Dee-Rooter FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dee-Rooter Plumbing licensed and insured to work in Florida?
Yes. We’re a licensed and insured plumbing contractor serving Alachua County, FL. Florida requires plumbing contractors to have a minimum of four years of verified experience, pass a state certification exam, carry public liability insurance, and submit to fingerprinting before receiving a license. That’s not a low bar. When you call us, you’re getting a qualified professional — not a handyman with a pipe wrench. If you ever want to verify our license status, you can do that directly through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation at myfloridalicense.com.
Are you a local Alachua County company or part of a national franchise?
We’re a family-owned and operated business based right here in Gainesville, FL. Our address is 4002 NW 6th Street — not a regional dispatch center routing calls to whoever’s available. When you call us, you reach us. When we show up, it’s our reputation on the line, not a franchise’s. We serve homeowners, landlords, and businesses throughout Alachua County, including Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry, High Springs, Hawthorne, Archer, and Micanopy. This is our community. We’re not passing through.
What plumbing services do you offer in Alachua County, FL?
We handle the full range of residential and commercial plumbing — drain cleaning, sewer line repair and replacement, water heater repair and replacement (tank and tankless), leak detection, pipe repair, faucet and fixture work, toilet repair and installation, and emergency plumbing. On the commercial side, we work with property managers, landlords, and business owners who need reliable service without a lot of downtime. If it involves your plumbing system, there’s a good chance we’ve handled it before.
What are your hours — are you available on weekends and holidays?
We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including weekends, holidays, and the middle of the night. Plumbing doesn’t wait for Monday morning, and neither do we. A sewer backup on Christmas Eve or a burst pipe at 2 AM isn’t any less urgent just because of the timing. When you call, you’ll reach a real person. We also offer same-day service, so you’re not stuck waiting days for someone to show up.
How does your pricing work — will I know the cost before you start?
Yes, always. We give you upfront pricing before any work begins. You’ll know exactly what the job costs before we touch a single pipe. No surprises on the final bill, no vague estimates that balloon once we’re already into the work. We also offer free quotes, so if you’re not sure what you’re dealing with or want to understand your options before committing, you can call us without it costing you anything.
What counts as a plumbing emergency — how do I know when to call immediately?
If it’s affecting your ability to use your home normally, it’s worth a call. That includes sewage backing up into your drains or tub, a burst or actively leaking pipe, no hot water, a toilet that won’t stop running or won’t flush at all, water pooling where it shouldn’t, or anything that smells like sewage inside the house. A slow drain in one sink can usually wait. Multiple slow drains throughout the house cannot — that’s typically a main sewer line issue, and those get worse fast. When in doubt, call us. We’ll tell you honestly whether it needs same-day attention.
Why do my drains keep clogging even after I've already had them cleaned?
This is one of the most common frustrations we hear. The short answer is that not all drain cleaning is the same. Some plumbers punch a hole through the clog to restore flow, but they leave the buildup on the pipe walls — which means the clog comes back within weeks. A thorough drain cleaning removes the blockage completely. In older Gainesville homes, especially those with cast-iron drain pipes, buildup accumulates faster and recurring clogs are a sign that the line needs a proper cleaning, not a quick fix. If it keeps happening, a camera inspection can show exactly what’s going on inside the pipe.
Can I just use chemical drain cleaners instead of calling a plumber?
You can, but it’s worth understanding what you’re actually getting. Chemical drain cleaners — the kind you buy at the hardware store — may temporarily clear a slow drain, but they rarely remove the full blockage. They also tend to fail on grease and organic buildup deeper in the line. More importantly, they’re corrosive. Used repeatedly in older pipes, they can accelerate deterioration over time. If you have a recurring clog, a chemical cleaner is treating the symptom, not the cause. A professional drain cleaning service gets to the root of the problem.