Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Nashville, TN · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
4.7★ over 787 reviews but 28 of 100 analyzed are 1★; fast arrivals undercut by surprise fees, no-shows, and a $4,000 over-scoped mitigation job.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #15 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in Nashville, TN · 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
Very fast dispatch — coordinated a tech within an hour for a leaking water heater and got customers to the cheapest fix
1 cited review
“There's a steady stream of water pouring out of the upper heating element. I call Roto Rooter. RR coordinates a tech to come out in 1 hour. The tech (Dragan) shows up right on time.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 1 cited review not excerpted here.
Free diagnostics with honest, money-saving advice noted by one customer who got DIY tips and a service warranty
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Sump pump and battery-backup installs done with thorough walkthroughs
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
Insurance company horrified that an over-scoped water mitigation cost upwards of $4,000, ripping out drywall and vanity insisting on mold
“When we had our insurance co. come out to access what Roto Rooter had done they were horrified that Roto Rooter did WAY more than was necessary. They totally scammed us insisting we needed an elaborate water mitigation and bathroom deconstruction which ended up costing upwards of $4000 dollars.”
Red flag
Quoted $300, then called back to raise the price, and a tech spent more time flirting than fixing — second person sent (28 of 100 reviews are 1★)
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Surprise fees and over-scoping — one mitigation job ballooned to ~$4,000 with unnecessary drywall and vanity demolition
“When we had our insurance co. come out to access what Roto Rooter had done they were horrified that Roto Rooter did WAY more than was necessary. They totally scammed us insisting we needed an elaborate water mitigation and bathroom deconstruction which ended up costing upwards of $4000 dollars.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
No-shows and scheduling failures: cleared a schedule for a slot, then told they were never on it
“Scheduled with them, cleared my schedule to be home for the scheduled time. Never showed - I called and they said we weren't on the schedule regardless of me having spoken to THAT SAME PERSON to set it up earlier in the week.”
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 6 of the 100 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“Quoted me one price $300, then called me back to say it would be more money. and I could choose to have the problem partially addressed. I greed to pay more money, turns out the guy spent more time flirting with my tenants than fixing the problem. They had to send out another person to actually address it.”
“We needed a plumber to fix a pipe leak we were unable to fix. After finding a list of plumbers that advertised as servicing my area after calling the first two I discovered they didn't. I was running out of time and getting desperate and Roto Rooter was the third one on the list. They assured me they did service my area. I was very grateful. I was informed I would have a service fee of $59 plus parts. I was …”
“Roto Rooter, Nashville plumber did not correct issue. I was unfairly charged full amount. Now I am unable to get in touch with office, and have called 10 plus times. John, Roto Rooter serviceman, was dispatched to my (rented) house on thanksgiving. He was here for 30 minutes. We had a clogged toilet, kitchen and bathroom sink. He was able to snake the toilet and clear that clog. He claimed that we needed to open up …”
Positive
“Woke up to find no hot water - ok, go check the heater and now we have a big problem - there's a steady stream of water pouring out of the upper heating element. I turn off the breaker, turn off the water valve into the heater, call Roto Rooter as they were the first to come up after Hiller and I strongly dislike Hiller from a past job. RR coordinates a tech to come out in 1 hour. I get the water drained …”
“I've used Roto-Rooter twice in the past week (unfortunately), but FORTUNATELY, both my technicians were incredible, faster than ANY other plumber I called and efficient. GREAT experience!”
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: Dec 2013.
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 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: Nashville · Hendersonville · Gallatin