Skokie's water has come from Evanston for more than eighty years, and the village's 180 miles of water main show their age in places. Pre-1960 homes here often still have lead service lines, and the village runs an active replacement program. Plumbing Pros works across Skokie every week, from the brick bungalows east of the village center to the mid-century blocks near the forest preserves.

Plumbing in Skokie: Lead Services, Old Mains, and Combined Sewers

Skokie's tap water comes from Lake Michigan, treated at Evanston's filtration plant and delivered under a wholesale contract that dates to 1941. The village maintains roughly 180 miles of water main, and every gallon lost to a leak is a gallon it paid for. That is why the village monitors its system in zones and hunts leaks aggressively. Your water bill reflects that wholesale relationship.

Lead is the defining issue. In homes built before 1960, the service line was typically lead pipe, and some lead went in through about 1980. The village owns the line to the parkway shutoff; the homeowner owns from the shutoff to the house. If the main on your block was replaced decades ago, the village side may be copper while yours is still lead.

The housing stock is dense and old. Brick bungalows, Georgians, and two-flats from the 1920s through the 1950s line the east side and the older blocks. Galvanized supply, cast-iron drains, and plaster walls are the norm. These houses reward plumbers who diagnose before demolishing.

Skokie has a combination sewer system in places, meaning stormwater and household sewage share the same pipes. During severe rainfalls the system can surcharge and even backflow, and the village's own materials note that overflows can reach Lake Michigan. Backwater valves and overhead sewers are the defenses that matter here. We install and service both.

The ground is the region's familiar heavy clay, and basements are everywhere. Sump pumps, ejector pumps, and foundation drainage all do real work in the wet months. Clay soil plus a combination sewer means spring storms test every part of the system at once. We size and service the whole wet-weather package.

Winter is the other season: freeze-thaw splits hose bibbs and lines in crawl spaces, porches, and garages every January. Between lead services, combined sewers, and old brick houses, Skokie plumbing keeps us busy year-round. Call (877) 401-2673 if your pressure has faded, drains back up in storms, the basement takes on water, or you want to know your service line material.

Who Actually Shows Up When You Call Plumbing Pros

Plumbers who know Skokie's blocks and its combined sewers

There is a pattern to the calls we take in Skokie. A 1930s brick bungalow with a lead service line the owner just learned about, or a basement that floods every time a big storm overwhelms the combined sewer. A Georgian with galvanized supply that has been fading for a decade. We identify service line materials, install backflow protection, and repipe old houses without tearing them apart. When you call (877) 401-2673, you reach technicians who work these blocks every week.

• We identify lead service lines and explain the village's replacement program in plain language.
• We install backwater valves and overhead sewers for homes on the combined system.
• We diagnose with cameras and instruments before quoting, so the plan follows the evidence.
• We repipe brick bungalows and Georgians with minimal disruption to plaster and finishes.
• We size sump and ejector systems for clay soil and storm-season inflow.
• We put options and costs in writing and let you decide without pressure.

Why Skokie Homeowners Keep Our Number

• Lead service line work. We identify lead and galvanized services and handle full replacements, and we know how the village program works.
• Combined sewer defenses. Backwater valves and overhead sewer conversions are the right protection when storms surcharge the system.
• Sewer camera diagnostics. We show you the recording so the fix matches the line's real condition.
• Older-home specialists. Brick, plaster, tight crawl spaces: we open what we must and protect the rest.
• Wet-weather systems. Sump pumps, ejectors, and foundation drainage sized for clay soil and big storms.
• Clean, documented work. Photos of findings, written scope before work, swept work area after.
• Straight pricing. Plain-language costs in writing before anything starts.

Plumbing Problems We See Most in Skokie

Lead water service lines in pre-1960 homes

In Skokie homes built before 1960, the water service was typically lead pipe, with some lead installations continuing into the early 1980s. The village owns the main-to-parkway portion; you own from the shutoff valve to the house. Even where the village side was replaced with copper when the main was renewed, the homeowner side often remains lead. We identify the material at the meter or foundation wall and handle full replacements.

