Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
East Bay homeowners dealing with water damage that has turned into a mold problem, where having plumbing repair and remediation handled by one crew under one call matters more than mold-specific depth.
Best for
- Concord and East Bay homeowners who discover mold after a pipe burst, sewer backup, or water heater failure and want plumbing repair and mold remediation from one company.
- Commercial property managers in Contra Costa or Alameda County who need water damage and mold work documented for insurance claims.
- Homeowners facing a weekend or after-hours water emergency where mold prevention needs to start within 24-48 hours of the water event.
- Buyers who want to deal with a single national brand rather than coordinating separate plumbing and mold contractors.
About this company
Roto-Rooter in Concord is a national plumbing franchise that also handles water damage restoration and mold remediation. Their office at 3500 Clayton Rd serves the East Bay, managed by Bill Ervolina. Mold work is a secondary service line — their primary identity is plumbing and drain cleaning, and they frame mold remediation as one step in their water damage restoration process.
The one thing that genuinely sets them apart from mold-only companies: they fix the plumbing problem that caused the water damage and handle the mold remediation in a single engagement. They staff IICRC-trained water damage technicians and list HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments on their mold remediation page. Their website also references AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician) training for mold crews.
Roto-Rooter has operated since 1935 as a national brand. This Concord location covers Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin counties — a wide territory. They offer 24/7 availability, free estimates, no extra charge for nights and weekends, and financing through Synchrony Bank. They hold California contractor license #806952.
4.8 stars across 2,543 Google reviews is a strong rating at that volume. Most of the praise lands on individual technicians rather than the company as a whole, which is typical for franchise operations where the person who shows up matters more than the brand name.
Services
Service area
Headquartered at 3500 Clayton Rd, Suite 113, Concord, CA. Serves Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin counties, including San Pablo, San Leandro, San Ramon, Dublin, Livermore, Tracy, Oakland, Alameda, Fremont, Union City, Hayward, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, and San Lorenzo. Three-county coverage is broad for a single office — confirm response times for locations far from Concord.
Review consensus
Roni draws the most praise across multiple reviews — customers call out his clear explanations, fast leak repairs, and willingness to walk through every part he replaced. Logan gets repeat mentions for being helpful and knowledgeable on water heater and shower repairs. Chris and Chris Abbey earn praise for quick diagnostics and multiple solution options. Jose, Juan, Patrick Humphreys, and Alex also receive individual praise. Across the positives, same-day and weekend availability comes up repeatedly, along with technicians who explain what they find and clean up after themselves.
10 found across 2543 total reviews at 4.8★. Pricing dominates the complaints. To kenn paid $800 for what amounted to removing tape from a shower wall and reported a part marked up from $20 to $60. Charlotte Truex was quoted $650 for a camera inspection on a clog, cursed the technician out, and the price dropped to $350. Jessica Cheng reported $5,000 charged for what she estimated was a $500 fix and described insurance gouging. Steve Burrows was quoted nearly $500 for 15 minutes of snaking a toilet and could not get a discount voucher honored. CJ Morales hired them for mold remediation on a kitchen floor — they never provided an estimate or timeline, disrupted the household for weeks, damaged ceilings, left the floors worse than before, billed $7,000, and placed a lien on the home when the bill was disputed. Shanina Shumate called for emergency service and was told to schedule an appointment despite the website advertising 24/7 availability. Mary T had a no-show during a scheduled window for a busted water line, costing her the chance to hire someone else that night. Neil Ciungan had a 12-2 appointment window; the tech arrived at 5:30 PM and immediately said they would not repair his water heater, only quote a replacement.
Every owner response follows the same template: Pat Swanson, Customer Satisfaction Manager, acknowledges the frustration and asks the reviewer to email with their address and a copy of the review. None of the responses engage with the specific complaint or explain what happened. Two responses claim they cannot find the customer in their system. This is reputation management by template, not substantive engagement with complaints. The pricing complaints span plumbing, water heater, and mold work, suggesting this is a systemic issue with how the franchise prices jobs rather than a rogue technician problem.
Roni (technician — praised in 5+ reviews for fast repairs and clear communication). Logan (technician — praised in 4+ reviews for helpfulness on water heaters and showers). Chris / Chris Abbey (technician — praised in 3 reviews for quick diagnostics). Jose (plumber — praised for diagnosing plumbing layout issues). Juan (technician — praised for integrity and friendliness). Patrick Humphreys (plumber — praised for identifying and fixing a ceiling leak). Alex (technician — praised in 2 reviews for detailed repairs). Brian (technician — praised for explaining the process). Ahmad (technician — praised for efficient plumbing fix). Rick (installer — praised for water heater installation). Lex (technician — praised). Sal (technician — praised for walkthrough of parts and pricing). Joseph (technician — praised for Sunday service). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — responds to all negative reviews with template language).
Roto-Rooter works well when you need plumbing and water damage handled fast under one call — ask for Roni or Logan by name if available. For mold-specific work, their one detailed mold review went badly, and their core strength is clearly plumbing, not remediation. Get a written estimate with line-item pricing before any work starts, and consider an independent mold assessment before agreeing to their remediation scope.
Keep in mind
- Roto-Rooter does both mold testing and mold remediation. When the same company tests for mold and then sells you the remediation work, they have a financial incentive to find problems. Consider getting an independent mold test before committing to their remediation services.
- Pricing is the most consistent complaint in their reviews. Multiple reviewers report sticker shock — one described an $800 charge to remove tape from a shower wall, another was quoted $650 for a drain camera then negotiated down to $350, and a third reported $5,000 for what they felt was a $500 fix. Get a written estimate before work begins.
- One reviewer hired them specifically for a mold job on a kitchen floor and reported weeks of disruption, damaged ceilings, unfinished work, worsened floors, and a $7,000 bill followed by a lien on their home. This is a single account, but it suggests mold remediation is not their strongest service line.
- Several reviewers reported that 24/7 availability did not match their experience — one was told emergency service was not available and they needed to schedule an appointment, another had a no-show during a promised window.
- Their service area spans three counties. Confirm the Concord office will handle your job directly rather than dispatching from a more distant location.