Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Had an appointment scheduled on the 16th from 12 to 4 so I took time off of work to be there only to be called at 2:30 to notify me they couldn't make it until the 17th. Suggestion, don't  take appointments you can't keep. From when they did arrive and leave a total of 40 minutes  $259 WOW! luckily had a coupon. Still expensive.  Technician was the only thing that wasn't bad. Would not recommend or use again. ************** Updated. Spoke with a representative within an hour of posting review,  handled all problems and concerns in a very professional manner. Thank you

I was dissappointed with the phone reps when they took my call.  I had two toilets both out of service because of a clogged sewer line and they wanted me to wait until the following afternoon to have someone take a look at it.  Waiting 18 hours for service would be rediculous so I got demanding.  Only then did they send someone out to fix the problem.  The service guy who showed up was very proffessional and did a good job but in customer relations I give them a one.

They charged me $249 to snake a tub.  I would maybe just go buy at a hardware store and do it yourself.  It took him minutes to do.  They would not tell me over the phone how much it would cost to snake a tub.  I asked for even a range and they said the estimate is FREE.  This should have been my first hint.
Was not impressed.  Guy opened up access door to the mechanical.  He didn't clean up after himself.  Could have wiped up the floor and properly screwed the door back.  He left the pieces on the floor.  I also gave him the screwdriver.  I was convinced he left with it but found it somewhere else.  Weird.

Just had Roto-Rooter called at 230 and they said they would be out between now and 630 and by 3 they called and said a tech was on there way. The guy that came out name was Josh (employee number 4348) was quick to get both of my drains clear and working again.  Being that I tried to clear with my cheap snake and didn't work I new I had to call someone and they responded quickly and josh got the job done very well just wish it didn't cost quite as much as it did that's the only reason bit wasn't 5 stars

We had Roto Rooter out to our house 2 times in one week.  The first time the main drain was very clogged.  The technicians that came out were very nice and got the job done.  However they did not clean up after themselves and I spent hours cleaning and bleaching the floor and items they that got sprayed with sewage - some of which had to be thrown out.  Also, they noticed the basement toilet was not set right (worked but wasn't quite right).  They offered to fix it.  They weren't able to fix it and they weren't able to put it back because the nuts were stripped - so I no longer had a working toilet downstairs.  The plumber (also roto-rooter) came out 2 days later.  He was very nice and was able to complete the job in less time and at a price lower than we had initially thought.

Ray from Roto Rooter came over to repair a leaking tub faucet.  He was very professional.  He had to go to the store to get a part for my 50+ year old faucet.  He did an excellent job, he even took the time to show and explain what he did.  I would not hesitate to use them again.

I really wish I would have read these reviews before calling Roto-Rooter. I had them come out to connect a new gas stove. The technician informed me it would be 249.00. I was stuck because I needed the stove hooked up as soon as possible. The technician was friendly so I will give them 1 star. I called Center Point Energy for a quote for a stove connection...they charge around 90.00 which includes the permits. I will be calling them in the future and I will find another plumber for my drain needs.

I scheduled my appointment online as it wan't an urgent problem, just a clogged basement drain in the laundry room. RotoRooter called before my scheduled time and were extremely friendly as to informing me when the tech would be coming over. The tech, Jeff#2205, was so knowledgable and friendly. He repaired the drain quickly and there were no hidden fees or hard sell for their other products. He gave me info I could use regarding maintenance of my drains in the future. I would definitely call RotoRooter again. The cost was a bit high ($249)but nothing out of line. I realize I'm paying to have the convenience and having the work done well by someone who knows what they're doing instead of running and renting augers etc myself!

Can i make this 0 stars?  Complete bait and switch, grossly overcharged !  We called to find out how much they charged for plumbing work and were quoted $92.50/hour, we booked an appt.  The guy showed up & wanted to charge $650 to put pipes under 2 bathroom sinks to bring up to code.  He said they dont work by the hour but by the job, no one quited us $92.50/hr.  We needed the job done quickly so we bit the bullet.  He was there 1 1/2 hours & that included 20-25 minutes he left to get parts. Ridiculous rates.  At least the pipes dont leak for now.

We needed our gas dryer hooked up, so we called Roto-Rooter to have them put the gas line in. I think they did a very nice job, were very clean and professional. Everything is working great! The only problem I had is they were pretty expensive, and they don't give estimates over the phone.

Our kitchen drain was clogged beyond the p trap, our efforts to clear it didn't work so we called in a pro.  Even though the tech arrived 3 hours later than I was originally told, Todd was very polite and efficient.  He quoted me 1-1/2 hours to clear what he thought was a frozen drain pipe.  It ended up taking exactly that, although he did spend some time tinkering with a drippy faucet he said he couldn't fix since he only clears drains.  

In searching for a plumber to call, I saw this company on Yelp and it said $50 off your next service, so I mentioned that when I called to make the appointment.  At time of payment Todd took $50 off, no questions.  

I was very happy with Todd and his work even if I really felt it probably could have been done a little faster and a little cheaper.  I would call Roto Rooter again and I would be happy to have Todd respond to the call.

Called Roto-Rooter to come fix a drain pipe.  The initial customer service representative was rude and condescending when I was trying to tell her what was wrong with my kitchen.  I was excited that we were able to get an appt the next morning.  A half hour before the arranged time window was to elapse, Roto-Rooter called to say their guys were running late and that they would call me soon to update me on the expected time of arrival. Two hours later I had to call them to get an update and the customer service representative said the guy would be done with his current job in 20 min.  That was not the case.  Roto-Rooter came to our home 6 hours after the end of our time window.  When he came to our home he said he did no have the equipment to fix our problem, despite me specifically stating the problem as a frozen drain pipe when placing the claim.  Still waiting for a call back to reschedule....

Roto-Rooter is unreliable, would not recommend.

Roto-rooter showed up to my house within 30 minutes of my phone call to clear a clog in the floor drain in my basement. They did an excellent job and even gave me a $50 discount.

I had Brian come out to clear my kitchen drain in Stillwater, MN. I had a great experience with him and he was very knowledgeable about my situation. He was able to clear my frozen drain and gave me great advice on how to prevent this from happening again. I would most definitely recommend Roto-Rooter!!

