Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Ontario and Inland Empire homeowners dealing with water damage that led to mold, who want one company to handle plumbing repair, water extraction, and mold remediation under a single call.
Best for
- Ontario, Chino, Upland, and Inland Empire homeowners who need mold remediation tied to a plumbing failure or water damage event.
- Buyers who want one company to fix the water source, extract water, dry the structure, and remediate mold — no coordinating multiple contractors.
- Commercial property managers in Orange, LA, San Bernardino, or Riverside counties who need 24/7 emergency water and mold response with insurance documentation.
- Homeowners who value same-day scheduling and round-the-clock availability over lowest-price bidding.
About this company
Roto-Rooter in Ontario is a franchise location of the national plumbing and water cleanup chain, headquartered at 1131 W 6th St in Ontario, California. The Ontario branch manages by Bruce Marcotte and covers four counties: Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside. Mold remediation is one piece of a much larger operation that centers on plumbing, drain cleaning, and water damage restoration.
The main differentiator here is the single-provider model. Roto-Rooter employs both plumbers and IICRC-trained water restoration technicians, so the same company that fixes the burst pipe also extracts the water, dries the structure, and handles mold remediation. Most standalone mold companies need to wait for a third-party plumber before they can start work. The website describes HEPA air filtration, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments for mold jobs, and the company holds CA Contractor License #806952.
Roto-Rooter has operated nationally since 1935. The Ontario location is a member of BOMA, PHCC, the Corona Chamber of Commerce, and the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber. The location holds a BBB A+ rating.
4.8 stars across 1,381 Google reviews is a strong number for a high-volume franchise operation. That volume means you are reading signal from hundreds of real jobs, not a handful of filtered ratings. The consistent praise for named technicians suggests the local crew delivers, even if the national brand's pricing structure draws regular complaints.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Ontario, California. The Ontario branch lists specific cities including Ontario, Chino, Claremont, La Verne, Mira Loma, Montclair, and Upland. The broader Anaheim metro service area page lists coverage across four counties — Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside — with dozens of cities from Aliso Viejo to Yorba Linda. That is a very large territory for a single office location.
Review consensus
Jose stands out across the most reviews — praised by Kerry Donovan, Line Moisan, Kirk Aljawad, Jean Nabwire, Yang Fan, Tino Garcia, and Debrah Knight for explaining his work, wearing protective booties, and showing genuine care. Chris draws repeat praise from Elaine Sandoval, Shari Jolicoeur, Alex Doonan, Jennifer Estrada, Darryl Ross, and Darrin Jackson for communication and fast work. John earns mentions from Diana Gallegos, T L, Brian Barnett, and the website-featured Chelena S. and Ronney S. reviews. Perry S., Thomas, Tom, Gabriel, Jacob Kim, Adrial, Gary Stevens, Israel, David, A'ynis Benitez, Robert, Keith, and Nicholas all receive individual positive mentions. Reviewers consistently highlight same-day service, clear explanations of the problem, and technicians arriving within the quoted window.
6 found across 1381 total reviews at 4.8★. Pricing dominates complaints. Bianca J. reported Manuel quoted $850 to replace a shower cartridge that cost $8 at a hardware store. Wayne Bateman and N Wilson (both 3-star) also called prices "ridiculously high" and "overpriced." Scheduling reliability is the second theme: Julie Biggio's 9 AM appointment was unilaterally moved to 3 PM with a dismissive explanation. Patrick Worley paid $500 for a camera inspection where the camera operator never showed despite three follow-up calls. Duc Hoang (2-star) paid for a camera inspection and waited three months without a scheduling callback. Lucas Beltran described a misdiagnosed leak, a broken shower handle, four different technicians sent to his home across multiple days, a supervisor who hung up on his wife, and ongoing overcharges. Yunuen Knight reported gas explosions from a water heater after a technician's visit, a no-show for the follow-up, and an office that gave the runaround. Gilmar Duarte said a technician misdiagnosed a sewer problem and corporate never responded to his phone calls or emails.
The gap between field technician quality and office/scheduling operations is the defining pattern. Individual technicians like Jose, Chris, and John earn effusive, specific praise. But when something goes wrong — a follow-up visit, a scheduling change, a complaint escalation — the office side fails to deliver. Camera inspections paid for but never scheduled (two separate reviewers), appointments silently rescheduled, and a corporate complaint process that apparently leads nowhere. The owner response pattern reinforces this: every single negative review gets the identical Pat Swanson template asking the customer to email in, with no public evidence of resolution. The company responds to 100% of negatives, but the responses read as reputation management rather than problem-solving.
Jose (technician — praised by 7+ reviewers for communication, care, and protective measures). Chris (technician — praised by 6+ reviewers for communication and speed). John (technician — praised by 4+ reviewers). John Rice (technician — praised for knowledge and attention to detail by Chelena S.). Perry S. (technician — praised for diagnosing and same-day fixing a leak by Andrea T.). Thomas (technician — praised for promptness and quality parts by Steve Marsh). Tom (technician — praised for punctuality and knowledge by Hany Meleika). Gabriel (technician — praised for friendliness, noted as prompt by Jeremy Locanas). Jacob Kim (technician — praised for professionalism by Anthony Garcia). Adrial (technician — praised for service by JC Chavez). Gary Stevens (technician — praised for drain work and explanations by Christopher N.). Israel (technician — praised for professionalism by Gerdy B. and patience by Dawn M.). David (technician — praised for promptness by Caterina K.). A'ynis Benitez (technician — praised for professionalism by Michael W.). Robert (technician — praised for knowledge by Perla R. and promptness by Dennis C.). Keith (technician — praised for efficiency and COVID precautions by Lauren S.). Nicholas (technician — praised for follow-through by Don C.). Cameron (technician — praised for professionalism by Brian Zepeda). Gary (technician — praised by Jennifer K.). Kyle (technician — praised alongside Gary by Manuel Walker). Manuel (technician — criticized for $850 cartridge quote and rudeness by Bianca J.). Bruce Marcotte (manager — named on website). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — named in all owner responses).
Ask for Jose or Chris by name when you book. Get a written, itemized estimate before any work starts — pricing complaints are too consistent to ignore, even among reviewers who liked the work itself. If your job requires a follow-up visit like a camera inspection, confirm the date and time in writing before the technician leaves.
Keep in mind
- Roto-Rooter does both mold testing and mold remediation. The website states that an "indoor environmental professional" tests the area when microbial growth is suspected, then Roto-Rooter's own team does the remediation. Ask whether the testing and remediation are performed by separate, independent entities.
- Pricing is the single most common complaint across all review tiers. Multiple reviewers — including those who gave 4 or 5 stars — describe costs as "ridiculously high," "borderline outrageous," or "a little pricey." One reviewer reported an $850 quote to replace a shower cartridge her husband fixed for $8. Get a written estimate before work begins and compare it to at least one other bid.
- Several negative reviews describe missed appointments and no-shows for follow-up work like camera inspections. Two reviewers paid for services that required a follow-up visit that never materialized despite repeated calls.
- The service area claim spans four counties — Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside — which is a very large footprint. Response times outside the immediate Ontario area could differ from what the Ontario listing suggests.
- All owner responses to negative reviews follow the same template: apologize, redirect to Pat Swanson via email. None of the responses engage with the specific complaint or offer a concrete resolution in the public reply.