Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Groton and southeastern Connecticut homeowners dealing with water damage that has led to mold growth, who want the plumbing repair and remediation handled by one company with 24/7 availability.
Best for
- Groton and New London County homeowners dealing with water damage from burst pipes or flooding who want one company to fix the plumbing, extract the water, and handle mold treatment.
- Property owners who need emergency water extraction at night, on weekends, or on holidays, when smaller local companies are unavailable.
- Homeowners in coastal southeastern Connecticut whose older galvanized or cast iron plumbing is prone to corrosion failures that lead to water damage and mold.
- Commercial property managers across the broader Connecticut region who need a single vendor for plumbing, water damage, and mold remediation with insurance documentation.
About this company
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup in Groton is a franchise location of the national chain, based at 495 Gold Star Hwy. Their core business is plumbing and water damage restoration. Mold remediation is a downstream service they offer when water damage leads to mold growth. The Groton office operates under manager Brian Kix and claims coverage across eight Connecticut counties.
The main differentiator is the combined plumbing-and-restoration model. When a burst pipe or sewer backup causes flooding and subsequent mold, Roto-Rooter sends a plumber to fix the source and a restoration crew to extract water, dry the structure, and treat for mold. The national mold page describes IICRC and AMRT training, HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments. Their Groton page highlights that the coastal environment in southeastern Connecticut accelerates pipe corrosion in older systems with galvanized steel or cast iron, which makes the combined plumbing-plus-restoration approach relevant for this area.
The Roto-Rooter brand dates to 1935. The Groton location offers senior and military discounts, financing options, and works directly with insurance companies on claims documentation.
4.9 stars across 210 Google reviews is an unusually high rating for a franchise plumbing operation. The positive reviews consistently highlight fast same-day response and individual technicians who take time to explain their work. The negatives cluster around pricing, not work quality.
Services
Service area
Based in Groton, Connecticut at 495 Gold Star Hwy STE 212. The water damage restoration page lists eight counties served: New Haven, Middlesex, Fairfield, Litchfield, Hartford, Windham, Tolland, and New London. A related Bridgeport office service area page lists cities across all of Connecticut. For mold and water damage emergencies, confirm whether the Groton office or another location dispatches to your area and what the expected response time is.
Review consensus
Charles dominates the recent positive reviews. Jennifer Bayles called him the most competent plumbing technician she had ever encountered, noting he identified systemic issues that three previous plumbers missed. Chris M (Local Guide, 70 reviews) praised Charles for explaining everything upfront and sticking to what was agreed. Susan Van Riper said Charles arrived within an hour and fixed the problem. Rolando Su (Local Guide, 27 reviews) described his work as fast, efficient, and effective. Merg (also spelled Merge, likely Mergim Morina based on reviewer list) draws a separate cluster of praise. Nancy Sawyer praised his courtesy and clear explanations. Dawn McCartan (Local Guide, 37 reviews) highlighted his thoroughness, cleanliness, and reasonable pricing with coupons. Mary Pat Gritzmacher described him as helpful, responsive, and easy to work with. Same-day or within-the-hour response is the most consistent theme.
6 found across 210 total reviews at 4.9★. Pricing is the dominant complaint. Brian Mccarthy (9 reviews) said the experience was good but the $2,000 price was absurd for work he believed should cost half. Ron Culpepper described his mother being charged over $600 to snake a sink drain and said the company never called back after he protested. Brianna Fink (3 reviews) paid $430 for a visit where nothing was fixed or replaced, then hired another plumber who solved the problem for $200 in an hour. Frederick (5 reviews) left a one-star warning without specifics. Scott Hicking left a wordless one-star rating. The owner responded to all six negatives with the same template directing reviewers to email Pat Swanson.
The pricing complaints follow a pattern common to national franchise plumbing operations: flat-rate pricing that does not scale down for simple jobs. Brianna Fink's experience is the clearest example, where a $430 charge produced no repair. The 100% owner response rate looks attentive on paper, but all six responses use identical language directing reviewers to the same email address. None acknowledge the specific pricing concern or explain what drove the cost. Nick Currier's three-star review is notable because it confirms the pattern from the positive side: he said the technicians were nice and fixed the problem right away, but the price was too high. The owner's response to Currier was the only one that mentioned connecting with management, suggesting some complaints do get escalated.
Charles (plumbing/restoration technician — strongly positive, named in 5+ reviews for fast response, clear communication, diagnosing problems others missed, and upfront pricing). Merg/Merge/Mergim Morina (plumbing/drain technician — strongly positive, named in 5+ reviews for courtesy, thoroughness, cleanliness, and clear explanations). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — neutral, named only in template owner responses to negative reviews). Brian Kix (Manager — neutral, named on the Groton water damage restoration page, not referenced in reviews).
Ask for Charles or Merg by name. Both draw consistently strong reviews for communication, speed, and thoroughness. Get every price in writing before work begins, because pricing is the only recurring complaint at this location. For mold-specific work, ask the Groton office directly whether they have AMRT-trained remediation crew on staff locally or whether that work gets dispatched from another office, since no Google reviews reference mold remediation jobs here.
Keep in mind
- Pricing runs high relative to what reviewers expected. One reviewer paid $430 for a plumbing visit where nothing was fixed. Another reported $600 to snake a sink drain. A third described the work as good but 'WAY OVER PRICED.' Get a written estimate and compare before authorizing work.
- The eight-county service area claim covers New Haven, Middlesex, Fairfield, Litchfield, Hartford, Windham, Tolland, and New London. That is essentially all of Connecticut from a single Groton office. Response times outside New London County will vary. Confirm dispatch location and arrival window before booking.
- Every owner response to negative reviews follows the same template: contact Pat Swanson, Customer Satisfaction Manager, via email. None engage with the specific complaint. This is reputation management, not problem-solving.
- No Google reviews mention mold remediation work at this location. All review evidence relates to plumbing, drain cleaning, and water damage restoration. The mold service claims come from a national Roto-Rooter webpage, not from locally confirmed customer experiences.
- Roto-Rooter uses a national call center for scheduling. The person booking your appointment may not know the local team's availability or pricing structure. Confirm the scope, cost, and who will show up directly with the Groton office.