F G.

12/23/2022

Jacob and Lou saved Christmas!!!! Very professional and nice guys. They showed up on a extremely cold and dangerous night. Beyond thankful!!

Jonathan P.

03/02/2023 12:00:00 SA

My tenants shower wasn't draining, so they called J Blanton to come to in to inspect and do the work. Before they would arrive, I needed to pay a $49 dollar fee which would be credited to the final invoice. The next day they arrived at around 930pm CT and I was oversees. In the morning I noticed a few missed calls. When I reached out to the tenant, they said J Blanton wouldn't start the work without getting the payment from me first. Good thing, because when they sent over the invoice it was for $407 with a very obscure description of work Band-aid- pA1A waste system rejuvenation There were no notes or any other type of descriptions. When I asked the tenant what did they say they would do, she said they were going to snake the drain ( aka rod the drain ). I reached out to J blanton to confirm this was the case. The customer service rep on the line was very nice, however when I asked her to tell me what Band-aid- pA1A waste system rejuvenation meant, she said she wasn't sure and would have the technician call me ASAP. 3 more calls to their office, I finally got a call back from the technician 36 hours later ( I don't know how busy they were, so it's hard for me to gauge capacity, however that seemed like a very long time). When I spoke to Dave the technician, I asked him what needed to be done and he said rodding of the drain. I then mentioned how $407 for a rodding is extremely expensive considering most drain rodding falls within $225-$300. I let him know I wasn't going to pay that amount and he then mentioned that there is a $100 discount voucher I can use from online or something. I thanked him for calling me back and hung up.

To me, this felt like they were trying to take advantage of 3 girls that weren't familiar with pricing. It felt like they were trying to go as high as possible to see what would stick before offering this $100 discount. The obscure description only adds to the confusion and I was really put off by this experience.

We ended up going with Excel Plumbing and asked what a rodding for a drain would cost, they said $279, assuming it was a simple rodding. They did the work and charged me $279.

J Blanton- I would recommend providing a more detailed description in the notes and avoid obscure word play. I would also recommend providing transparent pricing and keeping it within a fair range. I lost $49 dollars, which is a shame but not the end the end of the world.

Apple S.

4/17/2023

I needed to get my outdoor faucet fixed after my contractor broke it. They had good reviews so I scheduled a consultation for $49 and if I used their services it would go towards the work I opt for. They said that they were going to show up between the times 9 am-12 pm so I took the day off so wait for them but no one ever showed up. I called the dispatch/customer service team and she said that they have to reschedule. I wanted to cancel althogether because they didn't deliver what they promised and wanted my $49 back and they said it was non refundable. So unprofessional and unreliable.

Rick H.

10/27/2022

I have used the services of J Blanton Plumbing for well over 2 decades, at my home, my apartments, and even my dad's home. Excellent work. Great service techs who know their profession very well.

I just had Wally and Ted come to my home to rod out my slow-running kitchen drain. They cleared 50 feet of drain pipe, not just the kitchen p-trap. Super nice guys, too. They even put down a waterproof mat where they worked to protect the floor as they worked and cleaned-up completely before they left. Wally also rodded the kitchen drains in two apartments in a building I own earlier this week.

Scheduling is easy and they are quick to respond, especially in emergencies. Highly recommended!

Lauren H.

03/09/2023 12:00:00 SA

HORRIBLE - do NOT use this company. I never write Yelp reviews, but my experience with this company was so epically bad that I created an account. Absolutely unprofessional, terrible customer service, and crappy plumbing work. It took 3 months to finish my sink repair work, they did not properly install the water filtration system, and installed the wrong faucet. They came out in Dec 2022 for an initial estimate/assessment and I am STILL waiting for my issues to be fixed, three months later. I still have the wrong faucet and a broken filtration system. Management refuses to respond to any of my calls or emails. Belle Untalan or Luis (?) are the managers but they refuse to respond or provide solutions.

My friend recommended the plumbers Fettes Love & Sieben (773) 935-7260 and said they were fantastic. Wish I had started with them.....

Daliah F.

9/28/2022

The reviews on Yelp are much more consistent with my experience with J.Blanton plumbing than the reviews on Google. No trip charge and friendly service certainly wins people over. I hired J. Blanton plumbing to replace an O-ring at the bottom of a toilet a few years ago. This is a part which costs a few dollars. I sent a family member to oversee the repair because I had to work and somehow this turned into me being sold an entirely new toilet for $750. I had told them at the time I placed the call that I had a coupon $50 coupon. They didn't ask for it and didn't apply it. When I asked them to refund the amt of the coupon, I was told I could use it on a future service. So argued and threatened a negative review until they agreed to refund the amount of the coupon.

Fast forward to yesterday. This past Sunday, I replaced the flush handle and flapper in a different apartment occupied by a tenant. Yesterday received a call from the tenant that the toilet wouldn't flush or fill at all. I felt bad that I had argued and called J. Blanton Plumping to give them some repeat business. (Terrible idea.) They explained since it was the middle of the day, there'd be no emergency charge and could be there within a couple of hours. (Great!) When I asked for an estimate, they said, they charge by the project, not by the hour, and I would be quoted on site. Ok. About 90 minutes later I received a call from Shane Waycoff from JBP who informed me the bowl was not filling and I would need to replace the pump valve. I asked how we went from a broken flush handle a couple of days ago to needing a new pump valve and how much would that be. (Obviously I assumed something about our installation hadn't been done correctly.) He said he didn't know how we got there, but it would be $702. (!!!) I said that was ridiculous and that this same thing happened to me before with this company - that I went from needing a $5 part to replacing the entire toilet. (My fault for calling them again.) Shane then said because my toilet had old parts (photos of my NOT old toilet valve functioning perfectly below,) he could get me a whole new toilet for some obnoxious price over $1000. I said, no thank you to both services. I went by the apartment to check out the problem before trying to contact anyone else for repairs. After a 15 second inspection, I could see the slack of the chain connecting the flush handle and the flapper was caught between the flapper and the drain pipe. I cleared the chain and adjusted it so there wasn't as much slack. The flapper shut over the drain securely and the toilet filled perfectly. This could have been an easy opportunity for them to get a raving positive review had Shane addressed the ACUTAL issue. I would have been happy to pay some fair amount for someone making the trip. Instead, that guy tried to charge me $700 for a repair I didn't even need!

So if you feel like you have money to burn on repairs and equipment you don't need and extorted for not being handy, call J. Blanton Plumbing. I'll just wait for their rude response to my negative review now.

Josue J.

8/22/2022

I had a tech come out to check my toilets. They recommended I replace my toilets with new power flush toilets. I went ahead and ordered 3 power flush toilets. The techs came out to install the toilets. After installing the first one, they noticed that they are not power flush toilets. They had already thrown out the first toilet they removed and were not able to put that one back, the other ones they were to put back. I spoke to the owner and they said they would credit back the money. We are going on the three months and still no credit. I finally decided to put a stop payment on the credit card. The most disheartening part, is that they seemed really legit. Was in communication with them, they would reply, but nothing. Oh well.

Chanda P.

1/25/2022

Beware of J Blanton and their unethical business tactics - they'll get you with their free estimate and supposed quick availability. Then surprise you onsite with exorbitant flat pricing that you have no choice but to accept when they show up late and you're in a pinch like me (as most people are when they call a plumber). Charged almost $400 to simply put on a new tub spout. Other estimates put the task at less than $200, including their own, or so I was misled to believe over the phone.

When I called to dispute the discrepancy between what I was told by phone vs. charged onsite, the office manager Melissa flat out denied what I was told, and would not go back and listen to the recording (if it existed).

Even if it was a miscommunication, the poor handling and obvious price gouging left a bad taste in my mouth. I will not use again, and advise others NOT to trust them either. They probably aren't transparent about their flat pricing upfront because they know it's a rip off and no one would use them otherwise...

Drake M.

8/22/2021

Blanton Plumbing to the rescue. I was getting a new fridge delivered and they couldn't turn off the valve that shuts of the water to the ice maker. I called and left a message and Melissa got back to me within 10-15 mins, she was super understanding and set up my appointment. I also mentioned that I had a slow draining in one of my sinks.

Chip came out to diagnose the issue and told me exactly what needs to be done. He came on time. I love that he explained EXACTLY what needed to be done without making me feel stupid. He gave me a quote and and I agreed. I had to have the water shut off to my building so Chip had to come back. (I needed to give residents a heads up for the water shut off)

I received a call confirming the new appointment date and Chip came back on time and got down to work. He was professional and the job wrapped up quicker than I expected. He cleaned up after completing the job. I'm so excited that I can get my fridge finally installed and use the right side of my sink again.

Will use again for any future plumbing needs.

Mike G.

11/15/2022

DO NOT USE J BLANTON PLUMBING. First time I used them, there was no issue. Second time I used them for a high-rise job, I kept calling and asked them if they got the paperwork in they said yes. Called the building, they said NO. this went on for a week or so and I could not get them into the building. So I decided to give them a second try. So I have them out to another property to give an estimate. We uncover another plumbing issue and and for a quote for both. $49 trip charge, and its over 2 weeks later and I still dont have both estimates. Thats 33% success rate. This is only good in baseball. I would just go somewhere else.

David R.

10/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

Terrible, unethical, and dishonest business. Hired them to repair a leaky toilet. They inspected and gave me a quote and began work. 20 minutes later they called me to check out the toilet and said it was broken, with hairline cracks at the base of the toilet. There were no cracks prior to their working on it. Owner refused to replace the toilet or resolve the issue. Do not engage with this business.

Rosa I.

8/23/2022

I spent two days waiting for someone to show up. The first day they said the technician was delayed at a job, so we rescheduled. The following day I spend 4 hrs waiting and nobody calls. I call and they say oh that technician called in sick today. Extremely unprofessional and inconsiderate of others time.

Sun C.

10/21/2022

It was a late Friday afternoon when my wife had informed me of the horror that took place in our basement (*spoiler alert: sewage backup*). Luckily for us, Jake from J Blanton Plumbing came to visit within a very short time and address the issue right away!

Jim H.

8/23/2022

They came out to fix a stopped kitchen sink. This had been worked on previously by a different plumber who didn't identify the issue. J Blanton identified the issue, fixed it with a guarantee. In addition, while doing this they damaged part of our condo through human error and they immediately worked to resolve the issue. The company is extremely professional and went above and beyond to accept responsibility and the level of service is without a doubt the best in the Chicagoland. I will not use any other plumber going forward.

Mike H.

10/25/2021

This crew worked on a blocked sewer at my home some time ago soon after we moved into our home.

We were unable to get sewer outflow anywhere except onto the basement floor. Needless to say we were desperate for help.

After less than an hour of trying to clear the block they gave me a proposal to dig down to the sewer, through my basement floor. Total cost was estimated at over $8k.

I'm embarrassed to share how far down the road we went with that scheme before I realized we hadn't correctly identified where the sewer ran and that there was a clean out access they hadn't tried to clear the line through.

Sure enough--using the existing access that they cleared the line but not before pulling up some basement floor.

Honestly the crew was incompetent but still managed to bill me for the excavation.

Andrew V.

10/13/2021

Absolutely do not use this company.

Hired JBlanton to do a flood control system several months ago, including paying a $6,500 deposit. Due to circumstances out of our control with the location of my sewer line, the job had to be cancelled. That's was in August and, as of mid October, not a cent of my $6,500 for the cancelled job has been returned. Every call I've made to them has been met with a run around and a promise to return calls which has never been honored. How do you ignore a client for two months? At this point, I'm pretty sure I've been robbed.

Avoid these thieves.

Kevin H.

03/01/2022 12:00:00 SA

I love it. The consistent denial of responsibility and deflection of blame at every turn. You couldn't care less about Yelp, so why waste your time responding to messages?

And then in your responses why don't own your mistakes? It's awesome that you guys have been in business 30 years. That's part of what users are here for. Some other things include seeing how a business interacts with their customers. Your response seems to be one of 2 things, either blame the customer or offer lazy excuse such as we tried to look for you type of answer. You represent the company you work for (especially one with your name on it) at all times.

You can point the finger all you want at others. As a customer my expectation would be the same after reading your responses here, and that's exactly what you have delivered.

Z M.

6/17/2021

The guys accomplished the job, a clogged drain, but there is some serious price gouging going on here. $546 for a clogged drain that took 20 minutes to snake. Entire visit was about 1 hour including chatting and billing. Wanted them to look at a 2nd bathtub drain mechanism and tried to sell us on snaking that drain also for another $340.

I might expect to see these rates nights or weekends, but this was a weekday at 9am, normal business hours.

My parents found this company without shopping around, please do your homework and ask before you select someone. In my past experience I've paid around $100-150 all up to snake a drain, at most $250 to snake an extra long run of 80' out to the street.

D M.

11/03/2022 12:00:00 SA

$3200 charged to a recently widowed senior in McHenry county for a Rheem RHS32 water softener ($760) and 3 hours labor! The softener can be purchased at Home Depot for under $500. So an up-charge of $260+ for the equipment, and $813+ per HOUR for labor! Outrageous and took complete advantage of a widowed senior!

Jose G.

12/26/2021

These guys might seem like they know what they're talking about, they did give good trouble shooting recommendations after all. However, they're not the smartest when it comes to customer service. One of the guys that came out (short, pudgy dude) went out of his way to bad mouth me behind my back to my wife. They should be taught to think twice before saying anything bad about a potential client. So instead, we'll be taking his recommendation and give the job to another company if we need it. It'll be much cheaper too, these guys are overpriced.

Guy L.

8/22/2022

Talk about a rip off. First we had our water heater replaced by J Blanton the plumber the owners son installed the water heater to close to the wall making it impossible to turn on and off the light switch. Secondly he broke a ball valve while installing the water heater and demanded I pay for it. I figured we'd give them a second chance to repair a leaky bathtub faucet until this kid actually looked at me and said it would be $560.00 to diagnose the leak I laughed and said out the door kid! $560.00 dollars to tell me what I already know that I need to replace a $24.00 part called a cartridge. Don't use these outrageous scammers!!!!

Debra G.

08/08/2020 12:00:00 SA

I am very disappointed that your technician did not investigate for a repair option; even after he was informed that the drain pan, under the water tank, was full of water for a week because of a leaking A/C unit in the apartment above mine. I waited until after the A/C unit above was repaired, and specifically told your serviceman that I had no hot water and that the pilot light was out. I also told your technician that I had drained the water tank, and shut off both the water and gas to the water heater.
I'm still surprised, despite my obvious knowledge and previous complaint, that he instead quoted a complete replacement, rather than attempting to diagnose the problem.

Lindsay H.

11/20/2021

My water heater broke and I called Blanton, they came out and said I needed a new water heater.
They wanted me to buy one from them and when I didn't (I had a home warranty) they unhooked my water line and left me without any water.

Mark L.

5/16/2021

If you're thinking about using J Blanton for anything, stop now and find a different plumber. Last year, about a month into lock down, we hired them to install new toilets and faucets. Since we were on lock down and knew the plumbers were busy, we bought the fixtures ourselves so they wouldn't have to, even carried the toilets up three flights of stairs ourselves. The toilets we bought were the ones the plumber they sent, Lou Agosto, recommended for us. Lou brought an apprentice. Lou also talked my ear off about how much experience he had.

First problem, Lou is installing the faucet in our kitchen and lets the excess water drain under our cabinets which we discovered when our neighbors called us to tell us they had water running into their unit. We had to pay to fix that.

Second problem, the apprentice-supposedly-installed our primary bathroom faucet incorrectly and we had no water pressure in it. They also couldn't install the stopper and didn't provide an explanation as to why nor did they provide a solution.

Third problem, and by far the biggest, the wax seal under the toilet in the guest bathroom was installed incorrectly, supposedly again by the apprentice. Lou had also talked my ear off about the importance of knowing how to install a wax seal. Again, it leaked into our neighbor's unit and again we paid for the damage. J Blanton charged us to come out and fix it because they didn't buy the toilets, we did! Remember when I said we bought they toilets THEY RECOMMENDED to do them the favor of having to pick them up and haul them up to our fourth floor unit. Well, truly, that good deed did not go unpunished. It has also been more than 30 days since the installation and since we didn't call them before we our toilet water was raining down into our neighbors unit (because how else would we know?) they wouldn't repair it for free.

Finally, I'm getting around to this now, over a year later because we're selling this place and the inspection report just came back that our toilets are loose and need to be re-sealed.

Abysmal customer service. Abysmal plumbing service. Abysmal plumber. Best of luck to you, J Blanton, at finding what you're good at. It ain't this.

Shawn H.

8/23/2022

Had my third great experience with J Blanton plumbing. Andrew showed up exactly on time, and gave us terrific advice about how to investigate dampness in our basement. There was no push I was or pressure at all, and no charge for his consultation. I am incredibly surprised and a lot of the negative reviews you see on this page, because this is my third grade experience with J Blanton. I will continue to use this company.

M W.

05/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

This is THE worst review I've ever written and I patiently waited for months until I lost all faith after every opportunity we gave to the owner as he promised again n again. DO NOT HIRE JBLANTON! OR YOU WILL REGRET!!!
Our guest bathroom was destroyed by upper unit, JB was hired to do a bathroom repair project in Jan. First they came n made a sales pitch- they were 3 times higher than the highest quote at the time, but I thought I were paying for quality, so I bought it - HUGE MISTAKE!
The first crew did the rough in after the dry wall was removed - the perfect time for the most basic plumbing job. However, they screwed up so epically, every plumber we hired after JB when we showed them the pics had to laugh, the job is so basic and easy, but extremely important, if you do it wrong, nothing can be installed on top of that, and you shouldn't call yourself a licensed plumber, you should go back to school and take some lessons, simple as that!
The first crew assured us everything was good to go. I asked him twice, he claimed he is a 30-year veteran, I mustn't doubt him. So we closed the drywall and installed new tiles wall to floor...they came over to complete the project, however, they tried several times with different crews and asked us to buy many useless, expensive and non-returnable parts... I must have made a dozen trips to the stores, and stayed on the phone with the tech support for hours then days....The last crew finally told us, the rough in was done incorrectly and we should hire a different company to give it a try. Since then, we had many companies came over and tried to fix it, all failed after spending thousands of dollars on labor. The bottom line - we have to remove the tiles and reopen the wall. Here are the problems we discovered - Missing air chambers which are required on all plumbing fixtures. Shut off valves were INSIDE the wall which is inaccessible. Terrible job of soldering copper all over pipes, no Consumer Rights Acknowledgement Form which is a violation. Most importantly, rough in was done wrong... IT IS A MESS! And the cost to rectify this is astronomical - materials ( if we can find matching tiles that has been discontinued), IF we can reuse the same system which has been cut by many companies, and labor cost...Since then, the owner Kyle offered that he will fix this by opening the master bathroom wall which also has floor to wall tiles to fix the guest bathroom rough in. Either way, we are going thru another major construction and risking losing another bathroom and potential damage to the building.
This repair project was the most challenging we had due to the cause, Covid, and bad weather, to the point, we were physically and mentally worn out, the neighbors also had enough. To go thru this again by a team who couldn't do it right to begin with is just too risky. We said no. We asked for refund which they wouldn't do, we had to disputed long and hard with our CC company. We asked them to pay for the plumbers we hired to fix their mistakes. The owner has been promising us a check for weeks, then months, then he said if we didn't get the check by last week, he promised he would personally deliver the check. At this point, there was nothing and no more promises, we have a non-working bathroom and will not pass inspection. And don't even know HOW and WHEN we can fix this mess. My head hurts so much just thinking about it ! How much money do you honestly think this experience can justify!?
we are SO glad we didn't take his promise to fix the mistakes, we would most likely lose another bathroom and dealing with a bigger mess. DO NOT TRUST THEM NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY AND S.T. A.Y A.W.A.Y!
As to the owner - please allow me to explain the word promise - a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that guarantees that a particular thing will happen otherwise, it's called a LIE. I PROMISE I will never hire your company, and will try my best and hardest to share my honest experience to all my friends and metaverse.

