Business Profile

Plumber

Roto-Rooter

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Roto-Rooter's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

770 total complaints in the last 3 years.
265 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:04/08/2025
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Roto Rooter came to my house to unclog 3 drains for 1800 dollars!

I was given a price to do the job not realizing that it only took 30 minutes to take a vacuum and suck out the drains. There were no replacement parts or any significant work done.

This company took advantage of a customer who is young and female.
Once I realized that I was grossly overcharged and taken advantage of ,,,I called the company to dispute the charge. They would not budge.
This is not only taking advantage of a young person but a female as well. I know if this was a man doing business they would have never charged this outrageous amount.

This business should have given a FAIR price for work done.

They are charging almost 4000 dollars an hour JUST FOR LABOR! no parts!
I would like a significant price adjustment.
Business Response
Date: 04/18/2025
*** ******** had the technician clear 3 drains in her home on 3/29/25. The standard price that we charge per drain to clear the line is $653 plus tax. The price of the work done was explained to the customer before we started the work and *** ******** agreed to the cost and the work to be done. *** ******** received a $306 discount on the work that was done. We also offered to give her another $200 credit on her account as a courtesy, in which she proceeded to chargeback with her credit card company $900 of the invoice and lost the chargeback. We did not take advantage of *** ******** the price that she was charged for the work that was done is our standard pricing for the work that was completed. In fact, she received a larger discount than any coupon that we have available (the largest coupon is $100) and as a courtesy we still refunded her card the extra $200.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/08/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
roto rooter came out to my house 3/16/25. my main drain in the basement backed up 3/15/25 so i called roto rooter to auger it out. they sent a technician and he tried to sell me a $750-$800 hydroflush and i told him no, just auger out my line. he said cost to auger was $355 and i said go ahead. he then said he was going to camera the line and not charge me. then another guy shows up (dressed nicer) and says my line is collapsed and it's going to be a $7400 fix. i said absolutely no way am i agreeing to that. the tech said he could try augering it but wouldn't guarantee anything. i told him to auger it out. he said he augered 100' and i asked where the supposed collapse was and he said about 10' past that (110'.) the salesman continued to talk to me upstairs so i couldnt go downstairs to check on the tech to make sure he was doing his job. the "salesman" told me he marked the collapse w/a flag. they wouldn't warranty their work. he told me it could back up again in a day or two or a month. i had to get it fixed b/c i was heading out of town the next day. i came home the following weekend and on 3/23, first load of laundry i did, sewer backed up again. i called ***** (the plumbing co i normally use) and they came out 3/24 and put a camera in the line for $235. (i've used them for 18 years so they are familiar w/ the line, plumbing, etc.) their tech told me he couldn't even get the camera past 40' b/c of tree roots. he said the line just needed to be auguered out. so they augered out the line on 3/25 to 90' and warrantied the work. i've since done several loads of laundy, several showers, etc and no problems. he said i don't have a collapsed line. the flag where roto rooter marked was probably 50' from the house drain so how could the collapse be 110'? there's no way roto rooter auguered the line 100' since ***** couldn't get a camera past 40'. based on the 2nd plumbing company's assessment, roto rooter never did any work and just billed me. i want my $355 refunded.
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2025
Spoke to customer, agreed to refund money.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/10/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

**** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/08/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
July 20, 2024, Roto Rooter sent a tech for a clog. Our contractor recommended that he remove the guest toilet to snake. John insisted he had to cut a hole in the wall to find the pipe to snake. He said he would not leave holes and would put up an access panel. He cut multiple holes in the wall without resolution. The next day, he returned with a master plumber. They snaked both toilets and shattered one toilet. The plumber told us the toilet replacement cost $500. The exact toilet was sold for under $200. They installed the toilet incorrectly. When the toilet shattered, it damaged our tile floor. He did not repair the multiple holes in our wall. The invoice he had written was inaccurate and did not reflect the work that was done. Immediately after he left, I filed a written complaint and made a verbal complaint. 07/22/24, a manager called and offered me a couple hundred off my bill, which would not cover the nearly $2000 worth of damage. He asked me to submit invoices and said they would turn them in so we would be paid for the damage. The invoices were submitted that week. I called and emailed several times over the next few months with no response. In October 2024, I spoke to the GM. He was unaware of the situation. After that, the manager called back and told me the invoices were never submitted. He was submitting them that day. He again stopped communicating with me. Jan 2025, I reached out to the GM again. The GM asked me to send the invoices directly to him and confirmed receipt. On January 27, the GM said this would be expedited. On 03/10 and 03/24, I emailed asking for an update and received no response. On 04/02 I asked for an update and received a response that he would find out what is going on. I have not received an update or reimbursement for the damage. Nearly $2000 of damage was done to my home in July 2024. I was told I would get a check for the damage. It is now April 2025, and I have received nothing.
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2025
Spoke with the customer about the issues
with the services completed on 07/21/2025.
Working on a solution to expedite a solution for the customer. Contacting customer again on 04/11/25 for a follow up.

Customer Answer
Date: 04/15/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

****** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/08/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
We had a sewage blockage on March 24 We called Roto Rooter and they sent out a supervisor.We just wanted unblocked.The supervisor right away started talking about how serious it was because it was sewage and all the things we needed to do to protect our home from germs. our homeowners insurance would not cover the cost which he said would be thousands. Talked to us about getting a credit card to pay the bill. We did and he said we probably should make it for 10,000 dollars .We did. The plumber came and cleared it he was here less than a hour We thought it would be covered by the card but we had to pay him right then It was 520 dollars. The workers came and sucked up the water and set up 3 fans and air scrubber unit. Less than a hour.Tuesday they came to check for lead in the paint and asbostas..about a half an hour. Said they could not take up carpet or remove wall until this was done Lady came with a camera and put it down the pipe and then showed my husband a video showing the bathroom floor needed to be dug up and replace pipe. We said no . Workers came said floor was still wet. .Brought in 6 more fans and 3 heater fans. 3T dehumidifiers Said they would be back Friday or Sat .Wed. Thurs ,Fri workers came to check on equipment and spent 5 minutes each time. Sat came and said they were short on help and could not work on our problem. Here around 5 minutes.Sunday came and checked on equipment but did no work.Were here around 5 minutes.Worker told me he didnt know why the walls had to be dry which they were if the were taking them down. Monday no one came until afternoon and took their iequipment and told me they could not do anymore work here because they had reached the cap, No boss called me and when I called he was always away from his desk. They had told us if we thought the wall were dry and wanted the machines gone we would loose their guarantee. They did not finish the job.
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2025
Good afternoon,

The ****** has a sewage
backup in the home on 3/25/25. This back up caused raw sewage to back up
into the finished areas of the home. Roto Rooter charged the customer
$521.00 to use drain cleaning equipment to remove the source of the clog in the
home’s sewer mainline that caused the back up. Roto Rooter was then
contracted by the ****** to perform water mitigation services to clean and
disinfect and dry the home to mitigate damages caused by the sewage that
flooded the living areas.

A scope of work was presented
to the ******. along with the cost to perform those services. Roto Rooter
has 164 photos in the above attachment of the work we performed in the home to
remove, clean, sanitize, and dry the sewage that entered the home through the
clogged drain. To claim that we did not perform any work is simply
a false statement. We charged for labor, drying equipment (fans,
dehumidifiers, and air scrubbers), antimicrobial applications and bio-washing
to remove the contaminants from the home. We also had to perform an
asbestos test before we could perform any flood cutting of drywall etc because
the house was built in 1947.

