Roto-Rooter Logo
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6.0

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: January 22nd, 2024

Roto-Rooter has been in the plumbing business since 1935. The company specializes in plumbing repairs and drain service. Its mission is to give homeowners the peace of mind that comes from quick and convenient service. Roto-Rooter prides itself on its unique service and on being different from its competitors.

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The Good

  • Experience
  • Online Customer Service
  • Coupons
  • Plumbing How-To’s

Experience

Roto-Rooter was established in 1935 and has over 80 years of plumbing experience under its belt. Its employees have the expertise needed to provide quick and convenient repairs, all within your budget.

Online Customer Service

If customers do not have their questions answered by information on the website, they can submit their questions through email. Additionally, the company does take its customer service seriously—customers are encouraged to take a survey outlining their experience with customer service.

Coupons

In addition to great customer service, the company also helps customers find deals on its services. If customers insert their zip codes into the Roto-Rooter “Coupons” section, the website will provide all available deals in their area.

Plumbing How-To’s

The company website has a section dedicated to teaching curious consumers the ins and outs of the plumbing business. Included in the How-To section are conservation tips, plumbing videos, FAQs, seasonal tips, and even a plumbing glossary. Customers looking to find information for DIY projects will find that Roto-Rooter offers useful information.

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The Bad

  • Customer Complaints

Customer Complaints

Many customers leave comments on Roto-Rooter’s Facebook page. While some comments are grateful for the service offered by the company, many commenters complain about the time it takes for Roto-Rooter service representatives to show up for appointments. The company does very well in responding to such complaints, but it would benefit from ensuring a quicker response to customer needs.

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The Bottom Line

Although the company has received complaints about its service, it has done well in responding to such complaints. Additionally, there are many other customer reviews detailing the quick service and care employees had for customer problems. How a company responds to complaints can tell customers a lot about the company, and Roto-Rooter does well in resolving customer issues. When compared to other companies in the plumbing industry, Roto-Rooter is a fantastic choice.

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Star Rating

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4.3

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87 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

66%

4 grade

15%

3 grade

8%

2 grade

5%

1 grade

7%

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Quality

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Service

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Yael Lynchburg, VA

Branson our plumber was polite and sympathetic to our feelings with our clogged main sewer drain. He informed us up front what he was going to do and asked multiple times if we had any questions just to be sure we understood and to make sure all of our questions were answered. He explained to us about the free video cam to seek further what was causing our problem since this was our second occurrence with this very same problem in less than one year. I would highly recommend him and will ask for him on any future plumbing problems. Let’s hope there are none!!

3 years ago

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Nicky Martin Pontotoc, MS

This company has been around a long time, my grand parents and my parents would only use Roto Rooter for any plumbing needs. When I brought my first home our septic tank had issues we had to clue what to do, then I remembered Roto Rooter we called them, they came out actually that same day. They estimated a cost, explained everything in detail that we could understand. The technician was very professional and I really loved that he gave us some valuable tips to keep our septic in good running condition. 10 years later still haven't had any issues. I have and will always recommend this company.

2 years ago

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jennifer thompson Prospect Park, PA

I’ve lived in my home for six years. In the course of those six years I’ve had rotor rooter come out a handful of times to sneak out my sewage pipe. The techs were always nice and completed the tasks in a timely manner. I especially like that they come out for emergency purposes quickly. My only negative comment about rotor rooter would be that the prices are quite ridiculous. They wanted to charge me almost $300 more than a private plumber for my emergency sewage back up in my basement unfortunately because I needed the help right away I had to pay the crazy over priced charge. I can’t say that I won’t use Roto router in the future in a pinch but if I have the time to find a private plumber, I will definitely take that route first because rotor rooters prices are very extreme.

1 year ago

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alk43420 Atwater, OH

Our pipes were blocked up due to tree roots in our front yard. We lived in a duplex at the time. Called landlord. He called Roto-Rooter they were there within the hour.. pipes flowing perfect in the next hour. They were fast efficient and friendly.

