Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Baltimore, MD · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
Fast emergency response and solid workmanship, but pricing is aggressively high and internal coordination breaks down on complex jobs.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Our opinion, based on the 193 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
Quick emergency response: Multiple reviewers praise fast arrival on nights, weekends, and holidays (same-day service even day after holiday, arrived within 35 minutes during Saturday basement flood, Sunday afternoon toilet emergency resolved quickly).
1 cited review
“DAL quick and professional day after holiday when no one working”
Cited in 3 of the 193 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Individual technician quality: 7 reviewers specifically praise named technicians (Jeff, Dal, Israel, DAL) for being knowledgeable, efficient, professional, courteous, and thorough.
2 cited reviews
“Israel very helpful, knowledgeable, efficient, kept house clean”
“Work done in a timely manner, excellent professional courteous”
Cited in 7 of the 193 reviews we analyzed — 5 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Work quality on standard jobs: Reviewers report successful clogs cleared, leaks fixed, drains snaked to the alley, and clean-up after work completed.
Cited in 3 of the 193 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
Billing disputes and aggressive collection: 3 reviewers report being charged after declining service ($2,700 attempt after customer canceled contract, multiple DocuSign requests sent without confirmed approval, $915 charge initially refunded only after escalation), suggesting billing follows service rather than consent.
Cited in 2 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Critical service failures causing property damage: 2 severe cases where technician errors directly caused basement flooding—one technician flushed toilet knowing main line was blocked (5 rooms flooded, 4 inches of water), another reattached water line incorrectly; both led to water damage requiring remediation.
Cited in 1 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Camera/diagnostic work not completed or canceled without explanation: One reviewer's camera request was canceled after initial snake visit without explanation, forcing follow-up a week later; another camera technician confirmed blockage but caused flooding during inspection.
Cited in 1 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Misrepresentation and failure to deliver advertised services: 2 reviews report jobs sold with warranties or as 'complete' work that were not delivered (incomplete sewer replacement with warranty not honored, mitigation quoted at 14k then re-quoted at 23k for less work).
Cited in 2 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Rude and dismissive customer service: 3 reviewers describe rude, condescending, or gaslighting responses from customer service and managers when disputes arose (threatened to charge for uncompleted work, told customer flooding was her fault, manager responded 'Ok, goodbye' without explanation).
Cited in 3 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
High variance in platform ratings (Google 4.9/5 vs Yelp 2.8/5): 33-point score variance across dimension reviews and massive platform gap suggests reviews are polarized—5-star emergency response experiences vs. 1-star billing/coordination disasters.
Excessive pricing on routine work: 6 reviewers report pricing that feels inflated—$450 for 6-ft snake on toilet clog, $850 to snake a drain (reviewer said $350 max would be excessive), $1,600 to replace tub handles/faucet, $10k quote for 15-ft sewer line (competitor did 65 feet for $14k), $11k estimate for sewer repair.
“Charge for running a 6-ft snake was $450, felt excessive”
Cited in 5 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Lack of upfront pricing transparency: Reviewers report being offered minimal options before work begins, one-sided quotes with no itemization, and refusal to provide details about what the issue is or how pricing was calculated before closing the sale.
“Charge for running a 6-ft snake was $450, felt excessive”
Cited in 3 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Poor coordination on complex/multi-job projects: One detailed review describes 20-day ordeal where internal teams did not communicate, customer had to text daily to keep work flowing, machines rented for 9 days when only needed 2 days, missed appointments due to locked van, and final invoice ignored.
“Internal teams do not speak to each other, needed to text daily”
Incomplete or substandard major work: 2 reviewers report sewer line replacement sold as 'complete' but old pipe section left in place, cracked sidewalk, water service line failure in same excavation area, and partial refund offered instead of completing the job as sold.
Cited in 1 of the 193 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 11 of the 193 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“TL;DR I would not recommend for big projects as they will try to bill the max amount to the insurance company. Also you will need to be coordinating for company since the internal teams do not speak to each other when working with them for multiple jobs since I needed to text them daily to keep the work flowing. Work started on Feb 03 2026, at first everything was going well fast response and solution giving. …”
“2 yrs ago we had a clog len the plumber came cleared it out then next day told us with their video our sewer line needed replaced, for the entire job line inside and out it was quoted 14k we had multiple companies come out give quotes and no one ever verified with their own camera it was a true break, finally got someone and they told us to leave it alone.. after all that I completely mistrust plumbers as all those …”
“0 stars. THE WORST!!!!!!! I called about a main line issue that left dried sewage in my basement. I told them WSSC had been doing work in the months prior, but they brushed me off. Chal came to snake the drain. I didn't have a yard clean out so he went through the basement toilet. He said it was not clogged, but rather blocked. We needed the camera. Camera guy never came that day. Not the next day. not the next …”
Positive
“Israel was very helpful, knowledgeable, efficient, and kept the house clean while working. He resolved the issue and gave some helpful pointers for the next time it could happen. There was a longer wait for service than estimated but to be fair it was a Sunday in the middle of a snowstorm and the technicians were busy throughout Maryland, and Roto-Rooter did fit me in the same day when other plumbers couldn't do …”
“Jeff F came through with Roto-Rooter, he was on time, very kind and honest and quick to survey the issue. We had some water backup and a small drip/ leak in the basement main line. He assessed the issue and went out to snake it all the way to the alley! Cleared the piping and now our plumbing is back to working efficiently and no more dripping or leaking. Also got a camera view of the condition of the plumbing from …”
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
Massive rating divergence: Google 4.9/5 (1,112 reviews) vs. Yelp 2.8/5 (100 reviews), 2.1-star gap. Google reviews focus on individual technician quality and emergency response speed; Yelp reviews heavily document billing disputes, incomplete work, property damage, and failed follow-up on major jobs. BBB A+ rating contradicts Yelp complaints, suggesting BBB disputes were resolved or complaints not filed there. Pattern suggests Roto-Rooter excels on small emergency calls but fails systematically on complex jobs and billing transparency.
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 want detailed upfront explanations
- You need rock-bottom prices with zero flexibility on the quote
- You need warranty-grade work on a complex or high-stakes install
Look elsewhere if
- You're highly price-sensitive
- You need this for a complex or high-stakes install
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: Baltimore · Annapolis Junction · Pikesville · Arnold