Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Portland metro homeowners facing water damage with potential mold growth who want one company to handle the plumbing fix, water extraction, and mold remediation in a single dispatch, available around the clock.
Best for
- Portland metro homeowners dealing with water damage that has caused or risks mold growth, where a single company can handle the plumbing repair, water extraction, drying, and mold remediation.
- Property owners who need emergency response at any hour, since this location dispatches around the clock with no after-hours surcharge.
- Homeowners filing insurance claims for water or mold damage who want documented moisture readings, photos, and drying logs, with a company that coordinates directly with their insurer.
- Commercial property managers across the Portland metro who need scalable water damage and mold response for offices, retail, or multi-unit buildings.
About this company
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup in Portland, OR is a franchise location of the national Roto-Rooter brand, managed by Justin Cvitkovich, based at 519 SW Park Ave, Suite 303. Mold remediation sits within their broader water damage restoration operation. They fix the plumbing failure that caused the water intrusion, extract the water, dry the structure, and remediate mold if it develops, all under one dispatch.
The operational advantage is the plumbing-plus-restoration combination. Most restoration companies wait for a third-party plumber before starting extraction. Roto-Rooter sends both on the same call. Their mold remediation page describes IICRC- and AMRT-trained crews using HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments. They handle contaminated material removal, surface cleaning, disinfection, and drying, then document everything with photos and drying logs for insurance claims. Their water damage team categorizes contamination on-site (clean, gray, or black water) and scopes remediation accordingly.
The brand has operated since 1935. This Portland location holds Oregon plumbing licenses MP: PB2271 and CCB 228058, carries a BBB A+ rating, and is a member of PHCC and the Contractors Association. They dispatch 24 hours a day with no extra charge for nights, weekends, or holidays. Financing is available through Synchrony Bank.
A 4.8-star rating across 2,274 Google reviews is substantial volume. The sheer number means the rating has weathered thousands of individual experiences. Most positive reviews describe the same pattern: a tech arrived within an hour or two, explained the problem clearly, and fixed it in one visit.
Services
Service area
Based in Portland, OR at 519 SW Park Ave, Suite 303. Claims coverage across the entire Portland metro area spanning 7 Oregon counties (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion, Polk, Yamhill, Lincoln) and Clark County, WA. Named service cities include Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Salem, Vancouver WA, and dozens more stretching to Newport on the coast. That is an enormous geographic claim. Confirm realistic dispatch time for locations outside the core Portland-metro counties of Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas.
Review consensus
Kyle is the most frequently mentioned technician across recent reviews, praised for speed, clear explanations, and solving problems in single visits. Multiple reviewers specifically name Kyle for arriving within an hour and clearing stubborn drains. Marcus works alongside Kyle frequently and draws praise for thoroughness and professionalism. Chris Passmore is praised by a BnB host for handling guests with professionalism during his 9 years with the company. Anthony Buchanan receives detailed praise for spending two hours carefully snaking galvanized pipes and providing maintenance advice. Katie P. is highlighted for solving a 16-foot deep clog within an hour on a Saturday. Sharon L. calls out Kyle and Harlan as a restoration crew who worked hard and communicated well during a difficult water damage situation. Speed is the most consistent theme: same-day service, techs arriving within one to two hours, and jobs completed in a single visit.
15 found across 2274 total reviews at 4.8★. Pricing dominates. David Siker, a building owner, received a $9,800 quote for a job his local plumber fixed for $3,800, then a $15,000-$20,000 quote for pipe replacement his plumber resolved for $400. P T paid over $7,000 for 13 man-hours and $100 in supplies and calls it quadruple what the job should cost. Karl Zabel paid $570 for 20 minutes of work and was told declining a free video inspection would void his warranty. Mimi Yan was charged over $500 for a $15 part and 15 minutes of work, with the general manager admitting the tech was quoting as he was doing the repair. Christopher Chapman was quoted $250, charged $650 for 10 minutes, and when the drain re-clogged at 34 days was told the 30-day warranty had expired. Cameron Altree paid $600 for a drain clearing and then received a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the water company wanting to check for secondary damages. Scheduling failures are a secondary pattern: Jeff Dean received 7 texts over 3 hours saying he was next in line, then was told no technician had been dispatched. Chris Groves received 18 identical texts from Corrina over 8 hours while the app falsely showed a technician on site. BettyLou Koffel waited 4 hours past her window.