Roto Rooter charged the
****** for the work we performed, documented by photographic evidence.
The ****** are correct that we do not bill out residential customers, we are
pay at time of service. The pricing for sewage remediation is derived from
the Xactimate system, which is the approved method of pricing with the
insurance industry for this type of loss. We plug in the work performed,
square footage, equipment used, etc, and the Xactimate system gives us the
price for those items. We are fully staffed, and the job was completed in
a timely manner.
Roto Rooter performed the
work as documented in the file above and we request that this complaint be
closed for those reasons
Customer Answer
Date: 04/17/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

(In response to Roto-Rooters message.
Yes-we called Roto-Rooter because we had a sewer blockage on 3/25/25. A plumber came and removed the blockage. Roto-Rooter then said that sewage was contaminating the entire house and scared us into a contract with them for water mitigation services. They did not explain that the plumber was not included in that cost. We never claimed that Roto-Rooter did no work, but that they did not do all the work they said they would do in the contract. Also the job was stalled in order to make more money.
The walls didn’t need checked for asbestos because the drywall was put in on or about 1998.
Several employees stated that they were understaffed and that’s why the machinery was kept here, running non-stop for 6.5 days. Which they charged us $7000 for.
They claim they did work in a bedroom that was not affected because there was no water damage in that room.
There is still debris in the shower that shows they didn’t complete the work in the bathroom. It was never touched.
They charged $175 for a 100’ piece of plastic to cover a 3 by 8 ‘ door.
The only piece of furniture moved was a piano which is on wheels.
They did not take down walls or remove carpet like the contract stated they would.
They charged 8hrs of work to set up Xactinate equipment when they were here for 40 mins
They charged 6 hrs for removal and were here 20mins.
The itemized bill has duplicates and shows rooms they did no work in

Regards,

**** ****

Business Response
Date: 04/22/2025

Responses to *** ****** bullet points below
Also the job was stalled in order to make more
money. RR Response: Only delay was waiting on asbestos results. We had the allowable equipment operating until asbestos test results came back.
The walls didn’t need checked for asbestos
because the drywall was put in on or about 1998. RR Response: Rebuild/updating year doesn’t change **** regulations. Asbestos test is mandatory due to the age of the home for our safety and those in the home.
Several employees stated that they were
understaffed and that’s why the machinery was kept here, running non-stop for
6.5 days. Which they charged us $7000 for. RR Response: We are fully staffed as previously stated. Dry checks were performed everyday and the affected areas were still wet.
They claim they did work in a bedroom that was
not affected because there was no water damage in that room. RR Response: The work that was done was in bedroom closet which had marked as
affected in original sketch
There is still debris in the shower that shows
they didn’t complete the work in the bathroom. It was never touched. RR Response: Work was done in bathroom and we have photos. We did not charge for a
Final clean
They charged $175 for a 100’ piece of plastic to
cover a 3 by 8 ‘ door. RR Response: This is not Roto Rooters price, it is Xactimate pricing.
The only piece of furniture moved was a piano
which is on wheels. RR Response: Xactimate pricing
They did not take down walls or remove carpet
like the contract stated they would. RR Response: We attempted to get a change order signed on the final day for the additional work/labor needed. Customer refused and the job stopped.
They charged 8hrs of work to set up Xactinate
equipment when they were here for 40 mins RR Response" 2 hour per day flat fee. There is expenses involved to pay an employee to drive to the location daily. We charge for that.
They charged 6 hrs for removal and were here
20mins. – RR Response: I'm not sure what he is referring to. There is no
hourly charge for removal
The itemized bill has duplicates and shows rooms
they did no work in – RR Response: No items are
duplicated, and we have photos of all the rooms
Roto Rooter's position remains unchanged.  Roto
Rooter performed the work as documented in the file above and we request that
this complaint be closed for those reasons
Initial Complaint
Date:04/08/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
date of service was 3/28/25
had roto rooter come to snake our main drain with front yard access through an above ground pipe.
with video record, the tech gave us an initial and final quote to do the job that was 653.00 plus tax. We ok'd the job to be done. An hour into the job, the tech came to us saying that he couldnt get his tool through our u pipe and that he needed to dig...the cost of digging would be an EXTRA $300. Put on the spot, and already owing the company just under $700, we had no choice but to ok the extra $300 so that our job could be finished and we werent stuck owing $700 for an unfinished job and then having to pay a new contractor.

