Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Roto-Rooter's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Roto-Rooter

  2125 Montana Ave Cincinnati, OH 45211-2741

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  6356A Corley Rd Norcross, GA 30071

  
• 

  Roto Rooter

  220 Demeter St East Palo Alto, CA 94303

• 

  Roto-Rooter

  2600 5th Ave Seattle, WA 98121

• 

  Roto-Rooter Services Company

  175 Maple St Stoughton, MA 02072

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/03/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This business was called due to water in my basement. I was originally charged for unclogging for approximately $600. In the mist of that, another member of the team showed up to my address. The person doing the unclogging was trying to share with with myself further information and the field representative basically directed him to stay quiet. The field rep then told me that I should not worry, that he would assure that ***** **** would pay for the problem "soft toilet clog" is what I believe he said. I was told that I would not have to pay anything out-of-pocket. Yet, more water came up that very night. Roto-Rooter had a couple of their employees bring fans to dry the floor. They said they could not remove anything electrical that was damaged, so I had to hire another company to remove washer, dryer, elliptical, treadmill, television, and a lot more items. They also removed 2-3 ft of my walls in certain areas. Another employee showed up to my home within a few days and told me that the real problem could cost me up to $30,000 if "they" hit the wrong pipe, so he recommended that I apply for a loan. Lucky the loan did not get approved. This seemed incredibly suspect to me. They never gave me the details of what I was being charged for, but I felt that they were scamming ***** ****, because they asked about my insurance and my policy and told me everything would be covered-yet when ***** **** estimated the cause and damage, they felt that what was being charged was overpriced at a total of over $16,000. They never fixed the problem. They basically dried my floors and removes several parts of my walls which does not amount to $16,000. I asked them to give me a detail of the work that they did and they said that they had emailed it to me. I did not receive that email until I requested it. Roto Rooter also placed a lien on my property. They tried to scam ***** **** and because ***** **** did not approve the amount not the damage, they are charging me.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/19/2025

  Hello. We did work for this customer and have attached the signed contracts by her to initiate our services. Page 2 states our estimate of work to be between $7500-$12500 and then the place where she signed for a "change order" as the cost increased over the high-end estimate at $15,949.13. Pages 4 & 5 are the water mitigation agreement and paragraphs 4, 5 & 8 all pertain to payment and our stance of when it's due. Page 6 is a direct payment authorization by the customer and page 11 is a signed certificate of satisfaction. Customer was paid per ********* Ins $9553.00 and did not remit payment to Roto-Rooter. Customer was sent notices via email, certified letter and voice messages, all went unanswered. Account was placed with our third-party collections agency and a mechanics lien filed on the home. I believe that 10 months later she may be attempting to refinance or sell her home and will not be able to, until she pays RR for the outstanding invoice for completed services that she initiated and stated she was "satisfied". I believe that the customer is attempting to defraud the BBB as she did her insurance co. for filing a claim and then not paying her vendors. Please let us know if you need anything additional.
  
   
  
  Thank you,
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/29/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In April 2019 the Roto-Rooter offered to fix the location, see photo on the attach., where the 12" deep sunken hole appeared, with cracked sewer pipe without bottom and washed away soil below. (Documented on the photo.) The Roto-Rooter contractor incorrectly shot in the sewer pipe a liner, which got bent due to the unsupported caving of sewer pipe. This was discovered this October, during the sale of the house by the house inspector using sewer camera. Also, instead of 100ft of liner only 91 ft was installed, as also independently confirmed later by the buyer's plumber. All documented on the film and photos.
  When asked to fix the liner, Roto-Rooter asked for additional $10,500., regardless of the warrantee. At the end the Roto-Rooter after a long dispute, finally agreed to fix the segment of liner at no cost, when the house was already being vacated by us. They purposely protracted the dispute, knowing that once we are out of the house, the warrantee will not apply any more to the new owner. Based on the plumber's estimate, the buyer asked at the closing for $6,761, to fix the liner, which I had to pay. The plumber's letter and estimate are in the attached.
  Attached is also my letter (2 letters were sent out) to the corporate office in **** with explanation. I thought the issue would be easily resolved there. Instead, my complaint was sent back to the local ** office, without resolution.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/03/2024

  Contacted customer via email and let them know that though we are not taking blame for issues with line but we would in good faith come out and excavate to repair sewer line at no cost.  Customer was also spoken to over phone and said he did not want to continue to make repair.  We are willing to make repairs under guarantee regardless if it was not our fault.  If customer wants to proceed we will schedule as soon as possible at customer convenience.   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Below is a timeline of events after hiring Roto Rooter, copied nearly verbatim from an Oct 23 email I sent their water damage team. I also attached a screenshot of my repeated outreach attempts. My husband and I left countless voicemails for the branch manager, **, all of which were ignored. I've attached pictures of the damaged floor (files titled "IMG) vs. how it looked on Sept 23 right before I moved into my new home. I also have videos of the dripping sewer water I can share separately.
  
