Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Belleville and metro-east Illinois homeowners dealing with water damage that has led to mold growth, who want one company to handle both the plumbing source fix and the remediation.
Best for
- Belleville and metro-east St. Louis homeowners who need mold remediation tied to a water damage event — burst pipe, sewer backup, or basement flood.
- Buyers who want one company to fix the plumbing source, extract the water, and handle remediation without coordinating multiple contractors.
- Commercial property owners needing 24/7 emergency response with insurance documentation handled from the start.
- Homeowners on Belleville's clay-heavy soil dealing with recurring basement moisture and mold prevention after water intrusion.
About this company
Roto-Rooter in Belleville, IL is a franchise location of the national plumbing and water cleanup chain that has operated since 1935. Their primary identity is plumbing and drain service, but they run a full water damage restoration and mold remediation division out of the same operation. Ryan Mager manages the Belleville location at 110 W Main St.
The standout here is that Roto-Rooter handles the plumbing repair and the mold remediation under one roof. Most restoration companies call in a third-party plumber before they can start water removal. Roto-Rooter sends its own plumbers to fix the pipe, then its IICRC-trained restoration crew steps in with HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments. They also bill insurance directly and offer financing through Synchrony Bank.
This is a national franchise, not a local independent. The Belleville office covers the entire St. Louis metro area on both sides of the Mississippi, spanning 13 Missouri counties and 10 Illinois counties. They staff plumbing techs, drain techs, and water restoration crews around the clock — 24/7, 365 days a year.
4.8 stars across 2,862 Google reviews is a strong number for a franchise location handling this volume of service calls. Most of the praise centers on individual technicians rather than the brand, which suggests the Belleville crew is performing well despite the franchise's national scale.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Belleville, IL at 110 W Main St. Serves the entire St. Louis metro area across both Illinois and Missouri, including Saint Clair, Madison, and Monroe counties in Illinois, plus Saint Louis, Saint Charles, and Jefferson counties in Missouri — 23 counties total. That is a very large territory for one office; confirm dispatch times for locations far from Belleville.
Review consensus
Bob is the most frequently named technician across recent reviews, praised for fast drain clearing, friendliness, and clean work by reviewers Andy Watson, Kent Hendrickson, Yasmina Tungett, Don Conway-Long, Patrick Zang, Alexandra Heines, Brendan Brothers, Robin Edwards, Wiese, Nascar Hillbilly, and allanc3866. Connor draws similar praise for thoroughness and clear explanations from Heather Lloyd, Kimberly Allen, Julia Martin, Kevin Cox, Jake Byers, Frankie Galambos, and Rachel Bilyeu. Tim Dollens earned a specific shoutout from Karen Fogarty. Reviewers consistently highlight quick response times, same-day or next-day availability, and technicians who explain what they find.
3 found across 2862 total reviews at 4.8★. Three 1-star reviews exist in the recent window. Sandy Griffin left a textless 1-star; the owner responded asking for details via email. Laura Dozier had two clogged toilets fixed in under 30 minutes but called the $500+ charge insane. Matt Randall left a textless 1-star with no owner response. The 1-star reviews are thin on detail, but Laura Dozier's complaint reinforces the pricing pattern visible in the 2-star reviews.
The gap between field technicians and the back-office operation is the defining pattern here. Individual techs — Bob, Connor, Justin, Jeremy, Thomas — get praised even in negative reviews. The complaints cluster around pricing transparency, dispatch coordination failures (especially camera inspection scheduling), and upselling after the initial service call. Owner responses come from Pat Swanson, Customer Satisfaction Manager, and follow a near-identical template directing reviewers to email — rarely engaging with the specific complaint. The 92% response rate looks strong on paper, but the responses are reputation management rather than problem-solving. Stanley Donald's review is the exception: he updated his review to note that the company contacted him and offered satisfactory compensation.
Bob (drain/plumbing technician — praised in 10+ positive reviews for speed, friendliness, and clean work). Connor (plumbing technician — praised in 7+ reviews for thoroughness and clear explanations). Tim Dollens (technician — praised by Karen Fogarty as exceptional). Justin (technician — praised as excellent by Bill Pohl despite dispatch failure). Thomas (technician — described as fine by Stanley Donald). Jeremy (technician — described as polite by Tricia Roland despite cleanup complaints). Robert (technician — praised by Angie Gamlin). Ariel (technician — praised on website review excerpt). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — responds to nearly all negatives via template email).
Ask for Bob or Connor by name if you can. The field techs at this location earn their reviews. Get a written price before any work starts — the most common regret in negative reviews is agreeing to service before knowing the total cost. If someone suggests additional repairs in the thousands, take the proposal home and get a second quote before signing.
Keep in mind
- Mold remediation is a secondary service here. Roto-Rooter is a plumbing company first, and the mold work rolls out of their water damage restoration division. Ask how many mold-specific jobs the Belleville crew handles per month.
- Pricing drew the most complaints in recent reviews. Five of 13 recent negatives mention costs they considered excessive — one reviewer paid over $500 for a 30-minute toilet unclog, another was quoted $23,000 in sewer repairs after a routine clean-out. Get a written estimate before work starts.
- Multiple reviewers report upselling pressure after initial service. Two reviewers describe receiving repair proposals in the $15,000-$23,000 range during routine drain or sewer visits. A second opinion on large quotes is worth the extra call.
- Camera inspection follow-up is unreliable. Three separate reviewers — Drew Brown, Bill Pohl, and Zena Douglas-Nash — describe being promised a camera tech visit that never happened or was delayed for hours with conflicting information from dispatch.
- The service area spans 23 counties across two states. Confirm the Belleville crew handles your location directly rather than routing through the broader St. Louis metro dispatch.