Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Berkeley, CA · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
4.8 stars, 333 Google reviews, BBB A+ accredited; but 23 of 100 analyzed are 1-star with expensive theme in 5 and surprise_fees in 2 — strong availability and BBB standing vs. a 28% negative review tail.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
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
Weekend and holiday emergency coverage confirmed: fast_response in 22 of 100 reviews; arrived within the hour on a Saturday of a long holiday weekend when 3 other plumbers declined.
1 cited review
“My faucet was continually running (while shut off) on a Saturday...after making three other calls to plumbers who either do not or could not work on a Saturday of a long holiday weekend, Roto-Rooter came through and arrived within the hour.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 1 cited review not excerpted here.
BBB A+ accredited; professional theme in 47 of 100 analyzed reviews — technicians described as knowledgeable and thorough across a range of jobs.
1 cited review
“Yesterday I had a bad day with my washer and garage being flooded I called roto-rooter.let me tell you the two guys that came to help us with this issue great customer service very polite told us what the problem was and preventative care for future mess. Very knowledgeable and above and beyond with the cleaning.”
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
Verbal estimates inflated then reduced under pressure: sewer line quote ranged $5,000–$16,000 for work a local competitor completed for under $600 — same job.
“Clearing the drain cost more than twice what our local plumbing company would have charged based on cost of labor. Stated estimate for repairing just the broken y-pipe was $6,301; we paid less than $600 to have our local plumbing company to repair both that pipe and the shower drain leak.”
Red flag
Warranty refusal documented: technician did unauthorized work, overcharged, refused to honor warranty, then supervisor hung up on customer complaint call.
“It started great when I initially called them. But then the same issues occurred, they refused to take responsibility, refused to honor their warranty, one of the workers who came was rude and disrespectful. The team manager hanged up the phone.”
Pricing runs 2-5x competitors on identical scopes: sewer lateral camera bid $600 vs $0 from competitor; pipe repair bid $29,800 vs $9,000; drain clearing labor cost twice the local rate.
“Clearing the drain cost more than twice what our local plumbing company would have charged based on cost of labor. Stated estimate for repairing just the broken y-pipe was $6,301; we paid less than $600 to have our local plumbing company to repair both that pipe and the shower drain leak.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
slow_response in 4 reviews; one customer called 3 times over a week with no callback for a video inspection file already completed.
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 4 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“I called Roto Rooter because our sewer line needed to be snaked. They arrived within an hour. Upon arrival the technician agreed that the line needed to be snaked and said that it would cost $500. I told him that I had a coupon that was offered on RR website for $100. He went to his van and wrote up a receipt for $590. and said that he could not accept an online coupon, it must be printed. I pointed out that …”
“Be aware! Do not use this service. Call any local plumber for reliable and honest work. These people came for a tankless water heater flush. Which I was quoted $100-$150 by two other plumbing companies. TLDR - $790 and started the work with asking my housekeeper to sign off when I wasn't even home. I told customer service I wouldn't be home but my house cleaner was so he could look and get me a quote. He even …”
“This was a mixed bag. I called these guys for a project to unplug the pipes that run from my gutters to the street. I have not done this in the three years that i have lived at this house, and I don't know when the previous owners did this, so admittedly this was likely a tough job. The good: It was easy to schedule an appt (with a two hour window of time, 8-10), with a promise to call 30 min ahead of time. Got a …”
Positive
“Excellent service, quality employees, more than satisfactory work!. My faucet was continually running (while shut off) on a Saturday...after making three other calls to plumbers who either do not or could not work on a Saturday of a long holiday weekend, Roto-Rooter came through and arrived within the hour. The plumber accessed the situation, found another major leak, wrote the estimate and with approval was off to …”
“Excellent service as usual. Have been using local Roto-Rooter for years. Always pleasure to deal with their professional plumbing experts. Carlos was amazing!!! Quickly fix the problem Which was a great relief, his many years of experience And expertise were greatly appreciated. Highly recommend. Thank you again for the great service 🙂”
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: Mar 2026.
Across platforms
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 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?
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.
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: Richmond · San Rafael · Stinson Beach · Daly City