Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Services

Kitchen sink was being SUPER slow to drain. Called my usual plumber at around 8 am to be told I would get a call in the afternoon when they would be 30 min away from my house. 3 pm rolled around and no call. Tried them again and they said I would get a call back immediately to give me an estimate, still no return call. Cancelled that job and then put the Roto request in online at 4 PM. Eric #939 was ringing the doorbell at 4:45 PM. He was super nice, maintained cleanliness, and overall a cool dude.
The price is high, but when your mother-​in-​law is in town to help take care of a newborn (i.e., cooking), desperate times call for desperate measures.

Came out quickly. Informative, did a good job.

Eric Sprvill, tech #939, was our hero of the day! We had an unfortunate incident on Christmas Eve a clog toilet, yips! After several volunteers attempting to work on it, borrowing plungers, trips to Targets and what ever stores we could find open seeking potential solutions we let the situation settle for the night. Christmas morning, 7 am, 2015, we awoke to «problem not solved». We finally called Roto Rooter (which we probably should have done in the first place) and they were here with 1 or 2 hours. Problem solved, they were courteous, fast and efficient. Suggestion… Call the experts I highly recommend them.

Our technician, Steve (#2505) and his field supervisor, John, took care of an issue we had with our drainage system quickly, with minimal yard damage, and within the estimated budget. We are confident that the newly installed pipe won’t have the same issue as the lower grade pipe the builder used. Highly recommend.

Chris #2972 (the plumber) was awesome! Very friendly & funny guy. Got the job done in less than 30 minutes. Just kind of bummed that I could’ve done this for only 10% what RR charged, but that’s the price of convenience when you’re lazy :)

Plumber that was dispatched to my house didn’t know what the type of drain my tub was, basically, he didn’t know anything, about his own job. He then proceeded to take 2 hours to use an automated drain snake to unclog my tub and charged me $ 379.00. To put that in perspective a brand new professional drain snake costs $ 280 from Lowe’s, which I’m sure would be good for well over one lousy use. Avoid them and find a local plumber.

***update***9/11/15
A rep just called me to check into the service call that nobody showed up for.
He apologized (genuinely) and said he would personally make sure someone arrived at the next appointment and that they would not leave until I was satisfied. Therefore, I’m updating the review from 2 stars to 3 stars.
Original post:
When I first started using them a couple years ago they were great other than the high prices. I’ve used them many times and the 24 hour availability is nice, but the service over time has deteriorated.
I had my sewer line repaired last year and they told me they would come out to level the hole in my yard and lay grass seed sometime around April. They never came out. I called their office for months and didn’t get someone out to do it until August. He didn’t get the dirt level and I asked him several times to make it more even. He kept arguing that my yard was uneven and it would have to stay like that. My yard wasn’t uneven there until they dug up my sewer and didn’t put the dirt back properly! So now I’m stuck with a huge, weird, uneven spot in my yard.
I made an appointment for today (for a separate issue) with a 6−8pm window of arrival. I had to request to get off work early because I normally don’t get off until 6:30−7pm. I also had to cancel a birthday celebration with my family. I came home and waited. Nothing. They called me around 7 to say they’d be late. At 8:15 they called and said they didn’t have anyone available to send and I’d have to reschedule. So I have the choice of requesting early off from work AGAIN or wasting hours on Saturday waiting for them to show up.
Even when they do show up, they are late.

Had a great experience with this company today. We made a home repair that didn’t quite work out. Had to call for help from them. It’s a Sunday and someone was here within an hour. He was very professional and kind. The problem was solved and even though he had to cut into the wall to fix it he did a clean job and it will be an easy fix.
Thought I just had to let you know my tech #2947 (his name isn’t listed on my receipt) was wonderful.
Two thumbs up. Thanks!!!

The service itself was a 5 star. The gentleman was able to snake through the underground pipes and pull out a large amount of roots. Quoted us at 400 bucks and despite the 7 hours it took to get it all done the price stayed the same. The problem was he kept telling us how lucky we were that he is so stubborn and anyone else would have gave up by then. I’m not sure if he expected me to fall on my knees in gratitude but he repeated that about 4 times. Made it a little awkward.

