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

• 

  RR Plumbing Roto-Rooter

  280 Meredith Ave Staten Island, NY 10314

  
• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  3 Alan B Shepard Jr Pl Ste A Yonkers, NY 10705

  
• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  1130 140th Ave NE Suite 305 Bellevue, WA 98005

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  1060 Cambridge Sq STE D Alpharetta, GA 30009

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:03/24/2025

  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.

  Scheduled a plumber on 3/3. Plumber arrived late (we had a clogged toilet). Quoted us $716. I scheduled the service 3/12. Plumber did not arrive when scheduled. Appointment was moved to the next day. He did not arrive when said. At noon, I cancelled. Half an hour later a plumber showed up & claimed he had no knowledge of the appointment being cancelled. While he was here his boss showed up - unannounced, and let himself in. He did not explain why he was there. Plumber decided on a different course of action from what he stated 3/3, but the quote remained the same. After the job he said there was a valve leaking, which was not leaking before he did the work, that it needs to be replaced and my husband could easily replace it & save us $100 by not having him (the plumber) do it. I took his word that it was a simple fix. My husband saw that he could not do it. The valve started to cause a leak in my bedroom ceiling, there is also a second leak in my bedroom when the toilet is flushed. So the issue that was not previously there has caused two ceiling leaks. I called when I noticed the bedroom leaks. I was given a window of 8-10am. Showed up after 12:30pm. First plumber said the wall needs a bigger hole & he would tell them to send someone else. 30 minutes later another plumber shows up, unannounced. He quoted me $500 to fix it. I expressed concern for paying for something that was not an issue before them. A few hours later another employee came, unannounced, and asked to look at the water damage. I asked the manager for a refund and instead was told that he would have someone come fix the valve. He said he’d call back to confirm. I received no call back, but a plumber showed up the next day, unannounced. I no longer had interest in further work from this company. Sending people over unannounced, entering homes without permission, no regard for customers’ time. The work was done and left us with a problem that is causing bigger problems for us.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/25/2025

  First I would like to apologize to you on behalf of Roto-Rooter we pride ourselves on providing world-class service to our customers and after reading your summary you have received far from that. I will be having a conversation regarding our "Go Calls" with the dispatcher. Every customer should be called before we send someone to their home for many reasons one of which is to ensure you are still looking for service. While I agree that the leaking angle stop should have been fixed by our plumber, that would be a paid service separate from the $715 that you were charged for the toilet stoppage. The two issues are separate. A properly working angle stop should be able to be turned without presenting a leak. Regardless based on the experience you have had with Roto-Rooter i will Return the $600 to your card that you originally paid for the service with. You should see the funds within the Next 3-5 business days from 3/26/25.    

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/24/2025

  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.

  Our issue began on Saturday March 15 2025. We had water in our basement and I called Roto Rooter to schedule an appointment. Travis showed up first with an apprentice, couldn't resolve the issue. The next day Colton was scheduled out, APPEARED to find a solution, charged us $405.00 (discounted) and left, told us we could use our facilities again. Immediately the backup occurred again, Colton was sent back out and disclosed the issue could not be fixed with his equipment, said he was submitting for a refund (no charge unless fixed, issue is not fixed) and contacting a camera guy. Brett (camera guy) came out Wednesday March 19th, the blockage problem along with the bend of the pipe wouldn't allow his camera to fit, said he was getting a hold of dispatch to schedule a tech with a smaller line that would fit. This 2nd camera tech never showed as of today (Monday March 24th). I have since called Thursday, Friday, Saturday and today (Monday) to get information regarding the refund AND the camera guy. I have been transferred to voice mail regarding the refund 3 different days with a "complaint filed to a manager" and have been told "someone will call you to schedule" on each occasion as well. Nobody has once called me back. Resolutions: I want my $405 back or I will file fraud with my bank account. I also want a tech here within 24 hours (by Tuesday EOB) or I am going to find a new provider of service. This has a big potential for business and we are currently left with a major inconvenience in being able to use our full water/sewer facilities of this house, I want it done ASAP and if that means calling someone else, I will be doing that. I was nice and patient, hopefully now maybe a manager will reach out to me to resolve this issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2025

  We have refunded the customer the money. He filed this before I spoke to him.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/24/2025

  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:03/22/2025

  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.

