Mathew E.

04/10/2023 12:00:00 SA

Professional service. Called to confirm and eta for arrival. SHOWed with tools and supplies. Cleaned up the work area too!!

I appreciate your help.

I hope not to need your help again, but I will call if I do and recommend you to friends. ...

Summer Y.

1/27/2023

My tenants had a running toilet and the job took about 30 mins & first 10 mins was to blame I didn't have a parking space for service guy (the job was in the city). He fixed the issue - parts was 27 dollar but he charged 500 bucks for the whole job. It's expensive. Also, the appointment coordinator was not great. The first time they called and asked if they could come earlier I told them I could be there 11:50 (our schedule was 12-4p). Nobody showed up and I wasted my afternoon waiting for some update. I will never use them again.

Sam N.

03/04/2023 12:00:00 SA

We called this place when our pipes burst during a really cold weekend. The calls are forwarded to their call center and the girl who took my call was very professional. She took all my info and to my surprise, a local Roto-Rooter plumber returned my call within minutes. He was friendly as well but informed me that they only handle commercial clients in this area, meaning they do not make house calls. Oh well. They still get 3 stars for responding and being professional and courteous.

Robert P.

05/09/2022 12:00:00 SA

Called for a 32$ replacement, tech showed up 3.5 hrs late, and charged me 339$ for 15 min of work.

BEWARE! They charge a flat rate of 339$. And was not told upfront how much the cost was going to be.

Matt U.

02/05/2023 12:00:00 SA

I had a slow draining kitchen sink and Roto-Rooter wanted to charge me $600 to clear the clog. They said this was their standard fee....they blamed it on inflation. I refused to have them do the work and found a local sewer/drain cleaning service that did it for $190. Roto-Rooter used to be good but they are now a total scam.....what a rip off!!

Jennifer M.

01/09/2023 12:00:00 SA

I had a toilet leak and just needed someone convenient and fast. Roto Rooter was perfect. Although they may be more expensive than other options, they were extremely upfront about their pricing. Kyle, the plumber, was straightforward about how he identified the problem and how he was going to fix it. I felt very comfortable with him working on the toilet while my partner and I worked from home. Highly suggest!

Sun L.

02/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

Fair things to say first, this is franchised business each one of them may be different. This review is for one that covers 02134. They may have many that cover 02134 anyway.

We placed a call to snake a back up tub and someone called back.

Hi, may I have your credit card number?
Oh, are you there yet, did you finish?
No, I want to get the credit number first?
You have not been there, how would you know how much to charge?
$ 485.00, do you want to do it?
NO
OK

The end of story.... All are verbatim, no spices or hot sauce.

I was about to ask them to go to Hades. Parents of the rip offs!
$ 485 to snake before they see the job! They did not care.
They want your credit card number.

I paid $ 160 to someone else.

Look I am sure there are other teams that did great jobs, but watch
out this team....

Padrig B.

12/18/2021

Anything else we should know?
My sister has been going to class at night to get her GED , me and my partner watch he kids LaRay-Ray, LaQuinton, La De'anre, LaGeorge Floyd and LaPorché , we first take them to swimming lessons the Children put up a fuss and try and avoid the water it's been six months and no progress. Part of the routin is going to the KFC for dinner. La De'anre's and La Quintin have been saving the chicken bones. I had assumed to Don in some color authentic Africa apparel worn on festive occasions.I was wrong they where jamming them down the garbage disposal when it be came clogged La Ray-Ray attempted to dislodge the obstruction when he did the garbage disposal kicked back into action and his dreadlocks got tangled up pulling his head into the sink . My partner suggest that we simply cut the dreads to free the child. As I nor my partner are people of color I felt that I had no right to cut this half Irish half African biracial angels hair. So I called a plumber. Fortunately Rotor rotter sent out a plumber who's help was 1/5 Surinam after taking a few pictures and after plunging La Ray-Rays head Tito the minority plumbers helper quickly pulled out a pair of snips severing the bonds of sink to.head. I would highly recommend Roto rotter for all your plumbing need . While there the also unclogged the sink in the guest bathroom which had been impacted with water melon seeds

Allen S.

10/05/2021 12:00:00 SA

Called in May '21, my sewer line was backed up.
They cleared the line but left a mess. The receipt showed 6 month guarantee. 4 months later the problem recurred.
Th person on the phone said it was covered, but when the techs showed up they said I would have to pay. It was Sunday and my drain was backed up
so I didn't have much choice. They did reduce the price.
Also, the company said they would be covid ready with coverings etc.
I had to repeatedly ask them to put on a mask.
The follow up guy with camera told me I needed to fix the sewer pipe, and gave me a quote. I called another company to quote who showed me that Rotorooter had not cleared the line, that there were roots in the pipe.
The second company gave me a better quote.
If Roto Rooter didn't honor the guarantee on the cleaning, I don't trust them to honor a guarantee an the pipe repair.

I B.

5/25/2022

I am grateful for this company and the service gentlemen that came out from 5/22-5/25 to fix my pipe jam problem. Both service workers were professional and knew their job! They were in tuned and sensitive to my needs- knowing that I was expecting 50 guests within the hours that I needed their services. The problems were rectified and they were amazing to come to assist!

Laurie F.

11/12/2021 12:00:00 SA

My bathtub was draining slowly - I just needed someone to snake it out, it wasn't clogged badly. These people wanted $550 to do that. When I said no the guy stormed out and said thanks for wasting my time. These people will show up, but then try to rip you off (got someone else out here the next day for $150)

Sara A.

11/05/2021 12:00:00 SA

I booked an appointment one week in advance and they cancelled one hour before they were supposed to show up and could only reschedule for a week later. Meanwhile I've had no working kitchen sink for a week already. Completely unacceptable for a business to run this way.

Tia P.

10/28/2021

NIGHTMARE! I don't even know where to begin besides I would NEVER recommend this company or ever use them again.
I'll start from the beginning. Around 11 am we called Roto Rooter to come and help with a small clog we had been experiencing that would randomly come and go. The technician showed up within the 2 hour window and began to snake our main sewage drain, he wasn't able to solve the problem tafter about 3 hours of working outside and consulting with various people on the phone. His next suggestion was to come into the house with his sewage covered machine and pull our toilet out and try his machine there as raw sewage was now backing up into our bathtub (a problem we didn't have before). Not thinking anything major was going on we proceeded with our regular day until we came around the corner to see raw sewage overflowing all over our bathroom floor, covering our walls, covering our door, and all of our personal belongings that were in the bathroom and outside of the bathroom door. The technician continued to use his tool to try to get the block as the sewage continued to overflow into our finished basement. We (the paying customer) then needed to get towels and buckets to clean up the mess that was not stopping any time soon. We continued for hours cleaning up the mess for only MORE RAW SEWAGE to continue to shoot up spontaneously out of our floor and bathtub. After plugging the hole in the floor and managing the mess the technician said he is unable to do anything else and we would need to get a jet to come in to flush the line. He told us it would be a cost of $1600 and you pay every 30 minutes for the service. As he was on speaker phone with his manager named Scott I asked to speak to him about possibly a discounted rate on the service as we are stuck cleaning this septic tank that was now in our basement. Scott was EXTREMELY rude and unprofessional, as a young female he must have thought he was going to be able to take advantage of me. Still on speaker phone I handed the phone to my husband, he then began to YELL at my husband about how this isn't their problem and we are responsible for the mess THEY created. The conversation ended with they will be sending a jet service out to clear the line and they will give us a 15% discount on the service. Once the jet arrived the technician said that the cost was $1600, I called the service office who then called the manager and they had then said they will NOT be giving us a discount anymore. We had no option as our bathtub was filled with raw sewage that they had left there because it would eventually clear out. We proceeded with the jet but the technician did not communicate with us, we had many questions and voiced our concerns as we were worried that our bathtub would continue to overflow with raw sewage once he started the jet. He continued to start the jet anyways. It was now around 9:30 pm and my husband is STILL running buckets of raw sewage in and out of the house so it wouldn't continue to cover our bathroom. (SIDE NOTE: My husband has just finished intense chemotherapy for cancer treatment and has a compromised immune system, but Scott nor his team didn't care about that because it's not their problem). I asked the technician to stop the yet as our tub was about to overflow and asked if he could empty the tub before proceeding. He then said isn't that what your husband is doing. Because he's a Roto Rooter employee right? No we are just the PAYING CUSTOMER that is cleaning up the mess that they created and left. The technician was finally able to clear the line and saw that the pipe was damaged but wasn't able to document because his camera got wet and wasn't working properly(weird that a plumbing camera cannot get wet I know). But the nightmare didn't end just yet! I walk outside to see our front yard POOLING in raw sewage and the technician packing up his stuff. I called the service desk again and they said they weren't able to get a cleaning company out until tomorrow afternoon but yet we are supposed to go to sleep in a sewage infested unlivable condition home. I called an emergency service in to clean our home because clearly Roto Rooter is extremely UNRELIABLE and UNPROFESSIONAL. Anyways back to the technician and our front yard sewage pool. He asked us if we had a hose and if we would clean up the front yard because he didn't want to be here all night.
*this is the short story as I am unable to fit more words*

Nigel C.

3/19/2020

Unethical company even if the plumber who showed up was professional and lovely - phone operator would not provide an hourly rate or any idea of pricing except to say plumber would offer a price during the visit.
The issue was a cracked pipe under our sink,
3 days and $420 and a 40 minute visit later, problem solved.
My wife handled the visit and felt awkward not accepting the proposal since the plumber was waiting for her to sign....I called to complain - a manger noted their labor rate of $375 was fair despite being more than twice the Boston average - I noted our attorney charged us less than His plumber - he replied plumbers require lots of training, just like attorneys.
I'm taking this up with the State Attorney General - RotoRooter should not be allowed to conduct business in Massachusetts.

Canthony P.

10/28/2021

This company over charged people for their services. Not reliable. Late more then 2hrs for their appointment. They used your water to fulled up their tank and used your water to jet your pipe. They come up with excuses so they wouldn't guarantee their work. No guarantee which Now my pipe clogged again. Bad service. Please do not work with company. Rip off!!!

Samuel F.

01/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

Yesterday, I scheduled an appointment for maintenance on a finicky drain. Told them that it wasn't urgent, was told they would send a technician between 8AM and noon the next day. They sent me an email confirmation with the date and time. Today, I waited for the scheduled appointment, didn't hear back at all. Called at 1PM, they said they were running late, no estimate but definitely today. Called again at 5PM and they said my appointment was scheduled for tomorrow. So they rescheduled it without letting me know (and yes, I double-checked that confirmation).

I get why their queue would be full given the frigid weather, but I'd rather get a later appointment that's actually kept. Instead, the optimistic scheduling had me waiting all day, then 8AM to noon turned into sometime today eventually maybe and then try again tomorrow.

The time on hold gave me time to check these reviews, and when they offered to look into it and call me back, I decided I'd tell them no thanks instead. So I can't speak to their actual service, which as far as I know is competent when they manage to show up. Maybe they do better when demand is not so high.

Jane A.

9/22/2021

A technician came to our house, told us he could not repair the garbage disposal, and charged us $325. He quoted us that figure for repairing the garbage disposal which he was UNABLE TO DO. When I called the office to complain and get a refund, they were rude, defensive, and refused to refund my money. I am happy to pay for the tech's time, but $325 for 1 hour of work to inform me he could not fix it? Totally unacceptable. This company is disgraceful.

Sean M.

3/20/2022

I would give RotoRooter negative stars if I could. Probably the worst experience I've ever had dealing with any company. From start to finish they were a disaster. After billing us a considerable amount up front to fix a sewage issue in our basement, they failed to show up to do the work until we called them repeatedly and threatened to fire them. Their water remediation team ran fans in our basement that likely spread bacteria from the sewage spill around our home; a mistake which people familiar with this type of work identified in no time. No one on the team ever knew when anyone else would show up. Then a miscommunication between team members meant that much more cement and piping was removed by jackhammer than necessary, resulting in extra unnecessary work for the plumber - work which we were billed for. Finally when we tried to have this billing issue addressed we were ignored and no adjustment was made. And those are just the bigger issue that I can remember after a very frustrating experience. Avoid!! (Boston area)

Meredith A.

10/25/2017

Still five stars for Roto-Rooter! I had them come back today, since I have had the electrical problem that was causing trouble before fixed. Elie, # 8573, was very courteous and professional. He explained everything before he did the job, which he was able to do quite quickly. After having been burned recently by a different service person, I felt very relieved to do business with a company and person who were trustworthy. And what a relief to have my kitchen sink draining as it should again!
Also included in the price was some drain cleaner that I can use monthly to prevent the same problem from happening again.

Bathri N.

07/05/2021 12:00:00 SA

From my experience I will never use them again. I had a blocked sink in the house that we just moved in. Being a novice, without trying on my own, I called Roto-Rooter who immediately responded and sent a plumber to the site. The technician assessed and gave me a quote of $600 to fix the issue which I declined. After searching the internet I used the snake which costed me $5 that cleared the block. I felt I was taken advantage because of my ignorance!! I don't usually post reviews unless I feel extremely positive or extremely negative about the business and Roto-Rooter unfortunately turned out to be on the negative side. Of course this is just my experience and please make your own judgment.

Crystal S.

6/30/2021

Worst company ever they came out to fix my toilet and a couple months it was broken again then they don't come when they say they over book there appointments very unprofessional

Rebecca C.

10/31/2018

I hate to add to the I took 9 hours off work over 2 days and they never showed up crowd, but here we are.
When I'd call to ask for updates every few hours (which I shouldn't have to do) the dispatcher made it seem like I was being unreasonable. Ma'am, he has to get a part for another customer, she'd say in an irritated, condescending tone after I'd been sitting there for six hours. Sooo should I just keep waiting?
At the end of day 2, she informed me they weren't coming that day either and then asked So you'd like to cancel the call? as if I was the flakey one.
To add insult to injury, I was on hold so many times that the Roto-Rooter jingle is now playing on loop in my head as the water continues to drip from my ceiling.

Rinay B.

11/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

Have you seen the movie Cool Runnings? If not, I'll summarize, because I watched it start-to-finish 8 times while waiting for these guys to never show up.

Jamaica sends a bobsled team to the winter olympics. Wild! They get a shabby practice sled from team USA and paint it up real nice. Looks super dependable and shiny now. Then, it falls apart during their most important run and they crush the dreams of an entire nation. Roto-rooter is that bobsled.