Exceptional service! Robert came to our house about an hour after my husband called. We had a leak due to a clog in our kitchen drain. Robert was friendly, efficient, and informative! He even showed us where the problem was and how he was going to fix it. I would definitely recommend this service to others!

If you’ve got drain issues, do yourself a favor and call the plumber where you are assured of getting it corrected: Roto-​Rooter. My sewer line need cleaned of tree roots every few years… and I’ve lived here 20 years so have numerous experiences with Roto-​Rooter. Only once was it not sufficently done (backed up in the basement again) and someone was sent out straight away to correct the problem.
There has been a long-​running problem in this house of slow bathtub and vanity drains which many $$ of Drano products were not solving. So I finally broke down and called Roto-​Rooter this week and, no surprise to me, now have drains running like new. No standing in water while taking a shower! It’s been years since that’s happened here. Pricing is reasonable for the quality work. My tech arrived on time, cleaned up the mess as they always do, was professional and courteous, and most importantly, got the job done. He was also outrageously good-​looking but that had no influence on my rating!

This review actually encompasses two visits over a five year period. The first part of the review is for a call today. My wife likes to dump EVERYTHING down our garbage disposal. Every previous time I’ve been able to fix the clogs under the sink myself. This time my wife clogged it so bad our dishwasher wouldn’t drain, and the kitchen sink along with the utility sink in our laundry room were also clogged! Due to a previous positive experience, I called Roto-​Rooter and the lady in their call center was super nice and informed me someone cloud be out in approximately 2 to 3 hours. Approximately 2.5 hours later, the plumber arrived and snaked the clog, which was WAY down there. The service to unclog our downstairs line was $ 265. A little pricey in my opinion.
This most recent visit was worthy of 3 stars.
The reason for Roto Rooter receiving 4 stars overall from me is from a previous visit when I had water leaking from an upstairs shower through our foyer ceiling. A previous plumber had responded, cut a hole in the bathroom wall and foyer ceiling thinking the shower pipes were leaking. Nonetheless, he diagnosed the problem, informed us we needed a new bathroom floor put in, and wanted to charge me $ 150 for a service call. Needless to say, I cancelled that check!
I then called Roto-​Rooter who responded an hour or two later, showed me where water was coming through, and told me a strip of caulking between the shower and tile floor would cure it. The plumber saw me getting ready for work, informed me his dad had done the same thing and he held high respect for people in my line of work, and informed me that we lived on his route home, and he wanted to waive the service fee. A $ 3 tube of caulk solved the problem and I was happy!

A pipe became disconnected under my kitchen sink while I was making Thanksgiving dinner. I had a Tim Gunn «make it work» moment and used my bathroom sink to finish dinner. I did call Roto-​Rooter to make an appointment for Friday as I didn’t want to take someone away from their family Thanksgiving day. I was surprised and felt guilty when someone answered the phone. She pleasantly took my information and said a tech would be out between 8−10am the next morning and I would receive a call.
The next morning I did receive a call from the dispatcher stating a tech could come out in 15 minutes. My tech, Billy L. (#8867), was friendly and professional. He fixed my issue very quickly and cleaned up afterwards. He also gave me some helpful tips to prevent the situation again.
I can’t express enough how happy I am with Roto-​Rooter and Billy. Thank you very much for working today Sir! If we are in need again, I will definitely call you. I hope you get to go home and relax the remainder of the day with your family!

