Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Hammond, IN · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
4.8★ on 1,099 reviews but 35 of 100 analyzed are 1-star; themeCounts show surprise_fees=5, expensive=10, unprofessional=4 alongside professional=28 — strongly polarized with multiple documented overcharge and scam complaints on Yelp.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #12 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in Hammond, IN · 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
Fast dispatch confirmed: sewer crew arrived within 1 hour of call in 1 reviewed instance; weekend availability documented.
1 cited review
“The crew arrived an hour after I called, they clean my sewer drain and showed me the blockage and what caused it. Also gave me a reasonable estimate.”
Multi-visit sewer persistence: Josh returned 3 times including camera inspection until root cause identified, without additional charge for callbacks.
Cited in 1 of the 100 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
Documented false diagnosis: Yelp reviewer reports supervisor quoted $5,200 to replace a 'collapsed' pipe — a second company cleared the blockage and found no collapse.
“He told me the pipe had collapsed and needed to be dug up and replaced. He left me a quote for $5,200, plus an additional $500 to move the hot water heater. This guy is the perfect example of a scam artist. I then called another company to come out to see if what Roto said was true. This company was able to clear the blockage and indicated the pipe was NOT collapsed.”
Red flag
Water mitigation project manager asked to see homeowner insurance policy first and allegedly damaged irreplaceable artwork; 1-star Yelp review with detailed itemized complaint.
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
surprise_fees theme appears in 5 of 100 analyzed reviews — above threshold for a plumber at this scale.
“recently had work done. Was not a holiday. Was during a scheduled appointment. I feel I was completely overcharged ($600 to clear a food clog in pipes) took him less than an hour half to finish. Looking online this should have been a Maximum of $325!”
1 more cited review
“He told me the pipe had collapsed and needed to be dug up and replaced. He left me a quote for $5,200, plus an additional $500 to move the hot water heater. This guy is the perfect example of a scam artist. I then called another company to come out to see if what Roto said was true. This company was able to clear the blockage and indicated the pipe was NOT collapsed.”
Pricing disputes in 3 of 12 Yelp reviews: $575 for toilet clog not fixed, $600 for food-clog drain clear (claimed $325 market rate), $650 for 30-min sump pump swap — reviewers explicitly allege overcharging.
“recently had work done. Was not a holiday. Was during a scheduled appointment. I feel I was completely overcharged ($600 to clear a food clog in pipes) took him less than an hour half to finish. Looking online this should have been a Maximum of $325!”
Cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 5 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“We had these guys out for an estimate on replacing our sewer line and fixing our ejector pump. They gave us an estimate of 10,000 to replace the ejector pump, citing it was a commercial grade pump and they would have to dig a new pit in order to replace it. After getting estimate from 3 other companies, each of them told me the same. The ejector pump did not need to be replaced. Ejector pumps very rarely need to …”
“The company was several hours late in coming out, rude over the telephone to me when I called to confirm appointment and then promptly charged me $650 to replace a plain old (nothing-fancy) sump pump - which took a whole 30 minutes in labor - but what are you supposeed to do when there's water in your basement? I knew I was getting screwed and they do it with a smile - - I know Roto Rooter has franchises and that …”
“We've used Roto-Rooter to clean out our sewer line as it periodically gets jammed up with root growth every few years. In 2011 the tech was great, did good work and I was happy with the job. So happy that I didn't think twice about who to call when we started getting some backup and it was time to get the line cleaned out again. Quite a different experience this time. I made an appointment online and selected …”
Positive
“brandon did a excellent job and replaced some old water pipes for my washer-machine connection…brandon had great communication and prompt responses and was able to get everything replaced in 24hrs…. highly recommend!!!”
“Tyler and Brandon were amazing. The company had availability to send some one out almost immediately. Tyler assessed the situation and knew that my problem was going to require more than he was able to correct at the moment but he gave me options and ensured that I understood what next steps would be. Brandon came out the next morning and was able to resolve my problem within a couple of hours. Both were very …”
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
Google 4.8★ vs multiple Yelp 1-star accounts alleging price-gouging and false diagnoses. Yelp reviewers use 'BUYER BEWARE' and 'DO NOT USE' language not reflected in Google aggregate.
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 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
- 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?
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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Nearby: Hammond · Portage · Valparaiso · Shelby