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 Philadelphia County
Philadelphia's rowhomes share party walls, so one burst pipe routinely becomes two houses' problem - water travels along joists straight into the neighbor's ceiling. Original cast-iron stacks and galvanized supply lines are at end of life across whole blocks, basements sit below grade, and hard freezes find the pipes in unheated cellars first.
Pennsylvania policies cover sudden failures including freeze-bursts when the home was reasonably heated. Sewer and drain backup - a common Philadelphia basement claim - needs its own endorsement, and party-wall losses get sorted between insurers after each home documents its own damage.
Serving Philadelphia, Camden, Cherry Hill, Upper Darby, Norristown, Bensalem, and all of Philadelphia 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.
Water came through the party wall from next door - who pays?
Your own policy typically covers your side first; check your policy for how a neighbor's leak is handled. What matters is documenting that the source was next door before it's repaired.