Kenneth K.

10/05/2018 12:00:00 SA

I contacted them for a diagnosis of my water heater issue. There was excess water in the water tank tray. Two plumbers came out and did a visual inspection and immediately told me the tank is leaking and I would have to replace the whole water heater within 3 mins of just being there. Didn't even open or check the heater. The remainder of the time was going over the package deals they're offering, ranging from $2,400 (cheapest package quoted) to $6,000 to replace the heater. They also tried to sell me on an annual service agreement for like $200, promising some discount on the heater replacement. I was very disappointed with their inspection, and the fact they kept trying to up sell me. And they charged $79 for this visual inspection!!!! See attached estimate!

I went and got a second opinion, and the plumber was actually more professional. He actually open up the heater and found that the insulation to be dry, no water was leaking out. Stayed for over 30 minutes testing out the heating and cooling systems. No leakage. He noted the water was due to the drain backup, and not a water tank leak. Quick, easy and CHEAPER fix. I posted the notes from the second plumber for reference.

Called to complain to management, still no responses. Please avoid at all cost. They're just after the $$$ and will up sell you at all costs!!

Richard B.

08/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

We placed a NO HOT WATER call back on February 19, 2022 for an 8 Unit Condo building that our office manages. Tech came out the following day and placed a call to their Supervisor to help assess the situation over the phone. They determined that a new, larger system was required. Installation was scheduled for 2 days later. They required a deposit of half the balance and the remainder upon completion. They were barely going to leave the property once the installation was completed, until payment was received (which they ended up driving to my home office to pick up a company check). COST = $4,400. Less than 2 weeks later, there were reports of issues with water temperature and/or pressure. Full disclosure, Residents of this building had experienced issues in the past, but they had gotten worse after the installation of this larger system. They did come out a couple of times, to check things out, at no additional charge, but one visit resulted in installing a part that has proven to be pointless. With that visit, they would not leave until payment was received. One of the Unit Owners had to use their own credit card on the spot. COST = $678. When they came back out in mid March, some adjustments were made to the equipment and that was followed up by poor attempts to access units to see if that had helped matters. Not once did the tech on site give my office a call to get help in accessing units. About three weeks later (mid-April), we sent, via email, what each unit was experiencing with the water pressure and/or temperatures. We had to follow up the first week of May to have a tech come back out. For that visit, we were told that they needed to gain access to every single unit. Owners and Tenants had to change their plans or work schedules for that day to be present. I even coordinated with one of the Unit Owners to get their keys, since they could not be present, and we wanted to make sure they'd be able to gain access to that particular Unit. By the time I arrived, their tech had come and gone...with no phone call letting me know. To be clear, I was on my way to the property when I found out their tech was arriving shortly. Point being, they were not there long at all. After at least 1-1/2 days of trying to get in touch with the owner or a manager, I was finally able to set up another visit for May 9th. For the SECOND time, I made arrangements for techs to gain access to each and every unit (as directed by J Blanton). For the SECOND time, Owners and Tenants had to change their plans or work schedules for that day to be present. I even coordinated with one of the Unit Owners to get their keys, since they could not be present, and we wanted to make sure they'd be able to gain access to that particular Unit. Upon my arrival at the Property at 11:20a, I could not see any of the techs around so I called their office only to be told that the techs had met with someone and saw what they needed to see and left...and to expect a proposal later that day...oh...and they really didn't need to get into every Unit. With the proposal, they provided the Condo Association with two options: 1) install an additional hot water heater for $6,215 and HOPE that it will resolve the issues or 2) install a traditional tank for $14,325 that will most likely resolve this Condo building's issues and concerns with water temperature and/or pressure. When I spoke with their specialist, I explained our frustration and disappointment in the way things had been handled and in their overall lack of communication. We believe that if they had as much motivation as they did in collecting payments, perhaps they would have done their due diligence from the beginning and suggested we install the equipment that would have likely resolved the issues from the start. We feel the Board could have made a better financial decision had the professionals at J Blanton advised and empowered us with more knowledge from their initial visit. Last week, we reached back out in hopes that we could resolve matters, but they have yet to reply.

Omar B.

12/12/2022 12:00:00 SA

Had them out for a simple valve replacement. They were quick and got the work done the same day, that's the reason for 3 stars. Otherwise, I was quoted $400 for a job that should cost half that. Literally replacing a single valve that took less than 2 hours counting from walking through the door to leaving. The technician quoting the work said he couldn't do anything about the price. When I called the head office they said the same thing so I accepted it because I was already out $50 and had wasted time just to have him come out. If they had fixed pricing like this, I should have been quoted it over the phone before they came. After weeks of trying to speak to a manager, I finally spoke to someone and was told the price was non-negotiable and since I had agreed at the time, that was that. They even have a special offer on their webpage with no restrictions, but he refused to honor that comparing plumbing services to buying a cheeseburger. So here's your warning, expect to pay a lot for a little and make sure you mention the special offer up front.

Patrick D.

08/07/2020 12:00:00 SA

Oh yuk. They got the job done, a big job, replacing the drainage system under the basement floor, but it wasn't easy. The biggest problem is their office staff. They (she) were simply wildly inaccurate about when things would get done. Two days of work was missed because of the riots in Chicago. The work was performed in Evanston. There wasn't any problems within miles.

The cost was three times that of a similar service would have cost by another company. The homeowner hired them because Blanton was the only service available and the homeowner had to get the job done immediately.

They had one very good worker who seemed interested in getting the job done and done right. The rest appeared to be pick up laborers.

Kater L.

06/09/2021 12:00:00 SA

Awful! AVOID AT ALL AND ANY COST. They charged me over $400 to replace two basket sinks--15 minutes of work. Ethical plumbers charge $150/hr plus time and materials. This job should have been $200 max. REVOKE THEIR BUSINESS AND PLUMBING LICENSE IMMEDIATELY. Never use them!

Alex M.

11/16/2020

Hired J Blanton to install a garbage disposal after some issues with a previous handyman company.

It was like night and day. The guys at J Blanton responded quickly, scheduled quickly, got in, got the work done, and got out.

Painless process and the disposal is installed without any issues.

Trisha F.

3/19/2020

Although SUPERRRR pricey (especially if you have to freeze the pipes to work), I do recommend them. To replace a valve, cartridge, faucet and rod a clog it was nearly 3k!!!! However, I do give 4 stars for the reason that they were able to get the job done quick and the guy working on it was easy to communicate with and great at explaining the job details. Also, the lady in charge of logistics was professional and also great at communicating. I would use them again.

Gabriela E.

1/26/2021

The day of the service they were prompt and the team of two was efficient, a bit messy but not expecting less since they are working with sewer. My issue with this company is that I've been waiting for the report for my insurance for over a month now. After multiple calls and online messages still nothing. Always being told that a service manager would reach out and I'm still waiting. It's extremely disappointing as this is the only thing missing for my insurance Compton approve my claim. I didn't know writing that I had a sewer fill up and why its so hard.

Artie W.

2/28/2020

Update: A few months after writing this review, J Blanton came through for us during an emergency burst pipe situation. Based on the way this was handled and the thorough communication (with photographs!) throughout the process, I am thinking that the issues I raised in my initial review have likely been addressed.

Moreover I think Jane and the J Blanton team really shared my disappointment following the multiple no call / now show experiences that prompted me to write the review - they took the feedback seriously and as far as I can tell, addressed it with their team. Most importantly, and this has always been true for me: they really do quality work.

Going forward I will continue to use J Blanton for plumbing concerns although I am a little hesitant about getting left hanging again. But I am cautiously optimistic.

JC C.

10/26/2020

Avoid them. Had them out to look at a backed up toilet in our basement and they told me that the toilet was the problem. After buying and installing a new toilet, the backup persisted. They agreed to come back and the person on the phone said they wouldn't charge for camera and rodding. After taking the toilet off and using their camera, they said that they would charge us for the rodding the line, and they would give us a discount of 50% of what they charged us to come out the first time (even though they didn't fix the problem). When we refused, they said that they wouldn't refund anything because they had been out twice. To add insult to injury, their assistant put their toilet auger in our bathtub and chipped it, which I didn't discover until the next day.

Their prices are outrageous and a high markup on what it should actually cost. We found another plumber who got the job done for half the price of J. Blanton.

Regina B.

10/07/2020 12:00:00 SA

Buyer beware! Do your homework! I recently bought a condo and our garbage disposal stopped working. I called J Blanton plumbing because of a sticker on the garbage disposal unit- thinking they serviced in the past so let's try them out. I normally use Angie's list to recommend contractors. I did ask how much they charged for a service call- they stated you don't pay anything for a diagnosis and if you want to employ after the call, you agree to the service price.
I should have said no- this is my error. Replaced the garbage disposal for a discounted price of $654. I asked what is the labor cost was and part cost and they stated they charge a flat rate- again my error.
Do your homework, get the cost of the service if you need to replace whole unit. The positive from this experience that I can share is they were prompt and courteous, and timely on the job

Alan L.

07/12/2021 12:00:00 SA

I'll sum it up in one word, Run. I don't typically write bad reviews, but I must warn anyone considering these guys. Save yourself the money and multiple headaches. My condo association hired them for our multi unit condo building, the only good thing I can say is that they are available after hours. I could write a lengthy novel explaining all the things that went wrong, how they came unprepared, how they overcharge, how they forgot to put the lid back on the sewer in our yard where children could have fallen in, how their recommendations never fixed the problem we brought them out here for in the first place, how they had every opportunity to make things right and failed miserably. Their management will most likely respond to this review by playing dumb, trying to paint this as just an irrational customer as I've seen them do for other negative reviews. Don't believe their BS, I assure you they truly don't care. They send out these college kids who have no experience or a clue what they are doing, and will cause further damage to your property without taking any responsibility. Worst. Plumbers. Ever.

Anthony G.

2/14/2022

They installed a Sloan Valve in my condominium unit and a new toliet on 10/16/2019. Last week I had a small leak and called them to have a look at the problem. The estimator came to my unit on a day or so after a large snow storm and was not prepared with booties to enter my unit, and he refused to remove his boots. He asked instead if I had plastic bags to put on his boots. While inspecting the leak he turned up the toilet flush pressure very high. He left without changing it back to it's normal flow. I did not realize this till after he left. A couple of flushes' later the casing blew which resulted in flooding. He later sent me the estimate for the small leak for $850.00 with only a 30 day warranty. I called my maintenance staff to fix what he could with the new problem created by the casing collapsing only to find out that the original installation was done improperly. One of the connecting pipes was to short and nothing was lining up correctly causing a house of card effect. The original installation required what is called a nipple of 3' 1/16. They used the nipple that came with the Sloan Valve which 2' 3/8. This is why nothing lined up correctly and now after two years cost me another $850.00 for another company to come in and replace the entire Sloan Valve. The estimate J Blanton gave the second time was as much as they charged the first time to take out the old toliet, put in a new one and install the Sloan Valve. The connecting nipple that comes with the Sloan Valve is not adjustable it and does not fit all installations it has to be removed and replaced with the correct length nipple. The normal consumer is not aware of this at the time, of course and is wholly dependent on the plumber and or installer to do the job correctly.

Miaoyuan L.

11/12/2019 12:00:00 SA

I don't want to give a bad review but it is taking more than a month to fix a leak in my bathroom. They misdiagnosed the problem twice and the leak is still not fixed. Service cancels on me last minute several times and although I explained to them that only weekends work for appointments because we need to access the unit downstairs, but this information gets lost with their service people...

I paid for the service which includes 6 months warranty but the problem is still not fixed after waiting on their service several times and trying to schedule an appointment. Very unpleasant experience

Some updates: Today they showed up 4 hours late (said 9-12, showed up at 2) and told me that I have to pay more (equal amount as what I paid before) for a problem they misdiagnosed, and then did not make clear what the options were during the second appointment. I was on the phone with their boss and it was obvious that he tries to persuade you not to ask for a refund . The company is so poorly managed and very unprofessional for how much they charge you.

P.S. Some of their plumbers are experienced but they may send you someone completely new for initial assessment (I am guessing in non-emergency situations), which was a disaster in my case in both initial assessment, scheduling for followup appointments and the cost I paid.

Will never work with them again.

Paul S.

08/02/2020 12:00:00 SA

Blanton is very pricey - We were charged over $800.00 to replace a garbage disposal. Kicking myself for not doing more research on costs. Once I did, I realized this is nearly 3 times more than other vendors.

Mike W.

5/31/2021

We had a sewage backup and J Blanton came out quickly on a Friday at 4 pm. The plumber was knowledgeable and fixed the issue. He also put us in touch with a very good restoration company. The reason I wouldn't use J Blanton again or recommend them to anyone is their pricing felt very exploitative. We spent $1,500 for 2.5 hours of labor, no parts. (This included removing a toilet, rodding the line, putting down a camera, using a hydrojet, and putting the toilet back on.) Ordinarily, I'd get a couple of bids but when you have an emergency situation like raw sewage in the house, addressing the situation expediently takes precedence over competitive shopping. You'd like to think that if your car died on a secluded highway and a tow truck came along, the guy wouldn't try to gouge you for $1,500, but that was how the experience with J Blanton felt.

Robert P.

08/03/2020 12:00:00 SA

Needed a new hot water heater in the condo we rent out. Got 4 quotes - Blanton's was the highest! Up to $400 more than what I finally paid for. The only good thing is that they came out to see what needed to be done VERY quickly. It is fortunate that I could have waited to get other estimates so it wasn't a rush job. Don't think I will try them next time I need plumbing work.

chad w.

10/11/2018 12:00:00 SA

I had a bathroom faucet that was leaking and I called J. Blanton Plumbing to repair. They said they needed to send someone out at a $79 service charge to take a look and provide an estimate. The first quote I received was for $580 and I laughed because I thought it was a joke. It was not... I knew this was an outrageous price since I am aware of the level of difficulty and time required. (I am an out of town landlord so I was unable to perform the service on my own)

I asked, what if I purchase the faucet on Amazon and ship it to the unit. How much would you charge then? The quote was $280 to install a faucet, which would take 15 minutes at most to do.

I told the company that that prices was outrageous and would find someone else to install.

So, in the end, I was charged $79 for an employee to go out to my house and tell me the faucet was broken. I hired someone else at $77 an hour to go to the property and install the faucet that I purchased on Amazon.

I understand that licensed plumbers are expensive, but this is highway robbery.

Johnny S.

5/17/2021

Terrible customer service, they set an appointment with me on Sunday to coming in Monday promising me that they would help with my emergency plumbing issue. The appointment was set between 8-12 on Monday 5/17. I confirmed with them, moved my scheduling around to accommodate. 11:30 comes around still no update I reach out and all they could give me was there's still no update and we'll call when we have one. About 15 minutes later still nothing and it's reaching the 12pm mark. I call maybe 5 times from my cell and no one answered then I called from a different number and they answered told me they'll send a message to the plumber and get back to me, I was being very patient and calm with Cheryl. But I'm obviously very frustrated. They finally call me back at 12:42 and I'm hoping that someone will be on their way and to my surprise whomever I spoke with lied and said he called me so many times and left messages which no I was calling, and said the plumber is at another job site and we don't have an update on when we can come and that's the best they can do. I mean as someone who was made promises, moved my schedule around to accommodate their super large appointment window to only get them not to
Show up is extremely disappointing. I think all the 5 star reviews at this point are fake for how they handled my situation with very minimal professionalism. Would never recommend to anyone ever. I reached out to a much more professional plumber that gave me an 1 hour window and sent email confirmation which this place never did. Please steer clear unless you have all the time in the world to wait on a plumber.

Drea G.

7/18/2020

Here's my tl;dr: if you have an older home (Chicago bungalow, anyone?) and you're getting water in the basement when it rains, get a reliable plumber to come check the sewer line under your house. (And also, make sure your gutters are clean.)

BLANTON was the reliable plumber for us. We had them out to rod our main sewer/water line, and they couldn't even get through it because it was blocked up by an old valve in our basement that didn't need to be there (and, it turned out, had a huge tree root growing through it). In 3 days, they did a huge amount of work to clear the line, including digging a 5 ft+ deep trench by hand because the digger wouldn't fit through our fence. They arrived on time, they cleaned up their work every day and at the end (truly amazing, given how dirty the guys were each day), and they were polite and very communicative throughout, including showing us everything that was going on both below and above ground. Boomer was our lead guy from the beginning and he took great care of us. Was it cheap? No, but you want a job of this size and scope to be done right, and this was worth the price.

Lindsay C.

9/18/2020

** EDIT: After numerous phone calls to their administrative staff, I did finally receive a refund for the work they did not complete and I had already paid for. I'm still not inclined to use them again, but at least they made good on their promise to refund me. Changing stars to 3 instead of 1, but perhaps read what happened below before hiring blindly. **

We hired this company after our first project with them seemed on the up and up. However, this time was a totally different experience. Plumber came to our house for a water pressure issue and told me we needed to replace one faucet in addition to cleaning out the aerator in a second faucet. I agreed and paid over $600 for the new faucet plus installation. When he returned with the faucet a week later to install, he tried to charge us another almost $400 for something he never mentioned in his first visit/estimate! He was unprofessional and flippant when we asked how a $400 additional problem could have been missed in his original estimate given that it was on-site. We felt we were in the midst of some kind of shake down and asked him to leave without installing the faucet. I've called the company numerous times to get a refund for the installation (should be a minimum of $220 coming back to me) and despite being promised a call back, still don't have one. Ridiculous. Not only will I never hire this company again, I'll make sure I use every platform I have to let people know they're a rip off and to avoid them.