For the sake of your sanity (and vacation time), avoid at all costs! They will gladly give you a 4-hour window. Then they won't show up. You call, they are wrapping up the current job, be there soon. You wait four more hours, then they cancel and reschedule you for tomorrow. You stopped calling other plumbers after they scheduled you, so you agree, defeated. Then, THEY DO THE SAME THING THE NEXT DAY.

There is definitely something mad shady going on at this place.

Willy L.

2/14/2020

Dishonest company - find another plumber.

We had a clogged pipe. The technician came and claimed to have fixed it. But within 48 hours, water was backing up again. A second technician came and reviewed the pipe but instead of admitting they performed a poor service and fixing they clog, he wanted us to spend $15-20k to replace the pipe which they would gladly do. I spoke the manager to get help with this but was unprofessional and rude on the phone.

There are better options

Brooke W.

03/02/2020 12:00:00 SA

Would never hire. I called for a dripping faucet and new shut-off valve under the sink. I arrange for someone to come out 4 days in advanced, and not until the plumber arrived did they tell me I'd need at least a day or two to have my building shut-off the water. It would have been helpful for them to ask me about this when I first called so we didn't waste time.
Either way, the plumber came out just to look at my sink and charged me $69 to tell me I needed the valved replaced and the whole faucet probably needed replacing, for an estimate for $1,000-$1,300. This seemed (and was) INSANELY high for this job. I called a few local plumbers and got estimates for about a third of this, and told the faucet didn't need replacing... just new washers, as I expected. I got quick, professional, appropriately priced service from another local plumber and will never consider Roto-Rooter again for plumbing needs.
Their front end-staff/admins are very nice and friendly, but the company is clearly trying to gouge people and take advantage with ridiculous prices. Unacceptable.

D W.

09/11/2021 12:00:00 SA

Possible the worst service and company I have ever dealt with. There people don't know what they are doing, cannot schedule a call on time and do not show up on time, are rude , discourteous and are dishonest. I never write reviews but had to warn others about th company.

Robyn S.

8/17/2020

I Strongly recommend that you search for another service rather than using this company. We paid the non-refunable , required $289 trip fee to have them respond to a sewerage backup on a Sunday night. The technician who arrived did not do anything to diagnose the problem. He simply told me to call my septic tank company and left me $289 poorer with a sewerage still in the shower. The following day, when I paid a reputable plumber to come, he diagnosed and fixed the problem of a blockage in the pipe. I spoke to the Roto-rooter manager who was unwilling to refund the trip fee and confirmed that it was a fee for the technicians's trip only and not to diagnose or fix the problem.
Really??

Krista Z.

11/29/2019

This plumber on call was willing to send out for an emergency. But their service wouldn't be the first one responding to it.
I scheduled service for a no heat on upstairs floor call. I got a service scheduled for the next day. I kept the scheduled appointment. Another plumber came out sooner, same day, to fix the heat problem. But that plumber didn't want to address a frozen pipe issue in the bathroom, as a result of the no heat upstairs probably. So I waited for Roto Rooter to look at that problem next day. But they never showed up. The on call lady called me back a few times that day, while I waited and waited, almost all day. The second time she called me, at about 4 pm, I answered and cancelled.

T. A.

5/26/2021

They wouldn't provide a cost range on the phone. They came to my house and quoted a rate much higher than others. They also wanted liability waivers of different kinds and only told me after I agreed to the service. And they gave my number to a clean up vendor without my authorization and despite the fact that they should have known I didn't need it because I told them, no rush and routine maintenance. I ended up not using them. Too much bait and switch.

Carlo S.

8/15/2017

I overall loved that the plumber fixed everything in under an hour as the main drain line was completely clogged and needed to be snaked out and thoroughly cleaned. He was even kind enough to take pictures to show what was in it, mostly hair and sludge buildup.

I only wish the cost wasn't soo high ($400) just for 60 minutes to unclog a main drain. I will re-consider calling someone else next time.

UPDATE: My wife received a callback from the manager. She was disappointed to hear that it is what it is in regards to a flat fee for such a small time resolving the issue and that the manager agreed it was unfortunate to be that high. You just lost a star on your rating and worse, I won't recommend Roto-Rooter to anyone ever again...even for myself.

Jared S.

11/22/2017

Everything about the service has been fantastic. I liked the folks I talked with on the phone before the appointment. And your service technician was pragmatic and helpful. It was a tricky problem and he handled it well, and, most importantly, got our bathroom back online.

Very pleased.

Tina M.

03/04/2021 12:00:00 SA

The company said they would be very careful about covid, they were NOT. Our plumber took his mask off immediately and was incredibly disrespectful. Second, this company wanted $850 to replace a garbage disposal. Other companies are about $150-$300. That is insane!

Ashley F.

11/29/2016

Yuck. I had a main drain clog. These guys came out, couldnt unclog it, made a terrible mess and still charged me.

I actually hired them twice for two different incidents and wont ever be calling them back. They are a big company, that is rude and could care less about you. They want money and thats it.

We found a great company, whom wont make a nasty mess. Does the job right and cleans up after themselves. Try Rhino Rooter, they are a great small company who care about customer service and doing the job right.

Charbel K.

11/30/2014

Did a great job
Fast response; however to snake a drain=$399 plus $57 for gallon of enzyme... It's a bit steep. A reasonable price would be 200-$250

Liz C.

11/16/2016

Very satisfied with the speed at which Roto Rooter could get someone to come out (within 24 hours), and the service that was provided by Elie (#8573). He was extremely professional and even cleaned the tub after he finished unclogging it!

Minus one star because the quoted window was from 8am-10am and the technician came at 11am, and because the price was much higher than anticipated (in my opinion). I will say that the customer service staff was proactive in letting me know at 9:30 that someone would be out a little later than expected (rather than me having to call at 10am wondering why no one has showed up yet). I imagine that this is more of a system issue with scheduling rather than the fault of the technician, but still something that should be addressed.

Lucu F.

1/25/2020

Severe negligence led to basement flooding with 3 inches of town sewage. Slimey technician tried to leave every chance he got before situation was under control. Severe miscommunication with dispatch had us pumping sewage out of our own basement for hours. Thousands of dollars of personal property damaged and it took 6 months for our insurance claim to even be filed. It's a different year and were still dealing with this shit (no pun intended). Never use this company.

Rachel B.

11/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

This place claims that they are good with customer service. Then, when everyone comes late and does a terrible job with the cleanup, they claim that I am in the wrong. The people who come are not thorough and do not show up on time. I would look for a more professional place.

A C.

2/17/2015

Ok so picture this.. Snowpacalypse 2015 hits Boston, freezing temp, pipes freeze, water leaks... You get the drift. I called Roto-Rooter to come save me. They were super backed up and actually weren't not able to make it the first day that I made my appt. I was pissed! I left work, lost pay and for nothing, a no show.

I talked to Sheena from dispatch and she made me another apt for the following day. They were also able to offer me 10% for the inconvenience which helped a tiny bit considering this place charges double what everyone else charges.

Day 2: Again a no show. I called Sheena back and pleaded with her to find another plumber even if it meant grabbing one from the next town over. Magically she convinced Stephen Dallalis to come and save the day. I felt bad for him. He clearly had worked a super long and exhausting day and had more job requests than he could actually handle.

This is the 2nd time I've used Roto-Rooters and will say this... Once they get there they are great. I think they are highly understaffed and they shouldn't over promise and under deliver when it comes to service time quotes. Thanks to Sheena's determination to find me a plumber and Stephens willingness to go above and beyond and work overtime, it all worked out.

P.S the drain specialist in Dorchester blew off my appointment 2 days in a row.

They lost 1 star for the ridiculous over pricing that wasn't really explained and for the pure aggravation of making multiple apts only to have the plumber not show up.

Shuja D.

01/02/2017 12:00:00 SA

This 5 star review is specifically for my plumber Stephen H from roto rooter who came out to snake a clogged main drain that had causes blockage and flooding in Cambridge. This 5 stars IS NOT for roto rooter as a company because not ever plumber they have is like Stephen.

Hands down, he was the best plumber I've ever had. He made it a point to leave our living area in the same shape that it was when he got there, cleaning up any splatter and mess that the work created. He even put felt down to protect my tiles from the heavy snake machinery. He also took the time to explain the issue and also discuss various solutions...which was the best part. He was clearly not just there to be quickly in and out, I felt like he genuinely wanted to help solve my plumbing problems.

While he was doing the work he even got a call from a customer he did service for the previous day who spent about 10 minutes expressing his thanks and gratitude for his service. I suspect this is probably a normal thing for Stephen!

Cat W.

11/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

Great dependable service for a clogged drain that wasn't allowing us to use kitchen faucet, garbage disposal, dishwasher and washing machine.
Stephen H. Is awesome. Very courteous and honest.
Because we have always had great results with Roto-rooster I would never use another company.
Rate with online coupon is definitely a fair price.

Susan A.

9/16/2016

Great job! My technician Ernst fixed the problem quickly! He explained everything to me and even gave me advise on how to fix another small problem with my sink.
Although the techs were super awesome it did feel pretty pricy some something that took about an hour to fix, so that is the only reason for one less star but I am thankful to have used them

Luke A.

6/23/2018

Don't bother calling these guys. They are not coming. They will tell you that they are coming out to your house. Then after several hours of waiting and repeated calls to their office and them telling you that they will come you will eventually be told (after 11pm) that someone already came to your address and that you, in person refused their service. Then you can have a fun conversation about how that's not true and you really need a plumber. Then they will tell you that you're wrong and that they can't help you. There are other drain services. You should call one of them instead.

David D.

05/08/2019 12:00:00 SA

Would not recommend.

I took off of work and waited 3 hrs for their plumber to arrive. The technician called and said he was here and going to park. After several minutes, I then received another call saying he could not find parking since he had a big truck and was moving onto the next job. This was surprising since they had my address beforehand and cut bait so quickly. When I spoke to the supervisor about the situation he told me they could come again after work, but then I would be charged extra.

I guess they have a different view of customer service than I.

Matt O.

05/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

I had great service today from Bill & Frank. I had two technicians because one was on training, but they were both excellent, great guys. The usual 4 hour window for service stuff which is never what you want when trying to plan your day but I'm used to it and that's a function of the larger corporate service companies.

I had a busted garbage disposal that leaked all over my kitchen, called Roto last night and they showed up this morning (weekday) by around 10:00 AM so that's pretty helpful. The experienced guy knew right away that I needed to replace the disposal. Pretty quick and painless, they had a new one on the truck, one hour process and they made sure to show me that everything was working properly and cleaned up after their work.

The service guys were awesome, can't say enough about their professionalism and courteous nature. The ONLY reason this doesn't get 5 stars is because it cost me $650. Look, I understand, they mark everything up and labor is expensive. The garbage disposal they installed costs $100 anywhere you buy it. The receipt showed they marked it up in price (fine, not the service techs idea I'm sure). So that left more than $400 in labor for one hours worth of work for one technician (I'm assuming I only got charged for one guy since it wasn't a two man job and it was training?). Just seemed a little high to me, I would justify that if it were after hours emergency or weekend but I really had in mind something like $250 for labor maximum.

The techs did their job properly and told me the price up front when they arrived so I knew what I was getting into but I wasn't about to send them on their way and start price shopping.
There was no deception, but I was just surprised as how much the labor costs once I learned the cost of the disposal itself. This might be my fault for not doing my homework ahead of time to determine what's competitive but at the end of the day if you want reliable, quick and professional service - I think this is a good place to call.

Joseph I.

09/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Great overall experience. Scheduling online was very easy, and we were able to choose a time slot that was convenient for us -- no having to take time off of work to be home for when the plumber could make it over.

Our plumber, Ron, kept us updated on his status when he was about 45 minutes away. He came in, was incredibly friendly, and assessed the situation right away. He got right to work clearing our kitchen drain and it was a quick and painless process.

The only reason I'm not leaving a 5 star review is because the cost is incredibly high. It was about $400 for the work, and it couldn't have taken more than 40 minutes. But, that's the price you pay for emergency and convenient service.

Overall, a great experience and would use again in a pinch.

A J.

10/16/2019

Will not use this company again. The plumber they sent was unqualified and didn't know what he was talking about. Without doing any checking or inspection he told me I needed to open up the wall to install a shut off valve for my shower and that was the only way to fix the issue. It would cost thousands of dollars. It turned out there is already a shut off valve and it's behind a panel.

Batsheva G.

08/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

From the min we called the 1.800# LESS THEN 24 HOURS HAVE PASSED until our water heater was replaced...
Excellent time response !
Professional technicians!
Speedy service!
Happy customers!!!
Thank you !!!

Dick K.

07/05/2016 12:00:00 SA

My wife is yelling, the washing machine is backing up in the kitchen sink, the sink is gurgling.
Water on the floor.
We called and they showed up in three hours. Turns out every year ( we knew) because of roots growing into the drain pipe (44 feet out) we need cabling out.
The excellent technician, a real employee of Roto rooter for 20 years, knew what to do, and did it for over an hour. Including with a camera in the pipe showing me the problem. He also took out shmootz ( like towels, women's products, etc and identified them.....like a forensic scientist!
My local handyman never could have done this, because the long rugged electric rooter was clearly needed. The camera, also.
Cheap? NO! About $425.
But we'll use them again preventatively next year Early.
Questions? I'm Doc
[email protected]

Sue G.

05/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

Service was prompt, efficient, and successful. The technician was friendly and explained the process.
I called the Boston office and we were taken care of on the North Shore right away. I definitely recommend them.

Lisa A.

01/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

I had a severely clogged drain that was causing it to overflow into my shower and tub. I called them on a Saturday expecting a tremendous surcharge. Not only did they not charge me a surcharge, but they we're there in less than 2 hours. Gilbert, the technician, was a pleasure to deal with. He was extremely knowledgable, professional and pleasant. My clog was cleared in less than an hour and Gilbert did a great job from start to finish.

I will always call them first.

Mary A.

07/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

We have ONE bathroom, for four people. In an old house. With old pipes. Last night, the entire bathroom CLOGGED. The sink, the tub, the toilet -- all clogged and unusable. (Not to overdo the info here, but the toilet was backing up into the tub. And, apparently, into the basement too.) In case you missed it -- four people, one bathroom, and the one bathroom is totally unusable.

This is when I start wishing I knew something - anything - about plumbing.