I called the company the next day to discuss my unhappiness with the extra $300...as they put us in a tight situation not being upfront with a full quote in the beginning, explaining that if the pipe was not accessible that they would have to dig, and that the cost of digging would take our quote from 700 to 1000. After many discussions and back and forth arguing, the manager agreed to refund us our $300. Exactly a week later, we contacted them because we never received it...they had no documentation of giving us a $300 refund. We emailed the manager regarding it. Within a few hours of the email, that went unanswered, we saw a $150 refund to our account. We followed up with another email saying this wasnt what was promised and that we would take measures to get our full refund back...again without answering that email, they then WITHDREW their initial $150 refund to us.

I am filing this complaint to get our promised $300 refund back.

The company does not respond to emails. They now wont answer our calls. They bait and switch their job estimates putting home owners in terrible spots financially. They are not honest and upfront about work and pricing. And now they are giving and taking our money back as if it is some kind of a joke.
Business Response
Date: 04/18/2025
The customer has received the $300 refund over a week ago. It was explained to the customer that the refund was done $150 and $150.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/22/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

***** *********
Initial Complaint
Date:04/06/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 2/15/2025 RR sent an claimed technician to find out the cause of my 1st floor bathroom dripping sound/noices. Matt, the saleman(not a licensed plumber), recommended to open up the ceiling to find out the leaking spot without seeing any water stains nor checking water meter for possible leaking sign. He asked me to sign a document on his ipad, saying this is an agreement for him to send a water restoration guy to come over to help open up the ceiling. I asked him what is a water restoration, he said if for a plumber to open up the ceiling the insurance company will not pay for the work, it has to be a water restoration guy to do the job for the insurance company to cover the costs. He assuared me several times that my insurance policy will cover everything, I don't need to worry about it. He will file the claim on my behalf. After the ceiling was torn down, the water restoration continued with his wind blower, I asked him there was no water, why the wind blower. He just said it is company protocal, I don't need to worry about it, the insurance company will pay for it. Later on, a plumber came, he said there was no water, no leakeage at the part that they torned open, there was nothing for him to repair. Then the water restoration guy came back on 2/16 to open up more ceilings in the bathroom, performed more "water restoration" job. A 2nd plumber came, he told me he cannot perform and plumbing repair as he cannot see any water leakage. He then recommended for me to hire a leakage detection expert. The leakage detection expert issued me a report stating that there is no leakage, the noices were sendiments from water heater tank. RR opened up the ceilings of my bathroom with gross negligence and sent me an $4,542.43 invoice(4 Respirators, etc) while in reality there is not one drop of water to be seen. The pictures I uploaded were taken by RR clearly shows that there is none water stains. It will cost me another $5,100 to repair my bathroom to the original condition.
Business Response
Date: 04/09/2025
Customer had called us for a leak in the ceiling. She agreed to having the water mitigation open ceiling to find leak as there was not a way to see what was causing it. Customer agreed and agreed to go through her insurance. Our crew opened the ceiling and seen that there was signs of a leak on the joists, subflooring and sheetrock. Customer did not want to proceed with the insurance and canceled the claim that she signed for, after work was completed by our team. Our colloections department reached out to receive payment for work rendered. She has refused to pay. We are offering to waive the charges for the mitigatin work that was completed.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/10/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
1. I have never called RR claiming there was a leak in the ceiling. Roto_Rooter((RR) reached out to me via **** while I requested a plumber and explained my situation as "dripping sound when I washed something in my kitchen". (see attachment 01_****_Project_request). Matt(the sales rep never declared himself as not-a-plumber) observed the dripping scenario together with me on 2/15 when he came to my house. As the dripping sound was on and off and there was no water stain, he(note that he is not a plumber) directly recommended to "open the ceiling".
2. Even if there is a need to open up the ceiling, normal plumbing practice would be to open up a small patch instead of to tear down the whole ceiling. See attachment 02_1stPart_beforeDemolitiaon, 02_1stPart_afterDemoliation, 02_NormalPlumber_Job_forOtherProperty. In addition to the demoliation, they added mold service while there was neither water nor mold. They even referred a general contractor to open up the wall facing outside saying that they are not allowed to do the job. Luckily I came to my senses to say "NO" to that recomendation.
3. It is not true that there was no other way to identify whether there is a leak (one example, one can check the water meter first). Worst part is that the water restoration guy was ordered by the sales rep without a licenced plumber checked the situation first.
4. As there is not one drop of water and no water damage, RR did not perform mitigation work. What they performed was demolition and unjustified/unwarrantied jobs based on their company protocol.
5. If RR has had checked the water meter, I may not need to have my ceiling open up at all. Now, with RR's malpractice/negligence, I am left with all of my 1st floor bathroom ceilings being torn away and another $3,100(we asked another general contractor to give us a more reasonable quote) to restore it back to original condition. RR should compensate me for the repair($3,100).
5. RR repeatedly called me to ask me to co-operate with them to re-open the insurance claim still stating that the insurance will cover everything including closing-up of the ceiling. I told them from day one that there is not one drop of water and hence no water damage. It has nothing to do with an insurance claim. If I did as they told, it would be a mis-representation. Their manager, Heather, finally told me that the company wll put a lien on my property, implying that I would be better off if I went along with the insurange claim arrangement. I am a retired CPA and a new immigrant(I am making less than $20K per year in the States), we were trained to be conciencious, not to mention making a misrepresentation...The whole incidence caused me great anxiety. Ever since I worked with RR, I have constant stomachaches, very depressed all the time, could not sleep, could not eat. This is just to let you know that after hearing a dripping sound in my ceiling, RR has taken away the peacefullness in my life.
Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 04/16/2025
We have explained to the customer that the work we did was justified. In the pictures you can see water staining on the celling that would have not been discovered if we did not expose her celling.I spoke to the customer and explained to her that she does not owe Roto Rooter any money for the work she did at her property and her contract has been voided. She said she is willing to accept this as long as I send her an email stating that she does not owe roto rooter any money moving forward.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/25/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