Liam B.

3/20/2020

Had a very simple clog in the kitchen drain that took less than 15 minutes to fix and was charged $350. Had I known the term to search before the plumbers arrived I would have easily found someone to fix the problem for under $200. Don't let free estimates fool you too! If you have a simple drain clog, inquire for pricing to rod you drain line and you'll find multiple options between $110-$200. To be fair, the guys that helped us were very friendly but paying over 2x for a 15 minute service is just outrageous!

Tim A.

09/12/2019 12:00:00 SA

Lou is the guy you want to answer the dispatch. Total professional. He rushed over here to perform emergency repairs in the middle of the night, and while en route gave me advice which prevented a significant amount of damage. He was very careful about how much he cut and where.
Went out of his way to make sure things were buttoned up and permanently fixed. Great sense of humor. A calming presence amid quite a bit of chaos.

cindy f.

07/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

Such a disappointment. :-(
Ridiculous!! Daylight robbery!!
We were charged $79 a month ago-for an estimate that still has not arrived. After calling the office twice and waiting over a month, we decided to look elsewhere and found an excellent plumbing company to do the job which is now finished! J Blanton was the ONLY company to charge money for an estimate and the ONLY company that failed to provide one.

Ryan D.

3/27/2018

Our condo association has had very poor results with J. Blanton. We first called them to provide an estimate to fix a burst pipe. Following their visit, no proposal was ever sent. We were not charged for their site visit.

Recently, we requested a quote to clean out a grease trap. J.Blanton's did quote on-site, and provided services ranging from $3,344 and $8,359. They also billed $79 for quoting - though did not indicate that a proposal would incur fees prior to stopping out. We have since received 3 additional free quotes from other plumbers. The highest fee, for the same service J.Blanton intended to charge $3,344 for has been $550. It seems that their purpose was to stop out for 15 minutes, leave an impossible proposal and bill knowing full well that their proposal would be rejected. We will not be calling a 3rd time.

Chandler K.

02/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

This company is the real deal.

Last week with the below zero temperatures one of the pipes on an outside wall froze and was needing to be fixed asap. They sent two guys out, quoted me, and fixed my pipe all in a day. I'll definitely be using them again.

Craig L.

06/07/2020 12:00:00 SA

Lou was great. (Also, Craig was a big help). He is honest and wants to get work done the right way. The scope of the work even increased dramatically as he was able to fully see the problem. Each time, he calmly showed me the parts and let me decide the next course of action.

abby k.

01/05/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had a flood in our basement and called over a dozen plumbers to come and help. J Blanton was the first to respond that they could have someone at our home in 15 minutes. The office manager was extremely understanding and helpful. They sent a plumber who quoted us $1,800 for an ejector pump. I said no way. They came back with $1,325 and I agreed because the water was ruining my home. While the new pump fixed the problem, they re-used the old cover (didn't even offer a new one) and the 2 workers were here for 2 hours. The cost of a new pump is at the high end $400. So, the labor was $825 for 2 hours? The bill from J Blanton was outrageous and the work sloppy. They clearly took advantage of a crisis situation.

I called to complain about the sloppy work and asked for a new cover. They sent a new person out who was appalled at the job and he did a better job of sealing the cover with silicone. I asked about the new cover and was told that the owner wanted to charge an additional $188! Unfortunately, he made a cheap decision to lose a customer who otherwise would have been loyal.

Overpriced and sloppy work. I do NOT recommend.
**************************************************************************************************************

In response to Jack's comments: The 1st plumber I spoke to several times throughout the day and he never mentioned anything about venting. Neither did the other company that is now repairing the work.

Asking to fix a poor job is not bullying, it's customer service.

The fact that Jack thinks I should check with my husband before writing a review on Yelp is simply an insult to all women.

Willie C.

11/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

I have had two experiences with J Blanton. The first experience was OK. A little pricey, but fine work.

The second experience was not OK. I scheduled an appointment for an HVAC technician to arrive between 9am-Noon. Around 11:15 no one had shown up, so I called to check status. I was told I would get a call back, which didn't happen. After noon, still no one has shown up or called. So I call back, as I have other obligations and can't sit around waiting all day. Instead of offering so much as an apology, they just say we can reschedule. I said no thanks, and called a competitor instead.

It is obvious they have little concern for a customer's time and assume you will just be flexible for them. Poor customer service, and unreliable scheduling. If you value your time, I would recommend calling someone else.

Jeremy S.

10/25/2019

They destroyed the paint and artwork on the wall behind them by spraying vinegar all over, and then I was given the run-around by their Customer Service Department which likes to change their names (Hi, Jane!). The owner of the company, John or Jack, whichever he decides at the moment, was sure to remind me that he knows where I live and that he knows I have a dog.

I've called the police and have a report filed. Stay away from this company.

Update 10/25/2019: Still no call to fix anything, yet Jack/John has made time to reply to my review on Google, and is now stating that he tried to fix what was destroyed, but I was unwilling. Does anyone else find that odd?

Visa does a better-than cursory check when one calls them to have a payment reversed, and I've gotten my money back. That should say a lot, as should their BBB record.

F G.

01/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

The plumber from hell. Misdiagnosed the problems repeatedly. Tried to blame it on the other owners of the building. Forgot to turn the water back on when they leave. Very pricey on top of that. Etc. Etc.

Micky S.

09/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

I needed to have an electric water heater replaced. The plumbers who came out to do the work were great. However, there was a problem with the wiring of the new water heater which caused it to trip a breaker and also set off the smoke detector. I called J. Blanton, and was informed to call an electrician. I asked why I would do that since THEY were the ones who had wired it, but they insisted that is what I would have to do. However they did send someone anyway who was there when the electrician corrected the incorrect wiring. I paid the electrician, but was told by the electrician that J. Blanton should reimburse me. I also mentioned to our building manager how much I had been charged for the water heater and installation by J. Blanton. When I told him, he was shocked, and said that another company had installed a water heater in the building for less than HALF of what I had paid, which was about $3,600! In trying to just get a refund for the electrician, I have called their office nearly 20 times. Most of the time I was told someone would call back, but they never did. I would have to call again. I have spoken to a couple of supposed managers, but after 3 months, they still have done nothing. Complete rip off company.

Todd E.

8/30/2017

They were referred to me by another company and I though there prices were through the roof.
They diagnosed that our wax ring on our toilet is bad and leaking I'm sorry but $393.06 to replace a wax ring on a toilet you have to be kidding. I would not recommend them to anyone. the work they completed was good but they charge way too much!!!

Chris W.

05/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

5-stars because they were able to come on the day requested, and finish the job on site, and were nice on the phone and in person.

We needed our sewer line rodded. The access was outside and the total line length about 45 feet.

1-star for the following. 'Hi can you give me an estimate of cost for an easy rodding of a sewer line I'm sorry we have no way of estimating costs before seeing the job I won't hold you to the number, just an estimate? No, but I can send someone for a free estimate irritated now would you say between $1 and $10,000?? I'm sorry sir we have no okay okay, send them out

So if you are curious here is the number. $765.90 for an external front of the house line access rodding that took about 25 minutes. For comparison we also have a condo and paid $450 for a job that involved removing the toilet to access the line with a lot more cleanup and a total 2.5 hours, different company.

Additionally J Blanton said the job was only guaranteed for 30 days because we need another $1380 in hydrojet services. So to mirror other comments, got the job done at a price that seems excessive.

A B.

12/14/2020

We had a 3-hr. appt. window (9am - 12pm) for a plumbing estimate. In the end, we receive a text at 11:45am telling us that we would receive a text 30 minutes prior to arrival with no ETA. There was no communication or attempts at rescheduling and basically, communication was poor. If we can't rely on a company for a simple estimate appt., how can we rely on their service, in general? I pass.

Len L.

8/17/2017

I requested a quote to replace a outdoor spigot. They came as mentioned, spent 10 minutes looking around and wrote me a quote. They showed me the quote - which was more than I expected to pay to replace a spigot. I told them I would need to discuss this with someone and to my surprise, they said we will wait. They wanted me to make a decision there and then, gave me a weird vibe.

Joanna R.

09/01/2020 12:00:00 SA

The reviews for this company speak for themself. This is not a trustworthy company. There are more reliable, higher rated, and lower cost companies to choose from.

I called ahead and confirmed that there would be no fee for the technician to come out and diagnose the issue - they told me they would assess the situation, generate an estimate, and then request if I wanted to move forward. When the technician arrived, I explained the issue and he did not say anything and started diagnosing the problem. He found a loose connection that he tightened and then checked to see that the issue stopped. After he finished inspecting the issue, I was informed that there would be a diagnostic fee of $180 and no repairs were needed. As I knew the technicians would not have the approval to make any decisions on cost, I paid them and then followed up with the office to explain the situation to the manager. He told me that they spoke to their technicians who claim they generated and provided me with the diagnostic fee immediately upon arrival and that I approved it before they started any inspections.

Below are the documented time stamps that they have on record which confirms my statement of what occurred. This owner of the company (Kyle) made it clear that it doesn't matter what the customer says or if their own documentation confirms it, they will not admit to the error that was made and make it right.

J Blanton confirmed time stamps (per Jane in their office):
Technician dispatched: 1:20pm
Technician arrival at job: 1:30pm
Picture of issue: 1:46pm
Estimate generated: 1:57pm
Payment received: 1:58pm
Technician departure: 2:00pm

Oscar G.

1/27/2017

You think it's nonsense? Why do you think that but not know? The quote sounded accurate, didn't it?! High as $h!t for a simple resolder and you know it. You didn't deny it.

You're guessing it took longer to come out to my location? You probably can't even remember that far back to know my location to be able to make this claim. At best, standard visits for other service contractors are $80; you wouldn't get paid if I turned you down at the door.

Apparently my approach is non realistic because I haven't forgotten the crap you've been pulling after all this years. 6 years later and I still remember you!!! My point exactly. I want others to know they'll never forget an experience with you.

I never said the solder didn't hold, I even tipped you and your son $20 after you finished.

What do the rest of my comments have to do with this review of yours? I tell the truth, and I expose BS like this for all to see. Good luck to ya and happy plumbing new year.

Heather P.

3/14/2017

They were quick and easy. Came to my home within an hour of my calling and what I was calling about was a clogged kitchen sink drain, so nothing urgent. They provided a free estimate; which turned out to be $50 less than the last time we had a plumber come out for this exact same issue. They were quick, courteous, and cost less than I expected. I'd definitely call them again if I have to, although, I'm hoping I don't have to :)

Jason S.

12/18/2018

So my FV sensor tripped and shut down my water heater yesterday. I called this 24/hr plumbing company to come and check it out. I have to say I am very disappointed in your company.

While I do appreciate that your guys came out late last night (for a special $159 fee), I do not appreciate them lying to us. They were both very nice and respectful. Almost too nice, talking about kids and sports and the holidays. After they checked that there was no gas leak or danger, I asked if he could reset the FV sensor. He said no and said it needed to be replaced. He didn't have the part to replace it, so he would have to return in the morning and that the $159 would not go towards the cost to replace it, that would cost between $500-$800. I said maybe there is still a warranty on it and I would call the manufacturer in the morning and then decide what to do. When I contacted AO Smith (manufacturer) this morning, they walked me through a 20 second reset of the sensor, after asking about any risk to gas or leaking. My wife is pregnant and she really needed to take a warm bath last night. Your guys could have easily reset it and we would have had hot water last night. Instead he tried to tell us that heaters only last 6 yrs and we should probably spend $3000 to get a new one instead of spending $500-$800 to replace the sensor and the pressure valve. That is just a band-aid fix (nice marketing lingo). AO Smith said their tank's last an average of 10 yrs., sometimes longer.

I understand they try to sell customers to make a living. I get that. What I'm mad about is that we paid a special $159 fee and they could have reset it for us so we had water and instead we paid the fee for nothing and for him to tell us we have to pay more in the morning to have it fixed or replace the whole heater. Just doesn't seem like a professional company wanting to help people. They also mentioned that the parts were pretty cheap and it's all about the labor. He said you are basically paying for my vacation, insurance, etc. I get that small business needs to survive, but lying and gauging people when they are in need of help is beyond shady. I found out today that a new heater (same quality, at Home Depot) costs around $1200-$1500 with installation. That is half the price of what these guys quoted.

I also sent an email to the office manager and she gave me some runaround about he didn't want to fix it for safety reasons. I asked multiple times if there was a safety issue and he said NO, I asked multiple times if he could RESET the sensor and he said it CAN'T be reset. I don't like being lied to. I didn't mind paying the $159 if they would have just reset it. I made a FREE call to the manufacturer this morning and spent 20 secs to reset the sensor and it works fine. Hopefully you will read this review and not just look at the 4 star rating that this company somehow got. (87) 5 stars and (33) 1 star ratings. How do you get an overall 4 stars???

Gus P.

08/10/2020 12:00:00 SA

:

Do Not Trust Them....
I explained to the office exactly what I needed, which was a fitting to be able to connect the fitting from the Bidet to the fitting going up to the toilet... they said the cost to see the job was $59.00.. I asked them how much would a job like this type cost me.. an estimate...the lady said we don't have access to pricing at the office but it will cost $59.00 for a technician to see the job...
I agreed,
The young man came looked at the job he was to do . Took out his his tablet and said the cost would be $399.00 for the Bidet , did not matter if the job is 10 minutes or 2 hours it's a set price , (set by the company ...)
Of course I refused to pay almost $400 for a fitting ..
I call the office and asked them , why didn't you tell me the set price over the phone ... they said they don't have the prices in the office .....THAT WAS A LIE....but they knew well enough that they would get $59.00 whether I accepted the job or not , of which I agreed to pay...(but the office has no tablet to tell me the base price )... the technician had a tablet that told him how much to charge for this type of service but the lady at the office did not have a tablet ...
All she had to do was tell me it would not be less than $399.00.. This price is the cost for this type of job... it's not a price that would need to be adjusted for a hourly pay. So , yes they knew in advance what they were going to charge me but chose not to give me that information ...
But that meant that they would not need to send out an technician and they would loose $59.00...
Maybe this is the way most companies run their business , but being a family run business and being more personal maybe they should NOT be like most companies and be more honest and upfront with their customers.
People are not stupid, do not underestimate the intelligence of your customers.... being a retired teacher for over 40 years and I always warn my students about companies like this .... do yourself a favor ... do not use this company they do not deserve your money , they are not honest ...
At least not until they change their way of doing business...
Shame on Them!
You have been warned!!

Chris P.

11/16/2016

While I did think the technician was professional and friendly, I was not at all pleased with the overall price i was charged for the work. The part being replaced was a $35 cartridge for my faucet
and I was charged $390 for service. The technician spent less than two hours to complete the job (including time for him to drive to your parts distributor). An hourly rate of $175 seems excessive for a simple faucet repair. I will not be using this company again due to their cost.

** Information provided below by Owner's response is inaccurate. I would lower my rating to 1 star after seeing his response.
- I have the time stamp on my phone when my card was run and from your tech originally called, proving a service time of less than 2 hours
- If you simply google the part number of the stem you used you can see its $35

Jane W.

3/23/2017

Jack, Kyle and Craig came out to help with a backed up kitchen sinks in 3 first floor units of a 11 unit condo building. Before I jump into the details, I wanted to say they did a fantastic job, were extremely professional and honest. I'd strongly recommend them for any plumbing issues you have. It may not be the cheapest plumber you will find, but they will do a fantastic and thorough job without trying to nickel and dime you.

Our condo has been having backup issues on our first floor units over the past few years and this specific time we were having difficulty clearing out the pipes. For context, we already had two plumbers come out to try to do this and the first one just said they didn't have material for it and the second one rodded it, did not solve the problem said it's because the pipe was broken. We called J Blanton Plumbing to come out when we were not hearing back from the other plumbers and they said they could come out and give us a free quote. So they were coming out AFTER the first two plumbers came out and after we were told the broken pipe is the reason it could not be cleaned via rodding.

Jack and Kyle came out and said the building is relatively new and didn't think the pipes were broken. They proposed something else--to pay a fixed fee for jetting, rodding and camera-ing of the pipes and Jack said if that did not fix the problem they would not charge us for the service and then we'd work together to figure out what was wrong and only charge us for fixing the problem. As a result of that we went with J Blanton Plumbing. They came out and spent about 5.5 hours rodding, jetting and camera-ing the pipes and were able to clear everything out and identify any other problems we should be aware of (they found a catch basin we were not even aware we had!). They showed us the problems on the camera, recorded it and shared it with us to review in the future.

Jane on the phone was fantastic as well! She is extremely empathetic, great with detail and accurately captured the information so when Jack and Kyle got here they knew exactly what was going on.

I cannot say enough about how professional and honest they were. I strongly recommend this group of honest people on your next plumbing issues. They offer to come and look at your issue to give you a free quote so there is no risk. They even offer a free warranty on their services so if there are any backups in the next month or two they will come out and fix it.

Thank you so much!

Kathy M.

01/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

A year and 3 months ago I called J. Blanton to replace a wax ring under my toilet because I could tell it was time from the sewer smell. They charged me nearly $400 for the work. Last month the sewer smell was back and when I called J. Blanton to ask how long their work should have lasted, I never received a call back. Finally called in another guy to replace the wax ring today and he finds they didn't even use a wax ring, they used putty. From what I've read, that used to be common in the '50s and '60s and is considered a lazy fix as in we didn't have any wax rings on the truck. To have paid that much and need the work done again just a little over a year later is poor quality work. To have not even called me back about how long it should have lasted is poor customer service.

Renee P.

