Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

We have an update on our review we posted 12/14/2014. We are not sure if this is result of our name being selected for a refund but the General Manager for Roto Rooter contacted us to say they are going to refund us 75.00. We think this is for the visit Saturday and not the visit in October but we were impressed and pleased that these reviews are read and we told him we would update and promised all of you that we would let you know if we were selected for the up to 500.00 refund for writing a review. The manager said we would receive this refund after they close out on Wednesday and asked that we did update this post and they will send the check so we will await the check and happy they took the time to call and rectify.

Okay, first, the guy who showed up was awesome. Zack Jaber is his name and he was great (got the job done in good time, was personable etc. However.... two things 1) 4.5 hours late. They had a meeting. To their defense, they did call me and said they'll be an hour past the window. An hour and a half past the window and we had to call them wondering where they were. They were STILL in a meeting. 15 more min and I get a call they're on their way. At least another 30-45 minutes because coming from further location.  Okay so I can live with that I guess except I was in a hurry to pack and leave... to catch a plane  2) The prices are steep.  It's about twice what it should cost. I understand you have to pay for their fancy truck and for expensive gas, but 300 dollars for a 10 minute snake out is kind of ludicrous.  I sometimes think they go in and look at you and see if you are a woman, young, in a hurry or whatever and scale you to see how much they can get away with.  Just my personal thought and I don't know if that's true, but so many people quoted so many different prices on reviews that I wonder. I understand some clogs may be worse, but this was simple and straight forward. In fact, first priority is to buy a bigger snake and do it ourselves. We tried this time but the snake was too short and hubby too cheap to pay an extra 50 bucks and get the big one.  I guess he learned his lesson!  I paid it because I had no choice last minute like that. but if I am not in a pinch next time, i probably would not use them.

Mike and Emily are absolutely amazing! I love their customer service! Very professional and sweet! Would totally recommend this service to others!

After making an appointment at 9 am and waiting till 2:35 pm for these people to show up, they didn't even look under my sink or anything! They saw that the sink was stopped up and gave an excuse that they don't go on the roof to clear the trap for the water to clear the sink. They only want to work on modern or new homes, not homes from the sixties or seventies.  We even talked to some donkey in corporate that wasn't even a plumber say that they don't go on top of the roof.  DON'T USE THIS COMPANY!!! THEY ARE PHONY AND DON'T WANT TO WORK! PLEASE! PLEASE! DON'T USE THIS COMPANY!!!!
R.E. Hampton, VA

I had an appointment and a roto rooter person shows up. However, he was not the plumber. He was an estimator who wanted me to call my insurance company on the spot to see if they would cover ripping out my ceiling for water damage! I called and canceled for the plumber to come. What a waste of time!

I have a clog in my main line and this happened last year. I get a technician out today and he tell me double what I payed last year. Why has the price literally doubled? It has gone from $316 to 600 dollars! Outside of that this technician is the only 1 out of all that have came to my house that found my clean out so I can't complain too much.

I called Roto router on 3/12/17 (Sunday) for service due to good reviews from my Neighbor who used the service last year.  My main sewer line out the front yard to the County sewer line was clogged.  I had water backing up in my garage utility sink and downstairs toilet.  The customer service representative was very responsive but the soonest they could come out to the house was Monday afternoon from 3:30 to 7:30.  I did have York County come out Sunday night and check their lines to ensure the clog was not in the county's lines--it wasn't.  
Monday at 9:30 pm, 2 hours after the scheduled time, the service tech showed up.  I did not get any updates from customer service or dispatch on the timeliness of the service.  Even though he was late, Micah did a great job explaining the required actions and service.  He had the 100 ft snake with him and used the entire length and unfortunately, it did not reach the blockage.  He stated that they had another machine (the Jetter) which could reach all the way through the yard to the county lines.  He called Dispatch to schedule this service the next day (Tuesday) from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.  

At 9:30 pm that night, (4  1/2 hours late!), Robert showed up with the same 100 ft snake machine.  He apologized profusely for the mix up and called dispatch again to reschedule the Jetter machine for Wednesday.  On Wednesday mid-day, I got a call from the technician, Eric, with an update.  It was too cold (below freezing) to use the Jetter machine and he would have to reschedule for Thursday when it warmed up.  

Finally on Thursday around 1:00 pm, Eric showed up with the Jetter machine and cleared the clog with help from another technician Chase, who reset my toilet in the downstairs bathroom.  Both Eric and Chase are great techs and know what they are doing.  

So 4 days and $415 later (do the Yelp check in to get a discount!) I could use the water in the house again.  I was supposed to get a follow up call from a tech with the camera system to come out to the house on Friday and do a system check in the pipes, but I haven't heard back from him yet.  If it wasn't for the scheduling snafus and lack of comm when the techs ran late, I would give this a higher rating.  Once they get out to your house with the correct equipment, they know what they are doing.

The technician was very timely and completed the work quickly. He walked me through the problem and gave me a detailed price explaination prior to starting the work. I was very satisfied and will definitely use the company again.

This company was once excellent at Customer Service and Performance, however staff turnover in recent years has obviously turned it into a bottom of the barrel plumbing outfit.

