Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

It was an after hours emergency situation where we had no toilets or water use due to a tree root entanglement that resulted in a back up and blockage of our line. James F. showed up and quickly assessed the situation and cleared the line making it possible to use our water until they could fix everything a couple days later. He set everything in motion and was so comforting and so knowledgeable that I felt confident in his ability to efficiently do a quality repair. I’m so glad I chose to go with this company. It was a costly fix but it was so much less than the company I’d gone with previously and the most important part was it was done right and they stand by their work and James F. was reassuring, extremely helpful and never made me feel like he wasn’t 100% dedicated to taking care of my worries and addressing my endless questions. He provided me with a plan to execute solutions so that this could be resolved in the quickest, most cost effective way possible. He is the biggest asset this company and he was the most appreciated part of this process. He is also the reason they now have me as a customer for life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to James A. And Silvestre P., for doing backbreaking work in record time! And a big shout out to the entire crew for getting to the “root” of the problem quickly with a smile! Thanks to: James F., Silvestre P., Jonathan H., and James A. and their Service manager Brad. It was a pleasure guys and thanks again Roto-Rooter. Stacey Martin, Madera, CA.

We had a Saturday emergency of a clogged toilet. I contacted Roto Router and thier Tech Sammy was here within a hour. Her was one of the best professionals we have had in our home, very efficient and did not give up because our fix was a little complicated. He helped to make sure the costs did not get out of hand and cleaned up really well before he left. Roto Rooter as a company appears to do well at hiring and retaining great employees. His project Manager Loreto who came out to assist was also very courteous, professional and knowledgeable. I have great confidence that this repair was done right.

They responded to my appointment request quickly and got right on it. They also suggested different options which I am grateful for because I know nothing about plumbing. My technician Michael was very friendly and knowledgeable and did a quick and most of all clean job. Highly recommended!

I took the day off to do a simple drain snake. Called at 10AM. Was given an appt window of 1-5. Called at 4 to make sure they were still coming. Scheduler said technician would call within 10 min to update. No call. I called back at 4:45. Scheduler said they could be there by 7PM. Had to make another appointment for following day.

They came nearly 4 hours late to their appointment with me, without calling me and warning me. When they came, I asked for a quote before they began and their costs for the two things I needed repaired were outrageous. I have since called another plumber to service my problems and he is charging us about $400 less than this company and $200 less for the other problem.

I just read on the CSLB that Roto Rooter is no longer licensed in several areas of Calif and in the areas where they actually sent me a technician. I paid $1850.00 asked for a detailed bill on the charges and only received an invoice that stated what I paid. And that was with a $200 or $300.00 dollar Senior discount. If the contractor you hire is unlicensed, 1st,they must tell you, and 2nd. they cannot charge you over $500.00 for the project. That is the law at the Contractors State Licensing Board. I don't know why I even hired Roto Rooter to begin with, I guess it is because they are an old company so when they tell you something you think they are on the up and up and instead they are taking you to the cleaners. When I told RR that I have had my septic done for way less locally, the boss laughed a said that would not even cover his gasoline prices, then they sent me someone from Stockton Area, that Stocketon license is expired and the mileage was something like 140 miles from my home, and the tech came from Kingsburg which is about 35 miles from my home. So when I asked for a detailed bill I wanted to see how much mileage they charged me. Then the 'boss' tells me that my septic tank is actually larger then what my homeowners papers state it is and they charged me for the biggest tank instead of the size for a 1400 sq. ft. home. So if you read the guidelines for hiring a contractor over on Contractors State Licensing Board, Roto Rooter is using the same type of scam on customers that CSLB tells you to 'avoid'. Verbal Estimates and bills and claims that the verbal charges are because of their New Way of going electronic and out of the paper billing process. No Written estimates or explicit break down on the charges even after you request a written break down for each item you were charged for. During the time frame that I hired them, they were running TV ads telling you to have your septic tank checked to avoid a $20,000 or $30,000.00 dollar septic disaster. So do not be fooled by that old jingle that keeps ringing in your mind, they are not the old company they used to be and your problems will not go down the drain but your money will certainly go down the drain without even getting a detailed bill of the charges for every thing they did. And there is a lot that they verbally tell the customer/consumer.