They wanted to charge $249 to snake one bathroom sink drain. This would require less than 10 minutes of labor and did not require parts. I know this because we had it snaked a few years ago and thought $99 was a lot for a 10 minutes job.

We just ended up getting a snake at the hardware store and DIY'ed that mess. Save your hard earned $ and do the same. Or call someone else for a fair price.

Alan, the technician was at our home in less then a hour, was polite and got our drain cleared in 25 minutes.  I did pay more then I would have liked however, I have no idea how to clean a drain so for me, it was worth it.  Check website for coupons, saved $50

We're very unhappy with Roto rooter service.We called them to fix a leakage problem under our kitchen sink.The first service man came and found the leakage is from the garbage disposal and changed the garbage disposal for the cost of $600.Very next day again we found leakage under the sink and complained them about it thinking that they will do it free of charge because it was very next day with the same problem.But another serviceman came and checked that the leakage was behind the faucet and demanded $319 just to do the sealing around the sink we were shocked to hear that.In general if some repair work is done the servicing company will give us warranty period until the problem is fixed completely.The second guy again checked the faucet and found that there was leakage in the faucet and just tightened the faucet by hand within 2 sec and charged $99 just for that simple job.So never call this company for any plumbing work they suck your money like a leech.

I wish I had a review to give but they didnt want my business.  They called me back first thing in the morning at 8am and said they would have a guy there by 830.  By 10am I called looking to make sure the guy didnt get lost.  They just said sorry we didnt call and tell you but he isnt coming.  We can have somebody else come.  I just told them to forget it I will call somebody else.

Another update.  Back to one star.  I was promised a complimentary before and after sewer video.  It never came.  Hard to believe in this organization...Over a month now.

Although they were a bit late from the scheduled time, the service person was personable and thorough with a good result. I have used RR before and they always seem to do well.

Terrible service. The floor drain in my basement was slightly backing up so I had them out as a preventative cleaning measure. I had them out to clean out the floor drain, $300+ later they claimed they were done. Less than a week later the drain backed up much worse than before they were out. Back up resulted in wet/damaged carpet and walls. I called them after the backup to see if they would come back out and fix the job. I was told that there is no warranty on their work and they are blaming my physical setup of the pipes for the issue. They wanted to charge me AGAIN for the return visit, with no guarantee of work to help fix it. If it is my pipes, help inform me to get it fixed, don't charge me, make my problem worse, and then refuse to help fix it. I'm so mad over the situation they will get to deal with me in small claims court. DO NOT USE THEM.

Ripoff. Guy came out, snaked our floor drain then gave up. Charged us $600 and the problem is not fixed!. Said it was the city sewer, so we called the city and they checked and it is not. Waste of time and money.

First he came to our house when i wasnt even there yet and parked right in the middle of the driveway preventing us from parking in the garage. Very unprofessional. Then proceeded to basically blame me saying he called me 2 times, but i didn't answer  uh yeah i was driving home! Overly priced! We sold our home and had to get a couple things corrected before signing. First was a new sump pump. He charged $600 for 15 minutes of work. I asked how much tbey cost and he told me $250. I later found out that was an outragous price. He next replaces a leaky faucet. Another $600 for about an hour of work. He was so fishy about what things cost exactly. Total sca. Will never use rotor rooter again and will tell everyone the same.

Location:  9401 Yosemite Road/Bloomington, MN
The guy showed up on time and listened attentively (but not really!) to our problem.  He cleaned out most of the affected areas; but could've done a better job on the branches like my contractor (who happened to be there) suggested that he do, because now we are left with more clean out to do!  It was like listening to a lawyer, when he read all of the fine print; and it made me feel like a adversary, rather than a customer.  You guys need to improve your customer service; you're too dammed focused on the money; and since I paid with a credit card, that was never in doubt.  He loosened up when my card went through immediately; but he needed to do a more thorough job!  I was a Quality Improvement Engineer and I know from what I speak!
The last time we had this done on a different portion of the house, 3 years ago; your guy was excellent; this one not so much.

Art J.

Had our sewer back up, (of course on a Sunday) and was glad to find out that there was no extra charge for nights or weekends.  Because of a troublesome job ahead of ours, they weren't able to make it until 10 pm which was a bit late for us, so they rescheduled for first thing Monday morning and gave us a discount, which was greatly appreciated.  

Brian and his assistant came in and explained pricing and everything else thoroughly before beginning the job, which they took care of in under an hour.  There was no unexpected add ons and he gave advice on how to make sure to keep our drains flowing smoothly.

Overall good service.

-10 if I could. Worst company I have ever dealt with! First we called to have the sewer drain cleaned. They called and talked me into a jet cleaning at $900. Said they would show up the same day. Fast forward to day two and they STILL have not shown up even though they said between 10 am to 12 noon. Called at 11:30 and asked if I need to hire s ok someone else and they said no. It is 1:15pm and still a no show. Called Ken's sewage and he is spectacular and will be here by 1:30. Phone number for Ken is 952-929-4146.  Dont bother with roto-rooters.

I've had Roto Rooter out to my home three times in the past year. The drain in my basement is almost constantly clogged and last year they had to come back again less than 2 months later because apparently the first technician did not put the snake far enough? I'm not sure, but it wasn't a problem again until recently.

I had them come out today to work on the same drain. It's been about 10 months since they were here last, but the drain has been backing up awhile. I called this morning and was able to make a same day appointment. The technician arrived when they said they would be here. He was nice, not super friendly but I wouldn't be either if I had to work Saturday afternoon. He looked at the drain, gave his estimate (which in my opinion is over priced) and then worked on the drain.

I am hoping this is the last time in awhile I will need the drain fixed. I did purchase the product offered to help prevent blockages, so I am sincerely hoping it works.

