Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

Brian is the standout name in recent Philadelphia reviews — praised repeatedly for being knowledgeable, on time, friendly, and clear in his explanations. He handles everything from kitchen faucets to sewer line work to commercial plumbing. Chalana draws similar praise across a dozen recent reviews for drain cleaning, garbage disposals, and pipe replacements, with reviewers calling out his speed, professionalism, and ability to solve problems other plumbers could not. Scott, James, and Bernard each received strong single mentions. The operational pattern in positive reviews is consistent: fast scheduling (often same-day), clear upfront pricing discussion, and technicians who explain what they find before starting work.

19 found across 3816 total reviews at 4.8★. Pricing dominates. Jamel Lofton describes a technician who spent less than five minutes on-site, diagnosed a $10,000-$15,000 curb trap replacement, and left — a second plumber found a simple blockage and cleared it with hydro jetting. Erika Hertel paid $300 for a service call where technician Sean declared a collapsed pipe after 30 minutes; another plumber cleared the clog quickly and told her Sean just did not work the problem. Julia Monsonego saw her quote jump from $290 to $665 mid-job while four technicians across three visits failed to fix the issue; a local plumber fixed it for $375. Amanda Staples paid $300 for a service call that flooded her kitchen with sewage — the plumber carried no towels, threw sewage water off her porch in freezing weather, and never fixed the frozen pipe. Nitin Mathur was quoted $600 for a faucet install and $1,000 for a toilet replacement; one was fixed with a spanner in 30 seconds. On the scheduling side, Jessica Carrion-Bucha waited two days with repeated promises and no technician ever arrived. Tyler Honschke had a gas leak in freezing weather; the technician ghosted after finding no street parking. Luz Mendez was charged $635 for 15 minutes of work on a Sunday, and customer service rep Chris argued with her and said she was wasting his time. Janice Hayes reports that phone rep Ashley hung up on her when she asked about payment options.

The pricing complaints follow a franchise incentive structure. Multiple reviewers note that technicians work on commission, which may encourage diagnosing expensive repairs over simpler fixes. The two most detailed negative reviews (Jamel Lofton and Erika Hertel) both describe the same pattern: a brief on-site visit, an expensive diagnosis, and a second-opinion plumber who found the real problem was minor. The 100% owner response rate masks the fact that every response is identical template text from Pat Swanson directing customers to email. None address the specific complaint. The one exception is Marsheena Doman, whose review was initially positive and received a cheerful owner reply — but her update describing a botched job and five months of unanswered refund calls went without an updated response.

Brian (plumber — consistently praised across 10+ reviews for knowledge, punctuality, and clear explanations). Chalana (plumber — praised across 10+ reviews for speed, professionalism, and problem-solving). Scott (plumber — praised for friendliness and efficiency). James (plumber — praised for helping first-time homebuyers with kitchen plumbing). Bernard (plumber — praised for emergency leak response at a coffee shop). Mike (plumber — praised for outdoor pipe repair). Taylor (plumber/coordinator — praised by Michael Scott for ensuring insurance coverage before starting work). Bryan (plumber — praised for friendly service by Letty Sanchez). Sean (plumber — negative, Erika Hertel says he did not work the clogged sink problem properly). Chris (customer service — negative, Luz Mendez says he was rude and told her she was wasting his time). Ashley (phone staff — negative, Janice Hayes says she hung up during a payment question). Michael (coordinator — negative, Michael Scott says he refused to provide an itemized bill and copped an attitude). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — responds to all negative reviews with identical template).

Request Brian or Chalana by name when you book — they account for the overwhelming majority of positive reviews. Get a written estimate before any work starts and ask whether the technician is recommending the cheapest effective fix, not just the most expensive one. If the diagnosis involves a major repair over $1,000, get a second opinion from a local plumber before authorizing the work.