Predatory, Incompetent, or Both -- Avoid Roto-Rooter at All Costs…read more
My experience with Roto-Rooter was so appalling, I feel morally obligated to warn others.
It started with a sewage backup in my 792 sq ft basement on May 28, 2025. I had no prior experience with this, so I called Roto-Rooter, thinking they were reputable. They charged me $800 just to unclog the drain, which seemed high but I assumed it was a complex job. Because there was sewage involved, they told me I needed a quote for cleanup -- citing bacteria in the concrete. Fair enough.
Then their Water Restoration Field Supervisor came to my home, reassured me the cleanup would take 2-3 days, and promised help in submitting the claim to my insurance. My insurance called multiple times with no response. Eventually, because this Google review, they responded.
Shortly after, another technician came in saying he couldn't get the camera down the pipe to inspect it. He showed me how it wouldn't go through, then confidently told me it was broken pipes and quoted me $8,500 to jackhammer the basement and replace the piping with PVC. I didn't bite.
Two weeks later -- yes, two -- they finally said the basement was dry. It made no sense to me that it would take that long, but I'm not a restoration expert, so I deferred to them.
Eventually, I got suspicious and called a second company. The tech immediately ran a camera through the pipe -- no issue at all. He said he'd never heard of a camera being unable to pass unless something was being done wrong. The footage showed no broken pipes, just minimal root intrusion. In short, Roto-Rooter lied or was completely inept.
And then came the gut punch: I received a $23,000 bill. For a partial basement cleanup of a minor sewage backup. I wish I were kidding. Look at the photos -- there is simply no way the work done justifies that cost.
To recap:
* They charged exorbitantly for simple services.
* Lied (or were clueless) about my pipe condition.
* Tried to upsell a $8.5K excavation based on false information.
* Took far too long to complete a basic drying job.
* Promised insurance help and then ghosted me. (Eventually after my reviews, they responded)
* And in the end, sent a $23,000 invoice that is beyond outrageous.
Do NOT trust Roto-Rooter. They are either dangerously incompetent, or predatory scammers -- possibly both.
UPDATE: After receiving the insurance audit report, I can now confirm that Roto-Rooter massively overbilled and lied repeatedly throughout this process.
They initially quoted $6k-$11k for water cleanup after a small sewage backup. What happened? A final settlement from my insurance adjuster of $11,328 for a partial basement cleanup -- with drying equipment left for 14 days for no legitimate reason. BUT ROTO ROOTER WOULD NOT RESPOND TO NEGOTIATIONS. As of July 29th, they have not responded.
They also falsely claimed I was hard to contact or not available. That is absolutely untrue. I was either working from home while they were in the house or received 20-minute notice and arrived on time.
They also implied I was going in and out of the basement, interfering. Another lie. I never opened the basement door while they were working -- except once, when all of their equipment had mysteriously stopped running and I checked on it. That was it.
The insurance adjuster's audit backed up all my suspicions: they overcharged and found no justification for their bill.
UPDATE 2:
On August 5th, I received a lien threat from them because of their unwillingness to negotiate. It wasn't until August 13th that Roto-Rooter began showing a willingness to negotiate after I got a higher up email address. They falsely accused me of stopping my insurance from negotiating. It is not true and my insurance confirmed. As of August 18th, there has been progress in negotiations but there has been no agreement.
Update 8/19:
Roto-Rooter offered to settle at $19,000 (matching my insurance's position) but only if I removed all my posts, reviews, BBB complaint, Attorney General complaint, and agreed never to post about my experience in the future. I declined because my freedom of speech is not for sale. I did, however, accept $19,000 if my right to speak honestly about my experience remains intact.
9/3: After months of stress, I finally resolved my case with Roto-Rooter. My insurance generously paid $17,500, even though an independent audit valued the job at only $11,400. I ended up paying an extra $1,000 out of pocket just to walk away with a paid-in-full receipt for a $20,000 bill on a minor sewage cleanup in an unfinished basement.
This was the most exhausting experience I've ever had as a homeowner. I would urge anyone considering this company to be extremely cautious.
I have been through 19 rebuttals with them on the BBB, about 100 emails, and I filed a complaint with the Attorney General, the Ombudsman of Dayton and the FTC.
Friends don't let friends choose Roto-Rooter.
