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

  3603 Metro Pkwy San Antonio, TX 78247

• 

  Roto-Rooter

  1691 Town Center St Aurora, IL 60504

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  1980 Riverside Pkwy STE 202 Lawrenceville, GA 30043-5943

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  1353 Lear Industrial Pkwy Avon, OH 44011-1360

  

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:02/26/2025

  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 did not want to file this complaint, but after calling 3-4 times, submitting multiple complaints with customer service, and leaving a voicemail for a manager—with no response—I was left with no choice. It has been over 2 weeks, and I have yet to receive a call back from this company.
  
  This company advertises on their website: “Transparency: Free Onsite Estimates".
  and “We’ll assess your issue in-person and quote you a free and upfront cost estimate without any surprises or extra charges.” Yet my experience was the complete opposite.
  
  I stayed up until 2 AM waiting for a plumber, only to waste my time. Instead of receiving the "free" estimate as promised, I was charged $225 for an inspection—despite not having any work done and never receiving an on-site estimate. How is this not a hidden cost?
  
  Before scheduling this, I even called to confirm everything was free, and they assured me it was. But after the plumber arrived, I felt pressured into paying because they handed me an invoice and claimed I needed a plumber's report for my insurance. They told me my insurance will reimburse me on this fee and cover everything, and that I had to obtain this report to receive my quote—which I didn't get until two days later.
  
  When the quote finally arrived, it was $20,000—just to mitigate a small water leak. They even pushed to remodel my entire bathroom. On top of that, a manager advised me to postpone my insurance adjuster’s visit and they had me sign a blank plumber’s report—allegedly in case they needed to “change their story.”
  
  When my insurance adjuster finally assessed the situation, they confirmed that none of the quoted work was necessary. So, it now makes sense why the company didn’t want the adjuster involved.
  
  In the end, I got absolutely no work done. It was a complete waste of time, and nothing about this experience was transparent or free. I just want a call back—which could have prevented me from having to file this complaint—and I also want a full refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/28/2025

  We spoke with ******* and agreed that a full refund was the correct
  path for this situation. 
  Miscommunication initially caused issues that were resolved as a result
  of a transparent conversation.  Refund has
  been processed, and ******* should be receiving the funds in 3-5 business days.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2025

  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.

  In 2020 I hired Roto Rooter to install an epoxy liner in my sewer line to prevent roots from growing in between the clay pipe. I paid over $17000 for the liner. The day they installed it my sewer line backed up because they did not install it correctly. They had to come back a few days later, re-dig the cement in my garage and re-do the process to fix it. Now my sewer line is currently backing up due to the liner falling apart and blocking the pipe. They came out multiple times over the last 2-3 months and cleared the line and then they would run a camera down the next day only for that sewer liner to break apart and cave in again. This keeps happing. When I finally got some one on the phone after waiting weeks with no news they are now saying it is the city of *************** issue, even after they have been told by the city it isn't, so Roto Rooter isn't going to fix their issue with the liner. I didn't pay that much to fix a problem for it not to be fixed and the reason it is failing is the same problem it was supposed to fix. I am still under a 5 year warranty until May and I believe they are just wasting time until that warranty expires. The technician that came out the most and the most recent has said it's going to be a major fix because they will need to hire an excavation service to dig 11 ft down and the biggest hurdle he believes is going to be taking our fence down to gain access and the excavator will also have to navigate power lines fairly close to where they need to gain access, but he assured us that we are still under warranty and they will rectify the situation. The city has been out here on multiple occasions and each time said there are no issues on their end. The last time we spoke to a technician he said his boss was supposed to be taking care of the issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/25/2025

  We spoke to *** ****** today and attempted to come to a resolution to his concerns.  Roto Rooters liner did not fail, it is functioning as it should.  The issue is where his pipe meets the city tap to the main sewer.  The city main is holding water, which you can see in our videos.  The root issue is coming from outside of our liner in the city tap.  We fixed the issue those roots caused at no cost to *** ******.  The issue is outside of our repair scope, but we still want to attempt to resolve his issues.  We are sending another person at no charge to the customer to see if we can push a pipe patch out to the area and fix the issue.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2025

  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.

