Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Hickory-area homeowners dealing with water damage and mold after plumbing failures or basement flooding, where having one company handle both the plumbing fix and the cleanup matters.
Best for
- Hickory, Catawba County, and western NC foothills homeowners who need mold remediation tied to a water damage event like a burst pipe, sewer backup, or basement flood.
- Property owners who want one company to fix the plumbing problem, extract the water, dry the structure, and remediate mold rather than coordinating multiple contractors.
- Insurance claims where you need a company that documents damage with photos, drying logs, and sketches and works directly with your adjuster.
- Commercial properties in the Hickory metro that need after-hours emergency water extraction and mold prevention across a larger footprint.
About this company
Roto-Rooter's Hickory location is a national franchise operation at 1070 7th St Ct SE, managed by Bruce Shockley and Daniel Bausum. Mold remediation is one piece of a much larger service menu that starts with plumbing and extends through water damage restoration. This is not a mold-only company. It is a plumbing and water cleanup operation that adds mold work when water damage creates the conditions for growth.
The advantage here is one-call coverage. When a pipe bursts and soaks your basement, their plumbers fix the pipe while a separate water restoration crew handles extraction, drying, and mold prevention. They use IICRC-trained technicians, HEPA filtration, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments. For mold specifically, their national site references AMRT-certified crews. The Hickory location runs LGR dehumidifiers and infrared thermal cameras for moisture mapping.
Roto-Rooter has operated nationally since 1935. The Hickory franchise runs as an independent contractor under the Roto-Rooter brand, which means pricing, staffing, and service quality are set locally, not by corporate. They hold North Carolina plumbing license P-1 08641.
4.7 stars across 800 Google reviews is solid volume. The water restoration side of the business generates strong loyalty, with Jonathan Cisneros and Cesar appearing in numerous five-star reviews for insurance claim handling. The plumbing side draws more pricing complaints.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina. Serves Catawba, Caldwell, Lincoln, Burke, and Alexander counties, including Conover, Newton, Maiden, Claremont, Longview, Lenoir, Morganton, Lincolnton, Denver, Taylorsville, Valdese, and Granite Falls. The service area is broad for a single location and spans dozens of communities across five counties.
Review consensus
Jonathan Cisneros and Cesar draw the strongest praise on the water restoration side. Multiple reviewers describe Jonathan coordinating insurance claims, explaining the process clearly, and handling cleanup with care. Wes (Wesley), Josh, Richard, and Dustin appear repeatedly for plumbing work. Scott earns praise for knowledge and friendliness on plumbing calls. Jimmy and Miguel get called out for efficiency and politeness on cleanup jobs. Reviewers consistently mention fast response times, same-day service, and crews that explain what they are doing.
10 found across 800 total reviews at 4.7★. (10 found across 800 total reviews at 4.7 stars) Pricing is the dominant theme. Dale Yoder called costs "really really unreasonable" for a 10-foot pipe replacement. Braisedin described a $700 faucet repair that failed within a week, followed by a $1,000+ return visit. Daniel Stockner received a $550 quote for a job the plumber said would take 10 minutes with a $25 part. Andrew Mancini alleges the company replaced copper pipes unnecessarily at nearly $8,000 for his elderly mother and says legal action is pending. Heather Hoyle, a Local Guide with 20 reviews, describes multiple technicians arriving for a simple quote, refusing to provide anything in writing, and asking to speak with her husband instead of her. Madison Carter says a technician named Scott was dismissive and tried to push a larger job, and the invoice listed the tech's name as Jimmy rather than Scott. Evan, a Local Guide with 131 reviews, paid $294 for a toilet unclogging that did not fix the problem and could not reach anyone for follow-up. Randy Taylor describes aggressive billing practices including multiple daily texts and threats of collections on an insurance-covered job. The owner responded to Damon Sharpe's one-star review by thanking him for a "fantastic 5-star rating," which appears to be a mismatched automated response.
The negative reviews split cleanly along service lines. The water restoration team (Jonathan, Cesar, Wes, and crew) generates almost no complaints and strong repeat praise. The plumbing side draws the pricing and upselling complaints. This matches a franchise structure where the restoration division and plumbing division may operate with different management, incentives, or staffing. Owner responses are largely templated, offering a phone number without engaging with specifics. The mismatched response to Damon Sharpe's review suggests at least some responses are automated.
Jonathan Cisneros (water restoration lead — strong positive across many reviews). Cesar (water restoration — positive, frequently paired with Jonathan). Wes/Wesley (water restoration and plumbing — positive). Josh (plumbing and restoration — positive across multiple reviews). Richard/Richard Hernandez (plumbing and restoration — positive). Dustin/Dustin Brown (plumbing — positive across many reviews, noted for saving customers money). Scott (plumbing — mixed; praised by some for knowledge, but Madison Carter describes him as dismissive and pushy). Jimmy/Jimmy Lemus (restoration and plumbing — positive for cleanup, but name discrepancy noted in Madison Carter's complaint). Miguel (restoration — positive). Liam (plumbing — positive). Ashton/Ash (plumbing and restoration — positive). Chris J (plumbing — positive). Ryland (plumbing — positive). Jaylan (restoration — positive). Alan Ramirez (restoration — positive). Charles (restoration — positive). Brett Parrish (plumbing — positive). Carlos (plumbing — positive). Jason (management — positive, resolved a prior complaint). Conner (plumbing — positive). Sean (plumbing — positive). Robert Hicks (plumbing — positive, older reviews).
For water damage and mold work, ask for Jonathan Cisneros and his restoration team. That side of the operation has a strong track record for communication, insurance documentation, and follow-through. For plumbing-only work, get a written estimate before authorizing anything and compare it to at least one other local quote. The pricing complaints are too consistent to ignore.
Keep in mind
- Pricing is the most common complaint. Multiple reviewers report quotes they considered extremely high, including a $22,000 repipe estimate that a second plumber resolved with a single valve and filter replacement. Always get a second quote on large jobs.
- This is a franchise operated as an independent contractor. Corporate Roto-Rooter sets the brand standards, but the Hickory location controls its own pricing, staffing, and guarantees. What you read about Roto-Rooter nationally may not match your local experience.
- Several reviewers describe pushy upselling, where technicians diagnosed major problems on short visits and pushed larger jobs than the customer came in for. One reviewer was told she needed her entire home repiped after a three-minute inspection.
- Owner responses to negative reviews follow a template pattern. Most offer a phone number and an apology but do not engage with the specifics of the complaint. One response thanked a one-star reviewer for a "fantastic 5-star rating," suggesting automated or careless reputation management.
- Their service area spans five counties (Catawba, Caldwell, Lincoln, Burke, Alexander) with dozens of listed communities. Confirm response times for locations far from the Hickory base.