Took advantage of my elderly parents!  After responding to a call for a leaking water heater, they responded quickly with a new top of the line water heater in hand. The new water heater replacement cost over $3000. They made sure to get a check from them right away. The water clean up was another $3000+ job. They ripped the trim off the wall and ripped the carpet padding out. They had blowers and a humidifier on it for over a week and still had my father sign off, stating that he knew the job wasn't done. Now why would they have blowers on it for over a week and sign off on a job NOT done. Obviously, that was not explained to him. He was under the understanding that the job was complete.  Now the house smells musty.  Absolutely disgusting!  They should be ashamed of their tactics to exploit vulnerable adults!  Beware!

Set up an appointment two days in advance and was given a four hour window for an appointment.  I left work early to be home and be by my phone.  They called at 6:00 and shame on me I was helping my daughter for a second.  I had a voicemail saying to call in so I did.  I called at 6:01 and they told me I missed my appointment and the tech went somewhere else.  The customer service person didn't care at all, brushed me aside and said I'd be called shortly.  An hour went by with no word so I called again and cancelled.  The guy I talked to when I cancelled the appointment apologized and actually seemed to care.  

I've never made a service call and felt so blamed for s missed call.  Ridiculous to put that blame on a customer when I literally called one minute after the voicemail.  No exaggeration.  Ben Franklin will be here in the morning.  Should have called them to start with.

Last night our basement drain overflowed, so I called this morning for them to come out and clear our main line from the house to the street.  A technician (Brian) arrived within 1.5 hours, so very responsive and prompt.  Brian was nice and knowledgeable.  Could tell there were protocols/scripts he followed, but was patient in answering questions.  

After several attempts he was able to clear the line.  Glad he attempted several times so that the initial problem was resolved (rather than give up right away).  Given the amount of tree roots pulled out, he recommended we get the camera guys in there to see if there was any damage to the line from the roots.  I have since cancelled that appointment because I found out after the fact that the City of Richfield does this for free.  Got to save some money somewhere.  

Since we had an immediate issue, it was hard to say no to all the costs, especially with the technician right there.  Rates seemed a little expensive and confirmed as such after doing some research after appointment.  Probably paying more for same day service.  It was nice that the initial problem was resolved so quickly.  Overall a good experience.

We have to call Roto-Rooter about once a year. This year we discovered a clog at about 9pm. My husband called and was able to schedule a next day appointment - that worked with our schedule.

Brian showed up promptly, diagnosed the issue, and corrected the problem quickly and easily. He was friendly, cleaned up after the work was completed, and was professional and helpful. He told us what the issue was and suggested ways to avoid problems in the future.

We've always used Roto-Rooter and had similar experiences in the past. Top Notch service. We'll call them again, if need be.

We had a clogged sink and expected to pay over $100 for the drain cleaning.  Roto-rooter was prompt and came within an hour or two and thoroughly cleaned the kitchen drain.  We have an old house and the technician was careful but pointed out the main drain in the basement was near the end of its useful life.   In the process of cleaning the kitchen drain the drain from the main floor bathroom became clogged.  Next day they came out again and had to cut through dry wall to access the pipe and this took about 3+ hours.  So we paid over $700 for that cleaning but found out this main drain pipe had problems too.  Both drains are working the best ever but we are worried about the main drain in the basement.  We have a regular plumber and will use him for an estimate and possible replacement.  Since this will be well over $1000 I figure we will delay work for a bit.  In the meanwhile, I expect we will using safe chemical drain cleaners on a regular basis to maintain the main drains the best we can.
Overall, the staff at Roto-Rooter were courteous, prompt and I did not feel the price was unfair.  The goal was to unclog the drains and that was accomplished.

They called before coming and showed up early. Brian was very nice. I do agree their prices are a bit high, but both times I have called them to come out, they get it done and are fast. I did have a coupon, but felt somewhat pressured to purchase their expensive 'preventative' enzyme additive, I hope it works. I was told they could not guarantee the work because there was a spot in the pipe where there was a turn or it did not run down (direction). He mentioned doing the camera thing but I passed on that. I've lived in my house over 30 yrs & only had to have the basement floor drain unclogged twice.

Had to snake a drain where I couldn't get my snake to work.  He got through after 17 feet.  He gave me advice for the future and cleaned up pretty well after himself. I was happy!

Very fast same day service.  Technicians were polite and friendly

I can't speak for the actual service because no one ever showed up for my appointment. I had an appointment reserved a few days ahead for between 12:00 and 2:00 in the afternoon. That time came and went, and no one had showed up. Their excuse was that they called and I didn't answer. I have never had a technician or contractor not leave a voicemail when trying to get a hold of a client. They did apparently call three times, but it was from a non-local number (Illinois, and I'm in Minneapolis). When I get a non-local call with no message, I assume that's a telemarketer... I can't imagine I'm alone in that assumption.

So like two ships passing in the night, Roto-Rooter and me were not meant to be... Too bad.

I had a very good experience with Roto Rooter today  andI was startled to see these negative reviews. Maybe they have improved their service recently in response to these customer reviews. As for our experience, it was a positive one. I found standing water around out water main in the laundry room at about 11 am today. I googled Roto Rooter, got through to customer service quickly and they said a technician would be at our house between noon and 4pm and would call 30 minutes prior to confirm. I got a call 45 minutes in advance. Our technician Jeff was right on time. He was friendly and polite. I've had the water main back up  in a 1920's home previously so I knew basically what to expect. Jeff explained that he was going to snake the water main to the street and I agreed to the $299 for 1.5 hours of labor he estimated it might take. Jeff explained things clearly and took care to make sure he and his equipment did not dirty the floors coming in or out. The work was done in the time specified and the water main as cleaned out. He noticed that the cap to the water main had deteriorated. It was not the right size to begin with, so after we tested it and I could see it leaking he recommended we replace it. I agreed  and he did so for $40.00 more. While maybe we could have run to Home Depot for the  water main cap part, it was worth having Jeff replace it just to have the water main capped, be able to run the water & toilet again and not have my husband have to run out to Depot on a weeknight. After reading these reviews I am hoping we did not overpay for this service call. It's possible we may have overpaid, which would be a real bummer. But I don't know that for sure. Aside from that concern the experience was a good one. Jeff was knowledgable, timely and a good communicator.