12/29/2018

This company tried to scam my 87-year-old mother. Two repair persons from J Blanton came out for an in-person repair visit and told my mother they could not fix the leak in her hot water tank and she would have to purchase a new one. Here is the problem--they unfortunately only had two 50 gal residential tanks in stock and would have to wait until next Thursday to order the new 100 gal tank. The tank my mother needed is a commercial grade State Water Heater 100 GAL natural gas 75/100 input purchased in 1986. Before J Blanton came out to repair the leak, I reached out to State parts department who said, if the service people recommended the water heater replacement, my mother would need to install a commercial grade tank similar to the one she originally purchased in 1986. The state company I called prior to the repair visit, recommended two tanks both came with a 3-year warranty 1-year parts with the option of a two year extended warranty. The problem with J Blanton was the unwillingness to purchase a State or AO Smith water tank because they wanted to sell their brand Bradford White. This company took my mother's money, did nothing to repair the leak, and their only intention was to sell her a new water tank which was not even compatible with what she had installed on her property. They sent a ridiculous quote for 13,567.00 dollars for purchasing a Bradford White commercial tank. When I tried to speak to the manager on my elderly mother's behalf he attempted to use the old hard sell approach and push the Bradford White pretty much refusing the purchase of the State or AO Smith Tank; but hey, I guess this repair business had no problem taking my elderly mother's. $79.00 check for doing nothing. I would strongly caution anyone who is female or elderly to be very careful of this company and their service people. Find someone that isn't going to scam the elderly.

Nedd K.

12/17/2018

Frankly, I'm puzzled at the many negative reviews here (contrary to those at Google, where only 3 one-star reviews out of over 250 exist, resulting in a 4.8 rating). Our experience with Blanton was nothing short of excellent and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again or recommend them.

As a caregiver for two seniors well into their 80s, it is my responsibility to get the best pricing possible at the best bang for the buck possible on anything at the condo where I reside with them. With items like electrical and plumbing, that's not easy to do but for what we had done, I would say we achieved that purpose with Blanton.

This Evanston condo has had many plumbing issues over time due to wear and age but the most recent one, slow draining water in both bathtubs, was by far the worst. An online plumber who rodded out our tubs early in the fall told us the issue was likely in our drain trap but not to worry as most condo associations cover this particular repair. Well, this one balked over and over so we had an additional problem on our hands - how can we get this done without spending thousands of bucks?

Things were going from bad to worse with months of slow draining water resulting in standing water a week ago Saturday. Now we indeed had a dire emergency on our hands. We took a chance & based on Google reviews, called Blanton (well known names like Roto-Rooter & 4 Seasons told us they don't do these types of condos) last Monday. They came out exactly on schedule and Alex looked over the standing water, pipes and gave us 3 options - a $79 inspection, a $385 repair job power cleaning and flushing out the entire system and a $685 job to do that work, plus replacing the piping underneath one sink which were visibly corroded and ready to go anytime. Admittedly, an extra $300 to do fairly basic pipe replacement seemed a bit steep but when we looked at the overall view of the depth of the work being done, the seriousness of the problems we had (and for the length of time) & seeing that the tub, sink & toilet lines were all connected, $685 looked like a pretty fair charge to me and so I ordered that they do it all. Indeed it was so, considering that during the process of their work, the sink piping indeed collapsed. I cringe what would have happened had I not given Alex and Mike (his helper) the OK to do this portion of the work.

At least the drain trap was not in the end the issue so that was a relief in not having to continue our verbal wars with the management outfit, let alone the potential cost involved, including going between the walls.

Two hours after the go ahead was given, the job was done, the tubs were fully drained and the water was going down smoothly. Toilet water flow also improved, a side blessing. Alex did suggest at some point we get two new toilets installed as the current ones were old (likely the originals since the building was built in the 60s) and in need of replacement. Alex was very gentle in the way he broached the issue, considering the money we just spent, and told us if we do get them replaced, he could put us under a monthly payment plan instead of spending $1400 all at once. Personally, I think I can get this done for less by a local handyman but still this was worth noting. And I did agree that ultimately these commodes should be flushed out, if you will.

(To any Yelp moderator reading this, I suggest removing the one star posts from those claiming they called Blanton but allege a tech didn't show up. While those situations may have occurred, I feel they don't belong with those where Blanton personnel came onsite. It may be fair to claim a one star review towards a Blanton employee who may have failed to correctly do the job called for or may have charged too much for services but it's not fair where the sole contact with the company was made by phone or online and not at the property where work was needed.)

Blanton is top notch in my book and will get the call again if service, especially complex matters, is needed (and I'm still in my role as caregiver). When a distressing plumbing situation like ours comes up, you need a firm who fully grasps your dilemma. Blanton did and its fine techs, Alex and Mike, delivered for this household. Kudos to them.

Will B.

8/27/2016

They we're extremely expensive.

But they we're also extremely nice.

But they also misdiagnosed an issue with our kitchen sink (another company confirmed this), and refused to give me any sort of credit or roll the cost into additional work we needed to have done--including fixing the issue they didn't fix properly.

But they did it all in a very nice sort of way.

So, if you are looking for really nice people to take your money and not fix anything, J Blanton Plumbing is right for you.

Jeff S.

2/22/2017

I've probably had J Blanton plumbing out to my home a dozen times or so in the past 4.5 years (first time home owner). Things they've done for us (in no particular order):

* Fixed our jacuzzi tub and showed us the hidden access panel (disguised with the tile) to access the motors and fixed a broken tub hose.
* Installed excellent HVAC in our basement which wasn't previously heated
* Cleaned our AC condenser out back that was choked up from never being cleaned and caused the unit to cycle a bit more than it should
* Ran a common wire to my nest because stupid smart thermostats often cause issues without it
* Fixed frozen pipes and gave me tips on how to prevent it from ever happening again (after 2 polar vortexes, their advice was solid)
* Fixed broken toilets and reseated toilets that were wobbly
* Replaced an ancient hotwater heater with a newer higher efficiency one

etc, etc. I've met Jack, the owner, and his son Jay. Very standup guys and neither my wife or I have ever had any issues with it. One thing that really stood out as exceptional actually came from Jay. We have a fancy pants jacuzzi tub in our master bathroom that has this pull out showerhead thing for women to wash their hair. It was the stock stainless steel Grohe version which has one major design flaw. It sticks straight up the part that connects the actual spout to the tub underneath the metal is a very brittle hard (abs maybe?) plastic. When someone bumped into it the showerhead literally snapped. So they came out and replaced it with one directly from the Chicago Grohe store, which was not cheap as nothing Grohe is cheap. Within a week, someone bumped into it again, and it broke again. So we called for them to fix it yet again and Jay said he would do some research. He ended up calling us shortly thereafter having found an identical part from a generic company that happened to be entirely stainless steel. So now we have the same functionality, for cheaper, and literally a better quality part than the original.

And for those who complain about the prices I've always found them to be entirely reasonable and quite up front about costs for plumbing or hvac. They do things by the book, to code, and very well. If you want a discount job, feel free to hire random joe blow. If you want it done right, hire these guys.

- A happy customer

James F.

09/09/2020 12:00:00 SA

Guys from J Blanton Plumbing were the most professional plumbers I've ever met yet. They spent two days at out home replacing our water heater after it went out, and were communicative, resposive and courteous the whole time. We're grateful for their help.

Danielle D.

7/17/2018

Very nice over the phone. Would not give me a base quote of what the service would cost, so I could have an idea. Told me it was $159 charge to have someone come out and quote me (I live in Chicago)? Decided to head to Yelp and saw everyone else was told $79 for a quote...? Definitely cancelled my appointment. Go elsewhere.

Miriam A.

5/23/2017

We love these plumbers! We are a busy animal hospital and whenever we have a plumbing need, J-Blanton Plumbing is so quick to get us on their schedule. Their customer service and repair personal are stellar; they are kind, informative, and patient.
We needed a new water heater about a year ago. When J-Blanton heard we were an animal hospital, they prioritized us because they knew animals couldn't go without hot water (for laundry, etc.)
Every time we need them, they come out quickly. Nothing but positive things to say about them! Thanks, guys!

Cambridge D.

6/22/2018

Update: I bought the $20 tool from Menards and installed the faucet myself, an unskilled plumber) in less than an hour. I understand that you need to pay for insurance and employees and gas etc. I run a service based local small business myself. I would have paid if price was anything close to reasonable. I was offered 5 optional pricing tiers. $500 was the cheapest. The platinum service plan would have cost me $1000, to install a 1-hole faucet... CRAZY TOWN. There was no flexibility in the pricing. This is my first and only yelp review. I hate yelp and yelpers. Glad you took time to respond, how much do I owe your for your time? Another $80? I assume the bill is in the mail?

Melisss B.

06/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

Very frustrated with my experience with this company. I set up an appointment for a 3 hour window. Then an emergency came up before my appointment and they never called or showed up. Then tell me they do not service my type of ac unit.

Neema N.

09/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

I've waited a week for a response from the plumbers why they

a) made a massive dent in my wall 2ft above where they cut a hole for an access panel
b) not install an access panel, or at least leave me the drywall so I can install it myself
c) didnt even test the water with myself or my downstairs neighbor before they left the site
d) didnt clamp down or seal in anyway the old drain tile circular cover which now wasn't going to be used.
e) not provide me with the old cast iron pipework which supposedly rotted out
f) explain the charges as to what I paid $1500 for.

It's one thing to pay for good quality service, it's another to get completely shafted and not even get an explanation from anyone as why they slipped the work in. I'm legitimately thinking about reporting them to the better business bureau as I'm pretty sure they scammed me.

J I.

04/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

I am a landlord of a condo located in the city and one day the hot water heater stopped producing hot water. I asked my tenants to describe the issue. After they told me what the water heater was doing, I immediately knew what the issue was because I had fixed it before when I used to live there. Due to the fact that I do not live close to my tenants, I called J Blanton for assistance. Scheduling an appointment was very easy and they were going to come out the next day to analyze the issue. The next day arrived and the technician called my cell phone to tell me what the issue was before any work was done. The technician said I needed to replace the thermopile and the flame sensor for $455 or buy a new water heater at $2,420.

I advised the technician that I have had this problem with the hot water heater before in the past. I told him how I fixed it in the past and I requested he clean the sensor before I purchase the equipment he recommended. The technician then told me he would not clean the sensor because it was the thermopile. I then told him how to clean the flame sensor with a fine grain sand paper and it apparently went in one ear and out the other. A short time later I told him I would not be doing any of the work he recommended to me (because he did not attempt to fix what I knew was the issue).

Due to his actions, I was forced to travel into the city that night and attempt to fix the issue myself. Once I got to the condo, I opened the flame sensor bay (unscrewing 2 screws) and scrubbed the tip of the flame sensor with some sand paper. About 10 minutes later, I put the 2 screws back in, and turned the power back on. The hot water heater fired up without any issues. It was fixed! I was willing to pay someone to do this for me but J Blanton wanted to make the big bucks off of me and it didn't work.

Toby K.

7/17/2018

Again, after coming out a 2nd time and telling me they would have an estimate report for me within a day I haven't gotten anything.

I have no idea what their issue is but they need to figure it out. I really can't believe this is a sustainable business model (charging people $79 for estimates and then not providing anything) so I don't know what's going on. It's very strange, but either way I'd say use a different plumbing company

Edit: After posting this review they called me and told me they had email problems. They sent out the estimate right away. I'm going to shop around and will report back if it's a good quote or not

Michael L.

02/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

Really bad experience. Buyer BEWARE!!
I had JBP out to access a problem 1 with a light drop from the radiator in the bedroom and look at some wood floors that were damaged in the dining room by the other radiator. They said the leak in the dining room was probably from under the floors and brought a saw to saw a huge section of floor and assess. Quoting over 1K of work.
Today I saw steam coming from the valve and it appears to be a simple tightening and maybe adding some additional valve tape.
I wish I had read the reviews before. They are pretty bad. I now feel confident hiring another plumber to address the problem and fix so that I can repair my hardwood floor. I have had an ongoing back and forth with my building regarding and now I see that it's just a simple fix.

Jeff A.

3/31/2017

This is the way plumbing should be done! Best customer service I've ever experienced from a contractor.

Requested a quote thru Yelp and had a call-back within 5 minutes. FIVE MINUTES!

The plumber and apprentice showed up precisely when they said they would, found the cause for the problem and solved it right away.

And I really liked their new tech-based estimate tool. They look the problem up in their software and the fixed price displayed. No haggling.

Hopefully no more plumbing issues, but if something occurs I will be going back to J Blanton.

A new loyal customer.

Sarah K.

7/20/2020

I can't recommend J Blanton enough - they're extremely knowledgeable, do thorough work and provide quality service. Thank you J Blanton for fixing my sink!

David M.

3/20/2019

We've called Blanton 2-3 times over the 4 years we've lived in Chicago. They are NOT cheap. But they are GOOD!!! They are careful to keep in touch about when they're going to arrive (so we don't waste time sitting around waiting), they tell you what they're charging and why, and they do the job. Good plumbers are never cheap. But when you need a good one, these are the guys to call.

An updated experience with Blanton: we needed a many-thousand dollar plumbing repair. Interviewed 4 different plumbers, again chose Blanton. Big, messy, horrible job. Their plumbers were polite, diligent, hard-working, on time ... can't say enough good things. Again not the cheapest, just the best.

Special shout-out to Jane who seems to keep everything moving. Need a plumber? Call Jane at Blanton!

Buffie W.

12/19/2016

Had a great experience with J Blanton Plumbing. Jane in the office got her crew to us as soon as possible, and was a complete delight to work with. Very detailed, understanding, sympathetic, and had a great sense of humor. She had Neal and Christian out the next day. They knew exactly what they were doing, patiently explained the problem to me, and made recommendations for maintenance in the future so we wouldn't have problems with out radiant heated floors again. Price was reasonable, and my studio was warm and cozy in no time.
Excellent service!

Chelsea S.

06/09/2020 12:00:00 SA

I am so disappointed. We were referred to this company by a friend but the entire situation with them has been unacceptable. First, we called and made an appointment, which was scheduled a week out. It seemed like a longtime but we thought it would be worth it. We got a confirmation call the day before, a good sign, however on the morning of the appointment, they cancelled. They reluctantly agreed to schedule for the following day. Now on the day of the rescheduled appointment, we heard nothing throughout the three hour appointment window. I called at the end of the time window and they said we were next on the list. About an hour later they call back and say they need to cancel again and reschedule for 4 days later. This is the worst service I have ever experienced, and I am not one to ever write bad reviews.

Brandon H.

02/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Tony came out and swapped out a sticky / busted shower handle cartridge for us. I probably could've done this myself, but I didn't have the cartridge puller tool and was a little shaky on some of the details, so I decided against it. The whole time he was here, Tony walked me through what he was doing and how everything worked together, showed me the old cartridge and some techniques to clear water out of the pipes.

It wasn't the cheapest thing in the world, but proper plumbing is not something I usually try and cheap-out on anyway.. plus it was a mini home maintenance lesson as well. Really happy with the promptness, efficiency and professionalism. Will definitely use these guys again.

Corey B.

12/01/2016 12:00:00 SA

About 1.5 days into trying to battle a pesky clogged toilet, I was ready to call in the pros. I have to admit, I was wincing as I was dialing the number to get these guys out to the house because who knows what something like this was going to cost and whether I'd also end up with toilet water everywhere thereafter.

They showed up, attacked the toilet with a plunging technique and vigor that I can only imagine comes with years of experience and being a licensed technician. The clog was quickly and soundly (as in the sweet sounding whoosh of water disappearing down the drain) defeated. The technician taught me an old plumbers trick for next time, gave me his card to call if I ever ran into a bigger issue and was on his way in all of 10 minutes. That's right, no charge and no upsells. Just results. Thanks, J Blanton!

Kerrie Z.

12/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

We've used J Blanton for several jobs in the past year: new ac, humidifier and air purifier installation, furnace maintenance, gas fireplace work (still in progress). We've had nothing but positive experiences and a quick turnaround time when we request the work to be done.

Each time Howard at J Blanton has come to do the work and he is very professional, courteous, and knowledgeable. We've felt comfortable each time that he's giving us good recommendations and that we will be happy with the work performed.

Prices are also fair and reasonable compared to other quotes we've gotten.

Priscilla B.

01/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Removed very old industrial sump pump; Installed new sump pump with new piping.
New installation looks good, hope it works for a very long time!

S S.

11/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

I recently used J Blanton Plumbing again. The same great service and professionalism. The service man was honest and realistic about being able to resolve my plumbing issue. This is the go-to place for me for urgent or complex plumbing work.

Kevin F.

05/11/2018 12:00:00 SA

I called J Blanton to have our sewer line rodded out and camered. I was quoted $638 to do the work, which did not include sending pressurized water through the system. If I wanted pressurized water it would have been around $900. I could have also selected options that went as high as $2,000 just to clear the line. I told them I wasn't interested and that I would just pay the $79 service call fee. The plumber, Boomer, said he could take a credit card and wanted to take my credit card to his truck. I told him no and he got irritated that I wasn't comfortable with him walking to the truck my credit card.

Amy K.

1/17/2019

I have been a customer of theirs for a few years now. I have used them for plumbing, garbage disposal, heating and A/C. Extra...
Jane is awesome when I call they get you on the schedule very quickly. Each person I have met are prompt, friendly, professional and explain what is going on. I would highly recommend them. I completely trust in them and the service they provide. Chris is great. Anyone who comes will do an amazing job.

Dan N.

02/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

I used JBlanton plumbing to install a new water heater. This was a difficult job because the closet that held the water heater was very small and in order to remove the old water heater they had to literally take out the door and make the doorway bigger then install a larger door when the new water heater was in.
Chris and the staff did an amazing job and I'd use them again if needed.

Heather R.

9/29/2015

Woke up on a lovely Sunday morning to a water heater gone terribly wrong, with water all over our basement. As my husband started to try to clean things up, I was tasked with trying to find a plumber. I called several from the local 'recommended vendors' guide but their windows for arriving (even with Emergency Sunday fees!) were 5-6 hours away, and they seemed unconcerned about our unfolding issues downstairs.

Called J Blanton Plumbing and not only was Jenny (who answered my call right away) sympathetic and terribly nice, she let me know exactly when we could expect a crew (within an hour!) and where there were in transit, etc. Chris and John arrived right on time, and they were super helpful. Gave us a reasonable and clear estimate and they got a team out to install our new heater in bright and early the next morning. We were happily running the dishwasher that afternoon. They also assessed our old heater and recommended a more efficient model to save us money on electricity bills. Bonus!

They also called to check in on us later that evening. Made what could have been an ongoing nightmare an unexpectedly pleasant experience. Highly recommended!!

Jackie M.

01/05/2020 12:00:00 SA

Jordan and another guy came to fix a gas leak at our fireplace on quick notice. They were friendly, knowledgeable, professional, advised us on another issue under our kitchen sink while waiting on a part, and finished in a short amount of time.

Leslie V.

02/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

After my neighbor below me made me aware that something was leaking from my bathroom into his, it was time to call a plumber.