Overview: Responsive and professional communication and service. Scheduling was easy and they were able to fix the problem relatively quickly at the cost quoted to me. Details: My main sewer line had backed up and I was unable to clear it myself using a drain bladder and garden hose. I suspected roots were clogging the line. I placed a service request online for next weekday afternoon service using Roto-Rooter's online service request form (no account required). I immediately received their automated email confirmation. The next morning they called to confirm the appointment window and informed me of the non-refundable visit cost (which I couldn't find online, and which was applicable to any work done were I to accept their "firm" on-site cost estimate). Soon after 1:00 PM, they called again. They had an immediate schedule opening and asked if I'd like to have them come out earlier than originally scheduled. I declined as I was not home, but appreciated the courtesy call. The Roto-Rooter "technician" (as they are apparently called) arrived as expected within the scheduled time frame. I described the problem and what I'd done to try to clear the line. He gave me the cost for running the electric snake to clear the line (which was less expensive than I'd expected, though not cheap). He was able to clear the line and verify proper toilet and other sewage operation in the house within half an hour. I was able to pay via credit card. There were no additional or undisclosed fees (the amount charged to the card was exactly the amount he originally quoted). I was also informed that Roto-Rooter provides a 90 day guarantee on their work so should the line back up again within that time, they'll come back out and clear it again for free. Conclusion: Based on this one experience (I've never used their service until now), I'd highly recommend Roto-Rooter. They have convenient scheduling options, excellent communication, and seemed very professional through the entire process. It's cheaper (quite a bit) to rent an electric snake and do it yourself, but without experience (of which I have none), you could injure yourself (the motor on those are pretty powerful a tightly wound steel cable is nothing to laugh at, ha).

Consumer's Original Complaint : I contracted Roto-rooter by phone asking if they do work in the shaver lake area and explained over the phone to the lady who answered the phone what type of work that needed to get done and asked if this something they can do. Roto-rooter said yes, we need to send someone to take a look to get you an estimate. On Sept 18,2012, I paid for Roto-rooter to come do an inspection on the home to put together a proposal to perform multiple plumbing repairs on pre existing and previous customers work. Roto-rooter said they would have the proposal later on that day or the next day. They took pictures and someone would call me back. I called roto-rooter on the Sept 19th, looking for information, I was told they where busy on another job but someone will get back to me. By the end of that first day no one had called me back. The next day, Sept 20th, I called again, this time I was told they were looking at the pictures and someone would call me a back with an estimate. Again no one called me back. I called on the 21st, demanding an answer, again no call back. Then on the 22nd of Sept after 5pm they called me leaving a voice message saying, "they where not going to do the work because to much liability, wishing us good lucky in finding someone to do the work." I called back 10 min after they left the voice mail. Discussed why the job cant be done, the lady answered the phone had no idea about the whole thing she was just instructed to leave me the message, so I asked her since they can't put proposal for an estimate like they promise they should refund my money, the lady said I have to call in the morning, the very next day I got phone call from roto-rooter, a gentlemen just repeated what the lady had told me, and when I asked about the return of my money they said they will not refund my money.

