Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Northern VA

I was told on the phone it would be about $200 when the plumber arrived he told me it would be over $400. When I challenged the plumber on the increase in quote he said they thought it was only connecting a garbage disposal not installing a faucet. I told him I explained to the person the counter were replaced, I am not sure how they would assume there was no faucet. $200 seemed reasonable for the service however if I had been quoted $480 on the phone I would have made additional calls. I was also given a time frame of 11 to 12 and at 12 I had not heard from the plumber I had to call to confirm he was still coming.

I contacted Mr. Rooter via phone and scheduled an appointment to diagnose a faulty bathtub/shower faucet. A technician arrived as scheduled and determined that a part in the faucet had failed and needed to be replaced. Since the part would take a few days to arrive, we scheduled a follow-up for installation to occur on Thursday. On Thursday, a different technician arrived over an hour late for the appointment window. The technician did not have the part and was not aware of any fix required. The technician was informed that the appointment was a routine maintenance check - not the installation of the part we had ordered. Mr. Rooter was unable to get the part installed and requested installation on the next day, Friday. On Friday, the technician did not show up as scheduled, at all - completely missed the appointment and did not provide notification of any kind. When I called Mr. Rooter to determine what had happened, I spoke to the owner, Terry. Terry was apologetic and made no excuses - he promised to make things right by arriving at 9:00am on Saturday and installing the part personally, free of charge. Terry took my phone number, stating he wanted to make sure to be able to contact me. On Saturday, 9:00am came and went. A different technician called to say that he would be arriving at 10:00am - the technician stated that he was late because he hadn't been able to contact me. Not only was the technician not the owner, Terry, as promised, but he somehow didn't have the phone information that Terry himself had taken down (the same information that Mr. Rooter has on file for me). When I called Mr. Rooter, I was informed that Terry was on his way into the office (~9:20am) and would call me shortly. Terry did not call me. In the end, the technician arrived at 10:00am (an hour late from promised time of 9:00am) and installed the part. The installation took less than five minutes. I was not charged for the installation. Extremely disappointing series of broken promises and unreliable service. Mr. Rooter didn't charge me for the installation, but after my experience I have no faith in their ability to deliver on promises and form a trust-based business relationship. I will not use this company again.

I had personally replaced the tank to toilet fixture and could not get the tank seated properly to keep it from leaking. On May 12 I called Mr. Rooter Plumbing and left a voice message describing the issue and stating that this was not an emergency. That same day I received a call back from Terry. He asked several questions to determine if there was anything else I could do to resolve the issue without needing a service call. We both agreed that I needed a professional to look at the situation. Terry said I would be contacted on the 14th by the scheduler. The scheduler called first thing in the morning and set an appointment for later in the day. The service rep arrived on time and I explained the situation to him. The first thing he did was to turn on the water supply to the tank. As he didn't have any with him, I quickly grabbed a towel to soak up the water that was leaking onto the floor. He then told me I would need a "minor toilet rebuild" for $250. He also wanted to sell me on some type of overall maintenance plan. I agreed to the rebuild and declined the plan. I was in another part of the house as he was working on the toilet. After a while he told me that the part I had purchased was defective and that he would need to get another. While he was out purchasing the appropriate part, I noticed that in addition to the towel I had provided earlier he used the remainder of a box of facial tissues and paper towels from my kitchen to wipe of water that leaked during his work. He had also grabbed a measuring cup from the kitchen to use, I suppose, to bail water from the tank. Eventually the problem was fixed and I did receive the $40 Angie's List credit. I debated long about how I should answer the question of "would you use this company again." The work was performed; the problem was solved; and I suppose the price was reasonable. However, the fact that the service rep came to work on a toilet tank issue without bringing any towels/rags to deal with water leakage does not sit well. Added to this, the rep never asked me for more towels much less if he could use one of my kitchen items during the repair. It is only Terry's responsiveness and that of the scheduler that keeps me from giving a lower rating than I did.

The sinks were running slow on our new, previously foreclosed property. We knew the drains were a problem and needed to be sure the rest of the plumbing was ok. We called on Sunday, expecting to schedule something for a weekday or leave a message. The company came out that day and did not charge emergency fees. The gentlemen was knowledgeable, fixed the issue and checked out other items. It was great!

I tried to DIY replace washers in my own shower to stop a leaky shower head from dripping, but that didn't work. Called Mr. Rooter and set-up an appt for the next day. Steve showed up on time, got to work right away, replaced the shower faucet parts with one quick trip to the hardware store to find some parts. Job was complete within two hours total. I also signed up for Mr. Rooter's membership for the benefits. The price of the work is a bit expensive ($400 for parts and labor), but the membership benefits and excellent customer service will keep me using Mr. Rooter!

