Illinois · 96 covered places · 226 ZIP codes
Plumbers in Cook County, IL
We cover 96 cities and towns in Cook County, Illinois, across 226 ZIP codes, including Chicago, Des Plaines, Cicero. About 5,144,000 people live in those ZIP codes. 50% of the homes were built before 1960, so galvanized pipe and old cast iron drains are common.
| Year built | Share of homes |
|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 28% |
| 1940–1959 | 21% |
| 1960–1979 | 25% |
| 1980–1999 | 14% |
| 2000 or later | 12% |
Share of housing units in the covered ZIP codes. Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates.
| Place | Residents in covered ZIPs | Built before 1960 |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 2,691,226 | 59% |
| Des Plaines | 89,822 | 30% |
| Cicero | 83,223 | 84% |
| Evanston | 81,285 | 61% |
| Arlington Heights | 80,906 | 20% |
| Schaumburg | 77,989 | 5% |
| Palatine | 74,414 | 17% |
| Orland Park | 65,652 | 7% |
| Berwyn | 63,867 | 81% |
| Tinley Park | 62,274 | 10% |
What goes wrong in Cook County homes
Pre-1960 homes: galvanized pipe and cast iron
50% of homes in Cook County's covered ZIP codes were built before 1960, 28% of them before 1940. Houses that old often still have galvanized steel supply lines that rust closed from the inside, and cast iron or clay sewer pipe that cracks and lets roots in. Weak pressure at upstairs fixtures, brown water after a shutoff and slow drains are the usual clues. Typical fixes are whole-house repiping and a sewer camera inspection.
Natural gas in most homes
81% of occupied homes here heat with utility gas, so gas water heaters, ranges and dryers are common. That means gas line extensions for new appliances, flexible connector replacements and venting checks when a water heater is swapped. If you smell gas, leave first and call the gas utility from outside. See gas line repair.
Long, hard winters
74% of homes here were built before 1980, when pipes were more often run through exterior walls and uninsulated crawl spaces. In a long Illinois winter those are the lines that freeze and split. See frozen and burst pipe repair.
Apartments, condos and attached homes
Only 40% of homes here are single-family detached houses. In attached buildings a leak or clog often involves a shared stack or a neighbor's unit, so it's worth knowing which lines are yours and which belong to the building or HOA, and where your unit's own shutoff is.
Common plumbing work in Cook County
City pages in Cook County
Other covered towns in Cook County
- Alsip (1 ZIP)
- Arlington Heights (3 ZIPs)
- Barrington (2 ZIPs)
- Bedford Park (1 ZIP)
- Bellwood (1 ZIP)
- Berkeley (1 ZIP)
- Berwyn (1 ZIP)
- Blue Island (1 ZIP)
- Bridgeview (2 ZIPs)
- Broadview (1 ZIP)
- Brookfield (1 ZIP)
- Burbank (1 ZIP)
- Calumet City (1 ZIP)
- Chicago Heights (2 ZIPs)
- Chicago Ridge (1 ZIP)
- Cicero (1 ZIP)
- Country Club Hills (1 ZIP)
- Crestwood (1 ZIP)
- Des Plaines (4 ZIPs)
- Dolton (1 ZIP)
- Elk Grove Village (2 ZIPs)
- Elmwood Park (1 ZIP)
- Evanston (6 ZIPs)
- Evergreen Park (1 ZIP)
- Flossmoor (1 ZIP)
- Forest Park (2 ZIPs)
- Franklin Park (1 ZIP)
- Glencoe (1 ZIP)
- Glenview (2 ZIPs)
- Glenwood (1 ZIP)
- Golf (1 ZIP)
- Harvey (1 ZIP)
- Harwood Heights (1 ZIP)
- Hazel Crest (1 ZIP)
- Hickory Hills (1 ZIP)