The workmanship and communication by the technician Armando Ibarra was exceptional. On 10/14/24 I contracted for a plumbing leak repair that required breaking concrete on my patio as well as installing a new hot water heater to replace the old one located in my cellar. I was home the day the repair was conducted and Armando kept me informed every step of the way as he broke concrete and tried to minimize intrusion on my patio. Armando completed the repair and monitored the readings on my meter to make sure that there was no more leakage. He back filled and poured new concrete to replace what was removed and completely cleaned up the debris. The next day he returned and replaced the hot water heater. His work and customer service was top notch. I would rate them better if it was not for the following issues that were addressed eventually with the VP of Operations and resolved. 1) Project Manager Angel Valdivia was vague in answering my questions regarding permit requirements and inspection by the city. 2) Multiple late appointment arrivals, including pushing off to the next day. 3) Contact by the Project Manager after repairs and installation requesting sign off on documents he forgot to have me sign prior to the job. 4) No strapping was installed with the hot water heater (per California Plumbing Code 508.2) the day it was installed. A single strap was installed a week later. Ten days after that the city inspector pointed out that it required two straps. Three days later (20 days after the installation) the second strap was installed. I am still working with Roto-Rooter to resolve some minor issues 23 days after the installation of the hot water heater, and am hopeful they will be resolved timely. Take plenty of notes if you book them for a major repair.

Never use these outrage crooks. This company charge $450/hour on labor which is higher than a lawyer's rate, they charge 3 time more than Home Depot on material. Please see the attached picture that clearly shows the work this greedy plumber Carlos Anguiano did, he only switched these 2 short copper pipes under the water heater, he worked for 30 minutes, used a total 6 feet 3/4" copper pie, 2 couplings and 5 pieces 90 degrees. But he charged me $913.14 for this 30 minute work including $221 for this 6 feet copper pipe and 2 couplings and 5 pieces 90 degrees. His overcharge is outrageous, over 3 times more than the market price. The material in Home Depot total cost $69.88 including tax: 3/4 in. x 10 ft. Copper Type M Hard Temper Straight Pipe: $33.31 5 pieces of ProPress 3/4 in. Press Copper 90° Elbow: $4.48 2 pieces of ProPress 3/4 in. Press Copper Coupling $3.82 Total (33.31+5x4.48+2x3.82)x1.103tax=63.53x1.103=$69.88. But they charged me $221 which is 3 times more than the market price. He is a licensed servicing plumber driving a large van that can carry a lot of plumbing supplies. For sure his van had these basic materials needed for this small work. But he went away for over 1 hour to get 1 piece of copper pipe, 2 cuplines and 5 pieces 90 degrees, so he was entitled to charge me more hours, and at a $450/hour rate that is higher than a lawyer's rate. On the market no plumber would charge customers at $450/hour. He took full advantage that I didn't know the market price and my honesty and innocence, and I am a 70 year old woman with poor English. Another licensed plumber later quoted me that for this small work, I should maximum pay $280 including materials and tax.

We had Roto-Rooter come out and give us a "free" estimate for a leaking shower faucet. Johnnie came in, after arriving about 30 minutes from the notice he was on the way. I showed him to the bathroom and he told me the first step would be to replace the cartridge. He then proceeded to tell me "I'm not gonna lie, the parts aren't cheap..." and then quoted me a price of $585! I thought that was pretty high, and let him know I would not be able to do that today. He immediately asked about what price I was expecting. I let him know we wouldn't be able to do it now, and he began offering to "call his manager to see what he could do, since he was already here." Now I have worked in sales before, and I knew this routine. I told him he could go and showed him the door. I then proceeded to look up the cost of the cartridge at the local hardware store, it was $46 for the name brand and $36 for the off brand. Even after buying a new handle, lubricant and the removal tool, (things a plumber would not have to buy,) the cost would be around $85. So that means if the job took him an hour, he was charging me $250 if you count travel time. I know he would have been able to do it in less than an hour, because I watched some videos, bought the parts myself and did the switch. I have no idea what I am doing and managed to finish it in less than 2 hours, even with my travel to the store... Do not fall for these guys "free estimate" gimmick. Find someone who can do the job for a fair price and not try to rob you because they think they can get away with it.

