McDonagh & Sons Plumbing & Sewer Inc

Good. We called Patrick and he responded quick and came over next day and gave us an estimate. He is very nice and professional. Estimate was accurate. Fixed price was for labor and parts, wife did not agree and she wanted to take the Angies List discount on labor. We would probably use Patrick again. We do not have or forsee any plumbing problems in the near future.

He did an excellent job. He called me when he was going to be a few minutes late and apologized. He was so honest, too. He could have nailed me with expensive work, but he did not. He fixed the problem and gave me the right part to make sure I never had the problem again, which was a lot cheaper than he could have made it.

Patrick had some trouble getting here because he was at another job when he called to find out what was wrong and was needed. He had to call two times knowing that he would be later than he said. When he arrived he spent 2 hours including checking other areas to make sure he was able to complete unplugging my bathroom sink. Think he even got basement sink running right. He did a good job.

I called early morning about my tenant's problem. Patrick was responsive and scheduled an appointment later that morning. He arrived on schedule and kept me informed on what the problem was and how he would resolve the issue. After getting the required parts he completed the job in a timely manner. Patrick was very courteous and professional toward my tenant. I will use McDonagh & Sons Plumbing & Sewer Inc for any other plumbing issues that may occur.

The overall experience with Patrick and his team was great. He showed up half an hour early (which was perfectly acceptable). He took the time to do a walkthrough and diagnose the problem. He demonstrated his extensive knowledge by asking all the right questions. He agreed to do the work on a follow-up date, but ended up coming back that very same night to complete the job due to a potential scheduling conflict. Patrick was very thorough in the work he did and even made a trip back to his supply store to get some parts he needed (on his dime). Although he did some extra work for me, Patrick never deviated from the price of the original quote. The individual Patrick brought with him was also very professional and worked efficiently to do the rodding and pump replacement that I needed. I would certainly use McDonagh & Sons for my future plumbing needs.

Service was great. Patrick matched another quote and was able to get the work done sooner than we thought. My shower runs great, and I will definitely call again for when I'm ready for my 2nd bathroom,

Patrick kept me informed on what time he was going to arrive as I was not his first call for the day. While he was there, I also had him look at a rusted galvanize pipe in the laundry area that has been leaking for a while. He discovered that the rust had made a hole in the nipple where the fitting ended. Besides expertly installing the hot water heater replacing the galvanize pipe with copper he also replaced the leaking pipe in the laundry area for a reasonable additional charge. He was very professional and although this particular job took longer than he expected, he stayed with his estimated price. I am a competent do-it-yourselfer that is getting up in years, so I did not want to tackle this job. Watching Patrick perform this job made me glad that I did not do it myself. Upon finishing up, he also cleaned up the area well. I would definitely hire him again and also recommend him to my friends.

Patrick and Tara came the day that I called. They were professional, very careful to keep the house clean and resourceful in solving the drain problem. I thought they were great and will call them whenever I have the need for a plumber.

We contacted McDonagh & Sons after completion of our last plumbing job in order to have drain tile put in around the base of our entire foundation for piece of mind. Patrick worked with us to insure that everthing was done right. They got extremely busy during the permit process with sevral emergency jobs that did cause a minor delay, however we would not consider that to be any sort of a detriment. We were very satisfied with the work performed and would recommend McDonagh & Sons to anyone!

Patrick came by to clean out a catch basin located in a crawl space beneath a housing addition that had not been cleaned out for many years. We in fact were not even aware of it's existence until recently, and were interested in getting it cleaned out as quickly as possible. I spoke to Patrick on a Friday, and he advised he would be available to come clean out the basin on the following Wednesday. Although Patrick was approximately 40 minutes late, he was apologetic and began working on the issue right away. He had two other employees with him, and they quickly discovered our basin was not only difficult to access but very full. Patrick went to great lengths to make sure that the basin was cleaned and safe to continue using. He actually had to climb down into the basin to remove enough material, and I really appreciated him taking the time to do what he said he would, despite it being a nasty job. Patrick also recommended I have the catch basin closed off because of its outdated technology and the fortunate close proximity of my kitchen drain to the main drain line running through the basement floor. He took the time to explain to me what that job would entail and why it was a good idea. I felt like he was looking out for the interests of me, the homeowner, and did not feel like he was just trying to sell me something more. It is something that I will consider and most likely do in the future, and I'm glad he brought it to my attention. I would definitely recommend Patrick and will use him again.