2 years ago

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Anoushka Ahuja Orlando, FL

At work one of our ladies bathrooms got plugged and we used the plunger but it did not do the trick so we had to look for a quick plumbing company that could come and help remove the clog. Roto Rooter was amazing they showed up within an hour and a fixed in the bathrooms

2 years ago

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Eddie Rios Ogden, UT

Roto-Rooter is a professional outfit. They respond to my calls with urgency and care. They arrive in marked vehicles and are very courteous. Pricing for plumbing issues are high in the industry, but Roto-Rooter has always been fair. You can trust their team to resolve any plumbing issue, they have for us every time!

4 years ago

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Lisa Anne Littleton, CO

We had a clogged floor drain in our basement that was continuously coming up. We used Roto router and they came within six hours to help us with our issues and get the drain clear. We also use them to clear out our mainline because we had tree roots. We highly recommend this company and they really helped us out when we were having an emergency with our basement drain. Highly recommended and I trust this company 100%

2 years ago

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Carol E Brown Harker Heights, TX

Last year, I had an issue with my washing machine flooding the floor of the laundry room. I contacted Roto-Rooter and a plumber came out to fix the problem. The plumber discovered that the pipe behind the washing machine was clogged. He was able to remove the debris and fix the problem. He also checked the kitchen sink pipes to ensure they were also clear. I appreciated the quick response and professional services I received from Roto-Rooter. I would highly recommend them.

2 years ago

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Mario Martin Huntsville, TX

I've been a faithful client with Roto-Rooter for over 20 plus years. Unfortunately, I had several different plumbing issues in several different home issues within those 20-25 years. What is most fortunate is that no matter what the plumbing problem and/or issues were, Roto-Rooter had always responded timely, promptly, inthusiastically, and professionally. I have grown to expect and relie on the consistency of Roto-Rooter services and plumbing expertise to reduce the expected stress and anxiety that's expected with plumbing issues. There's an old saying that goes " if it's not broken, don't try and fix it". This is exactly my attitude when it comes to who would I call or personally recommend for any and all plumbing related concerns!

2 years ago

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Steven Shimmin

I was out of town on business and the pipes and drains all backed up in the house. My daughter called Roro Rooter, they came to the house... We were all able to communicate and talk over the phone to resolve the issue and get the job done and drains cleared. They were very professional and cleaned up nicely when the job was done. They even did a follow up visit when I returned home and explained everything that they did. Also a three year warrant for peace of mind on the work performed. Very solid and good company. Thanks

2 years ago

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no sugarcoating

I called them for a toilet backup, they did the job, the tech was nice too, but quite expensive considering the entire job took 25 minutes at most. I guess when you're stuck you pay the price, but it could have been a bit easier on the wallet especially from a big company that seems to have a decent footprint. On the good side, because they are everywhere, they responded quite fast when I called for help...

2 years ago

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Kelli Spencer Statesville, NC

Scheduling service was prompt and courteous. They arrived the following morning. We made them aware upon arrival of our home warranty plan and asked for step by step progress as it pertained to the coverages outlined in our policy. The contractor working for them explained the issues, what repairs were needed, and the cost of the repairs. He also stated he was familiar with warranty plans and how to file the claims for home owners. Everything was agreed and he completed the job. Afterward he sat down and filed the claim on my personal laptop. A few days later I received an email from my warranty company stating they denied my claim. When I filed an appeal and spoke with a supervisor it all came back to the contractors inability to file the claim properly. After hours of conference calls, refilling the claim with the our receipt, and numerous calls to the contractor for his statement (which he would not respond to) the warranty company finally paid our claim. Overall the job they did was timely and well performed. My only complaint falls with working with them for warranty repairs.

2 years ago

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Rebecca D Sterling Heights, MI

Very knowledgeable and thorough. The tech walked us through each process of what he was doing. Great customer service. It seems like their techs enjoy working for them. Would definitely recommend.