Our basement drain was clogged and overflowing. They sent someone out very quickly. Our technician Jeff provided exceptional service. He was very thorough. And he kept me informed through out the whole process. He was on time and very tidy. A+ service.

We had a leak in our main water line. I was able to make an appointment online (which I always prefer).  I  selected a 2 hour window and I received a call 30 minutes before the technician arrived. He was friendly and gave me an estimate within 5 minutes of his arrival.  He completed  the work within 45 minutes and the price was reasonable. I would contact this company again for future plumbing issues.

Yesterday evening I noticed the floor drain backing up in my basement. I called Roto Rooter at 6 pm and they could come out between 10pm and 1am or 8 and 11 in the morning. I chose the morning option.  They called me 30 min before they showed up at 8:15. Brian was the tech that showed up. Showed him the issue and he began to snake the main line. He encountered roots that he said he couldn't cut through with his 6 inch blade. He recommended I get is camera in to see the damage. I asked what if it was more roots, what do we do after the camera. He said the camera guy would give options. Brian explained to me what was going on and charged me $289. I found a $50 coupon on their website, so I was able to save a little money, but it would have been nice if he told me about it. Brian called the camera guy and he was able to come out between 1 and 3. Dave showed up at 2:15. As he was bringing his stuff to the basement, I asked him if he would come get me when he finds the clog so I could look. Thirty minutes later, he comes to get me. The clay pipes had 3 areas of blockage. He told me we could keep trying to clear with the snake at $190 per hour or dig up the pipe and pressure wash it clean and insert a new pipe inside the old one for $10,500. Dave said he could snake for me right then and there. Obviously I chose the cheaper option. Thirty minutes later he came up and said it was all clean. Total charge for the full hour rounded up and camera was $265. Coupons wouldn't work since he said the camera was already discounted from $280 or something.

In all, I'm grateful to have my pipes clean, but erked by a few things. Why could one tech camera and snake and one could only snake?  Was Brian truly trying that hard to snake within the hour he worked on it when it took Dave 30 min to clear it? When someone comes to my home to do work, it would be nice if they introduced themselves and shook my hand. Neither did this. Over all, it cost me $554 for 2 hours and 35 min of work. $214 per hour. Not a bad gig. Might have to change my career path.

The plumber showed up early in the service window we were given.  We were given a very accurate estimate of the time/cost of fixing our shower valve.  The work space was very  confined and the person who originally did the work did a horrible job on the shower installation. Our plumber corrected the problem and fixed the valve as quickly as possible.  He was quick, curtious, knowledgable, and cleaned up after himself.  He actually finished the job faster than the estimate he gave us.

Had Roto-Rooter come out to my house to give me a quote for a garbage disposal installation and sump pump install.  Their quote was so high...$1,300 for both and that did not include pumps or parts!  Completely outrageous and definitely felt taken advantage of....would never recommend using them again!

They were a little backed up, so it wasn't 100% convenient to get a repairman out. After some difficulty scheduling, the plumber who came out was really good. The manager took care of things when I got through customer service.

Was quoted a flat rate of $600 to install a new kitchen faucet.  While the plumber was there called other local plumbers - $257 was my grand total from Weld and Sons - plus he fixed additional pipes that were leaking.
BUYER BEWARE!!!!!

I had a floor drain back-up on a Saturday.  It was not a flooding situation but wanted to get it resolved.  They were able to come out that day with a 4 hour window and after 2 hours said they would be coming with in 45 min.  Our tech Robbie was able to assess and give a quote and mentioned a $50 coupon I could print off the internet.  He also worked a price to have the main drain to the street done.  Robbie was very clean and wiped up all around the floor drain (leaving it cleaner than when he came!).  I would use them again.

If you only want a 30 day warranty on your overpriced work, this is the place for you!

I was very impressed with the process of hiring Roto-Rooter.  We recently moved into a new home and had a shower/tub leaking through the floor into the basement.  I called Roto-Rooter in the late morning, and by early afternoon the problem was fixed and all cleaned up.  The repair man was delightful and knew what he was talking about.  He even saved us a couple bucks by being honest about what the problem was (we didn't have to replace all the parts he originally thought).  Even though they were more expensive then other companies, they came out to our house quickly, solved the problem, and created very happy customers that will call again!  If it were not for the cost of $260 to tighten the shower arm which took a couple minutes, I would have given them 5 stars!

My list of grievances with Roto Rooter over the last few weeks is very long, but I'll keep this short.  I found them to be 1) unknowledgeable 2) not thorough 3) not considerate in terms of being clean and respectful of my property 4) rude in some cases 5) EXTREMELY expensive.  I highly suggest getting estimates from other companies.  They will likely be a half to a third of the price and more friendly and knowledgeable.  A few companies I wish I had contacted first - Pipeline and Inter City Water & Sewer.  They were fabulous to work with on estimates after Roto Rooter messed up the job originally.

Had a tough time with the 4 hour time window, otherwise the technicians were terrific and very thorough.  I would use them again.

BEWARE: Our office building had a backed up drain on so I called Roto-Rooter.  Over a period of three days a technician came out twice, the steamer came once and then the estimator was called out because the technician thought our pipes were compromised; the estimator could not determine why the water was not draining because there was too much water in the pipes and recommended we excavate the ground so they could get to the pipes.  We were told to expect a $7,000 job.  

Luckily I called to have a second opinion and another sewer cleaning company came out the next day.  The other company-NOT Roto-Rooter-cleared the pipe in under 2 hours.  Luckily we were not out $7000 for the unnecessary excavation recommended by Roto-Rooter but still had to pay Roto-Rooter over $900 to do nothing.  The Roto-Rooter technicians were not knowledgeable about what they were doing and made a big mess which I needed to clean up after they left (like using our things to prop up their dirty equipment).  I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING ROTO-ROOTER.

My appointment was from 1-3 and the technician showed up at nearly 5:00 which was made worse by the fact that I had someone waiting for them, as I was out of town. Then he told us it was going to be $245.00 to replace the washers. I said to him, over the phone, the washers are about 2.00 and he said, it's a flat rate, if you want to replace them yourself then fine. He gave the phone back to my friend and stormed out of the house. What part of replacing washers is 245.00? Long story short, they were very late, they were going to rip me off and they clearly didn't read the work order I submitted online.

