs just for maintenance and he has been great every time. I trust no one else. When I found out my AC had finally had its run, I panicked a little as I thought CS only performed maintenance. However to my surprise they now do installations! I immediately got a reasonable and good quote from them and in a matter of…
Read moreLong-term maintenance
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 condo, a cottage and a row house
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
Landmark district rules
In the Old Town Triangle District, work that changes the outside, like a new condenser in view, can need Landmarks review.
- 02
Boiler or forced air
Row houses on Crilly Court and Eugenie can still run boilers and radiators; rehabbed cottages mostly run furnaces.
- 03
Condo roofs and rules
Condensers for Old Town condos sit on shared roofs, so the association's access rules shape the visit.
- 04
Tight cottage basements
Cottages built after the 1871 fire have low basements and narrow gangways, which set how equipment comes in and out.
- 05
Restaurants on Wells
Kitchens on Wells run exhaust hoods and make-up air with the rooftop units, so work is booked around service 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 Old Town 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 Old Town 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.
Old Town, district by district · 4 districts
Armitage to Division, Halsted and Clybourn to Clark
District edges are approximate, because sources draw them differently.
- Community area
- Lincoln Park (7) · Near North Side (8)
- ZIP codes
- 60614, 60610
- City wards
- 2, 43, 27
- Our shop
- 1225 N Cleaver St, Chicago
- Permits
- City of Chicago Department of Buildings. HVAC repair, diagnosis and maintenance need no permit
01Old Town Triangle
Worker's cottages and 1880s row houses on Crilly Court, Eugenie and Menomonee, north of North Ave.
What the HVAC work looks like
Boilers and radiators, furnaces in rehabbed cottages, ductless.
02Wells Street
Restaurants, bars, boutiques and The Second City along Wells, from Division up to North Ave.
What the HVAC work looks like
Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and make-up air.
03Sedgwick
Brick townhomes and condo buildings around the Sedgwick 'L' stop at North Ave.
What the HVAC work looks like
Furnaces and central air, condensers on roofs and decks.
04Halsted and Clybourn
Newer townhomes and condo buildings along the western edge, between Division and North Ave.
What the HVAC work looks like
Furnaces, heat pumps and central air in newer units.
Start here · 4 building types
What heats and cools your Old Town building
Find your building and see what heats and cools it.
- CONDO
Condo building
What heats and cools it
A furnace or heat pump per unit, with the condenser on the roof. The association sets the rules for roof work.
- COTTAGE
Worker's cottage
What heats and cools it
A basement furnace or a small boiler, often rehabbed. Low basements and narrow gangways set the access.
- ROW HOUSE
Victorian row house
What heats and cools it
Often a boiler and radiators, sometimes converted to forced air. Ductless is a common way to cool.
- RESTAURANT
Restaurant or bar
What heats and cools it
Rooftop units with kitchen exhaust and make-up air. Work is scheduled around service hours.
Nearby · 3 neighborhoods
Neighborhoods next to Old Town
We work across Chicago and the suburbs. Each neighborhood has its own page, written for its buildings.
Lincoln Park
Row houses, greystones and two-flats north of Armitage and west of Halsted.
Gold Coast
Mansions, row houses and high-rises east of Clark.
River North
Lofts, high-rises and the Cabrini row houses south of Division.
The permit record, honestly · Old Town
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 Old Town, and where it comes from.
Data sourceCity of Chicago building permits (dataset ydr8-5enu), 14 Oct 2024 to 15 Oct 2026, inside the Old Town boundary on this page: 756 permits, of which 20 mention HVAC equipment. Shown as counts, never by address.
Old Town HVAC permits, 24 months
20Old Town 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 20.
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
Old Town HVAC, answered
Didn't find your question?
Call (773) 238-3838Since 1952Family owned, licensed, NATE-certified
01Can the boiler in my row house be repaired, or does it need replacing?
Often it can be repaired. 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 Old Town?
Under a mile. The shop is at 1225 N Cleaver St, south-west of the corner at North Ave and Halsted, and Rob runs the calls from there.
03Does HVAC work in the Old Town Triangle need Landmarks approval?
Repairs inside the house don't. Work that changes the outside, like a new condenser in view of the street, can need Landmarks review first.
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 furnace, boiler or condenser to hand, and tell us what it's doing. In a condo building, mention who lets us onto the roof.
- 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