2 years ago

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Autumn Lewiston, ID

Had a plumber come out for a water drip coming from the shower. Plumber showed up on time and informed me that is was a sealant issue. Explained how to correctly seal my shower free of charge! Great customer service!

3 years ago

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Deb Jackson Valrico, FL

They offer 24/7 service, quick response time, prices are fair and they always have coupons. Technicians are professional and polite, I would definitely use them again. Service from them was excellent!

3 years ago

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Mohammed A Brooklyn, NY

They were very professional and came within the time fram allotted. I seldom have plumbing issues around the house, but the times I do, I know that Roto-Rooter will get the job done. I don’t hassle trying to find others, because even though my house has old plumbing and clogs are hard to decipher, these guys diligently deal with my problems.

3 years ago

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Who Knows

I have had a few great interactions with this company. The first is their dedication and love for the work they do. They have always been extremely reliable, with great pricing, and always prompt. They go above the call of duty to identify and repair your plumbing issue(s). I would highly recommend Roto Rooter to anyone seeking help with plumbing etc.

2 years ago

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Raj R Schaumburg, IL

Roto-Rooter always resolves my plumbing issues. The technicians arrive on time and thoroughly explain what the issue is. I had an underground clog in my front lawn, and they did a great job fixing it. Will continue to keep them in my options for maintenance repairs.

2 years ago

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Joseph Germello Lock Haven, PA

Roto Rooter gets the job done and clears your clogs. I needed an outside drain snaked from debris. Roto Rooter can be more cost effective compared to a plumber. Highly recommended, outstanding services and customer satisfaction.

2 years ago

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CEDRIC BEAVERS St Louis, MO

The service guy was awesome, friendly and a true professional. He arrived on time and listened to my concerns and issues and fixed only what was important and needed. We had several issues such as toilets and leaking pipes . Highly recommend and will request his service again if needed in the future.....thank you very much!

2 years ago

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Monique Snow Sterling, CT

When having some plumbing issues with my toilet, Roto-Rooter was one of the companies I called for repair. The price was reasonable and they were able to come that day. They performed good quality work and fixed the issue in no time at all. Would definitely call them again.

2 years ago

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Tara Gillispie Philadelphia, PA

Roto-Rooter has always been my family’s go to for anytning plumbing wise. Just recently we had all the pipes in the house replaced and Roto-rooter was our call for the rescue. They came, they examined , they replaced and installed, and was done in less than 2 days. Great service.

2 years ago

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Bridget Walker Bay Saint Louis, MS

Roto Rooter is top of the line when it comes to your plumbing and bathroom fixture needs. If you are having problems with your plumbing Roto Rooter is the company you need to call to get your pipes cleaned and flowing regularly

2 years ago

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Katie Marshall New York, NY

The company has been in business for many years so when i purchased my home in 2011. Knew very little about plumbing so I called the service was excellent staff had a pricing lodge for my job..i didn't like the fact the plumber deposited of job in my backyard it was falling so I didn't discover it till spring..also they are overpriced I recommend getting 3 estimates. If you still decide to use this company request they consider the lowest offer.

2 years ago

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Robert Mott Leslie, MI

I live on a lake with a septic system. Anyone who lives on a lake probably knows it can be tricky. I've had other companies come out and it's usually a short term fix. Rotor Rooter found some things the others didn't even acknowledge. He took the time to show me what he was doing. He knew his business and I'm sticking with them.

2 years ago

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M. Nielsen South Bend, IN

We had a problem with our tub and toilet backing up and of course it was the weekend. We called Roto-Rooter they were out in no time and discovered that a root in the line was the issue, they got thru it and we were flushing and washing again that night. I would definitely recommend them to everyone.

2 years ago

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Brandon Chicago, IL

I've used Roto-Rooter many times over the years. I would say they are a bit pricey but I suppose that is just the nature of plumbing. So far I've always had good experiences with the professionalism of the tech and they've generally arrived on schedule.

