Sewage coming up through a floor drain, shower or toilet in Huntington Beach?
Keep people and pets out of it and call (888) 217-4707, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific. HB Water Damage is an independent referral line that connects you with an independent restoration contractor equipped for contaminated water.
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Answered daily7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific
Huntington Beach areaPlus 20 nearby cities
In short
Sewage backup cleanup is Category 3 water damage work: containment, removal of every porous material the sewage touched, extraction, disinfection, and drying. Carpet, pad, drywall and insulation that absorbed sewage are discarded, not dried, under the IICRC S500 standard.
Since January 2008 the City of Huntington Beach has been responsible for the lateral from the city main to the property line; the pipe on your property is the owner's responsibility. In homes built during the city's late-1950s to 1970s building boom, those private laterals are now 50 to 70 years old.
Tree roots enter joints in older clay and cast-iron pipe; grease and "flushable" wipes build blockages that eventually back up into the lowest drain in the house.
When the city main or a lift station has a problem, sewage can come back through the lowest fixture in homes that sit below the level of the nearest manhole. The City's Utilities Division runs 360 miles of wastewater pipe and 27 lift stations.
During heavy rain, which raises flow in the pipes.
A plumber, not the restoration crew, clears or repairs the lateral. Many homeowners call both at once: the plumber stops the source while the restoration contractor removes the contamination.
Water in your home right now? Call and get connected to an independent restoration contractor who covers your street.
Industry cost guides put Category 3 work at roughly 25% to 40% above clean-water mitigation because of containment, protective equipment and disposal, with a single-bathroom sewage backup commonly in the $3,000 to $7,000 range. Larger backups that reach carpeted rooms cost more. See the cost page for the full breakdown.
Standard homeowners policies usually exclude sewer and drain backup unless you bought a water or sewer backup endorsement. Check the declarations page of your policy for "water backup" or "sewer backup". If you have the endorsement, report the loss promptly and keep the photographs and the plumber's invoice showing the cause.
If a backup keeps happening, ask a plumber about a backwater valve (backflow prevention device) on your lateral. It lets sewage flow out to the street and closes when flow reverses, so an overflow happens outside instead of inside.
Sewage is Category 3 water. A few cups on tile can be cleaned with gloves and disinfectant; anything that reached carpet, drywall or a larger area needs a contractor with containment and protective equipment.
The City of Huntington Beach is responsible from the main to the property line; the section on your property is the owner's. A plumber with a camera can show where the blockage is.
A toilet bowl overflow with clean water is usually Category 2; a backup with waste, or water rising from a floor drain, is Category 3. The contractor classifies it on site.
Removal and disinfection usually take a day or two, followed by several days of drying. Rebuilding drywall and flooring is a separate step afterwards.
HB Water Damage is an independent referral line. It connects callers with independent contractors and does not do the cleanup itself. More on How it works.
One call reaches an independent restoration contractor who covers your area. The contractor handles the inspection, the estimate and the work.
Independent line. No charge to you. Calls may be recorded.