We called Roto-Rooter and they promised to be here tonight. When Joe couldn't make it at the appointed time, the dispatcher called to make sure we knew he'd be late and that we still wanted him to come. We did. I was sure he'd get here and say that the job was too tricky for 10:00 pm -- no way. He dug right in, took the toilet apart, ran this enormous snake thing through the pipes all the way to the street, and -- voila -- problem solved. (Well, not solved ENTIRELY; we have lots more work to do to update the plumbing in my old house -- and Joe took the time, even at this late hour, to walk us through the rest of the process. He even helped us to figure out how to deal with the sewage in the basement.)

So, he fixed the whole bathroom and I get to take a shower tomorrow, and I couldn't be happier. The price was right and, what's more, Joe was the most personable and pleasant workman I've met in a very long time. Even though -- at 11:00 pm -- he still had more jobs to get to, he was very patient and explained everything to us, giving us recommendations on what fixes we should tackle next.

I'm not happy that the entire bathroom clogged (I didn't even know that could happen, yikes) but I'm very happy that we called Roto-Rooter and that we got to meet Joe (#553). I don't think we'll be needing anyone else for plumbing work again, ever.

Carl G.

11/14/2017

I hear from the local manager. He said they are a flat rate company so whether it is 30 minutes or 5 hours the charge is the same. So if they finish the job in less than 5 hours, have them do something useful like raking up your leaves !

Mike M.

5/26/2017

Thank you to Roto-Rooter for fixing my shower drain. They were quick, on-time, cleaned up the job very nicely and best of all they fixed the problem.

Thank you,

John J.

09/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Frank came in and immediately gave me an estimate on fixing my garbage disposal. With the coupon online I didn't mind the flat rate. He and his partner got to work and were in and out in 30mins. I would recommend roto rooter.

Stephen K.

5/16/2016

What can I say. It was our wedding night and the kitchen disposal backed up. We called (our technician came very quickly) and Ronnie (#5592) came out and was wonderful. He treated the clog and was very open to answering our questions. We were extremely happy with the service and the disposal has been working perfectly since Roto-Rooter came out to fix it for us.
Thanks again. Emily and Stephen

Carolyn L.

10/01/2018 12:00:00 SA

I'm impressed! I made the reservation with Dana last Friday, 9/28, and she called me again on Saturday morning to confirm my schedule and get the technician to my condo building first. Wow! Dana also took the time to listen and understood my problem. She sent the tech, Joe. Joe was terrific! He snaked the main drain pipe twice and explained to me what he saw through the camera. I got an education on plumbing. Fantastic team and caring people.

Danielle W.

7/29/2017

At first, our experience with roto rooter was a bit rocky but they redeemed themselves so wonderfully, I have to still give them five stars. We had an initial service which we thought was okay although expensive. But then we had a leak. So we had a Saturday emergency service which the plumber John really went through things thoroughly and took care of us well. He explained things well and took the time to make sure the job was done right. It ended up being an exceptional value.

Daniel D.

07/05/2017 12:00:00 SA

There was a clog in our main sewer line which we were unable to dislodge using a snake. Similar experience to some others on here. Job was done and all, but really wish I had shopped around. Ridiculously overpriced. I'll be calling someone local next time.

Amit K.

4/26/2017

The problem was taken care of and the technician was good. However, while booking on phone nobody told me about flat 450 $ fee for any clog cleaning. Probably would have shopped around. Too costly, will not use services in future.

Jill P.

2/23/2018

Edited review due to poor follow up. Bottom line - great to fix clogs - but maybe not to do repair work.

5/5 setting up an appointment was easy as a first time customer. Phone operator was very kind and nice

5/5 Getting the clog fixed was easy and great. Stephen H and Ryan K came out same day (Sunday!) to fix my clogged sewer main pipe during the Pat's playoff game. Talk about dedication! I was worried I'd have to wait until Monday - but they sorted it out quickly and professionally. Took the time to explain everything (before, during, after) and pricing for the work before they started. I really lucked out that they were the ones that came. Super nice guys - I'd use their services again and recommend to my friends/family. I'd give them more than 5 stars if able. Thanks so much!

4/5 They came to camera my line to guarantee the work and quote me a lining for the pipe. It was 3x more expensive than digging up the pipe and replacing it. It did have a lifetime guarantee though for the work. He was very nice and on time - he made me get into the video to prove to his boss that I was there while he did the camera - so the video went back to the home office. He said he could not give me a copy of the video.

0/5 I tried to follow up with the company to get the video of my sewer pipe. They said it was a courtesy and I was unable to even pay to obtain this video. I need this video to claim - I asked them to let me know how much it would cost to have them come out again to do the video but they never followed up despite multiple calls from me. I will be hiring another company to re-do the camera of the line and get competitive quotes.

Jimmy C.

3/30/2015

Called on a Saturday evening at 5pm and scheduled someone to come to my house the next morning between 8am and noon. Unfortunately, a technician hurt his back the day before, so nobody showed up till 145pm.
I had an issue where the main line to my house was clogged, so I was getting a lot of water in my basement. The technician, Nelson, showed me roots growing into the pipe via his camera, and he was able to scrape much of them out. There was also a bit of paper towels clogging the line, which he removed. He answered all of my questions and got the job done in a timely manner.

My only issue stems from having to wait at home all day when I expected someone in the morning but didn't get anybody till almost 2pm. Otherwise it was a job well done.

Steve V.

06/08/2017 12:00:00 SA

So, I had a little clog behind my kitchen sink yesterday and called Roto-Rooter first thing in the morning. They couldn't offer me an estimate of any kind over the phone, but promised to arrive between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. to have a look and give me a free estimate. The guy finally showed up at noon and told me it would cost $500. Since we both agreed that it was likely to be a ten-minute job and I knew my local plumber's minimum charge was $180, I told him to take a hike. He offered me a reduced price of $450, but I still sent him packing. If the guy on the phone had been forthcoming about the fact that their minimum charge was so high, I would not have bothered them in the first place and wasted his technician's time coming to me.

Instead, I called ASAP Drains, who arrived exactly when promised, fixed the problem in about two minutes, and charged me $137. I'll never call Roto-Rooter again.

Rachel T.

09/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

My toilet had a leakage problem so I called Roto-Rooter and was scheduled an appointment the next day. They provided a 4 hour window and gave me a call when the plumber was an hour away. John D arrived on site promptly and was informative and professional when diagnosing and fixing the problem. The job took a little less than 2 hours. The only down side is that the price was a little high ($450). Great service!

Katie B.

12/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

We had a plugged tub and a plugged stand-up shower. Roto-Rooter sent someone the same day I called. Roy was super helpful, informative and patient. I had to get approval from my home warranty company after he got here and diagnosed the problem. He also took the time to explain how the drains work and why they were likely clogged. Will definitely use them again if needed.

Yesenia B.

12/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

Pros-The plumber, Ronnie (#5592) did an awesome job. After fixing the clogged sinks, he gave us some tips and assistance on other issues that we were having. He didn't have to but we absolutely appreciated that he took that extra step.

Cons-We were scheduled from 6-10 pm, however, at 945 pm, we received a call that a plumber would be out from 10-11 AM the next day. We then received a call that there was a delay and it was looking more like a plumber would arrive at 12 pm. I ended up rescheduling to 3-5 pm because 12 interfered with a commitment we already had.
As others have said, $395.00 is a pretty steep price.

Nina O.

05/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

My downstairs drain was clogged. I could not use neither dishwasher nor washer.
Stephen H. from Roto-Rooter performed excellent job. It was really fast. He washed evrything after work was done (floor, sink etc). In less then two hours I can use all my appliances. It's really perfect job.

J C.

03/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Mike did a great job clearing our drains. The service is costly and I wish Rotorooter would provide an estimate in advance because it appears to be a standard rate for clogs and is pretty pricey. They exceeded the 4 hour window which is also a problem. As for the service though Mike did a good job and Id recommend them in the future if all the plumbers were like Mike.

Keisuke T.

3/21/2017

CAUTION! Super inexperienced and overpriced service!
I own several restaurants and tea shops all around the Greater Boston Area including a tea shop in Boston Chinatown. Last week we experienced a clog in the kitchen pipe and had this company looked at it. I wanted to try new plumbing company so that I would have more option in the future. They said it was gonna cost me $500+ to unclog the pipe. Generally it had only cost me somewhere between $50-$150. I was in a hurry to get it unclogged and didn't want to waste time calling my usual plumber. So, fine. They made me sign a paper work before they started fixing. I couldn't be in the store at that time so I asked my staff to sign for me. BOOM. They unclogged the pipe and I paid $500+ thinking I would never ever call this company ever again. Not only did they cost me $500+ to unclog the pipe, they also accidentally broke my freaking pipe!!! The next day, the landlord found water leaks in his office from the kitchen pipe. The leak had obviously ruined his office.
I called my usual plumber to take a look at the leak and he said the repair would cost me $1600 because a part of the wall needs to come down. I called back to this company asking for reimbursement of the repair work. The lady from administration said she needed to ask the plumbing manager and would get back to me as soon as possible. Never got her call that day. Called back the next day and she said they will not cover the repair expense because under the work agreement, that I had my staff sign, they are not liable for any pipe damage. Not even if it was them who caused the damage. Didn't bother arguing. Hung up the phone.
Now and now, I gotta suck up my tears and cover that $1600 repair expense out of my own pocket for the damage caused by this company.
I initially paid $500+ for you to fix my problem not to cause me more problem. Talked to my friends about this company and they all said that this company is overpriced for the quality of work they perform. I now feel responsible letting all of my friends, inside or outside of business, know about the service that I received here. A super NO GOOOD.

Susan R.

1/24/2019

Not sure about this corp. They clearly pay off Google. I called for a frozen drain pipe. The answering service said that they don't cover my area. I'm in Metro West. I keep trying to search for anyone other than them on Google, I find a 24 hour plumbing service that brings me right back to Roto-Router. This time the operator puts me on hold for twice as long and sets me up for next day service between 8 and noon. She doesn't know why they said that they don't cover my town. The service calls me the next day at 10 am and tells me that they don't have any plumbers and their technicians don't do frozen drain pipes. They were willing to send someone out though and charge me for a visit. (No thanks!) I called Dowd Plumbing instead and they were awesome.

Heather H.

7/23/2017

We were over plumbers coming to try and get our toy out of the toilet drain. We had had 2 try before Stephen H came from Roto Rooters. He had it out within minutes upon arrival and was extremely professional and clean. He left the space better than before he arrived. Super appreciated because I was at my whits end with not having this toilet working. Thank you Stephen! I hope we don't see you again, but if we need a plumber, you are our first call!

Lisa P.

7/21/2017

The service was excellent! Bill did a great job. He explained exactly what the problem was and made sure that I was aware of what was needed to fix it in terms of labor and parts. Our sinks is running smoothly now and we have nothing to worry about.

Chris Y.

10/26/2017

Very thorough unclogging of the drains, which are old and have very narrow pipes that have awkward connections where food from the Dispose-all easily gets trapped. Bob Bickerstaffe, Tech #1137 was very courteous and helpful, and did a great job cleaning out the pipes going down 15 feet. He spent an hour and a half cleaning out from all the accessible points, so there wouldn't be any possibility of future clogs. I appreciate the six-month guarantee, too. The roughly $400 was on the high side, but on the other hand, the work was much more thorough than I think I would have gotten from another company.

Ryan W.

01/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

$460 to snake a drain!

Backed up drain, hand snake and chemicals could not reach it, want in main as most plumbing was fine. Must needed a longer snake. Called corporate number, asked multiple tunes what the cost is to snake a drain? Told that they could not provide pricing over phone. Scheduled visit for afternoon.

Guy shows up, super nice and professional. Says needs snake (no surprise). Fixed price of 459!!!

The price is double industry standards (check for yourself). But that actually doesn't really bother me. What pisses me off is they could have said this on the phone and not wasted everyone's time. We all know what they are doing. Show up with the tools and then they got you, no thanks.

Technician was awesome, but sketchy business practices. Did it myself in an hour for $60 from home depot.

$460 to snake a drain!

K M.

07/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

So we called about 5 plumbers in a state of panic... Because we had a main drain backup. The only place that returned our call was Roto-Rooter! Took a bit for someone to get here, but once help arrived, Steven Dallalis took care of our problem... He explained we had a blockage but it went a bit further than just the main drain. We lost a toilet in the ordeal but it's probably best seeing it was so old he suggested it not be reattached! Good advice! After 3 hours and about $500 problem was solved. Pricey but we held up through today's rain storm! 6 Month guarantee... I'll take it! BTW those other plumbers I called never called back! I guess plumbers don't want to deal with drain issues! So I would & have already recommended! Thanks!

MPL # 15435

Dave L.

04/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

My kitchen sink was not working, and I couldn't figure out why it was leaking. The disposal was working fine. I reside in the South End of Boston, and a lot of suburban companies prefer not to take business here because of the parking difficulties. I first called another company and got their answering service. They said they would call back. I waited an hour, then I called Roto-Rooter. They took my call with no wait time, and were efficient and courteous. They lived up to their promise, and arrived when they said they would, only a few hours after I made the call. The serviceman was clean and tidy, and first took the time to show me what the problem was, and was upfront about the cost before there was any obligation whatsoever.

Although I prefer to support local businesses when I can, I would recommend Roto-Rooter and will use them in the future. And that other plumbing company still hasn't called me back, longer after Roto-Rooter has fixed the problem! Also, there is a $40 discount you can receive if you go online.

Tara R.

11/15/2018

Extremely non-responsive. I used them to detect a leak in my rental property. I then requested someone follow up with me to schedule some work to be done. I didn't hear anything for two weeks. I had to call back and remind them I was waiting and they didn't have an explanation as to why I hadn't received a response. It's now been another three days and I have yet to receive a response. Would not use again, would not recommend.

Eddie C.

3/27/2017

Amazing service! We had an issue with our tub, we called them after normal business hours, they showed up right away and solved the problem!

Jess S.

2/14/2015

Nothing says happy Saturday night like a malfunctioning toilet in Brookline.

Called several plumbers around 10pm (several just don't even service Brookline) and after a few machines reached a Roto-Rooter service desk and was able to schedule an appointment between the window of 8am to 10am the next day.

Roy was on time (8am!) and had the replacement part we needed. Everything was fixed in less than 30 minutes. Really appreciated him coming out that early on a Sunday.