  On January 31, 2025, I hired the company to clean and restore the main pipe of the house and do a clean up, I tried to contact the company to show me the completed work and it has been impossible, I have called Jacob (area supervisor) on many occasions at ###-###-#### without success, he does not answer my calls and I have called ***** ******** and they answer me but the only thing What they tell me is that they are going to contact me but I have not received any call. I've been on this for two weeks and no one has given me a response or shown the work they supposedly finished.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/05/2025

  Customer was contacted and provided the requested information. Info included video pre and post work of compromised pipe area. Video sent on 2/28/25. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/18/2025

  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 had a sewage flood on 11/17/2024. Roto Rooter charged me for 1) clearing the sewage block, repairing and relining the pipe, and clean-up and decontamination of the basement. the pipe work included an excavation of the clean out valve located in a closet in my basement. They used a sledge hammer and shovels etc to break cement and dig up gravel. The work included that they would backfill the excavation site with dirt to grade and re-cement as appropriate. They did not do that and as a result I had a catastrophic groundwater flood on 2/16/2025 that included 4 inches of water in the entire basement (worse than original flood). ALL of the water came through the hole/prior excavation site. Roto rooter came and told me that this was a foundation issue and not their fault. They said that 'these things happen' and that I need a sump pump. Of note, the renovation of the basement (all new flooring, dry wall, baseboards, doors etc) was completed last week. I was assured by the manager over the weekend that the water restoration team would come and 'take care of everything.' Monday 2/17/2025 one man from excavation came, he dug up the excavation site again, leaving piles of gravel and mud and concrete in bags on my floor and then left, telling me the water restoration team would be coming. I waited all day and then Henry from water restoratin called and said that groundwater floods are not covered by insurance and that I would need to pay them ahead of time for all future services. I explained that they re-excavated a hole in my closet and left the mud and dirt in bags on the floor? They will take. no accountability for a flood which will cost far more than the original. I don't know if I need a lawyer, but I have never sued anyone. But I have already paid them thousands of dollars.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2025

  RotoRooter was hired to do a patch repair inside a pipe in the basement.   We accessed the pipe within a pit that was already there.  We did not break any cement to access the pipe.       Customer was informed that ground water flooded the basement and was not as a result of any work we did.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/19/2025

  
  
  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 do not accept this response.  The bill they sent to my insurance company that I submitted clearly states that they will hand dig and trench the buried clean out pipe and then once everything is complete, will backfill with dirt to a grade and re cement as appropriate.  If there was a 'pit' in my basement why would they bill my insurance for an excavation team to dig out this area?  In more than 10 years of New England winters, I have never had groundwater in my basement. The series of photos shows that the water came up through the pit they dug and did not back fill or cement.  If there existed a pit how do you explain the bill to my insurance?  How do you explain needed an excavation team?  
  
  Over the weekend, the water restoration manager said they would 'take care of everything after the excavation team came by to cement the area.'  The excavation guy came and re-excavated the area and left bags of dirt on my floor.  I waited all day, only to be contacted by water restoration who said, 'well given this is a groundwater flood,  your insurance won't cover it so you will need to pay up front.'  You did not do the job that you billed to me or my insurance company and as a result, I have a groundwater flood that ruined a new renovation.   Unacceptable.  I have more pictures to send.
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  *** ***********

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  RotoRooter was hired to do a patch repair inside a pipe in the basement.   We accessed the pipe within a pit that was already there.  We did not break any cement to access the pipe.       Customer was informed that ground water flooded the basement and was not as a result of any work we did. Customer has spoken to all the mangers at the branch
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2025

  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.

  
  

  I have already responded including the work order invoice which clearly states that they needed to excavate in the basement to access the pipe, therefore their response stating the pit was already there was incorrect.  There was most definitely cement broken and the pit they excavated was not backfilled nor was any part of the pit cemented as appropriate per their own work order.  Again, why would htey need to bring in an 'excavation team' if the pit was already there in the basement. They also claim they left it the way they found it, they left piles of mud in trash bags on my new basement floor- how is that how they found it?  It's absurd.  they charged me for an excavation in my basement to access the pipe (per their own work order) and then as part of what they billed, they also promised to BACK FILL TO A GRADE AND CEMENT AS APPROPRIATE.  They did none of that and the basement flooded THROUGH THE EXCAVATION PIT THEY CREATED AND LEFT UNFILLED/SEALED.  In another email they claimed that it would not have mattered if they had cemented it because cement is porous and therefore it would have flooded anyway.  Cement is porous?  The rest of my basement is cement and there is no flooding there.  My neighbors and millions of other people have cement basements with no flooding.  