2 years ago Edited April 6, 2022

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Will Mo Saint Clair Shores, MI

Seriously when it’s 3 am and your basement is underwater with only god knows what floating in the water who you gonna call? They will pick up. They will send a truck with a person with the tools and know how to solve the very very urgent problem.

2 years ago

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Kent Logan, UT

Roto-Rooter has been great to take care of all my drain needs for a small sized apartment complex. They are equipped to take care of the simplest clogs like a kitchen sink, to a trunk line that is about to back up an entire fourplex. They have even come within the hour on a Sunday when really needed.

4 years ago

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Satoria MoonGoddess

FAST, FRIENDLY, KNOWLEDGEABLE..We had a serious clog from someone putting papetowel in the toiled. They fixed it in seconds.

11 months ago

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Asadullah Plano, TX

We used Roto rooter in an emergency and they took advantage of the situation and ripped us off. We were asked to pay way too much. Although they came the same day but wasn’t peompt enough but still charged an arm and a leg for stopping a small leak.

1 year ago

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Marian Q Powell Syracuse, NY

Fred and RJ were extremely professional and definitely knew their trade. They fixed our blocked drain expertly and efficiently. A big thank you to both gentlemen. MQP

1 year ago

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Michael Sheffield Tucker, GA

Having used Roto-Rooter many times over many years, I trusted them to repair a problem with an over-flowing washing machine drain. In the process of fixing the problem, the service man broke a pipe at the joint under a concrete floor, causing water to come up under the floor. After days and days of circular calls, Roto-Rooter refused to send a decision-making manager to our home to examine the problem. Further, an "excavation manager" at the company, sight unseen, referred to our "old and deteriorating" cast iron pipes. I am in possession of the broken pipes, which are not at all deteriorating. Roto-Rooter refuses to correct its mistake at no cost to me. As a result, I am having to sue the company in magistrate court simply to have the problem fixed. I have been met with total obstinance, unreturned e-mail messages and telephone calls, and uninformed conclusions by company representatives. I have spent literally thousands of dollars with this company, but no more. They will never work at my house in the future. The terrible attitude with which I have been met is inexcusable. That I am forced to spend my time taking Roto-Rooter to court over this matter is also inexcusable. The company would rather pay a lawyer several hundred dollars an hour than simply admit its mistake and fix it. This behavior from a company of seemingly good repute is unacceptable and causes me to advise extreme caution to anyone who considers calling it for any kind of in-home plumbing problem.

1 year ago

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Potential Customer LOST Tampa, FL

If I could give them a negative star I would. Called in at 4pm for an emergency service for backed up toilets overflowing and spewing out into the road. They said someone was dispatched and would contact me. An hour later nothing so I called back. Same story. And hour later I called again. Same story I asked for a manager and they said they didn't have one and would contact dispatch again. Waited an hour again and again Same story. Now 11pm and still no call no show so I just called to cancel the service. Can't believe this is supposed to be a reputable company. Worst service. Worst communication. Will never call again.

1 year ago

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Carter and Hannah Dickson Houston, TX

We had an emergency plumbing issue today and called Roto around 11:00am. They told us they would be able to fix it this afternoon. They sent a text saying that we were confirmed. The text said that if we don’t respond to them within 3 minutes of their technician contacting us, that our appointment window would expire. Because of that, we were glued by the phone. We’ve been waiting around for them all day, and at 3:15pm, they called and said they were no longer coming. Now, it’s too late to call anyone to get out here today. If you have an issue on a Sunday, save your time and don’t call them.

2 years ago

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Frank Rivera Lynnfield, MA

Roto-Rooter immediately responded to my after-hours emergency. Their professional staff fixed the issue while saving me thousands in damage and insurance costs.

