Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Schaumburg, IL · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
4.8★ Google from 3,094 reviews, but analyzed sample is 53% negative — pricing complaints dominate (49 of 100 reviews mention cost) with themeCounts.surprise_fees=6 and themeCounts.expensive=10.
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 emergency availability confirmed: themeCounts.weekend_or_emergency=9 and 8 reviews mention emergency-plumbers service, including a holiday weekend sewer-line dig.
1 cited review
“Mike, my technician, was awesome. He was extremely courteous and kept me informed throughout the repair. Mine was a very difficult main drain to open. He put every effort into clearing it. He just wouldn't give up...There is one set fee and he gave me that upfront. And then he proceeded to spend four hours working on it.”
Cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Fast dispatch on arrival: themeCounts.fast_response=12; technician Mike cited twice for arriving quickly and resolving the job in a single visit.
Cited in 2 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Water-damage mitigation team returns daily to monitor drying until 100% complete — insurance guidance included on first visit.
1 cited review
“They found the leak wasn't actually in the basement but in the kitchen and it leaked downstairs over time...they came back daily to check and didnt take their fans and equipment until everything was 100% dry.”
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
Alleged upsell on non-existent pipe collapse: supervisor quoted $5,700 for a 'collapsed pipe' that a second company cleared with a snake the same day.
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
Insurance-targeting behavior reported: project manager asked to see homeowner's insurance policy immediately on arrival and commented 'great policy' before quoting work.
“First thing the project manager wanted to see was our home owners insurance. Ooh your house has a great policy. Hmm why would he say that?? Red flag #1.”
Red flag
Phone staff conduct: reviewer reached a non-manager who was audibly surrounded by shouting and foul language during a complaint call.
Cited in 1 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Pricing is a consistent complaint: 49 of 100 analyzed reviews mention cost, with 6 flagging surprise or undisclosed fees; drain-clearing jobs quoted $550–$600 for under-90-minute work.
Cited in 3 of the 100 reviews we analyzed.
Slow response on some visits: themeCounts.slow_response=6; one reviewer reports crew arriving several hours late with no courtesy call.
Cited in 1 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
“We had sewage coming up from our basement laundry drain and called Roto Rooter to help us. They did anything but. Eddie arrived on site and called in his supervisor, Max Corner. Max said that he was unable to open up the main basement clean out so they had to run equipment from the main floor bathroom. This added 8-10’ to how far they attempted to rod which apparently weakened their equipment enough that they were …”
“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 …”
“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
“So grateful for Mike! He did an excellent job explaining what the possible reasons for my sink backup could be and an even greater job providing me with reasonable and affordable solutions. Extremely satisfied with the service provided. Got my water flowing and sink draining in no time! Huge thank you to MIke!”
“Mike at Roto-Rooter did a fantastic job! Took time to explain the process, periodically informed me of his progress, resolved the issue and cleaned up after himself. Got here quickly and completed the job quickly as well. Highly Recommend!”
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
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?
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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: Algonquin · Libertyville · Geneva · Evanston