   

  And of course I have talked to several managers, all of whom, back tracked from their original assurances that they would take care of this.  

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

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2025

  Our position remains the same

   

  RotoRooter was hired to do a patch repair inside a pipe in the basement.   We accessed the pipe within a pit that was already there.  We did not break any cement to access the pipe.       Customer was informed that ground water flooded the basement and was not as a result of any work we did.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2025

  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.  
  

  I have already provided pictures but again they excavated a hole in my basement floor and did not fill it in per their report/order and then a ground water flood happened only through the excavated hole that wasn’t filled in. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 06/11/2025

  RotoRooter was hired to do a patch repair inside a pipe in the basement.   We accessed the pipe within a pit that was already there.  We did not break any cement to access the pipe.       Customer was informed that ground water flooded the basement and was not as a result of any work we did. Our position remains the same

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/17/2025

  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.

  Roto Rooter came to perform a drain cleaning the morning of 12/5 and charged me nearly $800 for a 30 minute drain cleaning. I didn’t find out until after the service that this charge was due to a camera crew coming out (which was never requested or mentioned until they got to the house). Once the drains were cleaned and the plumber left, the camera crew stayed behind and began trying to scare me into filing a claim and signing off on them talking to my insurance to push them into a $40k basement demolition to replace my pipes. They explicitly stated ‘they know how to get insurance companies to agree to things’ and ‘it’s all based on the verbiage you use’ implying they would withhold details or mislead the insurance company so they would agree to pay for the job. The guy who ran the camera through the pipes also specifically said my entire basement floor could give out any day and that it wouldn’t last more than a week (this was over 2 months ago). I told them I wasn’t making a decision until speaking to my girlfriend (who also owns the house) and my father. This is both of our first house and we just closed at the end of October, which lead me to believe they were trying to take advantage of my naivety. I’m glad I had that feeling because I reached out and got them to send me the video of the pipes after day later and got a second opinion, in which they confirmed that it was impossible to tell if the pipes were damaged, let alone completely destroyed like they stated and the only issue was a tiny ball of roots that could be removed in less than 30 minutes for a fraction of the cost they charged me. There was also a lady who arrived either the plumber but stayed either the camera crew who told me that there was moisture in my bathroom floor (we just tore up the floors and there’s not). She then slipped up and told me her sole job with the company is to speak with the insurance companies when claims are filed, which leads me to believe this was planned from the start.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2025

  I tried calling the customer four times and sent an email to the customer with not response, the charges were for the cabling the main line, the floor drain and drain product. The camera inspection is a free service we offer and the water restoration is also a free estimate. I would be willing to work with the refund but would like to speak to customer to find out exactly what was said about the camera and water restoration activity for training purposes. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/21/2025

  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:02/15/2025

  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.

  We had a block in our toilet with our rental property at * ********* ** last night. We called Roto-Rooter and they sent a technician named N*** K*** to the house. He gave us a quote of $1200 for clearing the first floor toilet. He used a snake to try to clear the pipe but after a couple hours, the sewer is still blocked. Then he said he can't do anything else and he finanly charged me $600.
  
  This morning we hired another plumber to take a look, and it took him less than one hour to fix the problem. He said if a snake didn't work, the first plumber should stop doing that after 15 minutes and change to a more powerful tool to clear the sewer. So according the professional plumber we hired this morning, most of the time the first plumber spent was inefficient and obviously he was not experienced at what he was doing. So it's not reasonable for us to pay for the time he wasted. Mostly importantly, he didn't solve the problem at all.
  
  We request Rota-Rooter to refund us $400 (they can keep $200 as payment for dispatch fee which is a reasonable market price in that area based on other plumber's quote).

