Welcome to Chicago North Shore Moms‘ Small Business Spotlight! Meet Lake Forest dad and entrepreneur Brandon Delfino, co-owner of Cahill Heating, Cooling, Electric, Plumbing & Sewer, a local small business with a mighty footprint across the North Shore and beyond. In our exclusive interview, Brandon shares what drives his family-first values, his commitment to the community, and the heart behind one of Chicagoland’s most trusted home service companies. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to get to know the people behind the trucks and the values behind the work. Along the way, he offers practical, insider homeowner advice you won’t want to miss because it could save you thousands in costly emergency repairs, trust! We warmly (pun intended) welcome Brandon to the Chicago North Shore Moms community!
Hi Brandon. Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?
I grew up in Lake Forest and after college moved around quite a bit. Downtown Chicago, California, Florida – and took a hard look at Texas. As my wife and I welcomed our second little girl we intentionally moved back to Lake Forest as we couldn’t think of a better place to raise a family. Midwest people are wonderful and we couldn’t think of a better place to be.
I have two amazing girls, 4 and 6. My 6-year-old has the most angelic voice and wonderfully imaginable lyrics to match. My 4-year-old is a playful troublemaker who’s turned into a little prankster. Just the other day we caught her replacing our other daughter’s school lunch with dog food. When I asked her what she was doing her response was something along the lines of, “Shhh… won’t it be funny when she opens her lunch and beagle food is there?”
What are one or two fun or interesting things to know about you?
Gosh, that’s a tough one. Probably like most people, between work and family, there’s little time for hobbies. Reflecting on my time pre-kids I often ask myself, what in the world did I do with all that free time??
I suppose an interesting thing about me is I’m kind of a philosopher at heart. The older I get, the more aware I become of how small and fleeting our time really is. It’s easy to get consumed by day-to-day interactions, conversations, wins, losses, and frustrations, and to mistake them for the whole story. A hundred years from now, only a handful of people alive today will even be remembered. Knowing that strips away the noise and puts life into perspective, reminding me what truly matters and what doesn’t.
Enjoy the ride. Do right by others. Spend as much time as you can with your loved ones. Make every day count
It’s time to get down to business. Please introduce Cahill Heating, Cooling, Electric, Plumbing & Sewer and tell us your role in this company.
For more than five decades Cahill has serviced homeowners throughout the North Shore & Northwest Suburbs. I’m the co-owner with my friend from college, Chris. We’re one of the largest independently owned HVAC & plumbing/sewer companies in the Chicagoland area. I share that because it’s an important value proposition to homeowners. We buy equipment for about half what small companies pay. So we install the same furnaces and ACs for less. Unlike our larger, private-equity-owned competitors, we pass those savings directly to our customers. And with such a large team we’re able to offer same-day service, generally within an hour, 24-7.
Brandon’s business partner, Chris, and his family
How did you get started in the hvac sector of home improvement and maintenance?
Prior to Cahill, Chris and I had a business in a totally unrelated industry. A while back we were forced with the decision to relocate to Texas or sell to our business partners. Neither of us felt Texas was the right fit so we decided to sell. Having been through the trenches starting a business, we knew this time around we wanted to buy one. And after evaluating several industries, and vetting maybe 30 local businesses, we cold-called Dennis Cahill—the previous owner—and asked him if he had any thoughts about the next chapter of his company. It was the perfect fit for everyone.
What’s one thing you wish you had known “then” that you know now about heating and cooling?
Probably how demanding it is.
Customers aren’t looking for a solution tomorrow—they need it today. Because of our scale, we’ve been able to partner with a company called Munch’s Supply. They manage and maintain nearly all our inventory directly at our Lake Bluff & Palatine warehouses. Having supplies stocked locally reduces lead times for our customers and keeps them happy!
We are in the dead of a brutally cold winter (2026) here in Chicago – what advice can you share with our North Shore Moms as it relates to hvac improvement and maintenance?
On those super cold days, if your furnace stops working, take out the filter and reset the system. 65% of our service calls on the coldest days are due to restricted air flow. If the furnace can’t breathe, it’ll shut itself down as a safety precaution. And avoid the high-end filters altogether. Most furnaces can’t handle anything greater than a MERV 7. There are some great air quality products out there but fancy 1” filters aren’t one of them.
And about those emergencies…. Do we really need a backup sump pump?
Yes! Professional sump pumps typically last 7-10 years, depending on usage. Even less for the big box brands. And if a pump goes bad it’s typically when it’s getting run non-stop e.g. storms. A failed pump can be catastrophic and having a backup is a no-brainer.
What other equipment should homeowners consider to help prevent costly emergencies down the road?
Sewers are another “out of sight out of mind” item. Preventatively rodding is an essential maintenance item. And if you’re like most North Shore homeowners, you probably have a clay or cast-iron sewer. Roots wreak havoc on those, so you either need to annually rod them or even better, line them. Lining gives you a brand-new sewer without the worry of root infestation. For the next 50 years. You don’t want to call us, or any other contractor, for a sewer dig and repair.
Do you have any specials you’d like to share with our audience?
We perform annual maintenance on a furnace, air handler, air conditioner or heat pump for $99. It’s a 45 min visit and not only will it extend the life of your equipment, but we’ll be also able to identify issues before they snowball. The condensation lines for AC’s need to get blown out with nitrogen, annually, for example. The number of homeowners who call with water leaking from their ceiling is staggering. It could have easily been prevented with a routine maintenance visit.
How do you handle emergency calls at Cahill?
We have personnel 24-7 to handle emergency calls. From our customer service folks to HVAC techs and plumbing/sewer professionals—we’re here anytime you need us.
Brandon and Chris
What else would you like us to know about Cahill?
Chris and I are two local guys who genuinely care about each visit. We live and breathe Cahill. One of my biggest tasks is telling the story of why we’re the logical choice. There’s a massive misconception in the industry. People believe that if you hire the one-man shop, the guy working out of his truck, you’ll get better pricing. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The number one expense in this industry is equipment. And with our scale, we pay far less for the same equipment as our smaller peers.
What are your contact details?
Give me a call at 847-234-4494. Always happy to chat and help in any way that I can. Being in the contracting industry also allows me to network with my peers. If you need a referral for almost any project, I personally know many people who will do it right—and equally important—I can steer you clear of the ones who won’t.
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