Will use again for future plumbing needs.

Andy B.

10/17/2016

Roto-Rooter was very helpful in installing a new garbage disposal. They provided on-time service, with quick installation. Friendly and helpful.

Elena H.

11/17/2016

I was shocked that this emergency service pushed my appt time back 4 times. After calling in at 6am and given an 8am-10am time slot, I called in several times and waited until 2pm before canceling and going with a different provider.

Ned G.

1/13/2020

Beware, very unfair practices: Yes, arrived the same day to re-connect kitchen faucet and garbage disposal to newly installed sink (with slight modification to the drain pipe). Non-refundable $69 fee to come out and give estimate (not available over the phone). Price list shown to me had: $570 to reconnect the faucet, $580 to reconnect disposal and drain . So about 1100. (so why not give these list prices over the phone????) But because my frowny face suggested $800 right away. Me: You are kidding me? He: OK, $600 is really my bottom line. Me: Here is your $69 and please leave. He: Ok then maybe 550...bottom line Me: No! He: OK, 475+ parts total 486 bottom line #3... Fully realizing this is still a rip off for a job that will be 1 1/2 hrs job MAX I accepted. The job took 65min...with several trips to the car. This was a ..$150 worth of work and $12 in parts for a normal plumber...but when you have a situation, you go for it....Use this service only if you're drowning (in sh*t)...and then think twice....maybe you just work on your swimming while waiting for a decent guys....

Timothy A.

03/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

Our main sewer line backed up today, and the water was rising in the basement sink. Called Roto-Rooter and John D was on the site in 30 minutes. Two and a half hours later, all was clear and the work was beautifully done with a good explanation of what happened and how it was fixed. Amazing service and good value for the price.

Erica E.

08/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

Terrible customer service. Booked an appointment online yesterday and was given a window of 8am - 10am the next day. At 9:30am, I recieved a call from a dispatcher, stating that they were running behind on other jobs and someone would be to me by11. Ok, no problem.
At 10am, I received another call, telling me that they were still behind and someone would be out by 12. Within the same call, I was told, actually...There was a new window. ..Between 12-4pm. So, with no notice, my 2 hour window has now become an entire day
I had NO confidence that anyone would actually ever show up, so I cancelled the appointment and called a local plumber. Who showed up within 3 hours, completed the job and I will absolutely call again. Roto Rooter, you are a joke.

Nancy W.

1/14/2020

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. IF I COULD GIVE THEM ZERO STARS I WOULD. I called them to have a toilet unplugged. Location: 1st floor of a triple decker. Cost: $335.00. Time spent: 5-7 minutes. why was this service so high? Was it because it was a Sunday? Was it because it was an emergency? No. Not at all. They claim they don't charge extra for weekends or for emergencies. My bill was high because they gave me the commercial rate. That's right. You read that correctly. So I called them about this because i thought the technician must have made an error, because it's clearly a residence and not a business. Didn't matter. They decided that because I was a landlord, who resides in the building, calling for a plumber on behalf of my tenant on the 1st floor, I should get commercial rates. But if she had called herself, and she was the owner of the unit (i.e. a unit owner in a triple decker that has been converted to condos) she would have been given a residential rate. Which, as you can imagine, is significantly cheaper. And you know what's even worse? The commercial service only has a 24 hour clog free guarantee. Residential? 7 days. This is completely unacceptable. Bills should not be determined by your status as a landlord or a tenant, and you either stand by your work or you don't. This is a terrible set of business practices and I will never use them ever again. Save your wallet and look elsewhere. It's well worth it....

Sharon L.

11/30/2017

Roto-Rooter is one of the most buttoned up, organized and professional service providers I have experienced in a long time.

From the moment I called they were attentive and responsive and promised to get someone to my home within hours. They even called me to let me know there was a slight delay with the technician getting to my home. I was not left hanging.

My technician was Ron (#5592). He took time to listen to me, ask questions and identify the problem. Before proceeding he explained the process to fix it and the cost, so there would be so surprises. I will admit the price was higher than anticipated.

Ron was responsive, accurate in determining the problem, quick to remedy it and considerate start to finish. He wasted no time getting to work so he could stay on schedule with other customers. He was in and out within an hour.

In talking, I mentioned how I had been laid off from my job. He was kind enough to let me know about an online coupon I could apply to the cost to bring it down a bit.

My experience with Ron and Roto-Rooter was top notch start to finish. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because I feel the fee was a bit steep for the project.

Marlene M.

11/17/2017

Did a great job. Came quickly and took care of the sump pump back up. Explained the issues and offered solutions. Price was adequate for the job as well. Happy customer here

Hodge P.

06/07/2015 12:00:00 SA

I scheduled an appointment online via their website on Saturday for an appointment on Sunday at 1pm. Tech didn't show up til 5:30 but a rep from the office did call me throughout the day to let me know of the delay. As mentioned in previous posts, waiting around all day was no good but the status update calls were appreciated.

Tech came and was friendly and enthusiastic. After much work he was able to unclog my tub drain, which I know is no easy task from past experience due to navigating the snake through a difficult pipe layout.

As others have mentioned, the pricing is a bit steep. I was quoted $415 but luckily I had a $40 coupon from making the appointment online, so total price was $375, which is closer to the reasonable range but still steep. The previous company/plumber who came out at 11pm in the middle of the week to unclog my tub charged $250. Quotes I got from others plumbers to come out during regular business hours were around the $250 mark. I'm at work during regular business hours and live alone, so really needed to get someone out on the weekend. The Roto Rooter website said no extra charge on nights/holidays/weekends...so that's why I went with them. Ended up paying an off hour price. Would of looked elsewhere had I known that.

So the quality of work was good and the tech was a pleasure to work with, but I have to subtract two stars for pricing and tardiness...mostly just the pricing.

Roto Rooter offers a sweepstakes for anyone who has service done. Post a review on yelp or a few other review sites and you get entered into a weekly sweepstakes for a chance at a refund. Hope I'm the lucky winner lol.

Blair V.

3/27/2017

Dominic arrived and thoroughly explained the possible blockage situation based on his preliminary exam and provided potential options and subsequent costs of each action. He was successful in his approach and process; cleaned up very well afterwards, provided insight as to prevent additional issues and informed me of Roto Rooter's next step with the camera analysis for further insight and prevention. I have never required a service like this before and knowing the brand and reputation, was delighted to see that performance was everything that we hoped it would be.

Chrissy H.

06/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

We had a leaking disposal over a holiday weekend, which was not ideal. We were able to reach a Roto Rooter representative immediately and schedule a time for someone to come out that weekend, which would not have been possible with most other plumbing services. The technicians were very communicative and friendly, and explained everything to us and gave us an idea of cost upfront. They worked quickly and left the area clean.

Chad K.

7/28/2018

I had water in the basement sink back up and couldn't use the kitchen sink, dishwasher or washer. I called RotoRooter who promised me an 8-10 am arrival today. After calling them several times after 10 and asked for an ETA (...never got one...as they can't connect with the tech and don't know who they will dispatch next... yet they still give you a window), I finally gave up at 1 pm and called Rooter-Man off of a Google search. Rooter-Man got the snake working and within 20 minutes I was writing a check after the tech did a full water pressure test with me and gave me recommendations on how to avoid this situation in the future. I should point out that Rotorooter does not quote you the job prior to arrival and Rooter-Man did. Once the job was fixed, I got a call that the tech is on the way which obviously I cancelled.

Ann K.

10/23/2017

The response time was very reasonable to the issue. I had a tough blockage in my kitchen sink pipes. A tech came and spent 2 hours with the snake, to no success. A second tech came later that same day at 11 pm! Very dedicated. He also had no luck.
A tech came today and added an access pipe, ran a hose with hot water, and laboriously pulled out sludge until he could push it through. Another dedicated employee.
It was expensive, but they worked hard for this job.

Paul D.

6/22/2018

Terrible service- they never showed up for a scheduled appointment, meaning that I took a day off from work for no reason. There was no real explanation given for why the technician was so late. When i tried to reschedule, I waited on hold and then was told that nothing was available in the next few days anyways. I ended up just using another service- overall this was a bad experience and I won't ever try and use them again. Total waste of time.

Ben E.

8/16/2017

This review is for Roto-Rooter of Boston for my rental property in Cambridge. I live in Florida.

Roto-Rooter was the only plumbing outfit able to come the next-day when I was calling around in the afternoon for a plumber on an ASAP basis. Homeadvisor gave me nothing, and so I started going down through the list of plumbers from yellowbook.com by distance to the house. I called 10-20 plumbers before seeing Roto-Rooter in the list, and all were unable to come within a few days, even after I explained that it was an emergency and could pay an after-hours rate.

I hadn't realized at first that someone was required to be in the apartment (not just going in with a key they found under a rock) but we got that sorted out and the relative of a neighbor showed them in with my tenant's spare key.

They came a little after the agreed time window, but I realize that it is hard to always estimate how long jobs will take, and traffic in the Boston area is never a walk in the park.

The job got done in one hour and now there is no more leaking toilet into the bathroom ceiling of my downstairs neighbor.

In hindsight, I should have asked the customer service person what the hourly rate is when I first booked the appointment, so that I wouldn't have to do any price negotiating just-before, during, or after-the-fact, when I am under pressure to just get it done. I expected a big outfit like Roto-Rooter to have a slight price premium over my regular plumber, and they do. In the end, we came to an agreed price that I was more than happy with.

Margaret M.

7/13/2017

We had a leaking faucet, and a leaking toilet. Both were fixed quickly, on the same day as the estimate was given.
It is nice to know up front what it will cost.
Our technician was so pleasant, it was a pleasure to have him in our condo, he was efficient despite having to go up and down 3 flights of stairs to get equipment.

Donald S.

07/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

This is a tale of two parts of a company. The first part is the administrative/scheduling part. I called at 10 AM on a Thursday. They promised a technician between 12 and 4. At 2 I got a call to say the tech wouldn't be there by 4 and they would let me know when one would be coming. I was initially pleased that they at least updated me. Six phone calls and 24 hours later a technician finally appeared. By then I would have loved to have called someone else. Then the technician told me how much the service would cost------memo to self, call someone else the next time.

After 2 PM on Friday a technician (Nelson) finally appeared. He was friendly, courteous, and highly knowledgeable and professional. After some initial diagnostic probing he detected an unusual plumbing arrangement that made standard snaking impossible. He knew the solution and executed it expeditiously. He was fabulous.

I'd call Nelson again if I could, and I'd be very hard pressed to call Roto-Rooter again.

Eduart L.

07/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

Very professional and came to service as scheduled. Little pricey however .

Thank you for taking care of my issue though.

Valerie Z.

12/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

Pricey but outstanding service from an initial technician then Elie, a more senior technician, who got the job done. Both arrived within the scheduled time windows, and I appreciate how they call to let you know the technician is on the way.

shaina n.

6/19/2017

We recently have some plumbing service done by Mike at Roto-Rooter. I was very happy with the work that was completed. Mike showed up on time and addressed all of my concerns and gave me a competitive quote. He was able to come back that same week and completed all the work that was quoted.

We have a vent installed in our basement sink as well as a leaking pipe fixed.

I would highly recommend both Mike and Roto-Rooter.

John A.

6/19/2017

I called Roto-Rooter early one morning when we had a backup issue. They had Stephen H. Come to help us. He came in explained the process- told us the price up front- and performed the work quickly. He also gave us a few tips for keeping things working properly. Worked out well for us.

Nat S.

6/14/2017

I was very pleased with the service I received from Roto-Rooter. I was particularly nervous to call because I know nothing about plumbing, but the representative that took my call (Candy) was very friendly and easy to talk to. Plumber Ron (agent 5592) came in at 9 pm - between the time window I was given (6:30 to 10:30pm) - which was very convenient for me because of my work schedule. Ron was very efficient and got to work right away, he found that there was potential damage to the pipe so he put in a request for a camera inspection. The next morning, Mark was at our home inspecting the pipe. I recommend Roto-Rooter because their service is reliable and agents are experienced and hard-working.

Raegan M.

02/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had a toilet that wasn't flushing properly. Called RotoRooter and Stephen H. came out within the hour and fixed the issue. Fast and friendly service. Would call again.

Joseph R.

06/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

Service was great. Niko was professional and knew his stuff. Main line was badly clogged but we were back in business within about an hour and a half!

i would use Roto-Rooter again.

Mitch H.

11/22/2015

BUYER BEWARE Roto Router is a minimum fee based company. Wether the job takes 10 min or 2 hours, they charge a base fee for service. We had a clogged drain, which took about 30 min. to clear and was billed 415.00. That's the equivalent of a $863,000 per year salary...not bad! They tell you the fee when they come to the house but, by that time you are stuck. Ask them for a quote when you call if they can't give you one...call someone else. To be fair, they did clear the clog.

Matt R.

7/23/2014

I had water coming out of my washing machine drain pipe when the shower was run @ 5:30 AM. Had to mop it up and run to work. As soon as I got home at 5:00PM I called your company, they gave me a 2 hr window between 5:30PM and 7:30PM. The Tech showed up 40 minutes later. I believe his name was Mike.
He was very personable and explained the flat fee and guarantee, I must say I was a bit shocked at the price but it was competitive. I haven't had to use this service in over 20 years.
Mike took his time to explain the different issues involved and was very thorough. I was very satisfied with the tech and customer service on the phone.
I would recommend Roto-Rooter to anyone in need of emergency drain clearing.

Good customer service is a rarity these days.

Thanks!

Christopher H.

12/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

These folks are VERY expensive. They do not tell you their minimum is almost $400. They say they need to come to your home or business to give you a free quote. Meanwhile, you have waited an hour or two. John's Sewer and Drain Cleaning is a large outfit that charges $185. Crescent Plumbing in Arlington charges $140.00. But, I recommend you get a price on the phone before having the plumber come to your home.

Maryann S.

11/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

This service was ridiculous. After reading the positives reviews I was hopeful, but the tech was over 5 HOURS LATE. And then wanted to charge me $450 to snake a simple drain. Then he wanted to negotiate. Ridiculous and completely unwarranted and unprofessional.

Kim M.

3/23/2015

Called Roto Rooter for an issue with my sump pump. Jeff arrived on time and was able to diagnose the problem quickly and made corrections. I'm very pleased with the service and the promptness. Would definitely use Roto Rooter again.
Kim,
Mansfield Ma

Franciele A.