I set up a service appointment on a Monday in early February 2018 for an 8-10 AM window on Friday morning.  10 AM came and went on Friday - no call, no tech.  Called their service line myself and was told All service techs are currently on jobs.  Once one is free, they'll come by. Maybe in a hour.

11 AM came and went, then 12PM, 1 PM...no call no, tech.  Called the service line again and was fed the same worthless excuse.  The techs are on jobs.  I understand that if you're calling for same day service that there's going to be a wait.  But setting up the appointment several days in advance for nothing more complicated than a clogged sink and then being ignored? Not acceptable. Complete waste of time.

Take heed - setting up an appointment in advance is a useless action with this company.  Even if you schedule a visit days in advance, service calls are based on how close your address is in relation to the techs house.  So even though I most likely planned a service call before anyone else was on the schedule, those who lived closer to the tech and called for service at any time would be seen first.  And in my experience, all other companies I have dealt with at least have the decency to call you and say they will be delayed.  You have to follow up with RR yourself apparently.

My time is valuable.  Once upon a time, RR was the more cost effective choice among the more heavily advertised and expensive plumbers in the Hampton Roads area.  At least those other companies actually show up and complete the work in a timely manner.  Worse yet, however, is that RR is now JUST AS COSTLY as those number triple A brands.  $500 to unclog a sink.  Unreal.

I appreciated the phone call to let me know my technician was on the way. He arrived on time and was professional and did good work. I needed my waste overflow valve replaced in my tub because it was corroded through and was leaking down into the crawl space. My bill was $480. A bit steep but I needed I needed the job done.

I scheduled for a technician to come out two weeks ago. He was kind, but wasn't able to clear the blockage in my plumbing or really make any progress. I was told he'd be contact another technician who could put a camera in the lines and at least figure out where the blockage was, and that they'd come by that day or the next. A week later, I hadn't heard anything. I called as was told a ticket would be forwarded about my issue. Two days later someone from the call center called me about my trouble ticket, and was told someone would be in contact. I called the next day because I heard nothing. Was AGAIN told the issue would be passed along. I called again today, was told my ticket was VOIDED and was asked if I screened my calls (I don't) and was told I need to keep an eye out and answer phone numbers I don't recognize l, because it could be a technician. I get a call soon after, and the camera tech realizes he doesn't have the right sized camera equipment for my situation, and would get in contact with the technician that did. I never heard anything back. I've paid over $500 dollars for services that have not been rendered, and am still unable to use my shower or kitchen sink without it coming up through the drain. I have no idea what the problem is or how to fix it. This is absolutely unacceptable and extremely subpar service, and a waste of my money.

I scheduled an appoint with an appointment window of-  Monday, 26 July 2021 at 1100am -1pm. At 1045am and 12:30pm, roto-rooter called and told me there was a small delay. No one showed up for my scheduled appt. At 3:30pm, I had someone call and told me that they were still trying to get someone out to me. I hung up the phone not answering due to frustration. At 7pm, roto-rooter called and said that they could finally have someone to my home. I told them don't bother cancel this appointment.

I am thankful that this was not an emergency (something they never asked to see). I will NOT recommend or use this company again. Hopefully, no one will not have an experience like I went through.

Got here pretty quick.. My main complaint was the fact they never told me up front about the $134 fee to go under the house and inspect the problem. Apparently their free estimate is only free if they dont have to actually do anything to figure out what the problem is. Anyway.. Turned down the inflated $450 estimate to fix a small problem. Basically paid $134 so they could tell me how to fix it myself.

Just moved into a new house called Roto-rooter on a Sunday for a toilet emergency and they were able to fix the problem. We had Gary help us out and he was friendly and super knowledgleble. We had called Micheal & Sons previously and they were going to charge almost $300 more and $89 dollars just to come out, Roto rooter was fast and friendly, took care of the problem, charged less and no service fee call. We will definitely call them again for any plumbing issues!!

Had a service appointment scheduled for 1-3 PM with Ernie. Dispatchers had the courtesy to call and say the person could not make it half way through the time window, but they will have someone come out as early as possible tomorrow.

He shows up at least on time, but quotes 235 for backflow testing!? Mind you this is an annual test in city of Portsmouth, VA. Complete rip off. At least they could let me know ahead of time how much they are going to quote instead of right when show up.  

No thanks.

Overpriced, underskilled based on these reviews, and wasting my time.

Had a clogged drain on a Sunday at @3pm. Called Roto  rooter and they were at my home about 30 mins later. Explained what needed to be done and was finished in about 20 mins. Very inexpensive. They were friendly and knowledgable. Love love love this company!

Rental property in Cheapeake.   Arranged an 8am-12 next day to fix a leak.  Wayne the technician arrived at 1 pm, so we're not off on a good start.  $1,300 to replace the 50 gal gas water heater, because it cracked at the hot water outlet threading.  I was worried it would be the case, but the price was high.  I can get a 12 year heater for $600 and they charge $800 for a 6 year heater plus $500 labor.  But it couldn't wait so I agreed.  Wayne is friendly and professional...finished around 4 pm, so the entire day was killed.  Then I get a call at 4:30 and they want payment now now now yet they still haven't provided a receipt or bill of sale and can't (office closed).  What company works this way?  Feels like a scam at this point.  Would be one star except for Wayne.