  Sewage repair March 1, 2025- $11,800 Repair of sewage line business was to provide all repairs and cleanup as well as provide me with documents to provide to my insurance company for my insurance claim. Repairs were just completed on March 21 but I have been requesting an insurance breakdown from the manager of the work performed and the costs since March 5th. I have not received the document or any response from the manager. Multiple emails have been sent by an employee named F**** and myself to get these document's. I have also attempted to call the office no one answers the phone and the people that do have voicemails do not return phone calls. All I am looking for from the company is the insurance breakdown so I can get this to my insurance company as they have requested it several times and need it to finalize the claim. I am at risk of them denying my claim due to not having provided all requested documentation.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2025

  We have supplied customer with the documentation for Insurance company as requested.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/25/2025

  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:03/18/2025

  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.

  On March 14,2025, I called Roto Rooter to my property for a water leak, John P*******Water Restoration Estimator) and Johnathan(Plumber) last name unknown arrived. The 2 Roto Rooter employees investigated the property and was unable to identify the cause of the leak.John P****** informed me that he could have crew to come and clean up the water damage and help me file a homeowners insurance claim. On March 15,2025, two of Roto Rooters Water Restotatin team arrived to begin cleanup. They stated they were informed to cut the drywall and take up the carpet. There was no visible damage other than a small portion of the carpet was wet and there was a stain at the bottom of the closet.The plumber Johnathan arrived again and did another investigation was un able to locate source. I informed him I would get a second opinion, he stated i have to charge you $400 and he need me to sign a paper and I refused. I called Roto Rooters on March 17,2025 for a copy of my bill. The young lady informed me me it would be ready on Wednesday, but the bill would be between $5,000 and $10,000. I was upset and I called back to speak to the manager Matt L****** about my bill. While speaking with him he stated why are you worrying isn’t your insurance paying for it. I informed him to come and get his equipment from my property. I spoke to my insurance representative and he stated this isn’t the first time this company has over charged a customer. i feel I was taken advantage of due to fact this was my first claim and John P****** knew that. John P****** also made comments like “Oh I didn’t expect this to be a nice house because of the outside,but this is real nice. He also stated I bet these floors cost a lot of money.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  Working with **** ******* insurance company to resolve water mitigation claim. We also made **** ***** aware that the plumbing was a different service and she would have to pay for that as well because the water mitigation would be through her insurance company.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  No, my issue was not addressed  Roto Rooter has not provided any resolution. Roto Rooter is not working with my insurance company to provide a resolution. Last of all I was never made aware of an extra fee for the plumber. Bottom line I was over charged by Roto Rooter for the amount of damage I had to my basement. I was taken advantage of. This company is all about making money especially when you have a manager like Matt L****** who makes a comment about Why are you worrying about the bill isn’t you insurance paying for it when I called to dispute the charges
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2025

  Roto-Rooter followed the IICRC guidelines regarding water cleanup to mitigate *** ******* water loss.  Unfortunately, *** ******* insurance company denied her claim due to the source of the loss being ground water.  Roto-Rooter submits claims to insurance companies on behalf of the customer as a courtesy.    Roto-Rooter does not set pricing of water clean up jobs as the Xactimate program is used to create the scope of work and prices are assigned to the work that is done based off square footage and scope.  Xactimate is the industry standard, and pricing is set by insurance companies.

  
  Ultimately, Roto-Rooter works for the customer and the customer is responsible for any monies their insurance company does not cover.  *** ***** signed the attached contract giving a price range for the work to be performed of $5,000-$10,000.  Also, a description of work to be done was listed.  *** ***** signed this contract, authorizing us to not only begin the work, but also acknowledge that she is responsible for any monies the insurance company does not cover.
  *** ***** called in while the job was still being dried out and after all the other work was completed.  She became belligerent with our staff.  She called multiple employees idiots and screamed profanity at both our administrator and manager.  *** ***** stated she was not paying us a cent even if the insurance company covers it.  She then requested that we pick up our equipment immediately and that she wanted it out of her house even though the drying process was incomplete.  We complied with her request.