08/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Over the weekend we were out and on Monday we came back and saw that our toilets were clogged and one of them backed up really bad. We were in a bind... we called a local plumber and he was too busy to come and then we looked up Roto Rooter and they came within the hour! The job was done before I was done cleaning and everything is working great! They guaranteed the service and even left me with some plumbing solution to help my pipes for no extra charge! I'm always calling Roto Rooters first from now on!

Sandy K.

5/15/2016

I could not have been happier with the service. The service man Christian arrived on time and was a super nice guy. The simple clogged bathroom drain ended up being a more complex problem that extended to the cast iron pipe. Christian called in reinforcements and Mike showed up to help. Together they solved the issue. Thank you Christian (3306) and Mike (2388) you were great.

Denise I.

11/23/2016

Christian (Tech 3306) did a great job. He was very informative and explained everything to me. He cleared up my problem with no trouble. He tested everything to make sure I was all set. I thought the price was a bit high though.

Jennifer S.

01/05/2016 12:00:00 SA

Great friendly and fast service. I came home to a toilet that wouldn't flush or go anywhere and I work a later shift. I get home around 8:30 pm. As soon as I called I got a confirmation and a 4-hour window or 8-12am. Ron got to my apartment around 9ish and was done within minutes. I was so happy with the quick service. He even cleaned my sink drain, which anyone knows this is not cool when you're a girl (ewww).

Denis D.

3/31/2016

Great service, very professional, neat and knowledgeable. When I have another drain problem I will absolutely call them..service tech was friendly, knowledgeable, neat and quick. I am not sure how much more I can say about drawing cleaning but RotoRooter is just exactly what I needed.

Maureen P.

11/05/2016 12:00:00 SA

A toilet in my basement condo overflowed Saturday at noon, and dirty water leaked into my bedroom. The RotoRooter rep arranged for a plumber and a water restoration team member to to fix the problem. Eudis Severeno, the plumber arrived in one hour and figured out in minutes that the problem was a burned-out sump pump. He bought a new one and spent 4 hours in the very smelly bathroom, taking care of everything. Eudis is very intelligent, efficient, professional and congenial. The restoration team is coming Monday morning. Thank you, RotoRooter! You have a new loyal and very grateful customer.

Russ B.

5/31/2016

With any plumbing emergency, I was hesitant and worried what kind of service I would receive from a large corporate company like Roto Rooter. I was pleasantly greeted by a professional by the name of Christian in the Northeast and was truly blow out of the water with his service, professionalism, attitude, and effort in unclogging my drain. It was late (and went into the early morning) and he was with us until he fully cleared our piping from roots, very far into our drain line. He was polite and talked me through everything he was doing with his heavy powered snake machine. I kept thinking to myself those episodes of Boss Undercover where these guys have a tough time with these machines but have incredible work ethic and values to do the job right. I feel like Christian would have been a great candidate and would have been very well rewarded for his job well done.

All in all very happy with my service and just hope Roto Rooter sees this to recognize Christian for a job well done! He's the type of employee who keeps customers happy! Thank you.

Christopher C.

10/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

Outstanding customer service and quality conscientious work!

Called last minute late morning and was able to schedule for same day service. Office service rep gave a time window for the service tech to show. This office rep called me back twice to update the probable arrival time and to let me know when the service rep was on his way.

Service tech Ron #5592 showed up and despite being later in the day was happy, upbeat and presented himself professionally. He was quick to see the problem and proceed with a plan to remedy it. Over the next 1.5 hrs he explained what he was doing, how his progress was going and when he expected to be done. He was cordial, professional and cleaned up after himself. He explained the bill and what to expect.

I was amazed at the professionalism and customer oriented and focused service. They did a great job in a timely manner at a fair price. I'd definitely hire them again and recommend that you do also!

Anthony Z.

11/29/2015

I had a clogged sink drain from thanksgiving and I called Roto Rooter and they scheduled a service call on Saturday morning. Stephen H. Came to the house and I explained the issue. He explained to me on what he will be doing and I should have no worries. He took care of the problem within 20 minutes and also cleaned up after himself. He was here for about 40 minutes total and the drain is clear and no problems. I would recommend Roto rooter to anyone. Thank You for the help.

L P.

9/24/2016

*this call was in Cambridge, MA

The first call was 1 week ago and my while the clogged drain problem was resolved my experience was not awesome and I'm pretty sure unnecessary work was done.

The same drain re-blocked this morning. The customer service/scheduling people were very nice. and scheduled something right away. My 2 hour window turned into a 4 hour window, but they kept calling to update me on the delay.
The tech/plumber that came out was Joe Rocca, he was great. Very nice and kept a good sense of humor. He was clear on his assessment of the issue, and resolved it directly. He was able to answer questions and communicate very well.

So, I'd say this company is a reasonable choice and will likely be able to resolve your drain problem. But, they have many technicians, some better than others, I'd recommend asking for Joe Rocca.

Allison B.

03/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Roto-Rooter did a great job. They came out same day and our technician, Elie, was friendly and knowledgeable. Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's a little pricey.

Cailin S.

10/26/2015

Tech # 2462 was awesome. The tech was in and out in a short amount of time. Our tub drain was blocked and now it is fixed. Did a great job!

Mary Ellen W.

09/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

I had a sump pump that is connected to the washing machine that would not drain. I had used Roto Rooter in the past and felt confident in calling them again. Josh came out and did not offer me a free estimate as I was told on the phone. Shame on me for not asking for it. He told me the price of a service call and since I needed the work done I agreed. $450+ later he was done. The following Friday I went to do laundry for the first time and the pump would not drain and was in fact shooting water in the air. I called Roto Rooter and was told that the earliest someone could come out was the following Tuesday. I said no that would not work. I then got a call from a manager who said someone would be out by 4:30 that day. That didn't happen. I got another call saying someone would be out on Saturday to get the part number. Josh returned and had the replacement part and did the job. I had told the manager I was not paying for another service call. I did have to pay for the parts. I won't use them again. Way too expensive. Plus when Josh returned to do the job the second time he was very crabby and seemed pissed off that he was there.

L H.

5/30/2015

Great service all around. We had water leaking out of our toilet in the basement whenever any water was used in the house. Stephen H was there within an hour and spent 4 hours working on the problem and the nasty roots that had infiltrated the pipes! Stephen H explained what he was doing and how to prevent them (or minimize them) going forward. This is not an easy job....it's messy, hard work, and did I say messy? Stephen H did a great job cleaning up afterwards, every inch was cleaned! I couldn't ask for more. It's the kind of service you dont want to have to use again, but if I need one, it will be Roto Rooter and I'll ask for Stephen H!

Alex C.

08/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

Technician showed up on time, and did a great job replacing my broken garbage disposal. Roto Rooter was able to send someone out the same day, which is a huge relief when you can't use your kitchen sink without it leaking like a sieve. The technician was very friendly and helpful. Will not hesitate to call them again when the need arises...

L B.

03/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had a clogged bathroom sink and shower which of course decided to completely stop draining on Sunday night. The next day we called Roto-Rooter and within 45 minutes of placing the call, Stephen H. appeared and fixed everything. Within an hour, the tub and shower were draining faster than I've ever seen. Steve H. was friendly, professional, explained the process, and most importantly, nice to my dog :)

Mike S.

02/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

I thought this was a great experience, but really not, once the second guy came out two days later and told me that to really fix the problem it would actually be another $7,000.

Had a backup in water flowing out of main line, causing pipe leaks. Called Roto Rooter, Ron was at our place resolving within 30 minutes. He seemingly completely resolved issue, and told us it was fixed. He was extremely professional and personable in the process. Put down coverings on floor and all, and cleaned up after himself. Was also told I wouldn't be charged if issue wasn't fixed, which I thought was fantastic. Prefer to pay and have issue fixed (which it was), but great that they are payed to FIX issues, not just to show up.

Overall, big ups, and nothing but positive comments on Ron (#5592) who came out on a Thursday night.

Then the following Monday, the second person is sent out to actually put a camera through the same line that was snaked. This guy came without a snake, just the wire camera. The first guy came with just a snake, but no wire camera. One has the Kool-Aid mix, the other has the Sugar.

Seems odd that they wouldn't equip the guy sent out to Fix the job with a camera to actually see if they were fixing as best possible. So first guy was out for about 1 hour and cost $430.

Second guy came for free, but seemingly to up-sell. He showed me the images of the pipe still having roots in it. That would have been great if the first guy had that tool to be able to see where he needed to snake! Instead, each came with one tool.

Overall, the first guy to come out was great (Ron # 5592), and second guy was just doing his job....try to sell a bigger follow up job. They did resolve the immediate issue, but what a crappy model to not equip staff with the proper tools to best resolve a job...at $430 an hour at that. Now the water is flowing out...but they plant the seed that there's a pending disaster if I don't spend another $7,000 to fully resolve the issue they told me they fixed four days earlier.

Was 5 stars, but now 3. If you're going to charge $430 for an hour of work, at least equip your staff with the tools to see in the main pipe so they can do the best possible job. Very clear that's not being done in order to enable better up-sell on the back end.

Diran B.

11/22/2015

Roto-Rooter was very fast and efficient. Ron came on a Sunday afternoon and was able to fix the problem in less than an hour. I am not sure how prices compare, but he came and took care of the problem the same day.

Tabbernakle K.

11/19/2017

My drain was backed up because of the garbage disposal. It took two trips for them to finally fix it. I overall appreciated the fact that they came quickly, responded swiftly, and communicated well. However, I don't feel like the issue was extreme enough to not fix everything in a timely manner. Price also seemed to be a bit high for them to just snake my pipes.

C N.

11/15/2015

Had a backed up drain in the basement. It was very easy to schedule the service via their website. I'm very pleased with the exceptional service Jose provided. He was thorough, explained everything and provided a written estimate before he began the work. He unclogged the drain, cleaned up everything and gave me some preventive advice.

joshua m.

5/22/2017

Super expensive! $500 for unclog a partially clogged kitchen sink. I respectfully declined the technician's service when he told me the price before he started working. I

Vanessa C.

6/25/2018

Hi I received wonderful service by Stephen H . He went out of his way to make sure my bathtub was stained properly and made sure that wouldn't happen again. Great customer service.

Joan C.

09/11/2017 12:00:00 SA

We have a sewer main that likely has cracks and gets tree roots inside, blocking the drain. I put in the 'root destroyer' and had been every quarter, but read the directions and it said only every 6 months. Should have stayed with every quarter, as we haven't had a clogged drain for 5 years until now. Called Roto Rooter, and Ron (#5592) came out with the big snake, and within the hour, had the drain cleaned. He did a great job....he said someone would call about putting a camera down the drain (all part of the $445 price) to see the issue and discuss if there was anything that could be done. I got a call about 10 minutes after he left, and discussed. I know the issue, and the only solution is to put a sleeve into the drain pipe. Very expensive, and would tear up our yard. I would like to see the drain, as we share a drain pipe with our neighbor, and the city can't tell us where the connection is. Hopefully they'll come and scope it this week.

Elizabeth L.

01/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had a toilet issue- lets just say my son enjoys a cheese heavy diet and doesn't go very often, but when he does- the sewer detp needs overtime...

Anywho, my son took an enormous crap on Thursday and clogged the toilet. It wouldn't go down with plunging, so I figured I'd let it be for a few days while I was away for the weekend and maybe that might soften things up.

Nope, and it started to back up into the shower downstairs. And my husband is away for work.

Call Roto Rooter and they had Stephan H out in no time. He was helpful and courteous with a ridiculously clogged drain- he got it all sorted out for a resonable price in a time crunch ( had to pick up the kids) We can now flush the toilet

My son will be taking on an all prune diet now :)

Jennie S.

9/14/2017

I had a nearly overflowing sink in my basement right before I left for work and I panicked. I called rotorooter and they sent out Mike (Technician 4441) IMMEDIATELY - he arrived at 8:30am. My drain problem was solved PERFECTLY by 10am, and he even fixed an upstairs drain for free!!!! The service itself is a bit overpriced, but it was an emergency so I was willing to pay (and obviously Mike doesn't set the price). Super happy with Mike, he was fabulous, and thanks to rotorooter for sending someone out so quickly to avoid a flood in my basement! I had a flood last year so I'm very sensitive to this sort of thing. Highly recommend!

Tony L.

10/20/2016

We had a little trouble connecting on the first attempt at service but they made it on time for the rescheduled appointment. Roy H. #3292 was very professional and quickly found the root of the problem and resolved it. He also did some maintenance of our main drain. Great service and a fair price. Definitely recommend.

meredith g.

06/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

Technitions were great and were quick and efficient. Very personable and helpful.

Wait time however was trembly long (8.5 hrs) and the dispatchers we're rude and very unhelpful. I know this is no fault of the Technitions but of how the company itself is run and plans their scheduling.

Technitions Bob/Garett
Tech#1137
Tech#3295

Kate E.

5/28/2016

He was polite and personable. He did fix our clogged sink which seemed to be tougher than we thought. He did have some water leak from the pipe in our basement but was honest and cleaned it up well. Would call again.

Cheryl L.

5/13/2015

Called because they advertised evening appointments but after making an appointment, they said they only work 8:30a-5:00p and then we were told that it was a Massachusetts state law.

Needless to say, looked up other plumbing services on homeadvisor.com and someone else came out in the evening.

Not happy with being lied to by Roto-Rooter reps about state law. Like I would believe that.

Went through several folks to try to remedy the situation and was offered a $40 credit. Looking at the other feedback online that still would have been more than twice what it cost us to get the job done by someone else who broke the law and came out after dark.

It looks like Pat is the poor person who has to do damage control after the company messes up and they did try to be helpful with the $40 credit but when you are working with other people who don't understand false advertising and are rude, it makes your job impossible. Whatever they pay Pat, it should be doubled. Immediately.

Dan R.

12/26/2016

Good and fast service but the price is way too high. An hour service they charged you almost $500. Will think twice next time before call them.

Jennifer S.

1/22/2015

Had an emergency at our office with a stopped up toilet and they had someone out immediately. Really professional, and let me know what was going on the whole time. It was expensive, but it was done well and really fast.

Caroline P.

10/21/2017

Easy and quick. A technician was out same day I called. Gave me a quote and was able to complete the work within an hour. You do pay for the convenience, $400 to unclog 1 drain but it needed to be done and worked for my schedule.

Barry N.