Combined sewer backups during big storms

Where stormwater and sewage share the same pipes, severe storms can surcharge the system and push sewage back toward basements. The village's own stormwater materials acknowledge that these backflows happen during extreme rain. A backwater valve or an overhead sewer conversion is the real defense, and each suits different houses. We install and service both, sized for your house and its lowest drain.

Galvanized supply strangling pressure

Brick bungalows and Georgians across the village still carry galvanized steel supply piping from their original construction. It corrodes from the inside, and pressure fades worst at the upstairs fixtures over the decades. Eventually it pinholes behind plaster, and the first sign is often a damp spot on a wall. Repiping in copper or PEX restores full flow, staged in sections to keep water on through the job.

Cast-iron drains rotting through

Eighty-year-old cast-iron drain and vent piping is common in Skokie's oldest blocks, and it is living on borrowed time. Horizontal runs scale, channel, and rot through from below, while vertical stacks often last longer. Watch for backups at the lowest fixture, intermittent sewer odors, and slow drains that keep returning. A camera inspection shows the remaining life, and we replace failing sections or full runs with modern materials.

Sump and ejector pump failures

Clay soil and wet springs mean Skokie basements depend on sump and ejector pumps every year. A dead pump, a stuck float, or a discharge line frozen shut all end the same way: water on the floor. We install primary pumps with battery backup and service existing systems before the wet months arrive. Storm-season outages are when the backup matters most, because storms and outages arrive together.

Frozen hose bibbs and supply lines

Every January brings the same calls: split hose bibbs, frozen lines in porches and crawl spaces, and burst pipes in garages. We repair the damage and address the cause, because January comes every year. That means frost-proof sillcocks with proper pitch, insulation at wall penetrations, and re-routing lines out of the freeze zones. A little prevention beats a burst pipe and the ceiling damage that follows it.

Aging water heaters in tight basements

The village's older homes often have water heaters tucked into tight basements and utility rooms, sometimes installed decades ago. Scale builds year after year, tanks rust from the inside, and anode rods deplete until nothing protects the steel. A failed tank in a finished basement is a disaster, and we see the aftermath every winter. We replace tanks and tankless units, check venting and gas connections, and size the new unit for the household.

How a Service Visit Works

1. Tell us what you are seeing: Call (877) 401-2673 and describe the symptom: storm backups, fading pressure, a wet basement, no hot water. We ask about the home's age, which matters enormously in Skokie. The technician arrives with a working theory about your block's pipe and the village's system. No surprises on arrival, and no pressure on the doorstep.
2. We look, then we tell you: We inspect with cameras, gauges, and direct observation, because the pipe decides the plan. Then we explain findings and options in plain language, with photos where they help. Costs go in writing before you approve anything. You decide with full information and no rush.
3. You approve the plan: Nothing starts without your approval. We give honest repair-versus-replace guidance and explain how village programs may apply to your job. No pressure tactics, no expiring discounts, no same-visit ultimatums. Straight answers are how a local shop earns the second call.
4. We do the work and clean up: We protect floors, plaster, and finishes, and keep openings as small as the job allows. Work goes in to code and gets tested before we leave, and we run every fixture we touched. The area is swept and wiped down, and debris leaves with us. A working system is what remains.
5. Walkthrough before we leave: We walk you through the finished work: a backwater valve to know, a pump alarm to hear, a shutoff to find. Ask anything; the conversation is part of the job. We also leave you with what to watch for seasonally, so small issues get caught early. You'll understand your system better than before we arrived.