  Business Response

  Date: 02/17/2025

  Good afternoon,

  We are sorry to hear that our technician was unable to resolve your plumbing issues yesterday and you had to call another company. As per your request we are issuing a refund of $400 back onto the credit card used.

  Roto-Rooter

  Business Response

  Date: 02/17/2025

  Good afternoon,

  We are sorry to hear that our technician was unable to resolve your plumbing issues yesterday and you had to call another company. As per your request we are issuing a refund of $400 back onto the credit card used.

  Roto-Rooter

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2025

  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.

  Roto Rooter will try to take advantage of people who have little plumbing knowledge!!! My toilets in my home were not flushing correctly and I could tell they were plugged. Roto Rooter came to my home on January 2. A technician unplugged the toilet paper and ran a scope and charged me over $900. He then requested another person, from Roto Rooter, to come and scope out my lines from the house to the sewer line clean out located by my driveway. He then informed me that there was a break in the main line to my house causing the backup. The technician said this would require a trench in my yard to have the pipe repaired and replaced at a cost of $5,000. I was informed that I needed to get this repair done as quickly as possible. I was also pressured to sign the docusign document as soon as possible and to get financing for the project. The person, who scoped the line and informed me there was a problem, did send me some blurry pictures to review. However, you could not see anything other than the purple pipe sealant. I hired another company to dig up my yard and fix the problem. They found no leaks, breaks or punctures in the main line where Roto Rooter stated the issue was present. Another company rescoped the main drainage pipe to find there was no breaks, punctures or any issues with the drainage pipe all the way to the city mainline. This cost me $700 in additional funds.
  I did not place an online review right away as I was giving Roto Rooter time to make things right. Another family member called Roto Rooter management to see if they would remedy the situation but they refused to acknowledge any wrong doing. I am very disturbed they pushed me to spend an additional $5,000 over a non-existent issue and have incurred additional cost off false and very misleading information. I am hoping to help others avoid being taken advantage of and charged for services not needed. This is no a professional way of doing business and presenting homeowners with false information.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/17/2025

  Thank you for reaching out. I want to assure you that at Roto Rooter, we are committed to providing honest, transparent, and fair service to all of our customers. We do not engage in any practices that would take advantage of our customers, and we are always here to address any concerns or questions you may have.
  .

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/21/2025

  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 have received two phone calls.  On February 12, Pat S******, Roto Rooter Corporate Office, called and said a formal complaint would be submitted to the General Manager.  On February 17, I received a phone call from Roger, Roto Rooter.  He basically told me he didn't believe what I said as the tech who came to my house was his best tech.  He was going to check with the tech and get back to me.  However, I have not heard anything back from Pat S****** or Roger.  Roto Rooter is not a professional or trustworthy company.  People need to be aware that they will take advantage of people.  I definitely know they would have taken advantage of me for $5,000 for a non-existent sewer line problem, if I hadn't had the problem checked out by other companies, which cost me additional money.  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ****
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/24/2025

  
  
  
  
  REF:  Roto Rooter BBB Complaint #********
  
  I am not satisfied with the response by Roto Rooter and have determined that they have not resolved my complaint.  I have submittted that information online on the BBB website.  
    
  Please find attached the docusign document from Roto Rooter that states the repairs needed and charges, a picture of the pipe sent to me by the tech, a receipt from ***** *** ******** (company that rescoped my lines) stating there were no problems and an invoice from ***** ***** *********** (digging up of my yard and completing inspections for any needed repairs) along with a copy of the receipt from Roto Rooter for the initial work done on January 2.  I feel that Roto Rooter should reimburse me for the additional work that was done and for the initial charges I paid on January 2, as they gave me false and misleading information.  There absolutely were no problems with the main sewer line.  I was also pressured to sign the docusign document right away so they could get started and to get my financing from ********* for the work.  The technician kept insisting that he couldn't guarantee how long the sewer line would be in working condition if I didn't fix it right away.  
  
  I would like to request that none of the names of the businesses, who performed the additional work on my sewer problem, be made public or shared with Roto Rooter.  
  
  If you need additional information, please let me know.
  
  Thanks.
  
  **** ****
  
  
  Note:  I am having problems getting the images attached in the email.  Hopefully you can access them. 

