Credit:
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
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A burst supply line or a backed-up sewer lateral can turn into a whole-house problem fast, so the company you call to fix it is crucial.
Our panel of experts selected 15 plumbing and home-service providers working across multiple states, weighing how each one prices a job, how quickly it can get a technician to a door, what diagnostic tools its crews carry, and what happens if something goes wrong after the truck pulls away. Then you, our readers, voted on which companies have done best by you. These are the 10 that came out on top.
Speaking of Readers' Choice Award, we've got loads of picks, from casinos to grocery store delis, among our other winners.
Winner: Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing has built its brand on punctuality in an industry notorious for vague or late appointment times, and guarantees to pay customers $5 for every minute a technician is late, up to 60 minutes or $300.
Plumbing expertise covers the full residential range, including drains and sewers, water heaters, repiping, leak detection, gas lines, boilers, pumps, water treatment, and fixture repair. Emergency service is available, too.
Locations are independently owned and operated, and the brand sits under Authority Brands, the franchise group behind One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning and Mister Sparky—so the plumber and the HVAC tech may share a parent.
Readers point to the company's reliability and on-time track record, which backs up the guarantee, as well as its long history and national name recognition. Several voters said they wouldn't call anyone else.
Runner-up: 1-Tom-Plumber
Another example in a pool of memorable plumbing monikers, 1-Tom-Plumber builds its business model around emergency calls for overflowing drains, burst pipes, and flooded basements.
The company launched in 2018 outside Cincinnati and has since grown to more than 80 locations across the U.S. and Canada, running an immediate-response team around the clock rather than a next-available-appointment queue.
Crews handle drain cleaning and hydro-jetting, camera inspections, water and sewer line replacement, and excavation. And the same teams take on water damage restoration, so a single company can clear the blockage and dry out the room it ruined. Backflow prevention and commercial work round out the roster.
Our reviewers highlighted that emergency-first structure, along with the diagnostic camera footage that shows a homeowner exactly what's happening underground before anyone approves a dig.
Readers mention the company's hard-to-forget jingle, and some say they call it for both their businesses and their homes.
#3: Roto-Rooter
Roto-Rooter has been in the drain business since 1935, and it remains the name many homeowners reach for first. Service runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with same-day and emergency availability and no added charge for nights, weekends, or holidays.
Beyond drain cleaning, the company handles water heater repair and replacement, leaks, toilets, and garbage disposals—and, once upon a time, ghost hunting: Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson worked the Providence, Rhode Island, franchise by day before Syfy's Ghost Hunters made them famous.
Water damage restoration and mold remediation teams carry extraction and drying equipment for the aftermath of a failure. Video camera line inspection supports diagnosis before major sewer work. Our panel pointed to the combination of near-universal availability and in-house cleanup as the reason it is a strong contender.
Readers describe Roto-Rooter as the original name in drain service, one that still holds up. Some rely on it for routine septic maintenance, and several said they don't use any other plumber.
#4: bluefrog Plumbing + Drain
bluefrog Plumbing + Drain approaches residential plumbing as a maintenance relationship rather than a series of emergencies. Its $99 annual bluefrog Preventative Plumbing Plan waives service call fees, adds priority scheduling and a free yearly plumbing evaluation, and discounts repairs, a structure aimed at homeowners who want a plumber on file before the water heater fails.
Day-to-day, bluefrog locations handle 24/7 emergency calls, drain cleaning and hydro-jetting, burst pipe and sewer line repair, gas leak detection, backflow prevention, sump pumps, and water filtration. The company also sells Frog Flow, a drain-maintenance product certified under the EPA's Safer Choice program.
Our panel highlighted the membership model, including the transferable coverage that follows a customer who moves within bluefrog territory, as the reason it earned a spot.
Readers single out its customer service and describe plumbers they trust to treat their homes with care.
#5: Rooter Hero Plumbing
Rooter Hero concentrates on California, Arizona, and Nevada, running crews from the East Bay to Tucson to Reno. The work skews toward what goes wrong underground—drain cleaning, water leak detection, broken-pipe replacement, and trenchless sewer repair—alongside water heater service and fixture installation.
The company takes emergency calls 24/7 with no after-hours, weekend, or holiday surcharges. Rooter Hero also posts rotating promotional rates, including a flat price for drain cleaning up to 75 feet through a ground-level cleanout, as well as senior and military discounts. A Hero Club membership covers ongoing maintenance for $19.99 a month.