Worst service in town and A COMPLETE RIPOFF. I do not recommend roto-rooter to anyone. I called them for a leaking under-sink in the kitchen. A rep showed up next day, and told me the faucet has to be replaced. That was fine, but the charge they quoted me was out of this world. 675 plus parts. Really?? Also, the plumber told me that the parts had to be preferably purchased through them which would be another 500 dollars or more. I could buy the parts on my own, he says, but then he wouldn't guarantee the nature of the work, and that he wouldn't be following up in case the the faucet started leaking the very next day!  

Another Plymouth based plumbing company did the replacement for $125 and I was able to buy the parts from Home Depot for $120. So something that roto rooter quotes more than $1100 for, I got it done in $245, and they gave me a warranty on the work!

I was told over the phone that the initial visit for an estimate would be free but the agent wouldn't agree. He charged me a service fee of $69, which isn't bad, but there are multiple local competitors who do the initial estimate for free.. Again, a compete

Three service calls and the problem is now fixed. The first guy who came out ran a blade down the drain and gave up when he hit some heavy roots (after about 45 minutes of a supposed 90 minute service call). He recommended a second service call with a camera guy.

Dave then came out with his camera and saw that the problem was heavy roots and he suggested that they should try to cut the roots with the blade. So a third service call was scheduled and Dave again came out and cut through the roots very quickly.

Dave was fantastic, friendly and had a lot of experience. I only wish the first guy was as experienced and would have stuck with it a little longer.

After filing a complaint on the upper management line, I did receive a phone call the following day from someone named Paul who was apologetic about how my situation was handled. He did offer to send someone out to complete the job at no cost, however by that time, I had already found another plumber to complete the work. I did eventually receive a refund for the full amount of the initial service about a week after being told the money would be refunded. I am pleased with the way the situation was eventually handled as Roto-Rooter did own up to the fact that things weren't handled as well as they could have been.

Looking for a plumber? Look somewhere else!

I called for a appointment which was supposed to happen at 11pm-2a.m. But they never called back and rescheduled me to the morning. I was okay with that even though I was a bit in an emergency situation.

The plumber came and tried to unclog the drain. Then he destroyed a wall in my basement. I found that unnecessary because other plumbers in the past got to the pipes fine without destroying my property. He claimed he couldn't finish his job without a camera crew. Or else he can attempt to try and fix it but he'll charge for another hour. It was RIDICULOUS. He barely did anything to solve my problem and was already talking about the next paycheck. So my mother, who was with me, decided to get the camera crew in. They were suppose to come around 12pm to 2pm. 4 hours later NO ONE came. I called constantly to know the status of the camera crew who was supposed to come. I called one last time, at this point I was ticked off. The lady said she'll get the status of them and call back in 30 minutes. 35 minutes later, WE had to call back and she said they won't be able to send anyone and asked us if we wanted to be rescheduled TOMORROW. I was so ANGRY when I heard this! They wasted FOUR hours of my time, destroyed my walls, AND didn't finish the job! I canceled on them and called ANOTHER plumber company.

In short, horrible service, they don't call you back when they said they would, AND they don't get the job done.

Worst plumber experience ever.

We were in need of quick and efficient services, and that's what we received - in addition to a very pleasant technician.  The clog was more than we could take care of, so we were happy to pay the $249 to have it done right away.

Poor customer service. I scheduled an appointment and even took time off work. Roto-Rooter gave me a four hour window. But halfway through the four hour window they called and canceled my appointment with no good reason.

Clogged basement laundry tub and kitchen sink on Sunday. I made an appointment using the website - super easy. They came out the next day between 3 and 5 as promised. They cleared the basement line out to the street and checked the basement drain, which turned out to be plugged too. They cleaned that and were done in about an hour. The service tech was very friendly, professional and throughtful about dragging dirt through the house. All in all, a very good experience. I do wish they quoted their service call price but they did a good job, fast and efficient.

TL;DR - Do not use Roto-Rooter for any drain services. Employees work on commission and will sell you unnecessary sewer line repairs using scare tactics. Sewer line cleaning was insanely expensive, they didn't put all the floor drains back together fully, and sewer line needed to be cleaned by a 2nd company because it was not fully cleared.

Story:
Our sewer line backed up on Sunday, February 26. As it was the first time experiencing something like this as a homeowner, I panicked and called the first number I could find with good reviews. That happened to be Roto-Rooter.

I will start by saying that I am thankful that they came out on a Sunday and cleared my sewer line. That is where my appreciation ends.

Once the sewer line was cleared, they brought out an 'excavation field supervisor' with a camera who scoped our sewer line. He had me watch as he did it, showing me where my sewer line was supposedly broken with a 2in offset. He continued to show me other areas where there were supposedly cracks, roots, and other things that he told me needed to be addressed. I was told that this was an emergency and that the entire sewer line needed to be replaced due to the broken section. The project would require excavation of the yard to access the broken pipe and insert a liner and would cost $17,000+.

I got a 2nd opinion the next day. I was told right away that my sewer line was NOT BROKEN AT ALL and the supposed broken section was actually concrete slurry on the inside of the pipe, likely from when the pipe was installed. The 2nd company cleared the concrete slurry from the pipe and provided me with a video, all for ONE THIRD of the cost of the original sewer line clearing by Roto Rooter.

The 2nd company said my sewer pipe was fine and didn't recommend any repairs. I sent my copy of the sewer line video to a 3rd company and they agreed - my sewer pipe was in great shape and did not require any repairs.

The Roto-Rooter employee who scoped my sewer pipe was either incompetent or malicious. How did he not know that the mass in my pipe was actually concrete slurry? The top of the pipe was still flush, indicating no offset. If he did know it was concrete slurry and not a broken pipe, he was purposefully trying to sell me unnecessary costly and disruptive repairs.

Roto-Rooter tried to convince me that I unnecessarily needed an entire sewer line replacement. They used scare tactics including telling me multiple times that it was an emergency and telling me not to flush toilet paper until they could complete the repairs. I would never use them again and suggest that you don't either.