The worst company ever! very unprofessional and very poor ethics! does not know the meaning of time and appointments! They were supposed to come to our house in the morning then got a call they are late finishing up a job will be here between 11 am to 1 pm and come 3 pm nothing! called the dispatcher 4 times! then got a text they will update us at 5 pm then 6 pm! I have been waiting here all day stuck in the house. I get they are 24/7 but they need to be transparent to customers why book us in the morning when they are short staff! Meanwhile they are not even sure what time they can come they can come at 1 am if they wanted too which they never disclosed in the beginning! go somewhere else rather than this very unprofessional company and their dispatcher Tina was very very rude! You have a customer waiting since 8 am and you have the nerve and audacity to tell me to reschedule tomorrow with no guarantee what time they will come again so that means I will be stuck here all day. Time is of the essence thats why there is an appointment because there is a designated time not delay for 8 hours! Your company does not know how to honor a commitment and appointment on time! very unprofessional and poor work ethics! the feeling of entitlement we can wait for you all day when you gave us a specific time but did not disclose you are very short staff and double booked appointments! we canceled and we'd rather pay an honest company who honors time and commitment!

I called for service for a clogged kitchen sink at 2 PM. The clog was yes, only in the kitchen area as this is an apartment complex. I made sure to check the neighboring unit that is conjoined next to the kitchen. They do not have a back up. Their lines are flowing clear and free to the drain outside also the bathroom draining clear from the tub draining free and free from the bathroom sink and the toilet flushes no backflow no water coming up anywhere else. It was just the kitchen sink. Seven hours later they finally show up at just after 8:30 PM. He looks says I'll come back with a quote, he comes back with a quote saying it's $520 to snake a line maybe 7 inches if that because the main drain is clear everything else is flowing through the main drain and then an additional $65 to remove the P-trap to snake it. I highly feel that they jacked up the price to $585 so they didn't have to do a 15 minute job. I only called this company because they guaranteed lower prices and they also guaranteed quick response. They also didn't charge weekend rates, so I thought I will try this Company, worst decision I have ever done in the 16 years at this property on calling a plumber to help unclog a kitchen sink. We normally pay anywhere between $125-$195 to snake any line 195 being the most because they would have to go to the Outside and this they didn't have to do it, It was literally right at the P-trap. I do not ever recommend using this company.

My husband looked up company on Angie's List-they came in afternoon instead of morning. Took pics, stated it would cost $1200 for replacing union/valve/fittings on outside faucet. Aaron Fillmore was gone for 2 hours to get parts. Only took one hour of work. Robert Crumb was supervisor who checked the work. My husband signed for the work on an I pad and was never emailed a receipt. We have not received the emailed receipt yet and it has been 3 days! I had to make many phone calls, filed a complaint on Better Business Bureau website, and had to call Mike Hopkins-manager several times. He made excuses of all the expenses he has (which I don't care!) and tried to offer $300 off which I refused. Then, he called back and offered $600 off. I finally agreed because I didn't want to deal with all this bull. Resources from other plumbers stated it should have been $300 to $480 at most. Roto Rooter was taking advantage of someone who doesn't know regular prices and under a lot of stress due to finding out our Mom in Spain has COVID19. Also, I'm an RN working at Valley Children's Hospital..although not an adult hospital, we are still dealing with a lot of stuff. This was very unprofessional and A deceptive way to conduct business. They should not be in business!! Please remove them from Angie's List to prevent others from being taken.

My main sewer line has backed up 3 times in one year. On October 1 they came and unclogged the line for the second time. They were back on November 2 because it was backed up again. They finally took the time to look deeper and found tree roots in the pipe. They immediately tried talking me into paying for a whole new pipe, over $6500. I asked them to send over the estimates and they left. I started researching and their own website says they can enter the main line and cut the tree roots without having to replace the entire line. This was service was not offered back on November 2. On November 16 I scheduled an appointment to have the roots cut. I specified I was not interested in full replacement at this time. My appointment was between 10 and 2. They showed up at 8pm. The tech informed me he didn't even have the tool that was able to do that. Why did they even send him if he wasn't equipped to do what I asked? He then goes to call his supervisor to "see what he can do" and comes back to my door to tell me they cannot do anything to help unless I want to pay for the full repair. They are money hungry and refuse to provide the service listed on their own website. Will not be using them again. Called Valley Drain and he cut the roots in less than 15 minutes. No more clogs.