  
  Matt L****** spoke to her insurance company on *** ******* behalf and was informed the claim was denied due to the source being ground water, which is not covered under her policy.
  The $400 charged by our plumber was our standard diagnostic fee to try and find the source of water loss.  *** ***** told us she wanted to get a second opinion after the diagnostic work was completed.  *** ***** never paid us for the plumbing diagnostic work.

  
  Roto-Rooter followed all company processes and made Ms. Brown aware of the scope of work being done and the range of price before any work was started.  To date, *** ***** owes Roto-Rooter $7,246.75 for the mitigation work completed.  Roto-Rooter understands the hardships it can cause when homeowners insurance denies a claim and is more than willing to work with a customer to help reduce said burden.  Therefore, we are willing to settle this outstanding debt for $6,522.08, which is a 10% reduction on the original invoice.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/08/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  No, I’m am not satisfied with Roto Rooters decision and they are not telling the truth. I was never made aware of a plumbing fee. The plumber spent a good amount of time in my home and was unable to inform me of the source of water intrusion. I had to hire another plumbing company who spent less than 30 minutes in my home and was able to identify the source of water intrusion.Yes I was denied by the homeowner insurance due to the issue was ground water, water tide.  The restorations estimator was unsure as to whether my insurance company covered the source of water intrusion and i was still over charged. The manager did speak with the insurance adjuster and the manager admitted that the water estimator was not suppose to charge me without being able to identify whether i was covered  under my home owners insurance. Yes I was very upset with Roto Rooters because there pricing is ridiculous and i was taken advantage of. When you call to dispute a bill and you have MANAGER telling you why are you worrying your insurance is covering it. What type of professionalism is that.

  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2025

  I spoke with *** ***** and settled this debt for $4,000.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2025

  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:03/17/2025

  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.

  Kemy a plumber from roto rooter came to take a look at a leak from the faucet. He told us we need a new cartridge and it would cost 600.00. We said no that's too high. He went to talk to his boss and they came down to 400. At the time our hot water heater was also about to be replaced. He said he ran into a problem. There was nothing to screw the cartridge into in the back. But he went out and came back in and said it's no problem I got it. Told us there will be no more leaking. Once the new hot water heaters installed the shower will work. The water heaters installed and the leak is worse than when he first came. The water is now not leaking but freely flowing through the faucet like there is nothing back there to stop it. I called and was told there is no warranty on the work done and that I shouldve been told there was no guarantee. I want my money refunded. We were blatantly taken advantage of.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  We have reached out to the customer to apologize for the service and have offered a refund to the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/17/2025

  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.

  Had Roto-Rooter come out to fix a clogged drain which did fix the drain but a couple of days later I noticed they put two holes in my drain when they cleaned the line and had water on my basement floor which occurred a few years back and this same company replaced a major section of my sewer line and gave me a 5 year warranty. Company came back onsite 2-3 days later, pointed out the damage to the pipe, and quoted me $2,800 to replace the drain pipe. I was concerned with damage under my floor and since I had a warranty, I wanted it checked before I start paying for work above the ground. After going back and forth with the tech they send a supervisor out who instead of suggesting moving my toilet or removing a PVC pipe from my utility drain to check the drain, they quoted me almost $9,000 to tear up my basement walls and concrete floor to just see if there was a problem. After thinking over the quote I called the supervisor back and asked by the toilet and/or utility sink could not be used to access and they said it would be an additional charge to check that way. I then asked for a refund of the $380 for the initial line cleaning as they left me in a worse state than when they arrived to my house and have tried calling the company multiple times with no response. I posted a negative review on ****** and their customer satisfaction individual replied telling me to email them. I did multiple times and still no response from this company.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  We have agreed to the refund requested and have applied the $380.00 credit to customer's credit card. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2025

  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.