EDIT: To Roto-Rooter's credit, I did speak to the manager this afternoon (2/28) and received a partial, non-trivial refund.

$169 to unclog a toilet that took about 5 minutes is a bit much to swallow!!  No wonder they couldn't give me a quote over the phone.  If they did, I would have found someone else.

Took day off work to have a plumber come out and they never came. They said they were running late so we had to reschedule. Set up for another day (another day off work) got a call in the morning saying they were to arrive between 8-12. Never heard from them again. Called left message for management and never received call back. Called receptionist Cheryl to reschedule and asked if we reschedule can they guarantee someone would show up and she said she could not guarantee that. Told her I would call someone else and she said that's fine.

I signed up for an appointment at 1:00 AM and had a plumber out the next morning. They were running a little behind but I was kept updated by phone very frequently on how close they were to coming out. Unfortunately, there were some hang ups with fixing my sewer line that day because the rod got stuck in the line, but I was not charged for the additional plumbers who came out to look at the line and put a camera in the pipe to see what the problem was.
I did have to go without sewer for the weekend because all of this happened on a Friday. Before they left that Friday evening I had an estimate for what it would cost to dig up part of my sidewalk to get to the sewer line. I also had a list of options for financing the several thousand dollar project. After checking around- this is what it would have cost for anyone with a license to do the project.
They came right away on Monday, answered all of my questions, dealt with the permits from the city, and were incredibly empathetic to the situation- going without sewer for 3 days, the out-of-pocket cost of the project (because, as most homeowners know, insurance isn't paying for a dime of it). It was their empathy, professionalism and how forthcoming with information they were that I appreciated the most. I never felt like my situation as a single, plumbing naive, female homeowner was being taken advantage of and the project was completed faster than they had originally told me.
They charged me exactly what my estimate was, and I even saved $100 by printing off a coupon from their website **hint hint**.
No one is happy during a plumbing disaster- which is truly what this was- but I could not be happier with the service that I was given. Before the crew left, I had a map of what the sewer line looks like underneath my yard, and tips for preventing this issue in the future- and even a tip to make these prevention steps AFFORDABLE! Music to my now-broke ears!

I will never call Roto-Rooter again. Called on Monday morning to get a clogged kitchen sink fixed. I was told they could send someone out between 4-9pm. The four hour window is annoying, but I made the arrangements to be home. I got a call at 8:30pm saying they had to reschedule because they had a lot of emergency issues to deal with. Fine - I'll let it slide. Rescheduled for Tuesday between 4-9pm. I once again rearranged my schedule to make this work. At 9:07pm I get a call - can't come, can we reschedule for tomorrow? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? What kind of customer service is this? I will be taking my business elsewhere. Do not call them if you actually want the work done!

My mainline backed up recently and a Roto-Rooter technician came out to snake out the drain. After unsuccessfully fixing the problem, the technician called for a camera to be brought out because he encountered a blockage 51 feet from the drain. The camera revealed that my main sewer line had broken due to tree root growth. Roto-Rooter immediately called me to inform me of the problem and after I gave a verbal go-ahead they had a back hoe in my front yard in less than an hour. They worked into the night in order to get it fixed and had the city inspect it the next day. The whole process took two days but my house was operational again. I appreciated the expediency with which they conducted their trade. My original quote was $189. After the snake and camera it was $440. They gave me an additional quote of $5500 to replace the section of pipe in the yard so the total bill was about $6000. I have to say that although this was very expensive compared to other quotes, you get what you pay for. They were fast, helpful, courteous, and professional. I could have had the job done by a company quoting $2000, but they couldn't come out for a week. BTW, we had just received a dump of about 3 feet of snow and it didn't stall Roto-Rooter one bit throughout any of the process.

Roto-Rooter arrived early and worked efficiently. The technician seemed knowledgeable. The tools looked impressive and I am hoping to see results.

I had a pin hole sized leak in a pipe in my basement that I discovered on Sunday.  I called Roto-Rooter Sunday at around 4 PM, they said they couldn't get anyone out there that day, but tomorrow should be no problem.  I agreed, shut off my water and waited until Monday.

I was supposed to receive a call, which I don't believe I received on Monday.  I called again at the end of the day and they told me that there would be no one available to do the work on Monday, but they would definitely get to me on Tuesday and would call me to let me know when.  

Tuesday came  with no call and by 4 PM I finally called them.  I was informed that there was going to be no one available to service me yet again on Tuesday.

I can't speak to the work that they do because they never made it out here to do it, despite many promises.  If I ever need work done again I'll be going through a long list of plumbers before I call Roto-Rooter again.

Edit (6/22):
To their credit Roto-Rooter did reach out to me last week, explain where the issues were on their end and will be working with people taking calls to avoid this issue in the future.

My basement drain started over flowing on a Saturday afternoon. I called three different plumbing services and Roto Rooter was the only one that could come out the same day. The guy showed up about 4 hours later and cleared the clogged sewer line in about 30 minutes. They charged $320; I'm not sure if that is over priced or not, but being that they came out same day on a Saturday and it came with a 6 month guarantee, I'm very happy with the service. The guy was very polite and had plastic covers for both his shoes and the wheels on his equipment so it didn't track anything through my house.

I live in South Minneapolis and made a service call on the Saturday of Mother's Day/Opening Fishing weekend at 4:30 p.m.   My entire sewer line was backed up on all over the floor in my basement.  The person who answered the phone was very professional and polite.  There was a four hour window for the technician to come out and he was to my house within a half hour of my call.  It was great!  Dennis the technician was very knowledgeable and took extreme care with his equipment in my house.  I did not think the price was unreasonable especially since it was late on a weekend day and on a holiday weekend.  This is the first time I have used Roto Rooter and I will definitely call them again if I need their services.

Called them recently to fix a clogged drain.  I asked the lady for the rate and she claimed she couldn't say because it varies and the plumber review the situation and would give me an estimate.

The plumber comes and right away says their standard rate is 250USD/1.5hrs + parts.   We did get an appointment within 2 hrs of calling + he did take care of the problem.  So they get 2 stars for that and 3 taken off for blatantly and wilfully lying as part of the business practice.