  Oct 16: Roto Rooter snakes our drain, ruining our new white-grouted floor and smearing poop-stained gloves on walls, door trim, and handles.
  
  Oct 17: T*** scopes our line, leaves the basement cleanout cap improperly threaded, skips final approval with me, and claims our sewer line is beyond repair, needing immediate $49k replacement. We show him the damage; he tells us to report it to the water damage team.
  
  Oct 18: We call W**** about the damage—no reply.
  Oct 28: We call W**** again—no reply.
  
  Oct 29: A 2nd plumber discovers the leaking cleanout cap, three massive clogs Roto Rooter failed to clear, and confirms our sewer line is fine, needing at most a jetting for minor roots. He clears the line properly. By 1 pm, we call W**** about sewage water leaking in our basement—no reply.
  
  Oct 30: I leave multiple voicemails for **. Finally, someone is scheduled for Nov 1.
  
  Nov 1: Cleanup team removes the sewage water but damages our bathroom wall while cleaning the floor and cannot fix our ruined tile/grout.
  
  I paid Roto Rooter $1,350 for damage to my house and an uncleared drain. The second plumber charged $900 to fix their mistakes and clear the drain. Re-tiling will cost $3,300. Roto Rooter must refund the $1,350 and compensate us for the floor damage.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2025

  Received tile replacement quote from customer and we overnighted a check on 2/17/2025 for $3414.77.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/04/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* ********
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the installation and subsequent issues related to the water filter that Roto-Rooter installed. The situation details are outlined below, and I am requesting immediate action to resolve this matter. If not addressed promptly, I will be forced to take further legal action.
  On November 6, 2024, I contacted Roto-Rooter regarding a plumbing concern. I was advised that a waste filter was necessary, and the technician installed it the same day. However, on November 13, 2024, I contacted your company again because the water filter was leaking. The technician I spoke to explained that the installation was done incorrectly and that the technician responsible for the original installation needed to correct the issue.
  
  On November 14, 2024, technician M*** (#****) returned to fix the leak. Despite his efforts, the situation has not been resolved. As of November 27, 2024, the water filter is leaking alarmingly, forcing me to turn off the water supply in my home entirely. I immediately contacted Roto-Rooter and spoke to J*****, who informed me that no one would be available to address the issue until November 28, 2024. This timeline was utterly unacceptable, given the urgency of the situation. After further discussion, J***** provided a time for same-day service, but the delay has already caused significant inconvenience.
  
  Furthermore, I attempted to escalate the issue by speaking with a manager. S******, who answered my call, seemed irritated by my request to speak with a manager and left me on hold without transferring the call, which was unprofessional and disrespectful. As a result of this ongoing issue, I am requesting the following actions:
  Immediate water filter repair and confirmation that the installation is done correctly.
  Refund for the initial installation and any additional charges incurred.
  Compensation for damages caused by the water leak, including the water cleanup in my newly remodeled basement.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2024

  To who it may concern,

   

  As soon as we found out about the issue, we sent someone out to replace the failed unit with another unit at no charge. We also put dying equipment in to make sure the house dried properly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  11/26/2024
  $592
  I called about my toilets not flushing and my sinks having standing water in them,
  Tech came out didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t resolve my initial issues
  In addition to my toilets still not working I now have a plumber snake stuck under one of my toilets that their tech got stuck and they are wanting me to pay an additional $3,000 to have them dig my floors up to get the snake out that their technician got stuck in my pipe, they are assuming no accountability and I can’t consult anyone else because the snake from their company is still stuck in my pipes and they’re refusing to fix it without payment

  Business Response

  Date: 12/17/2024

  Unfortunately, the customers line is detreated to the point of repair and replacement is our only option. This was presented to the customer, and they declined the repair.  The customer was refunded the $592 fee as we unable to clear the line. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Rotor Rooter came to my home On Dec. 10 of 2023. Fixed my plumbing out front as it was leaking pretty bad. I paid them 950.00 and was told about warranty . In Feb. they came out again to fix the same problem. It is leaking again. I had them out today 11/27/2024 to fix the problem. I was told that it would be free as it was warranty work. 30 mins later after sitting in his Van, guy tells me it's because of the my water and how bad the water in Phoenix is and I'll have to pay to get it fixed. . It is leaking from the pipes they replaced twice in one year. They want to charge me again for the same thing I paid them not even a year ago. Help.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/26/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I hired Roto Rooter to fix a broken sewer pipe. They never finished the job and left our property in shambles.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2024

  The GM and excavation dept will compare the pre and post line inspection videos and discuss further options with the customer on 10/29.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/25/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I found out that this company charged double what other companies charge to do the same work in my area. Then I was told I could not have a warranty on the work done because the technician thought that my pipes might be shifted. He had no concrete proof and told me it was just his opinion. I had my basement drain unclogged. I have never had a company take advantage of my situation like this company did. Not only was the cost double what others will charge but then to refuse to warranty the work with only a possibility or a guess per what the technician claimed I feel I'm deserved a refund of the amount paid for this service.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/26/2024

  Thank
  you for reaching out and sharing your concerns about the pricing of our recent
  work and the lack of a warranty. I appreciate the opportunity to address these
  issues.
  
