Sewage is Category 3 water under the IICRC S500 standard, meaning it carries bacteria and other contaminants that can make people sick. It usually shows up through the lowest drain in the house: a basement floor drain, a shower, or a toilet. The cause is a blockage in your sewer line, roots in the lateral, or a problem in the municipal main.
Crews handle water damage claims from every major carrier, including:
Insurers are named for reference only. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any insurance company.
Cleanup is not a mop-and-bleach job. Porous materials that sewage touched, such as carpet, pad, and the bottom of drywall, generally have to be removed and bagged. The area is contained so contamination doesn't spread, then cleaned, disinfected, and dried.
Water category:Category 3 (black water)
Step 1
Plastic barriers and negative air pressure keep contamination in the affected area.
Step 2
Contaminated porous materials are removed and bagged. Hard surfaces are kept where they can be cleaned.
Step 3
Floors, framing, and remaining surfaces are cleaned and treated with an EPA-registered disinfectant.
Step 4
Dehumidifiers and air movers dry the structure once it's clean, with HEPA air scrubbing as needed.
Step 5
The crew records the source, the affected area, and moisture readings for your insurer.
Local notes
If the backup is coming from the street side, call City of Boulder Utilities at (303) 441-3200. The city handles the public sewer main; the private line from your house to the main is generally the owner's responsibility. Older neighborhoods with mature trees, such as Mapleton Hill and Whittier, can see root intrusion in aging sewer laterals.
Insurance
Sewer and drain backups are excluded from a base HO-3 policy. They're covered only if you added a water backup endorsement, which often has its own limit. If the backup came from a city main, the municipality may have a separate claims process. Ask your insurer before you assume either way.
Read the Colorado water damage insurance guideNo honest company can price this over the phone. These are the things the crew measures on site. Read the full cost guide.
Get a crew out to inspect it
An IICRC-certified crew measures the damage, explains the scope, and documents it for your insurer. You decide whether to go ahead.
(720) 806-6511Or estimate your drying scope firstUsually, if the backup is confined to one area, you keep people and pets away from it, and you don't use the plumbing until it's cleared. Anyone with a weakened immune system, young children, and pregnant people should avoid the area entirely.
It depends on where the blockage was and local rules. Homeowners are typically responsible for the private sewer line from the house to the main. Report street-side problems to the city utility right away and note the time.
Under the IICRC S500 standard, carpet and pad contaminated by Category 3 water are generally removed and replaced, not cleaned.