10/16/2015

Our garbage disposal stopped working - it sounded like there was a part loose - and that it was about to fly apart. I fished around in it and found nothing - We thought we would need a new disposal and called a plumber.They said it was going to be two weeks before they could get to us. We called Roto Rooter and they could come the next day. Stephen H. showed up - cheerful, energetic and polite - he took a quick look in the disposal - and announced that the the problem was just that some loose change had somehow fallen in to our disposal. He fished it out with a nifty little flexible cable device - and charged us for just a big container of enzyme pipe cleaner. And was gone in less than 15 minutes. Total cost $59. Outside of the fact that i feel like a dummy for somehow dropping change in the sink - it was a totally positive experience.

Kirk S.

6/27/2015

Finally it seems that through Rotor-Rooter our Kitchen sinks drain and pipes are fixed correctly to not leak anymore!

Melissa M.

1/30/2017

This company left me in tears. They were some of the rudest customer service I have worked with. They were hours later than communicated, ruining my plans for the day, and charged close to $500 to snake a drain that I have had done several times previously for $145. It was a 4 hour experience that ruined my day and left me so frustrated. They will not give you a ballpark idea of pricing until they come, which I now understand because it is triple the price of other local companies, such as Wayne's Drains that I found to be absolutely fantastic after the awful experience with Roto Rotor, which I will never use again and hope that this helps prevent others from my same horrible experience!

A E.

9/27/2016

$429 to unclog a slow draining bathroom sink. Nuff' said.

Laurie F.

7/19/2015

My bathtub drain and kitchen sink weren't draining properly, particularly the bathtub. My local plumber couldn't fix it. I called Roto-Rooter and was able to get a convenient appointment in a quick time. They didn't charge extra for coming in the evening. The technician was very clean and polite and explained everything clearly. He fixed the bathtub and tried to fix the sink but couldn't because he didn't want to risk breaking the very old pipes. If they can't fix something, even after they try, they don't charge. I'm giving 4 stars because the service is very expensive.

Allison w.

1/26/2015

What we thought was a plugged tub drain needing a snake job turned out to be a corroded stopper. Roto Rooter was at the house within an hour of our call (at around 5 p.m.), assessed the problem, gave me a clear explanation of the problem, a specific estimate of the cost, and got the job done first thing the next morning. Expensive (as all plumbing is), but worth it for the professionalism, speed, and peace of mind that the job was done well.

N L.

4/23/2016

I phoned the Haverhill Area office number to make an appointment in advance. At that time I explained that my tub was not draining properly and as I could not get a snake into the drain, I suspected the internal stopper had broken or rusted out and was blocking the drain. As I do not have the hand strength to remove the overflow cover to verify this, I needed help. I was told the serviceman would arrive on the designated date between 10:00 and 12:30. I was not given a service price or estimate.

On the appointed day I waited, and waited some more, wasting most of the day. At 1:00 pm, I phoned the office for the no show, at which time I was told it was scheduled for 10 PM. REALLY........a non-emergency, made in advance appointment?????? The call was then transferred, I again explained the plumbing and scheduling problem, and was told they'd have someone there within the hour. Again, I was not given a service cost or estimate.

At 2:30 pm , Ken P arrived. He had been given no information other than the address. AGAIN I explained the problem. He was polite and professional, quickly assessing the problem and confirming the stopper had fallen into the drain. He was able to remove the
corroded pieces without damage to the tub, in about 15 minutes. I could not have done that. However, he did not have the parts to repair/replace it. He might have, had he been told the problem by the office.

In summary: I'm very pleased with the plumber (Ken P.), and equally displeased with the company. After wasting the better part of my only day off (in two weeks), and paying $279.00, I still have to buy parts and repair/replace it myself. The problem was resolved, but not repaired.

Roxy C.

12/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

It's never fun coming home from vacation to find your dishwasher and disposal clogged and not working. We called Roto-Rooter and they scheduled us for the same day. This has never happened, usually it takes a week to get someone to come fix an appliance! Ron 5592 came and fixed it in less than an hour. Not only was that great but he couldn't have been nicer. He was so pleasant and easy to talk to that I was sad the appointment was short! I will use Roto-Rooter going forward for any appliance issues that come up. Thanks again Ron for making the experience great!

Sam B.

11/16/2017

The job was done and the men were very nice, but before even looking at anything they told me the price of $445 which I thought was very high. I also didn't like that one of of the techs was on his cellphone while on the job. I am not sure I would use rotorooter again especially due to the price for less than 30 minutes of work.

Michael C.

11/14/2017

My experience with Roto-Rooter was amazing. From calling to set up appointments to having to have them come back later in the day because of complications with my landlord, the company handled everything professional and the right way. The people they have answering the phone are amazing and do everything they can to make sure they get you the help you need. The technician that came out to my house was an awesome guy who was very personable and knowledgeable. He did an unbelievable job on my house and gave me very good advice on how to keep up with the pipes to make sure they never clogged again as bad as they were. The company also contacts you when the techs are on the way which is pretty nice. If you ask me, there isn't a better plumbing company around if you want a stress free experience & it is guaranteed that they fix the issue or you don't have to pay! Which just proves that they are confident in their work. Amazing company, amazing dispatch team, amazing on the phone experience and amazing technicians . 100% Recommend!

Tin S.

03/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

I live in Watertown. The other day, our toilet started making bubbling noises, the water level fell, then rose, then fell again. Then our bathtub filled with about 6 inches of really dirty looking water.

Stephen H. from Roto Rooter showed up and worked for hours at the clog. He explained everything to me, and he was very professional. He was inside in the basement working, he was outside at the manhole in front of the house working. He said it was worst case scenario, but he took care of the problem. I definitely recommend them.

Brian H.

06/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

Jeff was outstanding. Being a new home owner, he treated the call as a tutorial and I greatly appreciated that. He elaborated on proper maintenance, was very persuasive on the Pipe Shield Solution from Roto Rooter and he was very professional the entire time. They called ahead 30 minutes prior to the appointment as well. I would definitely recommend Roto Rooter to family/friends.

Nicole H.

09/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

We had a major plumbing issue last week and they came out promptly and got service the same day, it was an extensive job and they were able to complete it all in one day. All of the people we dealt with were extremeley professional! thanks for the excellent service!!

Rainer F.

03/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

Needed help on the weekend with a clogged pipe and overflowing toilet. It took a few hours for them to show up but Stephen H, their service guy fixed the problem. I liked that he didn't just got the water flowing again but used a snake camera to show me that we actually had a bigger problem that requires additional action. Would have been awful to think everything was fine and then have the mess again in a few days. Only complain is that the price ($600+) feels really steep, but I guess better than sewage in the house :-(

Aaron R.

05/08/2017 12:00:00 SA

Elie (8573) was very kind and helpful and fixed the issue quickly. High marks

Kelly M.

10/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

I had a leak under my bathroom sink that was leaking water not only in my bathroom but down into my kitchen cabinets. Frank Cormo #3614 came out same day and replaced the whole pipe going down into the trap which repaired the leak. He was fast, efficient, and friendly too.
I didn't need to be there, I had a family member let him in, he called me with the estimate and I paid via credit card over the phone - this makes a very busy person, very happy not to have to take time off of work - although not to mention they will come most anytime you ask for. I've used Roto Rooter once before and was very satisfied so thought I'd try again - very satisfied again, so I won't hesitate to call them again. Thank you, Frank and Roto Rooter.

E T.

12/27/2016

Ron (#5592) was friendly and helpful, despite it being 9pm on Christmas. Expensive for the brief work that needed to be done to successfully clear our drain, but we knew what we were getting ourselves into. Sanity saved for a price. I'd use them again for a late night or holiday call.

Megan B.

08/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Called at midnight after our main drain backed up and we had sewage in our basement and obviously couldn't use our water. They were able to come at 1pm the next day. Stephen H was very helpful, explained everything, did a great job! Would definitely call again.

Tank W.

11/21/2017

Had an appointment booked so I took the day off from work to be available. Got a call 15 minutes into my appointment window telling me no one was coming. Surprising coming from a national chain with what I assumed was a strong logistical structure.

Tara C.

11/14/2017

Overall my experience with Roto-Rooter was OK. The plumber was supposed to come in the morning, but because of delays, was not able to make it out until 3:30; frustrating, although it was nice that customer service kept us updated on his progress. The plumber was a super nice guy and very knowledgeable, however, I think our job ended up being atypical for the company. We had a leak, and ended up tearing open our dining room ceiling and replacing most of our bathroom pipes. It took a whole day of repair, and if it wasn't an emergency situation, we probably would have shopped around for a less costly alternative,

R C.

6/19/2017

Excellent service, the technician, Elie, was wonderful, and the time it took from initial call to resolution was under four hours. The only downside, and thus four stars instead of five, is the high cost, though that is offset a bit by the six-month warranty on the work (and also allowing some $$$ leeway for a company to have the resources to be able to provide the response time they do).

Paul H.

6/16/2015

We had a plugged drain that prevented us from using our washing machine. We called and they sent Stephen H. to our house (we live in Concord) within three hours. He snaked the drain, put the appliance back in place, and told me what to do if it happens again. Only downside was the price -- which is why I wanted that lesson in how to do it myself!

Elizabeth C.

10/27/2014

Roto Rooter was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, prompt, and reasonable priced. I would highly recommend them. I had an emergency this morning, they gave me 2 time frames to choose from - 8-12, or 12-4. I chose the 8-12 time slot, figuring they would be to my house at 12:30. They were in at 10 and done by 11. Very impressed.

Meaghan F.

10/24/2016

They never showed up. Twice! It may have to do with the fact I live in Boston and parking is hard to find. But you can call me and let me know. Don't make up stories each time to cover yourself and have me wait around all day for you. I would and will try to find a local plumber in the city.

John Z.

12/29/2014

We've been using Roto Rooter in Worcester for our plumbing needs for about 5 years. They are always prompt, on-time courteous, and let you know up front what the work will cost. We have used them to clean our storm sewer line, repair the flange on a toilet, and unclog a drain line, which as it turns out was improperly installed, and they repaired that too. We will continue to use them based on our good experience with them!

Wayne L.

5/30/2017

Great service today from Bill (3462) and Frank (3614) who were both very helpful and professional. Within 48 hours of our hot water heater dying, we had a new one put in and our hot water is back.

Yn W.

10/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

Ron #5592 was a great technician/plumber who told us exactly what the problem was. Roto-Rooter solved our clogged pipe problem fast and with no mess. Thanks Ron and thanks Roto-Rooter. We would definitely call you again for our plumbing problems.

Brian K.

12/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

Mike just finished clearing our clogged line to the septic tank at our condo in Westford, MA. He showed up when promised, Mike did a great job explaining the process and the guarantee. Mike did an awesome job, I highly recommend using Roto Rooter, and if your lucky, Mike will be the person that comes and helps. Thank you for be great job

Mike T.

08/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

My bathroom sink was backed up for 2 days. After doing everything I could think of I decided a call to Roto-Rooter was necessary.

The technician, Joe, was courteous and very professional. He explained to me that it was probably a buildup of minerals or sludge and that the he could snake it out fairly easily.

Although I'm happy with the result, a fast draining sink for the first time in the 2 years I've lived here, I'm not happy with the flat rate.
It took only about 30 minutes, most of that was getting the equipment and suiting up, and I was charged a Flat Rate of $415.00

Service very good - price ridiculous.

I have no idea what it would have cost to hire an independent plumber. Next time I have a slow drain I'll buy a snake from and do it myself.

Kellie M.

3/27/2017

I am so happy with my service! I made an appointment online Monday morning and Bob (Tech #1137) was at my house before 9am! He did an amazing job clearing our shower drain in under an hour, which had been clogged with grout (botched fix from previous home owner) and other normal materials. I could not be happier with the service!

Red Sox W.

3/24/2017

Ron did a great job. Came within 3 hours of my call. They were on time, explained the process, and unclogged my drain. Very friendly and professional.

Michelle L.

10/15/2014

My 83 year old mom's tub was backing up. She lives in attleboro, Ma .An older house with cast iron pipes, called at 3pm on tuesday, they said between 3-7 pm would call before they came. At 615pm, called to say another hour. At 730 I called them - the one guy working in the area was stuck at job, no one else avail. I was Quite upset. Made appointment for wednesday between 8-9am. Jeff Woodward arrived at 815 am, gave price quote and had job done by 845 am!!! Professional, personable and the best $300 I've spent this week. Able to unclog from outside pipe. with 6 month guarantee!. We're still trying to figure out how sanitary napkins were in there to begin with! There's been no one there who needed pads for over 30 years!

Fang-Yu L.

08/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

Frank (#3414) did a good job for fixing my garbage disposal.

Courtney S.

03/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

I requested help in Downtown and was told they will not come and help me because I do not have a parking space for them. We have a parking garage right in front of where I am and they still REFUSED to come. Don't say you service Boston if you refuse to come and help. Save your time and find a better company!!!

Amy P.

07/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

Made a CRAPPY situation (literally) into a positive one. We had a sewage line block in our finished basement. Stephen H. came in, assessed the situation quickly, provided us with an estimate with NO SURPRISES. There were several blockages in the line, he cleaned them all out quickly, thoroughly, with GREAT attention to detail. He identified some problems we have in our plumbing set up and told us numerous ways we can fix them and tricks to help us in the future. He was pretty much the best service person we have had in our house in the 20+ years we have been living here. DID I MENTION HOW CLEAN HE WAS WITH OUR BEIGE CARPETTING!!!?????!!!! AWESOME JOB AND VERY AFFORDABLE!!!

B B.

02/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

This was a great service - Ron tech #5592 showed up on time, was very neat, explained the service to be done and the cost up front. Highly recommend. Thank you for clearing our pipe! We will use you again.

Moriah H.

1/30/2017

Rotorooter - you have lived up to your advertisement! Fix it right with a plumber you can count on. We tried to fix a main water line blockage ourselves for five days without success. It was a horrible mess. Finally we called Roto-Rooter. Ernst, the plumber, walked in filled with confidence and good humor. He had us smiling even before his power snake started grinding up the blockage in the main line. [And it's hard to smile when sewage is backing up into your house.] At first we were still discouraged. He had to go out fifty feet to clear the line. Suddenly I heard a glug. My daughter heard a whoosh. Success! All the sewer backup disappeared. What a welcome relief!! Thank you, Roto-Rooter...and Ernst too!

