American Residential Services (ARS)/Rescue Rooter is a national plumbing company known for its affordability and exceptional service. Founded in 1975, the company offers an industry-leading service guarantee to provide ultimate peace of mind to its customers. It also maintains below-average pricing and offers a wide range of routine and emergency services, making it a great option overall.
This ARS/Rescue Rooter review will discuss the company’s service offerings, costs, overall value, and more. We’ll also evaluate ARS in light of the dozens of other plumbing companies we’ve reviewed and hundreds of customer reviews to help you decide if this is the best company to tackle your plumbing issue.
Our Take on ARS/Rescue Rooter
ARS/Rescue Rooter is one of our top-rated plumbers in the country. It is known to provide outstanding customer service and guarantees all the work it completes for an entire year. That guarantee includes coverage for additional equipment, time, labor, and materials needed to fix a problem caused or left behind by a technician. This provides the ultimate peace of mind that you get high-quality work and outstanding overall value.
ARS also provides a wide range of services that should cover the needs of most homeowners. Whether you’re looking for routine plumbing services or an emergency sewer line repair, ARS is a one-stop shop for everything you might need. It also offers HVAC and electrical services and installs home monitoring devices and smart home products for a full suite of home services.
The bottom line is that ARS can handle just about any home project you might have, and it does so with high integrity and professionalism.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 24/7 service with fast response times for emergencies and next-day service for non-emergencies
- Below-average pricing to keep plumbing services affordable
- One-year service guarantee to provide ultimate peace of mind
- Wide range of services and financing options for accessibility
Cons
- History of rescheduling non-emergency services
- Only available in 24 states
What Plumbing Services Does ARS/Rescue Rooter Offer?
ARS/Rescue Rooter offers many plumbing services, from fixing clogged drains to addressing issues with underground plumbing pipes like main sewer lines. Its list of plumbing services is more robust than you’ll find from many competitors.
In addition, ARS offers heating, air conditioning, electrical, preventative, and monitoring services. These include AC unit tune-ups, ductwork cleaning, heat pump repair, cooling system checkups, indoor air quality monitors, thermostat problems, new HVAC system installations, and more.
The company has three categories of plumbing services:
- Routine plumbing issues
- Emergency plumbing issues
- Large-scale plumbing projects
We’ll explain these and the specific options for service within these categories in the following sections.
Routine Plumbing Issues
Routine plumbing issues are non-emergencies that still need professional help. Some examples include clogged drains, low water pressure, and minor pipe leaks, and most homeowners will often need these services. Below are the routine plumbing services offered by ARS:
- Clearing clogs and blockages
- Fixture installation
- Garbage disposal repair
- General plumbing repair, including fixture and faucet repair
- Plumbing for new construction
- Preventative maintenance
- Water leak detection
Just about everything you’d find offered by other plumbers, you’ll find from ARS. When it comes to new plumbing installation, though, many other plumbers don’t offer it, but ARS does. If you’re expanding your home or building new construction, ARS can handle roughing in the plumbing and connecting new fixtures for you.
Emergency Plumbing Issues
ARS/Rescue Rooter is aptly named, as it has a full array of emergency plumbing services. To meet the needs of desperate customers, it has customer service representatives ready 24/7 to provide excellent service and fast response times for urgent matters. The emergency plumbing services offered by ARS are listed below:
- Broken sump pump repair
- Hot water heater installation, repair, and replacement (including tankless water heaters)
- Major plumbing leaks
- Thawing and fixing frozen pipes
The company doesn’t advertise restoration services after emergencies are dealt with, so this is one area where it falls short compared to other providers like Roto-Rooter. It also doesn’t mention mold remediation after a flood, basement pump-out, or water cleanups, so you might need to hire a contractor to restore your home to its pre-emergency status after ARS is done.
Large-Scale Plumbing Projects
ARS also offers some large-scale plumbing repair services. The following is a list of the bigger projects the company mentions on its website that it handles:
- Commercial plumbing
- Gas line repair
- Sewer and water line repair
- Sump pump repair
Some smaller plumbing companies may not be willing to handle these issues, although many other national providers do. Commercial plumbing is one area where ARS excels above some of the competition, as many plumbers aren’t trained for commercial or industrial plumbing or aren’t comfortable with taking on these more in-depth projects.
How Much Does ARS/Rescue Rooter Cost?
Like most plumbers, ARS can’t offer flat-rate pricing for all of its services, as prices vary wildly based on several factors. The company offers up-front pricing estimates, though, so you’ll always know what your project will cost before you agree to service.