I contacted them online, they responded by telephone confirming the appointment.  I was also contacted regarding any water damage. On the appointed date and time the technician arrived, accessed the problem and remedied the situation.

Service window-12:30-2. They call and finally tell me they are coming at 6. The first woman I spoke with hung up on me while trying to figure out why they weren't there. She didn't bother to call back. The second person I spoke with was speaking to a coworker when I answered the phone and somehow thought it was funny when I got mad at their lack of customer service. I don't get mad easy but this was just too much. The technician comes to the door and I wanted to tell him he could stick his plumbing tools up his .... but I kindly told him his services were no longer needed. He didn't seem to care.

On 12/30/2014 I was called by the manager about my services. I was told that the procedures were not followed and a refund would be given.  I have yet to here or receive anything that was promised. I was impressed with the fast response to the concerns I had and hopefully await the refund promised and was grateful for the concerns to ensure a satisfied customer.

The initial call I made to roto rooter was very professional and very efficient. They took my information and sent me a confirmation email. I advised them I wanted a free estimate to have a new vanity installed in a half bath. I stated if the estimate is ok. I will move forward with install. The technician Ernie came out with very poor customer service and very poor workmanship that I later discovered after I consulted a master plumber.  A week later after my consult with a master plumber. I called roto rooter again to comeback out to fix the inadequate repair. The representative stated that the technician will be out between 8am - 10am Friday morning with a confirmation email. At 8:00am I called to confirm someone was still coming based off the previous reviews I saw stating that the technicians either do not show or they are always late. The representative assured me that they will be there in between the stated window of 8:00am - 10:00am. 10:00am comes around no one present I called to follow up with representative she stated they will be there within the hour. No one came in that hour. I called again stating the same thing. 12:30pm is when the technician finally came. Michael was a great technician when he saw what his co worker Ernie had did he was shocked. Michael knowing himself that this was poor workmanship that was completed. Stating throughout the repair why did he do this. Michael properly repaired the drains and used the correct parts. I called later to speak with a manager I was informed that she was in a meeting. I asked for a call back to discuss the issue. Still to this day no call back. I feel I should be compensated for the additional time off from work and for them not fixing it correctly the first time. This was a very poor experience. I will be sure not to use or recommend or refer roto rooter in any future jobs or repairs. Here are photos as well.

Man oh man...my kitchen sink decided to, back that thang up!   the DIY's did nothing for this clog.  Until, Renaldo, with Roto-Rooter showed up.  He was so politeand went right to work.  He got it done, my kitchen was usable again and happy days are here!!.  He made some great suggestions to better enhance drainage.  I am very pleased.  The phone staff when calling in is super nice and funny ....  Thank you Renaldo, job well done.

initially they got one star........ after waiting over one hour AFTER my 2 hour waiting period expired, without any news about the technicians whereabouts.

ok, so after meeting the friendly and handy tech,
BJ, I have changed my mind, but only because he was funny! so it's thanks to him Roto Rooter, not your fantastic dispatching.

[tech said he only got call to come to my house about 10 min before the window to come was over, and he was still stuck in Hampton with another job]

so plumbing job was done well and right the first time, and in a friendly fashion, would call BJ again, don't know about the company though. :-)

The manager was more concerned about a $12 part than keeping a customer happy!  I have used Mr. Rooter on several occasions with success. However, they lost me as a customer this last time. One of the jobs was to replace the water valve in my toilet.  Plumber had to go to Lowes to get one (I don't know why they don't keep some universal ones on their trucks).  he told me it would be around $12 - yet charged me $30.  After the repair I noticed that the toilet didn't have as much water pressure before and I had to plunge it twice.  They sent someone back.  The plumber installed a valve that was shorter than the previous one which meant less water in the tank. I told him I wanted the water pressure where it was before. This guy called his manager about the issue and his manager said as long as it isn't broken they won't replace it.

UPDATE FROM MANAGER BELOW!!!

If I could go NO STARS I would, we called roto-rooter due to some backed up toilets.  They came out cleared out the lines, sent a camera guy out and then tried to tell us we need all new pipes (5K).  600$ later  they leave.   Not even a week later backed up again, this time water is flowing out of a clean out they FAILED TO PUT A PROPER CAP ON!  Then they put a new cap on after being called out again.  Then TWO DAYS after it happen again, called them out, they didn't even do anything ‍‍.  Happen again this evening and called someone else.  They came out and fixed the problem in conjunction with the city (sludgeAND PUT THE RIGHT CAP on the pipe.  And it only cost me 200$....Never again will I use Roto-Rooter, don't waste your time or money!!

AMENDED REVIEW

Today we got a call from Ned Campbell the Virginia Beach, VA Regional Manager. He was very receptive and understanding of our concerns and provided us with a full refund.  I really appreciate the time he took to reach out and handle the situation.