Our History As Trusted Plumbers in Madison, WI

  • In 1928

    In 1928

    Henry Joseph Pertzborn and his wife Gertrude founded H. J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Heating. After serving in World War I, Henry returned to the family farm in Cross Plains, Wisconsin and started his apprenticeship as a mason with a local contractor. His strong dislike of mortar drying on his hands made him turn to the plumbing trade. Working out of his home at 666 Crandall Street in Madison, Henry drove a modified model “A” with the rear half cut off to carry his tools and materials.

    Founders of HJ Pertzborn Plumbing & Fire Protection | Plumbers in Madison, WI

  • The 1930’s

    The 1930’s

    Working together, Henry and Gertrude built the business and raised six children. In 1939, the growing business moved to 2505 Monroe Street. During this time, Henry and his crew of plumbers in Madison, WI serviced many of the homes in the Nakoma area and on the near west side.

    HJ Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection Office | Plumbers in Madison, WI

  • The 1940’s

    The 1940’s

    By helping after school and during the summers, Henry and Gertrude’s oldest son James soon became an integral part of the business expansion. James entered the service at the onset of World War II, but returned after the war to begin an apprenticeship in 1946.

  • The 1950’s

    The 1950’s

    The business continued to grow and prosper, and in 1956, the family incorporated the business under the name H. J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Heating. In 1955, the company moved to a new building at 4311 West Beltline—at what was then the edge of town. During these years H. J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Heating expanded into commercial and industrial projects, plumbing such projects as Graber (Springs) in Middleton and many local schools and residential subdivisions.

  • The 1960’s and 70’s

    The 1960’s and 70’s

    As Madison and the surrounding community grew, so did the company. James E. Pertzborn focused on developing strong service, reliable plumbers in Madison, WI, and commercial and residential divisions. In 1964, Robert J. Pertzborn, James’ oldest child, began to work in the business after school and during the summer. After discharge from the military in 1969, Robert began his apprenticeship.

    1972 Plumbing Code Bill of Wisconsin Signing With a Plumbing and Fire Protection Company | Plumbers in Madison, WI

  • The 1980’s

    The 1980’s

    Jim led the company into the 1980’s, and then retired. In the family tradition, a qualified candidate was already waiting in the wings and Robert became president in 1989.

    Plumbing and Fire Protection Expert at Work

  • The 1990’s

    The 1990’s

    During these years, the company continued to grow with the help of longtime and loyal employees. To meet the growth, the company moved in 1990 to 802 John Nolen Drive, their present location. In 1993 the company added fire protection services and changed its corporate name to H. J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection Corporation.

  • The 2000’s

    The 2000’s

    Robert led the company into the new millennium with his two sons Joe & Jesse. H.J. Pertzborn Plumbing and Fire Protection experienced continued growth for all three departments during this time. The commercial division became involved with many large projects during this time such as Princeton Club West, the Vilas Zoo Carousel Projects, and many more high-rise projects in downtown Madison.

    Besides that, the fire protection division was also involved with some nice projects during this time, such as Sun Prairie High School and the Green Lake County Justice Center. Plus, the service plumbing department continued to grow and provide valuable remodeling and repair services to the growing city of Madison and surrounding areas. They also expanded their services to include sewer & drain cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, and home plumbing inspections.

    Employees of HJ Pertzborn Plumbing & Fire Protection| Plumbers in Madison, WI

  • The 2010’s

    The 2010’s

    During this era the company has continued to grow and change with the times. The company’s commercial plumbers in Madison, WI completed projects like St. Mary’s Hospital Janesville, the Edgerton Hospital, the UW Memorial Union Renovation, and the UWW Fischer & Wellers Dorm Remodels to mention just a few. Fire Protection designers, project managers, and field personnel kept busy with projects such as Forest Product Labs, Kromrey Middle School, Coating Place, and retro-fit jobs like Elizabeth Waters dorms. On the other hand, the service plumbing department continued to experience good steady growth while providing value to the public in the areas of home and business plumbing repair and remodeling.

    Robert Pertzborn decided to retire in the spring of 2014 and as is the family tradition, qualified candidates were waiting to fill his shoes. Joe Pertzborn who has been involved with the company’s Fire Protection division since the early 1990’s became president, while his brother, Jesse Pertzborn, a master plumber and designer for the company since the mid 1990’s became the vice president in April of 2014.

We have had H.J. Pertzborn helping us with our remodel for the last year and a half. They are always professional, punctual and courteous. They are middle of the road, price wise, and worth every penny. Scott has been particularly helpful, even stopping out between appointments to repair a sewer line that another contractor broke. We have been very happy with every bit of work they have done in our house, and I don't even think of calling anyone else when a plumbing issue arises. Just trying to get everything fixed in our 100 year old house before Scott retires!

We had Pertzborn Plumbing come to our home to install a bathroom faucet and 2 toilets. We purchased the faucet and toilets on our own. Pertzborn gave us an approximate estimate, which was pretty much on target, and they came out within a few days of us calling. Our plumber was Jake. He was punctual, courteous and efficient. He did a great job and cleaned up nicely. He wore covers on his shoes to keep the work area clean. He took his time and answered our questions. He took away the old toilets for us at no additional charge. Everything is working nicely. We will definitely use Pertzborn Plumbing again.

Our hot water heater broke when we were out of town. A close friend said, "Everyone uses Pertzborn. They're on the high side, but they do a good job." I don't know if they're expensive, but they WERE awesome to work with. They worked us in and had the new water heater installed the next day. (They offered to come out the same day, but we couldn't get someone to meet them that quickly.) Everything top notch. Easy to work with, reliable, trustworthy. Their price seemed fair to me. We've found our plumbers; we'll be sticking with this company. Thank you, Pertzborn!

H.J. Pertzborn was easy to schedule with, came quickly and did an excellent job on repairing my water main, installing a new water softener and spill sink. The plumber that came to the house went above and beyond during the installation, explained things in an easy to understand way, and clearly cared about the quality of his work. I would recommend them to anyone.