Where We Work in Skokie

We serve the village's full coverage area: ZIP codes 60076 and 60077, from the dense brick blocks of the east side to the neighborhoods near the forest preserves. That includes the pre-war bungalow and Georgian blocks, the mid-century streets, and the areas where the combined sewer system is oldest. It covers the blocks where pre-1960 lead service lines are most common and the village's replacement efforts are most active. We are in these neighborhoods every week for service line identification and replacement, backwater valve installs, camera inspections, and repipes. The housing eras differ by block, and we know which materials each one left behind. From lead service replacements to backwater valves, this is the work we do here most. If your street is inside the village or just across the boundary, there is a good chance you are in our coverage. Don't see your ZIP code? Call (877) 401-2673 and we'll confirm coverage.

Zip Codes We Serve in Skokie

60076, 60077

Testimonials

Our basement backed up twice during big storms. They installed a backwater valve and reworked the ejector setup, and explained exactly what the combined sewer was doing. Two storm seasons since, dry both times. They also showed us how to test the valve yearly. Worth every penny.

We had no idea our service line was lead until they checked it at the meter. They explained the village program, handled the replacement, and kept the plaster damage to one small opening. Straightforward from start to finish. They handled the village paperwork for the replacement.

The upstairs pressure had been fading for years. They found galvanized pipe choked with rust and repiped in sections over two visits. We had water every evening. They protected the plaster and cleaned up daily. The old house feels new again.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my service line is lead?

Find where the water line comes through the foundation or basement wall. The village's own guidance: lead pipe is grey and soft, copper is dark orange. Homes built before 1960 are the most likely to have lead. We confirm the material and take care of full replacements. The check takes a few minutes with a screwdriver and a magnet.

What is a combined sewer, and why does my basement back up?

In a combined system, one set of pipes carries both stormwater and household sewage. During severe storms the system can surcharge and push water back toward basements. A backwater valve or overhead sewer conversion stops that. We install and service both. Homes nearest the oldest mains see it most.

Who owns my service line?

In Skokie, the village owns the portion from the water main to the parkway shutoff valve. Your responsibility runs from that valve all the way to the house. If the village replaced its side with copper years ago, your side may still be lead. We check the homeowner portion. When in doubt, check the pipe where it enters the house.

Why does my basement take on water in spring?

Heavy clay soil, a high water table, and spring storms test every basement. Check the sump pump, the float, and the discharge line. If water appears anyway, the system is undersized or failing. We size pumps for real inflow and add battery backup for outages. Spring is when we see the most failures.

Roots are in my sewer lateral. What now?

A camera inspection comes first. We clear the line mechanically, then discuss treatment plans, spot repairs, or full replacement based on what the recording shows. We show it to you. Call (877) 401-2673 to schedule. Catching it early keeps the options cheaper.

How do I keep pipes from freezing?

Hose bibbs go first, then lines in porches, crawl spaces, and garages. Fit frost-proof sillcocks pitched to drain and insulate the penetrations. Know your main shutoff before you need it. If a line freezes, shut the water off and call (877) 401-2673. A burst pipe in January is the expensive alternative.

How long does a water heater last?

Most tanks last about a decade, less without maintenance. Watch for rumbling, rusty hot water, and pooling at the base. A tank that fails in a finished basement does expensive damage. We install tanks and tankless units sized for the household. A neglected tank always picks the worst moment to fail.

Do you work on the brick bungalows?

Constantly. Brick, plaster, tight basements: that's our daily work in Skokie. We diagnose with cameras and gauges to avoid unnecessary demolition. Openings stay small and finishes stay protected. Call (877) 401-2673 and tell us what you're seeing.

Local Weather Risk

Cook County has recorded the following severe weather events since 2015, per NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information:

• Thunderstorm Wind: 628 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Hail: 184 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Flood: 133 recorded events (2016–2025)
• Flash Flood: 87 recorded events (2015–2025)
• Tornado: 34 recorded events (2015–2025)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Our Services

• Backflow Prevention Testing & Installation Near Me — Call for pricing
• Bathroom Plumbing Remodel Near Me — Call for pricing
• Bathtub Repair & Installation Near Me — Call for pricing
• Burst Pipe Repair Near Me — Call for pricing
• Commercial Plumbing Services Near Me — Call for pricing

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