Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
East Lansing and greater Lansing metro homeowners dealing with water damage that needs same-day plumbing repair and mold remediation handled by one crew.
Best for
- East Lansing, Lansing, and mid-Michigan homeowners who need water damage cleanup and the plumbing fix handled by one company in a single visit.
- Basement flooding emergencies where you need someone on-site within hours, not days — reviewers consistently confirm same-day response.
- Homeowners whose water damage has progressed to mold and want remediation from an IICRC-trained crew that can also address the moisture source.
- Commercial properties in the Lansing metro that need scalable water restoration with insurance documentation handled directly.
About this company
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup operates out of East Lansing, Michigan, at 919 E Grand River Ave. This is a national franchise location run as an independent contractor under manager Johnny McKeever. Their primary identity is plumbing and water damage restoration, with mold remediation as a secondary service tied to their water cleanup work.
The standout here is the single-company model. Roto-Rooter sends its own plumbers to fix the pipe, drain, or sump pump that caused the water damage, then deploys its own IICRC-trained restoration crew for extraction, drying, and mold work. Most restoration companies wait for a third-party plumber before they can start. Roto-Rooter skips that step. They also list HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments on their mold remediation page, and they handle insurance documentation and direct billing.
The Roto-Rooter brand dates to 1935. This East Lansing location holds Michigan plumbing license MP #81-12014 and contractor license #80-03747. They claim 24/7 availability with no extra charges for after-hours calls, and multiple reviewers confirm same-day or next-day arrival.
At 4.6 stars across 111 Google reviews, this location sits in solid territory. The majority of reviews are 5-star, and the negative reviews (3 in the last 18 months) focus on pricing and a single diagnostic miss rather than workmanship problems.
Services
Service area
Headquartered at 919 E Grand River Ave in East Lansing, Michigan. Claims to serve the entire Lansing metro area across seven counties: Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, Ionia, Jackson, and Lenawee. That territory stretches from Owosso in the north to Adrian in the south and Ionia to the west — a radius of roughly 60 miles. Response times in the Lansing core are well-documented in reviews, but edge-of-territory performance is unclear.
Review consensus
Joe is the most frequently named technician across the review set, mentioned in at least 10 reviews spanning 2023 through 2025. Reviewers describe him as thorough, honest about what he can and cannot do, and willing to spend hours on difficult jobs — one reviewer says Joe spent six hours clearing a root intrusion. Cappy (also called Aaron C) appears in five or more reviews, praised for clear explanations and going above and beyond. Cyrus shows up in four reviews, often paired with Joe or Ryan, with reviewers noting he is pleasant and effective. Ryan draws praise for being easy to work with. Response speed is the other dominant theme: multiple reviewers say Roto-Rooter arrived the same day they called, often within hours, while other companies quoted multi-day wait times.
3 found across 111 total reviews at 4.6★. Courtney Denning (September 2025) called for a clogged sewer line and says the techs told her they could not auger it and needed to hydro jet instead. A second-opinion company later said the auger would have worked if done correctly, and the hydro jet still did not fully clear the line. She also lost a warranty on the hydro cleaning because the techs claimed a broken pipe — which the second company says does not exist. When she called the office, Connie started out politely but became rude when Denning pushed back, and the offered resolution was another paid visit for an excavation estimate. Zac Thomas (August 2025), a Local Guide with 53 reviews, says the technician could not locate his actual leak, insisted the problem was a bad valve, and recommended replacing it. The real issue turned out to be a pipe leak in an adjacent room. Scott Gray (June 2025) was quoted almost $400 to snake a bathroom vanity drain. The owner responded that they could not find his name in their system and invited him to call management.
Two of the three recent complaints involve a technician recommending a more expensive service than what the problem required — hydro jetting when an auger would work, and a valve replacement when the leak was elsewhere. This is a pattern worth watching. It could reflect individual technician judgment calls, but for a franchise location where techs may face upsell incentives, the alignment is notable. The low owner response rate (one reply out of three negatives) and the single response's focus on disputing the reviewer's identity rather than engaging with the substance of the complaint suggest the location does not prioritize public reputation management.
Joe (technician — praised in 10+ reviews for thoroughness, honesty, and persistence on difficult jobs). Cappy / Aaron C (technician — praised in 5+ reviews for clear explanations and responsive service). Cyrus (technician — praised in 4 reviews, described as pleasant and careful). Ryan (technician — praised in 4 reviews for being easy to work with). Aaron (technician — praised for informative presentations and faucet installations). Chris (technician — praised for persistence unclogging a sink). Elijah (technician — praised for helpfulness). Charles (technician — praised for timely and friendly service). Kris (technician — praised for clearing sump pump discharge). Steve / Steven Kwashnak (technician — praised for knowledge and thoroughness). Tristan / Triston (technician — praised for punctuality and going above and beyond). Garrett (technician — praised for determination on a main line blockage). Connie (office staff — criticized for becoming rude when a customer pushed back on a complaint).
Ask for Joe, Cappy, or Cyrus if you can. The positive reviews are overwhelmingly tied to specific technicians who take time to explain the problem and show their work. Get a written scope before authorizing any upsell from an auger to hydro jetting or from a simple repair to a replacement — two of the three recent complaints follow that exact pattern.
Keep in mind
- Pricing runs high compared to local independents. Two of the three recent negative reviews cite sticker shock — one reviewer was quoted nearly $400 to snake a bathroom vanity drain, and another felt upsold from an auger to a hydro jet.
- This is a national franchise operating as an independent contractor. Service quality depends on the local crew, not the brand name. Staff turnover at franchise locations can affect consistency.
- They claim a seven-county service area (Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, Ionia, Jackson, and Lenawee). That is a wide radius from East Lansing — response times for locations on the edges of that territory could be slower than what reviewers in the Lansing metro report.
- Mold remediation is a secondary service under their water damage division. If your mold problem is not related to a plumbing or water event, confirm they will take the job before scheduling.
- The owner response rate on recent negative reviews is only 33%. The one response they did leave disputed the reviewer's identity rather than addressing the pricing concern.