I started with J Blanton Plumbing after reading yelp reviews. Jane the receptionist is such a sweetheart and was very patient with my multitude of questions and having to call back several times due to having to find out my neighbors schedule.

J Blanton was the only one available to come out that same day, and I'm so glad they did. Mike and Kyle came over and said that they might have to open the wall to find the cause of the leak, but they did everything they could to avoid this. While trying to find the leak, Mike removed the hair from my drain, and noticed that the lever in my sink wasn't working properly. He fixed it free of charge! Without me even asking!! In the end, they were unable to pinpoint the exact cause, but suggested I try recaulking the bathtub in hopes this is the culprit and then we can avoid opening a wall. However Kyle and Mike were extremely courteous and professional and I would have no qualms about calling J Blanton again in the future, but hope I won't need to anytime soon!

Jeannie R.

12/19/2019

THE WORSE EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD! I 100% DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY. It does not deserve 1 star!! This company owes me money for a job they never did claiming that they would....But LIED. When I call to get my refund they gave me so many excuses that the financial department was on lunch, was not in the office, on vacation, I was told 4 times that the financial deparment was going give me a call WELL I've been waiting for 4 months and still NO call.The person on the phone that transfer the calls was extremely RUDE.

Laura B.

8/19/2019

My kitchen sink had backed up a couple weeks before they came out. They advised replacing the pipes below the sink. The cost was high, but I gave the okay. They rodded out the pipes and the rodding equipment went through our condo assn's main plumbing pipe and across the wall to my neighbor's unit. Water ran down between the walls and into the ceiling of the unit below me, with water coming through her light fixture. BUT, they said, none of this was their fault. When they arrived, nothing was wrong. When they left, there was about $10,000 in repairs to other units and the main plumbing pipe. They broke my silverware drawer, had to come back b/c after all that time the new pipes were leaking. Oh, and that wasn't their fault either, they said, it was my sink basket (drain area) that was bad and had to be replaced. It wasn't bad before they arrived. BAD, BAD, BAD.

Melissa H.

07/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

Excellent service and very friendly workers!! Had to replace air conditioning unit and they helped to provide the best price based on all services offered as well as honoring coupon discount - very happy with this company

Paul J.

11/16/2018

So let me begin by suggesting that it is not my intention to badmouth, disparage, assail or perpetually punish a retail establishment or small business owner for the experience I endured that may or may not be indicative of J Blanton Plumbing's myriad customers. I wish this plumbing contractor health, wealth and continued success. Having established that, here is my narrative. I purchased three Kohler Veil Intelligent Toilets and needed them installed. The dispatch service arranged for the date, time and location and confirmed that it would be US$79.00 to come out and assess the work/repairs. Very straightforward and easily understood. Spoiler: the estimate was going to be (read: should have been) lower than a conventional toilet estimate for several reasons. To expedite the process I previously (1) removed all three, two-piece toilets (2) cleaned up around and relocated the vanities in the area where the toilets were to be dropped (3) measured, drilled and screwed in the Kohler Veil studs necessary to stabilize each toilet (4) purchased three wax rings (5) tested and trued the water flow rate of the new supply stop to the new water lines and (6) secured silicon and plumbers tape to assist with the install. All that J Blanton would need to do is the following: (1) turn off the water (2) place a wax ring on the four-inch conduit flange (3) center and drop the toilet (4) tighten the nuts to the studs (5) attach the water line (6) turn the water back on (7) test for leaks (8) silicon around the base of each toilet and (9) enjoy what remains of its earthly life. J Blanton Plumbing's quote: US$478.99/toilet. That's right. With taxes, I would be paying over US$1,600.00 to install three toilets. Needless to say, I obviously did not hire them. In fact I remember stating that I would sooner leave the US Department of Justice and join Al Qaeda before I pay someone, anyone US$1,500.00 to install three toilets. Subsequently, I enlisted a dear friend to help with shutting off the water and centering the toilet drop. We finished all three toilets in 75 minutes. Looks amazing! Now, I defend the right of J Blanton Plumbing to charge US$10,000 + LIBOR per toilet if it wishes. I mean, it's a free Republic. But unless you're a consumer who pities the economic health of our divided nation and wishes simply to transfer your own wealth to the pockets of another, than there is categorically no reason to hire J Blanton Plumbing to install your toilets. Again, this is simply one, sub-optimally brilliant Norwegian's opinion amidst a sea of many. Lesson: Be smart!

Arr E.

02/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

One of my tenants had a leak coming from their bathtub faucet so I decided to call this company. Jake and Clayton came to my property the next day and assessed the problem immediately. They told me the total cost for repair and they also notified me of another problem in terms of the bathtub drain which had a massive accumulation of hair. They were able to perform the repair as well as rodding out the blockage in the bathtub drain. Both Jake and Clayton were very professional and the work that they provided are covered under warranty. Jake also gave me a possible estimate of some work I wanted to do in my basement. I was very pleased with everything that happened today with J Blanton Plumbing and definitely will use them in the future.

Dean M.

10/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

There is going above and beyond and then what J Blanton recently did for our condo building. We were scheduled to have a new hot water heater installed by another company that totally dropped the ball on us. This other company wasn't able to lift and bring the new heater down to our basement. Frustrated, they left with the expensive new heater, which could not be returned, outside in our building's gangway with heavy rain expected later that day. I called J Blanton. Their friendly coordinator Jane understood our predicament and was able to send workers over a few hours later and, much to my surprise and relief, they were willing and able to install the new heater that same day.

I cannot express how appreciative we are and sincerely thank Matt and the other techs for their outstanding job. They're very professional, honest and simply do good work at a fair price. Highly recommend.

Eric B.

4/20/2017

fairly decent work, but quite over priced. I will never refer this company to any one who needs plumbing work done. if you have extra disposable income then go ahead and hire them, if you are on a budget then stay away.

Mike G.

11/11/2020 12:00:00 SA

I hired them to fix a valve and install a new dishwasher, they sent 2 people to get the job done. They look at the problem and then decide that the cost will be $351 to fix the valve, and they go on to tell me that they do not install dishwashers, they do not do anything that works with electric. I was dumbfounded as when I booked the appointment I made it clear that I needed the new dishwasher to be installed. So I decided not to use their services and I emailed the office person I had booked the appointment with, the office manager called me last night and told me that the employees said they would not install the dishwasher because of the granite countertop. This was news to me as when they were in my home they said they would not touch anything with electric. I have no reason to lie, but it certainly seems like these people who I allowed in my home in the middle of a pandemic are not being truthful. I should have read the Yelp reviews first but I had heard of the company and thought I would give them a try. Now I have wasted a day and still do not have the problem fixed. Avoid this company unless you enjoy being lied to and having your time wasted.

Adam F.

10/01/2014 12:00:00 SA

A clogged sink ended up costing us $1000! Tread VERY lightly with Blanton!

Our sink was clogged. Neighbors referred us. Quoted us at $335 for rodding. Said they could hear water coming from neighbors side, whom we shared a common pipe with, and that they just needed to clear our blockage to get us flowing too. Great!

Not happening: The rodder wouldn't go through. They asked to cut drywall. After cutting drywall they tell me I DON'T share a pipe with 1st floor neighbors, like they 1st thought.

Huh? Apparently, I have a separate run of pipe, and they have to cut out a portion of this pipe because they can't get the rodder through! There's no other OPTION!

The charge would be $800! Whoa! A lot of money for a clog in my kitchen sink.

I said I need to get approval from wife & condo assoc. In the meantime I got two estimates, both said $800 might be a little high, but that it's VERY competitive.

Great! Called them back the next day to finish the job, which they did, in 90 minutes.

Upon payment the guy said I could make the check out for BOTH CHARGES?
It's NOW $1000! I WAS SICK TO MY STOMACH: LITERALLY!

WHAT? I said. $1000 DOLLARS. We have to charge you for the rodding as well, they said. But I thought cutting the pipe was to open the line? I said.

Yes, but we had to rod it too. That's a separate charge! But you guys never once said the number $1000 in any conversation. They said they were sorry that I was confused.

Our nanny was there both days and NEVER once heard the price $1000 either.
I talked about it with the guys, in the kitchen, right in front of her. She said it was a total surprise!

Owner called me the same day and said it was a mistake. Said his guys would learn from it.

That's understandable, but not acceptable. Mistakes do happen, but not $200 mistakes!

My only defense now is coming here to warn you, the consumer. Do not pay $1000 for a clogged drain, please.

Yes, there was some other work involved, but that price was astronomical.

Ted T.

4/21/2019

Very disappointing customer service. I can't speak to the quality of the service as we never got here. The reason for this review is because J Blanton's time management is terrible. I called on a Thursday and they offered me a Saturday morning 9-12 window. This changed throughout the course of the day and then around 4 pm, they offered to make 'schedule' me the next day, Sunday morning, given they couldn't confirm that they would get to me before 6 pm and I had early dinner plans. Given I didn't want to lose yet another day, I voiced my disappointment and made it clear that I wanted to be the first appointment on Sunday. I was called at 9 pm on Saturday by the same individual that deferred me to Sunday and he clearly stated that in the notes, he stated I would be the first appointment on Sunday - between 9-9:30. They called me at 10:35. Enough said.

Cassandra M.

9/19/2017

These guys were very professional and nice to deal with. They were in and out very quickly. I have no issue with the work or the guys doing the work. My complaint was they are VERY expensive. I just needed a valve replaced on my shower. I even had the exact part they needed and I was charged close to 500 dollars. Probably my mistake not to ask for an estimate before they came out, and I had already taken the day off of work. But after the fact, I called around and the repair really should have been in the 2-300 hundred range.

Joe G.

10/21/2014

5 stars under-rates the integrity of this company. I had the pleasure of working specifically with Jack.

To make a long story short, Jack fixed a plumbing problem for me that required additional dry wall and tile work that was completed by another individual. There was a leak that developed subsequent to the final repair that was no fault of Jack's. Jack came back and corrected the problem on his own time, using his own materials and didn't charge me another penny.

There were several players involved in this operation and at times some of the participants became difficult to work with. Jack promptly resolved the problem diplomatically and very professionally. It was refreshing to find a man of his dedication and integrity.

Inevitably, sooner or later I will need to call a plumber again. Jack is number one on my list.

Jackie S.

11/28/2017

I called another company first and got an answering service that could not answer a very basic question about whether the company did natural gas plumbing. Next company couldn't get to me until next week. I'm fortunate that I found J Blanton. The woman who answered the phone was knowledgable about plumbing and friendly. She sent two technicians over within an half hour of my call. They were professionals and got my gas dryer hooked up (something Sears failed to do when they delivered the dryer). Plumbers aren't cheap, and J Blanton is no exception, but I am confident that the gas hook-up is done right.

Julia K.

10/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

Earl and Robert came to check out my garbage disposal, after I called J Blanton complaining that it had not been running well.

It turns out the garbage disposal (which had been replaced just about a month ago by a different company) was fine, but the people who had replaced it last time had failed to inform me of some basic actions I would need to take in the first few months to help it run properly.

The guys showed me what to do, and said it would be just fine going forward, and said they wouldn't charge me for the visit, which I thought was awfully generous.

They were extremely pleasant, on time, and very informative. I will absolutely be sending more work their way in the future.

Vernon A.

07/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

Chris and Dylan were knowledgeable and answered all the questions they were asked when they came in Monday to take a look at the repairs that need to be fixed. Will update after the repair tomorrow.

Chris B.

7/28/2017

I just moved to a new condo in Chicago and I was surprised to find that my bathtub drain was heavily clogged, and the toilet was completely clogged. I contacted J Blanton through Yelp and they called me back about five minutes later. I spoke with Elizabeth, who was very polite and helpful, and she sent two plumbers out to my condo on the same day. They solved both problems fairly quickly, and I now have a working bathroom. The plumbers also inspected a few other issues around the condo and gave me estimates for the cost of repairing or replacing them. I definitely recommend J Blanton.

Patricia H.

6/26/2017

I hired J. Blanton Plumbing to reseat my leaking toilet. They arrived promptly, gave me an estimate, and had the job done quickly. I am confident that they fixed the problem correctly. Had I hired them to install the toilet originally, I would not have had this problem. It pays to hire professionals! They get the job done the right way the first time!

Andrea P.

11/25/2016

Guys were great. Yes they were a little expensive, but they honor the 10% discount if you mention yelp, and they know what they're doing. They came to our place on thanksgiving for an emergency garbage disposal/sink issue, patched what they needed to, and returned first thing the next morning to do the full work up. Hope we don't need to, but would definitely use their services again.

Marcus R.

9/16/2017

Helped me when the city wouldn't. Eventually the city of Chicago caught up with the fine crews from J Blanton. But it took some time. I had raw sewage backed up into my basement. Part my $ part city $. The crew worked tirelessly to get me back to 100. I will call them first for any plumbing problems. Especially emergency problems. Quick response, even faster crews to your door.

Shawn K.

6/22/2016

They are a professionally-run business. Their customer service and responsiveness are top-notch through and through. They are honest and upfront in their dealings and all of their fees. The problem is they want too much in fees. I was quoted a premium price of ~$2,200 whereas I was quoted $600-$1,300 less from two other licensed/bonded/insured plumbers for the exact same work.

They will charge you an additional $125 for them to provide their license/insurance if you need to secure your homeowner's association's approval. It is virtually unheard of for any contractor (plumbing, electrical, general, etc) to charge this fee. You should NOT have to pay this. JBlanton should know better and I think they do. They should either get rid of this ridiculous fee to stay competitive or switch their insurance company if they're imposing this cost onto them.

If your property is not part of an association and budget is not a concern, JBlanton will serve you well. Otherwise, regardless of what your budget is, on a matter of principle, don't let yourself pay an unnecessary fee for that license/insurance (for all you condo/townhouse dwellers out there)

A W.

8/18/2016

I contacted J Blanton Plumbing to have the sewer line inspected on a home my wife and I are purchasing to make sure it hasn't caved in. I was told the following by Jenn, We can come out this week to have the sewer line inspected. There is a $125 charge for customers who do not currently own the home. This was significantly cheaper than other quotes so I verified that it was correct when I called to set up the appointment. Jenn assured me this was the price.

Because they do not set specific appointmentment times, I was given a window (between 2 and 5 PM.) Jenn told me that she'd put in a note to not show up prior to 3:30. They didn't show up until 5:25 PM at which time they informed me that a sewer line inspection would be $379 ($254 above what Jenn quoted me and $30 higher than the highest quote I had received via Yelp). They informed me that $125 is for a home inspection not a sewer line inspection.

The bottom line: don't believe the quote your given. For them to argue it was miscommunication is a bit disingenuous given the message they sent me (quoted above). I will not be using J Blanton Plumbing for anything in the future.

S J.

8/28/2019

I have spoken to Attorney General's office on the phone to give an update on this case.
I was informed that The letters and wrongful accusations from J Blanton plumbing company to me and letters from attorney general's office to me is confidential and cannot be posted on yelp. It is legal to give an update in regarding to the matter. It is encouraged to report to attorney general's office for business like this, the more they know, they more they can be aware and take actions to protect consumers, they said. I am thankful that they are there for us consumers. The office of attorney generals did speak to me with care. Even that they cannot force the business to refund. But they have stated that they want to know and it is encouraged to post the link to let people know how to file complaint. In my case, I encouraged the business, J Blanton to refund me the $300 or give the money to a local charity, off set their bad karma, but they did not refund either way and lied more about the situation. I opt not to go to small business court due to the time investment. The most effective way to help you to make this right and to help others is to use the link below, file complaint regardless of the time of occurrence. I hope J Blanton will do the right thing moving forward by not taking advantage of the elderly, and people who are alone. This business once asked me to take back the review for a refund but the owner did not follow through. Here is the link you can use and thank you. Blessings to all.

illinoisattorneygeneral.…

Gumbo T.

4/23/2018

It was a simple replacement of the exact same type of faucet that was there before - the easiest replacement possible.

Marilyn S.

01/04/2018 12:00:00 SA

Today was the second time this week they didn't show. Granted the weather is freezing and they have emergencies but a little customer service goes a long way when you charge top dollar like they do. The first appointment they called at the beginning of my appointment window and said they were tied up with emergencies and could I change to the next day. After waiting till almost the end of the appointment window the next day I got a curt call saying this was a courtesy call to tell me they weren't coming. They think it's a courtesy to tell me they're not coming? I said it would have been nice to get the information sooner. Well, she thought they would get there. No apology, nothing. Could have cared less.

Kirsten P.

12/05/2013 12:00:00 SA

Serious problem summary:
I am a woman and the minute they found out I was an attorney (cha Ching) and knew nothing about plumbing, I could almost see the cash register in his
head. The owner .

It starts with the fact that they were supposed to give me an estimate before working.... Now I see why he skipped this step. Read on.....

He charged me over one hundred fifty ($189)bucks to literally stick the handle if his hammer into my garbage disposal and turn it on.

Then he charged one fifty to disconnect a cord and replace it with another cord behind the fridge.

Really nice guys, I feel bad giving them a bad review but they totally ripped me off. Even a woman knows that!!

Brian K.

2/18/2016

Ridiculously expensive! $180 to swap out a shower head (I was providing the shower head, not them). For small jobs, don't waste your time. At least the preposterous estimate didn't cost me anything - just wasted my time.

Ella C.

3/14/2017

There's nothing worse than waking up and realizing you have no hot water....on a cold Chicago morning! We had actually called J Blanton a few days before that for a clogged sink. It was so gross, my house smelled like sewage, J Blanton was able to come out the same day and fix it. They were quick, courteous and from what I can see about par on pricing. BUT the water heater is why I am writing this review! Our home is sort of unique in that it was an old warehouse and because of it's configuration and size the house was built (before us) with a commercial water heater! Jack worked with me every step of the way to make sure that I was able to replace the product with something that was comparable in price, size and commiserate with our personal family needs. He was also able to order the new water heater overnight. This past Friday, Chris and his team arrived at 10am; they were friendly, considerate of our space...covering or removing anything that might get dirty, wrecked or ruined! Because this wasn't a standard residential job, some of the initial measurements were off, but the the guys...I believe there were 4, weren't fazed. They spent the next 10 hours (yes, that brings us to 8pm on a FRIDAY) rebuilding all of the piping and drainage in our utility room. I felt so bad that they were there so late and Chris just kept saying, we aren't leaving until the job is done, you will have hot water tonight! I kept trying offer them food and drinks, but they kept their heads in the game and FINALLY got it done. OH and the night before, my daughters toilet had flooded her bathroom, so while they were there they also rebuilt it. Of course this was an additional cost, as it should be, but they did knock a few bucks off since they were already there, which i thought was extremely considerate given that larger companies won't even address an issue they weren't called out for.