Made 2 appointments. Needed them to come out and stick and camera down a drain to see if they could see any issues in the pipe that could cause a drain to back up. Dispatch called me the morning of the first appointment to let me know a tech was on their way but didn't have a camera - despite the fact I told the scheduler initially that that's all I need - a tech with a camera. I cancelled that appointment and rescheduled for another day they would definitely have their camera tech available (according to them), again they called the day of that appointment to tell me the tech was on his way but didn't have a camera but that he can come out and take a look (for $$$ and to try to pitch their special enzyme pipe cleaner no doubt) but I cancelled. For some reason they can't get their stuff together and make an appointment with me that they can fulfill. I'm done wasting my time. Moving on.

Terrible Service.  Don't hire this company.  We wasted all day at home for a 10 am-2pm service call.  They called st 3 saying the technician could not make it to our house because another job was taking too long.  They wanted to reschedule 3 days later.  I told them no and called another company.  Horrible experience.  I wouldn't call Roto Rooter if they were the only plumbers in town.  Save yourself the frustration and call someone else.

We moved in to our new house in the Saint Paul/Roseville area at the beginning of the month and the very next weekend our main drain in the basement backed up. We called Roto-Rooter and they arrived within a timely fashion to begin work. They snaked the basement drain for about half an hour and asked if the house had been sitting a while. To the best of my knowledge no one had been living here for about a year before we moved in, so they figured since the blockage seemed to be out near the street it might be tree roots combined with just a loosening of the stuff in the drain that had built up over the year of the house sitting idle. Coincidentally the very next morning the sinks in the upstairs backed up and we had to call them out for another visit and to snake the upstairs drain as well. I am a totally new homeowner and had heard that this drain job might be around $100 so I was a little dismayed to find out that it's about a $250/drain snake operation. Since the visits were so close together I did receive a discount on the second drain, so that was nice. Both drain technicians who came out were friendly and didn't try to push services or products and they did their job well (as evidenced by our working drains). The joys of being a homeowner are off to a bang-up start!

We called these guys to snake our drain in our new house. We had them scheduled to come out on a Friday between 4 and 6. At 6:05 the guy calls and says he's on his way, but we had to somewhere we needed to be so we rescheduled for Saturday. They gave us the window of 2-4. At 4 o'clock they call and say it will be another two hours because they're running late. We had no where to go, so no big deal. When he finally came he told us we needed to pay extra for a camera inspection and snake the whole house. We agreed to it. The camera guy was unavailable so we scheduled from 12-2 on Monday. While I spend this whole time waiting at home, the scheduler calls my husband at work at 2 and asked if we wanted to schedule an appointment. Then he realizes we already had the appointment. My husband gave him my number and told him to call. He never called. I tried calling and got voicemail. Finally at 2:45 they call and say they won't be able to make it that day.

I live in South Minneapolis and I made a service call on a Saturday morning at 8:30am and someone was at our house by 11:30am. The tech was very personable and thorough. We just had a slow drain and the appointment took longer than I expected but outside of that it was great. I would definitely use them again.

The technician was very friendly and talked us through what he was doing the whole time. He helped us to understand what our options were. He was here less than 45 minutes after we called and he even cleaned up after himself. I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 simply because it was significantly more expensive than other places we've dealt with- but they still get a good review from us because he was more thorough, cleaned up after himself and helped us to understand the problem. It was worth the extra money, in my book.

My condo building contracted Roto Rooter to repair a leaking pipe inside a wall behind a sink in my powder room. The plumber showed up and made the repair in about two hours. He used one 1/2 copper elbow and a 1/2 copper coupling to make the repair. I had to wait a couple weeks for the bill as it had to go through the management company for processing. The bill finally arrived and the amount for the labor for 2 hours was $1500 and the amount for the elbow and coupling was $250. (coupling at Home Depot is $2.55 and the elbow is $2.78 Standard labor rates in my area are $130/Hour) Complained to my management company and the only response they got from Rooter was that they bill using flat rate pricing and that's what it cost, period. Be very cautious if anyone says they bill using flat rate pricing. And never use Roto Rooter!

My experience was Roto-Rooter was very positive and easy. I had a clogged drain in the furnace room, it overflowed causing damage to carpeting in the adjacent room. The problem was caused by my food disposal unit not chopping the food properly...turns out the unit was broken. The tech spend 20 minutes unclogging the drain in the furnace room, and cleaned up the mess he did not create, from the overflowing water. Removed my broken disposal from the kitchen sink then reattaching all the piping and adding new (I chose not to replace the disposal). Within 20 min I had their Restoration team looking at my ruined carpet in the adjacent room, got a quote, 30 min later a 'clean up' team was dealing with the carpet.  Everything got taken care of in a timely manner, the quotes were reasonable (though who hates throwing money at clogged drains). I would used them again.
My only complaint is that on the bill there was a charge for a service that did not happen, SO make sure you check the bill closely.

The plumber was quick and courteous. Didn't fix the whole problem unfortunately. The real problem was not toilet/shower it was floor drain.
South Minneapolis/Uptown

Roto-Rooter called to set up time, said they would be at our house between 10-2. We requested earlier but they said they could only offer this window. Agreed to it and rearranged entire day to accommodate. Received call at noon stating they were running behind but would be here shortly after 2:00. No problem. Received call at 1:59 stating they were still behind and it would be 1-1 1/2 hours (3:30). Told them this was a problem because we had commitments. They offered 10% discount. Agreed. No one here at 3:45 so called them. They stated someone was on their way and would be here in 40 minutes. Told them this was terrible customer service but we decided to wait since we had this much time into it. Plumber finally showed up about 4:30. Took 10 minutes to give an estimate that was literally 2.5 times more expensive than a previous estimate we had gotten - even with the 10% discount we were offered!! I thought this was a reputable name but all it's just a scam business who is trying to bank on their name!

Shame on this company for their terrible customer service, poor time keeping skills and ridiculous prices! We literally thought the dude was joking when he gave us the price!! LOL!

