1. Call and plan
The team asks what happened, where the sewage is and who uses the space, then plans the right crew and equipment.
Austin, TX · Travis County
A toilet, tub or floor drain just overflowed in Austin. Call (877) 812-4220 at any hour to get sewage removal, disinfection and odor treatment so the space can be used safely again.
If anyone is in danger, call 911 first. For a suicide crisis, call or text 988.
A sewage clean up service treats a backup as a health problem first and a mess second. The work covers extraction, tear-out of contaminated materials, disinfection and odor removal.
If sewage has reached your home, rental or business in Austin or elsewhere in Travis County, get raw sewage cleanup, sewage removal and disinfection from Austin Biohazard Cleanup Help. A cleanup team works in protective equipment and follows OSHA safety rules for infectious materials.
About 57% of households in Austin rent, so sewage backups often involve a landlord, a property manager and a tenant at once. Clear documentation of the cleanup helps everyone. Travis County carries a Relatively High river flood risk rating from FEMA, and rising water can overload sewer pipes and push wastewater back up through floor drains.
What sewage & biohazard cleanup covers:
The team asks what happened, where the sewage is and who uses the space, then plans the right crew and equipment.
Wastewater is taken out of the building, and standing liquid in crawl spaces or low corners is cleared.
Framing, subfloor and concrete are cleaned and treated, since sewage can soak into surfaces that look dry.
Hard surfaces and framing are cleaned and disinfected, odor is treated, and the crew checks the area before it is cleared for use.
Most sewage & biohazard cleanup jobs in Austin, TX cost between $1,500 and $10,000, based on published cost guides.
Where the sewage sits matters too. Open floors are straightforward, while crawl spaces and areas under a house are tight and slower to work.
| Type of job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Category 3 sewage | $2,500 - $10,000 |
| Most homeowners | $2,000 - $10,000 |
| Category 3 sewage | $7.50 - $7.50 per square foot |
| Published span | $1,500 - $8,000 |
These ranges come from published cost guides (Bob Vila, Fixr, BioCleaners Directory, Biohazard cleanup company pricing guide) and are not a quote for Austin. Price drivers include square footage affected, category of water, porous materials that must be removed, drying time. For a real number, call (877) 812-4220.
If the cleanup missed contaminated materials, germs and odor can linger. That is why crews remove porous materials, disinfect every surface they touched and inspect the work. Thorough removal is what lowers the risk.
The smell comes from the contamination, so the fix is removing sewage and soaked materials first, then disinfecting and deodorizing. Air fresheners only cover it. If the odor persists, hidden material such as subfloor or insulation may still hold sewage.
It depends on the cause, the lease and local law. A landlord's policy may cover the building, while a renter's policy may cover belongings. If the blockage was in a public sewer main, the city or utility may be responsible for the repair.
Worker safety falls under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030. Companies that haul other people's untreated medical waste register with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Plumbing and sewer rules vary by city and utility.
No. Water from a clean source can often be dried in place, but sewage is a biohazard that requires removal of contaminated materials and disinfection. Drying alone does not make a sewage-affected space safe.
Keep everyone out of the area, including pets, and stop using sinks, tubs and toilets that feed the pipe. Turn off power to wet areas only if it is safe. Then call a cleanup team and your insurer, and take photos before anything is moved.
Raw sewage is a biohazard, so do not wait on cleanup.
Call (877) 812-4220