From the time I called it was only a couple of hours until the technician (Joe) was dispatched and arrived at our home. He quickly looked at the plugged drain, brought I his equipment and cleared the drain. He was done in less than an hour. Joe was very professional and polite. He put down protective mats so as not to soil our carpet and cleaned up when he was done. The price was a standard price for clearing the drain of that size regardless of time involved. That's great because you know up front what the cost is regardless of how long it takes. I guess for us, we were fortunate that it took less than an hour.

Shower head was leaking so I called Mr. Rooter to fix it. We set up an appt the next day and they called ahead to see if they could arrive a little earlier than planned (excellent). Steve showed up and analyzed the problem. He was extremely polite and helpful. He told me it was a simple fix, and I said I could do it on my own (it would have cost me $200+ for him to "fix" the problem...ouch). He offered to come back if I couldn't solve the problem on my own. He didn't charge me a service/fuel fee, which I sincerely appreciate since he didn't do any work. Because he was so sincere and friendly, I would definitely use him in the future for bigger plumbing problems! It is so nice to find an honest plumber who won't rip you off and charge you a lot of money for small things!

I called on a Sunday and someone was out within a few hours, figured out the problem and had it fixed quickly. Also whilehe was there, he checked all of the other toilets, sinks, hoses and let me know what might become an issue later.

The rep showed-up on time and fixed it. They just charged the diagnostic fee only which was quite high $118 (vs usual $75-80). Overall good work, were very quick but just too high diagnostic fee.

I called Mr. Rooter because I thought the drain to my dishwasher was clogged. It turned out that the dishwasher itself was malfunctioning, but the plumber they sent was very professional. He actually arrived early to the appointment, and there was no charge for the visit since they could not fix the problem. I would definitely call on them again if I have a true need for a plumber.

Figured i'd give this company a chance even with their 1 dispute. Called early in the morning figuring i'd leave a message and was greeted with a polite receptionist who contacted the plumber Joe to schedule an appointment. Plumber came to house on 3/11/12 at approximately 1:00 in the afternoon to look at dripping faucet repair. 1 hour late after schedule but no big deal. Plumber assessed the work and gave me an initial quote which I thought was acceptable. Told him i'd call in a few hours to schedule service. Called him and he said he would be able to come out in the morning. Called him in the morning and due to a mis-communication he would not be able to make it until noon. At 2:00 we called to find out his status. He said he would not be able to make it until 3:00 the next day. He showed up at 4:00 and began work. Informed me we needed new shut off valves and needed me to go get them so he can continue work. Ran up to local hardware and purchased valves at around $11 of my own money. Finished the work at 7:00 in the evening and we looked over things. Everything seemed to be holding up so we settled and used angie's coupon of $40. He said we needed to add another $10 for tax. Came down at 3:30 am to get coffee for work and noticed water dripping from the ceiling. Called both plumber and company to let them know and was hoping they could come out as soon as possible to fix. A job was put in front of this and he won't be able to come out until after 10:00 am. Water is shutdown and another day off from work. Very frustrated at the time of this writing and will update if they resolve this. Wish I could upload photos (Angie think about it). Just wanted to let others know. Just joined Angie's list recently. Update 6/15/12: Didn't realize there was a response. My issue was resolved by another company as the original plumber made several attempts to fix until he just left. So my repair did not cost $0 as the response says and I still have a damaged ceiling from this experience. Owner promised to send somebody out to look at my ceiling and repair if it would cost less than $200. Never heard a word.

Fine except it was a bit pricey and his work boots left black tread marks on the bathroom floor tiles.

They charged $85 for the service call. Angie's List coupon was not applied to it, and I had to pay the full amount. The guy showed up on time. In fact, he showed up early. I think he did a good job identifying the problem and made sure he found the cause. He couldn't fix it because it basically required a new unit, but he clearly showed me the problem. He is very professional.

I was really pleased with them. They did a good job. I would recommend them and I would use them again.

I called Mr. Rooter after paying for a visit from the heating/cooling company I use for my twice a year checkups. I thought the problem was with my water heater, but it turned out it wasn't. So I wasted $90 on the first visit. When I realized they weren't going to be able to solve my problem, I looked up nearby plumbers on Angie's List, and called Mr. Rooter. It was about 3:30 p.m., and I really wanted to get the leak fixed, as the water had spread under my carpet before I noticed there was a problem...and I wouldn't be home for the next couple of days. Joe arrived within the time the receptionist said he would, and he stayed until 6 p.m. to finish the job. He was courteous, neat and explained each step (and cost) before beginning the work. I was able to apply a $40 Angie's List coupon to the work, which helped defray the $90 I'd spent in vain on the first service person's visit. I was very pleased with the service, and will use this company the next time I need help with any plumbing issues.