Elizabeth J.

8/16/2016

Mike (Tech #2388) did fantastic work diagnosing and fixing a water pooling problem I was having in my utility closet. He offered great suggestions to optimize the drainage and ventilation in the area as well. I was disappointed with dispatch, however, as they scheduled his day without consideration for job duration or drive times. It wasn't Mike's fault, but he arrive 2.5 hours after my service window. Definitely need some improvement on the back office scheduling, but once Mike was there, the work was fantastic.

Teresa C.

1/13/2017

The service was fast and efficient. I received a quote ahead of service and the charge was the same even though the service took longer than anticipated.

Liz R.

12/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

The technician came as scheduled and was polite and professional. It was a quick fix as my garbage disposal had stopped working and clogged the sink. The tech just simply reset the safety button on my disposal and did not have to unclog or fix anything. He showed me how to do this next time. While he was helpful, my problem is with how the company advertising their service as customized; I was still charged the minimum for garbage disposal service ($269) even though the tech didn't do anything except press a button. The service claims not to have hourly rates and to see what the customer needs first before charging; however, the tech stated I still needed for pay the minimum. I was disappointed that I was not actually charged based on the service I received when he was here less than 15 minutes. I was looking for a new plumber but I will not be calling Roto Rooter again since they don't practice what they advertise.

Nancy B.

12/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

Ernst - 1450 diagnosed and fixed our problem- - he kept us informed throughout the process. Roto-Rooter is lucky to have such an experienced professional representing the company

Maria T.

6/16/2015

My family and I woke up last Saturday morning June 13, 2015 to a backed up sewer line. We called our plumber who does not specialize in drains and he told us to call ASAP drains, unfortunately they could not get to our house until 4:00.we have 5 kids and had a wedding to get to, so we needed someone FAST So we thought we would call Roto-Rooter. They came out as promised but what ensued could have ended as a nightmare. We were told that our drain could NOT be unclogged and that it was NOT fixable by clearing the drain. In fact we were told that our floor would need to be jack hammered and the line replaced at the cost of $4,000.00!!!!! My husband said to Joe our technician, So, are you saying unless I pay you $4,000.00 we won't be able to use our water Joe's reply 'YES. Something didn't seem right, we bid him farewell but not before having to pay him to come out and do nothing. We both feel he was trying to take advantage of us . Thankfully, ASAP drains called a few minutes later and said they could come by as their job had finished early.
Well, 20 minutes later and for a couple of hundred dollars, the drain was cleared and we had our water. The technician that came out either did not know his job or was trying to rip us off in a very stressful situation. Please do not make the same mistake. If you are in the Salem MA area call ASAP drains.

David D.

11/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

Great professional service! Helped us out in an emergency situation. Thanks again.

Lauren T.

3/27/2016

I called roto rooter for what I thought was a clogged toilet creating a strange septic smell in the house. Stephen showed up promptly on Easter Sunday to inspect the problem. He was thorough, patient with my questions and informative. He was able to dismiss the toilet as the culprit and to troubleshoot the cause with me. Wonderful service!

Kim W.

11/01/2016 12:00:00 SA

Stephen H. was excellent. He came on time, was thorough and cleaned up. We were very happy with his service.

Robin B.

5/20/2016

My experience with Roto-Rooter was positive from start to finish. I was able to schedule a timely service appointment and received a call about an hour prior to the arrival of the service tech, which was convenient. The technician, Steve, quickly diagnosed the problem and provided me with an estimate for labor and materials. Once given the go ahead, he corrected the problem in a very satisfactory manner. Steve was knowledgeable, efficient, and personable. I had not thought to contact Roto-Rooter for this problem (leaking bathroom sink), as I was unaware of the full range of services they provide prior to checking out their website. I would definitely use their services again and recommend them to others!

Mary W.

12/04/2015 12:00:00 SA

Fast respond, good pricing, and most important of all-they did a great job. I highly recommend Roto-Rooter.

Mike L.

10/02/2016 12:00:00 SA

I was at the grocery store buying food for guests coming over at 5pm. My wife texted me that there was a leak in our basement bathroom. I of course thought of the worst. My brother in law is a plumber and have recommended Roto-Rooter in the past so I called. Stephen H. from Roto-Rooter came within 30-45 mins of my call. He quickly assessed the issue, recommended options and more importantly asked for my thoughts on how to proceed. He also had no problem letting me watch and answer any questions I had where other plumbers might've just wanted to be left alone. Stephen did his job professionally and has a great humor so I didn't feel more stressed than what the situation caused. He finished just as my guests were pulling up so the evening was not ruined. The whole process was smooth. I fully recommend Roto-Rooter and Stephen H. for any job small or big.

Bernhard M.

11/28/2015

ron (tech 5592) came today to clear my sewer outlet. he was quick, professional and also a really nice guy. I would have him back in a flash.

Lana G.

04/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

Ron #5592 service out of Saugus, MA was hands down excellent! He told me he worked for the company for 16 years and you could tell with his professionalism and kind and caring service. I have two young girls 10 months and 23 months and when my kitchen sink/disposable clogged during the middle of dinner I was panicking and Ron definitely eased my worries and got the job done. His work was fast and clean, only reason to take one star off was the price. It was an emergency call and I was able to use the online coupon but was still pricey for the amount of work/time it took to get the sink functional. Other than that I would hope that if this were to happen again I get lucky enough to have Ron on the job...thank you!

Emily S.

09/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

After emailing for an appointment, I got scheduled the next morning. They called about 30 min before the tech was scheduled to arrive and Christian was on time, professional and very informative about how to be proactive with our drains and along with why the problem happened. He fixed the clog no problems and was very pleasant to do business with and didn't even mind the dog checking out below the sink with him. Would not hesitate to do business again, and a happy customer! Thank you!

Carrie S.

08/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had a clogged drain in our bathroom. I was able to easily schedule an appointment online. The technician that came out (John) was very nice, communicated well, and got the job done. I'll definitely call them again!

Tracy V.

2/24/2016

Called on Friday about a clogged shower drain and the scheduler was helpful in finding a time that worked for our family. Joe, the technician, arrived first thing on Saturday morning and confirmed that the drain was blocked before snaking it. Joe was friendly, knowledgable and quick, getting our shower draining well by 10AM. Thanks, Joe!

Robert M.

07/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Backed up toilet and sinks during holiday week. Called Roto Rooter and they made it the same day. Not inexpensive, but worth it to have resolved before the weekend. Stephen was great!

Denise Z.

9/14/2015

You know you are having a bad day when you see the waste from your toilet coming up instead of going down. Your situation is even more serious having only one bathroom. The good news is Roto-Rooter. This is my first time having to call them, but they treated us like we were a long time customer even though it was Saturday afternoon. The girl explained that there is a 4 hour window and they would call within 30 minutes of arrival. They did arrive within the hour. Shortly after that, we had a working bathroom again. Our technician worked hard to clear the drain explaining that the blockage extended 85 ft. to the street. I don't know how he knew that except to say he really knew his stuff. I am glad that we live an area serviced by Roto-Rooter and don't know what we would have done without them.

Kelly D.

07/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

I thought the technicians were very polite and efficient. I was a little surprised with the cost. Overall, I was pleased with the service.

M K.

5/30/2015

Extremely unprofessional! I spoke with a root-rooter overnight support person about an emergency plumbing issue and was told a plumber would come between 8 and 9am the following morning. At 730, a dispatcher called to say there was a mistake and no plumbers were on call over the weekend in my area, leaving me high and dry (or in my case, very leaky). They might do a great job on scheduled work, but don't count on them to live up to their word for any emergency work!

Orissa V.

1/27/2016

I was up to my eyeballs in stress from a series of ongoing drainage related issues in our 3 unit condominium building. I called several plumbers who deferred to roto rooter. I was pleased with the results. They showed up, explained everything, and was very helpful. Pricing was reasonable. I recommend them. Technician Joe #2326 was great.

Lakshmi K.

6/23/2015

Over priced, shoddy work. Called to replace a bathtub shower faucet. Charged $650.00 and left a gaping hole in our shower wall. Did not bother to measure and cut the wall even. The hole was uneven and was very difficult to fix. Since my request was urgent, I called these guys. Lesson learned!

Rebecca S.

1/20/2016

Ron was prompt, cheerful and knowledgeable. Our drain was fixed in record time and now I can shower before my job interview tomorrow!

G. Daniel C.

10/21/2016

Water backing up due to rooting. Called and scheduled for a Wednesday between 8-10 am. Got a call from them at 9:09 am informing that the technician working on an emergency and was running late. Another call at 10:24 am to inform about his tardiness again, and then another at 11:46 am. By then it was clear that I would need to reschedule, which I did for the following day between 8-10 again. The representative was very attentive and offered a 15% off on the spot. Luckily the issue wasn't so urgent so I could wait till next day. Comes Thursday morning and I got the first phone call at 8:45 am, technician caught up on another job. Ok. Another call at 9:55 am. The representative apologized profusely and offered me another 5% discount, a total of 20% off, with a guarantee that my issue would be worked on in a few minutes. Another call at 10:46 am to inform that the plumber was on his way. At 11:20 the plumber, Bob, showed up. To his credit he was through, polite and professional. After a couple of hours, the job was done. Bob went beyond his call of duty by even cleaning the floor of the shower box where the water had backed up.
Happy with the service provided and with the discount given. My only suggestion would be to have another plumber (maybe on call?) to cover for eventual delays, but the service is excellent once they get to your home. A follow up with a camera to check the drain pipe is included with the service fee, as well as a gallon of a product to keep the pipes free of obstructions. Excellent customer service and Bob is a great guy, definitely taking the time to perform his job well and making sure that my basement floor was spotless after he finished.

Update:

Received a call a few minutes after having my home serviced from someone named Mark. Apparently, he is the one responsible for doing the camera inspection. Talked briefly and he said he would call Sunday (10/23) evening to schedule a day to come over and do the inspection using a camera on the drain pipe that had just been unclogged. Fine with me. Come Sunday evening, no call. Called him on Monday afternoon (10/24). Mark started going bla-bla-bla about how there was no need for a post-inspection. Upon my insistence, and because it was promised and apparently the 6-month guarantee was contingent to that inspection, Mark said he would call Wednesday(10/26) to schedule a day and time. Well, can you guess? As of today (10/31) Mark never called. I guess he doesn't care or is too busy to call... Taking one star off the rating only because of Mark. Bob was top-notch but Mark? Well, he never gave me a chance to rate his service because he never even called me back when he promised he would to schedule an inspection in the first place.

Kyle V.

09/12/2015 12:00:00 SA

Was able to schedule early in the morning for someone to come out and unclog our bathroom sink and tub. Joe Rocca (tech 2911) was prompt, friendly, and got the job done quickly - on a Saturday morning. Very happy with the fact that our bathroom was fully usable again before 9am on a Saturday!

David H.

10/05/2016 12:00:00 SA

Our technician Rafael, 1880, was terrific on what was an after hours call. He was prompt, professional, and efficient. He also took the time to explain what he was doing and answer any and all questions we had even though it was the end of a long day for him. Great guy and great job!

Jeffrey P.

5/24/2014

I contacted them due to a clog in the drain for my bathtub which would not clear using store bought products. The scheduling was easy online and they confirmed the appointment via email. They gave a two hour window in which they would be at the house and called 30 minutes prior to arrival. Found them to be excellent to deal with...

Joseph F.

05/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

We have a rotten egg smell in the room next to the bathroom. We looked it up online and the Internet said it could be from a plumbing issue. We called Roto-Rooter in the morning on a Sunday and an hour later Stephen H was at our door. I explained the situation and he then clearly walked me through everything it could be as he did a thorough check of our system. There was nothing blatantly obvious as far as leaks or anything and since the smell dissapates after flushing he provided a detailed suggestion of how to remedy the situation. He was also able to answer a handful of other new homeowner plumbing questions. Stephen H was very knowledgeable and extremely professional. I was very pleased with the timeliness of his arrival and willingness to answer my questions. I would definitely call Roto-Rooter again for any of my plumbing needs.

Margaret B.

4/25/2016

Stephen H. was very diligent, stayed as long was needed. Got the City to come to take care of their part of the problem. We really appreciated his efforts!

Kim A.

3/22/2016

We had water overflow from the standpipe in the basement on a Saturday night and upon further investigation saw TP in the pipe and got very worried. Called for a Sunday appointment and was told someone would be there between 12-6. Finally around 7:30 pm Stephen H. showed up and determined we had a very, very severe clog in the main pipe. Long story short, it took over 2 hours to clear and he never gave up the fight! Because he couldn't tell if it was 100% clear, Mark came back 2 days later at no charge to check it out with a camera. All in all, it was pricey ($429) but was also a long, dirty job.

Wendy L.

12/31/2015

Roto Rooter's service was professional and impeccable. They saved us a lot of money because they had the equipment to remove roots, etc. from our very, very long sewer line. Another companies I called could only go 150 feet. We had a sewer backup, and so making sure the whole line was clear was an urgent matter. Roto Rooter came to the house and gave a free estimate. I was excited that their service included a free camera inspection and a 6 month guarantee. They also have the ability to find clogs further down the line without any digging - one person is on the ground with some kind of tool, and works with the camera person and they can pinpoint where exactly the obstacles are. I do not know any company that can do that. The people I worked with at Roto Rooter were friendly and informative. They clearly know their stuff. I would highly recommend Roto Rooter and will use them again for maintenance jetting.

Caitlin S.

4/17/2016

I had a clogged utility sink and needed cleaned. I was able to make an appointment online through the website for the following morning, a Sunday. It was expensive, more than I thought it would be, but I needed the sink to drain. Damian, technician 639, was very helpful, quick and clean.

Nicki A.

6/14/2015

Had a plumbing emergency in the middle of the night and they came out at 2:30am! Another 24/7 company never called back. The technician immediately knew what the problem was and fixed it as quickly as he could. He was very knowledgeable, personable and informative. I would definitely call Roto-Rooter if needed again!

Betty Ann V.

3/17/2016

My bathtub drain was clogged very badly. I called to make an appointment and they were able to come out quickly. They were on time. It only took 15 min. to solve the problem. The technician was friendly and cleaned up after himself. Thanks Ron #5592.

M D.

