Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

It was expensive but the service was good and they were clean. They brought a huge machine and got it done quickly. The guy was super neat. He looked at how our sink was working and he also did some tightening of things under the sink so the dishwasher suds wouldn’t come up the sink. He checked to make sure it was flowing properly and he did a few other things that he didn’t have to do like tightening the fixtures under the sink. He came when we wanted him and it was very quick service. I learned a few things and I would definitely use him again.

The visit went okay. The workmen cleaned up after themselves. They were on time. They stuck to the estimate they quoted me. They were pretty good, but I wasn't happy with the price. I know I could have gotten it cheaper, but my ex-husband ordered it because it's my son’s house. Overall, they were really good. I probably would not use them in the future because of the price.

Arrived about 2.5 hours after I called on a Sunday afternoon. The service took about 1 hour and everything was cleared up.

I watched as the video was taking place as the scope was going along he gave me commentary. One tile was tilted a bit,their were roots definitely hanging on the top part of rest at the joints. (this is after they cleaned the lines, remember this...).He said they can fix it, it's called a pipe lining. Seems it is only guaranteed for 5 years.... the cost $8,500.00. Needless to say I needed another opinion. I took the video to Terry Overacker plumbing. He watched the video and said absolutely I did not need to have a pipe lining, he could take care of it and for a lot less. The guy came out placed a big cloth around the pipe before he started, cleaned the line, did a video scope, (which by the way, after they cleaned the line their were NO roots hanging from the top part of any of the joints!!!) put in 6 lbs of root x.( The root x needs to be put in every year , it's preventative maintenance). cleaned the floor drain over in the laundry room, installed a plug in the floor drain, installed a back water ball in the floor drain, and installed a dish washer, he even replaced the counter that goes on top of it to secure the dish washer Total cost 1,543.45.

They arrived within one hour and were able to unclog the drain pipe within about one hour. While unclogging the drain they caused quite a mess in the basement but did not clean it up. Other than the mess they left in the basement the work was performed.

Our sewer pipe had tree roots growing into it and so the pipe was backing up into the basement. The first guy that they sent out put the snake in 10 feet and then declared that the pipe was collapsed and that it needed to be replaced at a cost of $4600, after spending less than 20 minutes working on it. He wouldn't put a smaller bit down the pipe because Roto-Rooter would make him pay for it if it broke, and he didn't want to do that. He said that another guy could come out with a camera for an additional fee. I complained to the manager, and another guy was sent out, this time with a camera. This person sent the camera out 30 feet and then tried to use a blade to cut the tree roots. His blade broke and he left it along with 30 feet of cable in the pipe. His manager said that this service would be complementary because the first guy obviously didn't know what he was doing, but this guy tried to argue that he should still be paid. He also said that he could have someone else come out and try to get the cable and blade out for another additional fee. That was the end of our experience with Roto Rooter, and it will be the last. UPDATE: After informing them that another company had been able to fix the problem, they sent us a check to cover the bill from the other company.

I called the Roto Rooter number got a nice lady that input my address, took notes and informed me somebody would be out in 2 hours. Scott arrived in only one hour and fixed the leak. Plumbing, especially on a Saturday, can be expensive. The job got done in a few short minutes and there was no mess.

They were okay. I would advice others to explain clearly to them about what you want them to do. I had to have the drain cleaned after that again.

They came out the day before Thanksgiving to repair the pipe. They had to have my husband help lift the equipment, which he hurt his back doing so. They used a snake in the drain to get it unplugged and he said that we needed to have the line replaced for $5000. We told him no we did not want them to replace it. They had to come back out because it was leaking again. I had to stand up for myself to not be charged for the return visit. The second technician told us that it was merely due to some clogged toilet paper and that nothing was wrong with the line at all. I am distrustful of their business and would not use them again.

I called Roto Rooter in the mid morning of the service date. They said they could come out immediately and give a free estimate on what the fix would be. Wayne arrives very quickly and reviewed the problem I was having. After asking questions he gave what I feel was a very good price of 205 as the service quote. He was going to need to snake the 12 foot pipe clean which would solve my problem. I agreed with the job and Wayne went to work. He finished the job and I noticed he had thoroughly cleaned the area needing the work. He had also noticed the basement sink was draining slower than it should into that pipe and did a quick clean of that trap. He did not charge extra for that work. I found that this company immediately came out for a problem that didn't need immediate work. Wayne, the service rep, was very knowledgeable and was attentive to cleanliness ( for a messy job!) and efficiently finished the work with an extra touch. I was willing to pay the 205 but I mentioned that I was an Angie's List member and Wayne gave me the 30 discount for members. I am very happy on the work Wayne did and will call Roto asking for Wayne if possible.

The person who completed the work was courteous and used his price sheet to determine the cost of the job. All work was completed satisfactorily and in a timely fashion.