Our experts noted the density of its metro coverage: in traffic-heavy Western markets like Los Angeles, having a truck already nearby is what makes same-day service realistic.
#6: RooterMan
RooterMan has spent more than 50 years on drains and sewers, and its network now spans hundreds of locally owned locations across the U.S. and Canada.
Core work is diagnostic and mechanical, like drain cleaning, water jetting, tree root removal, video camera pipe inspection, sewer line repair, septic service, and general plumbing repairs.
Technicians quote the job before work begins, walking homeowners through the cost. One structural detail sets it apart for customers—the company says calls route to the local franchise team rather than through a national dispatch center, so the person taking the call works in the same area as the truck. Our reviewers highlighted that combination of camera-based diagnostics and upfront quotes as a check against surprise sewer bills.
#7: 1-800-Plumber +Air
1-800-Plumber +Air handles plumbing, heating, and cooling under one roof, a relief for homeowners dealing with a failing water heater and an aging furnace in the same season. Plus, its contact number is easy to remember.
The service list includes drain cleaning, repiping, and gas line work, as well as tankless water heaters, water treatment, and indoor air quality work, with emergency service available around the clock.
The company quotes jobs upfront and says customers see pricing before any work starts. Its Home Guard membership covers preventive maintenance for homeowners who would rather catch a problem early than have a plumber come at midnight.
Our panel pointed to the convenience of having one dispatcher, pricing model, and relationship covering two of the systems a home depends on most.
#8: Mr. Rooter Plumbing
Now part of the Neighborly network, Mr. Rooter Plumbing has been operating since 1970, covering residential and commercial work from routine drain cleaning to sewer line repair, water heaters, well pumps, septic systems, and remodeling.
The company does not charge overtime rates, so a Saturday night call is priced the same as a Tuesday morning one. Backing the work is the Neighborly Done Right Promise—if the job isn't right, the company commits to making it right. Our panel flagged this network-level guarantee, which applies to the brand rather than to an individual franchise, as a genuine protection for homeowners.
#9: Zoom Drain
Zoom Drain specializes in just one area—drains and sewers—rather than generalized plumbing. This focus shows up in the equipment and the service list: hydro-jetting, video inspection, trenchless repair, sewer backup and root intrusion work, sump pumps, and septic service. On the commercial side, Zoom also tackles grease trap maintenance and catch basin cleaning.
Established in 1995, with franchising arriving in 2015, Zoom Drain offers custom maintenance plans for ongoing care, including commercial accounts. It otherwise uses flat-rate menu pricing that customers approve before work starts, which sidesteps the hourly-clock anxiety that comes with an unclear blockage. Zoom says it will get back to a caller within 90 minutes to schedule service and dispatch a technician. Our reviewers cited the video documentation homeowners receive as a useful record of what's actually in the pipe.
#10: American Leak Detection
American Leak Detection has made hard-to-spot plumbing problems its specialty since 1974, using acoustic equipment, infrared imaging, and other non-invasive methods to pinpoint a leak before anyone opens a wall or breaks concrete.
Technicians work on residential plumbing, pools, spas, and fountains, and the company also takes on commercial and municipal water distribution work. Homeowners review the options and costs before repairs begin, and the company holds pre-approved status with several insurers for water damage claims.
Our experts appreciate that accurately locating a leak is what keeps a repair from turning into a demolition.
Our Experts
Susan Lanier-Graham
With decades of professional writing and consumer research experience, Susan Lanier-Graham covers topics ranging from lifestyle and travel to architecture and home services. Multiple corporate and military relocations have given her firsthand experience finding, evaluating, and hiring service professionals in communities across the country. From appliance repair technicians to pest control providers and other home-service companies, she understands the challenges consumers face when comparing qualifications, reputation, pricing, and reliability. Susan combines careful research with real-world experience to help readers make informed decisions about the professionals they invite into their homes. Follow Susan at Wander With Wonder.
Reviewed Editors & Experts
Reviewed editors and experts have hard-earned insight from a broad range of backgrounds, and our nomination panel includes independent researchers, subject matter experts, and editorial team members. We provide unbiased, experiential editorial coverage on products, brands, and companies across the U.S.