The first hour when sewage is in the house
- Keep out of the standing water, and keep children, pregnant people and anyone with asthma or a weak immune system away from it; those are the groups EPA tells to stay out of flood cleanup.
- Stop using sinks, toilets and the washer until someone has checked the line.
- Stay clear of wet electrical equipment, and leave the panel alone if reaching it means wading. Turn off power only if you can reach the switch from a dry spot.
- Photograph the damage from where you stand, before you carry belongings out, so the insurer sees them where they were.
- Phone the restoration line above, then your insurer, and describe the cause exactly as you found it.
- Write down the day you found the damage, since a personal-property claim against a public entity has a six-month clock under Government Code 911.2.
Why sewage needs a different crew
EPA's mold cleanup guidance says damage from contaminated water, sewage included, needs a professional experienced with it. Ask who on the crew has done sewage jobs before.
EPA's flood-cleanup page adds that older homes and buildings may have materials containing asbestos or lead. Under 8 CCR 341.6, an employer needs a Cal/OSHA registration before asbestos-related work on 100 square feet or more of asbestos-containing material. Ask about it before the crew cuts out drywall.
How much sewage cleanup costs in California (estimates, not quotes)
Our model puts sewage cleanup at $1,825 to $18,600 per job, with a per square foot figure in the table's second estimate row. It isn't a quote. One national published range sits under it, widened 15 percent each side, and the model flags the band as very wide. The wage rows show what the nearest federal occupation earns.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,825 to $18,600 per job | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the California hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio (1.08). No California water, fire or sewage restoration company published a price we could count. Three California mold-inspection firms publish inspection prices, which are not a restoration job and are not used in these rows. Basis: no state company sample (no counted California company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range per square foot, not a quote | $6 to $19 per square foot | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the California hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio (1.08). No California water, fire or sewage restoration company published a price we could count. Three California mold-inspection firms publish inspection prices, which are not a restoration job and are not used in these rows. Basis: no state company sample (no counted California company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Hazardous materials removal worker wage, California mean | $29.21 an hour (United States mean: $27.13) | BLS May 2025 pay for the occupation nearest a restoration crew. The estimate uses the ratio between the two means. |
| Same occupation, California median | $26.98 an hour (middle half of workers: $22.68 to $32.47) | Same BLS data through O*NET OnLine; pay, not price. |
| Same occupation, Sacramento and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont medians | $24.28 and $28.65 an hour | Two northern metros; what the occupation earns there, not a bill. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by California's hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio to the US (1.08, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. No California restoration company published a water, fire or sewage price we could count. We have no counted California company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
Your line or the public main
The state sources on this page don't say which stretch of sewer line is yours, so ask your city or sanitation district before you pay to have the line cleared.
If the public main caused it, the six-month clock in Government Code 911.2(a) covers a claim for injury to person or personal property, and other claims get one year. Keep the date you found the damage with your photos.
Whether a policy answers for a sewer backup
CDI's residential guide puts "sudden & accidental water damage" among perils generally covered and seepage or leaks among those usually excluded. Ask the insurer in writing whether a sewer or drain backup is covered under your policy. Under 10 CCR 2695.7(b), in the copy published on Cornell's LII site, an insurer has 40 calendar days after proof of claim to accept or deny it, in whole or in part. If it stalls, CDI's consumer hotline is 1-800-927-4357.
When a sewage backup can't wait
- Sewage is still coming up a drain, toilet or floor sink.
- Wet electrical equipment, the panel or a furnace sits in the affected area.
- A child, a pregnant person, or someone with asthma or a weak immune system lives in the house.
- A slow drain with no water on the floor; photograph it and call a plumber.
- A dry floor and a fading smell, once a crew has cleaned and dried the area.
Sewer line repairs: who needs a license and a permit
CSLB's classification list has no class for sewage cleanup. For repairing the line itself, ask for the contractor's CSLB license number and check it on CSLB's lookup before you agree to anything. B&P 7048 exempts a job only when it's under $1,000, casual and minor, and needs no building permit.
Ask the plumber about a permit. Repairs permitted from 2026 are checked against the 2025 California Building Standards Code, the edition in effect from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028.
Ask which licenses your state requires for the work, and check them with your state's licensing office before anyone starts. A credential from a private body, such as IICRC, isn't a license.
Questions people ask
Does homeowners insurance cover a sewage backup in California?
CDI lists sudden and accidental water damage among perils generally covered, and flood, mold and seepage among those generally excluded. Get the insurer's answer on a sewer backup in writing.
How long do I have to make a claim against a city over a sewage backup?
Government Code 911.2(a) sets six months from when the cause of action accrues for a claim over injury to person or personal property, and one year for other claims.
Is it safe to clean up sewage myself?
EPA also says children, pregnant people and people with asthma or weak immune systems should stay out of flood cleanup.
Who handles a sewer backup in California?
Ask it whether its main backed up, and note the date for the six-month claim clock. For the cleanup itself, the restoration line on this page reaches one company.
What does sewage cleanup cost in California?
The model flags the band as very wide, since it rests on one national range, and no California company price was counted for it.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041), California, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- RestorationMatch: how we estimate costs, California (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- O*NET OnLine: California wages, 47-4041.00 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Government Code 911.2 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- EPA: Mold Cleanup in Your Home (updated June 4, 2026) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Flood Cleanup (EPA) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- CDI: Residential Insurance (Homeowners and Renters) information guide Read Oct 20, 2026.
- 10 CCR 2695.7 Standards for Prompt, Fair and Equitable Settlements (Cornell LII copy; CDI section index) Read Oct 20, 2026. Check with the source before you rely on this.
- CDI: Getting Help Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB Licensing Classifications Read Oct 20, 2026.
- B&P Code 7048 (current text) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CBSC: Codes (Title 24) and home page Read Oct 20, 2026.
- PG&E: Gas safety Read Oct 20, 2026.
- SoCalGas: Emergency information Read Oct 20, 2026.
- SDG&E: Gas safety Read Oct 20, 2026.
- 8 CCR 341.6 Registration Requirements Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: Check a Contractor License Read Oct 20, 2026.