Two clear patterns emerge. First, the franchise pricing model: field technicians draw consistent praise for skill and friendliness, but the pricing sits above them. Multiple reviewers say the tech was great but the cost was outrageous. David Siker's plumber said he sees Roto-Rooter sell big scary problems with high quotes routinely. This office-versus-field split is typical of national franchises where corporate sets pricing tiers and local techs have limited flexibility. Second, the scheduling system repeatedly fails: the identical Corrina/Brittany text loop appears across multiple reviews spanning months, suggesting a systemic dispatch problem at this location rather than isolated incidents. The owner response pattern reinforces the corporate disconnect: 100% response rate with identical Pat Swanson templates that never address the specific complaint. Samirawit Biratu's update confirming no reply after emailing the provided address undercuts even that gesture.
Kyle (technician — strongly positive, most-mentioned staff, praised across many reviews for speed, clear explanations, and solving problems in single visits). Marcus (technician — positive, works alongside Kyle, praised for thoroughness and professionalism). Chris Passmore (technician — positive, 9-year veteran praised for professionalism at a BnB). Anthony Buchanan (technician — positive, praised for patience and detailed pipe education). Katie P. (plumber — positive, praised for solving a deep clog on a Saturday within an hour). Harlan (restoration crew — positive, praised alongside Kyle for water damage work). Benjamin/Behnjamin (technician — positive, praised for being knowledgeable and explaining work). Chris P. (technician — positive, praised as a master at evaluating drainage issues). Albert Garcia (technician — positive, praised across multiple reviews from same customer for communication skills). Justin (technician — positive, praised for going above and beyond for a family of 6). Adam (technician — positive, praised for drain expertise and troubleshooting). Logan (technician — positive, praised for root ball removal). Gabe (technician — positive, praised alongside Dustin for sewer line work). Dustin (technician — positive, worked with Gabe on sewer line). Greg (technician — positive, arrived from Wilsonville, praised for patience). Brett (technician — positive, praised twice by same reviewer for clearing tough clogs on weekends). Phil Boehm (technician — neutral, mentioned in warranty inquiry). Maq (technician — mixed, praised for politeness but associated with misleading pricing). Leo (estimator — negative, cited for giving inflated estimate). Corrina (dispatcher — negative, name attached to repeated scheduling delay texts). Brittany (dispatcher — negative, same text loop pattern as Corrina). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — appears in every owner response, template-only engagement with no substantive follow-through).
The field techs at this location deliver. Ask for Kyle or Chris Passmore by name if you can. The risk is the price. Before any work starts, get the written estimate in hand, compare it against at least one independent local competitor, and do not approve major pipe replacements or upsells without a second opinion. For scheduling, confirm a hard arrival time rather than accepting a vague window, and have a backup plumber ready if texts start stacking up.
Keep in mind
- Roto-Rooter does both mold testing and mold remediation. That creates a conflict of interest: the company diagnosing the problem profits from fixing it. Ask whether they bring in an independent indoor environmental assessor for pre- and post-remediation testing, or whether their own crew handles both.
- Pricing is the dominant complaint. Across 17 recent negatives, most cite charges or quotes dramatically above what independent competitors charged for equivalent work. One reviewer paid over $7,000 for 13 man-hours and $100 in supplies on a pipe repair. Another was charged $1,688 for about 2 hours of drain work. Get at least one competing quote before committing to any job.
- Every owner response to a negative review follows the same template: an apology from Pat Swanson, Customer Satisfaction Manager, directing the reviewer to email. None of the responses engage with the specific complaint. One reviewer (Samirawit Biratu) updated her review noting she received no reply after contacting the address two months prior.
- Scheduling delays are a recurring issue. Multiple reviewers describe receiving 10 to 18 identical texts saying they are next in line, followed by no-shows or multi-hour waits well past their appointment window. Jeff Dean and Chris Groves both wasted entire days waiting.
- The service area spans 7 Oregon counties, Clark County in Washington, and cities stretching from Salem to Newport on the coast. Confirm realistic dispatch time for locations outside Multnomah and Washington counties.