Sunday service at no extra charge? Check. Ability to schedule service on the telephone or the web? Check. Free, in home estimate for services with no obligation to purchase? Check. You can pay with credit card or (you guessed it) check? Check.
Service tech Richard showed up on time, gave us a reasonable estimate, bought the necessary hardware, installed it, and took payment. Very professional and well done. We needed a cracked toilet replaced, and he took the old, broken one with him, so we did not have to deal with disposal. Fantastic.
If we want to schedule him again, he showed us his tech number on the receipt, so they can schedule him for us. It’s like having our own plumber.
They are slightly pricier than others, like homeware stores, but their quality and warranty seem above average. Overall, very pleased.
Now to find out who broke the old toilet…

We had a disgusting emergency at the house. Of course with it being Labor Day weekend, we were not sure if we would be able to have anyone come over to fix the main drain quickly. We decided to call Roto-​Rooter (3825 Paragon Drive, Columbus) as we have called them before. And guess what! They were able to come within hours. AWESOME!!! Two guys arrived in their clean white van and in their clean uniforms… not what you would expect for plumbers. They came with the attitude that they are ready to help. They were nice and answered any questions we had. They snaked our drain and within about a half an hour, everything was flowing normally again. Thanks Roto-​Rooter for the prompt, courteous and professional assistance.

My bathroom plumbing decided to act up recently, so I called Roto-​Rooter since I really like being able to shower and use a working toilet every day. As I let the guy in my building and walked him to my condo, he starts telling me how he’ll have to remove the toilet to even check anything, which will cost me about $ 200. Then, if he has to run an auger down the pipe, it would be an additional $ 230. Oh, and did I mention he hadn’t stepped foot in my condo yet or even asked me what the problem was?
We get to my bathroom and he looks around at the toilet, shower and sink. LOOKS only! Did not try to turn on any faucets, run any water, or even flush the toilet. Continues blowing smoke about the $ 430 minimum, and then proceeds to tell me that this probably won’t even work and they’ll have to tear out my bathroom wall to get access to the pipes in the back. I then asked him for an written estimate, which he told me they didn’t do. When I pressed about the written estimate, he said he could give me one but would have to charge me for 15 — 30 minutes worth of work to write it up. So I said thanks, but no thanks, and sent him on his way. I’m pretty sure he thought if he just kept talking then my lady brain would get really scared and agree to whatever he was BS-​ing about.
So, I got a recommendation from a friend for a different local plumbing company. They came out and fixed the problem easily (no removal of the toilet or bathroom wall necessary). Moral of the story? If there’s a Roto-​Rooter guy in your bathroom and you catch a funny smell, it’s probably the BS coming from them rather than your toilet!

When it rains, it pours. This saying also seems to apply to home repairs, as the 1960s condo I rent is full of leaks and creaks lately.
When our 2^nd floor toilet stopped working several months ago, we needed service ASAP: and we weren’t sure who to call. We googled a 24-​hour service and found Roto Rooter. After having some negative experiences with other plumbers, I was really impressed with the service we received. Scheduling was easy, and they weren’t upset about showing up past 8 p.m. The estimate was clear, and the plumber did a great job fixing our toilet properly.
When our 1^st floor toilet recently decided it also didn’t want to work, we called Roto Rooter again and received great same-​day service. No hidden costs or BS.
I’ll definitely rely on Roto-​Rooter for any other plumbing issues that may arise.
(On an unrelated note: Did I really just review a plumbing service? I feel like I officially reached a whole new level of adulthood.)

DO NOT EVER CALL THIS COMPANY.
RIDICULOUSLY RIPPED US OFF.
$ 90.00 charge to get a part which he should have in his truck. And he didn’t mention when he quoted us before he took off.
$ 190.00 for about 20 min work.
Once again do not use them, please!

The 3825 Paragon Dr., Columbus OH, Roto-​Rooter did a nice job. They arrived in the window, which was about 2 am this morning, diagnosed the problem quickly, and got to work… quietly! My sleeping family didn’t even know they were here. They explained the problem, gave some prevention tips, and got on their way. Having a plumber at your house at 2 am is never going to be the ideal scenario but this experience was as good as it gets.

I had need for one of these guys this morning after trying to unclog a drain myself. All I succeeded in doing was wasting three quarts of drain cleaner and all it did was make matters worse. I called the Roto Rooter nearest to my house and they told me someoone would be out in about an hour. Sure enough, Chris called me and showed up with his handy drain cleaner and went to work Now I’m back in business but my wallet is $ 150 lighter! But he knew his stuff and I’m glad I used them.