I left a message seeking an estimate and Patrick returned my call within 20 minutes. We agreed he'd come by that evening to look at the basin and determine what needed to be done. He was on his way to another job at the time. He called a few hours later and said the job ran long that evening and asked if we could reschedule for the next morning. I had no problem with that and appreciated that he called to let me know. We agreed he'd come by at 9am the next morning. 9am came and went and no Patrick, no phone call. I waited more than 2 hours before deciding I'd head out to run my errands as Patrick hadn't even bothered to call me and let me know he was running late or needed to reschedule. When I returned home a couple of hours later I found his business card stuck in a package (left by UPS) on my front step and another stuck in my side door. I'm very disappointed that Patrick didn't bother to call when he had my cell number. No call + no show = no job.

We woke up this morning to our basement plumbing not working and sewage backed up into our pump room. This would always be a problem, however, my in-laws were staying down there in our guest room because they were here for my daughter's 3rd birthday. Since the party was to be held partially in the basement, we needed help fast. I found Patrick through Angie's List and called him up. I woke him up and he was here within two hours, diagnosed the failed ejector pump, and had it repaired within an hour after his arrival. He did a great job, put in a better pump than was originally there, and was incredibly patient with the birthday girl and all her questions. Thankfully, the party will now be able to go on as planned.

First contacted McDonagh through Angies list and got a call back right away, and was able to set up appointment shortly thereafter for 6:00 pm on a weekday. Traffic was bad that day and both of us were running late, so we pushed it back to 7:00, and Patrick arrived about half hour late. Patrick indicated I would get the estimate the following day, but I didn't hear from him, so decided to call him around 4:00 pm. He gave me a verbal estimate over the phone (a lump sum for several jobs), and we set up an appointment for that weekend. At the time of the appointment, he called and cancelled. As a token, he offered to include camera imaging free of charge with the main line sewer rodding (which he recommended as a preventative measure). Because of the cancellation, I requested a written estimate via email, as I decided to just have him do the rodding and not the other issues we discussed. He responded back asking for a fax number, which I provided, but then I didn't hear from him for a few days. Then I received an emailed estimate from Tarah, which was for $195, indicating a discount from $225 for the delay. I emailed back Friday morning to confirm this included the camera, but did not get a response. The next day was the appointment, Saturday between 11:00-1:00. I called at 11:00 to get a more precise time and Patrick said 12:15. At 12:50 his employee Josh called and was lost, not near my house. Patrick never informed me that someone else was going to be doing the job. I asked Josh if he had the camera, which he did not (I don't think the info. was relayed to him), and he would not be able to get it that day, so we had to cancel another appointment. Josh was very professional on the phone and he made a personal gesture to come out the next day at 8:30 with the camera and do the job, even though Sunday was his day off. Sunday morning Patrick called around 8:30 and said he would be at my house soon (I was expecting Josh). Because my wife was out of town, I put my dog in his crate to avoid him jumping on the workers. Then an hour went by without hearing from them, and finally Josh (and an apprentice) showed up, not Patrick. Since they had cancelled two appointments, I was annoyed that they were late and almost cancelled the job. However, Josh was again very professional in explaining the confusion, so we went ahead with the work. Josh started to rod the line from the catch basin using a special attachment (not the cutter), just to check for obstructions, since the previous owners had cemented over the entry way to the line (we broke it off) and we were not sure why. The rodder did get stuck after only going in a few feet. After pulling the rodder out, he decided to see what was going on with the camera. He was able to run the camera through the entire line, which showed no problems (roots, clogs, etc.). The line was clean. He also ran the camera through the catch basin line, which showed some dirt buildup do to structural damage at the joints. He recommended against rodding due to the high possibility of causing further damage. When the work was done, Patrick still charged me $195, even though they didn't really rod the line. I do understand the value of having the camera work done, and I have the peace of mind that the line is clear. So, I don't think I got a bad deal, but can't give them an 'A' on price since the charge was supposed to be for rodding, not camera. I will say that they are flexible and quick with setting up appointments, but my experience was that they were not as good at being on time.

