Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Tech for NE Dallas / Lakewood did not do work that was needed and pulled a bait and switch, over $400 later had to hire real plumber to correctly diagnose and resolve.  We had similar issue with them years ago and should not have given a second chance. Just as clueless and rip off as before.

The service is a little pricey, but you pay for what you get, and once you call them out to fix a problem, it has been resolved.  I have never had to use their warranty in regard to any work that they have previously performed at my house, and this is why keep us g their service. I'm willing to pay for peace of mind!

We contacted Roto-Rooter because our washing machine was causing water to backup into a wall. We shared we had just bought a house and believed the problem was the washing machine pipe had a 2 inch output whereas the wall drain was 1.5 inch. They sent a drain technician to the house who said he didn't think that was the problem and said the line just needed to be cleaned. He snaked the line and sold us a cleaning solution. Total cost was over $500. Right away, as soon as we did a load of laundry, the same thing happened. The pipe does drain water - it always drained water - but cannot handle the output of the washing machine.

We contacted Roto-Rooter to convey the situation. They said the line cleaning was warrantied for 6 months and they would send a technician to clean it again. After some back and forth, they agreed that a dirty line was likely not the problem and said they would send an actual plumber who would be qualified to fix the problem. I was not aware the first employee was not qualified to do plumbing work and, since we conveyed what we thought was wrong from the onset, I'm not sure why an unqualified technician was ever sent.

The problem is Roto-Rooter completed unnecessary work. While they will now send an actual plumber, they said the repair will be completely separate and we will have to pay again. I asked if they would apply the funds from the unnecessary work and they said no--since there is no way to prove there wasn't some level of clog as well. We will be using another company for the repair as we obviously have no confidence in Roto-Rooter, and there is no reason to use them since they will treat it as a completely different charge.

We are now in the same situation we were in at the start--except we are over $500 in the hole. Save yourself from our mistake, call someone else.

I have had them out before to do a line clearing.  Took about an hour and it was $460.  That's fine.  I am well off enough that it's not a big deal.
But...
When I call to have you come out a few months later to price gouge me on changing 2 shower valves and a toilet ball stem, because I'm willing to pay it, you don't even show up. No phone call or text.  No email. Nothing.  Til about 4:35pm. Appointment was for 12-4 with a $65 service fee.  They call at 4:35 to tell me Good news, we have a tech in the area to take your service call. Well it's too late.  Do you want to reschedule?
Well, if there is no service charge then sure. Oh, no we can't do that, but if you change your mind give us a call back.
Uh...no thanks.  You lost out on easy money and could have charged the full amount or maybe more but no no no. You couldn't even do common business protocol. That's too bad.  I'll call Belkeys! Lol.

Quick response over a holiday weekend. Marlin our plumber/technician was very knowledgeable and kind.

$450 was the quote to snake a shower drain clogged with hair!! IKYFL! At max, it should have been half that, average a quarter of that price. The technician was nice and arrived on time.

My kitchen drain was slow, I searched internet and found Roto Rooter with good reviews, so submitted a request online. A technician called Eric came to my house yesterday afternoon, not only he made problem worse but also created new issues and left us with all the mess. The sink is now completely clogged with new leaking at three different places.

He broke my under sink pipes and waste disposal connections yesterday, asked me to change to new pipes and a new waste disposal, we agreed. So he came back today and installed the new pipes and waste disposal. We tried to test it after he completed the work, he said no need to test. We insisted to test it and the pipe connections started to leak within two minutes. First he tried to find an excuse but then committed it was an issue, he tried to fix the issue without success so decided to leave it as is.

We paid him 50% yesterday and agreed to pay another 50% after completing the work, but with all these issues we decided not to pay the rest 50%, he threatened us to call collecting company to get the money. We called their customer service but they would not come until tomorrow knowing our kitchen sink is completely out of order because of their work. This is the WORST experience we've ever had.

I had a clogged drain on my patio and had previously used another company twice (in 11 years) to clear out the drain. They charged $99 but due to the current situation had increased their charge to $169.  I decided to contact Roto-Rooter to get a second bid.  
The technician arrived and said the cost would be $365 per hour for a minimum of 2 hours.  When I said that was not acceptable, he said, What if I just charge you for an hour?  I told him that I had contacted another company and had decided to go with them.  He asked what they were charging and when I answered $169, he said, What if I call my company and can do the job for $200?.  I escorted him out and thanked him for coming out.  
Coronavirus Gouging.

Replaced a leaking pipe, provided a quote, but had to return in order to complete the job because he did not have parts. Came back a week later and the cost increased. The work was complete, but before going with Roto Rooter, I would suggest obtaining a quote from another reputable company. He did not clean up the mess, I hope I don't ever need another plumber for life.

Update :

In October 2022, I had a shower valve replaced and it cost approximately $750.  On May 11, 2023 (after days of calling to try and get someone out to my house) - Roto-Rooter came out to replace the shower valve cartridge in the same bathroom; however, immediately we noticed that when the hot water was turned on, there was a loud noise, so today (5/23/23) Roto-Rooter came out again and told me that in order to fix the problem they would have to rip out the tile (which they would not be able to replace) and then it would cost $1,500 for parts and labor.  I asked the plumber (the same plumber that did the original work in October 2022) why he didn't tell me this option back then and he said that we got a free cartridge on May 11, 2023.  This was an incredibly rude response and shows that he does not care about the customer at all.  Overall, I am extremely disappointed in this company and will never use Roto-Rooter again and will make sure everyone in our neighborhood knows about the awful customer service I experienced.