  On November 20, 2024 I had a toilet overflow in my house. I could not unclog the toilet and, because it was after hours (About 9 PM) i called Roto Rooter to assist in unclogging my toilet. Prior to the plumber arriving, I mopped up all of the water on my floor. The plumber unclogged my toilet and the plumber called their water restoration team. A member of the Water Restoration Team came into my house with what appeared to be a handheld device that measured wetness. The Tech advised me to have all the floors removed because the water would cause molding and that it would be dangerous. I inquired about the cost and the technician stated "don't worry, we will work with your insurance." I asked, but what if the insurance doesn't approve of my claim. The technician stated "Don't you worry, the way we will document this case, they will approve it. We have a good history with the Insurance Companies and we will accept whatever your Insurance company will pay us. Your only worry would be the deductible. I was hesitant to have them perform the work, but the technician told me that I was going to have a smell in my house that I would not be able to stand if I didn't get them to tear up my floors. He kept saying that "you don't have to worry, your Insurance will cover this. The technician pulled up a signature line on his ****** and said that I had to sign it and my signature would allow them to perform the cleanup. He pulled up a couple of other signature lines and stated that my signature would allow them to bill my insurance. I signed and they removed about 65% of my downstairs flooring. They also brought in multiple air fans. Later, the insurance denied my claim and a representative from Roto Rooters Home office called me and asked for payment. She said I owed $19,611.00. I told her that no way I owed them that I owed that amount of money. I had not signed a contract and I did not approve spending anything close to $19,611.00.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2025

  This customer had made a formal complaint to our company previously.  The issue has been passed to our central claims dept.  All correct contracts and paperwork have been signed and given to the customer.  It is not our practice to make promises of unknown coverage by insurance companies and we would like to formally apologize for any misunderstanding regarding this matter.  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2025

  This customer had made a formal complaint to our company previously.  The issue has been passed to our central claims dept.  All correct contracts and paperwork have been signed and given to the customer.  It is not our practice to make promises of unknown coverage by insurance companies and we would like to formally apologize for any misunderstanding regarding this matter.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2025

  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 

  The business send me a contract they said I signed. I did not see any verbiage or any dollar or amount. They had me sign on a line on their representative’s ******. They said my signature was to allow them to perform the work and to work with my insurance company. I think their method of saying I signed a contract is fraudulent.

  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2025

  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 

  The business send me a contract they said I signed. I did not see any verbiage or any dollar or amount. They had me sign on a line on their representative’s ******. They said my signature was to allow them to perform the work and to work with my insurance company. I think their method of saying I signed a contract is fraudulent.

  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  Customer has contracted an attorney and our legal representation has advised us to have all communication go through the attorneys.  At this time our attorney has called and emailed on multiple occasions with no response to try and resolve the issue and provide evidence the customers complaint is full of misleading's and discrepancies.  We are very sorry that the customer is upset but they will need to consult with their attorney from this point on as that is the route they chose to pursue.  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  Customer has contracted an attorney and our legal representation has advised us to have all communication go through the attorneys.  At this time our attorney has called and emailed on multiple occasions with no response to try and resolve the issue and provide evidence the customers complaint is full of misleading's and discrepancies.  We are very sorry that the customer is upset but they will need to consult with their attorney from this point on as that is the route they chose to pursue.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  No one from Roto-Rooter has reached out to me, so their statement is FALSE. Yes, I asked a Lawyer to write a letter on my behalf, however, my complaint remains that a representative falsely lead me to believe that my signature on his ****** was for me to allow them to perform some work and to work with my insurance company. They took those signatures and applied them to a contract I never saw. To me this is downright fraud and, in my case elder abuse.
  

   

  I'll ask the BBB, is it an acceptable business practice to apply signatures on a ****** to a contract without showing the contract to individual??
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  No one from Roto-Rooter has reached out to me, so their statement is FALSE. Yes, I asked a Lawyer to write a letter on my behalf, however, my complaint remains that a representative falsely lead me to believe that my signature on his ****** was for me to allow them to perform some work and to work with my insurance company. They took those signatures and applied them to a contract I never saw. To me this is downright fraud and, in my case elder abuse.
  

   

  I'll ask the BBB, is it an acceptable business practice to apply signatures on a ****** to a contract without showing the contract to individual??
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/25/2025

  The customer has chosen to seek legal action and obtained a Lawyer so we had to do the same.  We have been advised by our legal counsel to only communicate with him and her will communicate with the customers lawyer.  All documents requested have been submitted to our lawyer and forwarded to the customers lawyer so they will need to obtain them from their lawyer.  I wish we were able to help but the customer chose the legal route. 

