Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Arlington Heights, IL · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
Excellent emergency response and workmanship, but aggressive upselling on major repairs and inconsistent reliability on scheduling create significant risk.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Our opinion, based on the 89 reviews we analyzed from Google, Yelp and BBB · Analysis updated Jul 2026 · How we decide ↗
Lists 24-hour service on its Google profile — and reviewers describe after-hours calls.
What reviewers praise
Fast emergency response: Multiple reviewers report same-day or rapid arrival for drain emergencies, with one technician arriving 4 hours from a distant job site
1 cited review
“There in about four hours, quickly and efficiently fixed drain problem”
Cited in 4 of the 89 reviews we analyzed — 3 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Strong workmanship when job is performed: 16 five-star reviews praise professional, efficient work and thorough problem resolution
Cited in 6 of the 89 reviews we analyzed.
Excellent communication on completed jobs: Reviewers consistently praise technicians explaining work upfront, keeping customers informed, and providing recommendations
1 cited review
“Communicated proposed work upfront and kept us posted throughout”
Cited in 5 of the 89 reviews we analyzed — 4 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Responsive management: One major complaint was escalated to a district manager who was professional, problem-solved, and worked to secure a refund
Cited in 1 of the 89 reviews we analyzed.
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
Bait-and-switch repair recommendations: Two of 28 reviews report technicians recommending expensive major work ($7,200-$12,000 quotes) that competitors completed for 40-50% less or deemed unnecessary—pattern of inflated diagnostics
Cited in 2 of the 89 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Scheduling reliability failures: Two reviews report no-show or cancellation after arrival window passed, with one customer told 'not today, maybe tomorrow' at 9pm
“At 900 they said not today, maybe tomorrow”
1 more cited review
“Communicated proposed work upfront and kept us posted throughout”
Red flag
Yelp ratings catastrophically low (2.6/5) vs Google (4.9/5): Major platform discrepancy suggests filtering of negative reviews or different customer base experiencing different service levels
Red flag
Personnel quality varies sharply: Named technicians (Eddie, Jon, Leonard, Sanin) receive consistent 5-star praise, but other interactions describe arrogance and refusal to listen
Cited in 3 of the 89 reviews we analyzed.
Aggressive upselling of expensive solutions: Three separate reviews report technicians recommending major repairs ($7,200-$12,000) that other plumbers completed for $6,000 or determined unnecessary
Cited in 2 of the 89 reviews we analyzed.
High service call charges: Two reviewers charged $900 and $625 for diagnostic calls or incomplete work, with one calling pricing 'highway robbery'
Cited in 2 of the 89 reviews we analyzed.
Quality inconsistency: One review reports technician did not clear roots as advertised; another reports incomplete drain rodding requiring second opinion from competitor
“Did not clear the roots as advertised”
Cited in 2 of the 89 reviews we analyzed.
General pricing concern: Multiple reviews flag high costs relative to competitors, and pricing_fairness dimension scores only 56/100
“Very professional and efficient, great communications, $700 pricey”
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 9 of the 89 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“It is hard to be pleased with a service, when they charged us over $900 and did not do anything. I can understand delays as we were told the technician would arrive between 4:00 and 5:00pm. After 5pm we began receiving text messages from Latoya saying that our tech was running behind but that we were next in line. 6 text messages later, the tech arrived around 7:45pm. After inspecting our clogged drain he said …”
“I have my drain rodded out yearly by Roto-Rooter, they came out on 10/8/25 rodding the drain and then asked for an additional person to come out with a camera. This other guy claimed I needed to have a liner put in the drain at a cost of $7200 or if I let it go, it could cost me as much as $20,000 and claimed I only had a 2 inch opening to the house. I brought in a real plumber who told me the drain had way too many …”
“I called the first company I googled for a hose faucet replacement. I'm not in any hurry just want a quick fix and I know it will be a simple fix. He came on time and was more than happy to help. He told me up front it's a $1295 flat fee and I that right away that is astronomical for what I'm asking to fix. He told me that it includes everything parts and labor. No special fees. The repair man was here at …”
Positive
“Mitch and his technician in training did an absolutely wonderful job. They communicated the proposed work up front and kept us posted throughout the service call. There was a hiccup in the scheduling process as the first tech assigned to the job did not show up. When we called to check/confirm his arrival time they did not know that tech was reassigned. If we hadn’t have called we would have never known. Fortunately …”
“I called for and emergency drain backup, which destroyed my drywall and carpet . The Technician “Eddie” was there in about four hours coming from a customer who was way south, he looked at the situation and determined the blockage down stream I showed him the utility room for the building where he setup his equipment the ridding pilled back roots and then was cleared. Quickly and efficiently fixed the drain problem.”
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
Extreme discrepancy: Google 4.9/5 (2,379 reviews) vs Yelp 2.6/5 (8 reviews). Yelp complaints center on pricing and upselling; Google reviews skew heavily positive. Suggests either review filtering, service quality variation by location, or fundamentally different customer experience reporting between platforms.
Should you hire Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup?
Hire if
- You need fast same-day or after-hours response
- You need a plumber who actually shows up when scheduled
Think twice if
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need detailed walkthroughs and written estimates before work starts
Look elsewhere if
- You're highly price-sensitive
Advice derived from the review analysis above — how we decide.
Own Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup?
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Find plumbers near you
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanupisn't in one of our ranked city guides yet — the nearest covered markets are below.
Nearby: Libertyville · Evanston · Algonquin