Right now / Plumber first or City first
Sewage coming up: plumber or the city first?
For a sewage backup, who to call starts with keeping people and pets out and avoiding contact. Then call a plumber. On septic, also call the local health department. If neighbors or the street are affected, call the city's sewer line first.
Updated . Sources are listed at the foot of this page.
Find your line
- If sewage is coming up in your house onlyPlumber firstPortland, Oregon, advises this to investigate the cause. Other cities may differ, so ask yours.
- If you are on a septic systemPlumber firstAlso call the local health department. EPA points septic owners there for guidance on backups.
- If neighbors have it too, or the street is overflowingCity firstThat points past your house, so the city's sewer line should hear about it now.
- If the plumber says the break is under the streetCity firstPortland and San Francisco split that line by location, so ask your utility.
Who handles which part of a backup?
| Plumber first | City first | |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | Only your house is affected | Several homes, or the street, are affected |
| What they do | Look for the cause on your side | Check public sewer lines in their area |
| Septic homes | Yes, plus local health department | Not the usual first call |
| Rule example | Portland, Oregon: plumber first | San Francisco: report lower lateral issues |
| Cost to you | Ask for the visit price first | No dated figure found |
| Clean-up | Not their main job, so ask | Ask the local health department |
Sources for this table: Portland, EPA, SFPUC
What would change who you call first?
- Your city publishes a sewer backup line and tells residents to call it first. Follow your city.
- The sewage comes with a gas smell. Leave on foot and call from outside.
- Sewage has reached outlets, cords or appliances. Neither comes first. Stay out and reach the power company or 911 from a dry place.
- Floodwater came in with it. The Red Cross warns floodwater may contain sewage, so stay out.
Who pays, and how much is a sewage call?
This site found no dated figure for sewage clean-up. The nearest come from a Bob Vila survey summary updated June 2023, drawn from HomeAdvisor data: $100 to $400, or a flat $200, to unclog a drain, and $350 to $1,550 for a main line leak repair. These are 2023 national numbers, may be out of date and vary locally, and neither covers clean-up. No figure was found for a sewer camera visit, so ask for one in writing.
Insurance is its own question. The Texas Department of Insurance treats backup of sewers or drains as an optional item worth raising, so a Texas policy may or may not include it. Read yours or ask your agent. Your state may differ. Insurer or plumber first has more on that call.
Who answers for the pipe under your yard?
Local rules decide this, and they do not match. San Francisco's utility says the upper lateral is the owner's responsibility and asks to be told when a plumber finds a structural problem in the lower lateral. Portland splits repairs among bureaus by location, with one bureau involved from the curb into the street. Ask your own utility where your side ends before a plumber starts digging.
Who does the work varies too. Texas licenses plumbers through a state board and has a separate registration for drain cleaners, so a drain company and a plumber may hold different credentials there. Your state may differ, and state rules has what could be confirmed.
For clean-up itself, this site gives no steps. Ask the local health department for its guidance. Portland also notes that cleaning and restoration firms are a specialty apart from the plumber, and plumber or cleanup company first explains how the two calls fit together.
Words to use
"Sewage is backing up inside the house. People and pets are out of the area. How soon can you come?"
"We are on septic. Should we also call the health department, and what will you need from them?"
"When you find the cause, please show me where the problem is and whose line that is."
"If this is on the city's side, please put that in writing so it can go to the utility."
Also asked
- Is it the city or a plumber if a neighbor's drain is also backing up?
- Call the city or sewer utility's line, since more than one home suggests the problem may be beyond your house. That is a judgement, not a rule, so ask them what they want you to do. If they say the cause is on your side, a plumber is next.
- Which calls come first for a sewage backup on a septic system?
- A plumber, and also the local health department. EPA tells septic owners to avoid contact with the sewage and to contact the health department for guidance. This page gives no clean-up steps, so ask the local office about those.
- Is it safe to stay in the house while waiting for someone to come?
- Stay away from the affected area and keep people and pets out. Washington's health department says to keep children and pets away until clean-up is done. If you cannot avoid contact with the sewage where you are, leave that part of the house, and ask the local health department what applies to you.
Sources
- Portland Environmental Services: sewer backups Portland: plumber first; restoration is a separate specialty
- EPA: resolving septic system malfunctions Avoid contact; contact the health department
- Washington Department of Health: sewage spills Keep children and pets out
- American Red Cross: flood safety Floodwater may contain sewage
- SFPUC: sewer laterals San Francisco owner responsibility for laterals
- Portland: broken sewer and drain lines Portland splits repairs among bureaus
- Bob Vila: How Much Does a Plumber Cost? Drain and main line ranges, June 2023
- Texas Department of Insurance: home insurance guide Sewer and drain backup as an optional item
- Texas plumbing board: license types Drain cleaner registration in Texas