  Business Response

  Date: 03/25/2025

  The customer has chosen to seek legal action and obtained a Lawyer so we had to do the same.  We have been advised by our legal counsel to only communicate with him and her will communicate with the customers lawyer.  All documents requested have been submitted to our lawyer and forwarded to the customers lawyer so they will need to obtain them from their lawyer.  I wish we were able to help but the customer chose the legal route. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/05/2025

  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 asked a lawyer to write a letter to Roto Rooter, which we did not get a response, therefore I do not have a lawyer handling this case.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/05/2025

  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 asked a lawyer to write a letter to Roto Rooter, which we did not get a response, therefore I do not have a lawyer handling this case.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/07/2025

  We do apologize for the frustration this customer is having, it should be known that our paperwork is very simplified and easy to understand.  There are aprox 15 different places the customer signed or initialed regarding services.  The main contract gave an estimate in writing that the customer signed with a $20,000 minimum estimate prior to work start.  All of our signed paperwork, a minimized selection of photos of the job, equipment, and moisture readings across multiple days, and any other pertinent info related to this and every job are accessible via public link to a cloud based server.    It is not our practice for an estimator to make any claim to what an insurance company would pay for in fact there are many instances when it is well known that a customer may not have specific coverage and the customer would be advised as such.  Roto rooter services follows a nationally recognized guideline set forth by the IICRC certifications that explain what should and should not be done to complete a remediation.  The pricing is entered into a nationally recognized calculation program to retrieve the costs of the services once work has completed.  No matter what accredited company completed the work the pricing would be the same and the outcome would be the same.  Our central claims dept is handling the collection of this invoice, the local branch would not have further information for the customer at this time.  The customer was indeed provided with all the paperwork, invoices, work orders, certificate of satisfaction, etc.   It should be noted that a large amount of work and equipment was done/used at this jobsite and there was no issue until the insurance (for whatever reason) denied the customers submitted claim.  Im sure that our central claims office is more than happy to discuss the work preformed with the customer however it is our understanding that the customer does not want to pay for any services rendered, which is considered theft of services in **.  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/07/2025

  We do apologize for the frustration this customer is having, it should be known that our paperwork is very simplified and easy to understand.  There are aprox 15 different places the customer signed or initialed regarding services.  The main contract gave an estimate in writing that the customer signed with a $20,000 minimum estimate prior to work start.  All of our signed paperwork, a minimized selection of photos of the job, equipment, and moisture readings across multiple days, and any other pertinent info related to this and every job are accessible via public link to a cloud based server.    It is not our practice for an estimator to make any claim to what an insurance company would pay for in fact there are many instances when it is well known that a customer may not have specific coverage and the customer would be advised as such.  Roto rooter services follows a nationally recognized guideline set forth by the IICRC certifications that explain what should and should not be done to complete a remediation.  The pricing is entered into a nationally recognized calculation program to retrieve the costs of the services once work has completed.  No matter what accredited company completed the work the pricing would be the same and the outcome would be the same.  Our central claims dept is handling the collection of this invoice, the local branch would not have further information for the customer at this time.  The customer was indeed provided with all the paperwork, invoices, work orders, certificate of satisfaction, etc.   It should be noted that a large amount of work and equipment was done/used at this jobsite and there was no issue until the insurance (for whatever reason) denied the customers submitted claim.  Im sure that our central claims office is more than happy to discuss the work preformed with the customer however it is our understanding that the customer does not want to pay for any services rendered, which is considered theft of services in **.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/10/2025

  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.

  
  

  Thank you BBB for helping me voice my complaint. It appears that Roto-Rooter totally has ignored my complaint.

  Number 1: Your representative informed me several times not to worry about the price of the services because Roto-Rooter works with the Insurance Company and will accept the whatever the Insurance Company is willing to pay for the service. I voiced my concern several times, even asking for the cost, but I was never given the cost. Yes, Root-Rooters paperwork shows my signature several places on a contract, however, I never saw a contract and I never saw a cost. Your representative showed me several lines to sign on his ****** but none of the verbiage you claim I saw was on anything I signed. Again, one of my biggest complaints against your company is how you take a signature on a line on an ****** ans transfer that to a document that your customer has not viewed or received. As I previously stated, had your representative shown me a contract that your services would have cost approximately $20,000, I would have shown him to the door and would have gotten several estimates.