2 years ago

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Juan vega

My basement floored I call thi company and they show up with in 45 minutes the technician had the job done in 3 hours and also the customer service experience was good

2 years ago

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Angie Seguin, TX

I needed my whole plumbing replaced in my bathroom. So I called these guys. Now I love the pressure in water I was lacking. The guys were fast and efficient.

2 years ago

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Gary Aldous Boise, ID

I had them pump my septic tank and inspect my drain fields. They were on time and I thought the price was reasonable. I was in a hurry to get it done and they came through.

2 years ago

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Samarra Miller

Came out quick, paid the price originally quoted. He did an excellent job replacing my trash disposal unit which was leaking. Professional, did a great job.

3 years ago

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Alisa Kimbrough New York, NY

On 7/4/2020 Roto-Rooter was called to my residence to clear a leaky/backed up toilet and help make the residence habitable. The problem ended up being more complicated than the technician expected and was not resolved. The technician stayed for about four hours, attempting to resolve the problem, growing more and more frustrated. He ended up bringing in very heavy equipment (he needed my help moving it up and down the stairs). He damaged the plaster on my walls before ever asking for my help. After he left, I discovered that the technician had left several pairs of soiled, used latex gloves lying about in my home---gloves that had been worn while treating my leaky/backed up toilet. Additionally, the technician neglected to reinstall the bolts to my toilet, leaving it completely unsecured to the bathroom floor. The water main for the toilet was also not turned back on. There was a significant amount of mess left behind as well: soiled floors and walls. My bathroom was left in an even worse state after Roto-Rooter's service call. I reached out to Roto-Rooter franchise owner, Mark A, who is unwilling to offer even a partial refund on the $1603.80 that was paid in cash, up front. Mr. A stated that the $1603.80 paid does not guarantee that the job would be completed, just attempted. Where is it okay to not complete an expensive plumbing job, damage property, leave behind literal waste materials AND get to keep the entire amount paid up front. Syracuse Roto-Rooter! I'm not disputing that services were attempted, after all the technician was at my residence for 4 hours. I take issue with the entirety of the price that was paid in advance for a job that 1) did not get completed 2) the damages to my property and 3) the dangerous/hazardous conditions the technician left behind (those different pairs of soiled gloves, the lack of proper re-installation of the toilet, etc. I was seeking a partial refund of $400 of the $1603.80 that was paid, upfront (in good faith) but Mark A is not open to any type of meaningful conversation.

4 years ago

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Brennan Lewis Birmingham, AL