ARS comes in below the industry average in cost. You can expect to pay between $100 and $800 for most of the work from this provider, whereas the industry averages range from around $250 to $1,000. The work from ARS is not only affordable, but it’s also super high quality, and all of it comes with a one-year service guarantee.
There are a few things that can influence your pricing from ARS:
- Your location: ARS has offices in 24 states, and although the offices aren’t independently owned, the pricing can vary based on the cost of living and operating in the state where you’re located. Remote locations might also come with additional trip charges.
- The work you need to do: The most significant cost factor will be the issue you need to be fixed. We’ve read ARS reviews where customers are quoted $10,000-plus for excavating and clearing roots out of sewer lines, compared to the $100 some customers spend on drain clog clearing. The accessibility of the issue is also going to play a major role in the cost, as ARS charges by the hour for many jobs to cover unknown circumstances.
- The timing of your project: As an emergency plumber, ARS/Rescue Rooter is available 24/7. While that’s outstanding news for homeowners who need fast service on major issues or to prevent severe water damage, the company’s pricing can skyrocket at certain times. If you’re placing a service call on a holiday or in the middle of the night, your price will likely be much higher than if you call during normal business hours.
ARS/Rescue Rooter accepts cash, credit cards, and customized payment plans. Along with already affordable pricing, this company goes above and beyond to make sure its services remain as accessible as possible.
How To Save Money With ARS/Rescue Rooter
ARS offers discounts and coupons for various jobs, depending on your area and the local branch. You can visit www.ars.com/locations and enter your ZIP code to see if discounts and deals are available.
As of this writing, local coupons from the company were only for HVAC services, including AC system installation and HVAC system repair. However, you should check before you request service to see if plumbing deals are posted for your area.
Where Is ARS/Rescue Rooter Available?
ARS/Rescue Rooter is available in 24 states. You can call the company for routine or emergency plumbing services in the following states:
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
If you need plumbing services in any of the other 26 states, we recommend Roto-Rooter, which serves all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. You can scroll to the bottom of this page to find a company breakdown for Roto-Rooter and other competitors and to get quotes in areas where ARS isn’t available.
How To Schedule and Get a Quote From ARS/Rescue Rooter
ARS makes scheduling service a breeze by letting customers schedule online or by calling the company’s phone number. Many plumbers don’t offer the convenience of an online scheduling system, so this is another area where ARS shines in terms of the customer service experience.
You can follow the steps below to schedule with ARS. The company has a check box on the form to notify technicians that it’s an emergency, but we recommend contacting your local office via phone for any emergencies to ensure a faster response.
- Step 1: Head to www.ars.com/schedule-service.
- Step 2: Fill in your name, number, email, and address, and select the service you need from the dropdown menu.
- Step 3: Tick the “I have an emergency” box if you’re requesting emergency service.
- Step 4: Click submit.
- Step 5: A dispatcher will contact you shortly after confirming your details and service appointment date and time.
- Step 6: In most cases, your plumber will be on-site anywhere from a few hours to a day, depending on the urgency, and a sales rep or quality assurance manager will follow up with you after the job has been completed.
The online contact form is a great option for homeowners who don’t want to get on the phone. However, we will say that it’s not quite as convenient as Roto-Rooter’s online form, which allows you to choose a date and time for your service appointment.
Compare ARS/Rescue Rooter vs. Other Plumbing Providers
ARS/Rescue Rooter has great pricing, good service ratings and customer satisfaction rates and is reasonably affordable and reliable. It also offers one of the best service guarantees in the industry.
That said, you might opt for a more affordable option like Roto-Rooter to keep plumbing repair costs down or a service provider like Benjamin Franklin Plumbing if you’re looking for best-in-class customer service.
The table below briefly compares ARS and some top competitors that might be a better fit based on your needs.
| Providers | ARS/Rescue Rooter | Benjamin Franklin Plumbing | Roto-Rooter | Mr. Rooter |
| Our Score (Out of 100) | 91.0 | 95.0 | 92.5 | 91.0 |
| BBB Score* | A+ | A+ | NR | A+ |
| Cost | $$$ | $$$ | $$ | $$ |
| Service Area | 24 states | 32 states | 50 states plus Washington, D.C. | 46 states |
| Emergency Services | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduling | Online or phone | Online or phone | Online or phone | Online or phone |
| Customer Support | Phone, email, live chat | Phone or email | Phone, email, live chat | Phone, email, live chat |
Customer Reviews of ARS/Rescue Rooter
Companies in the plumbing industry are prone to negative reviews, as you’ll see if you look at reviews for other national companies like Roto-Rooter. Not only does ARS/Rescue Rooter get above-average reviews for the industry, but it also maintains overwhelmingly positive reviews.