12/28/2014

Christmas Eve. Bathtub clogged. Only bathroom in the house of 3 people. House full of guests coming. Couldn't find a plumber to come out - not at 2pm on Christmas Eve. I called Roto Rooter and within an hour, plumber at my house assuring me that problem would be fixed. And after an hour it was. Yes, expensive but considering I would have had to wait until AFTER Christmas (3 days) - it was worth it. Plumber was professional and pleasant and fixed the issue.

Jenn S.

10/15/2015

Ron 5592 - Our bathroom sink was clogged so I went online to schedule an appt. Very easy to do and was able to make same day appt. Window was between 4pm-6pm and the tech came right after 4pm. He assessed the problem quickly and was in and out in about 20 mins. Very happy with service. I will use them again in the future if needed.

Anonymous W.

3/27/2016

I called Roto Rooter on a holiday weekend and they promptly sent out the most helpful and kind plumber. He explained the problem and walked me through my options. He fixed the problem and totally cleaned up afterward. The price was a bit higher than my usual plumber but I think that it was well worth it given the service.

Bill P.

05/08/2015 12:00:00 SA

Had a bathroom sink vanity that wasn't draining. I tried snaking myself and using drano which only made things worse. Got the whole family coming on Sunday! Called at 9:30am Friday, Joe was here at 10:30am and snaked the drains all the way to the basement in under 15 mins. He then went around to all other plumbing fixtures and made sure things were working, ran water everywhere to assure job was complete. Technician Joe was very professional and knowledgeable. Expensive but well worth it.

Randy C.

9/26/2015

Rotor Rooter: I have to say that both the phone receptionist and the tech who visited my house had smiles in their voices. They were professional and efficient, gave me a two hour window and got here within 1 hour. Finished the job in 30 minutes. The downside is that they are a bit expensive ($415 for unclogging the main sewer line), but I easily found a $40 off coupon for the service bringing my cost to $375. Even though not inexpensive, I have to say that I am glad I called them. No waiting around, no surly (ie. unhappy) technicians, no extra charge for weekends (because, of course, my issue had to happen on a Saturday). NO BS Just fast and friendly. Done and Done!! Worth it!

Denise S.

09/07/2015 12:00:00 SA

A big thank you to Stephen H. He came out to our Newton house on a holiday and helped us get our drains cleared and the water flowing again! He was polite and professional and even helped to educate us on some aspects of of new house. Very pleased with the service and professionalism.

Sara E.

3/25/2015

Moved into our brand new house in Somerset, and the tub didn't properly drain during showers. Called roto-rooter, and the technician they sent was very late the first day, and then couldn't diagnose the problem and fix it. We rescheduled twice to get someone else in, however the scheduling people couldn't figure out that the specific more experienced plumber we needed only worked 8-4 during the day, and they kept trying to schedule us for a 4-8pm appointment. On the 3rd day, we finally got him in, and he was able to diagnose the problem and fix it within an hour without having to do any major work. I'm happy they fixed it, and i have a 6 month warranty if it clogs again.

Sharon H.

3/25/2014

I had a clogged pipe from the washer drain pipe which also had the kitchen pipe backing out of the same pipe. I tried to snake it myself with my cheap 15 ft. snake but still nothing. I even cut holes in the drywall to get to the inline vent and clean out and still couldn't clear it. I finally made an online appointment in less than 24 hrs. and had someone at the house, albeit an hour late but that was due to jobs backing up (no pun intended.) He snaked a little at a time but the water was still backing up. He was about to give up and recommended opening the wall to look at the venting but he decided to give it a second try but snaking further. I'm glad he tried because that did the trick. He felt the cable hitting something that might have cleared this time. Nothing came out but he said most likely it was a lint ball. Water runs free now! I'm glad this is over with. Although they are pricey, they got the job done. If they didn't, they wouldn't charge me a dime. Thanks R&R!

K F.

07/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

Being a construction project manager I have worked with countless plumbing and other contractors and was appalled at Roto Rooters lack of competency in responding to my service call. I sought them out for their immediate response and was initially pleased when I was promised someone could be to my apartment within 4 hours to tackle my clogged bathroom drains. At the end of the 4 hour window I was incredibly frustrated to find out that after talking to both the technician and dispatch several times that they could not provide me service because I could not provide the technician with a parking spot in my Boston neighborhood. I went so far as to offer to pay the parking ticket should the technician receive one while parked in a residential street spot and was denied. Anyone who has driven around Boston once knows that parking is a pain, it comes with the territory. Had I known my neighborhood was not serviceable when I initially called and provided my address I would not have wasted 4 hours and I would have called someone more capable. It's inexcusable to advertise that you service the Boston area and fall so flat on your face with something so simple.

Henry M.

6/26/2015

REPEATEDLY did not show up to appointments they made. I waited for three days before giving up on them all together and hiring a local guy.

Bernard C.

06/10/2015 12:00:00 SA

The Technician was prompt and professional. He was efficient and unpluged the drain in 20 minutes. It was a big help that the services could be perfomed so quickly since the water was shut off. The reason for the 3 vs 5 Stars is the Cost = $416 for the job, very high.

Paula D.

01/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

We had a major clog on Christmas Eve afternoon. We tried all kinds of drain cleaners but nothing worked. I called Roto Rooter at 2:00pm. We had a service/repairman in our home about an hour later. He spent at least two hours in our home and unclogged the main drain. My husband and I are so appreciative of the quick, professional response. I thought for sure we would have to wait until after Christmas to get someone in our home.

Fang L.

03/03/2015 12:00:00 SA

The technician came did a very good job and was very efficient, despite being late for a few hours. And yes, it was expensive considering the nature of the service. When calling the RR office to share my concerns about the pricing, I had an unpleasant experience with an employee in the local office who was unfriendly, unhelpful, and rudely hung up on me. Nevertheless, the subsequent event made me believe that this may be an unfortunate experience. I truly appreciate RR's customer service manager and Don, the local plumbing service manager reached out to me shortly after I expressed my frustration. Don was very helpful, he listened and addressed my questions/concerns. I hope my previous experience was just an outlier, and will consider using the company again in the future.

susan r.

2/25/2015

Excellent job...fast and professional! They quickly diagnosed the problem. Love the 24/7 service! Andover,ma

M L.

06/04/2015 12:00:00 SA

Fast response and did a good job. The technician was great, really nice and friendly. But the charge was a bit high. I paid $375 after a discount of $40 off to snake a drain.

Cat M.

12/28/2014

Service was great, price was steep. $473 to snake a drain! They were great about letting us know they were running late, and service guy was very professional and friendly

Lauren C.

4/19/2017

backed up drain. called and they were able to come the next morning. technician was very friendly, thorough and finished the job in under 1 hour.

Mike J.

8/16/2014

I came home from work on Monday to a smelly basement and water/waste all over my basement floor. It was obvious immediately that something was wrong with our main line. On the recommendation of my parents, I called Roto-Rooter. They got out to my house as soon as possible (I called around 7pm, they arrived around 9:30 / 10pm). The two plumbers who arrived were very friendly. They explained everything they were doing as they cleared my main line. They even gave me their direct number in case anything else went wrong later that night or the next day. While the service was a bit on the expensive side, it was worth it to get someone out there ASAP and get the problem fixed before the morning. I would definitely consider using them again for future issues (I did use their cleaning services as well to clear up the sewage in the basement and liaise with my insurance, but that should be in a different review!).

Irene C.

11/03/2014 12:00:00 SA

We had a new toilet installed and it was still leaking some drops of water down in the basement on my dryer, so I called your company and a very nice gentleman figured out what it was and gave me a price and I said ok. After putting in a $6.00 part he gave me a bill for $70.00 more and then gave me an $80.00 discount. I had asked for the senior citizen's discount which should have been off the original estimate, it was like $4.00 less than the first price estimate. The work took about 30 or so minutes. I think this was wrong thing to do but I needed it fixed.

Patricia W.

4/27/2014

After a clogged kitchen sink and even the garbage disposal running wouldn't clear it and it kept backing up, my husband did everything he could to handle the clog himself by opening traps and using a 25 foot snake. When he realized that the clog was further than his snake would go, he decided to call Roto Rooter at about 4:30pm. Although they were tied up with other jobs on this late Sunday afternoon, they did arrive before 7pm and got the job done. Although pricey at $359 for maybe less than an hour's work they handled the task professionally and efficiently. The technician, Mike, could not have been nicer and even left his phone number in case there was an issue after he left. We were very pleased.

Alexander K.

7/15/2014

As much as it is a horrible experience having to call for drain and sewage issues, I have always had a positive experience with this company. I own an 1850 farmhouse in Dedham with an old sewage line, and have had to have it cleared on a couple occasions. I ended up needing 2 technicians to come out this time, because they needed to bring out the jet truck. Before that Stephen H was great, and worked very hard, even if a larger truck needed to be called in eventually. The gentleman working the jet truck was also friendly, and even recognized me from a previous job (which speaks to the nature of my pipes). My only two negatives would be that the dispatcher should have recognized the house had been done before and would require a jet, as the 100 ft snake would get it, and that the second truck should have had enzyme cleaner stocked, as I would have purchased more.

Chris G.

10/28/2015

Just bought a house, and on the 3rd day, discovered poopy water backing up in our laundry room. I could see that the blockage was more than just the sink, but a bigger house problem. I called a few plumbers, and NONE of them answered or returned calls (which I've discovered to be the case often, in Salem, MA). Roto rooter answered the call, and scheduled someone to come out around 7 p.m. on the same day. They called me back at 7, to let me know that their tech was running behind. He finally showed up around 10:30. The guy who helped me was awesome, he showed me that we have a house trap, and that they are evil. He was able to snake the trap and get water flowing again. I think $400 is steep for snaking a drain and 15 minutes of work (the next option was $700), but it got the job done, and again, the tech couldn't have been a nicer guy. A total pleasure to work with. I will now snake my own drain, and a snake is only about $15.00. I'm willing to pay a little extra for Roto-Rooter, as they actually show up!

Lisa B.

06/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

One year ago we had a sewage back up in our finished basement. We called a local company (NOT Roto Rooter) to clear the plug, which involved them flushing the pipe from the sewer towards the house--Bad idea. Needless to say, the sewage flooded the basement even deeper and we had a significant mess on our hands. The basement was ruined. This company never examined the pipes or diagnosed the problem. They just cleared the pipe and said we were good to go! We were not very smart about things and assumed it was just a bad plug that needed to be flushed. We had no idea what would come next. It took nearly 8 months to refinish the entire basement. Two weeks after installing the last of the cabinetry, we had another sewage back up. Ugh. We called Roto Rooter and this time the experience was entirely, entirely different! They came within 1 hour of my call and stayed 6 hours as they worked to find the problem and resolve it properly. Our technician the first night, Joe, was terrific! He was professional, kind, and explained everything. He also called the Water Damage Remediation division at Roto Rooter to get them set up for total disinfection and clean up the very next day. Tom, who headed up the Remediation team was absolutely wonderful. He called my insurance company with me and filed the claim, ensuring that they would have the right information necessary to cover all the costs. He had his team in my home that day, and his crew--Jay and Dominic--were so polite and professional. The remediation they did was completely different and far more comprehensive than what the company we used last year did. I actually couldn't believe the difference in the quality of the work done and the exceptional professionalism from all of the people we worked with at Roto Rooter. Even our technician, Joe, who came the first night and was working until after mid-night, called me first thing in the morning to ensure that I had the remediation team on-board and to see if everything was ok. He even checked in again after that. Tom was diligent in checking in on progress as well. I never had to pick up my phone once to ask for help after that first call. They called and checked in everyday to make sure we were ok and Tom even came back himself to inspect the remediation team's work. The other Roto Rooter Crew we worked with was the excavation team led by Richard. He was absolutely terrific. He had a very challenging job because he had to excavate right next to the gas line. It was slow and dangerous work, because the main line and gas lines were so close to each other, but he and his partner worked for two solid days to get the job done safely and properly. Throughout the job, Richard was respectful of property lines and made sure that he didn't encroach on our neighbors lawns. He was respectful of our landscaping and did everything he could to avoid damaging plants, although that was not easy. And he cleaned up beautifully when he finished. There were other wonderful Roto Rooter people we dealt with but some of it is a blur now as they came and went and did what needed to be done. All I know is that they were amazing and I would never go to anyone else again.The new main line they put in --all 97 feet of it--is guaranteed for life. I never have to think about it again. I bothered to write this lengthy review because I have been through this mess twice and if I had used Roto Rooter the first time, I would not have had to go through that hell after using Roto Rooter. They are the best in my book!

Justin C.

01/02/2015 12:00:00 SA

I had to call roto-rooter twice to fix a leak above the kitchen cabinet. I spend around $500 to get the fix temporary fix put in and they identified the exact location and what needed to be done for the permanent fix. I had to reschedule the work again to get the permanent fix done. When they came the second time, they clarified that they will take down the kitchen cabinets, remove the sheet rock, but they will not put the cabinets or install the sheet rock back. I have to call another person and pay them extra to get all that work put back. They will only fix the leak part, which ended up being a joint issue on the PVC pipe that needed to be fixed with probably epoxy. They wanted to charge $700+ for labor to do that PLUS $230+ for the diagnosis and then $200+ for parts. It was ridiculously high and I had to decline their work. I had to pay them the $230+ fee for diagnosis. Now, I am left looking for another plumber and a handyman to get the cabinets and the sheetrock installed back. Will not use roto-rooter again. They may be good if the pipe is exposed and needs to be fixed, but the price was way too high and they will get to the pipe, but all the fixtures back will be the owners responsibility.

Willie T.

11/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

I called them to check my electric water heater, which was leaking. On the day of the scheduled visit (which they said would be between 8am and noon), they called at 10:30am to say they were late, and would come in the next 4 hours (or sooner). At 2:30pm they called again to say they might come later in the afternoon. I told them this was not good for me as I had already lost a work day, so we rescheduled for the next day between 9am and 1pm. At 10:30am that day they called to say they were late again, and would come closer to noon or 1pm. I asked if there was still time to replace the water heater that day if needed, and they said yes. The plumber arrived at 1:40pm, but said he would have to come the next day to replace the heater..., meaning I would lose a second day of work. I had researched prices, and Home Depot sells the exact same 30-gallon heater I have for $320. I told this to the plumber. The next day he arrived around 10am with the new heater, but the price was $589 (presumably Roto-Rooter marks it up). Anyway, the plumber did a good job at replacing the heater, so the quality of the work is good. I just didn't find them very reliable when it comes to showing up at the promised time.

Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup