Removal of sewage and septic backups, cleaning of affected surfaces and drying of the structure, after the line is cleared.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Sewage cleanup removes the contaminated water, takes out porous materials it touched, cleans and treats hard surfaces and dries the structure. It is treated as Category 3, the most contaminated, so keep people and pets out. Terrell Water Damage Restoration answers calls 24/7, and a crew is dispatched as fast as one is available.
Sewage in the house is a different kind of emergency from a burst pipe. The water is contaminated from the start, so the aim is not only to dry it but to remove it, take out anything porous that soaked it up and clean what remains. Carpet, pad, insulation and drywall that were touched are usually discarded rather than saved. Keep children, pets and anyone with a weak immune system out of the area until the crew says otherwise.
Around Terrell, backups come from two places. Homes inside town connect to the city sewer, and a blockage or an overwhelmed main during a downpour can push wastewater up the lowest drain in the house, often a shower, a floor drain or a first-floor toilet. Many rural and unincorporated Kaufman County properties use private septic systems instead, and a saturated drain field or a full tank can back up into the house or surface in the yard. Which of the two you have decides who fixes the cause.
The crew cleans up what came into the house. Clearing the blockage is a plumber's or a septic contractor's job, and it usually has to happen first or alongside, because cleanup is wasted if the line is still backing up. Once the source is stopped, the crew removes the water, removes contaminated materials, cleans, and dries the structure until readings are at goal.
Stop using water, keep everyone out of the area and do not try to clean it up yourself. Wear gloves and boots only if you must enter. Call a plumber or septic contractor for the line and (833) 490-5225 for the cleanup, and photograph the damage before anything is removed.
Do not flush toilets or run the washer or dishwasher, because each one sends more water into the same blocked line. If the backup is in a first-floor shower or floor drain, the blockage is usually downstream of it.
Do not mix household cleaners such as bleach and ammonia to treat it. Open windows if you can do so safely, and wash your hands carefully after any contact.
If your property is inside Terrell and connected to city sewer, the cause may be your lateral or the city main. If you are on a rural lot, a private septic system is likely, and many unincorporated Kaufman County properties use them. A plumber or septic contractor can confirm which.
Look for clues outside. A cleanout cap in the yard or beside the house, or a lid and wet ground over a tank, points to a septic system. Neighbors with the same problem at the same time point to the main.
Terrell's wastewater system has seen major investment, with the Texas Water Development Board committing $24.5 million toward the city's wastewater, but a blockage on your own line is still yours. Call the city if you suspect the main.
Usually only if you added a water or sewer backup endorsement. A standard homeowners policy typically excludes sewer or drain backup, and flood is a separate policy. This is general, not a promise: your insurer decides, so check your policy and ask your agent before cleanup.
A backup endorsement is a common optional add-on in Texas. If you are not sure you have one, ask your agent what it covers, and keep photos, readings and receipts.
The Texas Department of Insurance helps consumers with claim questions and complaints. The crew can give you moisture readings and photos but does not decide coverage.
The crew removes contaminated porous materials, cleans and treats the remaining surfaces, then dries with monitored equipment until moisture readings reach goal. Smell is not a test. If an odor or discoloration lingers, a mold inspection can look at what stayed wet.
Drying to goal does not prove that nothing has grown. Mold may have begun on a surface while the material was wet, even if the material later dried. Texas licenses mold assessors and remediators separately, so a mold inspection is a separate step from cleanup.
Keep a record of what was removed. It helps with any claim and with the rebuild quote.
Keep children, pets and anyone ill out of the area. Do not touch sewage without gloves and boots, do not wash it into a yard, ditch or storm drain, and wash hands and clothing after any contact.
Everyone leaves the affected area, and the crew sets up protective gear and, where needed, barriers. Water use in the house stops, since every flush and shower sends more into the same line. A plumber or septic contractor is called for the source.
Pumps and extractors remove liquid and solids. Water is taken out first, and then hard surfaces are scraped and collected. Waste is bagged and disposed of properly, not rinsed into a yard or ditch.
Carpet, pad, insulation, drywall and particleboard cabinets that got wet are usually cut out and discarded. Walls are cut above the highest wet reading, because sewage wicks up like any other water.