1. On 4/16, Mr. Adam T******, the production manager of RR called me and explained to me that it was an emergency
and there was no other option but to open up the ceiling. He told me it was my
fault that the ceiling was opened and said RR will not collect the money for
the "jobs"(for me they are demolition) that they did to my house. I
told him RR would need to repair the damage they did to my house, he said
"that is not gonna happen." He said he would report that the complaint
was resolved anyhow...We did not reach an agreement
after that telephone conversation.
2. On 4/17, I wrote an email to him explaining again why I disagree to RR's assertion of "it was the only option at that time". See attachment BS_toAdam_20250417_1, BS_toAdam_20250417_2, BS_toAdam_20250417_3. I requested for RR to compensate me 50% of the repair cost, i.e., $1,550.-
3. On 4/17, Mr. Adam T****** agreed with my request for compensation. See attachment RR_ToBS_AgreeCompensation.
Currently, I am still waiting for the check. I will report to BBB once I receive the check and cash it.
I truly appreciate the role and efforts of the BBB. Without its involvement, Roto-Rooter would not have taken steps to address my concerns. It was only after I filed a formal complaint with the BBB that Roto-Rooter began to treat my case with the seriousness it warranted.
Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 05/05/2025
Issued customer refund, waiting for customer to sign release form and update BBB, customer is satisfied with outcome at this time
Customer Answer
Date: 05/08/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

****** ****
Initial Complaint
Date:04/05/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Roto-Rooter did an illegal plumbing excavation sewer job at my house. A City of ******* plumbing permit was not pulled to repair the sewer. The same problem exist before I hired Roto-Rooter. My basement is flooding, sewer is backing up in the house with sewer gas.
Business Response
Date: 04/08/2025
Spoke to the customer yesterday. Advised that we would not have been able to dig the property without a permit and without an inspection. Emailed City of ******* contact for the permit to be sent, as the 2024' file did not have it. I have also attached the signed agreement and the payment in full, signed/made by customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/08/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

Roto-Rooter illegally repaired the sewer May 12, 2024 without obtaining a permit from the City Of ******* Plumbing Department. The excavation required a permit. My sewer has the same back up issue I had before hiring Roto-Rooter. The repair was not properly evaluated with out the permit. I would like Roto-Rooter to pull a Plumbing Permit from the City Of ******* and repair the sewer.

