Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Plumber · Worcester, MA · Open 24 hours per Google listing
Our verdict
National chain with 1,238 reviews at 4.7★, but the analyzed sample skews harsh: 19 of 73 are 1-star, and 6 reviews flag pricing as outrageous for simple work.
Scores are our editorial reading of published customer reviews — not a verification, license check, or guarantee.
Ranked #14 of 15 plumbers we've reviewed in Worcester, MA · compare all →
Our opinion, based on the 73 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
Shows up same day when local plumbers won't, even on Christmas Eve and Sundays
1 cited review
“Out of all the plumbers in the area I called, Roto-Rooter is the only one who would show up right away.”
Cited in 3 of the 73 reviews we analyzed — 2 cited reviews not excerpted here.
Techs keep customers updated with multiple calls about arrival timing
Cited in 1 of the 73 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
No-shows and last-minute cancellations on scheduled and emergency appointments reported repeatedly
“I get a call 30 minutes later that says they are canceling the appointment as their only technician called out - and no one else in the company was working that day. Extremely poor service, poor communication, and lack of empathy.”
Cited in 3 of the 73 reviews we analyzed.
Red flag
One reviewer reports a rude, argumentative tech who quoted $450 for a non-clog the customer fixed elsewhere for $125
“The tech was rude, argumentative, and made my tenants uncomfortable. He looked at the tub drain for about 30 seconds and told me it would be $450 to snake and clear the clog!! I hired a local guy who fixed it for $125 service call.”
Pricing repeatedly called outrageous: $750 for a drain, $450 to snake a clog a local guy did for $125
“The tech was rude, argumentative, and made my tenants uncomfortable. He looked at the tub drain for about 30 seconds and told me it would be $450 to snake and clear the clog!! I hired a local guy who fixed it for $125 service call.”
Cited in 3 of the 73 reviews we analyzed.
Value seen as out of whack even when service quality is praised
Cited in 1 of the 73 reviews we analyzed.
Keep it in proportion: these concerns are cited in 7 of the 73 reviews we analyzed. Most reviewers report positive experiences — see the full rating picture below.
The evidence — in reviewers' own words
Critical
“As a follow-up to my review. The next day I called a guy from Sterling. He unclogged the drain AND pumped the septic system for $465. Roto Rooter wanted $432 just to snake the shower drain. The guy from Sterling also showed up right when he said he would. As Brian D. said DO NOT USE THEM.”
“DO NOT USE THEM. They called me this afternoon 15 minutes before my schedule window was to start and cancelled the service for the second time in 2 days. Both times they simply indicated that they couldn't get anyone out. I called to speak to a supervisor and was transferred to someone who picked up the phone and sounded like she was at home and told me she wasn't a supervisor. Then on my second call to a …”
“I called RotoRooter because my new kitchen drain line was clogged, I'll review my install plumber later, and I thought since I am doing a lot of other work in this place it'll be quicker/more economical for someone else to snake the line. Turns out that Roto-Rooter will come to your house on a Sunday without any extra cost...in fact they'll come for free to give you an estimate on the work. BONUS!!!! So I asked the …”
Positive
“My toilet got clogged on Christmas Eve day and I called Rotorooter at about 4 PM and they gave me a 4 hour window up until 8 PM. At first that seemed ok but it was all I could do to get the toilet fixed because there were 5 of us and only one non working toilet. After sitting around the house by myself because the rest of my family was celebrating Christmas Eve I get a call at 8 and they tell me that suddenly …”
“I had a sink that was very slow draining and has been a problem off and on for many years but the usual baking soda/vinegar fix wasn't working any more. I called them at 8:30am and was told someone would be coming before 1pm. I received a call about 10:40am saying we were next on the list. I received another call about 12:45 pm saying the technician was delayed a bit on the previous job but we were still next. I …”
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 2016.
Across platforms
Should you hire Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup?
Hire if
- You need high-quality work that holds up over time
- You need fast same-day or after-hours response
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
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: Worcester · Auburn · Leominster · Devens