Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Jacksonville homeowners who need a plumbing leak fixed and the resulting water damage or mold handled by one crew, especially in flood-prone neighborhoods like Riverside, Avondale, or the Beaches.
Best for
- Jacksonville homeowners in flood-prone neighborhoods like Riverside, Avondale, or the St. Johns riverfront who need water damage cleanup and mold remediation from the same company that fixes the plumbing source
- Property owners who want one contractor to handle the plumbing repair, water extraction, drying, and insurance documentation rather than coordinating separate companies
- Commercial property managers in Duval or St. Johns County who need 24/7 emergency water response with insurance billing handled directly
- Homeowners with a straightforward drain clog or water heater issue who want same-day service with no call-out fee
About this company
Roto-Rooter in Jacksonville is a national franchise location at 2028 W 21st St, managed by Steven Balocca (the website also names Doug Campbell as a manager). Their primary identity is plumbing and water damage restoration. Mold remediation is an extension of their water cleanup division -- when a pipe bursts and mold grows behind the wall, they handle both the source fix and the remediation. They hold Florida plumbing license CFC 1429911 and their technicians carry IICRC certification for water damage restoration.
What stands out is the scope. Roto-Rooter runs plumbing, water damage, and mold remediation crews from the same office, which means one call can cover the broken pipe, the water extraction, the structural drying, and the mold work afterward. Their mold remediation page describes HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidification, and antimicrobial treatments. They also offer Synchrony financing for uncovered work. None of these capabilities are unusual for a national restoration brand, but having them bundled with 24/7 plumbing in a city where humidity tops 75% year-round and hurricane season compounds flood risk has practical value.
Roto-Rooter has operated nationally since 1935. The Jacksonville office claims coverage across 10 counties -- Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Putnam, Union, and St. Johns -- reaching from Amelia Island down to Palatka and west to Lake City. They serve both residential and commercial clients, including property managers, restaurants, and medical facilities.
A 4.8-star rating across 4,516 Google reviews is strong volume. The high rating reflects consistently praised individual plumbers rather than generic brand satisfaction -- reviewers name specific technicians in the majority of positive reviews.
Services
Service area
Headquartered at 2028 W 21st St in Jacksonville, FL. Claims coverage across 10 counties: Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Putnam, Union, and St. Johns. Named communities include Riverside, Avondale, San Marco, Springfield, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Fernandina Beach, Palatka, Lake City, Macclenny, and Starke. The reach from Palatka to Lake City to Amelia Island is broad for same-day service -- confirm response time for locations outside core Jacksonville.
Review consensus
Nate Williams (#2815) is the standout -- named in at least 12 positive reviews for drain clearing, toilet removal, and water heater troubleshooting. Reviewers describe him as honest, fast, and willing to explain what he finds. Zachary appears in five or more positive reviews, praised for honesty and clear assessments, including a reviewer with a construction background who called him straightforward. Brandon draws praise for unclogging toilets and fixing main valve leaks with speed. James is mentioned for persistence and going beyond the minimum to finish jobs correctly. Scott Barnikel gets a callout for quick, clean water tech work. Other named plumbers with positive mentions include Nate (also referenced as Nathaniel), Guy, Damion, Saw, Andrew, and Bryon (water mitigation coordinator).
11 found across 4516 total reviews at 4.8★. Upselling is the dominant complaint. Moto Marmot (35 reviews, Local Guide) describes a $515 Easter drain clearing where two additional people arrived and pushed a $3,651 hydro-jetting add-on plus unrelated moisture and bathtub services -- despite the technician Zachary doing a good job. Amanda Whitener was quoted $10,000 to remodel a kitchen for a slow-draining sink that a second plumber snaked and fixed in minutes. Michael Ticknor was quoted $750 for a routine kitchen sink clog and waited 3.5 hours past his window. Pricing disputes escalate sharply on water damage and mold work: CeeCee describes an initial $2,000 water damage estimate that ballooned to $19,000 with a lien threat, and Jairo De La Hoz Jr (82 reviews, Local Guide) reports a $14,000 bill for water damage/mold remediation and notes the same happened to his neighbor. Scheduling failures appear in two reviews -- Janee Sapp waited past 8 PM for a technician who got off at 6 PM, and Nicole Williams describes late arrival with price changes and disrespectful treatment of her 80-year-old veteran grandfather. Marquis Tanis describes paying a large sum with the problem unresolved, and notes two managers on the same job who were not communicating with each other. Ling Li paid $130 for a five-minute water heater visit that produced no fix.
The negative reviews split into two distinct categories. Plumbing-side complaints focus on upselling: the field technician does competent work, but additional people arrive and push expensive add-ons. Water damage and mold complaints focus on billing: the initial quote is manageable, but the final bill is many times higher. Owner responses to all 11 recent negative reviews are identical templates directing customers to Pat Swanson -- none acknowledge the specific complaint, none offer a resolution, and one response to a text-less 1-star review says simply "I understand your concerns." This is templated reputation management, not complaint resolution.
Nate Williams (#2815) (plumber -- positive, named in 12+ reviews). Zachary (plumber -- positive in multiple reviews; also praised by a 1-star reviewer for his field work despite upselling complaint). Brandon (plumber -- positive in multiple reviews). James (plumber -- positive in multiple reviews). Scott Barnikel (water tech -- positive). Guy (plumber -- positive in multiple reviews). Damion (plumber -- positive). Nathaniel/Nate (plumber -- positive). Saw (plumber -- positive). Andrew (plumber -- positive). Bryon (water mitigation coordinator -- positive). Eric (water damage cleanup -- positive). Pat Swanson (customer satisfaction manager -- from all owner responses). Steven Balocca (location manager -- from website). Doug Campbell (manager -- from website).
Ask for Nate Williams or Zachary by name for plumbing work. Get a written estimate before any work starts and do not agree to add-on services pitched by anyone other than your assigned technician. For water damage or mold work, get an independent mold inspection first and request a detailed written scope with line-item pricing before signing -- multiple reviewers report final bills five to ten times the initial verbal quote.
Keep in mind
- Roto-Rooter does both mold testing and mold remediation. A company that profits from the remediation has a financial incentive to find mold. Get an independent mold inspection before agreeing to their remediation scope.
- Aggressive upselling is the most consistent complaint pattern. One reviewer describes a $515 drain clearing that triggered a $3,651 hydro-jetting pitch from "supervisors" who arrived separately. Another was quoted $10,000 for a kitchen sink remodel when a second plumber fixed the clog in minutes. A third reports a water damage job quoted around $2,000 that later became a $19,000 bill with a lien threat.
- Water damage and mold remediation billing draws the sharpest complaints. Two separate reviewers describe bills that escalated dramatically from initial estimates -- one to $14,000, another to $19,000 -- with Synchrony financing offered. Both describe the process as a bait-and-switch.
- Every owner response to negative reviews follows the same template: direct the customer to email Pat Swanson at pat.swanson@rrsc.com. None of the 11 responses engage with the specific complaint, which suggests automated reputation management rather than actual problem resolution.
- The 10-county service area stretches from Amelia Island to Palatka and Lake City. Confirm actual response time for locations outside core Duval County.