We called Roto-Rooter to have them clean our our clogged main sewer line. The man did arrive on-time, but that is really the only good thing. He was able to get one grease clog out of the sewer at 100 feet, but did not continue to where our sewer line meets up with the city sewer (150 feet). He was insistent that we needed to have a camera come and take a look (another $70 on the bill that we realized after he left). He also was telling us that our sewer went in a completely different direction then we had understood 13 years ago when we had had a previous clogged sewer line. He also kept talking about all of the angles in our sewer. The camera man arrived a few days later, could not get through our sewer all the way to the city line as he hit water (a hint that maybe there was another clog) and told us we needed to spend $5000 to have our sewer excavated. We made it 1 week with a working sewer and then it clogged again. As Roto-Rooter refused to guarantee their work I decided that this time I would check Angies list. I found another company that came out right away. This company ran their equipment the total 150 feet and found we had more clogs close to where we connected with the city line. In addition, they informed us we have a straight line out to the city sewer - not angles as insisted on by Roto-Rooter. Also, they were 1/3 cheeper. I will never use Roto-Rooter again!!!

Roto-Rooter brought out two blades for cutting through the blockage in the drain and neither one was able to do anything to the tree roots. In contrast, the guy from Cardinal Services brought out a bucket full of blades for his drain cleaner which he said were razor sharp and that he sharpened himself. Cardinal Services started with a 3 inch blade to cut a hole in the tree roots and then a 6 inch blade to clean out the remnants. Neither of the two blades the Roto-Rooter guys used looked sharp at all. They were not serrated like Cardinal's blades and the Roto-Rooter guy said his blades just bounced right off the blockage. Don't ever consider using Roto-Rooter if you think your drain might be blocked by tree roots. Roto-Rooter cannot clear tree roots from a drain! Another problem is that Roto-Rooter's camera guy looked into the drain from the house side where the water was backing up. Because there was water backing up in the drain, he couldn't see anything. Roto-Rooter never mentioned the possibility of looking into the drain from the sewer side which is what Carinal Services did to identify the problem. Roto-Rooter assumed that the problem was a collapsed drain and gave us a verbal quote of $4900 to repair the drain. After Alto came and slightly opened the drain, I called Roto-Rooter back to ask them to come with the camera again, but they didn't. They said the only next step was to tear up the driveway and replace the drain. Turns out the problem was tree roots that Cardinal Services was able to remove for $400 (including the camera diagnosis from the sewer side). Roto-Rooter did show up on time, they behaved professionally and they tried and they gave us some money back after Alto was successful in a partial opening, but Roto-Rooter is not competent in diagnosing drain problems or clearing tree roots from drains.

If a competent professional would have done it the first place, it would have only cost $200 to clean the line. Roto Rooter charges way more and does terrible work. They did not take off their shoes when entering the home. One solution to retrieve the broken snake was to dig a hole in the yard to access the pipe (for $5000). Never, ever use these guys for anything.

Not much to tell. Toilet clogs frequently and I can usually plunge or snake it myself. Wasn't able to this time and called Roto-Rooter. Dispatch person was courteous enough and gave me a 45 minute time-frame to expect someone to arrive. The technician showed up in 30 minutes and had things cleared up within minutes. I appreciated the care he took to verify the problem was resolved. Would use them again if needed without reservation.

On May 11, Roto-Rooter analyzed and repaired a leaking laundry tub faucet at my residence in Minneapolis. The hot side was leaking so much that water pressure could not be maintained throughout the house and enough water was being wasted that it was necessary to use the main valve to turn water off for the whole house. The service was performed about 9 am. The washer on the hot side was bad and the stem cup that holds the washer was partially broken. Prices quoted were $200 to fix the faucet and $500 to replace it. My son’s fiancé who is living in the house after consulting with my wife decided to have the faucet repaired. (My son is out of country and I was on a field trip with students and could not be reached.) The technician replace both the hot and cold washers and the faucet does not now leak. If $200 sounds reasonable to replace two washers then Roto-Rooter should be fine. Otherwise I suggest looking for a more reasonably priced provider. A note on the repair. The technician noted that the faucet should probably be replaced due to the broken stem cup. Another way to fix this is to use a washer retainer. This can replace the broken cup and makes a fairly good repair. I have had several old faucets repaired in this manner and have found that the washers last about as long as usual for this type of faucet. I was disappointed that for $200 I did not get someone more knowledgeable about plumbing. I contacted Roto-Rooter and received the following response. Mr. Wozniak, My name is Dave and I am the plumbing department manager at Roto-Rooter Services Co. in Minneapolis. I was contacted to resolve a concern of service provided on 5/11/11 at 3515 Washburn Ave No. My plumber offered options of repairing or replacing the laundry faucet. Repair was the choice and after reviewing the invoice I find the cost and the positive result of repair to be a fair charge for the service agreed upon. The faucet is functional and not leaking according to your e-mail message.