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  We have spoken with the customer multiple times in regard to this matter and explained we cannot refund her for a service we did not perform. It was the customer's choice to go get a second opinion and get the work done from someone else and pay that amount. We have explained to the customer that every company you call out may have a different diagnostic, different resolution and different pricing depending on what they recommend. It was her choice to go that route and go with a different company.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/11/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  Roto Rooter has made a false statement in their response.  I have not been contacted one time by phone or email since I placed my claim with the Better Business Bureau.  They state it was my choice to not pay $5,000 to them for a non-existent problem or have another company check it out.  I do not believe that any company would or should vary that much on their diagnostic of a problem or the resolution.   They are a dishonest company who is out to take advantage of people. 
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/19/2025

  We have spoken with the customer multiple times in regard to this matter and explained we cannot refund her for a service we did not perform. It was the customer's choice to go get a second opinion and get the work done from someone else and pay that amount. We have explained to the customer that every company you call out may have a different diagnostic, different resolution and different pricing depending on what they recommend. It was her choice to go that route and go with a different company.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/25/2025

  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.

  
  

  Roto Rooter continues to make false statements and has even posted the same response back to my new response as last time.  They have never done any of the things that they state in their response back.  This shows me that they are unprofessional and do not care how they treat people.  They are dishonest, will blatantly lie to their customers, will call you a liar even when you have paperwork to prove everything and have obviously taken advantage of many people before without any consequences.  Therefore, I will continue to warn others about their deceptive and dishonest ways, hoping to help others avoid being taken advantage of. 
  

  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/14/2025

  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.

  On 10/1/24 we had Roto-Rooter out to diagnose a problem that had been occurring with our two upstairs bathrooms. The master bathroom toilet would start to back up and act like it was clogged, but nothing you could do would unclog it. It would bubble when not in use. Shortly after, the hallway bathroom toilet would stop flushing as well and then sewage would begin to backup into our three shower fixtures (garden tub, master shower, hall shower). The smell was horrendous and left us with two of our bathrooms that we were unable to use. Roto-Rooter sent out a plumber who sent a camera down the pipes and then called out an excavation field supervisor. The field supervisor ran cameras and we were told that the problem was with our pipes that were running from the house out to the city connection. We were given a quote of $15, 765.23 to repair the problem. This consisted of ripping out a portion of our sidewalk and all of the ground from the house to the street and replacing the pipes. We completed the work the next day having been told that this was our only option and being guaranteed that it would FIX the problem. 5 days later, on 10/7, we started to have the SAME ISSUES. Tried calling Roto-Rooter, but got no response. 10/9, Roto-Rooter finally came out again and just flushed the pipes. 10/14, the SAME ISSUES started again. Roto-Rooter said that they would be out the next morning. They did not show up until the evening of the 16th. At this point, they ripped out drywall in the basement saying that they would need to repair those pipes as well. When the work was done that night, IT DID NOTHING and the sewage was backing up with the plumber then watching. We were told that the supervisor would call us the next morning, 10/17. On 10/22, we still were not able to get Roto-Rooter to respond and so filed a complaint with their corporate office. We have been going back and forth with them since. On 2/4/25 we got a final email from the corporate office.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2025

  Contact has been made with the customer.  RR has offered a reasonable solution at no additional cost to the customer.  In addition, offered the customer a $3000 refund.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/17/2025

  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.

  
  

  Roto Rooter was hired to fix a specific plumbing issue in our house.  This being the two upstairs bathrooms were getting clogged and sewage was coming up through the bathtub pipes.  When they came out, they diagnosed the problem being caused by the pipes running through the front yard and connecting from the house to the city sewer connection.  We were told that they pipes in the yard had settled and this was causing the problems in the upstairs bathrooms.  This repair was almost $16,000 and we were made to get credit approved and paid before work was started.  We did so and allowed them to do the work they said needed done and that they guaranteed to correct the problem.  In order to do the work, they had to dig out the pipes in out front yard, ripping out all landscaping and sections of our sidewalk.  Inside, they removed several sections of drywall.  This additional work, we had to pay other companies to repair.  All said, we have spent over $20,000 on this repair that within days, we started having the same exact problem.  The work they did did not address the issue at all.  We tried to work with the company for many months to remedy the situation.  We've had them back out to the house countless times and we still have the EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE PLUMBING in the upstairs bathrooms.  The offer that they have given us is a 15% discount on the outrageous amount of money that we have already paid them and to install high efficiency toilets in the upstairs bathrooms.  If this is actually the fix (which I have a hard time believing), it should have been done at the beginning and the outdoor pipes should not have had anything to do with it.  It would have cost us 75% less than what we have paid them and infinitely less damaging and disruptive to our lives.