Regards,

********* ******

Business Response
Date: 04/16/2025
We paid to have the City of ******* come out and inspect the line. They found that there is a belly in the line, on the city side, but they will not repair that. We are not allowed to make any repairs, if the problem lies on the city side.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/21/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below
I have not heard from Roto-Rooter. I will accept a partial refund to complete the sewer repair.

Regards,

********* ******

Business Response
Date: 04/26/2025
We, Roto Rooter did pull a permit for the inspection from the city of *******. We performed a PDP with the city and showed them the pictures of the excavation we performed as well as the video and concluded that there's a belly in the line on the city side of the sewer system. We Roto Rooter are not allowed to touch the city side of the sewer system. The city determined that the belly does not affect the operation of the sewer system thus they will not repair it.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/01/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

Regards,

********* ******

Customer Answer
Date: 05/05/2025
Hello, my complaint is based on the initial repair. On May 11, 2024 Roto-Rooter Dave Smith visited my home. I signed a contract and paid in full $8800 to stop the flooding in my basement. Dave Smith scheduled the repair for the next day Sunday, May 12, 2024 to excavate six feet down in my front yard to install a six inch clean out and jet stream line up/down, (see attached contract). The basement continued to flood after the repair. On December 31, 2024 after severe basement flooding I filed a complaint against Roto-Rooter # ********. I contacted the City of ******* Building Department and was told anytime a plumbing repair required six feet exxcavated a City of ******* Permit should have been pulled before the repair. No permit was pulled for the Sunday, May 12, 2024 repair. The repair was done illegally. I still have a sewer with a "belly" in it causing the same basement flooding issues. I have contacted the City of ******* Roto-Rooter can pull a permit and repair the "belly". Or Roto-Rooter can refund half of the $8800 and I can hire another company to complete the repair legally. I am a disabled senior citizen who trusted Roto-Rooter to perform the repair legally.********* ****** # ###-###-####/*************************.
Business Response
Date: 05/07/2025
Our position has not changed. Roto Rooter did pull permit for inspection from the city of *******. RR performed a PDP with the city and showed them pictures of the excavation we performed as well as video and concluded that there's a belly in line on the city side of sewer system. Roto Rooter is not allowed to touch the city side of sewer system. Also, the city determined that the belly does not affect the operation of the sewer system and thus they will not repair it.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/08/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included
The basement still floods Rooter Rooter. The sewer still backs up into my home. Rooter Rooter did not pull a permit for the initial repair. We would have been given the information there was a belly on the City of ******* side of the sewer. We could have made a difference repair decision instead of paying $8800 for a repair that did not resolve my issue.
I am asking for a partial refund to complete the repair properly

Regards,

********* ******

Business Response
Date: 05/08/2025
Our position has not changed. Roto Rooter did pull a permit for an inspection from the city of *******. RR performed a Private Drain Program service with the city and showed them pictures of the excavation we performed as well as video and concluded that there is a belly in line on the city side of sewer system. Roto Rooter is not allowed to touch the city side of sewer system. Also, the city determined that the belly does not affect the proper operation of the sewer system and thus they will not repair it.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/21/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
I am a African-American disabled senior citizen who trusted the Roto-Rooter name. I have contacted several Licensed Plumbers in the ******* Area. According to the plumbing companies Roto-Rooter statements are not true. They can pull a permit from the City of ******* and repair the sewer "belly" on the City of ******* side of the street. Also, my complaint is based on the orginal job performed May 12, 2024. Roto-Rooter was supposed to pull a permit before performing the job. The repair was done illegally according to the City of ******* Permit Department. If Roto-Rooter had pulled a City of ******* permit at the time the contract was signed May 12, 2024 they would have seen the sewer "belly", and repaired it. My home is experienced the same issues of sewer back-up since My home is filled with sewer gas which is a health hazard, and my basement is still flooding damaging my basement. I paid Roto-Rooter $8800. The company has not offered a refund or offered to complete the job.