Called and set up appointments twice to have my main sewer line scoped for clogs. First scheduled appointment I waited an hour then called to see where they were, was then informed that when they give a time it is normally a two hour window beginning at the scheduled time. Then they informed me that they could get someone to me in 2-3 hours (after already being an hour late). I could not wait that day and so scheduled for another day a week or so later. That appointment time came and I waited for 2 hours with no one showing up again.

Our basement has, besides the main sewer line, some added piping from a former bathroom. Our water began backing up while doing the laundry and we called Roto Rooter. In the past when this has happened, we have had the main line cleaned of tree roots and things were fine. The service technicians in the past (from Roto Rooter) have informed us that the added pipes from the bathroom are NOT the problem even though that is where the backup is happening. They have said the main line is the problem and that doing the sideline pipes would not affect the clog in the main line. If a cleanout did not help then a video scope should be done. THIS TIME, when my husband mentioned cleaning out the side lines, the technician did not tell him this was unnecessary and proceeded to clean both the maine and the side lines at the same time (at double the cost!!) He then "offered" a video scope for $75 (instead of $200) if we ordered the scope the same day of the service. Also, the tech had us running ALL the water faucets, toilets flushing, and washer in the house at the same time for about a half hour while he was snaking the main line. After all this, our receipt stated "No Service Guarantee" for the work done. We have had 6-month guarantees in the past. We have never had this kind of service from Roto Rooter and I am very disappointed with both the technician and the service. UPDATE: Called Roto Rooter to complain about service. They offered me the $75 video scope but if there was not a problem, it would be free. When Steve came to do the scope, I asked for a copy of the DVD he made and he said that he would bring me a copy. He also wrote $0 due for the service. I specifically asked him if I owed him $75 and he said no, no charge. The office then called me about an hour later to ask why I had "refused to pay" the agreed $75 charge. Then they told me they charge $30 for the DVD which I paid for and the DVD was delivered. Needless to say I was insulted, appalled and will not do business with them again.

We contacted RotoRooter about 4.30pm and they promised service by the evening and arrived at around 7.00pm . They confirmed by E Mail .They did a good job of clearing the blockage . They discovered some roots and only gave a 30 day warranty unless they provided additional services to check the condition of the drain . They didn't clean up too well but there was a lot of water around so I was not concerned . They honored the Angie's List discount . Overall the service was satisfactory .

It was on a weekend. The kitchen sink wasnt draining. I was sure it would be terribly expensive to have a plumber or handyman come out. My husband had snaked it but it wasnt clearing. The plumber had a longer snake, but it still filled right back in benind the snake. He wound up having to use something else. The clog was very long (15 feet) and hard to get to, as this is in an older house. He was prompt, and reasonably priced. He accepted a coupon we had, and gave a 6 month guarantee. Tthen someone from the office called week later to make sure it was still working.

I had just purchased a home and I had water backing up from my drain in my basement. They cleared the drain to the edge of the house, but said they would have to clear to the street. I noted that I couldn't afford it. The water backed up still. My son moved a pipe from the laundry sink and the problem was solved, at no cost.

Overall it went really well. The guy was very quiet. He came, did his work and got out quickly. It was pretty uneventful. They came quickly and they were great. I thought that the price was fair.

I noticed floor boards beginning to warp around our toilet and suspected a leaking wax seal. I called the Eden Prairie office which has always worked well for me in the past. They dispatched someone within 10 minutes of my call and the serviceman (Mark) arrived about 15 minutes later. The seal was leaking, and he pointed out that the toilet base should not be caulked (as it had been) in order to let any moisture in the floor boards evaporate and not rot the underfloor (this may already have started). He showed me a spot on the flange that is damaged, but said it did not need to be replaced immediately. He advised that the underfloor may be in need of repair or replacement, but this is also something that can be fixed in the future. Since the integrity of the floor itself may be somewhat compromised, he installed shims to stabilize the toilet for the time being. He finished the work within an hour. I think Roto Rooter is a little high-priced, but I have found their work and professionalism to be worth it. Mark did a great job, and I appreciated the advice and options he gave me.

He showed up on time, and did the work as expected. The only problem was that he didn't speak English very well, so I had to ask my questions a few different ways before I got an answer, and sometimes I never did get an answer. But otherwise I'm satisfied with the work performed.

I remember talking to him and he gave me some good advice about never putting a garbage disposal in this house because the situation of the pipes and where they were located versus the main sewer down from the house. I wouldn’t say there is anything spectacular but they came in on time and did the job. They told us not to put pasta or rice down the drain. They weren't cheap but I didn't feel that we were taken advantage of.