Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Northwest Indiana homeowners dealing with water damage who need plumbing repairs and water extraction handled by one company, with 24/7 same-day dispatch from a Merrillville base.
Best for
- Northwest Indiana homeowners who need water extraction and the plumbing fix done by one company in a single visit.
- Emergency situations — flooded basements, sewer backups, burst pipes — where 24/7 same-day dispatch matters more than finding the lowest price.
- Insurance-claim jobs where you want a company that documents damage with photos, diagrams, and drying logs, then bills your insurer directly.
- HOAs and commercial properties that need large-scale water removal or field drainage work.
- Homeowners who want financing options for unexpected water damage or mold remediation costs.
About this company
Roto-Rooter's Merrillville, Indiana branch operates as both a plumbing repair and water damage restoration company out of 3620 W 80th Lane. That dual capability is the main draw: when a pipe bursts, their plumbers fix the source while a separate restoration crew extracts water and starts drying — no waiting on a third-party plumber. They handle mold remediation as part of their water damage work, not as a standalone service.
Their restoration crews hold IICRC and AMRT certifications and use HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments. They bill insurance companies directly and offer Synchrony Bank financing. The mold remediation page describes inspection, source detection, plumbing repair, contaminated material removal, HEPA air filtration, surface cleaning, disinfection, deodorizing, and drying — all documented for insurance claims.
This is a franchise branch of the national Roto-Rooter chain, which has operated since 1935. The local manager is Andrew Collings. They hold Illinois and Indiana plumbing licenses, carry a BBB A+ rating, and belong to the Chicagoland and National Apartment Associations. Their service territory spans Lake and Porter counties in Indiana plus several Illinois and Wisconsin counties around greater Chicago.
4.8 stars across 1,092 Google reviews is a strong number for a high-volume franchise operation. Most plumbing and restoration companies in the region carry fewer reviews with similar or lower ratings. The volume itself signals consistent traffic — they handle a lot of calls.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. Covers Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, plus Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, Grundy, DeKalb, and Kendall counties in Illinois, and Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties in Wisconsin. That is an enormous territory spanning three states — confirm that your specific address falls within the Merrillville branch's actual dispatch range rather than being routed to a different franchise location.
Review consensus
Brandon is by far the most-mentioned technician, appearing in over 20 reviews. Customers consistently describe him as knowledgeable, fast, communicative, and personable — he handles everything from sump pump installs to pipe replacements to drain cleaning. Elvis gets credit for solving drain clogs that another plumber could not fix. Frank Dresden earned praise for guiding a distraught homeowner through water heater damage and acting as an advocate with insurance. Matt showed a customer camera footage of their pipes before and after the work. Luis fixed a clogged toilet in five minutes. Jonathon and Sean both receive praise for thoroughness. The operational strength reviewers mention most: same-day or next-day response, even on weekends and holidays.
9 found across 1,092 total reviews at 4.8★. Pricing dominates. Johnny Rivera was told a job needed a $10,000 replacement; a second plumber rodded the line for $450. Joycelyn Smith's routine drain cleaning started at $850 before dropping to $300. Gabriel Garcia negotiated $250, then was told the price was $350 three days later by text. Tom S paid for a drain cleaning that failed to clear root blockages, then could not reach the company to honor its 30-day guarantee. Scheduling failures form the second pattern. Paulina Herrera's crew never showed — twice. Kathy Parzych waited from 9:30 AM to 3 PM on an emergency call, then hired another company. Noah Aguilera was given shifting timeframes for over 24 hours. Princess Ferlyn Arenas was rescheduled without notice and dealt with an impolite dispatcher. Michael Ladd describes the most concerning experience: the first person to arrive was not a service technician but someone who started taking photos and pushing an insurance claim. When Ladd hired another company, the original visitor contacted him repeatedly, insisting he sign a contract and telling him he did not know what he was doing. Ladd owns a construction company.
The franchise model likely drives both the strengths and the complaints. High call volume means fast dispatch most of the time — but also means techs get stretched thin, creating no-shows. The pricing pattern (high initial quote, then negotiation) reads like a commission-driven sales structure rather than fixed-rate pricing. Every owner response comes from Pat Swanson, a corporate customer satisfaction manager, not local management. The responses are templated and never engage with the specific complaint — this is corporate reputation management, not local problem-solving. Several responses say the customer cannot be found in the system, which is unusual given that some reviewers provide specific dollar amounts and service details.
Brandon (plumbing technician — overwhelmingly positive, 20+ mentions). Frank Dresden (water mitigation — positive, praised as customer advocate). Elvis (drain technician — positive, solved problems others could not). Matt (technician — positive, showed camera footage). Luis (technician — positive, fast fix). Jonathon (technician — positive, informative). Sean (technician — positive). Tyler (technician — positive, good assessment and communication). Ed (technician — positive, basement drain repair). Armion, tech 601 (technician — positive, quick response). Josh (sewer technician — mixed, initial work did not hold but returned under warranty). Chris (technician — positive work quality, quote concerns). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — responds to all negative reviews with template language).
Ask for Brandon by name if he is available — his track record across 20+ reviews is unusually consistent for a franchise operation. Get your quote in writing before any work starts, and do not let anyone pressure you into signing a contract or filing an insurance claim on the spot. If the initial price seems high, push back — multiple reviewers report significant discounts after negotiating.
Keep in mind
- Pricing is the dominant complaint. Multiple reviewers describe initial quotes of $750-$850 for drain cleaning that dropped to $250-$629 after pushback. One reviewer was quoted $10,000 for a job another plumber handled for $450. If you call Roto-Rooter, get a written quote and a second opinion before signing.
- Scheduling reliability is uneven. Five of the 13 recent negative reviews describe no-shows, multi-hour delays, or repeated rescheduling — sometimes for emergencies. Their 24/7 availability promise does not always translate to on-time arrival.
- One reviewer (Michael Ladd, a construction company owner) described receiving repeated follow-up calls pressuring him to sign a contract and file an insurance claim after an initial visit he did not request. This is a single account, but worth knowing.
- All owner responses to negative reviews follow the same template: Pat Swanson, Customer Satisfaction Manager, apologizes briefly and directs the reviewer to email. None address the substance of the complaint. Several say they cannot find the customer's record.
- Mold remediation is a secondary service tied to their water damage work. If you need standalone mold removal unrelated to a plumbing or flooding event, this may not be the right fit.