Sewage Backup.
Handle With Care.

Not All Water Is The Same Water

The restoration industry grades water losses in three categories under the IICRC S500 standard, and the grade decides the method. The reason sewage cleanup looks so different from drying a burst pipe is that it is a different category of event.

Category 3 work is part of our biohazard cleanup service: containment, removal, disinfection, and verification drying, documented for your claim.

Sewage Backup Questions, Answered

What should I do immediately after a sewage backup?

Keep people and pets away from the area, stop using water everywhere in the house, cut power to the affected zone if sewage is near outlets, and photograph everything before touching it. Then call your insurance carrier and ask specifically whether your policy carries a water backup endorsement, because standard Florida policies generally exclude sewer backup without one.

Is a sewage backup dangerous to stay around?

Yes. Sewage is Category 3 water under the IICRC S500 standard, carrying bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Skin contact, splashes, and aerosolized droplets from fans or foot traffic are all exposure routes. The area should be isolated until it has been properly cleaned and disinfected, and immune-compromised people, children, and pets should stay out entirely.

Can I clean up a sewage backup myself?

A small overflow contained to a sealed tile floor around a single toilet can be a homeowner job with gloves, disinfectant, and thorough handwashing. Anything that reached carpet, baseboards, drywall, or ran across rooms is a different problem: porous materials that absorbed Category 3 water are contaminated and the standard of care is removal under containment, because scrubbing the surface does nothing for what soaked in.

Does homeowners insurance cover sewage backup in Florida?

Usually only if you carry a water backup or sewer backup endorsement, which is an optional add-on with its own limit, commonly between $5,000 and $25,000. Standard policies generally exclude water that backs up through sewers and drains. If the cause was a failure in the municipal system, recovery from the utility may also be possible, which is one more reason to document the source thoroughly.

Why did sewage back up into my house?

The usual suspects in South Florida: roots invading older clay or cast iron lines, a blockage in your lateral line, a saturated septic drainfield backing up in the wet season, or the municipal main surcharging during heavy rain, which pushes flow backward into the lowest fixtures in nearby homes. Backups that happen during storms usually point to the last two.

What gets thrown away after a sewage backup?

Carpet and pad that absorbed sewage, wet drywall and insulation in the contact zone, and porous contents like upholstered furniture and cardboard. Hard, non-porous materials like tile, sealed concrete, and metal can typically be cleaned and disinfected in place. An honest scope removes what absorbed contamination and saves what did not.