Signs you need a crew now
- Water or sewage coming up floor drains, tubs, or toilets
- Several drains backing up at the same time
- Gurgling pipes when you flush or run water
- A sewage smell indoors - even without visible water
What happens when you call
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Tell us what happened. 30 seconds - where it's coming up and how much.
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You're connected with a local restoration crew while you're on the line.
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The crew confirms timing and sets your arrival time with you directly.
Why this one can't wait
Sewage is what crews call category-3 "black water" - it carries bacteria and viruses, and everything porous it touches (carpet, pad, drywall, upholstery) has to go. The longer it sits, the deeper it wicks.
Certified crews contain the area, remove what can't be saved, and disinfect to IICRC standards - then dry and restore. This is not a mop-and-bleach job.
Local to Cook County
Chicago basements are deep and usually finished - and much of Cook County drains through combined sewers that back up into them during heavy rain. Freeze-thaw cycles burst pipes in uninsulated exterior walls, ice dams push meltwater under roofs, and a dead sump or ejector pit turns an ordinary storm into a flooded basement in an hour.
In the Chicago area the coverage that surprises homeowners most is sewer backup - it's only covered with a water/sewer backup endorsement, an add-on many policies skip despite the combined sewer system. Check your declarations page before the next heavy rain.
Serving Chicago, Evanston, Cicero, Oak Park, Skokie, Berwyn, and all of Cook County.
Sewage backup questions
Is it actually dangerous?
Yes - treat it like the biohazard it is. Keep people and pets out of the area, don't run fans across it, and wash up if you've had contact.
Is a sewage backup covered by insurance?
Only with a sewer/water-backup endorsement - a cheap add-on many policies skip. The crew checks your coverage situation with you before work starts.
Can the carpet be saved?
No - carpet and pad touched by sewage are removed by rule. Hard surfaces underneath are disinfected and usually fine.
Is sewer backup covered in Chicago?
Only with a water/sewer backup endorsement - many Cook County policies skip it despite the combined sewers. Check your declarations page before the next heavy rain.