After discovering a leak in a hose connection, I called Mr. Rooter. As it turned out, a failed pressure relief valve had caused a sudden surge in water pressure which exacerbated the leak. The valve had to be replaced, and the hose connection repacked. They setup an appointment for that afternoon. They arrived on time, did excellent work and were very professional. Highly recommended.

Overall, the "job" by John Blaine went VERY WELL!!!

Our overall experience with Mr. Rooter was excellent. I would definitely use Mr. Rooter in the future and recommend them to friends and neighbors.

I called Mr. Rooter about removing a bathtub spout that I had tried unsuccessfully to remove. John called me back and he was very patient and knowledgeable. He took time to understand the problem and offered solutions for how I might fix it myself. Ultimately I needed someone to come that day (Friday) and John wasn't available until Monday so I went with another company. John made a great impression and seems like someone with a lot of integrity. I am keeping him on my short list of plumbers for the future.

Very well. Please see previous comments.

I called a few companies and they were the only one who were able to send someone the same day. The plumber, John, arrived a few hours later. He tried his best to find the source of the leak without cutting into the drywall, but a small hole was needed. Once the source was identified as the plastic water line to the refrigerator's ice maker, which had been poorly installed a few months earlier, he gave me an estimate for the repairs and finished the work quickly. At every stage of the job John kept me well informed about what he was doing and why, and what he was thinking as he tried to identify the problem. I was very satisfied with the whole process, and would have no problem recommending them to anyone. Now it's time to speak with the folks who installed the water line initially...

Had a good experience using Mr. Rooter previously (repaired leaking toilet) so called them again. Reached them by phone on a Friday afternoon to set up appointment and plumber arrived at promised time on Monday morning. Had been unable to modulate hot/cold on 3 different Kohler-equipped showers (11 year old home); I'd previously attempted my own repair, struggled to find the proper replacement parts and decided it best to call in a pro. Mr. Rooter disassembled all 3 units and concluded the problem was likely the cartridge, which he didn't carry on his truck but could obtain from a local (Chantilly) Kohler parts distributor. Before proceeding to acquire the cartridges Mr. Rooter showed me the cost for the repair: $250 for the first and ~$200 each for the other two - although that sounded like 'premium pricing' to my non-plumber ear I didn't have time/interest in obtaining a second opinion so approved the cost. Mr. Rooter departed and returned an hour later and installed the 3 cartridges. Upon the restoration of water pressure to the system Mr. Rooter noted that two of the showers now leaked at the valve (they hadn't leaked before) and recommended that the appropriate fix was for him to now replace each of the valves. Not having much choice ($650 already invested in new cartridges + newly leaking valves = non-starter) I agreed to this additional work, since I would have no running water until this new situation was resolved. In hindsight I now realize I lost all my leverage by not negotiating the end price for the total repair before authorizing Mr. Rooter to return to the parts distributor for the required replacement valves. Mr. Rooter returned from the distributor with only two valves - he cleaned out their Kohler valve inventory and would have to return the following day to install a 3rd valve over-nighted from a regional distributor. My 'sticker shock' set in when presented with a bill for ~$1200 which appears to be the 'retail' cost for six separate repair tasks - replacing 3 cartridges and 3 valves. Kudos, I suppose, to Mr. Rooter for giving me a $40 price reduction for being an Angie's List member and for 'saving' me some $$ by including a $99 charge for a 3-year 'Advantage Plan' coverage that served to reduce the overall cost from what otherwise would have been an even more breathtaking price. Since Mr. Rooter had to remove the valve to reach/replace the cartridge, it's not clear to me why he also charged separately for the entire valve replacement task, too. In a quick online search I was able to determine that all the parts Mr. Rooter replaced retail for a total of about $200 so it appears I've paid about $1000 for labor. I understand that the 2nd trip to/from the parts distributor made the overall repair take longer but I figure an experienced plumber could/should have anticipated the need to replace both cartridges and valves, planned accordingly, and offered a 'package' rather than ala carte pricing. Bottom line: I like Mr. Rooter's responsiveness and friendly service but the pricing on this particular engagement seems way out of line. I may consider them if I ever face another plumbing problem but will insist upon receiving up front 1) a clear explanation of how they'll assess and fix the situation and 2) a not-to-exceed price.

Terry at Mr. Rooter was pleasant and easy to work with, he was responsive to my needs and respectful of my tenants wishes. The work was completed in a timely fashion. Will use again.

I was happy with the punctuality, but not happy with the professionalism or the quality of the work. The clog we had was backing up only in the kitchen, and the it was good to use the snake from there. But the plumbers did not take the time or effort to see if this could cause a problem in the basement and it ended up causing exactly that. If they had taken a little time to check things before they started the work they could have understood it might have saved me a lot of money (which i ended up spending on cleaning a flooded basement and replacing the carpets).

Everything went perfectly. Responsive, professional, and the job was done well.