Provider profile
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Narragansett and Rhode Island coastal homeowners who need mold work tied to water damage handled by one company with in-house plumbing, available 24/7 including holidays.
Best for
- Narragansett and coastal Rhode Island homeowners dealing with mold that started from a water event — burst pipe, basement flood, or storm damage — who want one company to fix the plumbing source and handle remediation.
- Property owners who need 24/7 emergency response, including weekends and holidays, and cannot wait for a weekday appointment.
- Homeowners filing insurance claims who want a company that documents every step and bills the insurer directly.
- Commercial property managers across Rhode Island who need scalable water damage and mold work for offices, retail, or multi-unit buildings.
About this company
Roto-Rooter's Narragansett location is a national franchise outpost at 750 Boston Neck Rd that doubles as a plumbing operation and a water damage restoration company. Mold remediation is one piece of a broader service menu that includes drain cleaning, water heater work, sewer lines, and emergency flood cleanup. The location is managed by Joe DeSimone and covers all five Rhode Island counties.
The structural advantage here is that they handle the plumbing source and the mold problem in a single dispatch. Their mold page lists HEPA vacuums, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and antimicrobial treatments. Technicians hold IICRC and AMRT credentials. They also coordinate directly with insurance companies and provide documentation packages with photos, drying logs, and diagrams. Nothing on the mold side is unusual for a national restoration franchise, but the plumbing-plus-remediation combination under one roof is genuinely useful when the mold traces back to a burst pipe or sewer backup.
Roto-Rooter has operated nationally since 1935. This Narragansett branch holds Rhode Island plumbing licenses MP003473 and MP003580 and maintains memberships in the RI Master Plumbers Association, Newport Chamber of Commerce, and several other regional organizations. They carry a BBB A+ rating.
4.9 stars across 1,558 Google reviews is an unusually strong rating at that volume. Even accounting for franchise-scale review solicitation, the consistency of praise — particularly for individual technicians by name — suggests the field crews are delivering reliably. The complaints that do surface tend to center on pricing rather than workmanship.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Narragansett, Rhode Island at 750 Boston Neck Rd. Covers all five Rhode Island counties: Newport, Providence, Kent, Washington, and Bristol. The website lists dozens of cities across the state including Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Newport, Westerly, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket. For a single-office location claiming statewide coverage, response times to the far corners of the state — Woonsocket is over an hour north — will vary.
Review consensus
Arturo appears in more reviews than any other technician, praised repeatedly for clear explanations, fast arrivals, and friendly demeanor. Charlie (also referred to as Charles) draws similar praise — multiple reviewers highlight his persistence in working through difficult drain jobs and his willingness to explain every step. Isaac earned strong mentions for working hard on stubborn clogs and cleaning up after himself. Lamar, Miguel, Benjamin, Derek, and Ryan all receive positive name-checks. Matt, identified as a supervisor, gets praise for stepping in on complex jobs alongside field techs. Trudy on the phones was singled out for a smooth scheduling experience. Across the board, reviewers consistently highlight fast response times, same-day or within-hours arrivals, and technicians who explain what they are doing and why.
3 found across 1558 total reviews at 4.9★. Jeannette C (April 2026) reported that Roto-Rooter misdiagnosed a hot water problem at her salon, leaving the business without hot water for days. She paid for the visit and had to hire someone else to fix the actual issue. The owner response directed her to email a corporate customer satisfaction manager. James Andriotis (September 2025) called for a single clogged sink and was quoted $745 on arrival — he called it 3-4x the going rate and never had the work done. Heidi Soares (October 2025) left a 1-star with no text; her single-review account makes this hard to evaluate. The owner responded with the same template email redirect.
Pricing complaints appear across star ratings, not just in negatives. The 3-star review from Carmel Dietrick ($695 for a valve replacement), plus 4-star reviews from Dina Cabral, Harry Terrien, and Edward Krasner all flag high costs despite satisfaction with the work itself. Debra MacDowell's 4-star review describes a follow-up call where someone entered her apartment without permission and pushed for unnecessary tile removal — suggesting the restoration upsell process may operate independently from the field technicians who do the initial work. Owner responses are 80% response rate but 100% template: every one directs the reviewer to Pat Swanson's corporate email without addressing the specific complaint.
Arturo (technician — consistently praised for explanations and fast response). Charlie/Charles (technician — praised for persistence, clear communication, and willingness to troubleshoot). Isaac/Issac (technician — praised for hard work on difficult jobs and cleanup). Lamar (technician — praised for quick emergency response). Miguel (technician — praised across multiple reviews). Benjamin (technician — praised for professionalism and thorough explanations). Derek (technician — praised for calm, pleasant service). Ryan (technician — praised for camera scope work and helpfulness). Matt (supervisor — praised for hands-on assistance on complex jobs). Joe (technician — praised for communication during difficult drain work). Nick (technician — praised alongside Arturo). James Tavares (technician — praised for quick, clean work). Trudy (phone staff — praised for scheduling). Evan (manager — praised for follow-through). John (manager — praised for follow-through). Fernando (technician — noted as good tech in 3-star pricing complaint). Pat Swanson (Customer Satisfaction Manager — named in all owner responses).
The field technicians at this location are the strength — ask for Arturo or Charlie by name if your schedule allows. Get a written quote before any work begins and compare it to at least one local independent, because pricing consistently runs above market. If you are here specifically for mold, press for details on who does the assessment versus who does the remediation, and consider an independent mold test before signing off on their scope of work.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation. That is a conflict of interest — the company deciding you have a mold problem is the same company that profits from fixing it. Consider getting an independent assessment before committing to remediation.
- Pricing runs higher than local independents. Multiple reviewers — including satisfied ones — flagged costs as steep. One reviewer was quoted $745 to unclog a single sink drain. Another paid $695 for a valve replacement. Get a second quote on any job over a few hundred dollars.
- Owner responses to negative reviews follow a rigid template: every reply directs the reviewer to email Pat Swanson at the same corporate address. None of the responses engage with the specific complaint. This is a reputation management pattern, not a service recovery process.
- Mold remediation is a secondary service line for this company. Their primary identity is plumbing and water damage restoration. If your mold problem is not connected to a plumbing or water event, a mold-focused firm may have deeper niche experience.
- The service area claim spans the entire state of Rhode Island. Response times will vary depending on how far you are from Narragansett.