- Hillside (1 ZIP)
- Hoffman Estates (5 ZIPs)
- Hometown (1 ZIP)
- Homewood (1 ZIP)
- Inverness (1 ZIP)
- Justice (1 ZIP)
- Kenilworth (1 ZIP)
- La Grange (1 ZIP)
- La Grange Park (1 ZIP)
- Lansing (1 ZIP)
- Lemont (1 ZIP)
- Lincolnwood (1 ZIP)
- Lyons (1 ZIP)
- Markham (1 ZIP)
- Matteson (1 ZIP)
- Maywood (1 ZIP)
- Melrose Park (3 ZIPs)
- Midlothian (1 ZIP)
- Morton Grove (1 ZIP)
- Mount Prospect (1 ZIP)
- Niles (2 ZIPs)
- Northbrook (3 ZIPs)
- Oak Forest (1 ZIP)
- Oak Lawn (2 ZIPs)
- Oak Park (4 ZIPs)
- Olympia Fields (1 ZIP)
- Orland Park (2 ZIPs)
- Palatine (7 ZIPs)
- Palos Heights (1 ZIP)
- Palos Hills (1 ZIP)
- Palos Park (1 ZIP)
- Park Forest (1 ZIP)
- Park Ridge (1 ZIP)
- Posen (1 ZIP)
- Prospect Heights (1 ZIP)
- Richton Park (1 ZIP)
- River Forest (1 ZIP)
- River Grove (1 ZIP)
- Riverdale (1 ZIP)
- Riverside (1 ZIP)
- Robbins (1 ZIP)
- Rolling Meadows (1 ZIP)
- Schaumburg (7 ZIPs)
- Schiller Park (1 ZIP)
- Skokie (2 ZIPs)
- South Holland (1 ZIP)
- Steger (1 ZIP)
- Stone Park (1 ZIP)
- Streamwood (1 ZIP)
- Summit Argo (1 ZIP)
- Techny (1 ZIP)
- Thornton (1 ZIP)
- Tinley Park (2 ZIPs)
- Westchester (1 ZIP)
- Western Springs (1 ZIP)
- Wheeling (2 ZIPs)
- Willow Springs (1 ZIP)
- Wilmette (1 ZIP)
- Winnetka (1 ZIP)
- Worth (1 ZIP)
Cook County plumbing FAQ
Which towns in Cook County do you cover?
96 places: Alsip, Arlington Heights, Barrington, Bedford Park, Bellwood, Berkeley, Berwyn, Blue Island, Bridgeview, Broadview, Brookfield, Burbank, Calumet City, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Chicago Ridge, Cicero, Country Club Hills, Crestwood, Des Plaines, Dolton, Elk Grove Village, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Glencoe, Glenview, Glenwood, Golf, Harvey, Harwood Heights, Hazel Crest, Hickory Hills, Hillside, Hoffman Estates, Hometown, Homewood, Inverness, Justice, Kenilworth, La Grange, La Grange Park, Lansing, Lemont, Lincolnwood, Lyons, Markham, Matteson, Maywood, Melrose Park, Midlothian, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Olympia Fields, Orland Park, Palatine, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Park Ridge, Posen, Prospect Heights, Richton Park, River Forest, River Grove, Riverdale, Riverside, Robbins, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Skokie, South Holland, Steger, Stone Park, Streamwood, Summit Argo, Techny, Thornton, Tinley Park, Westchester, Western Springs, Wheeling, Willow Springs, Wilmette, Winnetka, Worth. Enter your ZIP code to confirm coverage for your street.
How old are homes in Cook County?
Across the covered ZIP codes, Census estimates put 50% of homes as built before 1960, 25% from 1960 to 1979, 14% from 1980 to 1999 and 12% in 2000 or later.
Who licenses plumbers in Cook County, IL?
The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses plumbers and plumbing contractors must register; Chicago adds its own requirements.
Housing and heating figures are US Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year estimates for the ZIP code areas we cover in Cook County, combined across places and weighted by housing units. Some ZIP codes extend into neighboring counties.
Need a plumber in Cook County?
Same-day service when a plumber is available. One call connects you with a licensed plumber who serves your ZIP.