So here's the take away:
1. This company and it's team were great to work with, if you can get Chris you should, Jane in the office is the best and you should definitely hire them!!
2. My house's plumbing may or may not be falling apart...they goodness Chris and team will be back our tomorrow!!

Rachel H.

1/26/2016

Everyone who helped me out was super nice - from my initial call to the service man, Sam, who came out two days before Christmas the same day I called for assistance. Super efficient and pleasant. Explained everything to me so I knew what was up and how to maintain my hot water heater. So grateful to have my hot water back!!!

Gary M.

10/21/2016

New water heater install at my rental in Jefferson Park. The job was done right. This is the second time I use J Blanton and we have had great experiences both times. I highly recommend.

Katherine A.

08/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

I would Not recommend this company at all.More than half of the employees are NOT licensed plumbers.Their main purpose is to sell a customer a plumbing fixture that costs much less at the store.A salesperson ,pretending to be a plumber,came out to improperly diagnose a problem that I had.Good thing that I got a second,and third opinion.My water heater just needed a new thermocouple. I saved myself around1800.00 dollars by Not using them.

Silver F.

10/31/2016

I called J Blanton plumbing after a recommendation from a neighbor after my water heater seemed to not be working properly. Everyone knows what a headache that can be! They came out the next day and the crew was great. Chris was professional and a diligent worker. He kept me informed throughout the entire process. After everything was said and done, expenses were a little more than I had planned for but you can't beat quality work and a caring company. I would absolutely recommend them to a friend.

Andrea F.

1/25/2019

These guys are awesome! They came out within a few hours to fix a drip in our ceiling that we thought was from a pipe freezing in the cold weather. Turns out it was just a light drip from a toilet in the room above. They charged us the bare minimum to get it fixed and were in and out in under 40 min. Chris and Kyle were both awesome. Can't recommend these guys highly enough.

Keith F.

1/15/2014

We have a vacant foreclosed condo unit in our building that has been vacant for 18 months. No one had been checking on the unit and the thermostat inside the unit was set to 41 degrees which the Association was not aware. While we had the Polar Vortex last week, the building thought we were fortunate not to have any plumbing issues, especially since our building was built in 1917 but gut rehabbed back to modern new in 2005. Then, last night we hear a noise in the hallway like a fan is running which is strange for the time of night and temperature outside. Well, that noise was not a fan, but water pouring from a frozen pipe in the kitchen behind the refrigerator.

Our management company called at least 8 of their preferred vendors with no answer or response from any of them, likely due to the rigorous schedule they had last week. I started doing some searches on my smart phone using YELP for plumbers in 60640. At about 2:30am I decided to go to bed and work on this in the morning since damage had already been done. At 6:00AM, I get a call from Jack Blanton who noticed me as a unanswered call on his caller ID. He came over immediately, shut off the water for less than 5 minutes as not to disturb the building's residents getting ready for work, capped the pipe, and we were in business. He was very accommodating, extremely responsive and knowledgeable and really willing to help at a time when we were basically in a flooding despair.

Thank you very much J. Blanton for extreme professionalism and customer service. We and our management company will spread the word to others needing plumbing work and will absolutely use your services again. THANK YOU!!!

Brandon W.

7/25/2018

I called this company, based off reviews and their location, to resolve sewage going into my sink. Upon their technicians arrival, I was advised to take the bronze plan-1 step beyond the basic plan. In hindsight this was overkill. The job was a standard grease blockage that the techs were able to unclog in 30 min. And how much you asked to fix this issue, over $700. Buyer beware, their pricing seems predatory.

Alena C.

6/30/2015

Here's my promised update from my earlier review: we had both of our bathrooms completely gutted and remodeled last Fall. I had the contractors use the same toilets we got from J Blanton since they were newer and were sold to me as high quality toilets. Recently both toilets started to leak. My contractor came out for free and put new seals in and they still leaked. He explained the problem was they used those toilets because I asked them to, but what I had were cheap Mansfield toilets from Menards. He had me purchase Kohler toilets from Lowes and explained a toilet installation shouldn't cost more than $150 (plus the cost of the toilet).
Since I'm not on Yelp much I just saw the business manager from J Blanton's request asking me to stop unfair public attacks. Since it's true you never know random people on Yelp are giving a true unbiased review and that the business is responding fairly, here's my advice: if you are going to get new toilets, compare pricing between at least a couple of companies and ask for them to provide you with the brand name and model of the toilet being quoted, so that you can check the pricing and the quality of what you are getting. I'll own the fact that as a consumer I didn't do my research and, as a result, I paid twice what I needed to and received products that only lasted around two years.

Mary R.

4/19/2016

We had a basement drain back up in January and called Jack Blanton, as always. Problem fixed on the coldest day of winter! Return of the drain problem in April due to roots not found the first time.
Jack sent Ken and Mike immediately to rod again; they arrived promptly and used the camera and rodding to diagnose and fix the problem-no charge, as the work is covered for 3 months. Great customer service!

David J.

03/04/2019 12:00:00 SA

Very pleased with J Blanton Plumbing! I called around to some other plumbers before contacting them. When I called a very friendly woman answered the phone right away. She promptly scheduled me for a 3 hour window, and the plumber Jake showed up on time! Jake was professional, friendly, and clearly explained to me my plumbing issues. I will definitely call them again in the future!

Stephanie N.

2/29/2016

We love J. Blanton. They do great work and are so clean and efficient!!! Boomer and Mike are the best and our dogs even love seeing them!!!!! We have an older home and they even give us recommendations on keeping our plumbing needs down. We would highly recommend them to anyone!!!! Projects big and small.

Robert G.

10/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

I would recommend staying clear of this company. They recently replaced my water heater. It was handled quickly which was good, but the technician underestimated the complexity of the job, gave me a lower quote than another company, and then told me I needed to pay more in the middle of the project when I had no choice but to agree. Ended up being the most expensive. To add insult to injury, the tech was rude and insulting. He complained about there being dust behind our washer/dryer and took pictures to show it to us. He then left the job unfinished. After removing the door to the utility closet, he was apparently in a hurry to leave and just left it off. Told us we should get a handyman to rehang the door. The water pressure is also now very weak in the adjacent bathroom. He told us it's because our pipes are old which is untrue after replacing with copper plumbing just 10 years ago. I called to complain about the work and the supervisor was nice but wanted to talk more about a trip she was taking for the long weekend coming up. Promised to look into the situation but did nothing and never called me back. Terrible. Be warned.

Elle S.

01/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

They saved us! With this awful winter freeze, we called ten plumbers for our frozen kitchen pipes. Left messages everywhere, had no shows, then these guys called unexpectedly and said they could be here in ten minutes. And they were! We got the owner and his son, who'd been working round the clock.

I actually had fun while they were here, to boot. They're my new go to plumbers no doubt.

Highly recommend!

Lindsay T.

10/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

Will and Howard from J. Blanton Plumbing fixed my kitchen sink's leak and backed up plumbing. They moved quickly and explained everything to me throughout the process. They not only handled what they came for, but they gave me advice on my faucet and disposal to aid in going forward without any problems. Highly recommended.

Joanna L.

1/30/2015

I hired J Blanton Plumbing to replace my shower valve cartridge in August 2014, which did not end up being cheap! A few months later, my shower started only producing cold water, so I had to hire another plumbing service to take a look at it. They came in, and said something was wrong with my cartridge. Apparently, the one previously replaced was a knock-off, and so they had to replace it again. I will never look at JB Plumbing again - expensive price for poor service and knock-off products!!

Ty J.

2/16/2016

I am an investor and was working on a full remodel of a dated and damaged 2-unit+basement building in Chicago. I found J Blanton Plumbing on yelp when desperately needed a good plumber to fix and install various items at the building. The overall condition of the plumbing was in pretty bad shape, but to keep this short I would just say that I've worked closely with Jack (the owner) and his crew, and they are 100% professional, no short-cut workers. Some items were not cheap to fix but good value and the results are inspection proof as I am also dealing with city inspectors. For serious pluming needs I would definitely recommend J Blanton Plumbing.

Becky H.

08/01/2016 12:00:00 SA

These guys were great! First - they were the only company that actually answered the phone when we had a plumbing emergency, despite it being during business hours. Second - they were able to come out the same day. Third - they called to let me know the plumber was 20 minutes away. Fourth - the plumber kept me super informed the entire time. He provided a quote for a first level diagnosis and a second level diagnosis that would require him to call in another guy. Once we got past the second level diagnosis, he let me know exactly what was going on, what he'd found and 2 options for fixes, with two prices. He provided his recommendation and walked us through every step of the process, explaining exactly what had happened and how he was going to fix it.

Despite us having major damage to the ceiling and quite a bit of water, J Blanton was able to diagnose and fix the problem in under 3 hours and for a very reasonable price. We'll be using them for everything plumbing and HVAC related in the future and will recommend them to everyone!

Maurice L.

11/18/2019

I'm disappointed to have to post this negative review, but J. Blanton Plumbing has left me no choice. My partner and I decided to make an appointment because our furnace was not working properly, and it was bitterly cold in Chicago last week. We had used J Blanton's services in the past, were pleased with those few instances, and decided to call them again. We made the appointment for Thursday 11/13 and the window provided was 2pm to 5pm. My partner took half a day out of work to accommodate the appointment. As I stated, it was freezing in Chicago, and we really needed someone to look at the furnace as we were not getting any heat. My partner made the appointment and provided them with both our names and phone numbers. My name was in their system as I had made the previous appointments. He waited and waited on that Thursday and finally at around 5pm, he called J Blanton to ask where they were. Well, this is where it gets interesting. he spoke with Cynthia and she explained that they were at our property earlier, they phoned, and no one answered, so they left. My partner was rather confused because he was indeed home waiting for them. After talking with Cynthia, it was discovered that J Blanton had indeed arrived during the appointed time - BUT the plumber was provided with the wrong name and phone number. The plumber was actually calling and ringing the doorbell of a neighbor of ours. We presumed that our neighbor must have utilized Blanton's services and someone on J Blanton's end either provided this tech with the incorrect info for us or our information somehow became commingled in J Blanton's computer system with our neighbor. This is not good, but we understood and made an appointment for Monday 11/18 between 2 and 5pm. I then called the 24 hour line on Thursday evening to see if they could come out on Friday (we had no heat; I really didn't want to wait till Monday); unfortunately, they could not. I understood but impressed upon the individual I spoke with that this Monday appt had to happen. I was told it would be a priority. On Sunday 11/17, a person named David called and left a voicemail on my partner's phone. He stated that they would be there on the following day - Mon 11/18 - and would call 30 minutes or so prior to the visit. he also stated our appt was marked priority. We felt good about that. THEN this happened: On Monday morning 11/18, Cynthia left a voicemail message at 10am on my partner's phone. She stated that they had to cancel the appointment, and they were booked for several weeks. That was it. Nothing else - no I'm so sorry we have to cancel - no please call us back so we can reschedule - NOTHING. Just a short, curt response. This message was relayed to me by my partner, and I listened to Cynthia's voicemail, and I was furious. I was furious that there was no explanation fro the cancellation - and the part about and we are booked for several weeks infuriated me. What does that mean? You don't want my business? I should go elsewhere? The audacity of that simple message went through my head - was she not aware of what we had experienced last Thursday? Did she not know that J Blanton committed the error last Thursday? Did she not know we had no working furnace? In its brevity and lack of information, i found it to be beyond rude. I phoned J Blanton, relayed all of this to a woman whose name escapes me - and asked to have a manager phone me. I was assured someone would call me. An hour later, I had the idea to call and ask if David, the man who left the nice voicemail on Sunday confirming our priority appt for Monday, and ask him why the appointment was called and who made that decision. When I phoned, it was Cynthia who answered, and we had a not so pleasant conversation. I kept asking her why it was cancelled and for what reason. She hesitated a number of times, and I could tell she was extremely uncomfortable - all she stated was that dispatch cancelled it because they do not have an HVAC team today. That made no sense to me, and she offered absolutely no explanation. I could tell from speaking with her that something was up and people at J Blanton were aware of what was occurring - she was hiding something - She brought up the fact that I had called her voicemail message rude - I had indeed stated this to the other woman I spoke with - so information was clearly shared with Cynthia - she kept stating that her message was not intended to be rude and that she has a cold and that's why i must have mistaken it for rudeness. I wasn't born yesterday - this woman was so evasive and so slippery with her answers or lack of - that it was obvious something was up - at that point I just asked for her to have a manager contact me. She said someone would and they really wanted to fix this for us etc etc etc - all of a sudden she became rather professional - or much more so than previously. Anyway, I thanked her and told her I hope she feels better. No one called. This is no 5 star biz

T R.

9/28/2018

Everyone I spoke with on the phone was very courteous and helpful. Drew came out to my house and was also great! He fixed my (simple to him but confusing to me) problem quickly and efficiently and explained things along the way without making me feel stupid. He looked at the water lines in the basement and gave me some good advice for the future in addition to the service he provided. Overall it was a good experience at a reasonable price, and I would definitely use them again!

Alan F.

02/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

My garbage disposal died and I called Blanton. I was informed there would be a $59 fee to come to my home, but the funds could be applied if we utilized their services. I agreed to that, and we scheduled a time. They show up on time and the plumber, who was professional and courteous, assessed the situation. He told me it would cost $600 to replace the disposal. He also told me it take about 30 minutes. I thought this was expensive and Googled the replacement disposal and found it on line for $99. When I expressed concern that the fee was expensive, he offered me a 15% discount and told me that he didn't make the fees. I decided not to get the disposal through them due to the cost. I then called ABT- they sold me a better disposal for $98 and installation was $139. Never will I call this company again.

Shaun C.

09/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

After receiving the recommendation from another resident in my building I called J Blanton to service my leaking kitchen hot water pipe. The office staff was very friendly and helpful. They called and updated me on when to except the plumber to arrive for both visits. Jake was very professional, knowledgeable, and friendly to work with. I will be calling J Blanton for future jobs.

Susan A.

09/06/2018 12:00:00 SA

This is a great company to work with starting with the office staff. Jane is so helpful in making sure everything is done well. They installed all new sewer pipes for us. Very large and messy job. They gave us a breakdown of how the work would be done and stuck to the schedule. Boomer was so helpful. All of the guys on the job were great especially Kyle and Chris. When the work was done they cleaned up the space nicely. A lot of work and we will continue to use them as we have for the past 10 years.

Eloy T.

12/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

Disappointed... I have a sink that had a small leak. That's it. I knew it couldn't have been more than a seal or something. J Blanton guy gave me an an estimate - $325 to fix - saying the seals were bad, and the original plumber who rehabbed the house 2 years ago never used putty, so it caused all these issues. PLUS.. they cited another $545 because they said the piping was incorrect, and needed to be redone.

I called another plumber who took a quick look at the problem and said the J Blanton estimate was criminal. The only thing wrong was that a part under the sink (like a big nut around the drain) was loose. 5 seconds an a big wrench, it was fixed. and we could see the putty squish out - which was indeed used originally. Seals are just fine. he felt bad about charging for such a small thing, and didn't even charge me. I threw him $50 for dinner for coming out and helping me.

He said the Blanton estimate was citing a 20 year old code for dual drainage that was abandoned after 1 year because it was unnecessary, and is never done on rehabs (only sometimes on new builds); my sink was absolutely to city code. No new piping was needed.

Really disappointed that they were trying to take advantage of me since I don't know much about this stuff. Not sure if all of their people are like this, but my advice... if you get an estimate from these guys, get 2-3 more to make sure you're not getting taken for a ride. too bad since I live in the neighborhood and would have used them often.

Kristy M.

8/30/2018

I used J Blanton twice.
The first time was when I got water in the basement. They said I had a drain tile problem and recommended drilling into the floor, which I did. My fault I should have gottten another estimate. They didn't close off house or vents, whole house was covered in dust and unlivable. We had to check into hotel. They damaged our speakers by not covering them. When they relaid the cement it had to be done twice because it was so bad. And, to top it off, our Beamer today kept flooding. An actual water proofing company ended up fixing it. My mom also used them, and they were doing a root of a drain and the plumber lost two tips in the drain. He then wanted to drill into floor to try to get them out and said they may be a problem later. When we called he office (the office manager is very nice and she's great), they said we'd get a call back, never did. I do not recommend this place.

Ted B.

07/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

Two great recent service experiences with J Blanton plumbing. Just moved into a new condo, inspector missed a couple things, needed to replace garbage disposal and cartridges in a Waterworks kitchen faucet a couple days after moving in. Was able to secure same day appointments, the guys showed up on time, were professional, and the work was done properly the first time in each case. Highly recommend.

Dawn S.

6/29/2018

This is an updated review of this company. We were very happy with the plumbing side of work that we had performed. We were very unhappy with the HVAC side of things, The reason we are updating our review is this company did not stop until we were satisfied. The staff was polite and Jordan Blanton was willing to listen and have his people work to make us happy...a rarity. Dawn S.

Luke K.

6/28/2016

My hot water heater went out on a weekend and J Blanton Plumbing was able to remove the old one and install the new one all in the same day. Additionally, they helped me fix a few small other items (dryer exhaust and broken faucet) at no cost. They cleaned up the entire area and had everything working as good as new. No hassle whatsoever.

My servicemen were Chris and Trevor. They were very professional, kind, and competent. Highly recommended.

Frank V.

12/16/2013

I found J. Blanton through a quick Google search, simply based on location and an Angie's List stamp of approval. Less than three hours after I called, Jack (the owner) was at my door.

He evaluated my situation, presented short- and long-term options, provided an estimate, I agreed, and he set to work. An hour later, he had completed the job and thoroughly cleaned up.

I sincerely appreciated his honesty, both with the job at hand and what I should expect down the road. I would certainly hire him again and recommend his services to friends and neighbors.

Susan L.

06/11/2018 12:00:00 SA

Absolutely the best plumbers. Received quick response. The quote was fair and the amount that I had to pay. Matt and Nathan were knowledgeable, and professional. They knew how to work in a vintage building. They minimized the inconvenience to other unit owners, kept the premises clean and finished the work in the scheduled time. Best of all the work was done right the first time. And if you are looking for efficient personable office and administrative staff for scheduling et al you can't find better. While I hope not to have too many more project of this complexity I would hire them again in a heart beat.

Benjamin F.

12/27/2017

Called them at 815am, they were here within an hour and done within 30 minutes. Simple job but they were extremely communicative and professional. Very easy to deal with, much easier than the other places I contacted. They are now my go-to if I have problems in the future. Top notch.