I had a major problem... the pipe coming into my home was leaking really bad!  There was no shut off valve so if it burst, my whole basement would have been flooded.  I called a handy man who wouldn't touch it.  He recommended Roto-Rooter.  It was evening so they gave me instructions for what I needed to do (call the city to get the water to my house shut off).  Then, they came back in the morning; gave me the free estimate; explained what needed to be done (my basement floor had to be broken up to get to the pipe); and, began work immediately once I approved the work!  The job was done quickly and professionally.  AND, my other leak was repaired as well.  The final price came in just under what the original quote was (granted... the stars aligned and everything worked out to the best possible case - which I was very happy about).  The plumber did an excellent job and the best part was... he even cleaned up th mess afterwards!  I've had people come in and leave the mess behind... not him!  It looked great and I was super impressed!  I would highly recommend them for major plumbing work!

Great service. Darrell #3953 was great. The reason I'm giving them a 4 is because of 2 things. One they were 20 minutes later then expected but the roads were icy so understandable and the second reason is because he asked me if I was having a boy or girl? I'm NOT pregnant nor do I look it!! I'm so upset right now. I'd give you a lower score because of it but he was so good at explaining everything and very helpful.

The initial appointment time frame was set up quickly.  At the last minute, I changed the window and they accommodated instantly.  I was called and notified when the technician was on his way but it was over an hour before he arrived; I was calling them to check when he drove up.  He did two drains for $249 each and got them clear and running very quickly and guaranteed for 6 months.  It is expensive but I didn't have to do it myself; I am not interested in snaking out drains.  I haven't found a less expensive professional alternative.  Thanks!

I used the online appointment feature of the Roto-Rooter web site to make an appointment for service on a Monday morning. I was able to make an appointment for that same morning, and a tech was out within a few hours. Brain was friendly, considerate, knowledgeable and efficient.

Our experience with roto-rooter was a good one. We had a clogged drain from the kitchen sink and they were prompt and set proper expectations. We had already tried to snake the drain and it wasn't going to budge for us, so we needed more high-powered equipment. Of course, nobody likes to pay money to get a drain cleaned out so the cost is always a bit hard to swallow, but the service was great and it took more than an hour to clean it out. Haven't had any issues since, so I wouldn't have a problem recommending them.

Work up at 3:30am this morning to find our sump pump stopped working, which caused 2+ inches of water throughout our entire basement. I called Roto-Rooter to get someone out to do water extraction. I was told a tech would be out between 8-10am.

It was 10:15am and no one had arrived. I called and was told that a tech got into an accident and someone would be out soon.  The fact that I had to call should have been a red flag already.

At 11:00am an adjuster with Roto-Router arrived and told me the clean up team wouldn't be out until tomorrow, but he was here to give me an estimate.

You're joking. First off, why was I not told this? I was told all morning someone would be out. After complaining, he made a few calls and told me someone out be out in an hour.  I have 2+ inches of standing water throughout my entire basement, called at 3:30am (they have 24 hour service) and you're telling me someone would be out 9 hours later after the initial call, AFTER complaining.

After the adjuster told me it was going to cost $1,500 + for the work I choose to extract the water myself and call someone else.

Never again.

They came out Saturday to unclog my main sewer line. They partially did the job and tried to scare me into other services. Less than two days later it was backed up again. I called Ron the Sewer Rat and they did an excellent job, did a video of the pipe afterward to ensure their wasn't a larger problem, and still charged less than what RotoRooter charged me.
Do NOT use them. Call Ron the Sewer Rat instead.

If I could give them no stars I definitely would. If you are in need of a plumber do not waste your time trying to go with this company!!!!! I scheduled an appointment with them on a Monday for a Friday appointment with a window of 12-3, so of course I had to take the day off to be home. They kept calling me to tell me that they were going to be later and later because something happened in Minneapolis last night and now they are backed up, okay I was fine with that as long as they still came that day. Well needless to say, they ended up never coming on Friday and telling me I couldn't be serviced until Sunday now. And they didn't even offer a discount or anything for the inconvenience, I had to ask myself and the guy stumbled and thought he could maybe give me a 10% maybe though.  I get things happening but if I had to be pushed all day then they could certainly afford to fill me in the next day with all the hassle they put me through. Glad I went with a different plumbing service, who got me in on Saturday as soon as they could (which was 11am) So if you are ever in need of a plumber, don't even waste your time with this worthless company!

We needed to have our sewer line cleared of roots. It was pricey to do, but our plumber Jesse (4291) spent hours getting everything cleared. He was friendly and worked hard. I was nervous going with a big name business, but we were pleased.

If you are looking for a plumber in Minneapolis that works on the weekends, try Roto-Rooter. They were the only plumber I found available on the weekends. Plus they also have a $50 off coupon on their website. The technician came out and unclogged my sink in less than 15 min.

I had requested a plumber online and when I did not get a call for about an hour or so, I called them. After having spoken with other plumbers, it was a majority consensus that the problem was most like that the main line to sewer was backed up. When I called Roto-Rooter, the dispatch person scheduled for someone to come out between 9pm and midnight. I got a call around 8:30 stating that the sewer technician was on his way. He got there before 9pm and quoted the price at $267 for clearing the main pipe to sewer. This price did not include the telescopic assessment. That would have been additional $75 and I would have had to wait another day. We opted out of that but went ahead with cleaning the main pipe to sewer because the water was backed up quite a bit.

All in all, the technician (Brian), did a good job. He was professional, answered our questions to his best knowledge and kept our house clean while he worked. The reason I give this 3 star is because it was over priced service. A friend told me that his brother got their main pipe drained for $100-150 from Roto-Rooter because they had tree roots creating blockage. I would not use Roto-Rooter in the future unless it was an emergency because their prices are too high but it was nice to have someone come out on a short notice and get the job done.

The service was ok. It was EXPENSIVE.   But, there was an issue after service and after spending over $700 with them to install two faucets I was told there was NO warranty on their work and I would have to pay for a follow up visit.  The problem. Turned out to be a nuisance.  They forgot to turn water back in to the dishwasher and I was able to have another plumber diagnose and talk me through it but roto rooter would not talk me unless I paid a service charge.  Bad service is bad business