  I
  understand that the cost may seem higher than expected. Please allow me to
  explain that our pricing reflects the high-quality materials we use and the
  expertise of our team. We strive to deliver exceptional service and results
  that stand the test of time.
  
  Regarding
  the warranty, I apologize for any confusion. While we currently do not offer a
  formal warranty on this particular service, I want to assure you that we are
  committed to the quality of our work and your satisfaction. If any issues
  arise, we are more than willing to discuss them and find a suitable resolution.
  
  
  Please
  feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or if you would like
  to discuss this matter more. We value your feedback and look forward to hearing
  from you.
  
  Best
  regards,

   

  J***** J*****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/26/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  
  

  
  

  I was told there was a warranty. Only to be told due to assumptions the technician was making after he completed the work that he would not allow for the warranty.

  Now you state there are no warranties? 

  This is not what I paid for. 

  With the lack of warranty that I was assured before the work was started and completed I do believe a refund of part of the cost should be provided as it is not what I was originally quoted and promised when service was placed under contact.

  Without the warranty I would not have hired your company.  

  To now state that a warranty isn't even possible for the work that was performed is a false statement. 

  That or I was mislead when I agreed in this contact by your company.

  I would like a partial refund for the lack of warranty your company is not honoring.  That was only rejected to me after the work was completed. 

  At no other time was I told it would not exist.  I was informed before the work started and I entered into the contact for work to be performed that there was a warranty. 

  Please compensate me for not fulfilling your companies end of the agreement.
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  L**** **********
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2024

  Good afternoon Mr. **********, 

   

  We are very sorry to hear your complaint. Our corporate book price to rod a mainline from a basement cleanout is $759. We see that our technician discounted you $100 and gave a month of warranty. Our drain rodding techs are well trained and are able to assess the mainlines that are compromised which could be either shifted or collapsed. We are happy to send you a camera technician at no charge and show you your mainline's footage. Thank you and have a great day. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/25/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of Transaction 09/23/2024 12:00 AM County/Place of Transaction ******* County We called this plumber to fix a leak, they fixed toilets and told us drying out the bathroom would be covered by insurance so why not just do it. AS a matter of fact, everyone at this company told us we would be covered after speaking with our insurance. They even said we would only be responsible for the deductible when and if we needed to have tile put back, etc. THEY called my insurance and filed the insurance claim while I was sitting there and told me they were authorized to start the work of drying the bathroom. They also told me to not talk to the insurance company at all, which seemed weird. This man's name was Freud. They had me sign to get started but did not tell the truth of what was in the electronic document and did not even give me an opportunity to read through it. Then they tried to bill the insurance company for work they did not perform. Insurance asked for an adjusted invoice because they could tell the bathroom wasn't large enough for all the equipment they billed for. Roto-Rooter did not provide one and have now sent me a letter threatening to file a lien on our home. The letter is claiming ***** **** paid us and that they will turn us in for fraud if we don't pay them in 7 days. Insurance has never sent us a check and actually denied the claim because Roto Rooter was not sending a corrected invoice. It seems to us like they might be professionals at insurance fraud and having people sign things they don't let them read so I wanted to file this complaint in hopes that they can't hurt others. Verbal agreement did not match what was in the electronic documents and again, they did not let us read the screen and did not send a paper copy. 3 letters were sent with incorrect information to threaten and intimidate me and that is what prompted me to finally report this.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/26/2024

  Had a long and productive conversation with ***** about her
  remaining balance on her work. ***** had many misunderstandings on the processes that happened along the way including two different plumbing issues (a supply line leak in her slab underneath the kitchen on the main floor and a supply line leak in the upstairs bathroom toilet) and how they were and weren't related as far as both Roto-Rooter, Her insurance company, and the balance due being collected on the drying done in her bathroom. Gave ***** an understanding of both the
  timelines for payment to close the account as well as the methods of payment.
  ***** will discuss with her family the options and dates we talked about today
  to try and find an agreement that works for her and Roto-Rooter. ***** doesn't deny that the bill needs to be paid but is unable to pay it at this time and is scared of further action by Roto-Rooter in attempts to collect. I am calling
  her next Tuesday to discuss next steps and hopefully get her balance resolved
  fairly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  RotoRooter was hired to replace the main sewer line on 10/22. After the line was replaced I feel like I have been abandoned by the company . The sewer line has to pass inspection before it can be recovered and so far it's failed 3 times One of the holes needs to be refilled ASAP because dirt is washing away from under the street. I've not gotten any communication from the company as to what is going on.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/23/2024

  RR did have some difficulties with weather, causing the excavation site to be delayed in getting an inspection passed as the inspectors did want addition work in the excavation site due to water in the trench.   There were delays in returning to backfill and lack of communication from the RR rep.   RR will return Monday 11/25 to backfill and compact and managent will monitor progress.