Roto-Rooter
Home Services · HVAC & Plumbing
- Active units
- 333
Franchised, year-end 2025
About Roto-Rooter
Founded in 1935, Roto-Rooter is the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in North America. With a rich history, Roto-Rooter has established itself as a trusted name in the industry. Offering a wide range of services, including emergency plumber services available 24/7, Roto-Rooter is here to meet all your plumbing needs. Their expert plumbers are equipped to handle various plumbing issues, such as drain cleaning, sewer line repairs, leak fixes, and faucet and pipe installations. They also specialize in services for commercial dishwashers, garbage disposals, showers, bathtubs, sump pumps, toilets, and water heaters. Additionally, Roto-Rooter provides water damage restoration services to help with cleanup and mold remediation. Operating in over 100 company-owned branches and independent contractor territories, as well as approximately 400 independent franchise operations, Roto-Rooter proudly serves nearly 90% of the U.S. They have also expanded their operations globally with master independent franchise operations in countries like Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. When it comes to reliable plumbing services, Roto-Rooter is the brand to trust.
Key terms
- Footprint
1,200 sq ft
- Veteran discount
Not offered
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing).
Growth
- Total locations333
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings3
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate-1.2%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR-1.2%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio3.0×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$202k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open—
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
- Royalty rate—
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
- Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
Create your free Glidepath account to access full brand information.
Location footprint
Showing 278 of 574 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.