Regards,

********* ******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/04/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Roto-Rooter arrived at my residence to repair a sewer line under warranty from previous work performed on the property. Upon their arrival, the company failed to notify me or my spouse of their presence and the commencement of excavation on 3/20/25. During the initial excavation, the company disregarded the removal or preservation of landscaping and allowed damage to the property. As they excavated the sewer line, they inadvertently damaged a main water line serving the home.
Upon discovering the damage, I informed the workers and the company owner, but neither party took responsibility for the damage or offered a solution. Despite my persistent objections and numerous arguments over the obvious nature of the water line damage, the company has yet to rectify the issue or acknowledge its responsibility.
On April 2, 2025, the company owner, Dave H*****, was present on the job site and deliberately refused to inspect the damage or acknowledge my frustration stemming from weeks of neglect and disregard for my property.
In addition to the water line damage, the company has left a six-foot ditch exposed on the side of my home for nearly three weeks. The company has shown no urgency to complete the work or address the damage they caused.
I am seeking a resolution from Roto-Rooter to rectify the damage they caused in a legal and proper manner. This includes backfilling the trench and completing the excavation. However, despite my repeated efforts to address the issue, the company has consistently refused to take responsibility for its actions. Furthermore, the open ditch poses a safety hazard to my family and pedestrians.
Given the company’s negligence and improper handling of the job, I believe Roto-Rooter should face further consequences as I have been unable to resolve the issue through direct communication with the company’s owner.
Business Response
Date: 06/19/2025
The business responded that they spoke to *** ****** and resolved the matter with him.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/01/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I am writing to formally file a complaint against Roto-Rooter regarding the service I received and the lack of response from their customer service team. Despite multiple calls and emails, I have been unable to get any assistance or resolution to my concerns.

On February 27, 2025, I contacted Roto-Rooter due to a clogged toilet. A technician arrived promptly and assured me that a follow-up technician would come later to clean the area at no additional cost. Based on this, I expected the matter to be resolved fully without further charges. However, I was later charged $2,500 for services that were not completed.

Additionally, the baseboards and trim in my bathroom and hallway were removed that was not part of the service, but I was never informed that it would be my responsibility to reattach them once the work was completed. This has left my home with unfinished work, and I am frustrated that this crucial detail was not communicated beforehand.

I have reached out to Roto-Rooter multiple times via phone and email, yet no one has provided any assistance. The complete lack of response is unacceptable, especially given the financial burden and incomplete work I am left dealing with.

I am requesting a full review of my case and a resolution to this matter, including the charged of the $2,500 for the incomplete service and an acknowledgment of the miscommunication that has affected my insurance situation. I appreciate the BBB's assistance in helping me address this issue with Roto-Rooter, as their failure to respond leaves me no choice but to escalate the matter further.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
Business Response
Date: 04/01/2025
spoken with customer reduced original invoice from 2457.48 to half new invoice amount 1228.74 . approved by customer over the phone
Business Response
Date: 04/01/2025
spoken with customer reduced original invoice from 2457.48 to half new invoice amount 1228.74 . approved by customer over the phone
Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

***** *******
Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

***** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:03/27/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
In January a pipe burst in my kitchen, and I hired Roto Rooter to handle the repair and water damage services. I have the following complaints:

1. The demolition team performed work on my upstairs bathroom for reasons I don't understand. I trusted their judgement as they are professionals; however, my insurance carrier is questioning why this work was done. Roto Rooter has not communicated with them to resolve this situation. I have spoken repeatedly with representatives of the ********* office, and they have repeatedly assured me that the adjusters will receive the information they need. This has been going on for six weeks with no progress.

2. The demolition team allowed stone tiles to fall on to my tub, causing the enamel to chip it in multiple places. They made no attempt to protect the tub.
Business Response
Date: 03/31/2025
The water team is handling all of this and will have everything to insurance company tomorrow. Our team will reach out regarding damage
Customer Answer
Date: 04/01/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

***** *******

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