   

  We would like a refund of the monies paid to the company so that we can work with a different company to actually fix the issue.  This has caused our family almost 6 months of our lives, many hours of missed work, and unfathomable stress. 
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* *******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  Contact has been made with the customer.  RR has offered a reasonable solution at no additional cost to the customer.  In addition, offered the customer a $3000 refund.  

  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.

  
  

  A $3000 refund is NOT acceptable. I would accept a $15,000 refund to just walk away and not pursue further complaints or legal action. They guaranteed that the work they did to the pipes in our yard would fix the issues in our second story plumbing. It did NOTHING and was completely unnecessary. We have tried to work with the company for SIX months to allow them to resolve the situation on their terms. At this point, we are still having the exact same plumbing issues in our second story bathrooms as the day we first called them out.
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* *******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2025

  We have forwarded the information regarding the signed proposal to the customer as requested.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/09/2025

  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 already have copies of the original proposal, all receipts, and communications, from Roto Rooter.  I did not request a copy and it does nothing to address the fact that Roto Rooter told us that the repair that was given in the proposal would fix the issue with the plumbing that we were having and hired Roto Rooter to repair.  The fact is that the repair was guaranteed to address the plumbing issues in our upstairs bathrooms and, to this day, we are still having the EXACT SAME PROBLEM.  We were sold unnecessary sewer line repairs with the scare tactic that the sewage backing up into our upstairs bathrooms would not be resolved until the work was done and any delay would continue to create more and more issues.  We are now moving into month 7!!  We gave the company so many chances to come back out and correct the issue and at this point would like a refund of the monies paid so that we can hire someone else to come and repair the actual problem and to repair all of the drywall that Roto Rooter ripped out of our basement.
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* *******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2025

  RR has offered a reasonable solution at no additional cost to the customer.  In addition, offered the customer a $3000 refund.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/25/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  We are just going in circles with the same response over and over from Roto Rooter.  We feel that we were scammed. This company came out and apparently were just trying to get sales numbers for excavation work that was not needed to repair the problem that they were hired to repair. They took advantage of our lack of plumbing knowledge and the emergency of having sewage backing up into our house. Instead of completing the repair that would have actually fixed the problem (that they later quoted us $7500 to repair (which we have now had quoted for as little as $3000 with other companies)), they made us PREPAY $16,000 for work that did NOTHING to address the issue that they were hired to fix.  After having them back out OVER and OVER to give them an opportunity to address the problem and get it fixed, and FIGHTING to have them actually show up or respond to us, we are done.  A full refund is the ONLY recourse that will satisfy us at this point and if we need to hire an attorney we will not only sue for the full refund of monies paid to Roto Rooter, but also for the thousands of dollars paid to repair our landscaping and drywall after the fact.  On top of countless hours of missed work while waiting for them to show up for appointments that they never showed up for.  I can't even tell you the turmoil this has created in our family. 
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* *******
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2025

  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.

  I was taken advantage of by a plumber of the above business. The plumber arrived on scene and magically threw out a number before even looking at his pricing sheet that the company goes by. While completing the job the plumber made up an excuse claiming that the water main valve was faulty which was false , charging me another $200 before even looking at his pricing sheet. The plumber used the wrong materials on the water main. PVC with a plastic shut off valve that is known to not hold. Due to the urgency of the pipe leaking the plumber took advantage of our family charging an outrageous price for a pipe that was clear as day. The pipe was an easy fix. I’m writing this complaint in hope to recover refund or partial refund for the awful job that was completed and being taken advantage of. We were charged $700 for an hour of work , parts that are plastic and retail for $5.00 u.s currency. Awful experience.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/17/2025

  Good morning *** *******,
  After reviewing the attached signed invoice from the service
  provided on February 5th, we have found the amount charged to be a reasonable
  rate for the time the technician was at your location. We set a flat rate for
  the repair instead of charging an hourly rate. Our technician was at your location
  for over 3 hours repairing the leaking pipe. We understand plumbing repairs can
  come unexpectedly and put a dent into your wallet. Because of this we are
  willing to refund $200 back on the CC used. A full refund won't be possible as
  I mentioned before the technician worked and repaired your issue and you signed
  to invoice stating you were satisfied. 