We read through around 50 recent reviews, and just under 50% of those were negative.
Many negative reviews mention that the warranty coverage didn’t include specific parts of the equipment the homeowner needed, which led to inflated equipment prices when it came time to call on the warranty. Some customers also complain about price gouging outside of warranty, but most of the high costs were related to products under warranty that weren’t considered covered components.
Another common complaint we saw in the negative reviews was about technicians trying to upsell unnecessary equipment replacements when a repair could have sufficed. Some customers felt they were being taken advantage of, although it’s worth noting that some of the positive reviews mention that the homeowners were thankful for the more permanent replacement suggestion over the alternative repair.
Some of the most common things mentioned in the positive reviews for ARS included comments about the professionalism and friendliness of all the representatives and technicians.
Other positive reviews mentioned that their service warranty came in handy and was honored as expected, ultimately saving the homeowners money on future repairs.
Overall, the reviews for ARS are much better than the industry average, so it seems clear that you can expect better customer service from this provider than most of the competition.
So, Should You Hire ARS/Rescue Rooter?
We believe ARS/Rescue Rooter is a great option if you’re looking for high-quality plumbing work and peace of mind, all for a below-average price. Whether you need routine plumbing work or emergency service, ARS is an excellent company to consider. It’s also helpful to remember that ARS can act as a one-stop shop for most home services, including electrical work, air conditioner and heating system repair and replacement, plumbing service, and more.
If you want a more affordable company or the provider’s 24-state coverage doesn’t include your area, we recommend you consider Roto-Rooter. On average, this company has lower prices for services and has local branches in all 50 states.
You can use the tool below to get fast quotes for the plumbing services you need from reliable and reputable plumbers in your area.
We get questions about ARS’s services and pricing regularly from customers nationwide. We’ll address some of the questions we see most frequently below.
FAQs About ARS/Rescue Rooter
Does ARS/Rescue Rooter unclog sink drains?
ARS/Rescue Rooter provides a wide range of routine plumbing services, including unclogging kitchen and bathroom sink drains. The company’s plumbers usually take between a half-hour and an hour to clear sink clogs, and the typical charge is under $250 per drain.
How does ARS/Rescue Rooter clean drains?
ARS uses a few methods to clear drains, depending on the drain line and the severity of the clog. Its plumbers can use standard drain snakes, motorized drain augers, and hydro jetting to clear blockages. The company also manufactures and sells its branded drain cleaning product called DrainRight Drain Maintainer to help homeowners clear their pipes. This is considered on par with other drain cleaners from stores like Home Depot.
How long is the warranty on ARS/Rescue Rooter?
ARS offers a one-year warranty for all work completed by its technicians. The warranty on components used by the plumbers typically lasts for ten years.
Methodology: How We Rank Plumbing Companies
The experts at Today’s Homeowner are committed to providing the most accurate and transparent information possible so homeowners like you can make an informed decision about home projects. To ensure you have all the information you need for your next plumbing project, our plumbing company reviews focus on what services each company offers, how quickly a plumber can come to your home, and what flexible financing options are available.
Our home improvement experts get all their information from publicly available data. We evaluate customer reviews, talk to professional plumbers, check reviews from organizations, and gather quotes.
A plumbing company receives a total score out of 100 points which are then converted into a five-star rating. To develop our rating system, we analyzed dozens of plumbing companies and created the following five categories:
- Affordability (25 points): The cost of a plumbing project depends on what needs to be done, so we focus on whether a company offers transparent cost information, accurate estimates, and discount programs. The best plumbing companies also offer flexible financing options to accommodate any budget.
- Company Reputation (20 points): A plumbing company’s reputation is every bit as important as the services it provides. We analyze customer reviews, Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings, and each company’s service areas. We also look at how long a company has been in business because experience is a valuable asset in the home improvement industry.
- Customer Experience (20 points): We evaluate how to contact each plumbing company and how quickly they can be at your door. Our top plumbing companies are available 24/7 and can be at your home within 12 hours of your call, if not sooner.
- Installation and Repairs (25 points): We evaluate each plumbing company based on the systems they specialize in, such as sump pumps, septic systems, and gas lines. Companies that offer drain cleaning, emergency services, and video inspections of pipe leaks receive the highest scores.
- Warranty and Post-Installation Support (10 points): Homeowners can trust a plumbing company that backs up its services with a comprehensive warranty. We check if a plumbing company offers a workmanship warranty and examine what that warranty covers. The best plumbing companies offer at least a 30-day workmanship guarantee, while others back up their services with warranties that last a year or longer.
We monitor company data on an ongoing basis to keep rankings and information up to date.