If you don't want to read a long review about how awful this company is, please take away this key point: DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. Period. My fiancé's and my basement had some kind of water leak late one night which resulted in puddles of water that eventually seeped under parts the laminate flooring. We called Roto-Rooter specifically to remove the water from under the flooring, no other reason. They gave us a quote for $4025-$6775 depending on the work that was actually done. Nowhere on the quote did it say the scope of the work that would be done. This quote is the only document my fiancé signed from this company. So they get to work "extracting water," ripping up our flooring, and setting up their drying equipment that they said would only be left at our house for 3 days. During all this work, my fiancé told one of the techs that insurance would be helping out, and the tech responded by saying "Oh this is about to go WAY up." After 5 days of not hearing from or seeing anybody from the company, we called to ask them to remove their equipment from our house. After the equipment was FINALLY removed, we called to get an exact amount owed so that we could get our finances in order. The guy on the phone told us it would be over $13,000. DOUBLE the high end of the initial quote. When I called to question this, they said that somebody had been by our house everyday to check on the equipment (lie) and that they had our initials on documents stating each time a tech came to check on it (also lie). They also said that the extra cost was for them ripping up our flooring (which they didn't even complete) because they weren't aware at the beginning that water was under the floor (LIE because that was the ONLY reason we called them). Whenever they found out we have cameras around our entire property, they backtracked. They brought over all of the documents from the project, including an itemized invoice for about $10,500, BUT the tech who brought the documents to our house said they would be willing to honor the high end of the original quote ($6775). We thanked him for the documents and got to work going through every last one of them. What we found was 1. On the invoice for $10,500 they were trying to charge us for things that they had never done (things that we have photo and video evidence they had never done), 2. They had documents with 36 different time stamps on different dates that a tech allegedly came to our house to check the equipment and documented various pieces of data regarding the equipment and the job itself (only 7 of those timestamps were accurate, and that was only because they were the times they were setting up equipment - we have video evidence they weren't at our house during any of the other 29 timestamps they have), and most importantly 3. THEY FORGED MY FIANCÉ'S SIGNATURE AND INITIALS ON ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE JOB, including a direct payment authorization saying our insurance company should pay them directly (didn't happen thank goodness), the work order to start the project, and literally every single document they had for the job besides the original quote. Neither of us had seen any of these documents prior to work being started or at any point during the project UNTIL the tech brought them to our house AFTER they got all of the equipment out. The best part of all is that my fiancé's name starts with an R, but they forged all the signatures and initials starting with a W because they apparently misheard my fiancé's name when he told it to them on the first day. When we confronted them about the forgery, they said "we aren't allowed to do that." Yeah no duh you aren't allowed to do something that is ILLEGAL. That doesn't change the fact that it happened. They also said "everyone knows when you docu-sign it looks different from your regular signature." Yeah that may be the case but 1. Nobody from their company presented their iPad/tablet/whatever we were supposed to docu-sign these documents on to either of us and 2. THEY SIGNED THE WRONG NAME AND WRONG INITIALS EVERY TIME. They also said "well we emailed all of these documents to you so you had them the whole time." Yeah no they sent them all to a WRONG email address belonging to neither of us and not even close to either of our email addresses. If we had read reviews on this company beforehand we would have never gone with them for this project. Unfortunately, it was an emergency so we did not have time to wait around. This ended up costing way more than it should have and they lied to us SO many times even after we had all the evidence against them and knew they were lying and told them we knew they were lying. Please do not use this company for anything. You won't regret taking my advice.

4 years ago

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Kristin Waterbury, CT

Used Roto Rooter for a severe bathtub clog with slow to no drainage ability. They were prompt, punctual, affordable, clean and skilled. Remedied the problem the same day I called and left me with unclogged pipes and a fully working shower/tub.

1 year ago

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Johnny Sigmon Cumberland, MD

I just had my plumbing done an a friend of mine told me about Roto-Rooter the gentleman came in told me what they was going to do very respectful and did their job well I'd like to thank the guys who did the plumbing and I like to thank Roto-Rooter also.

2 years ago

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Helana Savage Denver, CO

Well this been around forever Company is a reliable standard albeit a bit generic brick wall in the quick solution plumbing niche. And what I do like best about them is there USUALLY aren't any surprise hidden costs ( up charges) when it comes time to give you your final bill, they just from my experience, sorta do only what the job at hand is ,no more ,no less ,no favors ,& they don't ask any either.

2 years ago

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Michelle Camara Houston, TX

I had a leak under my sink which caused damage. This company came and dried it out and assessed the damage and contacted the insurance company. They took care of it all for me and did a wonderful job. Thank you!

2 years ago

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Jesse Prince Tulsa, OK

Had to call them for a clogged main line. Tim the service tech came very next morning explained what needed to be done and gave me a fair price. No trouble since then very pleased with them.

2 years ago

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Alexandria Lekberg Chesterfield, VA

They came out to find a clogged drain. They found it! I was grateful but they wanted $3500 to replace the pipe. Another company came out abs replaced it for way less. They were great but very expensive! Very friendly when he came out!

2 years ago

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Laura Washington Augusta, GA

I had some bathroom plumbing and clogs in my toilet and drains. They came out fast to work on it. Tech was thorough and professional. No problems since then. Also gave me advice to keep system running good.

2 years ago

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Debbie & Andrei Thacker

Service Technician Jesse S was Very Professional, Knowledge, and Helpful.....Roto Rooter is an Excellent Company.

11 months ago