HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Services in Franklin, WI

Franklin grew up differently than most of Milwaukee's inner suburbs. While West Allis was platting 30-foot lots in the 1920s and Greenfield was developing ranch homes in the 1960s, Franklin remained predominantly rural farmland well into the mid-20th century. The city incorporated in 1956, and it wasn't until the 1990s — when the first sewer interceptors opened up large tracts to full subdivision development — that Franklin experienced its most dramatic growth. Today it's one of the fastest-growing cities in southeast Wisconsin, with newer subdivisions near Ryan Road, W. Rawson Avenue, and the Northwestern Mutual campus along S. 27th Street anchoring a housing stock that skews newer and larger than almost any other Milwaukee suburb.

Burkhardt Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric reaches Franklin from our Brown Deer location in about 30 minutes via I-894 and S. 27th Street. We've built a strong presence in this community as its newer homes have started to age into their first major HVAC replacements.

What We Know About Franklin Homes

Franklin's housing stock is dominated by homes built between 1990 and today. That's both good news and a caution. Newer homes typically have better insulation and more efficient mechanical systems — but they're also larger, with more ductwork to balance, more zones to coordinate, and complex high-efficiency systems that require knowledgeable technicians. A 2-stage furnace or a communicating thermostat isn't a system you want a generalist diagnosing.

Franklin also retains a significant pocket of older housing in the St. Martins village area along S. 76th Street — original blue-collar ranch homes from the 1950s with half-acre lots, on-site septic, and early well water systems that have since been connected to municipal services. These homes often need pipe upgrades when connecting to city water, and their older ductwork and electrical panels are overdue for attention.

The newer subdivisions near Hales Corners Road and along W. Ryan Road see a different set of needs: heat pump maintenance, generator installations for large homes with complex electrical systems, and plumbing in newer construction that uses PEX supply lines and modern drain configurations.

Services Available in Franklin

• Furnace repair, tune-up & replacement
• Central air conditioning repair & installation
• Heat pump installation & service
• Whole-home humidifier installation
• Water heater service (tank, tankless, hybrid)
• Drain cleaning & hydro-jetting
• Sump pump installation & backup systems
• Electrical panel upgrades & new circuit installation
• Standby generator installation
• Surge protection & whole-home electrical safety

Call 414-206-3049 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. GreenSky financing is available for qualifying installations and replacements.

Our Franklin home was built in the mid-1990s and still has the original furnace. Should we replace it?

A furnace from that era is 25–30 years old — well past average useful life. Even if it still functions, it's likely running at 60–70% efficiency versus 96%+ for modern units. Burkhardt can assess your current system and give you a detailed comparison of repair costs versus the long-term savings of a high-efficiency replacement.

We have a large new construction home in Franklin with a multi-zone system. Can Burkhardt service it?

Yes. Burkhardt's NATE-certified technicians are trained on multi-zone and communicating HVAC systems including variable-speed furnaces, modulating AC, and smart thermostat integration. We regularly service larger Franklin homes with complex systems along Ryan Road and the newer Ballpark Commons-area neighborhoods.

Franklin gets some intense thunderstorms. Is a whole-home generator worth the investment?

For a larger Franklin home with sump pumps, a finished basement, and home office equipment, a standby generator is often a smart investment. Burkhardt installs Generac and other brands and can size a unit appropriate for your home's critical loads. We handle all electrical permitting and connections.

We have an older ranch home in the St. Martins area. What plumbing issues should we watch for?

Homes from the 1950s in that area may have galvanized steel supply lines that corrode from the inside, reducing water pressure and eventually failing. Cast-iron drain lines can also crack or root-intrude over decades. Burkhardt can scope your sewer line and test your supply pressure to identify any issues before they become emergencies.

How long does an AC installation take in a Franklin home?

A typical central AC replacement — removing the old unit and installing a new matched system — takes 4 to 6 hours for our crew. Larger homes or systems requiring ductwork modifications may take a full day. We schedule at your convenience and clean up completely before we leave.

Our Services in Franklin

• AC Repair
• Furnace Repair
• Emergency Plumber
• Drain Cleaning
• Water Heater Repair
• Electrical Repair
• Boiler Repair