   

  Number 2: When I questioned all of the equipment your service employees brought in, your representative informed me that you have to do this in order to get the insurance company to pay. I only went along with it because of what your representative said. Had I known the insurance company was not going to cover this service, I would not have allowed you to perform any of the services you did. Again, I was not going to allow your company to perform the work because all of the unknowns, however your representative assured me that Roto-Rooter would document the service in such away that the insurance would cover the cost.

   

  Number 3: Roto-Rooter continuously brings up all of the paperwork and the pictures of the things they performed. All of the surface water that was on the floors had been cleaned up by my daughter and I before Roto-Rooter was even called. Roto-Rooter's representative showed me a device that showed moisture under the floor in the dining area and that was why I needed their services. Again, I did not call Roto-Rooter's Remediation team, their plumber called them.I had only called Roto-Rooter to unclog a plugged toilet.

   

  Number 4: Roto-Rooter is claiming that I am trying to get service for free which is illegal in the state of ***** ********. That is not true. I tried talking with the collections department and she kept informing me that I signed a contract and I needed to pay the bill. This is the big issue. I DID Not sign any contract and I did not agree to a $20,000.00  bill. Roto-Rooter cannot produce a contract with an original signature on it. Did Roto-Rooter provide a service? Yes they did. I am willing to pay a reasonable fee for the services that they provided, but not the $20,000.00 they are claiming that I owe.

   

  Number 5: Roto-Rooter's representative tore up about 55% of my wood floors and most of the baseboards. They did not remove all of the floors. I hired a reputable contractor to come in and remove all of the remaining wood flooring, prep the area for new floors, put down better wood floors that I previously had, added 5 inch baseboards (the original ones were 3 inches) and painted the entire downstairs for around $10,000.00.

   

  In conclusion, I am very upset over the practices of Roto-Rooter and the fact that they put a lien on my home without even negotiating with me. I plan to work with the ***** ******** legislature to try and get legislation to prevent these types of practices, so that other individuals, especially us older citizens, of having this happen to them.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/10/2025

  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.

  
  

  Thank you BBB for helping me voice my complaint. It appears that Roto-Rooter totally has ignored my complaint.

  Number 1: Your representative informed me several times not to worry about the price of the services because Roto-Rooter works with the Insurance Company and will accept the whatever the Insurance Company is willing to pay for the service. I voiced my concern several times, even asking for the cost, but I was never given the cost. Yes, Root-Rooters paperwork shows my signature several places on a contract, however, I never saw a contract and I never saw a cost. Your representative showed me several lines to sign on his ****** but none of the verbiage you claim I saw was on anything I signed. Again, one of my biggest complaints against your company is how you take a signature on a line on an ****** ans transfer that to a document that your customer has not viewed or received. As I previously stated, had your representative shown me a contract that your services would have cost approximately $20,000, I would have shown him to the door and would have gotten several estimates.

   

  Number 2: When I questioned all of the equipment your service employees brought in, your representative informed me that you have to do this in order to get the insurance company to pay. I only went along with it because of what your representative said. Had I known the insurance company was not going to cover this service, I would not have allowed you to perform any of the services you did. Again, I was not going to allow your company to perform the work because all of the unknowns, however your representative assured me that Roto-Rooter would document the service in such away that the insurance would cover the cost.

   

  Number 3: Roto-Rooter continuously brings up all of the paperwork and the pictures of the things they performed. All of the surface water that was on the floors had been cleaned up by my daughter and I before Roto-Rooter was even called. Roto-Rooter's representative showed me a device that showed moisture under the floor in the dining area and that was why I needed their services. Again, I did not call Roto-Rooter's Remediation team, their plumber called them.I had only called Roto-Rooter to unclog a plugged toilet.

   

  Number 4: Roto-Rooter is claiming that I am trying to get service for free which is illegal in the state of ***** ********. That is not true. I tried talking with the collections department and she kept informing me that I signed a contract and I needed to pay the bill. This is the big issue. I DID Not sign any contract and I did not agree to a $20,000.00  bill. Roto-Rooter cannot produce a contract with an original signature on it. Did Roto-Rooter provide a service? Yes they did. I am willing to pay a reasonable fee for the services that they provided, but not the $20,000.00 they are claiming that I owe.

