Few things rattle a homeowner more than having a sewage backup. The smell is unmistakable and the thought of all that bacteria and other hazardous waste in your home is appalling.
As you reach out to water damage restoration professionals to perform sewage removal, here are some things to keep in mind.
Sewage backup do’s and don’ts
Here are a few do’s and don’ts for dealing with a sewer backup from the Department of Public Health.
- Do keep children and pets away from the backup. This will keep them from coming in contact with raw sewage, which can make them very ill and can be spread by feet and paws.
- Do call your insurance company to start a claim and find out what sewage cleanup costs are covered by your policy.
- Do call the local sewer or public works department if you’re on a municipal sewer system. If you use a septic system, call the public health department for guidance.
- Do not flush the toilets! It will just make the situation worse.
- Do not touch raw sewage with your bare hands. It’s best to avoid the area until it’s been professionally cleaned, but if you do have to be there, wear rubber gloves.
- Don’t try to clean it yourself. Commercially available cleaning products and equipment aren’t designed for sanitization at this level, and without the right training, you can expose yourself to bacteria and other biohazards. Call a professional cleaning company.
Sewer Backup Cleaning Services and Cost
If you experience a sewage backup in your home or business, call the sewage removal professionals at ServiceMaster DDR. We have the training, experience and equipment to safely and quickly clean and sanitize properties in the Palo Alto, CA area and make them safe to occupy again.
Our water mitigation technicians will arrive within 1-2 hours of your initial call to stop the spread of the damage and begin the restoration.
The cost to restore the water damage from a sewage backup varies, depending on how far the sewage spread in the home. Additional factors include replacing flooring or carpet and drywall in finished basements. According to CostHelper.com, the cost to clean and repair the damage can range from $2,000-10,000.
Steve VanDenBerg is the owner of ServiceMaster Disaster Restoration and Recovery. He has over 30 years of experience working within the restoration industry and successfully leading start-ups, turnarounds, acquisitions and mergers, and rapidly growing companies.
Steve earned his BS in Business & Accounting from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI and began working for DSI Holdings as their Chief Financial Officer. When Steve began with DSI Holdings, they were running an underperforming ServiceMaster Restore franchise with one location. Steve implemented new policies and procedures for accounting and finance as well as a professional sales plan that increased profits eightfold over his time as the CFO. He was then promoted to President and CEO and in this time, he expanded the company from two locations with $4M in sales to 12 locations and $45M in sales. DSI Holdings became one of the largest disaster restoration companies in the U.S. and helped with major restoration projects throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Steve purchased ServiceMaster DRR in 2015 when the business was in decline. Drawing on his years of experience in turning around struggling ServiceMaster franchises, Steve overhauled our operations, including finance, sales, and marketing, which led to a quick turnaround. Within Steve’s first 24 months, sales increased by 60 percent. Steve also helped greatly improve our operating margins and established a relationship with California’s largest residential insurance company. Under Steve’s leadership, we have become one of the largest disaster restoration providers in California.
Steve has found great success in turning around struggling and stagnant restoration franchises by changing the business model and strategy, greatly increasing sales and profits. Many of the changes he has implemented have even been adopted by the franchisor into their operating model.