Patrick and Josh came to our house on Saturday morning after an initial walkthrough Friday evening. At first glance our troubles seemed easy, but the further they got, the bigger the problem was realized to be. They discovered that the problem in fact was the result of shortcuts taken by the previous owner and walked us through the work that was needed.. They came back the following morning to start breaking the foundation to find and fix the problem. Our sewage line had been left open to drain into a sump pump pit, and work had to be done to correct these shortcuts and correctly connect everything to the sewer line. Partrick was honest and up front regarding the cost estimate, giving us several options, including both best and worst case scenarios. He and Josh were very professional and polite, staying late to finish up Monday night. Our situation quickly went from what we thought would be a quick and easy fix, to what was in my eyes a rather large operation. Throughout the whole process my wife and I never once were worried, trusting the knowledge and know how of McDonagh & Sons Plumbing. With work now complete and the hum of our new ejection pump quietly in the background, we are happy to recommend this company to anyone in need of plumbing and/or sewer help. In a world where couples like us often wonder if we've been treated fairly, we feel like we were given a fair price for the extensive work that was done. They saved us, and can save you too!

The kitchen faucet was leaking and I was expecting out of town guests for the weekend. I called McDonagh & Sons Plumbing and spoke directly to Patrick. He worked me into his schedule that same day. When traffic slowed him down he called with an adjusted ETA. I appreciated that extra touch and same day service. He fixed the sink and clearly explained the problem to me. He then corrected the cartridge in the shower where the hot and cold water was reversed by an incorrectly placed cartridge. I was impressed with his knowledge and professional demeanor along with his partner, John. Although I couldn't fix these items myself I appreciate his explanation of each project and prompt service. I have one more project of a non emergency matter that I will schedule to have done with Patrick in the near future. This experience was so positive that I will have McDonagh on my speed dial for future plumbing jobs. I was given the Angie's list discount as advertised on his site. His pricing is fair and competitive.

The tree roots were extracted from our pipes and everything is working perfectly.

I contacted Patrick in mid-November to give me an estimate on a problem that I was having in my townhouse in the south loop. I had a contractor (I gotta guy services) renovate my bathroom in the spring and since then had problems with a leaking shower head and reversal of the hot/cold controls on the shower faucet. Patrick came over to give me an estimate to fix the problem. Patrick was very thorough in looking for the cause of the problem and spent a better part of a morning driving around looking for parts in the hopes that he could remedy the problem without knocking down tile. Unfortunately, my previous contractor screwed me over and did a poor job. As a result, Patrick had to knock down the tile to correct the piping issues. He came back 2 days later with his wife to do the job. They corrected the problem and cleaned up well afterwards. Patrick was very professional in his interaction and was able to do the work very quickly. I also felt that Patrick's pricing was more than fair considering all the work/driving around he had to do. I would highly recommend McDonagh and sons to anyone who needs plumbing work. They will get to the job quickly, do good work, and have fair pricing.

Patrick McDonagh came out on Sunday, 11/27/11, on very short notice to open up a bath tub drain as it was stopped up. The following Friday (12/2/11) he needed to come out and rod out the main sewer line. He did outstanding work on both days. He was very timely in his arrival, he did excellent work, he cleaned up after himself, and he was very courteous. I would definitely use him again and would recommend him to others.

Background: This was for a single family brick bungalow built in 1930 in Oak Park. For years the top concrete ring on my catch basin has been crumbling. Last year (2010) I had the sewer rodded. It was done through the catch basin. When I inspected the catch basin the next week I saw the iron lid was missing and guessed the rodder/rooter had dropped it inside. I called the rodding company and they denied it but said the worker would call me about it . He never called. I covered the basin with wood and paving stone to keep it closed. Since my regular plumber did not do catch basins, in August 2011 I checked on Angie's list and located some plumber services that seemed to repair catch basins. After some calls I reached McDonagh . They gave me an idea of the cost and I arranged for an inspection. Eventually Pat came and inspected the catch basin and reported it only needed some patching, replaced concrete ring on top and lid replaced or restored. He thought the original lid was on the bottom. He reported the basin in basically good condition and did not need to be rebuilt, disconnected, reconnected, replaced or filled in. It was what I hoped and expected. I got an estimate for $525.00 which was less they they had originally guessed it would cost prior to the inspection over the phone. In a few weeks I had the funds to pay for it but then I delayed it for other jobs and misplaced their phone number. Last week I located the number and called Pat on Monday (12/5/11) hoping they could still do the work before really cold weather came. They were unscheduled for the next day, Tuesday, and so we set it for 8 am Tuesday. Pat came early Tuesday with an assistant and the two of them finished the work in 2 hours. The old lid was found and reused so he only needed cement and a new concrete ring for the top. Pat did not try to sell me unneeded work although we discussed other items concerning sewers,drains and water backing up from the city sewers. What more could I want/expect??