Abraham L.

01/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

Great service on very short notice for our burst-pipe issues. Super nice, professional, and thorough -- even though it was well into the evening hours when they showed up, and they'd had a very long day. Very impressive experience.

p s.

11/16/2014

I had a huge plumbing emergency and they did a fantastic job at a decent rate. I was having serious bathroom issues and they sent out Howard and Jeff. They were very nice and super professional. They were quick and efficient. Both the sink and bathtub were clogged and the toilet was acting up. They helped fix all my problem within a few hours and left the bathroom in perfect working order. I highly recommend This company and Jeff and Howard A+ Service at a great rate.

Joe O.

11/25/2011

These guys did such a great job at my rental property I took them on as a client!
Having owned and managed several rental units for over 30 years has taught me to require outside vendors to be professional, prompt and above all competitively priced. Jack B and his son Jake are all that and more. They go out of their way to find the most cost-effective solutions. I have recommended them to friends and family and no one has been disappointed.

john r.

06/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

My regular plumber was not available and I had to address a leak into the unit below mine before they painted their ceiling; a friend gave me the three best reviews on Angie's list. J. Blanton was the second review, and the first one available, so I had them come over.

Forty-five minutes of work cost me $325 to remove and putty the seal under my toilet. For me, details count...there was putty and debris left on the floor and the bolt caps were cracked; the plumber puttied them in place without saying anything, and now they pop off when I wipe around them, which did not happen before.

BTW, the plumber dIdn't mention a warranty until I asked and he wrote it on the work order after I asked for it, so be sure to mention that up front; I don't think he would have said anything otherwise. He also tried to sell me a $50 rubber flange for the tank, which he just happened to have with him ...I declined.

They got here fast, but it was not an emergency request; $325 for what was done was pretty expensive, and they left a mess and broken finish parts to boot. Hopefully the leak is gone.

Mary M.

2/22/2018

These folks are straightforward and fair in pricing, and very kind in service. Chris and his apprentice today put on shoe covers so as not to track in dirt. They assessed my bathroom drain problem, told me about it without mansplaining, and fixed it quickly and professionally. And they were sweet to my curious kitten on the way out. I can't recommend this company highly enough.

Greg S.

03/02/2015 12:00:00 SA

Fantastic professional same day service. One of the tenants in our condo building experienced some sewage backup in the downstairs bathroom/washer dryer area, and needed the issue fixed immediately. Upon assessing and beginning repair work on his bathroom, they discovered a bigger problem, the ejector pump in the boiler room needed to be replaced. It was a hefty job, a messy job and required a lot of cleanup. The technicians were able to replace the pump, cleanup the blockage, and fix everything the same day, at a reasonable price. I was very grateful for this, especially since it was a very cold snowy winter day. Highly recommended!

Shirley F.

9/20/2016

After posting my review on 9/17/16, I received an urgent call from Jack, the owner, who yelled at me and threatened to call the City if I used an unlicensed handyman. It is too bad--had I received a reasonable quote, I would've had them perform the work that day and would have used them again in the future.

Mark B.

7/18/2018

We are commercial, a restaurant. Let me say upfront that they are an acceptable plumber. I think they are or aspire to be a large plumbing outfit, so you might get different people on different days. Sometimes they are quite young who give questionable advice. Replace something that doesn't need replacing. My beef, though, with this company is that they are clearly following some modern model of maximizing revenue, so they are very expensive. As you read their reviews, you'll see that they won't give estimates over the phone. Imo, that's because you won't use them if they do. Once they are at your place, and the water is leaking, you are faced with the choice of them or calling another plumber and waiting more hours . . . . If they were above board, they would at least tell you their implicit hourly rate, and their travel charge to your site. I roughly calculate their hourly rate at $300-400 per hour, which they are not going to tell you over the phone. Two examples. We had drains backing up on the 4th of July. Ok, we know we are going pay. And kudos to them for answering the phone. So they warn that there is a $159 travel charge because it's the 4th. That is absolutely fine. What they don't tell you is that they are also going to nail you on the work. For ~30 minute visit, $1,000+. This is a ~$300 charge from a rooter on any other day. Second, another time, we have a ceiling leak. When they arrive and check it out, they say $475 which I ok. They then present a blank tablet screen with a big signature box which I sign. Later, after this dispute, they send me an contract copy showing I have signed off on ~$900. Sleazy. That's for ~2.5 hour visit, during which they didn't correctly diagnose the problem. Turns out the a/c unit in the ceiling is throwing off water. The plumber at the end of the visit says that he wants to have his hvac guys look at it. I say ok. When they come, they quote $450. What are you going to do? I'm gone by this time but my GM says ok. When done, they present a bill for an additional $900. Double because there are 2 a/c units in the ceiling, which they didn't bring up. What did they do? Basically replace the filters. Admittedly, they aren't easy to access, but they were there for ~2 hours. So, all totaled , ~$2,000 for 4-5 hours of work. Minimal supplies. Do the math. Avoid this company in favor of a plumber where you are dealing with one guy/gal who is upfront about how they charge. Blanton's needs to face up to whether they want to rake customers for one or two times before they drop them, or whether they want to develop repeat, loyal customers.

josh r.

4/27/2017

Recently we had a plumbing emergency with our injector pump. Within the hour we had a plumber(Kyle) out us. Within minutes he had a clear diagnosis and price for the work. He handled the fix with kindness and professionalism. He completed fixed our problem and was extremely helpful. I highly recommend this plumbing company.

Nick D.

01/09/2014 12:00:00 SA

I woke up on Jan 7th, 2014 to find my bathroom pipes frozen from the extreme cold. I called a few plumbers and J Blanton answered. The woman on the phone said that there were 4 people in front of me and it would be a few hours until somebody could come out.

Steve showed up after about 4 hours. I showed him the problem, he said it could be remedied and would take only 20-30min. He then said it would be $500, I asked why it was so much, he said that they they determined their price by calling competitors and they took the average. He said the equipment was expensive and that there would be 2 licensed plumbers. He then said he would give me 10% off because I lived in the neighborhood and that me might be able to knock it down a bit more. Reluctantly I agreed to the extortion because I did need my pipes thawed and I figured it would be rather difficult to find another plumber since I had been waiting most of the day.

Scumbag Steve then left to go get the other plumber (Vince) and the equipment. They hooked it up a machine to my pipes and were able to thaw them within 5min, he said he would charge me only $350, because I'm in the hood. He also claimed that there were 30 people ahead of me and that they bumped me up, because I'm in the hood (even though I had been waiting 4 hours). The dude was super sketchy, I'll never use J Blanton for anything ever again. I agreed to pay their exorbitant rates because I didn't want my pipes to bust. They had an opportunity to gain me as a customer for future services had they not taken advantage of the situation (extreme cold). My advice to anybody else is to avoid J Blanton and their sketchy plumbers.

Terrence Y.

04/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

Love the work Matt and Tony did at out place, and I highly recommend them. They solved both a slow drainage issue and a disastrous leak (into another unit). We've now been able to use our tub without worrying about it backing up into a mess. They were quick clean and not too expensive. I highly recommend them for future jobs.

Melissa P.

10/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

A refreshing company to work with in Lincoln Square! The lady who answered my call couldn't have been nicer and is longtime Lincoln Square resident. She had a team at my house in literally two hours after my call. Tony and Alex came out to look at our bathroom drain that we were never able to figure out how to close. We thought it was not installed correctly and never closed it until a house guest forced it closed. In less than five minutes they figured out that it was a drain that you just pushed to open and close. They saved us a lot of money not having to tear apart our sink, we didn't get charged for the house call and they solved a four year mystery. It's so nice to have polite and honest people to do business with in my neighborhood.

Zimin M.

02/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

When we got the quote, we specifically requested not to cut through the drywall to replace a small section of broken pipe. When the job was scheduled, we left my father in law to supervise the job. Being a landlord over 30 years with numerous properties, he saved our drywall when they wanted to cut through the wall to make their plumbing job easier. My father-in-law, as a non-professional plumber, coached them how to do the job without unnecessary damage to the property. I am happy the job was done but felt a little supervision with some basic plumbing DIY knowledge would help them do a more satisfactory job.

Brad T.

10/24/2011

I called Jack Blanton because I saw and ad for $50 off any repair and my toilet was broken.

He showed up ontime, fixed my toilet, charged a fair price and honored the coupon. I'd use him again if the need arose!

Peter Z.

7/14/2012

We found J.Blanton through Angie's List, but still feel that we got very, very lucky. Jack and Jake Blanton emailed, texted and returned calls with information and details at ease. Educating us and explaining to us the details all along the way. We were impressed with the work and customer service that we hired them again to replace our water heater.

I am the president of our condo association and not only plan on making J.Blanton our buildings plumber. I plan to call them back for my own plumbing needs.

Aleah A.

9/29/2014

Amazing service! Was right on time. Called to say was on his way. Even stayed late to make sure problem was fixed. I had called another plumber with good reviews and they could not find the problem, but Nate did. Totally happy thank you

Peter G.

1/13/2014

I've edited this review because apparently, one of my neighbors gave me some bad information. But still, these guys did not do a good job for us.

We had multiple frozen pipes in our condo building-- some, leading to units' bathrooms, were clogged with ice. Another, leading to the outside hose faucet, had frozen and burst, but the water leaking out was frozen, so (at the moment), it was not a huge catastrophe. We called these guys.

He thawed out one of the bathroom pipes with a torch, but couldn't thaw out the other due to the material the pipe was made out of. Instead, he advised us to turn up the heat or use a space heater to thaw the pipe.

As to the broken pipe, with frozen water leaking out of it-- he didn't do anything. The pipe's individual shutoff valve was also damaged when the pipe froze, and the residents down there with him didn't know where the shutoff valve for the building was.

The plumber didn't seem that concerned by it. He said, when you find the shutoff valve, I'll come back, and left-- not even patching the pipe. Now, at this moment the water leaking out was frozen solid. But this pipe was in the same room in the basement as the other frozen pipes-- in the same room where he had told us to put space heaters and turn the heat up. One would think that a professional plumber might see what was coming next.

Around 8 that night, the pipe thawed. We now had water spraying all over our basement. We called J. Blanton's emergency line, and they did not respond promptly.

Someone finally found the shutoff for the building, so all 8 units were without water. When we finally got a call back, they said they'd be there by 10am the next day. They were not. We called again and were told that they would be here by noon. At 12:30 we called again, were assured that we were next and that they'd be here by 2.

They never showed up.

At 3:30 we called Rocket Plumbing instead, and 45 minutes later had water again.

Phil J.

2/23/2017

Jack is a rare bird in this industry. He genuinely cares about his customers and finding the proper solutions to their problems. In my most recent customer experience with Jack, he offered to help run various diagnostic tests without charge to figure out a problem that's been ailing my condo building for years. His dedication and customer care is unmatched. Do not hesitate to contact J Blanton Plumbing for any plumbing needs. Thanks, Jack!

Matthew T.

3/24/2015

Had to call these guys out twice during the first two magical days of owning our new house, and they were super.

The first was an emergency puddle surprise that happened as we were bringing our house back from being winterized. They sent a guy out to deal with it ASAP on a freezing cold Sunday for a rate that I would have trouble getting out of my house on a Sunday for. They not only diagnosed the puddle problem, but made sure there wouldn't be more, by going through and checking the whole system which really puts your mind at ease.

Then had to bring them out a day or two later to snake out the whole kitchen drain system as it became increasingly clear that the previous owner quite literally didn't know a sink from a hole in the ground. The guys were great and fast, and again, a totally reasonable rate for pro plumbers.

I'll use them again when I find our next plumbing mission, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone else.

Frank M.

09/11/2014 12:00:00 SA

These guys are the best. After being soaked by other plumbers, these guys were sent from heaven. There price was fair, and they got the job done. they even looked at other problems that I might have, and never charged for it. There office staff is freindly and very helpful.. Before calling anyone else..call these guys first

Dan M.

06/05/2014 12:00:00 SA

Scheduled the guys to come by to check out what I thought was a water hammer / non-functional faucet. They would do a free estimate and we scheduled it for the next day. They came by, checked it out. Turns out the angle stop had gotten closed. I felt like a moron (rightfully so), and they didn't charge me for the visit.

Thanks again guys!

Kevin B.

7/20/2014

These guys are first class.

We used them when we were living in the city and they were honest and professional. We moved out to the burbs and when we had a plumbing issues, we called them. They said we were really too far for where they normally go, but since we were former customers they would come out to our house.

They came out, found a few issues wrong at our place, gave us quotes, and DID NOT CHARGE US A PENNY. It was their free estimate. Are you kidding me? Every other place that I had previously called was ready to charge at least $150 just to come out. This is the right way to run a business...when I am ready to have my issues fixed, they are the ones I will call. With a business like plumbing, they could screw people over left and right. These guys are honest. Spread the word and give them a call if you have an issue.

They have my business!

Kyle F.

3/20/2012

I called Jack Blanton back for a another job after being satisfied with the work he had done for me in the past. I was pleasantly suprised that they remembered me when I called!

Jack showed up on time, did the work, charged a fair price and I got back to business. Thanks Jack!

Michelle S.

11/16/2017

What a nightmare! I own a condo and my neighbor used J Blanton (he had a leak in his pipe in his bathroom) and they had to access his line through my ceiling. First off, the gentlemen who came to work in the home were not the ones who came out the night before which made me nervous but they seemed like a trustworthy company so I gave them a try. The men working reported they cut a line several times and then the power in the front of my home was out. My home was left DIRTY. We are talking full hand prints on my walls. My bathroom is tiny (5x6) yet still a mess. The company did send out people to clean up again but about 1 week later. My main concern is the cracked tiles they caused in my bathroom that they claim they are not responsible for per contract (mind you I did not sign a contract because it was my neighbor's work). They are taking no responsibility for the complete disarray they caused. Yes, you may be good plumbers but you have zero respect for people's homes. I have called and spoke with several people including office manager and have gotten danced around with answers. I was told to call and ask for Jordan and I did leave a message for him but was given no call back. Please, all I want is my home the way it was before they came in.

Rick P.

8/27/2014

Responsive, reasonable, and proud of their workmanship. Took ninety minutes between phone call and replaced kitchen sink pipes!

Janice A.

2/20/2017

The guys at J Blanton Plumbing are very courteous, helpful and professional. Chris and Trevor worked diligently to get the job done and they took the time to explain all that they were doing. I called for an estimate regarding plumbing issues and they came out the next day on time. Cant complain the prices are affordable and the work was outstanding. I am thoroughly satisfied with the service and work completed by J Blanton Plumbing. Nice as could be and it is great to have a reliable, local plumber just in case! I would use them again anytime.

Stephanie K.

2/18/2017

I called J. Blanton Plumbing after another business didn't return my call. There was a clog in my pipe causing water to back-up into my sink when my upstairs neighbors ran their dishwasher. My dishwasher was also not draining. When I called, the woman who answered the phone was really quite lovely and when Chris and Trevor arrived a few hours later they were really great guys. They routed the pipe, let me know that it was a common pipe and that my association may reimburse me, and when they noticed something wasn't quite right they let me know what the possible issue may be and the future action to take without it being a straight up hard sell on additional services. I've never needed a plumber before and this was really a great experience. I think they will be my go-tos from now on.

Mark G.

11/16/2018

Absolutely terrible experience. Felt ripped off, and they came with a recommendation from a friend. Ugh, avoid. We needed a garbage disposal replaced, nothing complicated. I called and ask for the price, they said we don't give that out. I said okay just give me the range, as I know this should cost around $150 for labor so help me understand if you guys are in the ballpark. The lady on the phone was insistent they don't talk about price, they will send a technician and they will tell us the price (and if we don't use their service we have to pay $85 anyway just for them to come). So I thought she heard me define the range of reasonable and encouraged me to book so no problem. Well I was WRONG. They showed up, simple garbage disposal replacement and quoted as a range from $600 to over $1,000 dollars (keep in mind a very fancy new disposal costs $150 - $180 and four other plumbers quoted us $150 in labor). The only saving grace was when I politely asked the technician to help me make sense of the $600 price (the lowest of four recommendations they offered) compared with what everyone else told us to expect...he acknowledged that my numbers seemed fair instead of trying to sugar coat it. So we wasted time and spent $85 for these folks to unfairly come give us a ridiculously out of market price quote in person since they insisted they wouldn't even discuss anything on the phone despite the fact it was a standard garbage disposal installation.

Thuan D.

1/29/2016

I researched plumbers and decided to go with J Blanton Plumbing based on other reviews. Very disappointed in the plumbers that came out to investigate a large bubble of paint that I was concerned caused by a leak. After the plumber looked at the ruined paint on my wall, he decided that he would need to cut into the drywall to investigate further. I was worried that if it was a leak, I would be willing to eat the cost of the diagnostic fee of $180 to save myself from further damage that would most likely cost a lot more. To my horror, the plumber just started cutting away at random places in my wall only to find that there was no leak and that the bubbling paint was caused by condensation. If he had suspected it, I could have saved myself a torn up wall and $180. I understand that sometimes you need to explore underneath a wall but there are areas of the wall that he would start to cut into and then decide not to. So now I have two gaping holes when he originally told me he would only cut one small rectangle, and several marks of where he started to cut into the wall and then decided not to. I should have said something as he was working but I thought since J Blanton had other great reviews, they knew what they were doing. Sadly I was wrong and will not be using this company in the future.

Carl L.

1/24/2014

We had a low flow issue in our house due to old pipes and it was becoming a challenge to wash dishes with warm water. After having two different plumbing companies come 'fix' our problem the water still was not flowing.

I took the recommendation of my brother and contacted Jack, who came out right away and came up with a plan. I did not expect the job to be free but found his rate comparable and the work guaranteed.

Jack and his crew (Nick), did a wonderful job and we are happy with the results. The water flow has improved and little mess was left behind.

I would highly recommend: Job done on time, done well, and the cost the same as the estimate. Call Jack you will not be disappointed.

Kathryn C.

7/26/2012

First, I give Jack Blanton a lot of credit for being a nice, responsive guy, who shows up on time. This is why I gave him two stars. If you have a fairly simple plumbing problem, give him a call.

I, however, had a clogged toilet that turned out to be caused by a broken pipe under the foundation of my home. Mr. Blanton came out to my house twice, charged me nearly $1500, and nothing was fixed. This is an outrageous amount for having fixed nothing.

Mr. Blanton also advised me that he could not pinpoint the issue using a camera, so we would need to jackhammer through the foundation in my guest bedroom and my hallway. I got a second opinion from another plumber, who Mr. Blanton recommended. The second plumber did all the diagnostic work for free, was able to televise and find the issue and only had to cut a 2x2 hole in the foundation to fix the problem.