Framing, concrete and hard flooring are cleaned of residue and then treated with products suited to contaminated water. Cleaning comes before drying equipment is set so contaminated air is not circulated.
Air movers and dehumidifiers run until moisture readings reach goal. You receive readings and photos, and rebuilding is quoted separately after drying, once it is clear how much was removed.
A blockage in the main or lateral line pushes wastewater up through the lowest fixture. The cause may be on your side of the property line or the city's, and a plumber with a camera can tell which. Ask the city sewer department if the main is involved.
A full tank, a failed pump or a saturated drain field sends wastewater back toward the house or to the surface. A septic contractor pumps or repairs the system, and the guide on septic versus sewer backup in rural Kaufman County helps you tell which problem you have.
During heavy rain, sewer lines can surcharge while water also enters from outside. The result is Category 3 water from two sources. See flood damage cleanup for the outside-water side of that.
Sewage jobs cost more per square foot than clean-water losses because contaminated material has to be removed and surfaces cleaned before drying starts. The area, the depth and how many porous materials were touched drive the total.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Category 3 (black water) mitigation, per sq ft | $7–$15 | Removal, cleaning and treatment |
| Sewage backup cleanup, typical home | $2,500–$15,000 | Larger jobs can exceed this |
| Standing water extraction, per sq ft | $3–$7 | First stage, depending on depth |
| LGR dehumidifier, per unit per day | $75–$150 | After cleaning |
| Air mover, per unit per day | $22–$50 | After cleaning |
These are typical estimates for the Dallas-Fort Worth region in 2026, not a quote. The crew confirms the real price on site and you approve it before work starts. The plumber's or septic contractor's bill is separate, and rebuilding is quoted after drying.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Heavy rain is the trigger most people remember. A saturated drain field cannot take more water, and a city line that carries stormwater through cracked joints can surcharge. The October 28, 2023 Kaufman County flood, with 10 to 12 inches of rain in about eight hours, showed how quickly ditches and drains can be overwhelmed. Rural septic systems in low spots are the first to struggle.
Terrell buys its treated water from the North Texas Municipal Water District, but wastewater leaves the system separately, and an older house connected to the sewer may have older clay or cast-iron lateral lines. Tree roots, grease and settled joints are common causes of blockages, and a plumber with a camera can show which one you have.
Properties in Poetry, College Mound, Lawrence and other rural communities around Terrell may well rely on private septic systems rather than a city sewer. That can mean no city line to blame and no utility to call. The septic contractor's visit and the crew's cleanup should be coordinated, so waste is not left in the house while the tank is serviced.
Floodwater removal, mud cleanup and drying for homes hit by flash floods and heavy rain in Kaufman County.
Pumping and extraction of standing water after a supply-line failure, appliance leak or storm, with drying to follow.
Water removal, monitored drying and cleanup for homes, farms and businesses in Terrell and Kaufman County.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Published cost guides for Greater Dallas-Fort Worth put a typical water damage job at roughly $1,200 to $5,000, with a minor single-room job near $500 to $1,500 and severe jobs at $3,500 to $7,000 or more.
If every drain in the house backs up at once and the home sits on a rural lot, suspect the septic tank or drain field.
A very small one on a hard floor, with gloves, boots and proper disposal, is something homeowners sometimes do. Anything that reached carpet, drywall or a larger area belongs to a crew, because porous materials hold contamination and cannot be fully cleaned.
Carpet, pad, insulation and wet drywall are usually removed and discarded. Hard surfaces and framing are cleaned and treated. What can stay is decided from moisture readings and the kind of water, and you approve the plan before work begins.
A plumber for a house line or a city-connected lateral, or a septic contractor for a private septic system. The crew does not repair plumbing or septic systems. It cleans up what the backup left and dries the structure.
That depends on the job, and the crew cannot promise a time. You can return once contaminated materials are out, surfaces are cleaned and the crew says the area is safe. Drying equipment may still be running.
Removing the source, meaning contaminated materials, and cleaning surfaces is what removes most odor. Drying then keeps it from returning. If a smell remains after that, tell the crew, because it can mean something is still wet.
Yes. Phones are answered 24/7, and a crew is dispatched as fast as one is available. In the meantime, stop using water in the house, keep people out and take photos.