The job was handled professionally and the workers were courteous. The Job took longer then expected, because of complications related to the construction of my home. They handled every obstacle and they stayed within quote even though the job took twice as long as expected.

I had an issue with the sewer line and catch basin. I had 4 companies come out to look at my problem. The first company had a very extreme plan that I thought was a little over kill and over priced. The other three all had similar solutions with slightly varying prices. I chose McDonagh based on price and they were also referred from a neighbor. Patrick came out the first time and gave my two quotes, the first based on fixing the current issue and a second quote to fix this problem and adding extra flood measures. After a few thoughts, I had more questions and ideas so Patrick came out again to discuss. A few days later I called a third time with another change, Patrick responded again. We finalized what was going to be done and the price, the next day he and Tara were digging up my basement. Josh showed up a little later and really got the digging going. All three were nice the whole time they were here. They were informative in what they were doing and flexible to the surprises that arose. The project went smoothly and looks good. Josh cleaned up nicely and worked hard the whole time. All and all they removed all lines going to the catch basin, closing it off and filling it in. Cleaned and camera scoped the main to make sure everything was good. Rerouted three drains to a pit to close off any direct backing up of the main sewer line. While they were here I asked if they could reconnect a copper pipe I had to cut and they did that for me real quick without a charge.

After waiting over an hour for Patrick and Tarah for the first scheduled estimate I decided to call them and find out IF they were planning on coming and when I could expect them. Upon calling, Patrick told me that my contact information was in the other truck so he didn't have it on him; (good thing I called him - RIGHT?!?) but he would be over in about 20-30 minutes. 45 minutes later it was finally convenient enough for them to come and conduct the estimate. They came with their lackadaisical attitudes and no apologies about wasting my time. The inspection itself went alright, they took pictures, tested water pressure, poked holes in the ceiling, etc. Told me they would call me later with a quote. He called me later on to give me the quote which was probably the best part of the dealings. We had decided, we thought we wanted to use them for our remodel job. I asked when they could start and when I could see a contract and go over everything. I was told on 10/10/2011 at 1:36 p.m. that they would be over at the house after 4:30 p.m. but before 6:00 p.m. GREAT!! That was perfect timing for us. We waited, and waited, and waited. At 7:30 p.m. we had enough. I have not heard from them since. They wasted my time twice. The first time I'm not sure if they would've even come if I hadn't called to ask when they were coming. The second time, clearly they blew me off. If you need a plumber don't call them. They will waste your time too. Is my time not valuable? In today's economy should I have to chase someone down to take my money? Anyway, if you need a plumber who is respectful of your time and home call someone else.

I This business is Top-Notch. Patrick, the owner, explained everything in detail and welcomed questions regarding our sewer situation. Also, the cost was more than reasonable. Your dealing with a honest and upright individual whose business does excellent work. In fact, I just found out in my daughter's neighborhood, he is known and has a fine reputation and following. It was a pleasure to write this review. A Happy Customer. Leo and Bonnie

Aforementioned problems occurred on a Saturday afternoon, so I was concerned about a) finding an available plumber, and b) not getting gouged for requesting a plumber on the weekend. I called three plumbers...one didn't answer, the other was booked for the day, and the third plumber I tried calling based upon favorable Angie's List reviews was McDonagh. Patrick answered and I explained my concerns to him. He told me that there would be an extra charge for the weekend, and I might consider waiting until Monday to skip the emergency charge since I've got a working second bathroom and toilet. I didn't want to wait until Monday so figured I could deal with the expected Saturday surcharge. I was just happy to have someone come out. Patrick fixed all three issues...the toilet issue took all of two minutes and he showed me what the problem was and how I could prevent it or fix it next time without having to call a plumber (very much appreciated). One of the leaking faucets was a simple fix whereas the other one was more complicated. Patrick fixed all of the issues and went above and beyond with certain things like adding putty to prevent future leaks. Patrick is a very knowledgeable plumber. It's very obvious that he knows what he's doing, takes pride in and warranties his work, and educates his customers. His pricing is more than reasonable. I'm very happy to have found such a great and affordable a plumber...I'll be calling him for any plumbing needs I have in the future.

The service was outstanding. I contacted the firm through Angie's List. Patrick McDonagh called me right back, he was able to come see me soon thereafter, and he replaced the injector pump very quickly. He was very professional and courteous, knew what he was doing, and did the job well. I definitely would call Patrick again.