Jackie M.

3/18/2018

I have used J. Blanton a few times, including replacing a kitchen faucet and a two toilet fill valves. The customer service has been friendly and they made setting up the appointments easy. Each time I was happy with the work that was completed. The most recent time I went to use them is when I ran into an issue. One of the toilets that recently had a fill valve replaced was not filling properly so the plumber came out and determined the toilet shutoff valve needed to be replaced. I unfortunately do not have a water shutoff in my unit, so to replace the toilet valve the water to the entire building would need to be shut off and the water drained so they could work. Because of this they quoted me $908 dollars to change this valve. I have had the shutoff valve replaced on other toilets in the unit by a different plumber for about $275 each (including shutting off the water to the building). J. Blanton said they extra $600+ was to shut off the water to the building and drain it. I called two other plumbers who are familiar with my building and they both confirmed that the cost would be $275 each including shutoff to the building, which is what I was charged when one of those plumbers completed the work. The difference between $908 and $275 for completing the same work seems crazy, this is that last time I will be working with J. Blanton.

Nick C.

10/25/2013

Highly recommended. My condo building needed to get a repair before the weather got too cold, to prevent any pipe bursts. J Blanton Plumbing was able to come out quickly, provided me with a free estimate. Overall their pricing was very competitive with the rest of the market and I never felt like they were trying to nickel and dime me at all.

Tony was the plumber dispatched for the job. He arrived right on time and was great from the start. He explained all the work and steps to complete the job. He worked quickly to reduce the total time the water had to be shut off for the building, but he did very high quality work. Tony took time to cover the work area in plastic beforehand and when the job was finished he made sure to clean every thing up completely. He wiped down the area with cleaning spray, even shook out a rug that got a little dust on it.

Overall, very happy with the workmanship and the experience I had with all the employees at J Blanton.

Dawn B.

4/27/2016

We have used many different plumbers in the 11 years we have owned our home. Last year, we hired J. Blanton to help address sewer gas issues and other problems in our basement. Jack's team was great and for the first time in 11 years, we no longer have sewer gas fumes in our basement. They did fantastic work and were friendly on top of it. We have since had our water heater replaced by J. Blanton, and had work done on our boiler. The office team is amazing, and Jack is very professional. When I have had questions or concerns, he has addressed them immediately and well beyond my satisfaction. Yes, their prices may seem high but in my experience, you get what you pay for. When you work with J. Blanton you know you'll get quality service. We have found a plumber we can rely upon.

Joseph G.

03/06/2014 12:00:00 SA

Whether you have a serious plumbing issue that involves tearing open walls or the floor, or if you have a simple clog, J Blanton Plumbing can take care of it. Not only will they do an excellent job, but Jack Blanton is responsive, thorough and has excellent customer service.

We had J Blanton Plumbing replace sewer pipe under our basement floor, tear open walls to replace cast ironwith PVC and most recently install a new temperature/pressure valve in our shower (among many other projects). Jack came out to give an estimate, explain the scope of work and then completed the projects. Their work is excellent and Jack follows up to make sure everything is still working after they leave. I highly recommend J Blanton for any plumbing issues you may have.

Steve L.

12/22/2015

If you are using another plumbing company, you're making a big mistake. Wonderful throughout the process and project completion. I live in a 500+ unit condo. The management company's chief engineer preferred vendor wanted to charge us $1300+ for a job that was less than $400. Sam was great in and out within 2 hours. Can't be beat.

Lourdes D.

2/25/2014

Due to a builder's negligence, we ended up with a huge plumbing and sewer project. We chose J. Blanton Plumbing because they were located a few blocks from us. It was the best decision we made. Not only is Jack Blanton responsive, he is thorough, honest, and just a darn good plumber. Our project involved re-routing our indoor plumbing, boring a hole through the wall to connect our plumbing to the City's main sewer, and digging a trench to the main sewer. This huge, expensive project was such a frustrating headache, but Jack and his crew made it bearable.

We can't say enough good things about Jack and J. Blanton Plumbing. These are they guys you want on your project. Jack made sure we had the proper City permits, approvals, and the go ahead from the Dept. of Water (Mr. Negligent Builder could learn a thing or two from these men). Our project started in December 2013 and wrapped up in early January 2014. We are so pleased with the work. In fact, we were so pleased that I ended up hugging our contractors after the project was completed. How many contractors do you end up hugging? Not many. So, thank you very much Jack, with a very special thank you to your crew: Steve, Vince, Jake, Nick, and Tony. And, to top it all off - they are sooooo funny and had me chuckling every time they were here. You guys are terrific! Thank you for all your hard work!!!

Stacey M.

4/17/2015

So very expensive. I have a long story, which I won't get into, because it is a he-said/she-said situation. However, even if you assume their work is top-notch, it is so very expensive. They claimed the regular price to replace a tank-to-bowl gasket, a $15 part, was $366. They kindly offered me a $100 customer loyalty discount. I mentioned this price to two other plumbers, and both burst out laughing.

Deborah C.

6/13/2016

Huge thank you to JANE for saving us on this emergency water heater adventure! The Blanton team was quick to send someone over and looks like we'll all be back in hot water tomorrow! Thank you Jane and Blanton

A K.

12/14/2014

Called J Blanton Saturday afternoon to replaced a leaky pipe coming out of my water heater. They came, quoted me an EXUBERANT price and said that they could only do it on Monday. Called another plumber who did it for me on Saturday THREE TIMES CHEAPER!

Leah J.

06/12/2013 12:00:00 SA

I had a plumbing emergency last night - water coming in through my ceiling at a pretty fast rate - and the plumber on-call at J Blanton identified the problem over the phone. It took a while, and although he could've required that someone come out to look at the problem (read: could've charged me for late-night service call), he stuck with it, was super-patient, and walked me through all the possible sources of the leak. Found it, fixed it, no more leak.

I will definitely be using these guys going forward. Could not have been kinder or more helpful.

Barry S.

5/31/2016

Chris Loebbaka and and Avram came to my house early on Saturday, quickly diagnosed the location and cause of a clog, fixed it and left the bathroom in immaculate condition. They walked me through exactly what the problem was, what it would cost to fix it, what they were doing, what the found, and how we could avoid the problem in the future. Both technicians were courteous, polite, clean and professional. I will use J Blanton Plumbing again when the need arises and will ask for Chris by name. I highly recommend them.

Bunnynose O.

09/06/2017 12:00:00 SA

I have an awesome handyman, a super electrician, decent HVAC guys but, have not found a good plumber in Chicago until now. Yes, good plumbers and contracting folk come with a higher price and pricing is somewhat based on zipcode but, you get what you pay for. Blanton team removed old toliet, did smoke test to check for where a sewer odor was coming from, installed new toliet, put in new water control valve to improve a low water pressure in tub. Nice, efficient, experienced and professional team. Clean work, shoe covers. No hidden costs, paid contract estimate price. On time with advance call that they were going to be dispatched. Saw the owner speak on TV and he seemed sincere, professional and honest. Did not bother to get another estimate. Checked the many good Yelp reviews as well. I am so happy to have found J. Blanton and add them to my list of top notch Chi. contractors.

Kathy D.

8/27/2015

So we come home to a severe loss of water pressure and called the City water folks who came out and after a few hours of investigation said the issue was on our side of the main.
We called J Blanton who came out in a timely manner, gave us both low (easy work) and high (lottsa work) quotes. It turned out to be on the higher side as they had to dig through a huge amount of soil and clay to find the water pipe in the yard of our almost 100 year old home. They also had some interior work that needed to be done.
They were prompt, professional and restored our water pressure. This was a larger than anticipated repair and they never asked for additional funds.
Once when we were out they stopped their work to take a UPS delivery into our basement instead of leaving it out by the front door as is usual.
I would have no problems or concerns recommending this service or using them again for any problems.

Amy B.

12/31/2015

I've used J Blanton Plumbing twice now. The first time was a very good experience. The second time ... let's just say it was the last time I'll be calling them. I needed a kitchen faucet replaced. The old one still worked, no problems there. Just wanted to upgrade the hardware. I had the faucet, the lines, etc. all ready to go. I made a few phone calls to check out pricing. The other companies seemed a little high, so I called J Blanton. For some strange reason, the woman who fields these calls has no access to pricing information. Even for something as seemingly straightforward as a faucet replacement. She wouldn't even provide an hourly rate or a service call rate. Since I'd used J Blanton before, I figured I could trust them. I was wrong about that. The tech arrived and quoted me more than $370, nearly twice what the other companies had estimated. When I told him I was shocked by how high his price was based on my past experience, he told me that J Blanton must have undercharged me the first time I hired them. I sent him away and hired another contractor to do the job. It took him less than half an hour and it cost $150. I'm not sure what bothers me more - the fact that J Blanton's front-line customer service people can't provide even basic pricing information or the fact that you're completely at the mercy of whichever technician they send your way. Had this been an emergency, I probably would have just hired them. And maybe that's what they count on. What a waste of time for everyone. The funny thing is that I had recommended J Blanton to a good friend who owns a restaurant based on my first experience. They'll no longer be using J Blanton either because we don't feel we can trust them to give us a fair price.

Paul M.

5/15/2015

These guys are great. Cannot say enough good things about them. Family owned, clean, honest, great prices. Book them now!

Richard V.

8/31/2014

J Blanton plumbers came to our house (friendly and on time) to repair a leaky faucet in our shower. Nick was especially helpful in getting on the phone with the manufacturer to ensure that the right replacement part was sent, and he took pictures on his own phone (to send to the manufacturer) just to be extra-sure. But what I really appreciated was that there were two other projects I asked them to do for me, and they told me that one was simply unnecessary and the other could easily be done as a do-it-yourself project. Some plumbers would simply have said, Sure, we'd be happy to do those jobs for you, and proceeded, to the tune of hundreds of dollars. The honesty and integrity of the J Blanton plumbers saved us a lot of money and put them at the top of my list for our future plumbing needs.

eric b.

8/14/2014

Hands down the best plumbers in the city. This was my second time hiring them. I have two 3 flat buildings and finding a decent plumber in this city has been virtually impossible until now. They had done a spectacular job on a big project at my other building so of course when I needed repairs at my other building I immediately called them. Jack came out and fixed the gas pipe for me and then was kind enough to do another unscheduled repair on a kitchen sink for me while he was there. My experience once again was five star! If you want the best plumbers you need to call Jack and his crew. They are sure to impress.

Laura R.

5/30/2015

Extremely happy with the service I received from Blanton from start to finish! Very friendly, helpful and speedy response to my initial phone call. They immediately contacted the field team, and Jeff came to our home within 30mins. He was fantastic and helped retrieve a kid's cup lodged in our sink drain within a few minutes. Our expectation was that calling a plumbing service would be timely and costly, and it was exactly that opposite! Definitely add J Blanton as your go-to / tell a friend business!!

Michael S.

12/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

What a great company to work with. Called them for a clogged toilet at 1:30 on a Thursday afternoon (today actually). It is now just before 3 and the crew has completed their work! In less than 90 minutes they dispatched a team (yes, 2 people) evaluated the situation, provided a quote under 3 different scenarios and fixed the problem. The solution ended up being the lower of the 3 prices. I fully expected when I called to have to wait at least 3 or 4 hours before anyone even showed up! Customer service was friendly, getting someone out here was fast and the team that showed up was knowledgeable, efficient, courteous and clean. When they left you could not tell they were there. While the price is not the lowest around, I do believe it was fair.. and FAST. I mean, you only get 2 out of 3 things you want: good, fast or cheap. This wasn't the cheapest but they were fast and it was really good. Also their pricing is flat rate. I like that better than by the hour. This way, if it takes them 30 minutes or 3 hours, cost is the same. I would DEFINITELY call this company again.

Samantha k.

02/03/2014 12:00:00 SA

Nick from J Blanton Pumbing is a godsend. My husband and I woke up to flooding from a burst pipe at 1:30 am and water continued gushing in for 8 hours. My regular plumber couldn't get there until after 9 am. Nick showed up at 8:00 and stayed there until 12:30 p.m. until he identified and fixed the challenging problem. He was incredibly professional, extremely knowledgable, patient and helpful!!! He and his team also recommended a great restorer/mitigator that was able to get there within hours. Nick saved our floors and gave me piece of mind. Thank you, thank you!

Ben E.

10/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

Returned home from being out of town for a couple of weeks and our kitchen sink was backed up with standing water. It was pretty disgusting, no other way to put it. After getting the water out of the sink (and everything else that comes from standing water in a sink for a few weeks) I needed the sink pipes cleared, or so I thought.

I contacted a respected handyman nearby who referred us to J Blanton Plumbing, who were able to fit us into a very busy day the next AM. Jack and his son came out the next day and immediately found that the problem was not a clogged pipe under the sink but a larger clogged pipe in the basement that affected multiple units in our building. The job was much bigger than I thought originally but they were completely transparent about the process and cost for replacing the pipe along with snaking the drain and gave us the option of waiting to get comparative offers or do the work that day. There was no pressure and complete transparency. We decided to take care of it that day and they did exceptional work. While they were working they thought that they discovered another, much larger issue and might need to go into a wall to fix it but instead found a way to diagnose the issue and solve the problem in a much simpler way that didn't cost us anything. Major plumbing headache solved and the sink and pipes are working great!

These guys are true professionals, honest, respectful, incredibly knowledgeable, and fair. They ended up giving us a referral discount on all of the work that I didn't even know about. And then, this week, Jack stopped back by in between other jobs to help us locate the main water shut off valve in our apartment at no charge, just so we will know in the case of an emergency, now that's great service. Plumbing issues are no fun, but I would strongly recommend J Blanton plumbing.

Matthew L.

11/19/2013

J Blanton is my go-to plumbing company. I have used them for a condo I manage as well as my own home. I have used them 3 times, and all 3 times they were impeccable from communicating, to estimating, to promptness, to service, to efficiency, and definitely to quality of work. Ask for Steve. He's an awesome guy who will give it to you straight and is completely fair. J Blanton is a family company and you can tell what a great family they are by their dedication to quality. J Blanton Rocks!

Frank D.

6/26/2011

Called at 8:15 A M and got the owner on the phone after 2 rings. Told him I needed a garbage disposal installed ASAP. Said he could be there between 2 P M and 5 P M and he would call 1/2 hour before arriving. Called me at 1:45 and said he would be here at 2:15. Arrived at 2:15 and inspected the job. Showed me other problems with my kitchen drain (that I sort of had a feeling needed to be fixed) and gave me a solid cost, not an estimate. They completed the job in less than 2 hours. It cost a bit more than I expected but what doesn't! They are now my plumbers of choice.

Carlo R.

01/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

I've reviewed these guys before, but again great job, this time at assessing critical plumbing issues and costs before a construction project starts, for an architect like me that kind of info is super valuable.

Tony R.

12/11/2013 12:00:00 SA

Jack from Blanton came out today to remove a rust-infested faucet and install a new one. He took the time to walk around the house with me and answer a bunch of questions about other small things, none of which he was there for, but which saved me time and money because now I can correct them myself. Super nice guy, very happy to have them around, would definitely hire them again.

Jameson L.

9/19/2013

Steve and Joe from J Blanton Plumbing were fantastic. I was given a typical two-hour window for their arrival and they were on time, courteous, quickly identified the problem with our sink, gave a reasonable estimate, and not only fixed it, but showed me some helpful tricks on how to prevent the previous owners' clogs and mistakes. Highly recommended

Julia L.

04/11/2012 12:00:00 SA

I called them a few months ago about my dishwasher, and they were out there the same day and recommended someone else that could do the repair that I need. I was so impressed that they took a look at things for no charge, that when our toilet had an issue they were the first people I called. They came over, called about 20 minutes before they were going to arrive, did their work and were out of our condo within 20 minutes. Great guys to work with! Would def. use again.

Ann C.

09/08/2013 12:00:00 SA

My family and I came back from Labor Day weekend to discover a horrible burning smell, which was our burnt out water heater. Jack Blanton came out very promptly to our home, only to discover that our pipes were done completely wrong, and that our situation was actually very dangerous. He and his crew stayed for almost six hours, fixing our pipes, dealing with two different water heaters (the first one didn't fit), and explaining in detail everything that was wrong and what they did. I feel like we got a very good deal considering how much time and energy they spent on what turned out to be much more than just replacing a to water heater. We were thrilled with their job!

M V.

8/16/2012

I had a coupon for the place. It turns out the coupon didn't cover all of what my bathtub clog needed, but it was easy to reach J Blanton, they were quick to schedule me, on time, and, doing the minimal fix covered by the coupon, got my tub draining again without leaving a big mess behind. I was happy with their work

Shannon W.

12/20/2011

Awesome work and fairly priced. They were professional and on-time and were cognizant of my budgetary constraints. Highly recommended.

Jonathan L.

06/06/2012 12:00:00 SA

We had been experiencing serious plumbing issues for several years, literally spending thousands of dollars trying to resolve our issue. Jack came in and assessed our situation, and showed specifically what he was going to do, as well as the cost. In his appraisal he ran two scenarios-best case and worst case...frtunately for us the best case scenario played out. Jack was fair and accurate, clean and courteous, as well as timely in the completion of his work. Great to have finally found a reliable, professional plumber!

Sher K.

4/15/2014

I cannot say enough wonderful things about J. Blanton Plumbing. When we moved into our new home, I was 38 weeks pregnant with our third child (our other two were 2 1/2 - twins). We moved in, turned on the water, and then water gushed down from the ceilings and light fixtures like it was a rainforest in there. It turns out, in between the inspection and closing, nearly 100 (that's ONE HUNDRED) pipes had burst throughout the house (the prior owner had left it unoccupied and had not winterized it despite assurances to us to the contrary). We called J. Blanton. They had their work cut out for them. They had to basically rip apart the house in order to find every pipe, diagnose the problem, and repair it. They did this with incredible speed and remarkable sensitivity. They were kind, and most importantly, THEY WERE HONEST. They were just as honest with us as they were with our insurance company when we attempted to submit the claim. They saved our lives and our sanity! They were extremely knowledgeable about the business, knew exactly what they were doing. They were COMPASSIONATE and felt so bad for us with our situation. We found their prices reasonable, given the incredible amount of work that they were doing. And when we were working with our insurance company on submitting the claim, they did A TON of work to help us get reimbursed (without every violating any ethics). At the end of the day, what I can say about these guys is that they're great about what they do, they're honest, and they're reasonably priced. You can't ask for more than that. I highly recommend them.