   

  Number 5: Roto-Rooter's representative tore up about 55% of my wood floors and most of the baseboards. They did not remove all of the floors. I hired a reputable contractor to come in and remove all of the remaining wood flooring, prep the area for new floors, put down better wood floors that I previously had, added 5 inch baseboards (the original ones were 3 inches) and painted the entire downstairs for around $10,000.00.

   

  In conclusion, I am very upset over the practices of Roto-Rooter and the fact that they put a lien on my home without even negotiating with me. I plan to work with the ***** ******** legislature to try and get legislation to prevent these types of practices, so that other individuals, especially us older citizens, of having this happen to them.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2025

  Roto Rooter legal has come to an agreement with customer.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2025

  Roto Rooter legal has come to an agreement with customer.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/23/2025

  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. 
  I have agreed to a settled amount to pay Roto Rooter, however I still feel that Roto Rooter should show their clients a contract that shows the cost and not rely on a signature line on a an ****** that populated a contract that the client has not seen.
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/23/2025

  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. 
  I have agreed to a settled amount to pay Roto Rooter, however I still feel that Roto Rooter should show their clients a contract that shows the cost and not rely on a signature line on a an ****** that populated a contract that the client has not seen.
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2025

  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.

  1. Date: 3/7/2025 - 3/8/2025 2. Amount: $8,0000 3. Business Committed to Provide: a. Line (main sewer) fully charged with a hard stoppage at 22 feet b. Remove tile floor, cut, break and remove concrete c. Replace existing service with schedule 40 PVC d. Low pressure hydrojet after completion e. Backfill and relay new concrete f. Recamera for discovery 4. Nature of dispute: -Roto Router was contracted using the estimator (Ryan P********) who incorrectly assessed the floor as concrete not a wood sub-floor. -Ryan said upon completion of the job, the only thing we'd have to do is replace the tile. -Contractors (licensed plumbers) showed up on 3/8/2025 prepared to work on a concrete-based floor, not a wood sub-floor. They said it required a licensed carpenter to complete the finishing work. -Contractors said they wouldn't be able to properly close the hole in the floor and we'd have to hire someone else to cover the hole. They said that if something happened, it wouldn't be covered because they are licensed plumbers, not licensed carpenters. -Their solution was use 1/2 inch particle board over the hole, which actually required 3/4 plywood - not particle board - and put duct tape around the edge to prevent tripping. -We said that was unacceptable and called Ryan, the estimator. -We explained the above and Ryan said he would contact his manager for guidance. -We didn't hear back, so I asked the plumbing crew if they had heard anything, and they said they heard that they needed to put the temporary patch down and have us hire a licensed carpenter to complete the job at our expense. 5. We repeated the solution was unacceptable & called Ryan again. He said he couldn't reach his manager & said there was nothing more he could do. He gave us his manager's phone & suggested we contact him, but despite multiple calls, we haven't heard back, & now we have a hazardous unfinished patch covering the hole that plumbers said not to walk on. 6. Contract available

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2025

  Spoke to customer sending contractor to repair joist and sub floor, customer is aware is responsible for the remaining floor needed after. Customer is ok at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2025

  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.

