Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Alameda, CA · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
4.8★ across 2,600 reviews but 32 of 100 sampled are 1-star; named techs (Sayed, Heath) earn fast after-hours praise while pricing and dispatch draw the same complaints as the sister branch.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #13 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in Daly City, CA · compare all →
Our opinion, based on the 100 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jun 2026 · How we decide ↗
Lists 24-hour service on its Google profile — and reviewers describe after-hours calls.
What reviewers praise
Strong after-hours emergency response — Sayed fixed an 8pm weekend issue in under 5 minutes; Heath responded on short notice to an overflowing toilet
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Same-day main-line and sewer work praised — sent someone same day with guaranteed work and clear options
1 cited review
“Sayed did a very good and thorough job for our main line drain blockage. He was very communicative, and efficient and gave me different options on how I want to proceed.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 1 cited review not excerpted here.
What reviewers report — the concerns
Other directories bury these. We think you should read them before you call. Every concern below comes from the reviews it cites.
Red flag
$8,000 for a 3.5-hour sewer job after a $10k quote; manager held the customer to the signed contract
“I said to the inspector that $8000 was too much for a 3 1/2 hour job and he said I signed a contract and that was the price.”
Red flag
No-show on a stated 7-11pm emergency window with a near-11pm cancellation and dispatcher attitude
“Was told they'd arrive between 7-11pm; didn't show up and ended up canceling close to 11pm. Horrible service for an emergency situation with extremely poor customer service.”
Dispatch and pricing complaints recur — a stated 7-11pm emergency window ended in an 11pm cancellation, and an $8k sewer quote was disputed
“Was told they'd arrive between 7-11pm; didn't show up and ended up canceling close to 11pm. Horrible service for an emergency situation with extremely poor customer service.”
1 more cited review
“I said to the inspector that $8000 was too much for a 3 1/2 hour job and he said I signed a contract and that was the price.”
Unprofessional phone handling reported — a dispatcher refused to help locate an overdue estimate tech
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“Don't know what happened. RotoRooter always performed really well. I had a sewer issue and initially taken care of exactly how RotoRooter has in the past. We found a fresh water main leak and the plumber called the office. Initially it seemed like they will arrive in the evening only to be told later that it won't be until noon the next day. Took another day off of work. Called this office to confirm the …”
“I called roto rooter on 10/5 asking for a quote for my jammed garbage disposal (they were having a $60 off promo). They told me they would have to quote in person, they could come on 10/6 at 11am and would text me 30min before arrival. 2hrs later roto rooters is unexpectedly at my door. The service tech solved the issue right away which was just clearing 2 bottle caps that were causing the jam. He then went to get …”
“Beware! Dishonest and unprofessional. Stay away! Here's what happened. Our rental unit has a leaking faucet. So we removed all the tiles to make a nice opening for Roto Rooter to come over and replace the faucet. We even bought a new faucet for the plumber. When I called Roto Rooter, I told them, "Hey, leaking shower, replace faucet." The plumber would arrived here knowing the faucet is leaking, saw the …”
Positive
“Heath did an amazing job! Our toilet was overflowing, and he responded on very short notice. He was efficient, quick, and incredibly understanding. Huge thanks to Heath—10/10 would absolutely hire again!”
“Saide did a great job. Our system was backed up due to the school next door. It took some time, but he was able to get it cleared out and running like it's supposed to. Highly recommend asking for him.”
Quotes are reproduced verbatim from public reviews on the platforms shown; we select which to feature, and selection reflects our editorial judgment. Report a quote that doesn't match its source ↗
The rating picture
Our sample skews heavily toward critical reviews — it disagrees with the Google average shown above.
Newest review in our sample: Feb 2026.
Across platforms
4.8★ Google headline masks a 36% negative rate in the sample — Yelp 1-stars cite pricing disputes and dispatch no-shows not visible in the average.
Should you hire Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup?
Hire if
- You need fast same-day or after-hours response
- You need high-quality work that holds up over time
Think twice if
- You need predictable, consistent service across every visit
- You want detailed upfront explanations
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need airtight scheduling and guaranteed arrival times
Look elsewhere if
- You're highly price-sensitive
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup?
You can respond to our analysis, correct business facts, or dispute the accuracy of a quoted review. Responses that check out get published on this page, and factual errors get corrected — see our corrections policy. We don't remove accurate quotes, but we'll re-run your assessment as your reviews change.
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