  Rebekah S****

  Roto-Rooter

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/10/2025

  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.

  Roto Rooter of ********** was called to my home to on June 23 2024 water was backing up in the home,danial p****** and his crew came out and got the water out,and put a camera in the drain and proceed to video it,he told us there was a busted pipes under the tree,and he told us it was on the city side,he the licensed plummer is suppose to present the video to the city of *******,Mr p****** has not return any of my phone calls,and when I did talk to him,he said I'll call him back,and he never does,all I want him to do is be here to present the video to the city of *******.its not about the money,it's completing your job his number is ***********

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2025

  We left the customer a VM. We can send a camera technician out to camera his line and cover any expense on our end for the work. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2025

  
  
  To whom it may concern I'm Writting to reject that response.roto rooter has not finished what it started,it's not about the money,I need them to come back to my house and view the video of the broken pipe with the city of *******,for some reason I'm not getting your email can u call me at ********** or mail me ***** ***** *** *********************** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  To whom it may concern I'm Writting to reject that response.roto rooter has not finished what it started,it's not about the money,I need them to come back to my house and view the video of the broken pipe with the city of *******,for some reason I'm not getting your email can u call me at ********** or mail me ***** ***** *** *********************** *****
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/05/2025

  Our understanding is the customer would like us to come out and view video with the city to identify the problem. We are more than happy to do that. The customer can reach us by calling our branch or our excavation manager. From there we can start the process with the city and secure a date. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2025

  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 called the number provided by the BBB and it just says "we'll be right with you" in a loop. I sat on for an hour waiting.

  If this business wants me to call them, I need them to provide me with a direct number and name of the person I should be speaking with. 
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/08/2025

  We have made multiple attempts and left numerous messages to reach *** *****.  Our understanding is the customer would like us to come out and view video with the city to identify the problem. Again, we are more than happy to do that. The customer can reach us by calling our ******* branch or our excavation manager directly. From there we can start the process with the city and secure a date. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/11/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  Per phone call with the consumer @3:00pm from ###-###-#### the consumer explained that they have not received a phone call or email and they 

  have been in touch with the business but have not had no luck therefore they are asking if they can be reached at ###-###-#### and/or email address *******************

  Can Roto-Rooter please verify if they have the same contact information for the consumer? Can Roto-Rooter please provide *** ***** with their best contact person, along with a number and 

  email address in case the business does not reach the consumer. Thank you
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/11/2025

  I personally called *** ***** on 3/8/25 and left a message with a direct phone number to my company cell phone, which I carry with me at all times. Again, we are happy to go over camera footage with the city of *******. *** ***** just needs to communicate with us so we can help schedule the work.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/17/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  Per phone call with the consumer from ###-###-#### at 10:25am expressed that their voicemail is not set up therefore would have not received a voicemail message. The

  consumer expressed that they are open to schedule for the camera footage appointment with the following dates of March 19th, March 20th or March 21st from the timeframe of 

  9am-12pm. Please can the business give their direct phone number along with cellphone number the consumer can reach Roto-Rooter in case they want to reach out via phone? Thank you
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/17/2025

  We have reached out to the customer and can help schedule an inspection with the city. Reached out through email and our office will call as well. 

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2025

  We've reached out to the customer multiple times to setup PDP. Our excavation administrator reached out last time to get this setup. If the customer can give us a call back we can setup the PDP for them.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/02/2025

  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.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  Roto-Rooter please call my phone number is ###-###-#### and my email is ********************
  
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2025

  Again, we've reached out to the customer multiple times over many weeks to set up the PDP. Our excavation administrator reached out last time to get this setup. If the customer can give us a call back, we can setup the PDP for them, and again, during business hours M-F call ###-###-####.  Thank you.