  THIS OCCURED ON 02/13/2025. IN TRYING TO UNCLOG MY KITCHEN SINK, I DAMAGED IT. I CALLED A NUMBER THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE ME A PLUMBER FROM UNION CITY. INSTEAD, I WAS ROUTED OVER TO ROTO ROOTER. I HAD DONE BUSINESS WITH THEM YEARS AGO AND I WAS NOT HAPPY... BUT I FIGURED, LETS GIVE THEM ANOTHER SHOT. THIS GUY NAMED F******** WAS SENT. I SHOWED HIM THE DAMAGED SINK AND TOLD HIM I HAD DAMAGED IT USING A PLUNGER TO UNCLOG IT. THIS LED TO WATER SPILLING TO THE BOTTOM CABINET AND THE FLOOR AS THE DAMAGED PIECE LAYED HANGING. I SHOWED HIM THE DAMAGE AND ASKED HIM HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO FIX MY SINK ? HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BAD NEWS FOR ME... THEIR PRICES HAD GONE UP. IT WOULD BE $650 BUT THEY HAD A $100 OFF COUPON. INITIALLY I AGREED UNTIL HE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE $598 WITH TAXES. I TOLD HIM I WOULD PAY $550 BUT NO MORE. WE ARGUED A BIT AND HE FINALLY AGREED. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD START SNAKING THE PIPES. I TOLD HIM TO HOLD ON. I ASKED HIM DID HE HAVE THE PIECE TO FIX THE SINK. HE TOLD ME HE DID. I TOLD HIM TO GET IT. HE WENT TO THE TRUCK AND RETURNED. HE STARTED TO SNAKE THE PIPE AND STOPPED. HE SAID IT WOULD BE EXTRA TO REPLACE THE PIECE. I TOLD HIM WE HAD AN AGREEMENT TO FIX MY SINK FOR $550. HE TOLD ME YOU ONLY ASKED THAT I SNAKE IT. I SAID, THAT IS NOT WHAT I SAID. OUR AGREEMENT WAS TO FIX THE SINK. HE TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT HE COULD FIX IT WITHOUT ANY EXTRA CHARGE. HE SNAKED IT AND, I THOUGHT REPLACED THE DAMAGED PIECE.HE DID NOT. HE LEFT, WITHOUT PROVIDING ME A RECEIPT. AND ABOUT 10 DAYS LATER I HAD WATER GOING INTO MY CABINET FROM THE SINK.I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SHODDY TREATMENT, BEFORE I HAD THE WATER FALLING INTO MY CABINET, AND SOME HIGHER UP NAMED B**** CALLED ME AND TOLD ME IF I HAD ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS TO CALL HIM AT ###-###-####. OF COURSE HE DID NOT PROVIDE AN EXTENSION. A RECEIPT WAS SENT VIA EMAIL SAYING THAT I REFUSED TO PAY MORE THAN $550. I HAVE ALSO HAD MY SINK PROPERLY FIXED. I WANT A $250 REFUND AND AN APOLOGY FROM THIS LOW CLASS COMPANY. THANKS

  Business Response

  Date: 03/09/2025

  I spoke with customer. Was able to listen to their concerns. I was able to resolve the issue for the customer. We will be giving the customer a 50% refund. Customer is satisfied at this time.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2025

  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 AM NOT REJECTING THE OFFER BUT I WAS TOLD THIS ON MARCH 9TH AND I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A CHECK. WHEN I RECEIVE MY CHECK THEN I WILL CLICK ON THE ACCEPT BOX FOR TERMS REACHED AND CLOSE OUT THIS MATTER.
  Regards,
  
  ***** *********
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/01/2025

  Spoke to customer and he did receive the refund as requested. Customer is waiting for BBB to contact him to close out concern on his end.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/03/2025

  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 made an appointment to fix a broken pipe which is running currently still. The appointment was made on Friday for a Saturday appointment between 10-12. Saturday I wake up to an email stating they had me set up for Monday 3/3/2025 between 8-10am with no explanation of the appointment change. So I had to contact my employer and take Monday off work to be there for them. At 10am there still was no one at my house, mind you the water is still running. I call only to have them tell me that their technician just got to work at 10am!!!! And that they would have to reschedule. They gave zero apologies or any offer to compensate me for my lost wages or even take money off my bill. I was met with hostility being told I was being unreasonable for being upset because things happen! Then after they hung up on me I tried repeatedly to call back, only for them to block my phone number! These people are liars and assholes. They have hundreds of reviews on yelp stating exactly what I went through. Why are these people accredited at all?!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2025

  The customer places an eschedule request on 02/28 and is scheduled for Saturday 02/29 for leak detection. ** ***** does not have plumbers that work on weekends. Also, the call was booked as a code 04/00 and in doing so was put on a very heavy excavation board that had over 70 open tickets at the time. We ran as many live lead tickets as we could on that day but we never reached out to the customer to reschedule or inform him of the scheduling conflict. The customer called in Monday 03/03 at 10am asking when we might be coming. The customer was upset as to be expected but also extremely hostile and vulgar. I do not know if his calls kept dropping or if he was hung up on because of this be he called in 6 times that morning, and everytime upon answering the customer immediately starts threatening and cursing.

  The branch has reached out to the customer and I have as well to apologize. We have both left voicemails. We are in agreement that because of the hostility of the customer, if he does call back, we will offer an apology but also recommend that he call another company. The branch does not feel comfortable sending anyone in person and risking a confrontation..